Spring is in the Air!

Signage at Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground, Georgia

Last Sunday was a beautiful day in the greater Atlanta area. The sun was bright and the temperature was a moderate mid-70's. My husband and I decided to take a quick trip to Gibbs Gardens - link to website. We have a four-season membership to these great gardens and the current feature is a series of fields of over 20 MILLION daffodils. We were not the only ones with this idea and had to wait over 20 minutes for their famous chicken salad sandwich (on walnut raison bread from a local bakery) - but it was worth it. The fields were lovely!

Of course, anything in nature reminds me of my lovely Wydeven Design inventory (available on Etsy, eBay and One King's Lane (link to One King's Lane) and this occasion was no exception. Spring is definitely in the air - even inside!

Decorating in Reds!

LOTS of red in this room - see pinterest board for details and origin (link)

Now this is a stimulating room - see pinterest board for details.

I love the color red and would love to see more of it in home decor. I have a pinterest board dedicated to the subject (link).  It is a color that I've used extensively in my own home. I have a traditional/transitional style in my living and dining rooms anchored by Chinese red rugs. The color may not be at its height of popularity right now (although "burgundy" is a 2015 color of the year), but it never entirely looses its advocates and is a favorite for many designers.

Red 101

“When people walk into a red room, they immediately respond,” says New York City interior designer Scott Sanders. Color experts describe red as a stimulating shade. It grabs focus (think stop signs and fire engines) and, on walls, becomes the defining element of a space.link to article

One article I found talks about how to incorporate red into a variety of decorating styles - with an emphasis on walls and woodwork:

Contemporary design incorporates neutral elements with pops of bold color, often red.On the door: Bold, bright redInside: Bright red shades in a pillow, rug or throw Modern design calls for all kinds of reds: from primary hues to classic shades with burgundy or brown undertones.On the door: Any red you love that makes a statement.Inside: Consider injecting red through a painting or piece of art. Traditional design stays away from primary reds and instead involves burgundy or black tones.On the door: A deep, rich redInside: Decorate with Oriental rugs injected with darker reds. Transitional design relies on a neutral palette, a perfect canvas for pops of red.On the door: Match this red to hues you use inside the home, or skip the red door entirely to keep a more neutral theme.Inside: Choose a softer and more indirect approach like a red lamp or piece of art. Country reds are chalkier and softer: Think barn or scarlet reds. Choose reds with pinkish and purplish hues, like the color of a ripening apple.On the door: Barn redInside: Accessorize with country reds in knickknacks and fabrics.link to article

Illustration of Country Red decor - link  

I love the red "pops" in this space - a good example of contemporary design - see pinterest board for source information

This is a little dark for me but does illustrate how reds can brighten and energize the space - see pinterest board.

Lovely space - I would call this one transitional! 

Red in a French Country style - love the fabrics used here - see pinterest board for details.

 I always have a few reds in my Wydeven Design Collections but never more than a few. Truthfully, they do not sell as well as either neutrals or blues but they certainly do need to be available for those discerning clients who want that pop of color in whatever decorating space/design they like! My pieces are currently available on Etsy, eBay and One King's Lane!

I was surprised at how few pieces I had in this great color last year - I have to try harder this year!

I love this stripe and wish I had more than just enough for one small chair. 

I bought this fabric in four colors - love the red version! 

A great piece for a patriotic themed bedroom!

I do love reds and wish more people were bold enough to use them in their space - they really could not go wrong with this great energetic color.

Decorating in Green - Spring Dreaming

Japanese Gardens - Delray Beach, FL

Living in the South, we should not be complaining about the winter weather - particularly after hearing from family and friends living in the Midwest or New England areas where they are overwhelmed by record snows and cold temperatures. Inevitably, however, the "spring bug" affects me as we get the warmer versions of this - lots of rain and gloomy skies. I thought I would evoke the feeling of spring by writing about the use of green in home decor - the natural spring dreaming choice.

I have just dropped off several pieces to be reupholstered and have included a number of green fabrics - as always, I cannot wait to see them transformed. I have several bright greens in my current inventory and looked back at my archival photos. Green IS a wonderful color and very versatile.

Here are several articles about using green in home decor - lots of creative suggestions:

link to House Beautiful article

link to Real Simple article

Here are some of my own green pieces - lots of styles and hues of this lovely color!

I just listed a lovely French chair newly upholstered with a green patterned linen fabric by Colefax and Fowler called "Snow Tree" - what a great name - just the right combo of emerging spring and leaving behind winter!

link to description

So - I hope that this posting inspires Spring Dreaming - it certainly helped me!

