High Contrast, High Reward

Like many design junkies out there, I am a big fan of HGTV and websites like Houzz. It's always fun to follow trends and (let's be honest) judge the designs others have done. Besides these guilty pleasures, with my position as an in-home design consultant for Eddie Z's Blinds & Drapery, I have the pleasure of visiting many different homes. Consequently, I pick up ideas to use for both myself and other clients.

My current favorite idea is one I've decided to use on my entry staircase. Having been in this business for a quarter of a century (!), and living in the Chicago area my entire life, I have had my fill of oak! Like the Midwesterners that love it so much, oak is a wood that is very sturdy, with a strong grain, yet still warm and beautiful. While I don't want to lose the benefits of this hard wood, it's time to give that golden oak a new, fresh look. So, my plan is to paint the treads and the handrails of the staircase high gloss black, while also painting the risers and the spindles high gloss white! The impact will definitely get attention when you walk through my front door!

Using a high contrast in a window treatment can also take a room to the next level. This Barrington client has been remodeling her older home for a while, but she has done it the right way. By taking her time in making design decisions, she has turned the 1st floor of her home into a show stopper! When I came along, I quickly understood that Sheryl loved to use strong graphic fabrics that make a statement and will complete her beautiful rooms. One of the most striking treatments we've done so far is in her dining room.

 

Simple flat roman shades, yet the high contrast pattern (Robert Allen - Lewis Range/Chalkboard) finishes the room in stunning fashion. There is a reason you are reading black type on a white page - it stands out! This particular fabric is actually a charcoal gray, yet the light to dark not only of the pattern but the wide white trim against the dark walls pull the room together to make an impact when you enter. You can't miss it!

 

Another less permanent way to achieve that high contrast visual is with your family photos grouped on a wall. By using simple black frames and wide white matting, you can draw new attention to those treasured shots as they become a statement work of art. It serves a second purpose by unifying what may have been a hodge podge of images and gives you the opportunity to change the photos as seasons change or children grow.

 

Now I just have to get to work on those stairs...

It's Deja Vu All Over Again

This is a kitchen I designed for my client, Holly, probably 20 years ago. The wallpaper, the florals and the balloon shades probably give the time period away. But, look at the colors - rose and blue.

So, it with no further ado that I share Pantone's Colors of the Year for 2016:

Wow! 20 years later - they are back! And why not? Rose Quartz and Serenity. They are soothing, comfortable, soft hues that evoke a sense of calm in these turbulent times. And in our "keep it until it rots" Midwestern sensibility, these colors are sure to be quickly embraced. Chances are, many of the accessories that worked with this color scheme 20 years ago are still in use! 

In the case of Holly's kitchen, (did I forget to mention the windows flanking the slider have rose pleated shades under the valance?), how could we update the look to bring it into 2016? If the wallcovering were staying, changing out the handles on the cherry cabinets and installing new light fixtures would be an inexpensive update. Removing the original window treatments and installing a neutral Duette Architella Honeycomb Shade by Hunter Douglas on the small windows with a coordinating Vertiglide on the slider would keep the softness and allow the room to open to the outside. I'd replace that balloon with a much simpler treatment and push it all the way to the ceiling to further open the expanse of glass. Possibly a stripe or even a banded solid would be a good choice. And instead of the laminated tablecloth (she had little children at the time, kept the table practical), I might coordinate custom chair pads with the top treatment and use placemats instead.  

So, if you find yourself looking at home decor or women's clothing in the next year and start to feel like you've done this before - chances are, you have!

There are more than 50 Shades of Grey

I'm looking outside my office window right now and at first glance, I see a very grey and gloomy day. But looking further, I notice how it makes the fall colors just POP! The greens that are still hanging on, the yellows and golds, and the reds and oranges!

Whether the racy book prompted the trend or just that it is time in the cycle, but grey in home decor is everywhere! Whether it's walls or furniture or windows - grey has become the new neutral, (finally!) overtaking the beiges in popularity.

And just like nature, grey can be a backdrop to a bright splash of color in your home.

 

Personal note: this is a treatment I did for a customer about 18 years ago. I recently caught up with her to finish an adjoining room and was thrilled to find this looking great after all this time. Grey is still very much in vogue and looks elegant against a black backdrop with just a punch of red.

 

  Abdendriel/Citrine from Robert Allen

 

Yellow makes a terrific combo with cool greys, warming a color that can be considered cold and unflattering. This is a pairing found in the spring and fall collections of our fabric lines. And you can even update one of those beiged-out rooms by adding grey. The neutral and neutral combination of grey and beige is stylish and sophisticated and a great way to update without starting from scratch!



Look beyond the grey skies and see the color that emerges from that backdrop!

