Well color me happy . . . .

We just got back from a wonderful, relaxing vacation in Turks & Caicos!  It was an amazing trip.  The whole time I was there, I could not get over the amazing blue of the sea and sky.  I loved to glance out the kitchen window, and see the intense aquamarine color of the ocean peeking from behind the palm trees.  It was paradise!

I returned to work very inspired to create rooms full of color!   Over the past few years, neutrals have dominated interiors - just take a look at Restoration Hardware and their achromatic color schemes.  I appreciate that look, but I am ready to buck the trend and start using some bright bold colors that I love.  Luckily, several of my clients have been willing to embrace these new color schemes as well.

I'd like to share with you some of my favorite, most inspiring fabrics that I've been working with recently.  Most of them I will use as accents - pillows, draperies, small upholstered pieces.  But it's these great pops of color that will make your rooms:

1. Robert Allen's Nesting Zigzag in Bluebell

Photo courtesy of Robert Allen

I have been on a big navy and white kick lately, both in my clothing and in my interiors.  This is a good weight fabric, and great for upholstery, especially an ottoman or chair.  It also comes in white on white, and yellow/white.  

2. Kravet's Latika

What a great combo of color and pattern!  It would work equally well in a traditional or a more modern room

3. Fabricut's Tilbury in Lapis

Photo courtesy of Fabricut

I fell in love with the pattern and color in this one, but I don't have anywhere to use it yet!  It has an interesting shimmer to it, which makes it a little more dressy.  Perhaps a dining room or formal living room?

4. Pindler & Pindler, (pattern name TBD)

This is such a fresh, fun fabric.  It will look great paired with Navy, red, yellow, black.....pretty much any other color scheme.

5. Clarke & Clarke's Blomma in Rouge

Photo courtesy of Clarke & Clarke

Clarke & Clarke has a bunch of unique, bold patterns and colors in their line.  This is such a fresh interpretation of cherry blossoms, and it comes in a bunch of great colorways.  

6. Kravet's Prospect in Lake

This reminds me of the sea, sky, and sand in North Caicos.  Incidentally, I specified this for a client's master bedroom BEFORE I left on vacation.  I guess my mind was already starting to dream of the sunny Caribbean . . .

7. Kravet - 31202

What a great color scheme:  turquoise, coral, and white.  Wouldn't this look great with those upholstered ottomans I bought for my client in this post?

8. Stout's Baton in Spice

I am using this great fabric as draperies in client's home.  It's such a happy fabric.

9. S. Harris Tabris in Champange

A little more understated than some of the others, but I was really struck by the great pattern.  Maybe a good choice for someone not ready for some of the other bold color schemes above.

10.  And last but not least, the new fabric collection by Eileen Kathryn Boyd for Duralee. 

Don't you just love her purple logo and starburst?  I was so impressed by the bright, bold colors in her new collection.  The colors are perfect - super saturated and full of energy.  This periwinkle embroidered pattern on white cotton is a knockout:

She is a designer who is not afraid of color, and uses it well.   I was so inspired when I visited her website and blog to check out her portfolio.

So what do you think?  Are you as crazy about them as I am?   Don't be afraid to use the colors you love in your own projects -  they will make you happy every time you look at them. 

As soon as I can, I will share photos of how I am using some of these fabrics in my projects. 

Have a great week!

Bronwyn  

The 'Halloween Crab'.....what a great combo of orange and purple!

 

I love my job

Last week's post about shopping really got me thinking about how lucky I am to be an interior designer.  There's not many jobs out there where you get to shop for a living!  And I meet the most wonderful, talented, friendly, hardworking people - both my clients, and those that I do business with buying products and installing beautiful homes.

I love the diversity of the work.  In any given day, I could be doing any number of things (other than shopping, which is not what I usually do):  Mainly, I am drawing and/or designing.  I spend hours every week at my drafting table, either drawing floorplans or elevation drawings and perspectives.  It's generally where I start a project (space planning) and end a project (perspective rendering), before the client gets to see the design. 

I also spend a lot of time selecting the finishes for a project - maybe it's paint colors, fabrics for upholstery, window treatments, wall coverings, tile, countertops, rugs, flooring.   There's a myriad of choices that it can be overwhelming sometimes (for me too!)

Getting messy is part of the job too.  I recently spent a very hot day at a job site, going over plans and design details with the general contractor and the client.  The home was full of dust and dirt, and I was sweaty and sunburned by the time I left.  But I had a huge smile on my face to finally see my project underway.  

Selecting furniture, lighting, and accessories is a big part of what I do.  There are so many different manufacturers and sources that it is overwhelming.  I try to stay very current on trends, so I read a ton of shleter magazines (House Beautiful, Traditional Home, Coastal Living, and Elle Decor are on my bedside table) and read lots of other blogs (Things that Inspire, Velvet & Linen, Pure Style Home, and Belgian Pearls are my faves).   I go to 'market' every spring and fall (otherwise known as the High Point International Home Furnishings Market) to find new sources, and I constantly scour magazines, catalogs and internet sites to find the perfect pieces for a client's home. 

    

After all that, I document, record, and organize.  I prepare invoices, proposals, and purchase orders.  I track all of my orders, and ensure that each project is on schedule.   I plan, order, follow-up, and schedule.  Though this part of my job is not nearly as exciting, I have an analytical side that doesn't mind (and actually gets quite obsessed) tracking all these details.  

It's hard work, but i really, really love it.  Sometimes if I'm working late at night, I literally have to make myself stop, so I can get some rest.  And even once I'm lying in bed, I keep reworking the spaces in my mind and dreaming of a new color scheme.  

Thanks so much for reading my blog.  I hope that you also love what you do everyday. 

Bronwyn