Pillows: A Not-to-Miss Design Detail

Tags

banquette, built in bench seat, custom pillows, kitchen seating, Kravet fabrics, roman shades

I have a lovely client who just remodeled her kitchen. The new design included marbleized granite countertops, sea-green glass subway tile, rich espresso cabinetry, and a banquette seating area.

Here is her new banquette area.  I love how the antique bench was used in this design:

I helped her select a lovely gray-green paint color; we then paired a khaki embroidered geometric linen fabric from Kravet for the Roman shades, and a gray chenille diamond texture for the bench seat cushion. After completing her window treatments and cushion, we needed one final accessory: throw pillows. With the left-over fabric scraps and some trim I was able to piece together some fun pillow designs to bring the space together.

 

Three of the pillows. The rear pillow with the circle fabric is the fabric from the window treatments:

 

A close-up of the beaded trim used on the bottom edge of the Roman shades, and the pillow:

 

Take a closer look at the design on her light fixture over the table :

 

I found the perfect trim to play off the design on the light for one of the accent pillows:

 

I decided to use the cranberry color to pick up some of that same color that was running through her granite countertops.  Just that little pop of color made the difference between a “flat” room, and one with a “wow” factor:

This is one of the pillows for the antique bench.  To keep the pillows from sliding off the oak onto the floor, I added decorative ties to the side so she can attach the pillows to the back of the bench seat:

 

 

And of course a center button in keeping with the circular motif:

 

So the lesson here:  don’t forget the pillows, it’s the final touch that makes it all come together!

10 Drapery Design Trends

Tags

blinds, design trends, draperies, motorization, ripplefold, roman shades, window treatment trends, window treatments

The window treatment trends I’ve seen both among my own clients, and in the design industry are very similar.  Of course there are regional differences, but here are the most universal:

(The following photos are of my actual work, unless otherwise noted.  Feel free to pin or share, but please link back to me if you share.)

1.  Roman shades.  Always a classic.  Streamlined, versatile, functional, and available in just about any way you can envision:

2.  Drapery Panels.  Any way you like them.  They still are, and always will be, a staple of home decor:

3.  Luxurious fabrics.  Silk, and embroidered patterns are still winners:

4.  Large, bold prints on a textured background.  This one below is from RM CoCo:

5.  COLOR!!!  Color is making a comeback.  Very few of my clients request anything “neutral”.  The color in the photo below is the 2012 Pantone Color of the Year, Tangerine Tango:

6.  Natural products, such as these sliding panels in a woven wood. (Photo courtesy of Graber.)  Also bamboo rods, and any other product that brings the outdoors in:

7.  Decorative Hardware, including drapery rods, finials, medallions, and button embellishments as see here.  These below come from Finestra Decorative Hardware:

8.  Wooden blinds with or without the decorative ladder tapes.  They are available in a variety of sizes  and colors.  Clean and sleek, they blend well with both traditional, contemporary or eclectic design (Photo courtesy of Graber):

9.  Motorization.  With the push of a button, draperies, blinds and shades can be operated.  A must have for skylights or hard to reach windows.  They can be hardwired, plug in, or even synced with a home automation system.  Now how cool is that? Watch this video from Somfy to see a motorized drape in action.  If you need motorization, I can help you with that.

10.  And finally, Ripplefold sheers and draperies (Image courtesy of Urban Source).  Sleek and contemporary:

There’s something out there for everyone.  What’s your style?