2020 Colors of the Year
- At February 04, 2020
- By catherineschager
- In Design Trends
0
The 2020 Colors of the Year were announced in late 2019 and there were a bunch of them. You’ve probably seen them all but we’ve distilled the best-of-the-best to show you with some ideas for how you can use them in your home. This year highlights blues, greens and blush colors found in nature.
Such pretty eye candy! Let’s break them down:
Sherwin-Williams “Naval” SW 6244
Dark blues have been growing in popularity in recent years. We’ve seen more and more kitchen and bath cabinets using beautiful deep blues inspired by the sea. Sherwin-Williams chose this rich navy that they describe as creating a calm grounding environment infused with quiet confidence, paving the way to a new decade of wellness of the mind, body and soul. The company further says the color gives a nod to Art Deco influences, the power of nature, and the importance of our need as humans to interact with nature. Sounds like quite an inspiring color!
Check out our pinterest board for many more examples for incorporating this color in your life.
Pantone “Classic Blue” 19-4052
Pantone Color Institute chose a blue they dubbed “Classic Blue” for it’s solid and dependable feel. They describe it as elegant in its simplicity and suggestive of the sky at dusk, thought provoking, reassuring, and stable. Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman said this of the choice: “Classic Blue provides and anchoring foundation. A boundless blue evocative of the vast and infinite evening sky, Classic blue encourages us to look beyond the obvious to expand our thinking; challenging us to think more deeply, increase our perspective and open the flow of communication.” You can explore their color suggested color pairings on their website here.
Brighter than Naval, this blue is still a solid and popular choice for kitchen and bath cabinetry. See our pinterest board for many examples of this classic color from home décor to fashion.
PPG Paints “Chinese Porcelain” PPG1160-6
Brighter than Naval but darker and more muted than Classic Blue, Chinese Porcelain gets the special nod from PPG Paints. They describe the color as blend of cobalt and moody, ink blue. It evokes natural elements like the sea and the sky, imparting calmness, hopefulness, serenity and sense of long tradition. PPG color specialists see the new decade as leaving behind neutrals like gray for more colorful backdrops. As the most popular favorite color, blue is the “easiest possible entry point” from neutral to color.
Check out our pinterest board for many gorgeous ideas to use this color this year.
Dunn-Edwards “Minty Fresh” DE5687
Dunn-Edwards choose a sweet, nostalgic pastel shade of minty green they call Minty Fresh for it’s fresh, clean feel. The company describes it as a subtle and relaxing pastel that conveys a partnership between technology and nature, bringing both an optimistic, upbeat feel and a tranquil balance. This color finds a home on many a front door and garden gate, but is no stranger in graphic design.
See our pinterest board for all the many places we discovered this shade in current home décor and fashion.
Behr choose a muted, organic green hue that looks to be straight from the forest or a meadow. They describe the color as restorative and revitalizing, fulfilling the need to create a soft landing at home. Behr sees the trend of bringing the outside indoors as continuing into new decade and a need to engage with nature will be ever more important in the hustle-and-bustle of 2020.
See all the ways we found to use this organic green on our pinterest board.
Benjamin Moore “First Light” 2102-70
Benjamin Moore sees this light, rosy pink as the defining shade to a new decade. They describe it as an uplifting, refreshing neutral that is soft, airy, and plays well with other colors. It’s a happy shade without being sticky sweet, luminescent and reflective without being too bright, and just crisp enough to look clean without feeling sterile. The company says it’s a cooler take on the very popular Millennial Pink that they see as continuing throughout this new decade.
See our pinterest board for all the ideas we found to bring this pretty pink into your new year.
All the colors speak to a link between nature and technology and a need to slow down and relax in a rushed and hectic world. (Sounds blissful!) The terms revitalized, optimism, and fresh appear in most of the color descriptions released by the companies. Do you love them?
Planning for Your Luxury Home Remodel
The holiday season is almost here and our thoughts are full of family and gatherings in the most precious place: our homes.
For some of us, there may be the extra excitement of planning for a remodel in the new year. Congratulations! Last fall, in our blog Tackle Home Design with a Star Lineup, we brought you some guidelines on building your team: the architect, the contractor, and the designer. Planning a luxury home build is a huge endeavor with spectacular results. Planning is essential.
