2021 Colors of the Year: Optimism, Comfort and Wellness

All the big names in color have officially announced their 2021 Color of the Year choices, predicting color trends for home décor, fashion and graphic design and also the perceived collective mood of our times as defined by each company. Here’s the breakdown:

Pantone 2021 Colors of the Year:
Ultimate Gray + Illuminating

Pantone has selected two Colors of the Year for 2021: 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + 13-0647 Illuminating. The colors were chosen to represent how disparate elements can work together.

Ultimate Gray represents stability, practicality, and resilience, evoking long-lasting, weathered earth elements like beach pebbles, sturdy old tree bark and iron. This color stands the test of time, enduring with wise, quiet composure. This color makes your home feel cozy and safe.

Illuminating is a cheerful and optimistic yellow, evoking the sun, lightning, and bright bursts of energy. This color is bold, vivacious, warm, and hopeful.

Combining the two colors is meant to express “positivity supported by fortitude, resilience and hope…pressing us forward toward new ways of thinking.”

Visit our pinterest board for some ways you can incorporate these colors into your life. Click the video below to see Pantone’s ultra-cool digital intro of their top picks:

Sherwin-Williams 2021 Color of the Year:
Urbane Bronze SW 7048

The Sherwin-Williams Color of the Year pick for 2021 is an elegant, calming, and versatile gray. Sherwin-Williams describes it as “embodying the richness of the Earth’s stone, metal and wood … forging a feeling that’s grounded, meditative and serene.” This is a perfect color to bring into our homes to help keep our hearts and minds healthy during challenging times. See more examples of how to use this beautiful hue on our pinterest board. Click the video below to see Sherwin-Williams plumb the depths of this earthy, serene color pick.

Benjamin Moore 2021 Color of the Year:
Aegean Teal 2136-40

Premium paint company Benjamin Moore picked Aegean Teal 2136-40 as their Color of the Year for 2021. This soothing, dusky blue could have been plucked from a summer sky or the depths of a crystal clear sea. Simple and warm, it feels like home and comfort. See ways to incorporate the gorgeous color into your home and your life on our pinterest board. Click the video below to see the story of this color from Benjamin Moore.

Farrow & Ball 2021 Colour Palette of the Year

British manufacturer of designer paints and wallpapers Farrow & Ball selected 12 rejuvenating hues in four distinct palettes for their Colour Trends Palette of 2021. They state “we see 2021 colour trends that reflect our recent collective journey – towards more time spent indoors, emphasis on sanctuary, and the need for rooms that enhance our wellbeing. We think you’ll agree that’s a lot to sum up in a single Colour of the Year!” The 12 hues are versatile, warm, comforting, and luxurious. View the full 12 colour palette and it’s many uses on our pinterest board.

PPG Paints 2021 Paint Color Palette of the Year

PPG Paints chose three colors that “bring warm lightness and a sense of calm to a space” as their Color Palette of the Year for 2021. Transcend is a nostalgic, earthy oatmeal-beige. Big Cypress is a ginger hue tinted with persimmon that they call a “hug” for your home. Misty Aqua splashes the color of the sea into the earthy mix. Collectively titled “Be Well,” the colors are neutral, serene and versatile and celebrate making wellness a priority. See the full 2021 color palette on our pinterest board.

PPG-owned Glidden paint brand went a different direction starting in 2019. They chose a Staple Color for 2020 that they predicted will trend for many years to come. This honor went to Whirlwind PPG1013-3, a “fail-proof cool gray with a touch of blue” that will pair well with a variety of accent colors.

This year, they reinforced their staple color choice and continued their rogue path by starting a brand new category: 2021 Accent Color of the Year. Their pick for 2021 is Aqua Fiesta PPG1147-4, similar to PPGs Misty Aqua. Paired with the staple Whirlwind, this festive color brings just the right amount of bright and happy while still being natural and comforting. Apply this color to your trim or an accent wall for a splash of brightness in 2021 while still being comfortable and safe within “staple gray” walls.

Everyone seems to agree that we need to feel comforted and safe in our homes while staying hopeful, harkening back to simpler times, evoking the wellness of nature, splashing in positive energy while keeping serene in our stay-at-home spaces. Here’s to a happier, healthier 2021!

Houzz Bathroom Trends

At November 17, 2020
By catherineschager
In Design Trends, Great Interior Design Products, Kitchen and Bath Design
0

Last week we talked about some of the results of Houzz’ Bathroom Trend report, in which they polled around 1500 users from across the country to find out what trends are shaping choices for bathrooms. Here are some more trends we’re seeing which can assist you in considering what’s important to you for your remodel or new build.

