February 2nd, 2012
Usually it’s the September decorating issue that seduces me into buying a copy of Martha Stewart Living at the news stand (or the grocery store since we don’t really have NY style news stands here). But a cover like this with such a bright cheerful kitchen and the promise of more great kitchens inside? I give in.
But this issue isn’t just about great kitchens. In fact, my husband stole it before I could even sit down! He declared it a great purchase because there are also articles on sandwiches (his favorite food group), and topless terrariums (my new dining room table is quickly being taken over by his growing plant collection).
You know my love of organizing runs deep, and Martha’s does too.
Not only does she have great tips in her classic “Good Things” column, but she also has a multi-page article on creating a room just for her cleaning and organizing supplies! (see below) Holy moly!
I have nice 36″ wide drawers that are perfect for storing pots and baking dishes, but if I had to organize them in a traditional cupboard I like this solution above.
Hanging the cleaning bottles on a tension rod under a sink is brilliant. It looks so tidy plus you get bonus space underneath them if the bar is set high enough.
I won’t make you green with envy by showing the photos of the giant room she has for her “homekeeping” supplies, but I like these detail shots showing how she groups supplies by function. I don’t think I need to stockpile 3 bottles of each of her cleaning line for Home Depot, but the bins work well for grouping smaller collections of similar cleaning supplies. Imagine all your different wood polishing creams and tools in one convenient place for the Saturday you decide it’s time to oil the teak and polish the walnut? Ahh, the joys of organization geeks are endless.
I’m not a knitter, but these knit stool slipcovers are brilliant! I have a pair of plain Bosse bar stools from IKEA from our previous home that I was planning on hacking into counter height stools until I can pick the perfect stools (which of course means I have to decide on chairs for the dining room since they are right next to each other, so this will take a while. See my previous post on the issue for the full story.)
Here’s the Bosse stool. Now look at the examples above. I think I could shorten the legs, paint the ends an accent color and add a nubby knit topper and have a completely reinvented stool for a tiny amount of cash! Too bad I don’t knit. Any volunteers?
As for another kitchen? Well, here’s another sneak peak to entice you…
Isn’t the pop of bright green wallpaper on the back of the open kitchen shelves wonderful? Not only do the colorful dishes stand out against it, but so do their white bowls. The rest of the finishes are classic neutrals, allowing the bright accents to shine. Making a commitment to color this way doesn’t have to be scary. This could easily be updated with another wallpaper or fabric covered panels down the line when you want a new look.
Thank you to the Martha Stewart Living team for another inspiring issue!
Tags: cleaning, color, green, Kitchen, knit, Martha Stewart Living, organization, sandwiches, stool, wallpaper
Posted in Hot off the Press | No Comments »
January 23rd, 2012
In case you haven’t been reading the blogosphere fanatically, you might not know that Pantone has unveiled their Color of 2012.
Tangerine Tango is the Color of 2012, and I couldn’t be happier.
Last year’s Honeysuckle was alright, but Tangerine Tango fits in with all the color trending I’ve been seeing the past year.
You know I’m a fan of orange, and this is just the deeper orange range I prefer to play with. No apricot or peach tones for me. Deep saturation? Yes, please. This is more in the direction of the persimmon color I’m planning to paint my front door this summer. (I hinted at this in a post about front entries this summer.)
My favorite boxes for stashing supplies are a bold orange.
Boxes by Stockholm from The Container Store.
I just tried to create an image of my house with the updated paint color with the Sherwin-Williams Color Visualizer program, but the color rendering was terrible because it layered the color selected over the existing color which dramatically changed how every color looked. Bummer.
Here is one of their stock house photos with the door “painted” SW 6881 Cayenne. I think it would actually be deeper than this.
So I guess this is the closest I can get to showing the paint color ideas I have in mind.
The top color is a deeper persimmon with more red in it. The middle is closer to the Tangerine Tango. I was doing this in photoshop and couldn’t find quiet the right shade yet. The gray at the bottom is representative of the direction we headed for the main house color. Right now it’s a sage green the previous owners painted it, which is better than the baby blue it was before that. The majority of the front of the house is brick and the side of the house has a large expanse of white siding, so we have to work with all of that when selecting colors.