Part II - Creating Harmonious Homes - Color and You

Colors affect your mood and influence your health and happiness - link to extensive article about how different colors affect mood

This is the second posting in a series I am calling - Creating Harmonious Homes. The first posting dealt with managing clutter. This one is all about selecting primary colors in a home - colors that sustain you - emotionally, physically and psychologically! 

Studies have shown that color can change body temperature and appetite. It can affect your mood or level of energy. Begin to become aware of how different colors impact you before determining what hue to paint your walls. link to article

Color is a universal language, it stimulates the emotions, shapes, cultures and forms the background of our world. Everybody's life is enriched by color, which both energizes and lifts the spirit. Color can be a tremendous enhancement when you love it, or cause a real depletion in energy if you don't.

The rights colors are silent music; the wrong colors irritate and disturb. Louis Cheskin link

There are many articles about color and how it affects your personality. There are tests you can take to determine how color affects you.  It is important to choose colors that make you happy, content, and at peace with the world. For me, that is quite an array - I like reds in some areas and blues and greens in others. I have tried to like primarily neutral colors but find that I just automatically start adding color to spark interest and variety.

Blue is said to bring down blood pressure and slow respiration and heart rate.

What mood do you want to create? Which colors will help you achieve that mood?

Find clear answers to these questions. If you find this task difficult try to look at magazines, decorating books, blogs and websites for ideas, or let your fabric be your guide. In fact, this is a good approach to take even if you’re starting from scratch. Fabric, carpeting, furniture and tile are available in a more limited range of colors than paint, so choose them first and then decide on your paint color. Once you find something you like, limit the number of colors in a room to no more than three or four. Too many colors can make a room look busy or cluttered. Paint is fairly inexpensive and transforms a room more quickly than anything else, so you can afford to experiment a little.

Read more: http://freshome.com/2007/04/17/room-color-and-how-it-affects-your-mood/#ixzz3Opf2LHp1 

Yellow captures the joy of sunshine and communicates happiness.

This is an important subject to tackle before getting too far in decorating a new home or making significant changes in existing space. It is easy to do right, there is a lot of help out there!

Closing out 2014 Trends - Popular Colors

See my pinterest board - link

For source, see pinterest board link above

As we close out 2014 - how quickly it has gone - I am reflecting on decorating trends and aspirations. This brief posting is about the colors that were most popular. In this case, delicate blues with hints of green that continued to be seen in the decorating magazines.  These colors show well with taupes and creams and even navies.

I love these colors and have incorporated them (in 2013) in my renovated lower level. I am glad they continue to be so well regarded.

I have added quite a few pieces of upholstered furniture using fabrics in this color group this year and will probably continue to do that into 2015 - I do not see a diminution of their popularity in the near future.

Here are some of my 2014 favorites! I love them all!

Inside Design at ADAC - Elle Decor Trends

I received an invitation to attend the Inside Design session hosted by The Hearst Design Group (think of Elle Decor, House Beautiful and Veranda - all of which I subscribe to) and the Atlanta Design Center (ADAC).  I invited a friend to join and we spent last Thursday enjoying several sessions and having an opportunity to visit some of the over 60 showrooms at ADAC link to website.

 I tried to pay particular attention to the trends in fabrics (and to a lesser extent) and upholstered piece designs. The keynote speaker was Michael Boodro, Editor in Chief of Elle Decor.  The magazine is celebrating its 25th year. Michael discussed trends that are "over and done" and ones that are either back or timeliness.

These are some of the trends he mentioned that are "gone":

• small prints and patterns (think French)
• too much color
• stark interiors
• over stylized settings - too constrained and controlled
• TV screen rooms
• karate chop accent pillows (not a natural "pillow state")
• misson and neo-gothic designs

These are timeliness and/or back:

books - Elle Decor

• arts and crafts decors
• red color schemes (particularly red and white)
• blue color schemes
• olive green color schemes
• subtle pattern play
• use of books in decorating

We found the presentation interesting but a little internally inconsistent. While saying small, French prints are out, several photographs shown did include those as being "timeless". While saying too much color is out, illustrations wild with color were shown.  SO ... while this discussion provided some insights, I'm not sure I learned a great deal.  I was, however, heartened to hear about the popularity of "reds" which I love but have tried not to overuse lately. I may have to ramp up my red pieces.

More postings about this event will be added over the next few days!

Blue and Green - A Refreshing Color Combo!

