Spring Forward...Fall Back Into RETRO!

Pendant light fixture by Nuevo

Rug offered by The Rug Market, Kathy Ireland Young Attitudes, "Love Safari Ivory Coast/Sandy Beach"

Butterfly Chair by RALPHLAURENHOME, called " New Safari Camp Chair"

Bar stool by Nuevo

Fabric by Mod Green Pod Wallpaper by designer

While we've all sprung forward, let's take a moment to roll back in time. I love some of the old design eras, including the one from the '50's that evokes a feeling of happiness; simple floral designs (ones that I used to doodle on paper when bored) sunbursts and overlapping large-scaled geometric shapes...flourescent colors were trendy during this era; shades of yellows, greens, turquoises, oranges and pinks were all hot...

According to Urban Dictionary, the term retro is a style from the past representing something nostalgic such as an article of clothing or decorative item. It gives me a warm feeling, thinking of these sunbursts and floral motifs, a period of time that I enjoy revisiting...

These products are all retro, cool and current. They can be intermixed into different styles of design as a focal point or as an accent.

* FYI: The Butterfly chair was created in 1938 by the architect Jorge Ferrari-Hardoy and was originally called the Hardoy chair. Now, the popular style's frame can be covered in everything from hot pink faux-fur to polka-dotted and canvas fabrics. I really like this Ralph Lauren version of distressed-rustic-goes-great-with-turquoise look.

A lot of these products look great in teenager's rooms as well as rec rooms or basements. Pottery Barn does a great job of offering these products for teens. Check them out at: http://www.potterybarn.com/

* FYGI (For Your Green Info): Mod Green Pod manufacturers fabrics and wallpapers that are ALL eco-friendly. Check them out at: http://www.modgreenpod.com/

Red, White or Honeysuckle??

I'm a bit behind schedule with posting my blog, but it is still February, so this is all about the color choices: Red, White or Honeysuckle? Check out Pantone Color Institute's color of the year, 2011: Honeysuckle... This leader of the world's color trends, PCI, has chosen this hue to create a calming effect on the public's psyche after all of the economic challenges that we've seen the past few years. This color is popping up everywhere; from the fashion runways to appliances as well as home decor. I'm also quite sure that a lot of companies are pitching in to raise breast cancer awareness by selecting this color for their products. They'll usually donate a portion of their proceeds to go towards cancer research and/or treatment.



For all of the men reading this; do not be afraid to wear or use pink! It will make you so in style...



I LOVE this dog wallcovering, left photo; it's a bit over-the-top but great for a child's room or "pet room" ;-) Any veterinarians out there??

The "birdcage" light fixture, above photo adds whimsy also to any room in the house. It especially goes well in a four-seasons room or porch.

This chair is a great look for a living room, family room or reading area. I would incorporate it into a contemporary setting, eclectic or traditional. Pair it with a zebra print, a chocolate brown leather piece of furniture or a white flokati rug and you've created a fabulous look!

For those of you who in live in the Chicagoland area, the magazine House Beautiful is hosting a pink chair giveaway from February 26-28. They will be dropping 20 different chairs off in different locations in Chicago. The first to grab them gets to take them home! For additional info, you can read more at http://www.housebeautiful.com I've decided to wait a few months to showcase my newly recovered furniture, as the process takes a bit longer than I had anticipated...stay tuned for some exciting pieces that will be available for purchase.

I'm still blogging for Natural Home magazine. If you didn't have a chance to read my posts, here are links to the past few:

http://http//www.naturalhomemagazine.com/green-decor-and-design/healthy-green-design-man-cave.aspx

http://http//www.naturalhomemagazine.com/green-decor-and-design/healthy-green-design-decorating-pebbles-rocks-stone.aspx

Would love to hear from you: What do you want to learn about? Please share your design dilemmas and questions!

~FYGI (for your green information) A great site to search for green information and products is: http://www.green.yahoo.com/

Welcome 2011...and reflecting on 2010...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Well, here we are, 2011. I haven't made any "resolutions" per se, but I've rather focused on a few goals that I hope to have accomplished by year's end. They're both room renovations in my home; both powder room and kitchen. I've pondered, reflected and eventually zeroed in on ideas, now they just need to be implemented. Results and progress to be posted as we go along.

