+ Area Rugs, decorating, furniture, High Point Furniture Market, home decor, Interior design, Interior Design Trends, personal style, Redesign, style
Depth of Color – make your design stand out!
As we are getting closer and closer to fall market or “furniture fashion week” I start thinking more and more what trends I am loving in design and where I see things going. We are still seeing lots of grays and neutrals in day to day design, however there are lots of deep jewel tones that are starting to come back. They are going added to neutrals to give a depth that allows for a richer feeling space. I’m in love with all the historic colors and love it when I can pop a design with them. These historic colors are things like peacock blues, deep Jade greens, rich cranberries and lush pumpkins. Here are some of the products I’m in love with and are finding to be go tos for design.
Even just touches of these deep tones add such warmth and balance to a space. Gone are the cold stark spaces, think warm hugs when entering spaces.
I can’t wait to see what will be new at market this month, but I can definitely say I will be looking for pieces that will add depth and texture to a space.
+ decorating, furniture, High Point Furniture Market, Interior design, Interior Design Trends, personal style, Redesign, style
Interior Design is a Fashion Indutry
As we start to get ready for Furniture Fashion week (High Point Market) it is time to see what is going on at the fashion runways. I have for a long time talked about how design trends come from the runway. It used to be that we would see a trend on the runway and about a year later it wold be hitting the home furnishing market. As the world has opened up more and more with constant access to what used to be only for the most influential that time-table has become much smaller and we are seeing trends hit us almost immediately so I thought I would introduce the color trends we are seeing on the runway in anticipation of what we will be seeing in October.
The one thing that you will see on all of the trends is that it is all about deep rich colors. I personally think we got a big shock with the calm Pantone colors for 2016 as it was a bit off trend from where the market had been going. I think this is an adjustment back towards the deep rich colors. You will see that neutrals are deep neutrals. These are impactful colors with an opulence all to their own.
This takes Pantone’s serenity color and adds a depth and richness to be usable on many more projects.
A deep red is always in fashion. This could be an accent or the base for a great design.
Think back to Pantone’s color radiant orchid, this is an off shoot of that color. again deeper and richer and more versatile.
This reminds me of the 2015 color of the year Marsala. It is the perfect combination of red and brown with a depth and softness.
This green is to die for. It is deep, rich, classic and the perfect accent color.
The new neutral. I love taupe and this is a classic.
Another great warm color, great as a base color to work from. This color is very prevalent in high-end area rugs.
Blue, blue, blue. How can you go wrong with this classic, always in style. I love the touch of gray.
Lush, rich steel-gray. This adds so much to any design and does not lock you into a specific color scheme.
Bold and bright this yellow is not your everyday yellow. Opulent and upscale this the grown up yellow.
So what do you think we will be seeing at market with these great bold colors walking down the runway? I’m expecting to see lots of color. Opulent, deep colors with great textures. I expect there will be lots of velvet and flocking. Tweeds mixed with embroidery, linens and lush cottons are going to be the rage. Expect to see tassels and fringe and other embellishments. It is going to be lots of layering textures and colors and materials such as stone, wood and metal. Look for golds mixed with pewters and iron. Say goodbye to a lot of the overly minimal design and look for all the extras finding places throughout the industry.
Color is personal and unique. Let your personality shine through the colors you select for your home. Not sure how to do that? It’s time to bring in a designer to help your personality show throughout your home.
+ bathroom design, bathroom remodel, bathroom remodel, decorating, furniture, home decor, Interior design, Redesign, style, Uncategorized, window treatments
Amazing Things are Happening!
First, I have to apologize for how long it has been since I have written a post. We have been very blessed at Artful Conceptions with many great projects and opportunities. So I thought I would share with everyone what has been going on. We have been working on a large remodel project out at the beach, I know very lucky to have the most beautiful places as my office. This has been a year-long project which has included adding a new master suite, a complete redesign of the kitchen, changing a study into a spa like master bath and updating the exterior to include a fireplace. It has been a fun project with wonderful clients. So here are some pictures from the job. We are still not totally complete so please also stay tuned for the final pictures.
We have also been working on a British Colonial inspired man cave. This has been a fun project that has been to incorporate a clients hunting trophies into the design plan. We are coming close to the finish on this project so here is a sneak peek of where we are at right now with it.
We have also been working on some updating and some redoing of some existing homes. Here are a few pictures of one of these jobs.
And to top it all off Sara Chiarilli the owner of Artful Conceptions has been spending time at the iHeart Radio station as she is now an expert contributor on the Consumer Quarterback show and will be appearing in the new Consumer Quarterback book that will be coming out soon. So make sure you are following us on social media to know the days and times that you can hear Sara give design tips and advice. You can also see the live stream from the studio at http://realestateradiotampa.com/. Here are some pictures from the studio.
