Interior Designer Daniel Friedman Focuses on These Three Key Elements When Designing a Space
Many designers begin a project with a specific direction based upon their own ideas, background, and concept of design. Some like to use neutrals as a basis; others gravitate toward color. Some hire contractors to complete their finished product, yet others prefer a more DIY approach, engaging the homeowner in the process. But Daniel Friedman, architect and owner of Daniel Friedman Design, looks at each project through an architect’s eyes, paying attention to space, structure, and shadow.
In this particular apartment in Metuchen, New Jersey, Friedman wanted to begin with a blank canvas. “The space itself is important to me,” he explains. “We wanted to bring the space back to its basics . . . and then slowly add precise tints in pieces of art and furnishings. We wanted the result to be a fresh, clean, yet elegant look.”
Friedman began by painting the space a pale gray by Benjamin Moore called Stone White. “We used an eggshell for the walls so light would be cast off the walls,” he says. “A flat paint does not reflect light. With the reflection of light, the color of the walls pervades the room and the room is brighter. Color is useless if the sheen isn’t right.” Friedman adds that color changes whether the light is natural light from outside or indoor lighting from incandescent or fluorescent lights.
Color isn’t simply color, according to Friedman. “Space has dimension and shadows,” he says. “These shadows must be the right shadows to create the mood that we want. Color can help us achieve that.” Friedman painted the trim and the window area in Benjamin Moore’s Distant Gray in semi-gloss, using a slightly lighter color on the windows (Benjamin Moore’s Snow White) to better reflect the light from outside. The fireplace was painted using slightly darker semi-gloss paint, Benjamin Moore’s Graytint, to emphasize the shadows of the architectural detail in the surround.
Once the basic painting was completed and the light in the room was what the tenants wanted, the placement of the furniture and artwork came into play. “We mostly used furniture and art pieces that this young couple had been given by their parents,” Friedman says. “The furniture was tasteful and light colored so it worked well in the room.” The light sofa and reupholstered chairs help keep the room feeling fresh and open.
Friedman explains that light furniture tends to disappear in the space, giving the impression that the room is larger than it is, whereas heavy furniture attracts the eye and creates columns or blocks, causing the eye to stop.
To further maintain the airiness, Friedman used a glass table in front of the fireplace and a glass desk in the office alcove. “I like using old and new pieces that work together but don’t match,” he explains. “The classic light-colored, textured sofa and chairs offset the more modern and sleek glass accessories.” The glass desk is slightly higher than the window ledge, allowing natural light to show through into the space. In addition, the windows are left uncovered for an uncluttered finish and to allow for as much natural lighting as possible.
Friedman’s final addition was the artwork. “That’s where we bring color into precise areas to draw the eye,” he says. “Red is one of the wife’s favorite colors, so we used the red print to the left of the fireplace as a color statement. It’s a perfect accent without overwhelming the entire space in color. The yellow print on the far-right wall adds another touch of color, but more subtle. The fireplace itself has so much detail and shadow; we didn’t want to detract from it, so we placed a ‘no color’ ink print there.” The rug between the sofa and chairs and in front of the fireplace is also very subdued.
Friedman acknowledges that he is a DIY-style interior designer who encourages his clients to participate in the design. He advises homeowners not to be afraid of a paint brush. “People tend to enjoy a space a lot more,” he says, “if they had something to do with the creation.” Written by Carolyn M. Runyon.
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