Monday, June 6, 2011

Trend Alert - Color Blocking - Is it only for fashion?

Color blocking is everywhere on the runways. Usually around this time, pastels and other muted, soft "spring-like" colors graze the runway. Not this year. Color seems to be the theme this spring.


 


I think it's awesome. I love color. Especially at this time of year. 
I can't wait for this trend to hit the interior design industry and the architecture field. I imagine to a color phobe, the thought of bright pink and fluorescent orange on your walls may freak you out. But if you are bold, why not? You could do different size quadrilaterals in paint on your walls or just frame a bunch of different colors and do a huge art piece. With color, the possibilities truly are endless. Also, paint is a great way to keep your cost down and change your look as often as you'd like. 

Here are some examples of Color Blocking for interior spaces. I expect much more to pop up soon... 

What an amazing idea for a kids playroom or even an art classroom
Apartment complex. Pretty awesome
Bank lobby in Italy.... I'd give them my money.
Awesome wall clock



See? Color does not have to be scary or daunting. Sometimes a little inspiration is all you need to take the plunge. Just remember too much color can easily result in overkill. If your doing color on your walls, keep the casegoods a neutral color. If you want to incorporate color blocking in accessories and your furniture, keep your walls neutral. 

Balance is the key :)

J'adore

Iconic Inspiration - Iris Apfel

   


What an inspiration! Apfel 2012??



Thursday, May 5, 2011

Herbert Matter

Excellent post from Dwell. Leave it to them to blow it out of the water with this pictorial post on Herbert Matter. (American photographer and graphic designer who greatly influenced the field of graphic design)


I am especially fond of him because of his collaboration with Knoll. Not only did he come up with their logo, but he produced some of their best ad campaigns of all time.




Here are a few examples of his work for Knoll










Capital Design

They did it again.

The 2011 Washington D.C Design house is amazing. If you didn't know, this is the fourth annual DC Design House Designer competition and this year, the home is most impressive. The house is a 1925 Tudor and thanks to this renovation, it is once again ready to be the center of attention. The house is located in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Northwest Washington DC and is open for tours until May 8,  2011. (20 dollars and ALL proceeds benefit the Children's National Medical Center)

Here is how it works.

Leading designers from the area enter the contest and once selected are giving a month to transform their respective areas. The architects, designers and decorators are asked to use current industry trends to inspire the daily visitors. Once completed, the house is open for tours and put on the market for sale (currently listed for 4.9 million)

Here are a couple of highlights.

David Mitchell's masculine bedroom features a cowhide floor covering and vintage bird prints

The master bedroom designed by Iantha Carley features gorgeous green and white geometric print by David Hicks

Iantha Carley also designed the dressing room which opens into the master suite

family room by Barbara Francesk
Barbara Franceski of Alexandria furnished the family room with multiple seating areas and lots of textures, including: leather, steel, wood, alpaca and crystal.

Camille Saum furnished this romantic dining room with dramatic French-style chairs covered in yellow patent leather. In a designer twist, she upholstered the backs in floral linen



Click here if you are in the Washington DC area and would like to tour this home




Gray and Yellow

A hot color scheme this year seems to be yellows and grays. Personally I love those two colors together. You could put them anywhere. Entryways, living rooms, bedrooms, the color scheme is perfect anywhere.

I especially love a masculine mustard and dove gray bedroom.

Check these out

A formal foyer with a bright yellow wall paint and a dark gray trim


Little pops of yellow and calm grays make this room very soothing


Excellent blend of textures, patterns and colors


This bright yellow looks great with these warm topey grays. I especially love the Kravets fabric used on the chairs


I love the contemporary sleekness created by these two hues. The graphic shelves in the back are to die for


I used this room as inspiration for one of my projects. The boldness of the colors mixed with the traditional pieces create a very dramatic Hollywood look


Love the cameo print and the Greek fret like pattern done by the nail heads on the chairs

Gray and Yellow are also excellent choices for the kitchen. Yellow lacquer equals visual gold



Polaroid Explosion

Awesome image from Staudinger-Franke, an Austrian photography studio.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Monday, May 2, 2011

Amazing Pools

I love a great outdoor space. I love a plush lawn, manicured edges... the whole nine yards. (no pun intended)

I especially love a good looking pool. There's something magical about the sound of water...

I was thinking about the day when I design my outdoor space. I can spend hours talking about what I want and finally end up describing something only Central Park could hold. Regardless, the only thing I need is zen.

Something like this

I am a sucker for infinity pools. They look stunning.... with such a simple design.

Long and skinny pools are great. They are "space" conscious and they look great. Especially lined with a row of lounge chairs. Throw some bold outdoor pillows on them and you have heaven in your back yard.

A great way of adding light and ambiance

Never mind the arches, the tile, the architecture.... the reflection alone.

almost sinful

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Prints for Summer

I love prints. The bolder the better. If done right, you can make a big impact for a little bit of money.

Prints to be on the look out this summer:

Stripes - Simple and clean (black and white wide stripes are perfect)
Geometrics- Greek inspired frets are always stunning
Chevrons - an updated zig zag look to the simple stripe pattern
Ikats (Ikkat) - A tie-dyed like print achieved by a type of weaving (check it out here)

Take a look at these bedrooms from Spanish powerhouse ZARA home

Modern Safari - Neutral contrasting prints make a dramatic statement in this room

Chevron prints can even be incorporated with romantic prints to give it that modern feel

A Perfect touch with the Ikat like throw in a neutral palette. Perfect compliment to the bold walls

I love the look of the Ikat-Chevron printed rug mixed with the bold stripes and modern ethnic touches.

A high glamorous ethnic inspired room achieved by bold prints and an even bolder color

Just a Thought

Today is the first day of May. A fresh day. I always love the first days of the months. The bills get paid, and one can somewhat financially relax.

With that said, a friend showed me this. It's fresh. I just love it. The modern look of this script font is perfect.


Poster by Doyal Young found on Grain Edit read the article here

What's all the fuss with the Royals?

This....

I will admit it.

I was one of the four people who DID NOT watch the Royal wedding at the ungodly hour.  I just didn't care. If the media had not made such a big deal about the wedding, maybe I would have been curious.... who knows? I also didn't like the dress. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the house of Alexander McQueen and I like Sarah Burton (The new creative director).... however the dress was kind of boring. I know Kate "or shall I say Duchess Catherine" isn't Lady GaGa but her entrance was kind of ... womp womp ... But all this fuss about the English got me thinking about my love for the Union Jack... I don't know why... I just find it

A. Vintage inspiring 
B. Mod 
C. Fun 
D. Rich
E. Historical

I think the Union Jack is one of those prints that you can THROW on anything, regardless of the color or the time piece of the furniture. I really looks good with anything. It's one of those "crazy neutrals" I like to use, for something totally unexpected.

Here are some examples



Ben Sherman chair at Macy's


Upholstered chair seen in Spice Girls movie designed by Altrincham in the UK
 A reupholstered Union Jack chair from Metro Sofa




Both of these sofas are from Andrew Martin , the Chesterfield Sofa (above) is no longer available, the Armstrong Union Jack Sofa is available here

Jonathan Adler British Flag Pillow. Get it here 

I love this vintage piece. It looks like it would be extremely easy to do. This may be an up and coming DIY ... :)