Okay, the idea of you picturing a really red brick with this color combination was enough to get me to do more tweaking to an image of the front of my house to get closer to a decent visual of the color palette. I don’t want my front door this bright, so you’ll have to mentally combine the images to get the right look. But you can see the gray may end up more gray with a hint of brown in it.
Okay, well you get the idea. I’m happy with Pantone’s color choice and I’m planning on bringing more orange into my life in 2012. Of course trends are trends, and I was already planning on using orange anyway, but it’s fun to see your favorite color get recognition.
Are you an orange fan? What color do you think should be the 2012 color of the year?
Tags: 2012, Container Store, exterior, front door, orange, paint, Pantone, Sherwin Williams, Tangerine Tango
Posted in Color Pulse, Industry Updates | No Comments »
January 20th, 2012
Since last July I’ve been working on designing a room in the 2012 ASID Showcase Home with my partner in crime, Jennifer Horstman of Sky Flower Designs. We’ve been having a blast and the homeowners were giddy with glee when we showed them our concept for their Gift Wrapping/ Sewing Room at the end of August. It’s been a fabulous experience working with such creative clients who like going outside the box and think our crazy ideas could always get even crazier.
Our final design is pretty close to the original concept, and while I’m not going to give much away yet, I wanted to share a sneak peak with you of the mural we designed for the room since we’ve spent this week laying it out and starting the painting process.
This is what the corner of the room looked like the first day we visited back in July. This is the definition of raw bones. An ability to visual the finished space is key for a designer in moments like this.
Months later the walls are up and painted our base color so we met with the homeowners on site to finalize colors for the custom rug and the wall mural. (It was a working lunch for the busy homeowners.)
Since large scale graphics like this are hard to translate from paper into 3D, we figured the best way to layout the exact design was to work together to draw it out on the wall using pencil. (He doesn’t have 4 arms, those are my arms blurring behind him.)
Thanks to a construction light, our trusty tape measures and a lot of pointing and gesturing, we were able to come up with an outline for the overall design that we all were excited about. Then we had to make sure to tell the painter NOT to paint over our crazy pencil lines on the walls! This is our “Charlie’s Angels” in action photo.
This week Jennifer and I started bringing the full graphic to life. We began by using Frog Tape to lay out the outside lines. Then we used lengths of tape to design the varying widths of each stripe in each section until we felt it had a dynamic balance overall. Not nearly as easy a process as you might think. The hardest part? The optical illusion of lines carrying across all the planes on the door and trim. Jennifer was a rock star and adjusted each line section by section until it looked “right” from across the room. I’d say taping took about 4 hours that day. If one of us had tried to do it alone? I’m sure there would have been tears and maybe even a temper tantrum. I’m just saying… don’t attempt this alone.
By the end of day 1 of taping and painting (I started painting while she finished taping that darn door), we have this dramatic beginning! Of course it would look even better if I hadn’t gotten confused while painting around all those angles and started painting the wrong section green at the left end. Oops. Oh well, it’s just paint.
Speaking of which, we’re using Benjamin Moore Natura paint for this project, which has been wonderful because it has no VOCs, so there are no fumes to give us headaches as we work. The home is going to be MN Greenstar certified, so when you add up all the decisions like this (which paint base to use) across the whole remodeling process, you can see how they make a difference for the homeowners and their health.
Here’s how it looked with the door open. The room beyond is seasonal storage, so it won’t need to be accessed often. But just in case, the design still needs to look right!
And after a couple more coats of paint the colors are looking more saturated and the weird double green band has been painted the proper shade of gray.
We still have plenty of work to do on this, getting full saturation on the colors, removing the tape and cleaning up all the edges, and painting the white and gray stripes in between. But we’re so excited to see it this far, and we can’t wait until it’s done and the rest of the room is furnished and everyone gets to see it in May. But regardless of what the general public thinks, the homeowners are already thrilled with it and the rest of the design, so that’s all we need.
Set your calendars for the 2012 ASID Showcase Home this summer, open to the public May 18th – June 10th, so you can experience this dynamic Gift Wrapping and Sewing Room in person. The home is located on Lake of the Isles and the homeowners are doing an amazing job turning a large old home with traditional details into a home for modern living that embraces the past and present all together. You’ll have to see it to understand what I mean. Look for the preview of the whole project in an upcoming issue of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine.
