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.

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.

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.

Windsor Smith Home - Marrakesh Lounge Chair

Beautifully framed out gray Moroccan tile to be an accent behind the stove.  A great little accent with the white subway tile.

Photo courtesy of www.tisportcar.co.cc/moroccan-tile-kitchen-backsplash.html

Another framed out accent tile in the kitchen.

Photo courtesy of www.1910foursquare.wordpress.com

What a fun pillow?! The designer DL Rhein made these in an array of colors and they are all fabulous!

Designed by DL Rhein
Photo courtesy of www.laylagrayce.com

Amazing shower surround! The euro glass really is perfect to show off that gorgeous tile.

Photo courtesy of houzz.com

Another great way to showcase this awesome pattern is in a rug.

I love how this rug is so bold and crisp;

it's a clever way to sneak in a pop of color into the room.

Pattern: Panthea
Photo courtesy of Horchow.com

 I seriously can't get enough of the moroccan tile pattern.  How are you going to incoporate it into your space in 2012?

Trend of 2012: Blue & Black Color Combination

The Trend of the Day: 

Blue & Black Color Combo!

Lets kick off our 30 days of new trends for 2012 with this color duo.  Not your typical color combination that you would put together off the top of your head; but no worries, pairing these colors will do anything but leave you feeling black and blue. Together the pair lends itself to a very classy look that you can apply as a whole room theme or use as fun accents on a bookcase, in artwork, or for accent pillows.

In the new January 2012 issue of Veranda this color combination was described as being “bold and dramatic without being showy…” So if you are looking for something new and fun to change up your house keep this beautiful color combination in mind!

Blue & Black bookcase accessories...so simple!

I also love how the designer centered everything on each shelf.

Photo courtesy of www.thelennoxx.com

This is a Rosslyn Papers wallpaper from Farrow & Ball.

It would look great as an accent wall, or paired with wainscoting.

Wallpaper is in!  We'll talk more on this later, but the possibilities with wallpaper are endless!

Photo courtesy of www.farrow-ball.com

I love this combination with the bright blue table runner and the 

bold wallpaper paired with the high gloss black dining set.

Photo courtesy of www.thelennoxx.com

Occasional Table dressed up with the satin blue lamps 

and a bold pop with the black mirror.

Designed by Atmosphere Interior Design Inc.
Photo courtesy of Houzz.com 

Here is another overall room design with blue and black.

I love the blue velvet couch paired with the grey & black chairs and accents.

Also the staircase painted black is a nice touch as well.

Designed by Atmosphere Interior Design Inc.
Photo courtesy of Houzz.com

Give these hues a try this year and see what it does for you.

30 New Year trends in 2012!

Happy New Years from The Design House!

We thought we would start 2012 off with a bang and do 30 days of trends to ring in the new year. Even though we're a couple days behind, it'll still be totally worth it!

And the winner is...

Congratulations Andrew Shirley! Thanks for your response and filling out your sheet. Your prize is a $25 gift card to the place of your choice! Congrats!

How to deck your halls with style!

Oh I love this time of the year! With all the lights, sweet smells, delicious food, shopping, gift giving, wrapping and of course decorating!

It's a great feeling to get out those red and green decoration totes and dress up the house for the holidays.

I wanted to share some fun tips and ideas for your holiday decor…

*Stay within one color palette and theme*

This will not only give your decor a more cohesive, put together look but it will also give your home a "professionally finished" look. 

Color schemes you could try are:

Red or Green & White

Blue & Silver

Brown, Gold & Red

Silver & White

*Spread the cheer throughout your home*

Don't only decorate the living room, kitchen & dining room. Spread the cheer to all the rooms in your house! Try adding a simple candle dressed with garland on your bathroom countertop or hang a Christmas print in your child's room.

*Don't be afraid to go BIG!*

This is the one time of the year where the "less is more" rule does not need to apply. Have fun with it! Whether its inside or outside I believe that the best Christmas decor lies at two ends of the spectrum:  Christmas should be an awesome display of fun, gorgeous holiday decor or a crazy Christmas explosion of lights and Santas on the roof for a National Lampoons Christmas Vacation homage.  Either way its totally entertaining and brings the holiday cheer.  So let your inner child loose and go big or go home.

*Let your home smell like the holidays*

The smells of pine trees, sugar cookies, and cinnamon are wonderful this time of year! You can bring smells in by getting a real christmas tree, making homemade potpourri, or baking homemade cookies before guests arrive. Another great way to fill your home with great scents are candles, besides their wonderful smells, lit candles also provide a sense of warmth to the space. Its hard to go wrong with a scented candle this time of year.

*Give your home a new look*

Try rearranging your furniture to make your fireplace, tree, or stocking the new focal point of the room. It  helps to showcase those pieces and will help give the room a new look. Don't be afraid to add a seasonal throw or decorative pillow to the furniture to dress them up as well.

*Bring the outside in*

 If you don't have a real tree, it's okay! You can bring other elements of nature by filling up a jar with pine cones and cranberries, using cinnamon sticks to line candles or as a tree decorations. Buy a beautiful poinsettia, just take it out of that foil lined pot it comes with and set it into a pretty festive pot. And remember poinsettia's are actually poisonous so please make sure it's in a safe place where a small child or pet won't accidentally eat it.

*Showcase cards and children's Christmas craft projects*

Dedicate a wall, bookcase, or fireplace to creatively display your holiday cards and if you have children, they're school art projects they made that year.

This adds a beautiful, personal touch to your decor.