Four Elements Mapping
If you’ve ever walked into a space that is ultra-modern or heavily Victorian or strictly country, the vibe can be overwhelming. If your style doesn’t fit with the space, it can feel uninviting and awkward. Single theme design feels one-dimensional to me and while it can be really great in certain applications, my belief is that great style invites you in, feels approachable, and must be a multi-faceted reflection of you. Getting that style is possible for anyone, no matter where you naturally lean. Be it traditional, modern, industrial, farmhouse, art deco, bohemian, rustic; when you apply Vibe’s Four Elements Mapping you’ll find that X factor of style.
Four Elements Mapping takes your base style and intentionally adds four elements to the design to create memorable, lived-in, completely personalized style. The four elements are easy to remember:
Something old
Something new
Something borrowed
Something you
Surely you recognize the format, so a lets do a quick history on the original Old English wedding rhyme: it’s all about good luck charms. Something Old is for continuity, Something New symbolizes optimism for the future, Something Borrowed speaks to happiness from others, and Something Blue means love and fidelity. The rest of the rhyme includes a “sixpence in your shoe” for prosperity, which isn’t a part of the Vibe Four Elements Map, per se, but metals often show up when you are working in cabinetry through hardware, so we’ll give it an honorable mention.
Something Old
The idea of continuity here works, but my interpretation of bringing Something Old to your space is about reaching for that vintage, storied. element in your design that is going to ground the space. Adding a vintage rug to a modern leaning kitchen or an antique tea set into your bookshelves is a subtle way to add dimension to your style. It’s always a bonus if that something old is a family heirloom or a gift that brings that additional sweetener of personalization. Something Old’s in my design often end up bringing in wood or metal or china, but it can be a piece of art, a photograph, a vase- really anything that represents a style that is out of time with your base style.
Adding a midcentury chair in with a contemporary & crisp white couch; pairing reclaimed wood beams and hood with brand new kitchen; adding a plate rack open shelving of a new kitchen, a live edge window sill.
Something New
Something New in Four Elements Mapping is about bringing fresh perspective. For Vibe, our Something New is usually the cabinets, bringing fresh perspective to your kitchen, bathroom, office, mudroom, etc. We get to work with you to choose door style, finish, hardware, trim and more. The cabinet itself should be a design statement - not just a background element. Even if we’re keeping your cabinets in an Elevate design, the question top of mind is always about bringing fresh perspective to them. Can we swap the hardware? Change out the doors? Paint them? Remove some uppers and replace with open shelving for visual relief? Add a counter tower? Change out the trim on the top of the cabinets for a more streamlined look? Add cabinets to go to the ceiling? Something New can be something small, but it should always deliver big impact.
Gorgeous mix of a new light and new lowers with preserved uppers and work table; fresh brass hardware; refinished cabinets and hardware; a new life for a closet
Something Borrowed
Something Borrowed is my favorite of the Four Elements because it’s always the biggest challenge. Something Borrowed is about reaching outside of your comfort zone and adding something to your space that isn’t the natural first choice. It’s Allison Bornstein’s “Wrong Shoe Theory”. It’s about creating contrast and good friction in your design. An easy example: you want a light and bright kitchen? Our Something Borrowed could be choosing a darker, moodier color for the butler’s pantry pass through to your dining room. It’s about adding a mid-century modern light fixture in a farmhouse space. Something Borrowed is creating the invitation for others to feel welcome in your space by seeing hints of different styles throughout.
Colorful, playful lampshades; mosaic tile in an unpredictable pattern; layered, vibrant rugs; accent wall in hallway
Something You
If Something Borrowed is for reaching outside of your norm, Something You is about going deep into your style and preference and finding that piece that just screams YOU. It could be something you already have. It could be something you have been longing to buy. It could be something we find together. But it needs to be that thing in your space that a friend would look at and say, “Oh my god, that’s so you.” It’s the glam chandelier hanging over your soaking tub in your master bath. It’s the patterned curtains framing the windows in your eat - in kitchen. It’s the tile backsplash above your cooktop. It’s the wallpaper in your powder bathroom. It’s the commissioned art piece leaning on the open shelf in your kitchen. It’s what give your space your home vibes.
A gorgeous pink tile alcove with an arch; a to-die-for red velvet sofa; a pretty pink patterned teapot; an outrageous striped chair with fancy ottoman
Putting it all together
When pulling together a design for my clients, the Four Elements Mapping comes after I’ve landed on the base design. This means, I’ve already done your floorplan and I have a really strong idea of your natural leaning style. We will have already discussed the colors you think you want, the style of cabinets you are looking for, and your big goals in the space. Once I’ve curated the design, I’ll turn to the Four Elements Map to make sure I’ve captured all of them in the design. It’s my checkpoint to make sure I’m giving you not only what you’ve asked for, but the X factor that will make this space great. If I find I’m missing an element, I’ll iterate on the design to see where I need to incorporate that extra layer.
Traditional, bright white kitchen with classic lines, and the Four Elements
Traditional + contemporary bathroom adds deep contrast with color and and visual interest with fresh board and batten.
A California Modern laundry room remixed with antique brass and traditional marble tile
For clients that lean toward contemporary design, finding the right way to incorporate the Something Old element can be a challenge. For clients that favor bold, moody palettes, finding a way to soften the look through Something Borrowed while honoring their style requires some creativity.
Two parts of the Vibe promise are Collaboration and Expertise. Collaboration is about making sure we’re working together to discover and honor your style. Expertise is about making sure we challenge ourselves to go beyond and find the thing you didn’t know you needed. Let’s vibe.