Inspiration and Design Bringing The Color Home

Bountiful color is all around us. I have a new favorite color at least once a week. Taking these glorious colors and using them in your home can be a bit tricky.
I have put together inspirations and designs to show how to take the wonderful color you see in the world around you and bring it into your home.
INSPIRATION  PHOTO  The combination of white hydrangea and intense pink hibiscus is bright, lively and lovely.
DESIGN  With these selections I have taken those colors and used them to create a well designed and balanced home.                                                                                                                                         

                 The design includes: a floral printed linen, a stripe strie silk, a plush velvet, a woven plaid, a flat braided trim, a  textured wool carpet, and a quilted cotton fabric.
The Sherwin Williams Paint colors can be used in various combinations throughout the home to create schemes from bright and lively to soft and quiet.
6575 Priscilla                                                6431 Leapfrog
6385 Dover White                                        6577 Jaipur Pink
7029 Agreeable Grey

The INSPIRATION here is glorious orchids with veins of vibrant color from pink to purple. They also show softer colors: orchid, white, gold, cream and taupe.
DESIGN  The selections include: an embroidered silk fabric with stunning pink, fuchsia and purple on a taupe background, a creamy velvet with a lush brush fringe, a small scale stripe in tones of orchid, taupe and white, a cream wool carpet in a lattice pattern and a printed damask in orchid and cream on linen.

The Sherwin Williams Paint colors can be used to have rooms with vibrant color or soft color using the vibrant colors as accents.
6274 Destiny                                                      6555 Enchant
6977 Queenly                                                     7009 Pearly white
6128 Blonde                                                          7064 Passive             
Sherwin Williams Painthttp://www.sherwin-williams.com/
                                                                                              

Coco Chanel At The Ritz In Paris

In the years from 1934-1971 Coco Chanel's residence was a suite at the Ritz Hotel in Paris. The glamour and service of the Ritz suited the Chanel aesthetic and lifestyle. The Coco Chanel Suite has been restored and recreated. It is filled with couture fabrics and exquisite furnishings. True to Coco Chanel.

  
Like her fashions the living room is luxurious and comfortable. The chandelier is gorgeous and I love the way the fabric of the window treatment drapes and falls from the wall above the alcove.

To me the bathroom is everything that is wonderful and glamorous about life as a fashionable Parisian. The marble, the mirrors, the glass, the lighting are all in perfect order and proportion.
                                                                   photos by Carla Coulson

I love the femininity of the bedroom. The draping fabric, the plush area rug, the curves of the lines on the furniture all add to the effect. Stunning.

A girl must be two things, classy and fabulous.
Coco Chanel

Designers Guild in London Part II

As I mentioned previously in 2008 I was in London to see the new Osborne&Little and Designers Guild collections. Part of the Designers Guild showing was The Royal Collection. Which was developed and designed by Tricia Guild using the interiors of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle as her inspiration.
These photos show Tricia and her staff presenting the collection for the first time. I was one of the lucky viewers in attendance that day.

These are some of the most gorgeous fabrics I have ever seen. Rich velvets, luxurious silks and elaborated embroidery are all part of this very Royal Collection.

The wallcoverings from this collection are also amazing. There are large scale damasks with a bit of sheen added. Truly beautiful.

The Royal Collection is a wonderful example of traditional design at its absolute best. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of the premiere showing of this stunning collection.

Designers Guild in London

In 2008 I traveled to England. Part of my time there was spent in London viewing the latest collections from Osborne & Little and Designers Guild. I also visited the flagship Designers Guild shop on Kings Rd. The product and displays were amazing.   Much of the product is only available online in the US.
There was beautiful fabric, wallpaper, furniture, linen and bedding. The displays in the shop are innovative and lively, true to Designers Guild style. The hanging panels of fabric are a perfect backdrop to the displays.

Sometimes more is better. The mix of fabrics on the curvaceous chair is bright and spirited. Love it.

The low profile and clean lines of the sectional give it a modern style. The fabric, called Racine, is a soft, shimmering, ribbed velvet. Together they create a dynamic combination of fabric and furniture. The Racine covered sectional is soft, comfortable, sleek and modern.

The combination of colors and textures make this bedroom setting so inviting. The floor lamp is pretty amazing too.
Leave a comment. Let me know which of the displays is your favorite.

Because They Are Beautiful...

I love the colors in this room.They are soft and lively at the same time. This setting is an inviting mix of colors and textures, pink and turquoise, silk and linen. The antiqued mirror panels add reflection and an aged sense of luxury. The fabric treatment around the mirror is glamorous and amazing.
Fabrics and wallcoverings from Designers Guild

Silk pillows add a bit of sensuality to a room. I love the ruching on the side of the pillow. This adds a rich detail to an already fabulous fabric.
Fabric from Lorca

This chandelier from Michele Brand is wonderful. I am infatuated with the way the crystals puddle on to the table. Amazing

An already beautiful hallway is filled with the stunning puddling chandelier.

A Guest Bedroom

My client owns a townhouse. When we started working on  this room it was the master bedroom. The room was painted (Martha Stewart- Milk Pail), the fabrics were selected. The window treatments were made and installed. Then we stopped. My client had decided to purchase the townhouse next to hers, which would double the living space. This room would become the guest room. There was much to do for the renovations. The guest room was put on the back burner. It was a few years before we returned to it.We still loved the paint color and the window treatments. They stayed. Everything else was changed, removed or renewed. I selected a combination of new and vintage pieces.

A new bed was needed. I designed a fully upholstered  bed covered in a fabric called Platinum from Maxwell Fabrics. Its in a champagne color, subtle and beautiful. The bed was designed for comfort and style. The upholstered  headboard is great for reading in bed. The pattern formed by the buttons and stitching gives it a chic, modern style. The stripe of the window treatments was repeated on the vintage chair. Same pattern different colorway.

The dresser is vintage. Its low profile is a perfect compliment to the lines of the bed. The new upholstered chair and ottoman have a retro style. Covering them in a toile fabric is an unexpected combination. Used this way the toile takes on a more contemporary look.
The guest bedroom is stylish and comfortable. A great retreat for a welcomed visitor.

http://www.maxwellfabrics.com/

60s Style

Looking at 60s style and duplicating it is a bit of a craze right now. Some of the results are quite good, others are disasters. I like to go to the source, for me that means set decoration from movies made in the 60s. A great example of  this cool style is The Graduate.  The sets show the comfortable life in a California upper middle class home. Set decorator George Nelson created much of the mood of the movie. This hip den, bar area tells us who these people are. The wall of glass reinforces the upper middle class setting. The glass leads us to  lush, tropical plants, must be California. Its about black and white and sleek. The bar, the leather chair, bar stools are all in black and white. The glass, smooth floor and metal chair bases give the room a sleek, chic look.

A well stocked bar is certainly necessary.  Everything is accessible. Including Mrs Robinson...

From the slick, contemporary bar area  we can see the more traditional design of the stairway and the entry of the house. Mixed styles and mixed messages.

What I like about this bedroom is the classic style. Update the tech and you have a room ready for today.The Graduate tells an interesting story with a message. The set design and decoration are an important element in telling us that story and its message.