Anticipation

Carly Simon said it - we in the Midwest have all been feeling it - we are all anxiously awaiting the (dry) arrival of Spring! In my email inbox today, a visual fix from Better Homes & Gardens...

photo courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

I find, however, that I have been cheered by the arrival of the Spring line of fabrics from Robert Allen. Talk about bringing the outside in! Take a look at the pillows below. Many of the colors I find myself drooling over in these new patterns walked right out of the garden and onto the fabrics!

photo courtesy of Robert Allen

 

So cool yet so hot! Viridian is the vivid blue green that pairs so well with chartreuse, giving these pillows a fresh, modern twist.

Use cobalt blue as a rich background and let the viridian just pop!

photo courtesy of Robert Allen

 

Soften that blue green a bit and you have turquoise. I have used these tones both in my own home decorating and in my wardrobe for years. The green cast blue is calming and just makes me feel good! I never seem to tire of the blue greens and always find myself drawn to them. I have found them to complement most skin tones, so many people look fabulous in these shades. The bridesmaids at my wedding (back in 1980!) wore a deep turquoise, and we used rich shades of gold in their flowers to complement - very bold and dramatic then, yet would still be wonderfully fashion forward in 2013!

Here's to bringing the garden indoors!

Baubles, Bangles and Beads, Oh My!

I've been thinking filing a post about baubles, bangles and beads as part of contemporary design for a while now. So when I walked into a customer's home this past week to help her complete her newly redecorated space, I found myself truly inspired!

http://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod691015&cm_ps=modal_add_to_cart-_-none-_-other_items_you_may_like&categoryId=cat1701013

This chandelier has such a sense of fun - the ornate, very traditional crystals combined with the contemporary rustic orb - I love it!

Which is my point - you don't need to be Queen Victoria to add a touch of elegance to your decor - it doesn't need to be much - just some trim on a pillow or a lampshade or the bottom of a cornice is all you need to bring some bling to your space! Women accessorize their clothing by adding earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets. They do so much to complete and complement the look. They boost self-esteem because you just know you look great! Think of your decor in the same way. Without the right accessories, the room feels incomplete. Plants, artwork and tablescapes are just the beginning. Take it to another level by layering trim onto your windows.

This is part of the Beaded Accents Collection available through Eddie Z's. Options galore to add a bit of sparkle to your window, pillows or bedding and give it that truly custom look. The cost to add these little extras is not prohibitive and will give your window or the entire room that WOW that catches every guest's eye and the finishing touch that makes you feel fabulous!

Ikat Anyone?

Ikat - you're seeing it everywhere, in women's fashion and home fashion. Where is this trend coming from and what is ikat anyway? Ikat is defined as a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye (and who among you hasn't tried tie-dying a t-shirt?) on either the warp or weft fibers. We've seen it before - maybe that's why I get the "I feel like I've stepped back into the seventies" reaction from many customers when I present them with an ikat pattern as an option for their room. This trend is a way of reaching back to an earlier, simpler decade, yet giving a nod to the more complex, global culture that is today's world.

The fabric above is Ikat Fret in the Mango colorway from Robert Allen. Besides the striking pattern, it gives us that wonderful punch of the orange that is currently so popular. This fabric would be a pop of color in pillows or a fabulous graphic statement in side panels in a casual room like a family room. We've so "overbrowned" ourselves - from the chocolates, to the taupes to the beiges - that a bit of bright and bold - even in small doses - works to bring a room to life.

Don't be afraid of patterns like ikats - they make a room, and the people in it - feel happy!

Color Mystery Solved!

I went out to a customer's home last week to check out the installation of her blinds and drapery. We had worked on the window treatments before they had even moved in, since it was the parents' home that they inherited and were now rehabbing to make it their own.

It is always a bit of a mystery for me when I work with clients in that fashion. I had not even seen any of their personal belongings, so I rely on reading the personality of the client to make design suggestions. In this particular instance, I found myself working with Beth, who is bubbly, funny and a joy to work with. Her enthusiasm and sense of fun said bright and colorful, yet she was adamant that the drapery be as simple as possible to keep in line with their contemporary style. We chose a patterned white sheer with a narrow chrome rod that repeated itself on either side of the fireplace, on a french door, in a bay and in the adjacent dining room. Simple, yet elegant.

When I walked into the completed home that day, the mystery was totally solved!

The draperies had become the backdrop for a riot of color! All the glass pieces, the artwork on the walls and accessories (note the Tangerine Tango!) were the embodiment of Beth's personality - bold, sunny and happy. The drapery was the antithesis - quiet, yet beautiful. The final result is a home that energizes not only the occupants, but anyone who walks through the door.

Moral of the story? Color in a room should be a reflection of who you are. Whether the color is in your accessories or on your wall, surround yourself in tones that make your place a source of daily inspiration!