“If it’s not fabulous, it’s meaningless!” has been the long time mantra of the design team Hutton Wilkinson and the late Tony Duquette.  Based in California, Duquette was an innovator in creating lush, over the top rooms that came together with a masterful layering of pattern, color, texture and his signature gilt.  Recent projects have included a furniture collection under Duquette’s name, and a line of silk fabrics for Jim Thompson.

A new book about Duquette’s work is available, authored by Hutton Wilkinson.  More is More features rich photography of their lavish collaborations, as well as the things that served as great inspiration to their designs.  It also takes an intimate look at his longtime marriage to his wife, Beegle and her artwork.  More is More pays homage to their renowned dinner parties and jet-setting lifestyles.

Tony Duquette’s design aesthetics broke all the rules and played with nontraditional objects, creating exotic and intricate shapes.  His collections for Baker Furniture are indicative of his decadent sense.  The Biomorphic Console takes an organic, sensual shape and creates an extraordinary swirling base.   His whimsical Ghost Snail lamp creates a sculptural shape with pen shell and resin combined to take illumination to new levels.  His intricate designs continue to inspire jewelry for his exclusive collection as Saks, as well as to the interiors that carry on his fine name.  The theatrical influence of Duquette’s over-the-top design and well as lifestyle has an everlasting effect on today’s interiors. 

One of the biggest themes for 2010 is more color.  Even the extreme use of color is encouraged.  Exuberant hues of yellow, turquoise, purple, coral, and grass green will punctuate homes that aren’t afraid of a statement.   This lively trend palette will combine several of the brights at a time while creating a cohesive feel – the overall look will be energetic and enlivening. 

Strong patterns are offset with crisp shades of white or slightly off white.  The use of light will be important to let the colors take center stage.  The use of coral tones will be prevalent, as this universally flattering color is back in favor.  Painting a room coral will create a healthier glow for the occupants, while enhancing their mood. 

Larger scale floral and nature inspired patterns will be juxtaposed with stripes or two toned geometrics.  Mixing in solid neutrals will tone down the trend for those who want just a touch of color.  This trend will find itself in both modern and traditional settings, and is perfect for those looking for a real lift. 

Native American Indian and African Tribes are playing a big part with their influence on patterns and color placement.  Expect to see combinations of orange, browns, turquoise, mustard tones, purples, and earthy red tones in rich geometric patterns.  Combined in layers of luxurious textures, pebbled leather, and distressed finishes, this trend will appeal to a broad spectrum. 

This trend should not be construed as theme decorating that includes lions and tigers and bears.  Rather it should embrace the combination of textures and patterns to create a warm, luxurious and inviting atmosphere.  Linen Ikats with varying sizes of stripes, strong geometric shapes and rustic chenilles are the hallmarks of this trend.  Walls will be painted in robust tones that compliment the overall mix.

Warm  If you want your room to feel warmer and more energizing, choose richer colors and more textures.  Reds, yellows and oranges all tend to spice up a room. Deep greens, browns and darker tones of blue also work well.   Use plush or nubby fabrics like chenille, tweed, flannel or wool.  Plaids or prints are often good choices for warm feeling rooms as well.  And just like when you want to feel warmer when you venture outside on a cold day, dress the room in layers.  Use rugs scattered around the floor, toss a warm throw over the back of a chair, or pile on the pillows. 

Use lighting to accent artwork like family photos or happy scenes and bring task lighting into play in areas where you need to work.  Utilize furnishings to create conversation areas and intimate spaces.  Furniture should be inviting and comfortable.  Warm rooms reflect the personalities of the people who live there, so don’t be afraid to bring in your collections.

Remember, we’re talking about moods here, not particular styles.  Although country or traditional styles are most frequently thought of as warm rooms, you can create the mood of warmth in a variety of styles, including contemporary.

Set The Mood

A cool room is one that exudes an air of calm and tranquility.  This look is often desirable in areas where you want to promote rest, serenity or concentration.    Bedrooms, baths, offices or hot, sunny rooms where you want to visually lower the temperature.  Colors are usually light blues, greens, silvers, pastels or neutrals.  Monochromatic color schemes can often be found in cooler rooms.  These colors make a room feel more spacious and airy. 

The goal is to create a harmonious blend, a place where the mind can be cleared and the heart centered.  Fabrics are usually smooth, solid colors.  Touches of nature, like plants or water features, are often added, but the room should be uncluttered.  Minimal accessories are required.  Furnishings should be of simple designs and forego embellishments like ruffles or elaborately carved furnishings.  Keep window dressings uncomplicated.  Plain, tab-top curtains, shutters or even no window coverings at all can work nicely. 

