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

Sparkling New Year's Party

Launch the year with a luxe gathering that extends the glimmer of the holidays one more day.

Being from the South, I love the magazine "Southern Living" so I thought I'd share with you this wonderfully creative and beautiful table setting and ideas for a festive New Year's Eve party. Whatever is on your schedule for tomorrow night, Inspired Interiors wishes you a safe and happy one! I'm looking forward to 2011.

http://www.southernliving.com/food/holidays-occasions/sparkling-new-years-party-00400000037560/

The Blair House: A Capital Christmas

Dear blog, I'm sorry to have been a stranger to you recently. I have really missed you, but between the Fall Furniture Market in High Point, a wonderful vacation out of the country (I'll share pictures and stories over the coming weeks) and being sick for the past 4 weeks upon my return, I just haven't had time for you. To make up for some lost time together, here are some wonderful photos of Barry Dixon's Christmas decorations for the Blair House, the President's official guesthouse for foreign heads of state visiting Washington, D.C. I personally love his use of satin ribbons in the garland on the stairs and the blue and white bowl filled with glorious magnolia leaves and beautiful colored ornaments, which he cleverly used as a centerpiece on a table. What is your favorite component of his Christmas decorations?

http://www.traditionalhome.com/design_decorating/showhouses/blair-house-christmas_ss1.html

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

"Why a Designer?"

"How do you answer the question, why a designer? Research shows that among affluent households that can afford an interior designer, only 15% actually use one. The campaign's goal is targeted towards the 85% who could be or should be using professional design services."

Inspired Interiors loves this "Myth vs Reality" List:
"It's too expensive" - "We met our budget"
"I'd lose control" - "We worked as a team"
"It's not practical" - "We love the results"
"It's out of my budget" - "We nailed the budget"
"It's not my style" - "It's so us!"

A big thank you to Decorative Furnishings Association for their new advertising campaign!

Read the full article at:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00e5514c4b60883401348695871e970c