The Design House Interior Design: January 2012

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Trends of 2012: Mix it Up!

The next trend of 2012 is mixing a Modern-Traditional design. Most of my clients often find that they have an eclectic style, meaning that they are not defined by just one style of design, they identify with quite a few styles like modern, tuscan, traditional, coastal, etc. While it is very important to narrow down your tastes and what you want, it can be very rewarding and make for an interesting design to mix styles. And mixing a traditional and modern style makes for a great combo. One of the best designers who exemplify this style is designer Thomas O'Brien. In his book American Modern he states,

"Practicality, industry, boldness, scale. Simplicity and sincerity. Innovation. These are the ingredients of American modern style…I help find the classic elements from past generation, and then edit them together for this one. An American idea of reinvention: traditional things for modern living."

This style creates an interesting look that can be essentially timeless. This style also utilizes "the curated look" trend we've discussed because choosing the pieces for this fabulous mix-up need to have quite a bit of thought put into it. You can do as little as taking a few pieces of furniture and adding modern fabric or mixing up your whole space.

Here are some great designs that incorporate this trend:

Whats wrong with having your cake and eating it too? Here we see this gorgeous traditional woodwork with modern furniture. By painting the walls and woodwork white it creates a sense of unity and helps to modernize the space.

What a dramatic room with the mix of light and dark. Nice clean lines and modern finishes mixed in with traditional elements.

LOVE! Louis XVI style chair painted in an antique pewter and upholstered in a fabulous silver metallic leather.

Check out that modern wood paneled fireplace juxtaposed with the traditional bergere upholstered in a fabulous modernized damask fabric. Note the animal hyde rug grazing the floor, still a strong trend you'll continue to see in 2012.

Here we have a clever blend of the traditional rug and wallpaper with the modernized chairs and intricate mirrored table!

This is one of my favorite photos. I love the clean crisp tulip chairs mixed with the hair pin chairs around a rustic wood table; the brick fireplace, sleek modern bookshelf placed under the chalkboard and more modern furniture in the bay window. The white painted walls lend the space a nice cohesive look with the white modern furniture.

Here's our trend incorporated into a kitchen design. Traditionally crafted exterior cabinets blended with the modern island clad in wood panel with sleek metal accents to tie the two together.

This is one trend that you won't see going away anytime soon. And what a great way to celebrate two excellent styles. See if you can find a way in incorporate this trend into your home.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Trend of 2012: What's Under Your Foot?

In 2012 there's some growing trends in flooring. Aside from wood, carpeting, and tile there are some other awesome flooring options out there just beckoning you to give them a try. Lets explore some of these fun options.

Cork is something different that most people don't consider as a major player in the floor covering arena. But its a big one thats here to stay. Its more comfortable than tile or hardwood, it helps reduce noise, its durable, and the best perk of all it is a renewable resource!

With cork there's tons of different colors and patterns
that you can mix and match to create a unique design.

Another new floor trend I want to focus on are floor tiles. Flor and Modularity Tiles are two companies that create carpet and vinyl floor tiles. Both of these companies pride themselves on being easy to design, easy to install and easy to maintain. They come in many styles and shapes and are extremely durable.

Modularity Tiles are vinyl tiles, yes vinyl, but trust me, it's not your plain commercial vinyl. They come in fun color choices and patterns. Who wouldn't want to use these spunky tiles in a garage, play room or exercise room?

A fun retro pattern.

what a great way to add color in pattern in to the room.

I absolutely love the wayfinding path they used this pattern for.
What a great a nice color scheme to add a bit of punch to this room.

If you want a little bit more cushion, you should check out the Flor companies carpet tiles. There are so many options, I just love going to their website! Depending on the type of carpet you get you can't even tell it's tiled, it blends perfectly. You can design anything from a doormat to a fully carpeted room; mix textures,

colors and patterns… it's completely customizable!

I absolutely love the big bold graphic dots.
They really take this room to the next level.

