Create an ideabook for your next remodeling project!
Browse more than 1,000,000 photos from top designers and save your favorites
Designing for Fun: Whimsy Grows Up
I am an architectural design writer who often focuses on how environment can affect behavior. Before consulting privately, I received my MA in writing and ran a design boutique in Los Angeles.
I am an architectural design writer who often focuses on how environment... More »
Who says whimsy has to be for kids? Incorporating details into a space with tongue firmly planted in cheek can surprise and delight–and the balance between caprice and sophistication is gloriously possible. For a grownup place that doesn't take itself too seriously, keep in mind these two main hints:
Proportion. A little whimsy goes a long way in a room. Too much begins to look like an etsy shop or flea market. Sometimes one element does the trick.
Color. To retain a truly Euro-chic look with whimsy, keep colors to neutrals and focus on adding texture. For a louder more in-your-face whimsy, be bold but work with three main colors to keep the aesthetics from running wild.
And check out these photos that show Houzz participants that know, in their spaces, how to have a good time.
Proportion. A little whimsy goes a long way in a room. Too much begins to look like an etsy shop or flea market. Sometimes one element does the trick.
Color. To retain a truly Euro-chic look with whimsy, keep colors to neutrals and focus on adding texture. For a louder more in-your-face whimsy, be bold but work with three main colors to keep the aesthetics from running wild.
And check out these photos that show Houzz participants that know, in their spaces, how to have a good time.
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| This is an outrageously tongue-in-cheek sophistication. There is formality despite that everyone has a hand on their behind. |
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
A simple hallway becomes bold with two color choices and the unusual chandelier.
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| On a larger scale, this room could work as easily for adults as it could for kids. Working vertically, what might be a cramped narrow space becomes a world unto itself. |
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
And in this kitchen, an old sewing table gets repurposed into an island.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Sometimes a simple collection itself can show your inner child. Keep it within a controlled space to present it as a display rather than just a mass of stuff.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
One bold piece of art can change the room's tenor.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
The red paint and unique wallpaper helps children and adults aesthetically coexist in this space. As does the sleek flooring and white cabinetry and ceiling beams.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
A defunct space heater gets warm again with a wash of color.
by Kasey Buick
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
A simple vanity area exudes a bit of classic fun with such details as a hatbox stack.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
A simple staircase is completely made over with numbers and nautical rope. Simple. Nonintrusive.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
These spaces are sophisticated but not dry. Here, yellow mixed with black presents a grounded energy.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
This bright and fun painting is a perfect choice for this industrial minimalist landing.
by Premiere Lights
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Small details such as a surprising chandelier can also change the mood of the entire space.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
DIY chandeliers can take a normally formal piece and make it fun. A nice balance.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
This chandelier is a modern mix of childhood and adulthood.
by Maureen Stevens
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Don't just look up for fun--look down, and consider what can be done with your flooring, which adds fun without taking up any more space.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Color itself can add a surprising vibrance in a sophisticated space. This high-contrast color choice is only the beginning of the beautiful details here.
by Amoroso Design
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Small details like these blue knobs make all the difference (and check out the fun and functional faucet above the stove).
by mymodernmet.com
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
This shop gets playful and bright without overwhelming by sticking to straight lines and a strict color scheme.
Ideabook published on Dec. 4, 2010.
What are you working on?
News From Our Partners
Latest Ideabooks
People found the photos in this ideabook after searching for:
View over a million photos:
gr8 stuff. pls keep them coming. dont stop with such a small collection.
ive added a foto of an antique window incorporated into an open-brick setting.