Where do you turn to get information about budgeting for your remodel or new home? Take a look at the Home Trust International’s guidelines. They are leaders in the luxury home industry and a great resource to help you figure out your luxury home investment. Here’s a brief summary of their article:
1. Budget up to 35% of the value of the finished home for interior design services, project management and furnishings.
2. Interior design firms generally earn one third of the total investment.
3. Variables include renovations, art or furniture you may be bringing from another home.
Catherine Schager, AKBA, ASID Allied Member
A good designer can guide you through this process to help you figure out where to splurge and where to save. I offer a great outline of my process on my FAQs page and you can quickly schedule an initial phone meeting with me from my Contact Us page if you are ready to explore further.
The most important goal is to end the process with a gorgeous new home that feels like HOME SWEET HOME to you and your family. You can best reach that goal with good planning and realistic budgeting guided by a team of professionals who want to help you with your achieve your dream. Happy new home dreaming!
No More Boring Front Doors
- At October 21, 2019
- By catherineschager
- In Tips and Advice
- 0
With Halloween and Thanksgiving just around the corner, front porches and entryways are resplendent in brilliant autumn décor or small-stage renditions of the spookiest day on our calendar, all soon to be followed up with winter holiday décor. Our front doors get the full makeover treatment in the last quarter of the year but during the other months they are downright dull. Your front door can be beautiful year-round and it doesn’t take over-the-top décor to achieve it. Here are some simple yet gorgeous ways to make your front door a star of your home and increase your home’s curb appeal:
- Color, Color, Color!
Benjamin Moore is a believer in the case for contrast and for good reason. The lovely options above are bright, cheerful, and the opposite of boring. Their front door inspiration page offers examples in just about every color of the rainbow. Match your shutters and window trim or choose a harmonious third color for even more options. These traditional color options are classic choices, as well as black and shades of gray.
Dotter & Solfjeld Architecture + Design (left and center); Faust Construction (right)
These next three colors are less traditional but no less eye-catching. The purple, chartreuse, and orange above harmonize beautifully despite being unusually bold door colors. The sky is the limit on front door color choices.
- Shapely Styles
Michael Fullen Design Group (left); Dotter & Solfjeld Architecture + Design (right)
Another way to dress up your entryway is to incorporate unique shapes. The two images on the left are of the same home – the front gate and the front door. Like hobbit doors gone modern, both use color and shape to charming effect. The two images on the right show the outside and inside views of stained wood door covered by dozens of squares that cast unique shadows and light in the entryway. This large wooden structure manages to look both imposing and charming at the same time.
- Metal Marvels
Metal doors aren’t just for warehouses and other industrial purposes any longer. Gorgeous modern and contemporary door styles abound, drawing on the organic feel of the various metals. Shiny, tarnished, powder coated, sculpted and glass incorporated options allow you to create your own unique door for your unique family home. Sculpted metal hardware options (like the two shown at the far right above).
- Wood Wonders
Last but never least, don’t forget the beauty and versatility of stained wood doors. From traditionally hung doors to these oversized, contemporary pivot door options, you’ll find nothing more beautiful and show-stopping than the perfect wood and stain.
Feeling inspired to show your front door some much deserved attention? Which option do you love best? Check out our pinterest board for more beautiful front door ideas.
Design Trends 2: Global Influences
- At September 04, 2019
- By catherineschager
- In Design Trends
- 0
Last time we talked about my love of talented, unique artisans, which is also a current design trend. Global Influences is another current trend and one that often incorporates artisans from around the globe. I adore this trend too! Read on for just a few gorgeous ways to incorporate this popular trend into your home:
- Fabrics & Trim
One of my favorite fabric companies, Kravet Fabrics, Inc., offers a wealth of fabrics and trim from across the pond in beautiful textures and designs. The Lee Jofa brand is renowned for its legacy of English design that is both refined and fresh. Here a few beautiful examples from their Home & Gardens III collection, made by artisans in India:
GP&J Baker, established in England in 1884, has held the Royal Warrant for fabrics and wallcoverings since 1982. Their Mulberry Home brand was established in Somerset in 1971. They draw inspiration from their long heritage while being committed to pioneering fashion trends as well. Mulberry Home’s Rossini Velvet collection offers luxe velvets in various textures and patterns that incorporate metallics and novelties. Beautiful and cozy, don’t you think?
- Wicker & Other Natural Fibers
Hand made woven goods from baskets to furniture to floor coverings to lighting are very popular and often part of the Global Influences trend. This trend often often incorporates tribal patterns hand woven by indigenous craftspeople from the country of origin, like these baskets from West Elm.
