THIS HOME MADE US CONSIDER WHAT ART IS – IT CAN BE A HANDMADE SINK OR TABLE JUST AS MUCH AS A PAINTING

Creativity abounds in this one-of-a-kind house – where the artistic use of colours, materials and design flourishes means there is something stunning to take in at every turn

- EMMA J PAGE

5 rules for

INTRODUCING DEFINITION AND DIMENSION

Victoria Sass on adding drama and scale

1. I love playing with scale, but you have to learn the rules before you can break them. Immerse yourself in classical architecture and study anthropometric dimensions, learn everything you can about industry standard sizes.

2. Then think, how would the energy of this piece change if it was larger or smaller?

3. Everything is emotion. If you can identify the emotion you want to feel, then you can make design decisions that evoke it.

4. Drama comes from feeling challenged. Be brave and move in a direction that makes you a little uncomfortable.

5. Balance is key - for every dense object you need to lend a feeling of space.

How do you make a new house feel old? That's a question interior designer Victoria Sass debated many times over when creating this classic American white brick house for a family of five in a leafy neighbourhood close to Minneapolis in Minnesota. The family had spotted the plot's potential in 2019, drawn to its tranquil waterside setting, and gained permission to demolish the existing neglected home, replacing it with a sympathetic build.