source at: nbcphiladelphia.com article

We talked to the amazingly talented interior designer Muriel Brandolini after the release of her new book The World of Muriel Brandolini: Interiors just this week about her eye for design, her personal style and how you can spruce up your own home, even on a budget.

What is your personal design mantra?
I find it very difficult to describe my personal style, as it is constantly changing, and I don’t have any rules when decorating. Over the years, my home has been a canvas where I often experiment with my wildest imaginations. Some people have said my style is bohemian, but more recently, the changes I have made in my home are more simple and calming. Now, my home is filled with tones of silver, pearl gray, and gold, which is quite peaceful and soothing.

During the creation of my book, it was a very difficult process for me to look back on my career of over 17 years and see how it evolved. I am a person who has never liked to look backwards, but always move on to the next.

What are some of your favorite stores for finding unique home goods?
I love finding unique treasures when I’m traveling, whether in the flea markets of Paris or a gallery in Turin or even a market in Peru. I love the handcrafted pieces made in Vietnam, the country where I spent my early childhood. I wanted to honor its artisan tradition by creating an exclusive home collection for Barneys New York, including hand beaded pillows, folding side tables, and chairs.

What is your favorite item in your home?
Recently, my favorite piece has become the ceiling light in my living room created by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld. Its geometric outline inspired me to create a silver living room and a library upholstered in gold silk taffeta.

How does one archive both comfort and style when decorating?
For me, decoration has always been about comfort. One doesn’t go without the other.

What advice do you have for the average person trying to revamp his or her home on a budget?
My only advice would be to make your home personal and meaningful for you. It should be a soothing place of comfort and a reflection of yourself. Use pieces that you have a connection with, not just a carbon copy of what one might find in a catalog.

Watch the video below and get a tour of Muriel’s Upper East Side apartment.

View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.

1. Divide and conquer
To jazz up a lacklustre dining room containing a less-than-exciting matching suite, ditch the chairs that came with the table in favour of contrasting-yet-complementary ones, residential designer Sabrina Linn  says. Simpatico pairings include chocolate leather highbacks with a lighter oak table, ornate Queen Annes with a modern mirrored table or funky round-backed chairs with a rustic walnut one. If the table is long and rectangular, install two armchairs or wingbacks at either end for yet more contrast. And if the room is devoid of a rug, install a sisal, seagrass or sexy silk one to corral the whole vignette.

2. Lose the edge
That elaborately curvy kitchen counter or island with fussy edges may have suggested a customized look to the previous owners of your home, Toronto-based Linn says, but such details can now look horribly dated. To both update your kitchen and give it a timeless appeal, she advises, replace any snaky, curved, carved or otherwise ornate counter- and island tops with cleanly stylish square-edged versions.

3. Be a cut up
Are you in the dark about how to brighten up a long, poorly lit hallway? To allow more light into the space, replace any standard interior doors with ones that have etched-glass inserts, which will offer complete privacy yet allow light to pour into the hall from other rooms, Toronto decorating expert and TV personality Karl Lohnes says. Moreover, he adds, hang or lean large floor mirrors along the wall across from the doors; this will visually widen the hallway, creating an airy effect and bouncing light around. Finally, visually shorten the hall by installing two to three small rugs instead of one long runner, hanging a series of overhead lighting fixtures and choosing a paint colour that is similar in tone to the flooring – when the walls and floor share similar tones, the space looks less delineated.

4. Aim high
Too often, Linn says, homeowners install inadequate overhead lighting, whether it’s bad track lighting in a living room or kitchen or a meagre-looking hanging lamp in a bedroom or den. In all four cases, a dramatic chandelier, whether ornate or contemporary, is guaranteed to enliven, creating a focal point for the eye as well as better illumination. (And don’t forget to install a dimmer with it.)

5. Play (with) taps
If you’re happy with your countertops but your kitchen still lacks elegance, try replacing faucets, cabinet pulls or backsplashes for new and instant pizzazz, Lohnes says. Regarding pulls and knobs, choose oiled bronze hardware for a casual look or polished black ones if you want a modern feel. In terms of faucets, gooseneck varieties are still popular, but go with a sharply angled or geometric one for a contemporary effect. And when it comes to backsplashes, connect the upper and lower cabinets with one in a contrasting yet complementary tone: A tiny tumbled-stone subway tile will help achieve a casual look, whereas a large-scale, high-gloss glass tile has a more modern feel.