Palazzo Margherita

As I was browsing USA Today, I learned of Francis Ford Coppola's newest venture - a resort in the small Italian town of Bernalda in the Basilicata region where his grandfather Agostino Coppola was born.  The resort, Palazzo Margherita, is in a 19th century palazzo renovated with the help of famed French interior designer Jacques Grange.  I immediately went online to check it out at http://www.palazzomargherita.com/.  I thought I'd share some of my favorite photos with you.



Courtyard Service

I can imagine starting my day with a lovely breakfast in the courtyard.  Or finishing my day here with a glass of wine.

Suite Nine

I love this tile herringbone floor and the wall paintings! Mixing turquoise and orange tones is very en vogue right now.

Suite Nine Bathroom Sink

More tile and marble love!

Light fixture

Do you think anyone would notice if I packed up this beauty and took her home with me?

Hallway

I hope he's taking those flowers to my suite nine!  Love, love, love all the marble clad walls and barrel vaulted ceiling. 

Okay, it's back to reality now...while dreaming of exotic excursions to come!

Falling for More 2012 Color Trends

Benjamin Moore just posted 4 color trends for 2012, so I thought I'd piggyback on last week's post and share them with you! 

Falling for Fall Color Changes

Now that fall is officially in full swing, nature is beginning her annual change of colors.  There is nothing like the vibrant reds, oranges and yellows of leaves turning on a gorgeous, sunny fall afternoon!

Recently, while in Pittsburgh, PA (my home away from home) picking up a gallon of Pony Tail (#315-4) paint for a client, I was browsing the PPG Pittsburgh Paints display at Rollier's Hardware.  I always welcome design inspiration as well as insights from my favorite vendors as to the upcoming trends, be it furniture, fabrics, lighting or, in this case, paint!  I picked up a fabulous little brochure entitled "Wow Color Now; Color Trends 2011/2012."  This brochure features 4 color schemes that Pittsburgh Paints chose to say "color is back in a big way!"  They go on to explain that "we are rediscovering the joy, beauty and optimism that we need to overcome adversity, and our color choices for home will reflect that.  We see trends gravitating towards deep, bold and bright colors to invigorate the greys and beiges of past years.  The headwind of color enthusiasm will encourage us to make highly charged personal choices like lipstick reds and azure blues, setting the stage for a vibrant 2011 and 2012."

Below, I have featured their 4 schemes - Instinct, Glamour, New Bohemia and UpCycle - below.  Which is your favorite?

P.S.  Nicki says "hi" and sends her love as the Inspired Interiors official "spokesdog."  You'll be hearing more from her soon.

Fun with Fabrics

Woah, August already?!?  Wasn't it just Memorial Day?  I hope you are enjoying your travels to wonderful locations.  Nicki sure has enjoyed all kinds of fun Inspired Interiors outings this summer, especially since my mom has been off from teaching school and has been able to lend a hand "dog sitting" while we drive around town and pop in and out of stores.  This is a picture I shot of her contemplating some fabric selections while I was picking up some fabric for a client's soon-to-be reupholstered settee yesterday.  I think the bright tropical patterns and colors were really "speaking" to her.  WOOF, WOOF!

April Showers...

Nicki-Noodle is hanging out with me here at the Inspired Interiors home office this afternoon as it sprinkles on and off here in Richmond, VA.  You know what they say about those April showers!  Nicki also enjoyed barking and greeting the nice FedEx delivery man who dropped off my client's Abbie Crystorama Chandelier a short while ago.  I love that my client decided to add a little touch of sparkle and femininity to her newly remodeled laundry room!

Anyway, I digress...the overcast weather and stormy skies around the area today have reminded me of all of the wonderful uses of gray seen in interior design.  Be it in FABRICS - often paired with warmer shades to keep a space from feeling too "cold" - or in PAINT COLORS.  I'm even seeing gray pop up in the increasingly popular washed and stained finishes on CASEGOODS.

Benjamin Moore's AF-685 Thunder, paired with yellow accents to warm things up!

Benjamin Moore's AF-700 Thunder graces the back of these bookcases, but doesn't look heavy or dark paired with the white doors and wainscoting. Also notice the reuse of the "thunder" color on the sofa upholstery and the use of both cool and warm accent colors.