As we move forward into 2011, I like to reflect on the past year... what did I want to achieve but didn't quite complete? What would I have done differently?

Along with these thoughts on reflection, I'd like to spotlight one of my favorite companies: Christopher Guy, a manufacturer of fine furniture and stunning mirrors. They are shown above (single mirrors, not fireplace setting) You can view more of them at http://christopherguy.com/

According to Webster, reflection has multiple meanings: 1.the fixing of the mind on some subject and 2. the throwing back of a surface of sound, light, heat, etc. This seems appropriate as a New Year's topic, as it is a time to reflect on life and "fix the mind on" goals, as well as come up with ideas of how to beat the winter doldrums, ie; how to brighten up an interior with metallic or reflective items.

With winter upon us, here are some bright ideas to add sparkle to a room. By adding metallics and iridescence to a space, it creates openness and alters a mood from drab and flat to shiny and having depth. Walls painted an all matte finish can make a room appear drab and boring. Just as adding textures creates warmth and interest, by throwing in some fringed metallic accent pillows, it gives a sofa or chair dimension. Mirrors always give the illusion of space as well as add that reflective quality to a room and make it appear larger than it actually is.

Another idea is to wallpaper an accent wall a light metallic or pearlized choice which infuses an effervescent quality. You can even stripe it by painting an alternating high gloss/matte finish in the same color family. I would recommend larger stripes, about 6"-8" wide, to open up the space. Placing clear glass bowls or tall vases on a cocktail table with metallic colored balls in them is very festive and also another way to incorporate metallics in a room.

In closing, I'll share an old Ugandan proverb with you that I love: the task ahead of you is never as great as the power behind you...

~ Wishing you all success with your reflections and goals for the new year...

~ Please check back next month where I'll start featuring refurbished furniture with funky, fabulous new upholstered fabrics that will be available for purchase. ~

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

December 3, 2010 Time has been flying by as is evident that I haven't posted here since October...My exciting news is that I've been guest blogging for Natural Home magazine. If you didn't get a chance to read them, here are the three that have been posted so far:

Natural, Organic Fabric:

http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com/green-decor-and-design/healthy-green-design-natural-organic-fabric.aspx

Repurpose a Blank Wall with Eco-Friendly Paint:

http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com/green-decor-and-design/healthy-green-design-repurpose-blank-wall-eco-friendly-paint.aspx

Naturally Scent Your Home:

http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com/green-decor-and-design/healthy-green-design-naturally-scent-your-home.aspx

CANDLES for the holidays; brighten your home by adding the warm glow of beautiful candles~ perfect for when you're entertaining company or great for just some quiet alone time; create a mood of warmth and comfort. Some nice sites to check out for eco-friendly ones are:

http://www.alohabay.com/

http://www.pacificacandles.com/

If you're celebrating Hanukah, here is a company that offers Hanukah candles for sale. They also have candles for meditation altars or shabbat observances; all are 100% natural beeswax with cotton wicks and contain no lead or heavy metals. Read more about them at

http://bigdipperwaxworks.com/

~Have a beautiful, celebratory holiday with those you cherish. Please check back for a new blog in 2011.

ENERGIZE Your Home While Saving Energy!

above wall photos were painted with Sherwin Williams' no-VOC Harmony paint and low-VOC Modern Masters metallic paint applied over it. A border was created with a painted frame.

ENERGIZE your home by infusing a warm color palette using oranges, golds, yellows and fuchsia. When I need to feel energized or creative, these hues make me feel alive, motivated and inspired! As our temperatures are dropping and we're approaching winter, it's nice to add these tones to make us feel positive and relaxed, yet at the same time, it sparks fire to our souls. A combination of color and the following tips on energy savings should help with mood altering states of mind. (If these don't work or simply aren't applicable to you, you can purchase the mood altering "full spectrum " light bulbs manufactured by Blues Buster. ( http://www.bluesbuster.com/)

TIPS on receiving your energy tax credits by December, 2010:

If you're interested in qualifying for energy tax credits, you better start planning now as the deadline is the end of this year. There are different products that you can purchase but they must also be installed by year's end as well. Consumers can receive a tax credit for 30% of the cost, up to $ 1,500.00. Read on...

