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...

When Pricey is (K)not a Good Idea

This is the end result of a master bedroom we just completed for a retired couple in Barrington. My photography doesn't do it justice - it's better in person! The wife really wanted green to be her main color in the room, despite the protests of her husband! So to keep them both satisfied, the green could not be too pastel. Nor did they want it too dark. If you've searched for green fabrics recently, you know they currently are not easy to find. Originally, we did find three beautiful choices all within one book. The drapery fabric we chose is Robert Allen Ponderosa Pine/Fountain (and also used in an accent pillow).

Ponderosa Pine/Fountain by Robert Allen

We chose to use the light fabric at the window, over the newly installed wood blinds, to keep the windows light and bright, while using more of the green on the bedspread. More practical, plus more impact visually.

Kilties/Fountain by Robert Allen

Kilties/Fountain is used in two other accent pillows. The customer wanted a throw bedspread, so there were several yards of fabric involved.

Her first choice was:

Knot Along/Dew by Robert Allen

Knot Along/Dew out of the same Robert Allen Color Library book. Beautiful fabric - except for two major challenges - 1. it is 85% linen making it a costly choice and 2. it is 85% linen making it a very wrinkled choice for a bedspread!

I liked the idea of a tack quilting for a fabric of this type, but I needed a more user-friendly and a more budget-friendly choice. 

Using a basic cotton duck from Carole Fabrics (Daydreamer/Chambray) and using a tie tack quilting in a white of the same pattern (Daydreamer/White), we achieved a look that was similar but of a better scale than the original choice. 100% cotton will perform beautifully in both looks and wear and we were able to stay within budget! 

And, both wife AND husband were happy!

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!