The washed gray Wyatt Lamp Table from Lexington's Twilight Bay Collection.

And I love this entire bespoke "bachelor pad" filled with shades of gray such as: "pearl, dove, pinstripe, oyster, fox, seafoam, mist, moonlight, pebble, mushroom, taupe, smoke, cloud, steel, platinum, ash, pumice, slate and, of course, silver."  This flat was designed by Geoffrey Bradfield and was featured in the September 2008 issue of Architectural Digest.

Thanks for reading; I better go and rescue my natural woven shade sample from the grips of Nicole's puppy teeth!  She does love finding things that interest her in my office...

And the Oscar Goes To...

"Where will the stars be before they hit the stage at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards on February 27th? The Architectural Digest Greenroom, of course. Each year, AD selects a noted designer to transform a raw space into a backstage oasis for presenters and winners alike on Hollywood's biggest night. This year, interior designer Michael S. Smith - who was appointed in 2010 by President Obama to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House - is the man for the job. His vision for the room is inspired by luxe, tailored 1940s Hollywood style, complete with a sophisticated color palette and furnishings that reflect the era."

See a slideshow of past Greenrooms by following this link:

http://www.architecturaldigest.com/architects/features/2011/03/oscar_greenroom#ixzz1EotxDJlw

Inspired Interiors wants to know which was your favorite?

Palette: The Power of Red

Wow, the new year has started out with a bang for Inspired Interiors! It's been so much fun helping my clients make decisions and coordinate details for their design projects. My painter was hard at work juggling 2 jobs for me this week and my flooring installer will be putting down a gorgeous dark, tigerwood floor at a client's home next week. I'm sure some in progress pictures will be forthcoming on my blog. In the meantime, in honor of St. Valentine's Day on Monday, I thought I'd share this slideshow from one of my favorites, Traditional Home. Have a heart happy weekend!

http://www.traditionalhome.com/design_decorating/showhouses/palette-color-red_ss1.html

Trend Snapshot: From Runway to Home

"The High Point Market is the world's runway for home fashions. With only one month to New York's Fashion Week, the Market's Trend Snapshot showcases how the hottest styles from the catwalk translate into home furnishings." (Taken from: http://www.highpointmarket.org/res_article.aspx?id=68)

I don't know about you, but now that the holidays are over, I'm getting a bit anxious for spring! A trip to several home decor stores in the past week "fueled my fire" when I saw pretty, spring floral arrangements all over the place. These fresh colors remind me of the big, bold graphic fabrics - some of them floral in nature - that are coming back into the scene.

The last segment of the video - "Lady Like" - speaks to the master bedroom I started to work on this week for a client of mine.

My question is: which of these 3 trends do you like best? Will you be incorporating any of these into your home in the coming months? Be sure to post your answer below - I look forward to hearing from you. Enjoy the show!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Just a quick post to share with you this cool concept that I saw on Design Sponge's blog: arranging your books on your bookshelves by color! What a bright, clever, fun idea!

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2011/01/sneak-peek-fiona-douglas-of-bluebellgray.html

Balancing Act

So, we're on day 6 of the new year. Are you struggling to balance your new year's resolutions while getting back into the swing of post-holiday day-to-day life? I'll admit it; I am. I was reading an article on Benjamin Moore's website about color trends for 2011 and they emphasized "balance" and how life is about creating balance, which is exactly what this year's color trends embrace. Maybe I need to get out my paintbrush this weekend?

The folks at Benjamin Moore have selected the color of the year to be Vintage Wine (2116-20) describing it as a "color that's luxurious and comfortable at the same time. Violet has always been a color linked to royalty because it was so hard to get the dye. Vintage Wine has a layer of a rich brown which is culturally a color of comfort and familiarity. Think of things that give us a sense of relaxation like nature (soil/wood), chocolate, a warm cup of chair/coffee...you get the idea. When the two sensations come together, we have Vintage Wine to represent the idea of balance."

http://livingincolorwithsonu.typepad.com/sonu_blog/2011/01/benjamin-moore-color-trends-in-2011-for-your-home.html