Some products are: Levolor's Accordia cellular shades with Energy Shield. This product has a built-in feature that adds an additional insulation factor to the product. Pella has windows that meet this credit criteria. The links to their sites are:

http://pellareplacement.com/

http://www.levolor.com/

And, go to Energy Star to see a listing of products at http://www.energystar.gov/ Another site for information is www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm to learn more about other energy improvement tax credits.

Green tip: (FYGI) For the holidays, cut some branches from outdoors and spray paint them with Modern Masters metallic paint to add to your table decor.

Fall and Color!

ikat print fabrics

It's hard to say farewell to summer, but the kids are back in school, fall is in the air and I'm excited that I now have time to write my September blog.

ON COLOR: According to Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone Color Institute's Executive Director, we won't be seeing a huge shift in color trends from 2010 to 2011 due to consumers still being uncertain with our economy. Consumers are combining color a little bit differently. With neutrals still being center stage, at least for main elements such as carpeting or a sofa, the exciting news is that metallics are still hot, hot, hot. The key to using metallics is to pay attention to their temperature correctly. For example, It's great to use gold and silver, but one should predominate over the other. Silver is cool and gold is hot. If they are equal, the space becomes too overstimulating. By infusing metallics into an otherwise neutral space, it creates visual interest and depth.

My Thoughts on color: (If you didn't already know) Please don't be colorphobic! Color is everything! If you're unsure, I can help. You can still use neutrals as a base or background, while accessorizing with color. Not only can you accentuate the neutrals with color, but large scale prints are also very hot right now. A few scattered patterned pillows on a sofa or a new bold drapery treatment can be very dramatic. You can change these things seasonally or simply whenever you tire of them.

ikat prints: what are they?? It is the method of weaving a fabric that uses a resist dyeing method process similar to tie-dye. The dye is applied prior to the threads being woven to create the final design. The word itself literally means tied, bound or knotted. See the photos above to see how these beautiful unique fabrics can create excitement to a room.

Green product idea: On the topic of bold patterns and color, One Thread At A Time is a fair trade company that employs female artisans worldwide. These women may be impoverished or have been battered, and by hiring them to produce these beautiful pillows, it enables them to improve the quality of their lives. Contact me for more info, or you can go to their website: http://www.onethreadfairtrade.com/

~ Please check back next month for our next blog.

July; Enjoying the freedom of being an independent designer!

Notes from neocon: One of the world's largest trade fairs... Exciting things are happening in the design world. TMC Furniture's innovative "ImPrinted" allows chairs, tables or paneled surfaces to be embellished with text, photography or graphics using digital imaging as shown below. The beautiful photography above is done by famous nature artist Henry Domke. He is now photographing nature and in collaboration with MDC Wallcoverings, is showcasing his fine art using digital imaging technology onto backlit panels and murals. They are simply stunning!






On a fun note: Designtex has come up with a new product called "writeUp h2o", an environmentally preferable dry erase paint. It's a clear, non-toxic product that can be easily applied to any properly prepared painted surface and dries completely clear. What a great idea for an office, children's playroom or conference room.

Still going strong are pearlized and metallic wallpapers. They add so much to a room. You can use these to add drama to a powder room, dining room accent wall or install it in a niche built into the wall. Add MR16 lamps to spotlight a sculpture on a pedestal; what a dynamic accent!

Drab, nondescript rooms are out; exciting, eclectic spaces are so in! In this ever increasing global world that we live in, different cultures, styles and periods can be combined to make an overall aesthetically beautiful space.

Green tip: To kill off weeds on your lawn or garden, add salt to boiling water and spray it on! It's healthier for people, animals and the earth!

~ please check back next month for a new post!