Home Accessories with Staying Power- a How To

There is nothing worse than finding a trend you love only to see it panned the following year. The key to staying on trend without constantly changing your world is to catch the flavor of the trend, without a full out embrace- you need to "side hug" the trend!

Brass is a great hot trend right now. It gives a space warmth by reflecting warm light better than any other metal, even mirrors. However, going Brass-tastic on the family room will be disappointing when the next trend comes around.

The solution in three options:
Choose one brass piece, perhaps a table with brass legs or a brass top and place it prominently.

Find it here!

Find it here!

Find it here!

TIP: Hit local estate and tag sales for vintage brass items.

Fine it here!

Find it here!

You can truly give brass a side hug and use a gold leaf or mixed metal accessories.

Find it here!

Lastly, you can second guess the trend. Go one step beyond it. Say to yourself, if brass is hot now, what might be next, bronze, which is like brass. Or, is it time for the trend to swing in the opposite direction? If a trend just took a turn- from stainless steel to brass for example, then it will probably continue along the path for a bit. If we have already progressed down a trend path- red in the new black, pink is the new red, orange is the new pink, then we might be swinging to the opposite direction where green is the new orange. Opposite on the color wheel- green and orange. Try your hand at trend spotting! Even better, be an early adopter and the envy of your friends. Soon, you will be the trendsetter!

Trend spotting- color in 2014

I have always loved trend spotting- be it for color, style, or trinket! In going though the trade magazines, I started to notice the many shades of yellow and it is a natural progression from the oranges in the past few years... though I still get compliments of my orange hand bag at least once a week since I purchased it about five years ago. (Perhaps it is time for a new handbag after five years of hard labor!)

Back to yellow. Sure there are signal yellow home accessories out there (see below), but they are sometimes hard to bring into an already designed space. They tend to look very graphic. So if you space if stark black and white, contemporary, or low on "knick- knackery", they might be just for you.

Karen Robertson yellow sea fan

Yellow on yellow houndstooth pouf from Surya

Glossy yellow bust of David

However, if you have a "traditional" space, stark yellow can be a bit harsh. There is still a yellow for you Trad' folks as well!

Circa table fiesta lamp

sunny yellow tray from Etsy

Yellow mini trunk from Hunter's Alley.... and a perfect remote box if ever there was!

 

Then, for those who would like a little yellow, but just cannot do YELLOW, there is yellow metals a.k.a. brass and gold. Always a great way to add warmth to a space. Especially great for the contemporary spaces that can look cold!

Frank Flush Mount lighting fixture from Circa lighting

Gold and white Florentine tray from my collection on Hunter's Alley

Hawes Sconce from vanCollier

Chilewich placemat is the perfect gold contemporary! It's how to do glitzy austere... in a good way.

What trends are you spotting? Do tell!!!

Downton Abbey influences in home design

I love predicting trends. I always have, it's a hobby of my sister and I... that and speaking French to each other. We are not very good at French, so it is best that we only speak French to each other. But design trends, we are excellent at predicting.

If you are missing Downton as I am, here's your fix. My top 3 design trends from Downton that I have watched emerge and are still coming into mainstream design. The wallpaper trend is in high design world and is trickling down into mainstream home designs. The rich colors from Sherwin-Williams are chosen from as palette I recently saw presented at a seminar for interior designers. Lastly, the rugs, which are always in still , offer a fresh look when viewed through the lens of Downton!

Graham and Brown Damask wallpapers found HERE.

New colors from Sherman-Williams.

3. Traditional rugs.

Image source- Nazmiyal

   
                                                                        Ralph Lauren Vintage inspired area rug




Pretty and light rug from David E Adler


What design trends are you seeing from Downton Abbey?

Etsy team: Crafty Hope

One of the great things about etsy, beside the ability to run your own online and international business and all that entails, is things like "teams". I am on a few teams, one of the most active is the Alabama Accents. We are currently promoting each other businesses each day.

Today, we are celebrating Crafty Hope! She creates great jewelry. You can click HERE to find her shop.

Here is a collection things I love from Crafty Hope- rustic metals!

Shopping- handmade houses

Etsy designers are producing some of the most innovative dog houses and pet loungers out there. These beds are houses are a great way to incorporate your pets living areas into your living area with out loosing your aesthetic! Also, no messy bedding with most of these spaces partially enclosed. Best of all you will get the satisfaction of purchasing from and artist where you can support small businesses grow!
Check out this curated photo collection!

The mid-century modern dog house by Modernistcat.etsy.com is very cool for under $500!


The dog pod lounge by vurvdesign.etsy.com for under $600.


The Modern Pet bed for only $155 by ModPet.etsy.com... does it come with the adorable dogs?



So deliciously orange one want to lick it... and I bet some dwellers have! The Warm Orange Red Bubble. It's cat-tastic at $59.00 from Viavanat.etsy.com. I have been coveting her work for a while and if I have a cat, I would covet this for my cat!


The canopy lounge in Dots... now on sale! I can see my dog now resting his chin on the side to watch me! Check it out at Canopystudio.etsy.com!

My favorite color is plaid...

When I was in college I found these red plaid silk pants on the clearance rack at my favorite department store. They were dressy and punk at the same time, I loved the dichotomy, especially since I had maintained for a few years that my favorite color was plaid. Why plaid? The philosopher would answer why not, but the real reason is I did not like to be pigeon holed. I do not want to be a purple person who is considered artsy, a blue person who prefers mainstream/blending in, a red person who is fiery, a pink person who is saccharine sweet, etc. Not that any of these are tried and true, but they are often assumed. I am not one of those people, but I sometimes any and all of those people, so plaid suits who I am. And really, who all of us are.

As a designer, I run into the same problem question as the one from childhood, "what is your favorite color," except now it is "what is your favorite style," or "what is your style." How do I explain that my design style is plaid, without sounding like I design in Scottish Highland style or that I am am secret Jacobite. However, it is still true, I like many styles for many different reasons. I love looking at those clean contemporary spaces with floor to ceiling windows. Conversely, I love looking at a cacophony of patterns from designers that really understand scale. Additionally, I like finding those Wabi Sabi pieces that celebrate the imperfections of design. People most likely want a short answer, but is it a cop-out to say that I like an eclectic style? Should I tell them I like Directoire style, which I do, but as it only lasted from 1795 to 1799, and it is over shadowed by it's popular cousin Empire... few are into it, or even aware of it.


It's all about scale!

What it really comes down to is I like "good design," and what is that? It is different for everyone! However, as a designer my job is to find what your "good design" is and help you make it the best good design it can be by find the best pieces and finishes, consider scale and space planning, and make sure it is the healthiest and safest it can be. A designer's job is not to impose a style on you. So to answer the question, what is your style? My style, personally, is typically the most recent thing I have seen and loved. My style professionally, is what ever style is your... from High Victorian to Cave dwelling. You name it, I can enhance it. I've got mad cave painting skills!
Like to see more of my style? follow me on Pinterest!





No more boring bathmats

Bathmats, function, fluffy and not normally super fun... until now!
I am obsessed with these GIANT doily bathmats I found on etsy. They are pretty, and funny, and granny chic as well as contempory- all at the same time. I want to carve my own giant needles to make these, but buying might be the more practical option.
What makes these rugs so perfect is the scale. Anyone can crochet a big doily with normal needles and yarn, but it would look like a table cloth on the floor. The folks a Squirrelicious understand scale! Please click on the grey words and check this shop out!