Great texture, its like chess in golf rolled all into one.

Focusing on the texture is a nice way to keep things elegant and modern.

I absolutely love the graphic images on this rug - what a statement!

Don't be afraid to try something new…check out these great floor coverings in 2012!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Trend of 2012: Orange you glad its Tangerine!

This year Pantone named the 2012 color of the year Tangerine Tango!

It says to me... "I'm dramatic yet sophisticated!" The beautiful color of the deep red-orange pretty much speaks for itself, it has been seen everywhere from fashion to design. Check out these pictures of awesome Tangerine

Tangerine Tango was the star for the Spring 2012 fashion show.

Designers from left to right
Charlotte Ronson - Tommy Hilfiger - Peter Som - Derek Lam
Photo courtesy of glamour.com

Great modern look for a front door!
Designed by Jesse Ln | Photo courtesy of Houzz.com

Fabulous tangerine sofa!
www. whippedstyle.com

Love the curtains, what a fun print! From anthropologie.com

If you are adventurous enough to paint your walls Tangerine Tango you should do so; however if you're not… an accent wall is fun too! Just add that pop of color will transform your space. As seen in this picture the tangerine orange walls work well with the white trim and ceiling because it neutralizes the color palette and gives the eye a place to rest.

Photo courtesy of bellemaison23.com

Not only are padded headboards an inexpensive way to give your room an expensive look but they are a great way to add texture and color. This one in, of course, the tangerine color looks gorgeous against that gray blue wall and white bed spread!

Love the orange walls with the indigo blue rug.
Designed by Debbie Weiner
Photo courtesy of Houzz.com

www.lampsplus.com

Another way to bring the 2012 color of the year is adding a colorful pillow to your room!

This is a great pillow with a fun pattern in the tangerine color!

Hope you enjoyed our tribute to the 2012 color of the year Tangerine Tango.

How are you going to incorporate this hue into your home this year?

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Trend of 2012: The Curated Look

A great trend of 2012 that I'm loving is the curated look. Its a very personal and unique way of decorating. "Curated rooms are filled with well-made, meaningful treasures, which have been carefully edited" (Source). Achieving the curated look is not as easy as it appears to be… there is a fine line between a chaotic eclectic look and a refined collected look. To curate your space means to edit your items. This takes time and a lot of hard work, but the end result is well worth it.

Every piece that goes into a curated space is carefully selected for a purpose, so that even though you have various elements they all come together into one cohesive look. Often times my clients get bogged down with items they have received as a gift and they feel that it has to always be on display. I always say, "Remember this is your home, and you make the rules." Just because someone gave you a gift does not mean it has to be front and center, or even up at all for that matter. But if you want, a great way to incorporate those items and others you have laying around is to rotate those items within a collection. If you have different collections or just a lot of "treasures" don't show it all at once. Rotate items and edit, edit, edit; this way your home will always have something new going on and it gives you a chance to showcase different pieces over time.

This room, shown in Elle Decor, shows very few pieces but there is so much variation between them that I would classify this as a curated look. The furniture styles vary as well as the different textures and pay attention to the individually selected photos and frames, they all have a purpose. It all comes together with the color tones and it looks very cohesive.

I love this room, also seen in Elle Decor, it is a great combination of asian and western. The elements are perfectly blended to created a smooth, beautiful design.

This curated look, found on Houzz.com, focuses on the collection on white jars, vases and statues displayed on the shelves. Very beautiful and straightforward. To the untrained eye it may not look like it, but I'm sure a lot of editing and consideration went into this simple looking design.

Every girls dream room! Classic tufted sofa in a pink velvet, mixed with stark white surroundings and bold striped floor to ceiling curtains - gorgeous. All the pieces in this room have their place from the art prints stacked by the window to the lollipops in the jar on the end table.

Yet another nicely curated space. The black and white elements, as different as they are, are held together by that very color scheme and by the fact that they are all so different. If too many objects are similar is style or shape than the rest would look out of place.

