Yippee! Inspiration!

Gorgeous room, isn't it? This is a breakfast room designed for a home in Atlanta by interior designer, Vern Yip. If you are an HGTV fan, you'll know Vern from there. These fabrics are part of a new collection he has designed for Trend Fabrics, and they are available through Eddie Z's. In this collection, there are lots of sumptuous patterns, some with an Asian influence, some large scale and other smaller, more textural patterns in colors like cool blues, hot oranges and the ever popular greys. They feel at home in a traditional or contemporary setting or even in a room with a more eclectic view, much like the room pictured above.

I think what really drew my eye to this room was the table runner - this is not a skinny strip running down the center - no, this is a major statement in the room!

Maybe I've seen this before, but never took notice. I absolutely love the impact this huge punch of pattern makes in the room! Dining rooms rarely give you the opportunity to say much with fabric, other than the windows in the room. Generally there is wood - in the table, usually in the chairs, the buffet and maybe a china cabinet. Often the flooring is wood. Hopefully, the home owner had the opportunity to add an area rug under the table to add dimension, color, pattern and warmth. But the runner can bring the whole room together!

I'm inspired for my own dining room. I have a few yards of fabric that I had set aside for pillows in the family room, but as I lay it out on my plain, boring table, the color and pattern give my room the pizzazz I've been searching for! Weekend project...

Think about your dining room. What if you shot a jolt of adrenalin into the room by...

              1. giving your windows a dynamic treatment that softens the room to take the
                  ambience up a notch and
              2. add a custom table runner in the pattern you fell in love with but were afraid
                  to put on your window to really make a bold declaration to your guests
                  that you have a sophisticated sense of style?

Thanks Vern, for sparking my imagination!