All images (other than my own collages) are from my pinterest board - link here for sources

Although fall is in the air with its emerging golds and reds, the crispness of the air and brightness of the landscape still celebrate the blues and greens of nature. This is such a cool and calming color combination and looks wonderful year-round. I always find that I have more blues and greens than any other color in my finished upholstered furniture products.

Here are some products in my current collection that work wonderfully together - available on Etsy, One King's Lane and/or eBay.

Enjoy!

Blue and White Combos Continue to be Best Sellers!

Check out my pinterest page referenced below for source!

TRUE STORY:  Over 10 years ago, I was shopping at Calico Corners Fine Fabrics checking out their deep discount bolts. I found a nice deep blue and white toile fabric that was discounted over 75%. I asked the saleswoman/designer about the fabric and why it was so deeply discounted. She said that blue and white were just not a popular color combination and were well past their prime. Since I LOVE (and have always loved) this combo, I was surprised by the vehemence of her pronouncement. I also bought the fabric thinking that at least I would love it! End of story: I bought the fabric, used it on a pair of club chairs intended for resale, liked the results and installed the chairs in my (then) new sunroom where they remain proudly today!

Today, you cannot pick up a decorating magazine without seeing a lot of blue and white - in some cases this color combo dominates the entire interior. I pinterest boards for each major color and my blue one has the largest number of pins - link to board.

I save my House Beautiful Magazines (link) and happened upon an article called "Blue and Brio" in their April, 2014, issue. The owner had indicated that "Navy blue is my favorite color" and the designer, Megan Winters, took that color throughout the house in very creative ways. The blue and white combo connects every room. In the same issue, a segment called "Blue Crush" leads out with "Paired with white, the many shades of this popular color have graced rooms in grand castles and humble cottages".

Blue-and-white is practically a neutral - it works with everything!

In just looking at my files - current and archival for the past 10 years - I have chosen the combo of blue and white quite a bit. It is always fresh and always "in".

 Well, I guess this color combo will not be going away any time soon - I do love it!

Summer Whites - Wine, Clothing, Decor and More!

See article about summer white wines - link

As we approach the dog days of summer, I am seeing more and more whites in my environment - from clothing to decor and even to wines - perhaps in that order. White is soothing and reflects rather than absorbs the sun making it an ideal choice this time of year in the sunny South.

The US Navy sports summer whites this time of year - I have often wondered how they keep these sparkling uniforms so pristine!

Website for summer whites - Navy Personnel Summer White Uniforms

White and its variations (snow-white, off-white, cream, chalk, blanc, ivory, bone) provide wonderful options for "reflective" summer clothing.

Pinterest Board for summer whites - link

Whites and their variations look great in home decor all year round but particularly sparkle this time of year. There are many ways in which white can be incorporated into decorating - all the way from an all-white motif to splashes throughout the space.

Love this "beachy" look with its textures - the slight addition of taupe also helps differentiate the whites. 

Check out various predominantly white settings here - Pinterest board 

I always have a fair amount of neutrals/whites in my refurbished furniture inventory. It is always good looking and remains the easiest items for me to sell. The colors (or lack thereof) can be incorporated into just about any decor.

ENJOY!

Fearless Color Combinations!

I faithfully follow House Beautiful link to magazine both on-line and in print - it has been on my reading table for over 15 years. Today, I saw an article entitled, Color Combinations for the Truly Fearless link to article, that showed some wonderful combinations that are probably a little out of the norm but work quite well together.

Several of the color combos show variations of purple/lavender with other colors. Purple is one of the colors I have NEVER yet used on my refurbished upholstered pieces. I have over the years bought nice fabrics that incorporate purple (purple and grey, purple and green, purple and yellow) but have remained nervous about the "sale-ability" of this color combo - other than for little (or big) girl's rooms. I am not sure that this article or the illustrations will make me bolder but some of the other color combos I can readily see.

I have created several collages showing photos from this article with some of the pieces in my current collection that would work in the illustrated setting.

This sweet mint chair would work so well in this type of setting.

Big color for 2013/2014 is this emerald/kelly green - and how wonderful with pink and other warm colors.

I have always loved red and use it extensively in my home. This color combo is one of the "with purples" illustrated in the article - it certainly does draw your attention. My chair is a Henredon and the fabric a matelasse - quite a combo in and of itself!

I see purple in this one too but the intended color combo is red and teal - quite striking. This set of chairs is upholstered in a rich red cotton velvet. 

Nice - and my chairs work so well. They did just sell but I hope to find more in the great look.

Well, this article just shows that you need to be fearless in thinking about color combinations and sometimes to take "... the road less traveled".