December 23, 2011

My Holiday Home

As I mentioned in my earlier blog, I am inspired this year to use a lighter color palette for my holiday decorating. For the past four or five years I’ve used mostly amber, copper, gold and brown color palette which was very rich and warm.

Yet like everyone else, my tastes also change and I wanted to lighten up my color palette. Over the summer I painted my living room in my silver color and used that as my background undertone for my new color palette.

I used silver in various tones, off white, champagne and a touch of light pink to create a winter wonderland. Above is my mantel and I so love my new glittery silver reindeer with white mink collar piece that I found at Haley’s Cottage, in Kirkland WA. I flocked both my wreath above the mantel and my tree to make it feel cool and snowy.

I used white & grey mesh wide fabric on the mantel to give it a light airy feel and a beautiful grey embroidered ribbon on the tree and a bow topper. The tree is adorned with mixes of crystals, white glitter snowflakes, silver glitter reindeer and curly silver wisps to give the tree sparkle and sizzle!

Santa is also a new purchase this year as I fell in love with his beautiful cream and pink velvet coat and hat and his happy face. A mix of ball ornaments in my color palette in a silver basket, silver votives and vases, a pink and white floral box and an angel ornament finishes off “Santa’s” table, which is next to my fireplace.

My home is on the smaller size and working with a lighter color palette keeps the mood bright and cheery. I am excited to have friends over this weekend to enjoy it with me.

Happy Holidays!

November 11, 2011

My Favorite DailyOm Inspiration – Influencing the Tone of Your Life

I want to share with you this really wonderful and inspiring website and blog that I subscribe to, DailyOM – Nurturing Mind Body and Spirit. This article in particular really resonated with me and echos my feelings about color, emotion and feeling. I hope you enjoy it! Visit DailyOM and Sign Up! for their daily Inspirational, daily Horoscope or weekly Music emails.

Influencing the Tone of Your Life

Color has the ability to trigger our emotions, affect the way we think and act, and influence our attitudes.

When we enter a room or see an object for the first time, our minds register its color before any other detail. The colors our eyes can perceive are like words that form a subtle language of mood, energy, and insight. Color can exert a gentle effect on the mind and the body, influencing our dispositions and our physical health. Color has the ability to trigger our emotions, affect the way we think and act, and influence our attitudes. You unconsciously respond to the color of the walls in your home, your car, your clothing, and the food you eat based on your body’s natural reactions to certain colors and the psychological associations you have formed around them. The consequences of the decision to paint a room or wear a specific article of clothing therefore goes beyond aesthetics.

The colors you encounter throughout your day can make you feel happy or sad, invigorate you or drain your vitality, and even affect your work habits. Throughout history, cultures spread over many different parts of the globe have attributed varying meanings to different colors. In China, blue is associated with immortality, while people in the Middle East view blue as a color of protection. There is also evidence that human beings respond to color in a very visceral way. Red excites us and inflames our passions. Too much red, however, can make us feel overstimulated and irritated. Pink tends to make people feel loved and protected but also can cause feelings of lethargy. Yellow represents joy or optimism and can energize you and help you think more clearly. Bright orange reduces depression and sadness. Blue and green are known to inspire peaceful feelings, and people are often able to concentrate better and work in rooms painted in soft blues and greens. The darker tones of both colors can make you feel serious and introspective.

There are ways to integrate color into your life that go beyond picking the hues of your décor and your wardrobe. You can meditate with color by concentrating on the colors that make you feel peaceful or using a progression of colors to symbolize a descent into a relaxed state. Color breathing involves visualizing certain colors as you in inhale and exhale. Choose to surround yourself with the colors that you are attracted to and make you feel good, and you can create an environment that makes you feel nurtured, peaceful, and uplifted.

Click here to download the first 3 chapters of Winter Moon Rises–the new book by DailyOM co-founder Scott Blum

What do you think? Discuss this article and share your opinion

September 1, 2011

Finish and Accessory Trends

I have noticed a trend in home accessories, furniture and plumbing finishes over the past year and would like to share my thoughts with you.

Accessories:

Glass and metal candleholders are perfect accessories that are a great investment. Here are some glass and brass metal ones that I’ve seen recently and adore!

With the holiday season approaching, we like vases with metallic finishes, specifically the mercury glass-inspired designs. Why? For starters, they can be dressed up for formal presentations or dressed down to complement the more rustic finishes you’re seeing in medium high-end catalogs and retail stores right now.

Furniture:

While the variations are many, the hues poised to dominate in 2011 are warmer, more casual and more natural than the topcoats you’ve seen in recent years.

Rather than hide the species of wood under layers of paint and finish, a new crop of furnishings is favored because it honors wood grain and naturally occurring markings.

