Rough Luxe.......a Return to Grace, Industrial Chic .....Mindful Modern

Moving on to the next trend, I feel as though there may be a need to clarify between the "ROUGH LUXE" and the "INDUSTRIAL CHIC" trends. While there are many commonalities the rough textures, aged appearance, distressing, layering there are enough differences for each to stand on it's own. Rough Luxe to me feels more of a state of "acquired elegance" often including heirlooms, a natural beauty of aging, vintage etc. While for me Industrial Chic is more modern, including contemporary art, the exposure of natural elements architecturally, reclaimed finishes..... I see this more in an office or kitchen setting. However we decide to use this look, long gone is the "Throw Away Society" a call to returning items to grace has now established itself. To get this look add grays, beiges and warm neutrals, mixed with washed wovens, french grain sack cloths and burlap, limed oak, aged metals,recycled glass, mercury glass, peeled and distressed finishes.



ROUGH LUXE HOTEL IN LONDON




BEAUTIFUL COLOR PALETTE




VINTAGE OFFICE




GREAT KITCHEN




RECLAIMED FOYER




VAGABOND VINTAGE ACCESSORIES




ARTERIORS BOOKCASE




NATURAL SLATE FIREPLACE SURROUND




GREAT BEDROOM!

DownEast Door Mats......Design Your Own and Be Green!

I had to share this fabulous find I stumbled upon. Here in New England winter is quickly approaching and most of us have some sort of doormat we drag out just before "the snow flies". What better way to add a little color and cheer that these great door mats from THE MAINE FLOAT-ROPE COMPANY! Recycled rope turned into adorable mats in ton of colors and combinations, kid friendly and durable. Check out some of my favorites below and what makes this company even more special is a percentage of the profits go to the Northern Right Whale and to environmental sound practices in the Gulf of Maine.



GREAT COLORS!!




IS SHE MAKING THESE???




HERE'S THE LINK! http://www.mainefloatrope.com/index.html

DESIGN TREND #1 .......TRIBAL

Last post I mentioned the many trends I had seen over the last months forecasting events that I had attended. So today"s post will cover the first trend.....Tribal. Today our lives are complicated, busy, hectic so we often seek the safety and comfort of our homes, families and friends. There is also something that compells us to seek out the traditions and histories of enduring cultures. Some of the cultures come from far away lands such as Africa and Moroco or from our own American Native Tribes. In this design sensibility we see warm earthy color such as Red Ochre, Greens and Copper mixed with hides of animals, Hopi Pottery and Kuba cloth. Below are a few of my favorite finds!


WONDERFUL TRIBAL PRINTED TEXTILES




WARM RED OCKRE BEDROOM




LIVING ROOM WITH AFRICAN STOOLS





TIMBOUKTU CABINET FROM CASBAH DECOR




GREAT CONTINENT PILLOW FROM GLOBAL VIEWS




MANGO WOOD CHEST FROM GLOBAL VIEWS




KUBA CLOTH




HOPI POTTERY

Tantalizing Trends!

Buzz and excitement were the underlying tones of the Trend Forecast presentation put on at the Boston Design Center that I recently had a chance to attend! It is always an exciting time of year for designers, new forecast for upcoming trends and the furnishings show at the High Point Market last week. I love seeing all the new colors and products coming out in the next few months and in general look forward to using them in upcoming projects! The Furniture Show was exciting with wonderful new finishes such as limed oak and slipcover looks to create a "Rough Luxe" look

Here are few of the Trends that were forecasted!

Tribal
Industrial Chic or Rough Luxe!
Bauhaus Mid Century Modern!
Simple Sophisticated with Neutrals!
Revived with Bold Color!

Follow me the next couple of weeks as I take you through each trend!

Animal Magnetism

Lions, Tigers and Bears, OH MY! How many of you out there have something from the Wild Kingdom in your home? If you are like me, many of you have at least a pillow, rug or throw that resembles the hide of hide of one of our "furry friends" If not, fall is a wonderful time of year to add this great accessory to your home or Model Home. Here are some of my favorites!

ANTELOPE!



GREAT OTTOMAN!




CLASSIC!





LOVE THE LIME AND BROWN!





GREAT RED AND BLACK FROM J. ADLER!





GREAT LAMPSHADES!





LOVE THIS CHAIR FROM HORCHOW!

Green Chic with Redesign

Green Design has become a huge concern for the design industry in the last year. But what does that mean for "Main Street" folks like you and me. My family has really made an effort to recycle, reuse and rethink about how we use our every day products. Lets just say that they were not thrilled when I announced that we would no longer be buying "bottled water" and were switching to a filtered water system.

But how do we incorporate it into our homes? Green Design can simply be reusing and redesigning with what you already have and purchasing new additions that are more environmentally friendly. So what is Redesign??? Is this a service offered by Interior Designers?

Redesign is the process of reworking a room in your home by literally shopping in your home! Interior Designers do often offer this as a service, building on what you have with additional purchases such as accessories, window treatments, slip covering etc. Reusing and repurposing is very "Green Thinking", all of our discarded items have to go somewhere and that is usually some landfill. So what better way to be "Green Chic"?

Check out these great green choices to add to your redesigned room!



Energy Saving Solar Shades!





Cork Flooring



Recycled Glass Bowl!




Beautiful natural accessories!




Twist stool from Terre




Marmoleum Flooring made from linseed oil

Winning Wallcovering/ Bedroom Decorating Tips - Video

I recently had the pleasure of researching wallcoverings for a bedroom and got to thinking about how beautiful paper can transform a room. Wallpaper in the last few years has taken a backseat to painted out walls, however it is slowly making a comeback. Check out some of these beautiful rooms that have recently been published. Also I loved this video from Design Trade!


Fun Take on Traditional!




Cool Grasscloth!




Pretty in Pink!




I want this bedroom!




Gorgeous take on Blue and White!




Love this Jonathan Adler Bedroom!



Fun Video!

Bedroom Decorating Tips - Video

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Credenza Craze!

I recently read a blog posted by Kealah Parkinson on BeyondTalk.blogspot.com on the word "Credenza" and got a little history lesson. Apparently it orginated in the 16th century as the act of a servant taste testing a food for the lord, king etc to make sure it wasn't poison...what a ghastly job! As time went on it transcribed down to a piece of furniture where food (the kill for the day) or wine from the vineyard would be displayed and served. Today the Credenza serves so many more purposes from a storage cabinet in a living room and office, under a wall mounted tv to its original purpose in the dining area. I recently moved my Demi-lune shaped one being used as a server for barware to my husbands office for storage. They are so versatile!

Here are some of my personal favorites!





Gorgeous Color!











Love the name....Miss Jesse"s Sideboard




















Great Demi-lune Shape




















Fabulous Pattern!





















Great texture!

Vegas Baby!

I recently got an email from my colleagues at the Las Vegas Market showcasing some of the new yummy products to be launched at the September show. I loved the "Summer Fireplace Screen" and the Bird Prints from ACHLA Designs and the gorgeous new bedding from BlissLiving Home. Where can I use these jewels? That is the question for all designers after every market!

Fireplaces for Every Room - Video

I must say after the summer we are having here in New England I just loved watching this video from Design Trade Magazine. I still use my fireplace in June especially on these chilly rainy days. It dries out and warms up the house lifting my spirits as well. Have you thought about adding a fireplace? It is a great add on and definitely adds resale value. Check out some of my favorite fireplaces then grab a cup of tea and watch this video!!!






Fireplaces for Every Room - Video

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