Chevron is EVERYWHERE!

I've been wanting to write a post about CHEVRON (or zig zags) for months and am just getting around to doing it.  I have been saving pictures of everything chevron that I've seen and by this point, (especially if you are on Pinterest) it's almost impossible not to know that this is a big thing right now.  Check out some great ideas below on how you can incorporate the chevron pattern into your life!

Chevron shower curtain from Urban Outfitters

2 types of Chevron pillows here - love the color combo!

Updating some traditional wingback chairs with a bold Chevron pattern

Info on how to add Chevron fabric to your tabletop HERE

Updating built-in bookcases with a Chevron back

Chevron comforter available online at aurahome.com

Chevron curtain panels and a turquoise ceiling are an awesome compliment to this decor

 I love this nursery photo above - most importantly, you can see turquoise and white chevron used in the curtain panels.  Second of all, all of the fabrics used are from the Premier Prints line (I offer these fabrics to my clients at 15% off online prices!) which is one of my favorite fabric lines to work with.  It's reasonably priced, based out of Mississippi (love supporting those Southern companies), and everything is WASHABLE, which makes it perfect for a nursery or child's room.  Orange and blue is newest hot color combo for nurseries - I have worked with 2 clients this year that have this color scheme in their nurseries.

Love this new Chevron dress from Vineyard Vines! 

A Chevron rug and chair really update this chic home office

This Chevron pendant necklace is a perfect gift for someone (or yourself!).
Available online at Michelle Smith for only $22! 

Adding Chevron accent pillows to this bed give the room some much needed pattern and color!

Incorporating Chevron into the family photo wall

Using lace to make Chevron stripes in this maxi dress

A lot of time went into painting this dresser with it's new Chevron pattern

Another antique dresser updated with Chevron

Chevron rug available at West Elm

I was able to add this Chevron throw pillow into the mix for a client earlier this year

Dressing up your dinner table with a little Chevron

STRIPES! Horizontal, that is......

Happy Labor Day everyone!  I have had a busy summer of travel and spending some quality time with my two-year old.  I am happy to report that preschool is back in session tomorrow, which gives me extra time to keep my blog updated with new ideas!

On our way home from a weekend trip to Charleston this AM, I was catching up on my some of my favorite home decor publications (Southern Living, Traditional Home, House Beautiful, and Martha Stewart Living).  I managed to earmark many pages of ideas, but the overwhelming theme that I kept coming across was horizontal striped drapery panels.  I absolutely fell in love with the drapes pictured below, and am trying to figure out a room in my house to incorporate this idea in!

From September 2012 issue of "Traditional Home"

For years, I have always preferred the idea of turning stripes "on their side" for drapery panels - vertical stripes get lost in the folds and you completely hide half of the pattern by doing this.  The image above shows wide, almost color-blocked, stripes as a bold modern statement in a neutral room.

My dining room, an ongoing project since October 2007!

I had my seamstress turn my more traditional vertical striped fabric on the horizontal for my dining room drapes (above) to bring a little more modern twist on the formal dining room.  Paired with the vertical stripes on the walls, it provides a nice contrast and also allows you to see all of the colors and patterns in the stripes on the fabric.

From Pinterest - Jane Molster Designs out of Richmond, VA

I found this picture a little over a month ago on Pinterest (follow me at pinterest.com/newsouthdesign) and I adored the orange and cream striped drapes featured here.  This designer out of Richmond, Virginia, (my birthplace!) definitely has a similar sense of style to and I love her use of pattern and stripes here.  Based on the amount of repins this picture got, it's definitely a favorite among others, too!

From July/August 2012 issue of "Traditional Home"

The home above in East Hampton, NY, featured a beautiful palette of watery blues and neutrals, and this was the first time that I had seen thin stripes "on the horizontal".  It is definitely has a casual appeal, and again, gives you the opportunity to see all of the colored stripes in the pattern.  The stripes create a nice compliment to the diamond textured rug and medallion pillows without overpowering the room.

Striped candles from www.fivestripes.com, as featured in "House Beautiful"

The other fun striped items that I came across in my magazine reading today were these cool striped candles.  Adding the big wide stripes to the classic taper candles gives them a little attitude, but would work with any decor.  You can find a wide selection of them at www.fivestripes.com, along with striped totes, pillows, and other home decor items.  Happy stripe hunting! 

High Point Furniture Market - Spring 2012

I made my first trip as an interior designer to the High Point Furniture Market this past weekend and was blown away by the amount of people and furniture I saw in just 2 days.  My most pleasant surprise, however, was how many designer-friendly resources are out there.  My vendor list has grown significantly since my return!

