Thursday, 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 »
Monday, 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 »
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
I love the emails I get from Crate & Barrel every few weeks that showcase pieces from their collection to highlight a current trend. Here are a few that have stood out recently.
Chunky weaves are definitely a trend lately. When I look at those chunky knit pillows, rustic wood table and woven rattan vase I am reminded of Maine. Why? Picture hanging out in an old village in Maine on a cool, windy fall day in a Irish fisherman’s sweater surrounded by fishermen’s baskets and old wooden boats and industrial buildings with faded painted exteriors and iron signs with sea spray patinas. Now do you see it?
The bronze tones in the accessories feel just right for the fall, especially with the perforated leaf design. I like how the pillow unites the different tones in the furniture and accessories. These are the inexpensive touches that can update and refresh a room.
Now compare that to this colorful and modern compilation of light fixtures from CB2, Crate & Barrel’s younger and hipper sister company. (I think of it as the company for the younger sister who’s just starting out and needs to furnish her loft apartment in the warehouse district, while Crate & Barrel suits her big sister in her late 20s-early 30s who is more settled down in her condo and wants to spend a bit more on pieces that she’ll hold on to longer. Not that their collections don’t work for people of all ages!) With all those punches of colors can you guess when this was sent out?
If you guessed Spring, you would be right! I got this image in an email this past March and I’ve kept it in my archives and still remembered it all these months later. In the Spring we’re all itching for bright splashes of color to pull us out of the winter grays. Like daffodils and crocuses popping out of the brown lawn, these yellow and red lights would pop in your home against a neutral palette. Or add them as a surprise element in a room has no other red or yellow elements (though you would want to add at least one or two other accessories in that color somewhere in the room to make it work).
Do retail ads and catalogs that pull their color palette from the latest season inspire you to make a purchase?
Tags: accessories, CB2, chunky, Crate & Barrel, fall, interior design, lighting, rustic wood, spring
Posted in Color Pulse, Industry Updates | No Comments »
Saturday, May 28th, 2011
I just bought a new house, which was a bit of a crazy idea since my husband and I were both swamped with work when we stumbled across this house and we weren’t even house shopping. But it felt like it was meant to be ours, so we went for it. Of course before I could be sure it would work for us I had to visualize where EVERY piece of furniture would fit in the new space. Crazy? Do you experience the same thoughts when you move?
At least I knew I wasn’t the only crazy one in the family because my husband (who is a landscape architect) had to design the entire backyard landscape plan before we even decided to buy the house. Well, at least that helps explain how we are well matched. A pair of crazy, detail-oriented designers who excel at Excel spreadsheets.
Anyway, the point of this story is that I have been working on the design for the new place since we made an offer, and with 2 weeks until the move I’ve started honing in on specific details. The latest? Lighting for the living room.
There are sconces on two walls in the living room that throw the balance off in the room. They provide some general lighting now, but by converting them to adjustable arm sconces they could offer valuable task lighting on both sides of the room.
Here’s an example in designer Francis Costa’s home.
This Wall Sconce with Three Rotating Arms by Serge Mouille I found on 1st Dibs is the kind of piece I had in mind. However the more than $7,000 price tag is not really worth it to me, no matter how iconic a piece it is. (I’d rather buy a Womb Chair and Ottoman for half the price.)
So how can I achieve the effect of a wall mounted light fixture with adjustable lighting that can extend farther than the average bedside wall sconce at a reasonable price? Here are a few options I’ve found so far.
Here is one of my top 2 favorites so far. “1940s Architectural Boom Sconce” by Restoration Hardware is designed to allow the light to articulate in multiple directions a nice distance from the wall. At $450 it’s a steal compared to the Mouille fixture.
The No. 214 wall lamp by Bernard-Albin Gras available through Holly Hunt is another great option. It has two points of articulation on the arm plus it can be moved up and down the bar. The bar is rather long, so you would need to have the right space to let it breathe (visually), but at $485 retail it is very competitively priced compared to it’s rival the Restoration Hardware Architectural Boom Sconce. I’m sure someone can (or already has) made a hack version of this using a clip-on desk lamp and some plumbing parts.
Another option from Restoration Hardware: the Atelier Wall Sconce. Although it is only $239 and has that great caged industrial vibe that I love and has been really popular lately, I don’t think it will extend far enough to meet my functional needs in the new space. But it would be great as a wall mounted bedside lamp. I love that look, it opens up space on the bedside tables, and allows you to direct light where you need it.
Another visually interesting option is the 1940s Train Station Swing-Arm Sconce from Restoration Hardware. I like the lines and how it highlights the vintage style bulb. But with the extinction of incandescent bulbs impending, I can’t in good conscience purchase this fixture. Plus it only swings left and right, and that certainly doesn’t meet my needs for this project. ($160)
I know there are other good options out there, I just haven’t thrown myself into the search full force. But I’m keeping my eyes peeled as I’m searching for lighting solutions for my clients because you never know when you are going to stumble across the perfect piece.
Have you spotted any great lighting solutions lately? If lighting is a challenge you are dealing with, don’t be afraid to ask Fox Interiors for help!
Tags: interior design, lighting, living room, sconce, swing-arm, task lighting
Posted in Design & Home Living Tips | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
Have you ever tried to find a light fixture and felt overwhelmed by all of the options out there? Well imagine having access to every lighting catalog out there, and then try not to hyperventilate.
That’s why it is so important to have a great lighting team to work with that knows every catalog they have and where they are most likely to find that fixture you have in your mind but aren’t sure really exists. My favorite local resources (in alphabetical order) are CitiLights Lighting (across from the Basilica in downtown Minneapolis), Filament Lighting (on Excelsior Blvd in St. Louis Park), and Lappin Lighting (in the warehouse district of downtown Minneapolis). They all have great staff that know their products and are fun to work with.
But sometimes you see a light fixture in a magazine and you just know it’s the one. You start daydreaming about how it would totally transform that boring front hall. Often lighting ends up being the last thing we select on a project so that it fits well with all the other players in the room. But sometimes a fixture is so special you just have to go for it and build the room around it.
When I saw these gorgeous photos in Elle Decor recently I had one of those daydream moments. The photography shows off these fixtures so beautifully and it’s rare that you get to see how they cast light in a pure setting like this. But which one to pick? I’m a kid in a donut shop who can’t just pick JUST ONE thing (candy is nice and all, but there are so many yummy types of donuts, scones and croissants!)
Drool. I love how it pops against that dark background! The modern asymmetrical shape could work as an unexpected touch to make a traditional room feel fresh.
Not usually my style, but it’s a fun spin on a chandelier with a more casual vibe.
Hello gorgeous! I love the Moroccan vibe of the top light. And is it just me, or does the bottom light remind you of a donut (in a really good way)?
Clean, simple and chic. Thomas O’Brien gets it right again (the clip on desk lamp at the start of this post is another of his designs).
Aren’t the patterns on the wall and floor amazing? Think how magical these shadows would look in a dining room or bedroom at night.
Sources: All photos from Elle Decor September 2009.
Lighting Sources: Visual Comfort, Matter, Currey & Co., Niche Modern, Visual Comfort, Oly, IKEA, and Moooi.
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Tags: Citilights Lighting, Currey & Co., Elle Decor, Filament Lighting, IKEA, Lappin Lighting, lighting, Matter, Moooi., Niche Modern, Oly, Visual Comfort
Posted in Industry Updates, Inspiration Boards | No Comments »
Colleen Fox Slack | email: colleen@colleenfoxinteriors.com | phone: 612.868.0348
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