Formal Decorating And Design Styles

Choosing Interior Design And Decorating Styles That Fit Your Personality. Part 1: Choosing The Right Style To Fit Your Personality

Pantone Proclaims Turquoise As Color Of The Year

 As the new decade begins, so does a new set of expectations, resolutions, and lists of goals.  For decorating, the new color trends reflect the optimism that a new year brings, especially the Pantone forecast for 2010.  Bright vivid tones create a feeling of hope and healing, with the consideration that we should move on from the past.  A new global influence is leading the way colors are combined, charging renewed palettes and patterns.

Pantone, the leading expert on color influence for the design world, has proclaimed Turquoise as 2010’s color of the year.  “In many cultures, Turquoise occupies a very special position in the world of color,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “It is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky. Through years of color word-association studies, we also find that Turquoise represents an escape to many – taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting, even if only a fantasy.” 

Turquoise will be represented within the new color palettes in many shades and tones.  While it is not a new color for the interior design community, it is showing up in new combinations that will no doubt spark creativity.

For more beautiful pictures and everything else about turquiose decorating and design, visit our friends at House of Turquoise

Part 1: How To Choose A Decorating Style That Fits Your Personality

Do you envy people who seem to instinctively know what looks best in their home? The ones who automatically gravitate towards the perfect colors, furniture and accessories that make their home look beautiful and yet reflect so much of their own distinctive personality. They can toss out phrases like contemporary minimalist or bohemian retro with complete confidence. How do they manage to have such a natural flair for design when it can seem so complicated to others?

Identifying The Right Design Styles For Your Personality

Part of the problem may hinge on the fact that you aren’t really clear what each design style encompasses.  There are hundreds of design styles out there and it can be quite confusing if you’re not a decor aficionado.   What you need to remember, though, is that you don’t have to be a designer to know what is right for your home.  With just a little basic decorating knowledge, you can create a style that is perfect for you. 

Determine Which Design Styles Will Set The Right Mood

Before you settle on a particular style that has a name like shabby chic or Scandinavian modern, oftentimes it’s easier to determine a mood you want to create in a room - formal, casual, warm or cool- then develop the actual style from there.  In this first part of a series, let’s first look at what creates each mood.  That will help you determine what colors and textures are best suited for the environment you’re trying to develop and you’ll have a great jumping off place to start developing your own sense of style.

Choosing Interior Design And Decorating Styles That Fit Your Personality. Part 2: Formal Interior Decorating and Design.

 Todd Merrill Designs

Todd Merrill Studio Contemporary is the newest addition in the Louis Sullivan building in New York, featuring one of a kind, handmade studio sensibility.  This collaboration of several artists turns custom furniture making into an art gallery exhibit for his studio.  Having just opened in June 2009, this venture is the union of quality craftsmanship and expertise design.

Todd Merrill Antiques Dealer and Designer

In addition to the antique showroom Tod Merrill had previously ventured, this new gallery/showroom will feature prototypes of furniture pieces that can be custom designed to suit any client’s needs.  This unique approach ensures quality in every piece with sublime workmanship. 

Joseph Walsh’s Sanagi table of walnut and lacewood

The Ebb Tide Console by Michael Coffey made of African Mozambique creates a lush illusion of movement with a musical flow.  Its sculptural qualities make this a stand-alone piece.  Joseph Walsh’s Sanagi table of walnut and lacewood creates a gentle play of shadow and light with its sensual lines.  These are just two of the unique pieces featured at Todd Merril Studio Contemporary, with a constant evolution of new designs.  This growing line is one to watch for its innovative collections.

Sassy colors and a touch of whimsy appear to be the hallmark of Madeline Weinrib’s line of carpets and textiles, featured at ABC Carpet & Home in NYC.  With her own floor in the home furnishing giant’s multi-story location, Madeline Weinrib is part of the company’s legacy as the great granddaughter of its founder.  Table linens, bedding, and unusual furniture punctuate the rest of the line.

Her vivid taste for color and pattern is evident in the unique patterns.  Lime green, bright orange and hot pink are interspersed with hits of black and white for optimal impact.  A distinct Turkish in addition to  Moroccan influence can be felt through the complicated batik and ikat patterns that are the hallmark of her textiles.  Madeline Weinrib’s own line includes pillows and handbags using her boldly stated designs.

The rugs featured in the line are a complement to the complexity of the textiles.  The bold geometric statements have been enlarged and simplified to reflect the details in the pattern, and create art for the floor.  Madeline Weinrib’s love of pattern and color are evident.  Oversized mums are a visual feast in a wool and silk rug, and trefoil patterns create a joyous feel in her Lavender Charm design.  Her approach to design is a one of a kind style that will be the hallmark of any room. 

Coral Pink and White Dining RoomCoral has been coming back in a big way over the last two years – first it was the actual motif – the jagged sea formation.  Now it’s the color – a soft orange tone that is finding a home in many places.  Coral has a very positive energy and is pleasing to the eye for many.  Once thought of as a coastal color, coral has found its place in today’s interiors all over.