Don’t forget to check out the online store to see the new items that we are always adding so that you can “love the space you’re in!” And if we can help you with your design needs anywhere in the United States let us know, we look forward to working on your next project!
In January there is such a huge push for the new year new you, but by the time we get to February there is a tendency to have fallen behind in all the things that you were going to do. So let’s look at updating your home in small bits, little things that will make a huge impact. One of those areas is lighting. The right lighting will be like a facelift for your home. There are many places where you can update your lighting.
The first are your hanging fixtures. Maybe you still have the builders fixtures in your home. Maybe you selected lights when you first moved in but haven’t thought about changing them in years. Maybe you still have the capped plate at the box where a chandelier is supposed to be hanging. Here are some great newly released hanging lights that will update your home.
How fun are these lights? There are lights for every flavor and many, many more whether you are contemporary, traditional or transitional there are the right hanging lights for every home.
Do you have places where you were going to hang sconces but never got around to it? Or maybe you have a room that could use more light but are not sure where to get it from. Sconces can be a great place to add more light and change the feeling of the room. Here are some new sconces that would really change the design of the space.
Can you see your room changing?
The last area where lighting will change the design of the room are in your table lamps. There are many different styles and compositions of table lamps. So no matter what you love there are great options. Here are some of the new lamps that have been released recently.
Are you updating your home in your mind? Can you see how little changes will make a big impact? Start small, work on one thing at a time and you will see your resolution of updating your home start to come into realization.
So for many years now the trend has been open concept. This is the floor plan where there are very few walls though the interior main rooms of a home. There aren’t any walls blocking the kitchen from the great room and the main areas used by the occupants. In this floor plan the living room went goodbye. The living room became the unused room. So it became the room that was no needed and then eliminated in many of the new home designs.
Well, when we eliminated the living room we got rid of the technology free room. The room that was used for actually talking to the people in the home. The room where you sat and visited with your company instead of sitting on a sofa with a TV going. When we went to the great room design, rooms began to be designed around TV viewing not the occupants of the home. But guess what, the living room is coming back. People are realizing that it is nice to have a quiet room. It is nice to have a room where the TV is not the dominant force in the design. So how about a view of some great living rooms that don’t have a TV.
A great conversational area created with pops of bright colors.
A transitional living room, warm and cozy inviting the occupants to converse.
Traditional with light earth tones all about conversation.
Beach living made to invite conversation.
Traditional design from top to bottom reminiscent of the colonial styled home.
Traditional mixed with a touch of mid century design, bringing back conversation.
Modern and contemporary but still all about the conversational space.
So how fantastic are these rooms that hold no technology and are inviting. These rooms are all about the users and remind us that we need to have quiet time. These living rooms allow for conversation, quiet time and simplicity.
It always amazes me when I hear comments like “you don’t need a designer, just google it”. Or how about “I’m just as good as a designer”. Or one of my favorites “oh it won’t take you long, like what 10 minutes to just draw it out”. When I hear these kinds of comments I always think what other profession would you say those kinds of things to? Do people not realize that we go to school for between 4 – 6 years to be able to do what we do? Do they not realize that I can’t just scratch out a drawing because I do have a degree and I need the drawing that I do to be correct in all ways. The drawing that I do needs to be able to be given to a contractor or installer or workroom and made into what I have drawn. Designing isn’t just throwing pretty things together. Designing is creating a functioning work of art. It is creating a living space that people will live in, work in, raise children in, get married in, create a living in. And you want me to just throw it together? Do you ask your Doctor to just give you their best guess without running lab tests? Do you ask your CPA to just fudge the numbers to look good? No, you would never. So here is a look into what we as designers actually do all day.
We meet with reps to learn about the newest products available. These will be products from fabrics, to furniture, to tile, to flooring, to wall treatments, to window coverings, to cabinetry, plumbing fixtures and lighting. We have to know all the latest designs trends, the latest changes to each of these many industries, and we have to know what issues each of these industries are facing at any given time. This could mean an issue with fabrics mills, to shipping disruptions to changes to construction and new laws about components. This alone is a full time job and yet we can allot maybe two hours a week to this section of our jobs.
We meet with clients. We learn their loves and hates, their fears, their needs, their wants and their obsessions. We learn everything we can about that client so that we can make decisions for them when there is a need for a quick decision. We learn their budgets. We learn what is important to them and what isn’t. And most of all we learn how to work in that clients style.