You have a love-hate relationship with tubs. They’re either eliminated entirely for a larger shower or they become a star in the bathroom in the form of free-standing, flat-bottomed tubs, or deeper soaking tubs. Gone (for the most part) are the Jacuzzi tubs of old. Sometimes clients have old tubs that seem to take over the whole room and don’t get me started on the tiled stairs leading to it!

Floating vanities are becoming more popular! I find that you can still have great storage without the heaviness of cabinets sitting on the ground. This trend also speaks to the tilting towards a more “Modern” design aesthetic.

Premium features worth the splurge. Remodels and new construction always have trade-offs between splurges and saves. I assist my clients in finding the right balance between getting the best products and also the best look for the investment. Sometimes we scale back in one place to allow for a to-die-for element somewhere else. Here are the items that respondents felt were worth the splurge (and I agree);
- One piece toilets with dual flush and bidet seats -in some respects this choice actually saves money because you don’t need to buy a toilet and bidet and being able to reduce water usage per flush saves on the water bill.
- Rainfall shower heads and dual showers – many of my clients are taking advantage of these along with body sprays and hand-held wands for a full water experience!
- Soaking tubs – we touched on this earlier and last week as well. There are so many fabulous tubs out there that can become focal points of a spectacular bath while allowing you to have a “Calgon take me away!” moment. For those of you too young to get that, google “Calgon, take me away!”

While these trend reports can help guide you in creating the bath of your dreams, professional assistance from designers, contractors and architects are the absolute best way to protect your investment and ensure your dreams don’t become nightmares!

Technology Meets Beauty in Motorized Window Treatments

At May 29, 2018
By catherineschager
In Design Trends, Great Interior Design Products
2

What could be better than a gorgeous window treatment that works at the touch of a button? Or even integrates with your home assistant? In the early days of motorized window treatments, the options and styles were somewhat limited but today the limits are few. You can choose from many types of window treatments and the style choices are really blossoming as well!

They are so lovely and the technology so convenient that we asked Jarmila Singer of Sound Living to share her expertise in the field with us.

Can any window treatments be motorized?

Mostly, the category is roller shades, roman shades, tensioned shades (skylight) and draperies. There are also motorized wooden blinds and horizontal sheer shades.

Is there a weight maximum?

This varies depending upon the category. For draperies, it’s about 185 pounds. For shades, the restriction is not only weight but also roll diameter due to the thickness of the fabric. So, height is a restriction that is part of this equation.

How are they powered and how do they operate?

Power can be low voltage or line voltage. Sound Living only provides low voltage shades. The third category for power is actually battery-operated shades and they are quite popular!

: Serena by Lutron battery housing

: Lutron Wall Station

: Lutron remote control

Do they integrate with smart phones and tablets?

Yes

Are they noisy?

No! That’s the best feature of low voltage motors.

Are there other special features we should know about?

Yes, the Lutron shade motor provides IHA which is Intelligent Hembar Alignment. Basically this means that Lutron shades in the same room will move in perfect unison. Lutron is the only manufacturer that offers this important feature.

Why should clients be interested in motorized windows treatments?

Motorized window treatments provide convenience, luxury, solar protection, and privacy.

Convenience – control a large group of windows with one button, control all the shades in the home with one button, control hard to reach shades
Solar protection – art, furnishings, flooring
Room temperature control – especially for south and west exposures
Privacy – dressing, sleeping, TV viewing

What makes Sound Living the best company to install motorized window treatments?

Sound Living provides the technical shade solution, the aesthetic shade solution, and complete installation and training of the client. All three aspects are critical to a successful project. Our hands-on process of working with the interior designer and home owner is what sets us apart. We view the aesthetic shade solution (fabric selection) as the most important part of the process.

How long has Sound Living been in business and what qualifications/certifications do you have?

Sound Living has been in business for 16 years and we are certified Lutron dealers for 12 years. We are also a certified dealer of motorized window treatments with Hartmann & Forbes and Conrad, utilizing Lutron motors.

Do the motors and other hardware come with a warranty or customer support?

Sound Living provides a 1-year warranty on labor and Lutron provides an 8-year warranty on its materials.

How would clients contact your company?

Please call us in our Highland Park office at 847.926.7034.

Sound Living is a boutique consultancy in Highland Park specializing in high-end residential technology. They carry Lutron motorized shades as well as lighting control systems and other home automation solutions. Jarmila Singer is the Vice President and co-owner with Gary Singer. She has worked with motorized window treatments for 12 of her 14 years with the company. She and the rest of the staff at Sound Living have invaluable experience in the field.

