Nailed It On The Head!

Nailheads are hot! Furniture for sure. Headboards? You bet! (Eddie Z's does custom headboards!)

But why not take them a step further? This cornice is topping a Hunter Douglas Powerrise Alustra Silhouette in my customer's craft room. She was looking for something different with a little bit of whimsy. We found just the ticket!

Using a pebble grained faux leather from Trend Fabrics and a square nailhead that we angled to turn them into diamonds, we turned a simple shaped cornice into something special. So cute!

There are so many options available with nailheads - size, shape, finish - use it as a border - or why not as a unique design in the middle of a cornice? Maybe an initial?

This creates a truly one of a kind treatment that doesn't add much to the bottom line, but adds a huge amount to the impact in the room. A cornice with nailheads could work in an office, a child's room, a family room or even a craft room (as seen above). As a side note, Eddie Z's is completing the craft room above with custom storage from our closet division, so this room will not only look fabulous, but  also function beautifully!

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!

TransFIXING Transoms!

I've been working with people for many years covering their windows, but there is one kind of window all are reluctant to cover at all. TRANSOMS! That window above the window that you paid a little extra for. It brings an added architectural detail to a room and lets extra light in without (usually) affecting privacy.

Normally, I will accomodate the customer's wishes. Sometimes, if it's a patio door with the transom above, we cannot because there is nowhere to put a center support for the treatment below. But look at the windows in the photo of this two story family room. We installed gorgeous Hunter Douglas Vignette Modern Roman Shades in the Etched pattern on the lower windows only, leaving the transoms open. The Stoneware colorway was perfect for her contemporary room with lots of gray. It looks beautiful!



Except......the light coming in from the transoms (and the upper windows) causes tremendous glare in the room, making the television and anyone sitting across from you difficult to see. Because you can't lengthen the Vignettes  (you can only start from scratch), we needed a different solution.

Easy solution for the upper windows - we are installing the same Vignettes in the Etched/Stoneware pattern but adding the Powerrise feature, so they can open and shut them with the push of a button! Next step is the transoms. We will be tinting them in the spring, which will not only aid in reducing the glare, but also the fading of her beautiful new furniture and dark wood floors.

Sometimes getting what you want, like open transoms, can bring about challenges! Fortunately, we can find a solution!

"Once You've Gone Custom..."

"You'll never go back."

I heard this declaration many years ago, when I was just starting my interior decorating career. And it's true! After you've seen and felt the real thing, the off the shelf stuff is just a poor imitation.

Why?

Breaking it into 3 main reasons:

1. Choice
There are certainly more options out there with online shopping, but with custom - the world is your oyster! I carry 1000's of fabrics right in my van with access to 1000's more. Any shape, length, width or configuration is yours if it is physically possible!

2. Quality
Double turned hems on a drapery give it weight and substance. Two and one half times fullness minimum gives you a luxurious richness that will cover your window with dramatic folds that play to the light. Ready made drapery won't offer you anything close to that.

3. Finish
With a quality drapery, you always need a quality installation! A professional with the proper tools and a keen eye that can install the rods at the proper height, dress the fabric to make it look camera ready and allow you not to have to break a sweat is worth every penny and more! Your window treatments will be with you for many years to come, why not have them look their best?

I recently completed a job for the front window of a fabulously popular restaurant in downtown Barrington. The interior is cozy and warm, with a bit of a Tuscan flair. The owner had originally installed ready made drapery panels that he purchased as a temporary fix from a popular home furnishings chain. Unfortunately, the rod sagged, the panels dragged, the white lining streetside did nothing to add to the first impression of the eatery and the panels themselves were constantly being pulled and played with by the children of the restaurant patrons.

Looks like their laundry is hanging in the window!

When the restaurant owner called Eddie Z's, we worked with him and determined how to give him a better version of the same look. Chocolate brown velvet, this one from RM Coco, still was a great choice as the drapery fabric, but pleating the drapery allowed us to board mount and secured tiebacks keep busy little hands from undoing the beautiful folds. The custom length sits just above the sill and a chocolate brown drapery lining from Carole Fabrics makes the drapery look as appetizing from the outside as it does inside. All in all, a delicious design!

Nice and subtle - blends right in!

Think about making a design reservation for your custom look - you'll be glad you did!

Chicken Marsala Sounds Good for Dinner!

Pantone announced its' Color of the Year for 2015 last week as Marsala.

In a company press release, Pantone described the color as “a naturally robust and earthy wine red.” While last year’s Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid, “encouraged creativity and innovation, Marsala enriches our mind, body and soul, exuding confidence and stability,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

   Courtesy of Pantone

 

“Much like the fortified wine that gives Marsala its name, this tasteful hue embodies the satisfying richness of a fulfilling meal, while its grounding red-brown roots emanate a sophisticated, natural earthiness. This hearty, yet stylish tone is universally appealing and translates easily to fashion, beauty, industrial design, home furnishings and interiors.”

 

Great fall choice for nail polish, and my husband makes a great chicken marsala, but I'm still wrapping my head around seeing that color in interior design.

 

Wait! Is it just me or do you see a deeper, richer version of MAUVE

in the color of the year? What's old is new again!

 

 

It's Limbo Time!

So, you've decided to add draperies to your room as the crowning jewel to cap off your beautifully designed living room, dining room or whatever room. You're making a wise move! Not only will they complete the look of your windows, but you will have the added benefit of giving an extra bit of insulation on the outside edges of the window. You'll be stopping that early winter chill from leaking into your room!

The question becomes: how low do you go?

Are your draperies going to traverse? Unless you want them to do dual duty and sweep your floors as well, they will need to hang off of the floor. 1/4" to 1/2" is generally a good length - they will be able to move freely yet still maintain the luxurious, long look.

Are they just side panels? This gives you a few more options. If you have pets, you may still want to hang above the floor for easier cleaning. If not, there are 3 other ways you can go:
 

Brushing - the hem of your drapery just touches the floor. This also has the built-in benefit of keeping your beautifully dressed panels in place.

Breaking - 1" to 2" touching the floor. Think of the way a man's pant hits his shoe.

Puddling - as much as 12" on the floor. This was a popular look in the 90's when "more is more" ruled. Great spot for your kitten or puppy to cuddle up! Also needs to be restyled whenever you vacuum.

Think about how you want the room to feel. There are no real rules other than the more length, the more formal your window will feel. Family room casual or holiday only dining room formal, you won't go wrong by going down to the ground!



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!