Why the transparency? For starters, consumers are more cautious about how they spend their hard-earned dollars. As a result, there’s been a swell of demand—across many product categories, including home furnishings—for what’s real and genuine.

There is an environment-friendly theme to these products, too, as many are made from reclaimed woods, discarded byproducts of the harvesting process, and renewable plant-based materials such as bamboo.

In fact, according to a 2010 survey of recent home furnishings purchasers (by World Market Center Las Vegas and the Sustainable Furnishings Council) half of respondents said they would be “definitely interested” or “very interested” in buying green home furnishings, if they liked the style of the product and it cost about the same as other options.

The warmer finishes trend is most evident in the contemporary and transitional furniture categories. Gone are dark espresso and wenge finishes that begged for only chrome and polished silver complements. Instead, wood tones are softer, more Mid-Century Modern in color and shape—think “Mad Men” meets today’s modern loft. In both the contemporary and transitional style categories, walnut veneers guide the trend.

Plumbing:

Solid brass electroplated with chromium – more commonly referred to simply as chrome – became the standard for faucets in the 1930s and remains one of the most popular looks today. Sophisticated, tarnish-resistant and durable, chrome replaced nickel-plated brass as the faucet material of choice.

The menu of faucet choices now available includes a smorgasbord of silver-tone finishes, as well as gold, bronze, mixed metals and brushed and hammered options. Read on for a few tips on using the different finish styles:

Polished chrome is a classic finish that coordinates beautifully with a wide variety of fixture styles and types of décor. It works particularly well for evoking a nostalgic look, as in a 1920s- or other vintage-style bath, but also complements contemporary styles.

Shiny like chrome, Vibrant Polished Nickel can be used in most of the same styles of décor, and is a favorite of Portland, OR, designer Sandy Hayes of Hayes Designs. “Polished nickel is a really sophisticated look that goes well with elegant furniture,” she says. It works well with both traditional and contemporary styles, and can add an elegant touch to the bathroom.

Brushed nickel has a warm appearance that appeals to homeowners looking for a bit of softness in the bath. It looks classic against white and coordinates well with granite or slate countertops and backsplashes.

Matte finishes such as brushed nickel don’t show water spots or fingerprints as easily as some of the polished finishes and that’s why it is so popular!

The rich look of Vibrant French Gold can provide a dramatic contrast to brilliant white fixtures. It goes well with period styles and complements decorated sinks with gold accents. Gold fixtures can add a luxurious accent to your bathroom. Yes gold finishes are back!!

Vibrant Polished Brass provides an elegant note to traditional-style baths, and adds a rich feel to modern or transitional faucet models as well.

Chrome, bronze, nickel, gold or a combination of metals – how’s a homeowner to choose? Keep these things in mind when choosing a faucet finish:

Choose a finish that is appropriate for the style of your fixtures, whether they are traditional, contemporary or transitional.

Think about the big picture. Consider not just how the faucet finish will look against the color of your sink or tub, but also how it will look against the backsplash and the colors or patterns on your walls. This is especially important if you’ve chosen a faucet style that installs on the wall instead of to the sink.

Coordinate your faucet finish with lighting and accessories. If you’ve already chosen bronze lighting fixtures, for example, it’s a good idea to choose bronze faucets and towel racks.

Get what you want. Polished chrome is the most popular finish because of its ageless appeal and flexibility in coordinating with many different design styles—and also because it is least expensive. But if chrome isn’t your favorite finish, remember that the faucet is something you’ll be using every day. It’s better to opt for a look you’ll really love.

February 11, 2011

Favorite Lighting

Any interior designer or architect will tell you that lighting, in or outside, plays a key role in the overall asthetics and feel of a home.

I also educate clients on the importance of selecting the right kind of light blubs. Now that topic is an other blogfor another time. For example using a soft pink bulb in a lamp versus a bright white blub will cast a totally different tone into the room. Anything that has a warm yellow undertone will warm up a space versus something with a black or grey undertone which will cast a cool, grey light into the space. So next time you are shopping for light blubs, consider that type of feeling you want to have you in space.

I also am a big proponet of lamps that project light down into the space versus a lamp that projects light up to the ceiling. Consider where the light is projecting and what you need to be lighted before purchasing.

I love the Arteriors line of floor and table lamps for their sleek lines and classic color palettes. The simplicty of this floor lamp above can be used in some many different ways. I love the elegant grey tones of the wood!

I also love Stonegate and Tech Lighting when I need something a little more contemporary in feel. Mixing textures of metal and natural materials provides a clean, fresh look. Some of my favorites are below!This natural shell pendent or wall sconce comes in three colors and is absolutely beautiful when lite!