Tuesday, February 14th, 2012
Out and about last week running errands at the Galleria in Edina my eyes kept being drawn to the window displays. It seems retailers are embracing the color of the year, Tangerine Tango.
First up, Epitome Papers. Their bright display featuring tangerine, peacock turquoise and crisp white stationery and accessories on a white Parsons table caught my eye and brought a smile to my face. I’m shameless in moments like this and don’t worry what people think when I’m taking a photo with my phone. Inspiration is everywhere after all!
Down the hall at BCBG Max Azria orange and hot pink dresses and separates demand your attention against a bright backdrop. (Notice how they used blue for the backdrop, the complementary color to orange on the color wheel?) I don’t really have any need for an orange bustier top and skin tight skirt with 4″ high heels, but I can still applaud the fearless application of color.
Just down the hall, Crate & Barrel has embraced the trend in multiple home categories. First, see the obvious tie in between an orange juicer and juice glasses with oranges above. I don’t squeeze fresh juice except for homemade lemon bars, but that juicer in the perfect shade of orange almost convinced me I needed one.
Meanwhile, upstairs in the home furnishings section they went all out with an orange and chocolate brown bedroom display. Most people would be afraid to buy a chair in orange, but I think it’s a great way to add impact to a space. Go neutral with your sofa, but why not add a punch of color beyond the throw pillows?
If the chair is too much, start with a lamp like the one above. It will help carry the color palette around the room. Or for the commitment phobic, bedding is a great solution. I tend to want a new duvet cover every 2-3 years to add to the mix, especially since my cats LIVE on our bed, thus shortening the lifespan of every duvet. So selecting a neutral chocolate brown bed and swapping out colorful bedding periodically you can embrace a trend but move on easily when you get tired of the look.
Finally, across from BCBG, Oh Baby! shows how neutral foundation pieces, like the rocker and crib in soft gray, can be brought to life with bold accents. Check out that kelly green bedding in the crib, love it! And of course you know the orange Moroccan pouf in the center is what drew me in. They have lots of other color options, see them all here.
Does this take away some of the fear of how to incorporate Tangerine Tango into your life? Maybe it’s a bright new scarf to brighten your face in your favorite black on black outfit. Just do what makes you smile. And if you hate orange (mom, I’m thinking of you), then be true to yourself and ignore the trend all together. The key is to have fun and embrace what you love and make sure you reflect that in what you wear and how you fill your home.
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
All photos by Fox Interiors
Tags: BCBG, bedroom, chair, Crate & Barrel, Epitome Papers, Galleria, juicer, lamp, Oh Baby!, orange, pouf, stationery, turquoise
Posted in Color Pulse, Spotted | 1 Comment »
Monday, December 13th, 2010
Now this is a living room that real people live in. When I read shelter magazines like Architectural Digest I sometimes wonder how people REALLY live in the rooms because they have been worked over so carefully by a stylist that they have lost some authenticity.
Even though this room was done with the help of a designer, it still feels like a collection of pieces that were gathered over the years. The candles in the hurricane vases are all burnt down and imperfect. Blankets are draped at the ends of the sofas for easy access when curling up in front of the fireplace with one of the many books stacked around the room. The end tables are eclectic pieces that look like they were picked up in vintage shops. The coffee table looks like a weekend project utilizing reclaimed rough hewn wood planks. Flowers picked from the garden are placed in an old mason jar and a white pitcher for a casual touch.
The only things that I’m not crazy about in this room? I love the zig-zag striped rug but it is too small for the space. Even turning it 90 degrees would work better since it looks like a section of the rug is lost under the sofa. Or they could put two of them side by side if they wanted to maintain the current direction of the zigs and zags. A strip of carpet tape would help hold the two rugs together without permanently attaching them (in case they want to move them to other rooms in the future). Also, the stone tile under the fireplace is bugging me. I understand needing tile there, but the khaki sofas clash with the yellow undertone in the tile. If the tile was a darker brown more in line with the tones of the beautiful wood floors it would disappear and not fight the other elements in the room.
I like that the lamps on the end tables have different shape shades, but the shade on the lamp on the right end table blocks the art above it, and it makes that area feel cramped. You can see how just a little bit of breathing room between the lamp and the art on the left side of the sofa feels better to you eye.
Maybe I’m being picky, but I want to educate your eyes to catch the details that help make a room better. Then you can look at your own home with a discerning eye and tweak those things you might not have noticed before that can take your home to the next level of fabulousness. People might not notice the difference, but they will feel the difference without knowing exactly why.
Are there any spaces you would like pointers on?
Photo source: Michigan Farmhouse living room by Rebekah Zaveloff of KitchenLab via Houzz
Tags: lamp, living room, rug, sofa, tile
Posted in Picture of the Day | No Comments »
Colleen Fox Slack | email: colleen@colleenfoxinteriors.com | phone: 612.868.0348
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