Read What Brian Gluckstein Has to Say:
From a beachfront home he designed in Palm Beach, FL, Brian Gluckstein of Toronto-based Gluckstein Design discusses his penchant for monochromatic color schemes spiked with both bold paint colors and a broad range of interesting textures.
“When you're designing public spaces in a home, you want to think about how guests and family will perceive or experience the rooms.” He suggests thinking about seeing public spaces through the lens of an audience.
For a private space, it’s all about the individual and letting them “feel cozy, ensuring that they experience these rooms in a supportive and delightful way.”
Establishing a Color Vision
Using the Palm Beach home as a basis for the conversation, Gluckstein calls out the selected color schemes as key to creating a relaxing, calm and peaceful environment. “I find a monochromatic space, to be a calm space,” he muses.
“One of the elements of our work is color. It starts early, in the beginning,” Gluckstein explains. “When we're designing the house, when we're working on the new construction or the renovation, we really want to have a vision. What is the color of the paneling? What are the colors of the wood floors or the stone floors or the tiles? So we want to have a vision of the color that often goes through the entire environment, from the architecture right through to the furniture, the wall coverings, the paints, the art.”
Unexpected Pops of Paint Color within a Soothing Color Flow
Gluckstein and his team love going beyond traditional white doors and white trim in a home. The designer notes how the layers of creams in the Palm Beach space, is elevated with accents of green and doors lacquered a rich black.
“I love monochromatic spaces, where we choose a color that goes through all the rooms. We've got these cream walls and different textures. We brought in pops of color in the tiger prints. Now the tone could change, it might be darker and lighter as we go through. Or the accents may change. But what we'd like to try to find is a thread that connects all those rooms. Gluckstein’s chapter on monochromatic space from his book, The Art of Home, reflects his passion for this technique.
Layering Textures into Design
Beautiful layers of dimensional, tactile elements enhance any space and are critical to distinctive home design.
“What is so important, visually, is the textures,” says Gluckstein, “Because when we work in monochromatic spaces, the visual interest comes from all these contrasting textures. Whether it's the carpeting, the textures on the walls, the upholstery, the drapes…that's what makes these spaces successful.”
Get more design tips and insights from Brian Gluckstein in Bedroom Style Ideas.