Photo credits: Photos 2, 3 & 4 were taken by the homeowners. The rest were taken by Fox Interiors.
Tags: ASID, Benjamin Moore, Natura, paint, Showcase Home, wall mural
Posted in Sneak Peak | No Comments »
January 12th, 2012
I find that once I start noticing a new finish or color around me, it suddenly starts appearing everywhere I look. The latest instance of this? Gold. Not 1980s brass gold that feels cheesy. No, now it has a shimmery sophistication that I’m open to for projects. To show you what I mean I’ve gathered a few pieces to highlight how this trend is popping up throughout the interior design world.
First up: Lighting
Here are three examples of chandeliers that embrace the gold trend in a modern interpretation. The one on the left would fit in well in a mid-century modern home or a transitional home with a youthful attitude. The middle one could be a nice addition of texture and playful shapes to an entry way. The pendant on the right references the traditional shades of Morocco but would be totally appropriate in a sophisticated downtown condo.
Here are a few tile samples and accessories I pulled together that highlight how metallics are popping up across multiple categories in fresh new ways.
I’m loving the large format tiles with raised honeycomb and ovals patterns on top of solids with a bit of color variation to them (hard to see in these photos). Imagine a whole bathroom wall in the honeycomb pattern with a floating white rectangular sink in front of it, stunning! The long narrow tile would be a great accent between solid large format tiles to add punch and glamour to a minimal modern space.
The small square dish is from West Elm and is currently being used as a key tray on my sideboard. I love the abstract pattern and how the gold lines aren’t solid everywhere.
The stag ring is in a bronze finish, but I still consider that part of the new metallic trend. A fun find from Target, I love the surprise looks I get whenever I wear it.
The cream crackle finish tile and small crushed glass accent tile could be combined to create a sophisticated transitional back splash without reading as gold, but coordinating well with gold accessories nearby. In fact, here is an example of the tile used in just that way on a recent project to update a standard builder kitchen in a condo and inject the home owner’s personal taste without going too flashy to turn away future buyers.
While gathering fabrics for that same project I found all of these great examples of modern textures and patterns in metallic tones that would fit right into this sophisticated urban condo. Against the deep espresso stained bamboo floors we installed, these gold accents are really going to pop. The bronze fabric on the lower left has a great tone on tone pattern that doesn’t really show up in this photo unless you study the lower left corner of the sample. Another example of a traditional pattern made modern by stripping it down to it’s basic form and doing it in one color instead of lots of colors.
Now I started gathering images for this post back in October, and in the months since others have noticed the trend too.
I spotted this gold wallcovering in the December/January issue of House Beautiful.
And in December, Elle Decor featured Gold in the Trend Alert column.
Gold’s resurgence is going to continue in upcoming seasons according to the trends spotted at High Point Furniture Market this fall and the forecasts I’ve received from trend spotting experts. So keep your eyes open and watch it start popping up more and more.
Tags: chandelier, Elle Decor, fabric, gold, House Beautiful, interior design, lighting, modern, Pattern, tile, transitional, trend, wallpaper
Posted in Color Pulse | No Comments »
December 12th, 2011
Whether I’m shopping for clients or shopping for holiday presents, I always find things I’d love to buy for myself. Here are a few of my current favorites.
This asymmetrical Modo Chandelier from Roll and Hill was used in an inspiration board for Thanksgiving (I think it was for Dwell Studio’s contest) and I went gaga over it. (Clarification: I don’t mean I put on a red rubber dress and skyhigh platforms ala. Lady Gaga.)
The price tag is high, but I haven’t seen anything like it, and that is always prized in my world. Plus we now have a long dining room table (it arrived Saturday!) that can’t be centered under the current chandelier. Our ceiling slopes up to 2 stories, so moving the light over isn’t really an option. Therefore, an asymmetrical, long fixture like this would work well with our existing conditions.
These cute brass quails would look lovely mixed in with the art on my sideboard or creeping along our mantel between the fairy houses. Buffalo Winter on Etsy has a great selection of brass objects like this if you want to add to your collections. The deer are another favorite set of mine.
For now our Christmas stockings hang at my parents’ house since we all celebrate together at their place. But I know the day will come when we keep them at home during the pre-holiday season and then bring them over to my parents’ for the big day to be filled with goodies. When that day comes I want the right stocking hangers. These pinecone hangers from Terrain might be worthy.