Coral is easy to pair with other colors and is very versatile.   Brown gives it a modern feel, with a warm undertone. Purple and coral create a lively, spunky feel.  Shades of turquoise with it provides an inviting mix of warm and cool tones.  White or ivory is always an option with coral for a crisp, clean look.  Yellow or green tones give an exotic edge. 

Coral is not a new color for interiors, but rather a rejuvenated one.  It is best used in a well lit area, and can handle a large surface, such as a sofa or rug.  Coral is also a flattering color for most skin tones, and is great for a ceiling, casting a warm glow on the occupants.  Try it on one wall, or one item – you’ll be back for more. 
 

You’ve got to love a company with a great name, and Three Sheets 2 the Wind is one of them.  Tagging themselves as “homemade textiles for the modern home”, their patterns are a lovely indulgence for modern motifs.  Founded in 2004 and located in Kentucky, Three Sheets takes influence from the skeletal structure of plant life and created handmade, artisan skilled textiles.  Their look takes on a Japanese aesthetic, with a simple yet elegant appeal.

Wall art, bed linens, as well as fabric by the yard are just some of the fabulous offerings of Three Sheets.  Printed on Irish Linen, the fabric has a softer weave, is hypoallergenic and antibacterial.  It is also one of the most eco-friendly fabrics as it takes five times less pesticides and fertilizers as cotton.  Most items are washable.

Three Sheets designs take on an organic feel that is uniquely beautiful and serene.  The simple lines of their florals have a humble yet friendly quality, and are perfect for modern interiors.  The color palate offers the now colors of orange, greens, and blues .  While the line is not extensive, we love it for its “speaking softly while carrying a big stick” impact.   

Swarovski Crystal continues to add its sparkle to all aspects of our lives with its new line of wall elements.    Swarovski Architecture has wall and ceiling elements that create a new dimension with light and reflective accents. 

Swarovski Crystal “Unveil” Line

The Unveil line has individually created foil samples with handset crystals to use with LED lighting components.  Each piece is custom designed, and is perfectly at home in a commercial setting for signage, or to use in residential as a piece of wall art.  It can be applied to either the front or back of a transparent glass for any custom shape or lettering. 

Swarovski Crystal “Topology Wood” Line

The Topology Wood line combines the crystals with wooden panels, veneers and lacquer for a wall installation.  Again, the product is 100% customized by the customer’s imagination, and uses fiber optic or LED illumination for a variety of uses.  Perfect for a dividing wall in a large area, it can be put on a dimmer for added ambiance.

Swarovski Crystal - Honeycomb Wall Element

The Honeycomb wall element acts in a similar way to the other two products mentioned, while providing a unique refraction of light off a back lit mirror.  The customer is only limited by their imagination, as the soft light and color create an art inspired look for the wall. In a residential setting, this product could get overused quickly, so it’s important to work with a person specializing in lighting design so your room does not take on a Vegas-like look.  Rather, a small area on an accent wall or room divider would provide a maximum statement. 



Gervasoni Sweet Collection

Martin ChurbaSome parts of the country are already starting to get cold, and we’re pulling out the turtlenecks and coats.  Since we’re dressing warmer, it may sound logical to dress your furniture a little warmer, too.  Paola Navone has done just that with its knitted “pouf” in the Gervasoni Sweet Collection.  Designed by Martin Churba, an Argentinean fashion designer, this lovely little piece looks like it wants to settle in for a cold winter’s night. 

All the pieces in the Sweet Collection can stand alone, but are designed to work together.   From the eclectic wicker chair to the slip covered upholstery, all the pieces are inspired by the different exotic “worlds” that Paola Navone has visited.  Collaborating with designers from various countries, the collection takes note of traditional methods and adding a modern element of design to them.  Traditional materials such as wood, stone, pressed bamboo, rubber, and rattan are brought together to create an exciting mix of color and texture in contrast to their typical applications. 

The Gervasoni Sweet Collection gives nod to fashion with its play of proportions, draping, accessorizing and eclectic imagination.  It challenges the “wearer” to add their own personal touch, such as combining pieces with those they may already own in their “closet”.  Layering pillows, artwork, or lighting like you would jewelry on an outfit is encouraged.  This collection of furniture is truly a unique and enjoyable experience. 

Javier Mariscal’s Me Too Collection for Kids

When you were a kid, did you ever wish that a drawing could instantly become a real life piece?  Such is the case for Javier Mariscal, a Spanish artist and designer whose work has been an exhibit at the Design Museum in London.  Marsical’s Me Too Collection for kids, part of the Magis inspiring line of home furnishings.  A lifetime of furniture design, sculpture, illustration, and painting has made a distinct mark on his successful career. 

The Villa Julia cardboard house is one of those childhood fantasies come to life.  With its cartoony black and white outlines, this small playhouse is the envy of all kids on the block, making those old washing machine boxes look like condemned housing.  The playhouse is available on request from Magis.