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?

Home Office-English style- Turquoise and Chocolate

For my weekly room design, I have taken the home office from my last post (image from country living) and as inspiration for a home office.  It's soft, romantic, and looks highly functional! I choose a chocolate and turquoise as the color palette for my office. Below is the decorators story board including wallpaper, paint, carpet and furnishings. All you need to add you office supplies!

The home office- English style

                                               photo credit: Keith Scott Morton

What a great home office from Country Living! Often the problem with a home office is the clutter and the make do attitude to the space. This space has none of that- pretty, a bit formal, and functional.
 Here are some tips inspired by this room for your home office.
1. Storage- lovely small cabinet in the back can conceal your papers, wireless printer, routers and other messy minutiae.. or an office bar!
2. Color- An office does not have to be  devoid of color. Color can be inspiring, soothing or invigorating. Find a color palette that you love and go to town. I love the English looking  wallpaper in rose, charteuese and chocolate from Osborne and Little. Such a great starting point for the rose color upholstry and the chartreuse office chair.
3. Function- One of the reasons this office is so function is the ability of the furnishings to serve more than one purpose. Th small footstools can also double as small group seating and the side chair is a nce way to get away from your desk to read. The accessories in the space allow for a place for the mail or working papers. The desk houses just enough space for a laptop and room to store the footstools underneath.
4. Lighting- The two windows afford great natural light and the heavy drapes afford light control. The desk light is large enough for true task lighting. The chandelier  seem to be more for looks than function, but would give off nice ambient light in the evenings.
5. Pattern- I love mixing patterns, when they are mixed well and this room mixes them well. Dark on the walls, light on the floor, both patterns of equal size. The drapes are a tonal stripe, which works as a neutral in the room and the velvets, though not patterns, provide texture from grounding the space.

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