I was fortunate enough to travel with a friend and fellow interior designer, Jenny Van Stone, who was a great help to me.  We started the trip with our Charlotte chapter of the Interior Design Society at a tour of the Hickory Chair showroom where we met Alexa Hampton, Thomas O'Brien, and Suzanne Kasler in person.  I now have a personalized and autographed copy of one of Alexa's design books for bragging rights in my office!

Meeting designer Suzanne Kasler with my friend Jenny at Hickory Chair

We also made the rounds at Hickory White, Lillian August, Drexel Heritage, Stanley Furniture, and many other furniture, lighting, and accessory resources that had great new collections and items to show off the latest trends.  Here is a quick rundown of trends that I saw throughout the market from higher priced showrooms to less expensive lines.

NAILHEAD DETAILS
Adding a nailhead trim to upholstered furniture has been a prevalent detail for a few years, but it now seems to have creeped onto casegoods and accessories, too.  The feeling out there is the more nailheads, the better.  An interesting fact that I learned this trip was that nailhead trim was used in the 18th and 19th centuries to reflect candlelight so that it was easier to see lines of furniture across a room before there was electricity.  It just goes to show that most timeless details like these all had more function when they were developed than just looking pretty.



Linen upholstered cabinets with nailhead trim at Hickory Chair



Nailhead trimmed mirrors at Hickory Chair



Leather upholstered sideboard with nailhead trim at Hickory White

 

Velvet upholstered bookcases from Thomas O'Brien's collection at Hickory Chair

Nailhead trim on wood at much less expensive Stein World


VIBRANT COLOR
Based on what I saw at Market, my 2012 Color Forecast was right on the money for what colors were going to be showing up in home decor this year.  Turquoise, kelly green, lime green, yellow, and grey were all throughout the showrooms in very unapologetic statements.  As much as I loved the yellow velvet with grey welted sofa that I saw in Drexel Heritage, I envy their ability to change it out next season with the latest color trend that awaits.  The best and least expensive ways to bring these colors into your home is through accessories and paint.  It's easy to freshen up a room by adding new pillows, curtains, brightly colored ceramic jars, or even a boldly painted accent wall that brings in the latest colors for you to enjoy.


A great way to update the color taupe is by adding grey and a pop of color as show here at Hickory Chair

 

More yellow and turquoise at Lillian August



Yellow and teal done farmhouse style at Bramble



It doesn't get much bolder than that bright yellow latern at Hickory Chair



Grey silk drapes on grey walls with chartreuse greek key trim at Hickory Chair



Lime green and turqoise go "cottage chic" at Bramble

THE COLOR INDIGO

I am writing a separate section on this one color alone based on what I feel is going to be the most prevalent and relavent color going forward.  It made it's appearance paired with gold, cobalt blue, and red in the Hickory Chair showroom and is the one and only color featured in Restoration Hardware Spring 2012's catalog.  For those of you that were resisting the grey washed furniture and lack of color that Restoration Hardware has been touting for the past couple of years (I was!), the entire marketplace was filled with that look.  Indigo is a fresh way to compliment this neutral and "washed-out" trend that will be flooding all home furnishing stores very soon, if not already.

Hickory Chair combining indigo, cobalt, gold, and red for a fresh color statement



Ikat in indigo on a custom bench at Hickory Chair



An indigo sofa in a tie-dye, almost python, print at Hickory Chair



Restoration Hardware using indigo as an accent to their very neutral look



THAT NEUTRAL LOOK

If you haven't gotten on the mailing list for Restoration Hardware's catalog or checked it out online, I suggest doing so.  They were the first of the chain retail stores to jump on this neutral, "Parisian flea market" look a few years ago and it has definitely caught on.  Every showroom had a collection with white-washed or grey-washed furniture, linen upholstery, and wine barrel or "birdcage" lighting.  I will definitely be following their newest additions closely, and am very curious to see if this "Deconstructed Collection" that they just introduced will be showing up in other furniture showrooms in the next year or two.

As much as I disliked this neutral trend when it first came out, I have actually grown to like it and am trying to figure out how to incorporate it without completely changing the look of my entire house.  Hence why I am such a fan of incorporating the color indigo (and possibly gold or red as Hickory chair did) with this - it allows you to bring in pieces of this neutral look, versus replacing everything and eliminating color completely from your home.

I didn't take any pictures of this look since it has been around for a few years, but I feel that you can get the best sense of it by perusing Restoration Hardware's website or catalog.  The good news is that you will be finding it at a more affordable retailer near you very soon!

