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...

More About that P-Doodle (a.k.a. Nicki)



Nicki-Noodle at 3.5 months old putting her seal of approval on my client's carpet selection.

While Nicki, the black miniature poodle I wrote about in my last blog, is technically my parents' dog, I happen to live very near their house and conveniently get to spend a fair amount of time with this little bundle of joy.  In fact, several of my dog-loving clients have already met her since she's occasionally kidnapped to "ride along with me" on Inspired Interiors errands and official business appointments!  I think Nicki really likes the design business - she's always checking out my fabric and finish samples.  She even likes to walk on carpet samples to make sure the fibers are appropriately soft for an afternoon cat (oops, I meant dog) nap.  Really, I'm convinced she loves this design stuff...it's not just that it frees her from the confines of my parents' house while they are at work, right? 

Regardless of Nicki's feelings toward my design business, you'll be hearing a lot more about this little dog, who is fast becoming the Inspired Interiors official mascot.  Just so you can't say I didn't warn you, she's frequently called any of the following names:

• Nicki
• Nicki-Noodle
• P-Doodle (watch out P. Diddy)
• Doodle Dog
• Nicole (when she's in trouble)

Well, that's about it for today; I'm back to planning what trouble Nicole and I are going to get into this week!

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!

Case in Point

Last night as I was pulling some fabrics for a presentation, I tuned into "Sarah's House" on HGTV. The designer, Sarah Richardson, has purchased a old farmhouse on 50 acres and is completely gutting and remodeling it into the house of her dreams. On this episode, Sarah was remodeling the main bathroom. Remember my recent blog post about using yellow and grey together? Well, Sarah chose to start this bathroom remodel with her "splurge" on her window treatment fabric - $130 per yard yellow and graphite toile with flowers, bees and butterflies. How perfectly country! She went on to discuss how there is a big difference between pairing yellow and black and yellow and graphite. Graphite, being a dark grey, isn't as stark as black and keeps the palette from looking like a bumble bee. I thought this was a perfect case in point and I had to share it with you as a follow-up to my recent blog.

You can watch the whole episode online at:

http://www.hgtv.com/sarahs-house/main-farmhouse-bath/index.html

Mellow Yellow with Grey

(Photos from Calico Corners Website)

I have always loved these colors together; in fact, I'm using them together in a bathroom that I'm remodeling for a client in Pittsburgh. I'll post pictures once it all comes together! In the meantime, enjoy this insight from Calico Corners.

"The chic neutrality of graphite gray is a perfect complement to soft yellows and golds. We love the mix of fabric prints and jacquard wovens that can marry to create a handsome, easy-to-love color scheme for any room in your home. Candlelight yellows and platinum greys create harmony and can be styled up with silvery accents or made more casual with washed woods and textures."

One last food for thought: Silvery accents, huh? Makes me think of the holidays; wouldn't these be interesting colors to use for a winter tablescape or mantle decor?