This space, shown in Veranda, is a beautiful mixture of contemporary and fine antiques. The designer carefully selected these pieces to create this specific design and it's very intriguing. Again, very few pieces, but the furniture items shown are really all it needs.

I hope in 2012 you can take some time to refine your home to achieve this fun and fabulous curated look. Just remember to edit, edit, edit. Once you are done, ask yourself one question: "Does everything have a purpose?"

Monday, January 16, 2012

Why Hire a Professional Interior Designer?

I decided to take a break today from our Trends of 2012 event to talk about the benefits of hiring a true professional interior designer. I recently finished a design project for a client who had a personal experience in regards to the difference between someone who calls themselves a "designer" or "decorator" and working with an actual professional interior designer.

One of my clients previously had a self-proclaimed "designer" come in to give her some advice to change her previous theme she had but just wasn't in love with. All the designer said was, “Oh, well it looks like you have a good design going on, I wouldn’t change anything, looks like you have a handle on it” and left. Hearing this from my client just made me want to cringe. As a designer, how can you not change something when the client clearly wants something different and is not happy with there space?!

The designer failed to see the clients needs and wants; she couldn't give any design advice because she lacked the knowledge to help. Well, fine doesn’t cut it, especially when the client wants something different. A professional knows there is always something you can do to change the look and feel of the room and bring it to the next level. As we can see, this "designer" was clearly not a professional.

This particular client of mine does indeed have an eye for design and did a good job of bringing elements together in her home. She had a nice home before; but now she has a room perfect for her and her family, that meets all of her needs and she now LOVES it!

After

Before

It is so, so, so important when hiring a designer or even when looking for some design help to seek out a professional interior designer with a degree, experience, and a portfolio to back up their design talk. Avoid the all so common people who call themselves "designers" or "decorators" and truly are not. It takes not only education, but a certain set of skills to come into ones private home and design a room that will perfectly suite their style and needs.

Luckily, here at The Design House Interior Design we do just that! We take the time to get to know our clients in order to provide for them the best design possible. Although we love what we do, we are a professional interior designer firm who take our jobs very seriously. Whether the problem is big or small, due to our education and skills, we find the solution and can work with almost any budget. We make the design process simple by making sure that everything is done right the first time. This saves our clients time, stress and money; which is what a professional interior designer does.

If you need some interior design help whether it's accessorizing a bookcase to changing up your entire home, make sure you hire a professional firm like The Design House Interior Design. I promise, you won't regret it!

www.TDHID.com

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Trend of 2012: The Chevron

As some of you may know one of the latest trends is the chevron pattern, and in 2012 we're going to see this trend grow. The chevron is so multifunctional, I just love it! It can be bold or subtle, masculine or feminine, modern or traditional, really the chevron can belong anywhere Check out these fun ways to use the chevron…

Designer Debbie Basnet. Photo courtesy of Houzz.com

Check out this bold rug, it really takes the room up a notch. I love how graphic it is! It's a great way to create movement and excitement into a space. A good rule of thumb when designing a room is to only have one show stopper. If you're using a rug like this, it's definitely the show stopper. You don't want your room to be too busy. The contrasting chevron pattern on the floor is the perfect touch.

As bold as the rug above is, below shows how to incoporate the chevron and still keep a serene feeling in your space.

by Anna Baskin Lattimore Design
Photo courtesy of Houzz.com

Here we have a chevron pattern made from tile. This is more subtle but still impactive giving the bathroom lots of interest and direction.

Designer Nina Jiznar. Photo Courtesy of Houzz.com

Photo courtesy of www.la-belle-vie.com

These photos show fun pillows you can use to incorporate the chevron pattern. It's less dramatic than a big area rug but still a great accent, plus it's an inexpensive way to kick your room up a notch. You can choose from a range of colors, and sizes to get the perfect look for you!

