Thursday, 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
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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 »
Thursday, October 20th, 2011
Back in September last year I shared my favorite images from the September 2010 issue of House Beautiful. http://www.colleenfoxinteriors.com/2010/08/hot-off-the-press-house-beautiful-september-2010/
Kathy, one of my readers, fell for the marbleized wallpaper in the powder room in that post and contacted me to find out what I knew about it.
I happily grabbed my copy off the shelf and flipped to the handy-dandy resource section at the back (which unfortunately some magazines are moving away from and shifting all that information to their websites.) The resource listed was a dealer that no longer listed the product in their line when I checked online, but I was able to use the manufacturer’s name to find a basic home page for them with only a phone number listed. Very surprising in this digital day and age! So I passed all those details on to Kathy hoping it would have a happy ending.
I never heard how it worked out for Kathy, but 10 months later I received an email from Cheryl, another reader who saw the exchange in my comments section on the wallcovering and she was interesting in tracking down the product too. She used the contact information I had provided to reach the manufacturer and she placed an order without any problems.
Colleen,
Twigs @ the 800 number below are the real thing – the Pheasant in Maine wallpaper arrived quickly, in less than a week, and the clerk was most helpful on the phone. LOVE this wallpaper; I lined the back of my kitchen cabs which have glass fronts. Used a staple gun, easy peasy. And I have some leftover for lining a tray and/or kitchen drawers. Wanted you to know what my experience turned out to be. Best, Cheryl
I love when a little detail in a magazine like that sparks excitement and leads to a project for a homeowner. I’m so glad I was able to help out and make that project a reality. Cheryl has been very kind to share her finished project photos as I’m sure I’m not the only one who will enjoy seeing them.
Here you can see the Pheasant wallcovering by Twigs lining the back of her cabinet.
And the cabinets with the glass doors closed, the beautiful wallpaper adding drama and such a great punch of color to that corner of her kitchen.
Thanks Cheryl, great job!
Do you have a similar story?
Tags: House Beautiful, Twigs, wallpaper
Posted in Design & Home Living Tips | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
I just realized how quickly time passes when I went to post my favorite images from the latest issue of House Beautiful and realized that I never shared my favorites from the previous issue! Tisk, tisk, Colleen! But at least I’ve read both issues cover to cover, which doesn’t usually happen this quickly. Thanks are due in part to our local cafe North Washington Cafe where we’ve been going to listen to live music, enjoy a little dinner and wine and catch up on reading (me) and work (the husband). If you are in the area be sure to stop in for live music Thursday nights or any of the other events they are adding to the calendar. I helped them with design ideas to quickly transform it from the black, royal blue and industrial steel look the previous coffee shop sported to a warm neighborhood wine bar.
These are certainly not your typical sliding panels to divide a kitchen from a dining room. These laser cut oak panels were designed by Thomas Hamel, the interior designer, to reference Indian jalis. With ceilings that high you have a lot of room to make a statement. I’m a fan of a well-designed Klismos chair and these have a great silhouette and finish. I’m not sure what the material is but it looks like aged metal. The custom dining room table has great legs too.
I like the new editor’s choice to do more large photo spreads in the magazine so we can appreciate the details in these rooms, but it does make more work for me! Oh well, some rooms are worth the extra effort. I love this new traditional living room. The sofas have white slipcovers and velvet pillows in icy blues and purples. The wallpaper and the chandelier are traditional but not too fussy. The arrangement on the mantel is casual and the coffee table is downright unexpected (in my mind at least). I would expect to see a glass and metal oval cocktail table or a more refined wood table in this room. It’s taking traditional elements and mixing them with more casual elements to create formal living rooms that people actually feel comfortable living in. Crazy notion.
This living room reflects one of the new trend in interior design for 2011: global world traveler with an emphasis on indigenous textile patterns and natural fabrics. The window treatments are made of burlap. The sofa is a mattress and box spring covered in painter’s linen. Then to mix it up he added a 1960s brass lamp in the back corner with a custom red linen shade and a Hans Wegner Wishbone chair on the left with a bright red finish which add a punch to the room. It’s eceletic and feels authentic. I can tell this is a space that he has filled with objects that he loves over time.
So, could you see yourself living in any of these rooms?