We meet with contractions, architects, electricians, cabinet makers, tilers, floorers, workrooms, HVAC specialists, and plumbers. And at each new meeting we have to go to we jump through hoops to prove to everyone we really do know what we are talking about. Ok, that may be a little harsh, but the reality is that many in these positions still don’t want to believe that we are a valuable part of the process. So when we get a contractor, architect, electrician, installer and such that is happy to be working with a designer, we don’t let that person go. Because it is so much easier to work with those that value what we do and understand that we make their jobs easier.
We design and then redesign. I would love to say that with each project the design just flows and everything we suggest is accepted and created. But that is not reality. First, we probably design a specific space two to three times before we present the best option to the client. We spend hours drawing and redrawing. It doesn’t matter if we do it by hand or on the computer it doesn’t just magically appear on a piece of paper. And even the fastest designer still takes double the time that people think it takes to get it right. We spend hours looking through fabrics, wallpapers, lighting, furniture and flooring. We create multiple options in case one of the suggestions is not what the client loves and we need a back up. We price, reprice and negotiate to get our clients the best price. And then when it is all put together we present the vision to the client.
At the end of the day we have created a piece of art. We created a space where anything can happen. We created the home that will raise children, or fur babies, or dreams. We created the working environment that will make greatness possible, that will welcome clients, or patients, or customers. We created the environment that will entice people to try that new food, or that outfit. We created the space that will inspire people to dream. So when you ask “what does a designer actually do” I have the answer. We create the space where dreams are possible!
So when it comes to decorating for the holidays I am really big on décor being versatile. It needs to speak of you and it also needs to have a purpose after the event. in these busy time who what to completely redo everything with the change of every holiday or event. So I thought I would share with you some of my go to items at the holiday times that are also fabulous for everyday.
Mercury glass vases are perfect for soft touches that can be perfect for holidays and everyday.
Who doesn’t love candles and these mercury glass votive candle holders are just the right touch any time of year.
How much fun is this beach inspired candle holder. Change up the candle and other elements and you can go from everyday to holiday.
Who says holiday is traditional colors. The right elements added to these great vases will make any home feel festive.
Who says Hurricanes are just for storms? The right glass hurricane candle holders are perfect for all occasions.
Mercury glass, mercury glass, mercury glass. What can I say it is classic and these bud vases go anywhere and at the same time sing holidays.
Silver anything can be made into a holiday décor item and this peanut is no different.
You can never have too many pillows and these have just the right amount of shimmer.
What can I say, it’s all about the right pillows.
Taller hurricanes that are just super elegant and speak to any décor.
You can’t have a finished décor without some greenery. I love calla lilies for their elegance and versatility.
Take the great neutral vase and add your own touches of color for the season.
Orchids are always the perfect go to all year round.
Candle sticks are another great go to for all year round and all you need to change are the pillars.
There isn’t a vanity or buffet that doesn’t look great with this mercury glass decanter/perfume bottle.
Are you getting the idea? Go for great classic items and then adapt to you. Want to see some ways these items can be used around the holidays?
So are you excited? Go classic, be you and have fun. Don’t know where to find an item you see here give us a call or send an email. We have many of these items in the showroom and can ship anywhere!
+ Daytime TV Show, decorating, design tourist, furniture, home decor, Interior design, Interior Design Trends, NBC, personal style, Redesign, style, wallpaper, window treatments
Behind the scenes of Taping the Design Tourist Spot for NBC
I have recently had the pleasure to be filmed for national TV for NBC’s Daytime TV Show. It was quite and experience. It always seems like it is such an easy simple thing but the reality is there is a Greta deal that goes into filming a spot for TV. First to achieve what looks natural on camera actually takes hours and a Tom more makeup and styling than you ever do for everyday. So I thought I would share some of the process for you to see the hours of prep and filming that goes into a three minute spot.
First here are some great shot that Sweet Rose Photography took of the hair and makeup prep before filming.
The team from Tangle Me Knot did a great job. The process started at 8am to be ready for taping to start at 10am.
There was the outfit checks and getting all mic’d up for the taping.
Then there was making sure that everything was perfect in the showroom for filming.
We then needed to walk through the showroom and go over the angles and areas to be filmed along with what we were going to talk about.
Then comes the actual filming and having fun!
So after a day of it all the tape goes to editing. Intros and exited are filmed and it turns into a three minute segment. Want to see the final version? Check it out on the website http://www.artfulconceptions.net
It is that time of year. Kids are heading off to college, whether for the first time or the fourth time it is an emotional experience. So let’s talk about great ways to customize that plain white dorm room and make it a personal space.