I’ve been on the hunt for a great bag to use to drag my project binders, iPad, endless samples and other tools of the trade around town. Lots of pockets seems to be a key criteria, so this canvas and leather tote from Terrain falls short on that factor. But the color palette and leather accents is difficult to resist. The perfect brown leather with patina AND orange?! So tempting!
Finally, a friend passed along a link to this Etsy seller who creates iPod and iPad docking stations concealed in books.
How clever are these? The shop is rather depleted of options right now because they’ve been so popular for the holidays, so be sure to check out the Sales category on the left side to see examples of past docking station creations. Knowing my love of all things “Pride and Prejudice” sent me a link to a docking station using a beautiful copy of that book. Lovely!
This beautiful Urchin Object from Dwell Studio is another great object perfect for filling out display spaces throughout my house (or your house). I’m amazed that it’s only $18.75!
And finally, how can I resist this blanket? It was practically MADE for me! I don’t know why Dwell Studio decided to make a blanket just for me, but Thank You!
Let’s list its key design elements:
It is Orange
It has Foxes
Hello, what more do you need??
So that’s a round up of a few of my current favorite designs I’m dreaming of. What are you dreaming of treating yourself to this holiday season?
Tags: accessories, blanket, Buffalo Winter, Dwell Studio, Etsy, ipod, lighting, Roll and Hill, Terrain, tote
Posted in Favorite Things | No Comments »
December 2nd, 2011
I realize this is a lengthy and deep post, but I thought some of you might be interested in more details on how color trending happens across multiple design professions. Don’t worry, I promise a lighter post next with more pretty product shots.
As an Interior Designer I attend Color Pulse presentations by Benjamin Moore and Colormix presentations by Sherwin-Williams that elucidate the trend forecasts for the design industries for the next couple of years. But how are these trends determined? Why does a trend appear in products as diverse as Kleenex boxes, dresses, side tables and pillows? Why do cobalt blue and Yves Klein blue seem to appear on everything from dresses and necklaces to dinnerware at the same time? How does the trend message get translated across multiple design professions ranging from product design, fashion design, automobiles, interior furnishings and fabrics, to decorative accessories? And why does it matter for interior designers and homeowners?
Trends are influenced by the quickly moving global influences we are all being exposed to on a daily basis. Clients are exposed to these influences as well, so designers need to be up to date on the latest trends in order to discuss and execute these trends for their clients when requested. Understanding the current color directions is essential for designers in every industry because clients will compromise on form but not color.
Mark Woodman explains that “trends and forecasts are often considered one and the same, but there are some fundamental differences. Trends tend to be evolutionary, as their directional movement is often strongly linked to a prior trend. … In the realm of color, the nuances of a particular hue will evolve within the trend’s time cycle….” For example, gray has become more popular in recent years, but now it is evolving from cool tones to warmer brown-grays and then it will move towards grey with blue in it by the end of 2013.
Above: Belgium Linen drapery fabric options from Restoration Hardware. Warmer brown-grays emerging in color palette options.
Forecasts look ahead to what has not happened yet, but can be anticipated. “Seemingly disparate ideas merge to predict accurate direction in design and color.” For instance, London’s Global Color Research sensed the expected mood of the new economy and the heavy feelings associated with a new world order and formulated the concept of “Ransom” reported in the 2010 issue of Mix magazine as an upcoming trend. Their sources included Hitchcock heroines and film noir, resulting in a palette of deep blue, black and gray for a classic, accessible feel with a touch of foreboding. Looking at the color trends in everything from tile to window treatments, I definitely observed this palette making a strong presence in 2010 and 2011.
Trend trackers in each design field are watching patterns emerge around the globe and condensing the information they take in into key trend messages that they can apply to their industry. The trends they spot are in the formative stage and won’t reach widespread popularity for 2-3 years on average. Since product design such as car color selections and fabrics for furniture are developed years ahead of when they reach the consumer market, this trend forecasting is essential for companies to be on trend when their product is released, rather than being behind the trend curve. For more details on current car colors (which I think I’ve discussed before, ex. copper and orange becoming more popular, see this article.)