Tags: coffee table, dining room, global, House Beautiful, Klismos chair, living room, North Washington Cafe, screen, sofa, velvet, wallpaper, white
Posted in Hot off the Press | No Comments »
Friday, January 14th, 2011
Maybe the color lavender makes you think of fields of lavender swaying in the afternoon breeze in France. Perhaps it evokes a favorite baby outfit you dressed your daughter in every chance you got. Color memories and associations are different for everyone. No matter your associations with this shade, lavender is a flattering color that works well in most rooms. The glow from lavender walls would look lovely against white tile in a bathroom (a client just selected this for their bathroom yesterday in fact!) A master bedroom in this shade would feel restful.
Here are some examples of how others have integrated lavender into their spaces.
This dining room balances simple lines in the furniture and lighting against a colorful wall. I find it interesting that they chose to wallpaper the opposite wall in a gray-green overscale floral wallpaper (seen in the reflection in the mirror). Without seeing the whole room in context I’m not sure how I feel about that pairing. But otherwise the room is nice.
The living room on the right showcases how you can furnish a room with major pieces in neutral colors but interesting shapes and then update it periodically with an accent color like lavender. Here the lavender is utilized for the ottoman, small side chairs and window treatments. The side chairs by the fireplace are a great element to include in every home as they provide flexible seating that can easily be pulled up when you have a larger crowd over or brought to the dining room when you need additional seating there.
Painting the table in this dressing room to match the Quartz wallpaper from Osbourne & Little creates a special corner to play dress up. Lavender in a nursery with taupe and white accents is mellow and sweet without being predictable. I like the arrangement of art over the glider chair in a mix of sizes and frames. The chaise lounge with pale lavender walls, sitting on a purple carpet and piled with assorted purple pillows is a great example of how to layer different shades and tones of purple without it feeling like a PURPLE room.
Now the color rendering of these paint colors isn’t exact since they been photographed then shown on a computer monitor, but this gives you an example of all the shades of lavenders out there. On the 5 color cards you would want to stay in the top 2-3 colors if you are looking for a lavender. As you can see, each color is violet, grey, purple, grey-purple or grey-violet in tone. All are lovely, it’s just a matter of preference and what you are going to coordinate with it.
Tags: dining room, dressing room, interior design, lavender, nursery, Osbourne & Little, pillows, wallpaper
Posted in Color Pulse, Inspiration Boards | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010
Don’t you love when you go to a restaurant and the chef has created a dish where he (or she) has thoughtfully prepared the same ingredient in two different ways so that you can appreciate the range of flavors possible? Well, as a change of pace today I thought I’d offer up some fun feminine spaces. Sparkly chandeliers and ruffles aren’t usually the first style I reach for, but they can really add great personality to a space. As I pulled together the inspiration images I noticed a trend: bright, bold pinks and reds dominated many feminine rooms, while the rest had a lighter soft palette with a hint of sparkle. So, like a great piece of chicken prepared two ways on Iron Chef, here are some rooms for the ladies, prepared two ways.
Don’t you just want to jump on your bed everyday in joy?!
That darn ruffled shower curtain from Anthropologie inspired this feminine kick. I love it with the classic claw foot tub and white subway tile. Perfect for girls of all ages. The butterflies on the kitchen backsplash add a punch of whimsy and color while staying modern. What a great way to use wallpaper in a kitchen. You can put sheets of glass over the wallpaper to preserve it. And if the wallpaper is simply held in place by the glass, you could change out the wallpaper easily for a new look.
I could see a cool collage of favorite images here too. For the fashionista who stores clothes in her cabinets, it could be all fashion images. For the amateur cook it could be made up of glamour shots of dishes from magazines. Using the illustrations from back issues of Cooks Illustrated would give a very different feel than the glossy photos in Donna Hay.
vs. 
Ok, random tangent, but I started with food, so I should end with food, right? Must be time for lunch.
Would you prefer a hot pink and funky room of your own, or would a soft palette and sparkle be your style of choice?
While we’re taking a poll, Cooks Illustrated or Donna Hay collage? Or does wallpaper intrigue you? Or do you prefer tile?
I love knowing how you think!
Photo Sources:
Clockwise from top left: Cookie magazine, DesignSponge, Ideal Home, unknown, Cookie magazine, unknown.
Scandinavian Wallpaper and Decor, Anthropologie, Domino magazine, Linda Barker, Kristen Hutchins Design via DesignSponge 12-22-09, House Beautiful April 2010.
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Tags: Anthropologie, Bathroom, bedroom, Cooks Illustrated, Donna Hay, feminine, Kitchen, pink, shower curtain, wallpaper
Posted in Color Pulse, Inspiration Boards | No Comments »
Colleen Fox Slack | email: colleen@colleenfoxinteriors.com | phone: 612.868.0348
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