Gorgeous Shagreen!

Much like croc and snake skin to the fashion world, the interior design industry has its luxe materials like bone, goat parchment and shagreen. Real shagreen, much like leather, is the skin of a pearl ray.  The rough, granular surface of the skin is often dyed to highlight its unique texture.  Shagreen can also refer to a leather that is imprinted to create a shagreen-like surface.  The rays are not large and therefore yield small amounts of skin, making shagreen one of the most expensive materials on earth.

Due to its popularity, many furniture and home decor manufacturers have created beautiful faux products that emulate the original so closely, they are a great alternative to the lower budget client.

This amazing material can even be seen in Ann Sacks new "shagreen" tile.  Each tile emulates a panel like those that would be used in real shagreen.  Now this luxe look can be used in wet locations like bathrooms and kitchens.

Don't have room in your home for new tile or furnishings?   Check out madegoods for their full accessory lines featuring beautiful faux shagreen!

Spring Into a Bright New Look

As the weather in Chicago turns from gray skies to bright, vibrant colors, we can take inspiration from the cues of nature to add some joyful color to our own homes.  Depending on your level of commitment to adding color to your home, there are several ways to do this. The first way is to add colorful accents like pillows, floral arrangements and bold, colorful art.  Many people believe that once you have completed a room that it should never be changed, but art and accessories can rotate seasonally to reflect the weather, similar to how holiday decorations add a festive feeling.  Check out our One room, two seasons page to see how Deb transformed a room for different seasons.

One great place to add some bold pops of color and pattern is in a powder room.  We love bold powder rooms- they are the perfect canvas for interesting textures and cool wall treatments.  Even a home that is all neutral can add some colorful sophistication in this small room.

If you are looking to add some permanent color to your home, a great way to do so is with your kitchen backsplash.  With so many gorgeous colorful mosaics on the market- why not try one?  Our high rise city beach house project is one great example.  We used a gorgeous mosaic from Ann Sacks which incorporates several interesting stones for a subtle drama and infusion of gorgeous color.

Here are some others we love!

Wishing you a colorful spring!

Hot New Trends in Bathroom Design

This past week we had the privilege of attending the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show.  It was great to see the hot new trends in plumbing, tile and cabinetry.  We saw everything from 3D tiles from Ann Sacks, to amazing new quartz products from Cambria.

One trend that we noticed repeatedly was the addition of an LED light bar in bathroom vanities.  Aside from its cool appearance, this is also a functional element, acting like a night light for those middle of the night trips to the bathroom.  In the past, this would have been hard to do as traditional light sources can be large or get very hot, creating a fire hazard.  Now with the new LED lighting technology, the components are small and the diodes emit almost no heat, allowing the electrical components to be buried.  This eliminates that danger of being near water as well as they are able to remain completely separate.

Check out the cool ways they are incorporating lights into vanities below.

Simple Kitchen Design Updates

Are you looking for some simple changes that will help update your kitchen without doing a entire rehab?  Here are 4 tips from  House Beautiful that will improve your kitchen for your use as well as improve with resale value.  

Tip # 1:  Add or Replace a Back splash

A simple back splash update can bring energy, color & a more modern feel to a kitchen without requiring a huge budget.  Back splash tile could either be a simple subway tile or a detailed mosaic.  House Beautiful even suggests you could simply add decals to your existing tile.

In this House Beautiful image, decals where applied to the existing back splash.

Tip # 2: Update Lighting

Updating lighting in a kitchen can make a enormous difference in design and function. Here are some suggestions for simple kitchen lighting updates:

• Pendant lighting to a bar or island
• Under cabinet lighting
• Extra recessed or spot lighting

Tip 3:  Replace Hardware

Replacing cabinet hardware can really help update your kitchen as well as tie together a theme.   Here are some tips to choosing the right hardware.

• Do you prefer a pull or a handle?
• Think about proportion based on your cabinet size
• Match finishes to existing finishes in your kitchen (fixtures & lighting)

Tip 4:  Reface Your Cabinets

Instead of replacing your cabinets you could replace the fronts completely or reface them (by repainting or restraining).