Go for great seating. Dorm rooms and college apartments are small but they still need to be comfortable. You can have fun with small scale seating and pops of color.
Make sure you have ways to organize paper and display photos.
If you can provide your own bed go for something with storage.
Don’t forget desks and lighting.
And lastly go for great bedding.
This will be a home away from home. Make sure to make it your own and have fun. How are you going to customize that college dorm?
One of the biggest trends right now is the globally inspired space. This has come about with the letting go of traditional ideas that interior design must stay within styles and periods. Personally I have been preaching against this strict idea of what good design is for years. Good design is about the client who lives in or works in the space not what rules say needs to go in the space. So I love the fact that the design community is coming around this idea. So I thought I would give you pictures of some of my favorite products that can be added to just about and space to give a globally inspired look.
Are you inspired? Just one of these items adds such a fun feeling and changes the room completely. So have fun, add unexpected pieces and be inspired!
In recent years we have had a huge amount of buzz about staging. Staging is a fantastic tool for selling a home. Unfortunately there have been many times in which staging is confused with interior design. So I thought I would clear up some of the very important differences between staging and designing.
Staging is all about how to sell a product. It is about how to best market an display a product. It is a sales tool. It is usually about how to sell a home but it can be about how to sell a product or service. When we apply staging to a residential home it is used to sell a home faster and for more money. This means that the house must be put together to attract the most people and offend almost no one. This means that whomever owns the house is not important. Whomever is using the house is not important. What is important is the mind set of the potential purchasers. This means that it is about depersonalizing the home so as to allow potential buyers to be able to see themselves in the home. The best way to say it is that staging is nothing about the owner and everything about the buyer.
Designing on the other hand is all about the home owner. Jessica Mann Amato defines design as “Design is the expression of the envelope that surrounds you at work, at home, at play, everywhere. It’s creating an experience, an emotion, or a story of your surroundings; helping life’s functions to be pleasing to the senses while organizing you.” NCIDQ defines design as “Interior design is a multi-faceted profession in which creative and technical solutions are applied within a structure to achieve a built interior environment. These solutions are functional, enhance the quality of life and culture of the occupants and are aesthetically attractive. Designs are created in response to and coordinated with the building shell and acknowledge the physical location and social context of the project.” As you can see both definitions talk about function and how that relates to the end user. Designing is about getting to know the client and creating the perfect space for them.
Staging is more about trends than function. When staging a home it is important to make sure it is relevant and evokes the current trends in design and fashion. Again it is about appealing to a buyer not about how it actually functions. When staging a home the furniture and treatments are solely for the look. They are not made to last, they are not made to function for someone to actually use them.
Designing is just as much about function if not more than, it is trends and fashion. The space has to function for the user. If it doesn’t it is simply bad design. So that means that even if there are certain trends that are popular or in fashion they simply may not work for the design. A good designer would advise their client of this and work to incorporate as much of the trend as is functional. This may mean that a better option and not the current trend is elected for the design to function properly. A stager never has to take this into consideration.
So when you think about staging know it is about the buyer not the home owner. When you think about design it is about the home owner not about anyone else and that includes the designer. So when you are looking for the right designer for you, remember to ask them how they work and how they feel about staging. It will be very enlightening about how they will treat your project. Staging has a wonderful purpose and it is a great real estate tool, however it is not designing.
There are many times that I am asked what piece must every room have. And yes there was a time in which it was true in design that there were specific layouts and pieces that were required in rooms to complete a style or design. Today, I don’t feel that this is really true. There are some guidelines that I tend to go by when designing a space. These include adding a touch of black to every space, mixing elements such as fabric, leather, wood, metals and glass, and having a natural element in each space. So I thought that I would post some pictures of items that I love to use. They are not all meant to be used together and they are meant for many different styles. I have found that over the years I have learned to appreciate and love many different styles so that I can truly create the space of my client’s dreams.
Here are some great light fixtures that bring drama and sophistication to just about any space. The right light, chandelier, pendant or ceiling mount will define the space and add an insight into the owner.
Here are some of my favorite furniture elements at add to a space. Furnishings with the right curves and angles will add interest to a space while helping to define the use of the room.
Accessories can make the room. Here are some accessories designed to create the perfect image and feel for a space. Use them and remember it Si better to have one big awesome piece than a bunch of small ones.
Creating the perfectly designed space is about creating around the people that will be using it. The right piece can change everything just as a wasted piece can ruin it. I don’t use a piece just to use it. There has to be a reason to add an element to the room, and it is ok for the reason to be that you love the piece. Not sure how to make it work for you? Call us or check out the website to shop from our favorite things.
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