Designer Casa Greer www.casagreer.com

A simple way to add the pattern to a space is drapes. This yellow and white chevron again this dark, rich paint looks fantastic. Again you can use any size and color of chevron. Another fun thing about this picture is they are using the yellow-gray color combination another fabulous trend that is still going strong.

photo courtesy of www.tatertotsandjello.com

One of my favorite ways to showcase this pattern in on furniture, from bench cushions to a full sofa. I think this old chair they recovered is completely charming. Like I said the chevron can be anywhere from modern to traditional and subtle to bold, so you really have no excuse not to incorporate this fabulous design element into your home.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Trend of 2012: Say Goodbye to your Big, Brown Sofa

The new trend for 2012 is to bring in some color with a nicely tailored sofa with sleek lines. This trend takes most people out of their comfort zone, but when you're out shopping for a sofa don't immediately go for the 'oh so common' brown sofa sitting on the showroom floor.

I'm not against brown sofas, they have their place in the world, but going the other way is becoming more and more common in the world of design. And oh, does it make life more fun! There's a comforting feeling that people think comes with getting a brown sofa; they think it ensures that it will go with everything and work with any design thye might ever choose to have…

Well, so does a tan, gray, and a white sofa; even light muted colored sofas like blue, green and yellow can work!

Designer: Jennifer Baines Interiors
Photo courtesy of Houzz.com

These neutral sofas above are great examples. They are much lighter to the eye than a dark brown sofa would be and the colors from pillows pop better off this lighter fabric.

Designer: Garrison Hunter Interior Design
Photo courtesy of Houzz.com

In this design above not only do we have a neutral sofa with tons of fun colored pillows but there is also two different colored chairs that join in on the design.

Mix and match your colors and patterns for a more intriguing space.

Designer: Rebekah Zavelof
Photo courtesy of Houzz.com

Now don't let the pattern scare you. Many people would consider this sofa a neutral because of the calming color palette and since the contrast between the colors are so minimal.

You can bring in colors with a fun rug or with pillows; or like in this particular design keep the accents neutral for a calmer color scheme.

Essex Sofa
www.westelm.com

This West Elm sofa has a big black and white pattern but it would still work for a number of designs. If you have the style that could support a piece of furniture like this GO FOR IT! Sofa's with prints are coming back in 2012 and I'd say this one does it pretty elegantly.

The next two photos showcase colored sofas. Now these won't work in every situation but they definitely have their place in the world.

Designer: Unknown
Photo courtesy of www.styleathome.com

I love this blue sofa used as the accent piece in the room, paired with gorgeous pillows and set in a neutral surrounding. The blue is outstanding.

Designer: Chloe Warner
Photo courtesy of Houzz.com

This yellow sofa is so charming, it has just enough color to give it a pop and the layered yellow pillows are fantastic.

So don't be afraid to stray from your brown sofa! There's a world of color just waiting for you.

There are so many wonderful options and directions you can go. Remember if you need help making the switch you can always ask us here at The Design House.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Trend of 2012: Add some Moroccan flair to your space

The 2012 Trend of the Day:

The Moroccan Tile Motif

What a gem of a motif? With its interocking lines it can make such a gorgeous pattern. Morroco, the country itself, has been a huge trend over the last couple of years and is only growing in populartiy as a tourist destination. But if you can't seem to squeeze in a trip to Morroco out of your budget to tour the beautiful land, why don't we just take a little dose of that gorgeous Morrocan tile pattern (aka lattice work) and incorporate it into your house - you'll be glad you did.

I absolutely love the color combination of these tiles, and the white grout was the perfect selection to showcase this awesome and unique shape.

This fabulous pattern is fun and can be used in any design theme. It can help bring in color, pattern, direction, elegance, spunk, accent and just plain, old fun. You can find it on fabrics for bedding, drapes, pillows, and furniture or use it as the actual tile to put on your fireplace, kitchen backsplash, bathroom floor or shower surround.

Here is a beautiful classic piece upholstered with the

Moroccan tile pattern using a classic color combination. This example showcases how elegant this pattern can be.