Thanks Jarmila! If you want to see more options in motorized window treatments, check out our pinterest board. Click on the youtube videos embedded below to see an overview of the Serena and Sivoia lines by Lutron.

Serena by Lutron

Sivoia by Lutron

Lake Forest Kitchen Facelift

If your 2016 New Year’s resolutions include giving your kitchen a facelift with minimal muss and fuss, here’s a great example for you. The homeowner’s wanted to achieve a major change in this Lake Forest kitchen but they didn’t want to undergo any major construction. This was our “before” kitchen:

Overall, a kitchen that had been well-maintained but was dated and had some crowded countertop issues. Now check out the gorgeous transformation we accomplished, all with minimal mess for the homeowners:

Can you spot all the changes? One of the most obvious is the island. Here’s a closeup of the original:

Compare that to this functional new beauty!

A butcherblock countertop has an overhang with seating for three. And notice the kitchen countertop in the background – no more microwave to take up space. The stunning new island cabinetry includes a microwave drawer that cleared up valuable work space. A system of deep drawers allows for more functional storage too.

A new hood was an easy install that brings a cleaner, brighter look to the cooktop. And did you notice the update backsplash throughout? This elegant tile is a mixture of glass, ceramic, and onyx that glitters and shines.

An updated sink and faucet nestle snugly into a bright new perimeter countertop. This countertop is quartz with marble look, so it offers the beauty of marble but it is more durable and won’t stain like marble will.

Beautiful, updated lighting, new paint, and a new valance round out the major changes to this sparkling fresh kitchen. Let us know what you think on our facebook page.

2016 KBIS Jan 19-21 Las Vegas Convention Center

At January 26, 2016
By catherineschager
In Design Trends, Great Interior Design Products
0

I just returned from a whirlwind trip to this year’s Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Vegas with my friend and colleague Nancy Jacobson. It was 3 days of introductions to new products, educational opportunities and a bit of fun. It has been paired with the International Builder’s Show for the past several years and I was fortunate enough to be able to attend both shows.

At KBIS, I saw a bunch of new and exciting products like great storage options for cabinets, interesting exhaust hoods, fabulous new faucets and sinks and some new technology that I will be implementing in the next few weeks. On the education side, I learned about keeping up with fashion in design, what consumers want from their professionals, and how to continue to make my business better. I was also able to attend a tour of companies that offer options for helping people age in place in their homes, thanks to my friend Michael Menn. Although the days were long (but not nearly as long as the lines to the shuttle buses back to our hotels!), I enjoyed the opportunity to stay abreast of new offerings and ways of enhancing my client’s experience. I’m still working on incorporating everything I learned, but stay tuned and enjoy some of these images of the show! (For even more cool new products, see our pinterest board.)

: Las Vegas Convention Center

: Cooking demos

: These are all countertop options!

: Finally! Tupperware storage

: These are vent hoods!

: KBIS Entertainment

: Nancy takes a break

Maya Romanoff Wallcoverings

At September 19, 2014
By catherineschager
In Design Trends, Great Interior Design Products
0

If walls could SING, they would sing about Maya Romanoff and his groundbreaking innovations in wallcoverings. The term wallcoverings seems far too commonplace to describe the mystique of Maya Romanoff’s creations. His website opts for the term “extraordinary surfacing materials” but even that term fails to encapsulate his genius. Wall experiences, maybe.

Not that he confines himself to walls, any surface can become a canvas for Maya’s creative masterpieces, including mirror frames, support columns and ceilings like this “True Metals” ceiling below.

From his beginnings making tie-dyed shirts after a visit to Woodstock until his death in 2014, Maya was always making a bold statement. He changed his name from Richard to “Multifarious Maya” during a visit to India in 1969 and he realized that every surface was a potential canvas for his art. For decades he has used his unique artistic vision, innovative designs, and drive to always evolve and create new processes to produce high-end, hand-made, designs that simultaneously integrate with paper and push out from the walls.

Maya Romanoff surfaces are certainly not content to sit quietly in the background. They jump up and demand your eye, often literally popping off the background. Never one for the expected, Maya uses such diverse materials as fabrics, wood, gold leaf, bamboo, glass beads, and shells, all laid by hand in groundbreaking production processes.

His designs are never boring, but they do run the spectrum from knock-your-socks-off-WOW to elegant and sedate, from dark and somber to cheerful or barely-there.