Up and Coming Color Story: Orange and Blue

I have gotten so much positive feedback from the orange and blue nursery that I just completed that this color scheme has really been on my mind lately.  I first saw it last Fall in the March of Dimes show house in Myers Park and both my client and I loved it when we saw it. 

Orange and teal tray from March of Dimes show house in Charlotte, NC

Well, I walked into a well-known fabric store this morning and was pleased to find a fabulous display of this new eye-catching color combo.

Up and coming color story: orange and blue



As the sales associate said, it's really just starting to show up, so right now it's hard to find fabrics with this combination, but I suspect that more and more will be popping up soon.  Here's a sneak peak of some of the fun fabrics I have found in the past 6 months in these colors.  The last one will be worked into my current orange and brown home office.  I think that adding the blue will give the space the fresh "pop" that it needs!



Interesting way to do stripes on a square ottoman or pillow

Orange and light teal paisley



Orange and light teal moroccan print



I'm excited about adding this to my current orange and brown home office!



The NEW Way of Decorating Nurseries

It's in the water......it seems that right now all of my friends are either pregnant or have brand new, cuddly newborn babies.  This has been great news for me - I have had so much fun already in 2012 decorating nurseries!  It is one of my favorite places to decorate - bright happy colors, printed fabrics, and fun prints on the walls.  There are so many ways to make a happy and stimulating room for your little one to spend the first years of their life in.

Boy and Girl's Twin Nursery I just completed last month

There are a lot of things to consider when decorating a nursery - sex of the baby, childproofing, washable fabrics, where to hang and not to hang things, 1st or 2nd (or 3rd, or 4th....) child, and, of course, budget.  The most important thing is safety first - finding items that are cute, but safe for your baby.  The latest recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics in regards to nursery bedding is to discontinue the use of crib bumpers.  As a decorator, this is such a disappointing new development - one less place we can use fun fabrics, colors, ruffles, and bows, but definitely not worth the risk of your child's life.

So instead of buying a huge $200+ bedding set from a store that contains a bumper (now not recommended), cribskirt, and quilt (another not recommended item from the AAP), I have been making custom crib skirts for my clients at a smaller cost.  It gives me the opportunity to add extra prints, colors, and bells and whistles to the standard old cribskirt to give that now "bumperless" crib some life!  Custom bedding also opens up a whole new opportunity to make a truly one-of-a-kind nursery with an atypical color scheme, print, or pattern that you can't find at Babys 'R Us or Pottery Barn Kids.


Baby Anna's cribskirt and "breathable" bumper in Charlotte, North Carolina

For this little girl's cribskirt, we needed to find a fabric that worked in both pink and blue to match an existing blue glider from the older brother's nursery.  I love the Premier Prints fabric line - reasonably priced cotton prints that are washable, and available in so many different colors and patterns!  I offer their line to my clients at a 15% discount off of their online prices.  We were able to use the pink and white striped fabric from Premier Prints and pink paisley fabrics throughout the nursery in pillows, prints, and a lampshade to tie everything together. The pink bumper you see is the new "breathable bumper" available at most baby retailers.

Custom pillows with baby's name and applique flowers in fabrics to match cribskirt

Custom prints with fabrics to match pillows and cribskirt

Custom lampshade for Baby Anna's nursery

Another nursery that I just completed was for twins (a boy and a girl) and finding a color scheme that works for both sexes can sometimes be challenging.  The mother selected this fresh palette with orange and baby blue that works great with the grey-beige walls and pale aqua ceiling. 

The glider and the cribs were given to her, and I was able to update these with new washable cushion covers and custom cribskirts.


New orange cushion covers and cribskirts are washable for any baby messes or accidents

Linen and appliques are a huge trend right now, and I incorporated these with this custom feather lumbar pillow (also washable) that can be adjusted and smushed as needed while nursing.

Stenciling and wall decals are becoming a huge trend right now, and these decorations are inexpensive and safe ways to decorate the walls behind your crib without the fear of something falling off the wall into your baby's crib.  Here is a picture of my own son's nursery (custom bumper included before AAP's new recommendation) with the art that my husband painted on the back wall.  Stencils are decals can easily be found online, but one of my favorite stenciling sites is Cutting Edge Stencils, where they have a large assortment of reasonably priced stencils for all types of decor.

Stencils, wall art, and decals are great ways to decorate the expansive wall behind a crib

For prices on custom bedding, pillows, and other items, please visit my website at http://www.newsouthdesign.com/.  I would love to help anyone make a beautiful and one-of-a-kind room for their upcoming arrival!