Woven goods are also now incorporating the modern style trend, weaving furniture and lighting into striking modern silhouettes, like this woven rattan dining chair from Safavieh, (left), crafted in Indonesia and this Venice rattan chair from Serena and Lily (right) that is steamed and bent into shape by hand.
- Lighting
These globally inspired lighting options are also beautiful examples of talented artisans. The wooden prism chandelier with wrought iron candelabra (left) from Arhaus is a gem-shaped chandelier handcrafted by Indian artisans from solid mango wood to house a wrought iron candelabra. Or this Arhaus round nest pendant (center) that is handwoven from iron strands by Indian artisans. Both so pretty and interesting! Surya offers this gorgeous antiqued metal fixture (right), also crafted in India.
- Tables
Bring some global interest into your home design as simply as a beautiful end table. Arhaus offers this Drum End Table that is hand-pounded by Indian artisans using an age-old technique to create a contemporary textural element. Surya offers this lovely Suryaglass and metal table, also crafted in India, to complement many design styles.
- Wall and Shelf Décor
Another simple way to bring the global trend into your home design is the addition of wall or shelf décor. Try this cross-shaped, burnished iron votive holder made in India and offered by Safavieh (left) for a unique look with a rich patina. Add small and simple organic teak bowls like this set from Wisteria to incorporate the global trend and the sustainable, natural trends. Surya offers many decorative mirrors, like this lovely beveled, mosaic mirror (right) with inlaid wood from China.
Check out more examples of this trend on our pinterest board. Which is your favorite?
Design Trends 1: Artisans -The Hand-Crafted Experience
- At August 05, 2019
- By catherineschager
- In Tips and Advice
- 2
I love seeing artisans at work! I recently had the opportunity to visit a hard-surface fabricator in our area. Here are a couple shots of the machinery they use to make countertops. These are some highly skilled individuals.
It really makes me appreciate how special hand-crafted items are and how happy I am to bring them to my clients. I was reminded of how many other amazingly skilled artisans we have right here in the greater Chicago area. Scroll on for a look at a few of the unique artisans in the design industry I have had the privilege to work with directly, including some videos of their hand-crafted processes:
- Tithof Tile & Marble
Tithof Tile & Marble is a local stone fabricator and tile boutique with talented craftsmen. Below is a sample of the stone fabrication process that happens at their Wisconsin location:
You can learn more about the process on the fabrication page of their website.
- Atelier Jouvence
We’ve brought you a look at the custom stonework of Atelier Jouvence in our blog Cool Collaboration, showcasing a gorgeous fireplace mantle for my client’s home. I loved working with Sonia and Olivier Dumont and find the artistry to be exquisite. Here’s a look at Olivier Dumont working on a hand-carved engraving at the Art Institute of Chicago’s Modern Wing, Olivier in his workshop, and a close-up of a hand-carved fireplace mantle.
And here’s a video of Olivier Dumont on WGN-TV’s House Smarts showing a little “how-to” for stone carving:
HouseSmarts “Stone Carving Ep163 with Atelier Jouvence” on Youtube.
- F. Schumacher & Co.
Schumacher carries a comprehensive collection of fabrics, trim, wallcoverings and furniture in their many locations around the globe, including here in the Chicago area. Below are a few pieces from a couple of their collections:
Here’s a short video from Schumacher’s Vimeo page showing the process of creating one of their hand-crafted wallcoverings:
Screen-Printed by Hand: the Citrus Garden Wallpaper from Schumacher on Vimeo.
- Samuel and Sons
We have showcased the gorgeous work of Chicago’s own Samuel and Sons in our previous blog Passementerie. Here’s a fresh look at just a few of the thousands of options available from their custom and semi-custom collections:
And here is one of their custom collections, Bejeweled by Lori Weitzner, featuring all hand-crafted designs by artisans around the globe. Gorgeous, isn’t it?
This video details the creation of the collection. Fast-forward to 1:40 to see the incredibly skilled artisans at work:
“Bejeweled by Lori Weitzner by Samuel & Sons” on Youtube.
- Maya Romanoff
Oh, the luxury and artistry of Maya Romanoff wallcoverings! We’ve shown you this stunning brand in our previous blog Maya Romanoff Wallcoverings. They pride themselves on top quality, hand-crafted creations and are headquartered right here in the Chicago area.
Here’s a look inside their Chicago studio:
“Maya Romanoff Chicago Studio Tour” on Youtube.
How fabulous is it that we have all these talented, unique, hand-crafted design materials at our fingertips? (And this is just a sampling!) I’m so thrilled to be able to bring them to my clients. What’s your favorite?