Maya Romanoff Corp. is a very warm, people-oriented company based in Skokie, IL where he and his partner and wife, Joyce Romanoff, pursued his artistic vision. Sadly, Maya passed away earlier this year. His wife is now heading up the company.

Thank you, Maya, for sharing your artistic genius with us. For more of Maya’s work, see our pinterest board. You can also see a short video of the Maya hand-coloring process on our Facebook page. Don’t forget to “Like” us!

“Fearless Design” Event

Fearless Design

Please join Diane Goldstein of J.C. Licht/Epco in Northbrook and me for “Fearless Design”!

When: Thursday April 3, 6:00 – 8:30 pm

Where: J.C. Licht/Epco store, 1340 Meadow Rd, Northbrook, IL 60062

Diane and Catherine will unveil the secrets to conquering your fears in the design of your home. You can also meet Frank Lemke with York Wallcoverings. Frank will show you the newest in Wallcovering designs.

If this is the year you want to finally tackle that decorating project that’s been neglected, this is the event for you!

Please call Diane to reserve your space!
(847) 272-2600. Refreshments will be served. This is a complimentary design event.

Passementerie

With all the trimmings – that’s how we want our holiday meals, our weddings, our knock-out fashion, and yes, even our home décor. How bland would those window treatments be without the exquisite tassel tiebacks as the finishing touch? How much do we love embroidered ribbon borders, delicate fringe and intricate beadwork on our throw pillows, upholstery edges and lamp shades?

Those beautiful trimmings that interior designers use to take a piece from plain to head-turning are known as passementerie. French for the art of making elaborate trimmings, passementerie includes braids, cords, embroidery, ribbon, beads, tassels, pompons, ruffles, fringe, and appliqué pieces made from any material in any color imaginable. For centuries each piece was handmade by master artisans who spent years perfecting their craft and only the social elite could afford such finery. Today, the process is industrialized so everyone can surround themselves with passementerie, but designers are no less skilled in their art.

Here are a few examples from some of the best in the business:

This tassel tieback with staggered crystal squares from Haywood Trimmings will catch the light dancing through your windows.

Designer Lori Weitzner uses natural fibers and materials to create luxurious yet environmental conscious embellishments, like these pieces from her collection with Samuel & Sons Passementerie.

Notice how designer Mary McDonald uses appliqué detail trim that picks up patterns from the rest of this space in this exclusive collection she created for Schumacher.

If you are like me and you just can’t get enough of passementerie, you can see more on my pinterest board. What’s your favorite?

Deep Purple

Purple was once so expensive it was available only to the very wealthy. Do you love rich purple hues but don’t know how to use them in your home? What goes with purple anyway? Nature has some brilliant ideas!

OK, you’re thinking, but I have to actually live with this color – you know, INSIDE the house.

Here are some surprisingly livable uses of the boldest purples.

Elegant Sitting Room

Dark violet chairs in crushed velvet make a statement in this elegant sitting room. White accessories in soft textures with silver accents make this a room where you could comfortably relax with your best friends and still feel like royality.

Cozy Living Room

Can you really mix purple with orange anywhere besides sport’s uniforms? This room pulls it off with a cozy charm. Warm, muted shades of orange and gold are offset by dark plum and pulled together by white trim.

Exquisite Dining Room

Here intense red, chocolate, eggplant and berry blend together smoothly against a patterned wallpaper of dark and light purples to create a chic dining experience.

Splendid Steam Shower

The violet-tiled arched ceiling is the crowning touch to this luxurious steam shower that blends purples, blues and white.

Is it time to move purple to the top of your color palette?

Top 5 Tips for Fall Decorating and Sweet Dreams Event

Time to welcome in Autumn!

Fall is a time when we’re back indoors again and thinking ahead to the cooler months when we’ll want to be cozy and comfortable. This is a great time to tackle those projects that can make life easier during the hectic entertaining season!

Make sure your entryway is prepared for all those wet, muddy shoes, coats, backpacks, umbrellas and hats. Keep a colorful throw rug (non-slip, of course) near the door as a landing place for wet things.
Don’t forget Fall flowers near the front door. Cooler weather is the time to change the begonias to Mums.
Plan out your seasonal display areas. Go through your decorations and note any items that need to be replaced.
Get your guest room in order. Remember those cozy touches like a good reading lamp, a few books, and extra blankets. Have some extra toiletries on hand in case your guest forget something!
Stock your fireplace so you’re ready to light that first fire, and don’t forget to bring out the cozy throws for the sofa.

Call now for help making your home beautiful and inviting this holiday season.