RSVPstyle

Shopping with Focus: The List

By Cathy Lee, RSVPstyle

One of the things we teach at RSVPstyle is how to shop with focus. People often ask, what do you mean by that?

Well, it’s like when you go to the supermarket. We’ve heard from our mothers: go prepared, have a list. That way you’re not walking out with Cheez Whiz, Ho Hos and People magazine instead of the eggs, milk and bread that you were supposed to get.

Just like shopping for groceries, it’s best to shop for furniture, fixtures and accessories prepared with a list—except this is a list of questions you should get in the habit of asking yourself while you’re out shopping. Yes, I do mean talking to yourself and yes, you may sound schizophrenic, but that’s OK, because you’re getting the job done.

The questions you need to consider are style, color, texture, and scale and proportion. So what do you need to ask when you’re buying a sofa, a rug or even candlesticks for your coffee table?

First, let’s start with style. Say you’re shopping for a mirror to add a point of interest to your living room or make it seem larger. Take inventory of what’s already in the room: What style do your pieces reflect? What style do you want them to reflect? If you want your room to be a bit more Contemporary, then do you have enough Contemporary pieces? As you’re out shopping, you can immediately rule out fancy, gilded, curvy mirrors. You’re going to look for something a lot more simple and clean-lined.

The second thing to consider is texture. What textures are already in your space? If you have wooden flooring, do you want to add the same type of wood in your mirror frame, or do you want to layer in a new texture and mix it up a bit? How about a mirror that’s completely seamless, with no frame? That would be Contemporary. Or how about a chrome or other metallic frame?

Third: color. Is your room a little blah? Look for a mirror that can add a pop of accent color—a bold, Contemporary red or black, for example—or whose color repeats an accent color from something else in the room, like an area rug or a piece of artwork on an adjacent wall.

Finally, scale and proportion. Even if you have a small space, don’t be afraid to go big, and I mean big. Sometimes having a lot of little things makes a small space feel even smaller. Edit down and have fewer pieces, but go for drama and scale. Why not a big mirror to make that space feel more spacious? And don’t forget to consider the size of other pieces in the room. If you have a large bookcase, entertainment center or window, you’ll want a large mirror for balance.

Keep this list of questions to ask yourself as you’re out shopping. Is this the right style? The right color? The right size? You’ll be much more prepared to shop with focus.