THE OTHER SIDE OF BORING

In her new column, Rita Konig tackles modern design dilemmas, both practical and philosophical. Up next: the fiery and ongoing debate between overstatement and restraint.

- RITA KONIG

Pierre Bergian, The Blue Room, 2014, oil on panel.

I have always been slightly terrified of what I call Design with a capital D, mostly because it's something I have never felt qualified to do. The term was coined by my editor at T magazine, the wonderful, late Pilar Viladas, who definitely knew about it. Peter Mikic does that sort of interior really beautifully, I think. His rooms are high design but still playful, and they look and feel like rooms you're going to have a good time in. Mikic recently published a house in Ibiza: all whites and stone and wood, a lot of named-looking pieces and open air. I wanted to be transported there immediately. His room at the Wow House in London this year was literally a ray of sunshine after an enfilade of tasteful tonals.

The truth is, one of the things I love most about design is other people's taste. You can admire so many looks that aren't your own. But that creates another problem: Which one to have?

The kind of high design I mentioned above can create pressure to make a statement in a room. This is something that I'm not sure is always necessary, but then, on the other hand, rooms can end up rudderless, especially when people are playing it too safe. My personal solution when planning the design is to search for an anchor rather than a statement.