So how does an influence evolve into a trend resulting in mass consumer sales? A good example would be Mad Men, the TV series on AMC that first aired in 2007, which grabbed hold of the nation’s collective consciousness. Its influence can be seen in both the resurgence of 1960s curve-hugging lady-like fashions on the runway in recent years, and the shift from 1950s Danish teak mid-century modern furnishings to 1960s influenced trapezoid and other geometric forms in furniture and fabrics. Chrome, ceramics, and etched barware perfect for that drink cart in almost every Mad Men scene are also making a resurgence. Consumers want an escape from the gray reality of the economic downturn, so nostalgia for the space age optimism of the 1960s accounts in part for the rise of this trend.
Above: Note the trapezoid shape in the chair, the mid-century styling of the dresser and the retro influence on all patterns in this new collection from Villa Roma.
So who determines what the next trends will be? Color Marketing Group is an international association for color design professionals who forecast color directions one to three years or more in advance for products and services. They focus on identifying color and design trends and then translating those into salable color options. Their motto is: “Color sells, and the ‘right’ color sells better.” Color forecasters from around the world and different areas of expertise get together semi-annually to develop annual forecasts that are used in industries as diverse as fashion, interior design, transportation, industrial design, graphics, cosmetics and more. The value of this information is seen in the experiences of their members.
The color forecasts prepared separately by Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams concisely distills influences from around the globe into several easy to understand trend directions. They utilize images from diverse sources ranging from designs by indigenous populations to scientific imagery to illustrate the patterns and then explain how these influences are being translated into early product designs at the front of the trend curve.
Above: Color Mix 2012 Color Trends illustration (see a larger example at their website)
Trend trackers often consult with companies in multiple design related industries, which in part accounts for trends showing up in different industries at the same time. When a trend starts to connect with consumers in one industry companies in other industries will embrace it as well. Consumers are interested in showing their personalities across all platforms of their lives. One’s car, clothes, jewelry, shoes, kitchen accessories, furniture, house color, and art are all a reflection of personal style. Companies recognize that, and by embracing the trends already gathering steam in another category they are giving consumers the opportunity to show their style in this aspect of their life as well. If a company does not pay attention to the trends they run the risk of losing customer base. For instance, a manufacturer can develop a great washing machine, but if they do not understand the increased importance consumers have placed on the role of the laundry room in their homes and the desire for color on large appliances, their efforts might fall flat. Research and sales have proven over the years to Christine Mau, Associate Director of Packaging Graphics for Kleenex, that “color is just as important as pattern when trying to win the purchase interest of consumers.”
I went to Kleenex’s website and found this fun tool that really illustrates how they think about pattern and color in the context of how the product will be used. You select what type of tissue box you want (ex. auto, wallet, cube) and it shows you the pattern options available. The patterns for boxes meant to be used in a car are primarily tight geometric patterns in metallic shades. In contrast, the patterns for wallet kleenex packets are bright colorful florals designed to visually pop in a packed purse.
Cross marketing relationships between brands further proves the value of understanding the style and trend preferences of a brand’s client base. This is exemplified in a recent four page ad campaign for the Volkswagen 2011 Jetta that showcased clothing, jewelry, make-up, accessories and even a teapot to connect with their desired demographic that appreciates great design, but does not want to spend a lot to achieve the look. The ad copy tells the story.
“We’ve scoured the marketplace for truly great things you can get right now for very good prices. If you’re looking for deals, steals and even great wheels, you’re getting hotter.”
The message is clear that the Jetta is great style for the price of good, just like the high style, reasonably priced items they featured. Here one’s car is meant to be an extension of both one’s personal style and financial priorities.
The inspirations for the next wave of design trends are out there all around us, so keep your eyes and mind open. Then you too can say “I saw that coming.”
Image sources:
Blue color trends compilation from Oprah, March 2011
Drapery color samples from Restoration Hardware
The Birds from IMDB.com
Furniture and fabric product shot from Villa Roma
Color Mix 2012 image from Sherwin-Williams
Kleenex boxes from Kleenex.com
Jetta ad scanned from a magazine
Tags: color, interior design, Pattern, trend
Posted in Color Pulse, Industry Updates | No Comments »
Colleen Fox Slack | email: colleen@colleenfoxinteriors.com | phone: 612.868.0348
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