When I see designers forecast home décor trends for the coming year, I’m always curious. Did I miss something all the gurus know? Will my house feel outdated? No worries! This year’s effort by Architectural Digest promised to explain what's coming for 2016. Instead it delivered ongoing themes and gentle swipes at the continued popularity of what Elissa Cullman called … [Read more...]
Single Pattern Rooms
French-style single pattern rooms use one fabric to cover the walls, furniture and draperies. Back in the early days of domestic interior design the fashion was for everything to match. Single pattern rooms had a very intense look. Today, rooms decorated in this style are viewed as hyper traditional — even archival. Fabric-covered walls can be wildly expensive when the … [Read more...]
Gilded Bathrooms: Gorgeous or Gaudy?
I can’t resist giving my opinion of these gold bathrooms, which seem to have a jeweled effect. This second decade of the 21st Century has become something of a gilded age, at least where bathrooms are concerned. Gilded walls – so very Klimt – are gaining acceptance, particularly in powder rooms where a little goes a long way. Until now, price has been an obstacle, but that … [Read more...]
Daring the Butler’s Panty
Eight lively looks and colors enhance classic butler's pantry storage spaces. Whether it’s used to store foodstuffs, small appliances, cookware, china and crystal, wine, silver, serveware or collectibles, the butler’s pantry may be the place to take a chance on color. I’m going to make an educated guess and say that designer Miles Redd had the whimsical pantry with a … [Read more...]
Fuchsia Accents
Use just a little fuchsia as an accent to amp up a room. The more I see fuchsia in home interiors, the better it looks. This hue hasn’t been back on the home décor radar screen for very long though I found some for my post on Fuchsia Flashes. Hand-in-hand with its cousin purple it seems destined for a strong future. While a lot of fuchsia may be too much for some tastes, … [Read more...]
Stripes on Furniture
Stripes on furniture -- especially dressers -- add texture and pattern to basic pieces. There's a tall, dark chest of drawers in our guest room. It's mahogany and refinished with a high gloss surface I don't like at all. That chest desperately needs a light color or perhaps a "stripes on furniture" treatment. I’ve been thinking pale green or ochre but then I saw the … [Read more...]
Kitchen Cabinets Go Dark
Great light and reflective surfaces make dark kitchen cabinets and moody and surface colors look modern. While I would not choose dark rooms for my house and would never consider dark kitchen cabinets for my own kitchen, I am fascinated by their impact. What I find is that dark color moves toward us visually, whether on vertical surfaces, objects such as a sofa or even on … [Read more...]
