Contemporary wood wallpaper

We love when clients present us with unique challenges. In this case, it's a young Chicago professional who wants a media room that reflects his love of hunting, nature and the outdoors while fitting with his modern urban home. No overt hunting lodges or folksy cabins here. The look is to be upscale, contemporary and comfortable with subtle winks towards that more rustic aesthetic.

Wood wall coverings are a perfect material for this challenge. Not panels!  This is not your 1970's basement wood panelling! Modern wood-look wall coverings and wallpapers are made of phthalate-free vinyl with the grain of real wood. They're amazingly realistic and versatile, ranging from sleek finishes that work beautifully to emphasize architecture to more rustic styles full of grooves and knots and color variation. The samples above are from Innovations USA Hudson line but we also love....

the Renaissance line from Concertex which comes in a variety of stains and grains...

 

and Maya Romanoff's Ajira collection which comes in grain patterns like the Ajira Chevron above.

Stay tuned as this project develops! It's such a fun concept, the final product is going to be amazing!

The Closet Re-Imagined

If you look back at the architecture of the past, you will notice that there was often less concealed storage (much to the chagrin of modern home buyers) and more room for display pieces.  Today's modern real estate developers try to get the most storage they can possibly squeeze into a space because closets help sell homes.  However, too often we see odd, small closets cluttering up otherwise lovely walls.  These tiny closets are hardly helping solve storage solutions and can be really distracting from the aesthetic of a room.  The solution?  Built ins! I love to create built in display and storage nooks from small, somewhat useless closets.  By removing the doors and frames and simply adding in some cabinetry and shelving, the boring becomes beautiful!

Check out some great examples....

Gorgeous New Fall Colors!

Pantone, a standardized color system and a world renowned authority on color trends, recently released their hot colors for fall 2012.  While some are the typical fall standards such as the gorgeous dark brown "French Roast", warm "Honey Gold" and the 2012 colors of the year "Tangerine Tango", they also included in the mix some unexpected colors.  I am loving the beautiful "Bright Chartreuse", "Olympian Blue" and "Pink Flambe".

These bold and beautiful colors are not only making the fall fashions pop, but can be used in the home to give your spaces that WOW impact!

Wondering how to use these colors in your home?  Check out some great installation shots below!

I used a beautiful chartreuse, pink and ultramarine color scheme in the Lake Forest Coach House and the combination was delightful!

So, are you ready to add some color to your life?

Red, Glorious Red

When designing a space, the decision of color is extremely important as it dictates the mood of the space.  Color theorists as early as the ancient Greeks have been assigning meanings and symbolism to different colors.  White is perceived as pure, yellow as soothing, purple as royal. No color is as widely interpreted as red.  To many Eastern cultures, red symbolizes good luck.  Red is the color assigned to passion, romance, love and excitement.  It is also often the color associated with evil or danger.

Red is one of my favorite colors to use in a space.  While some people shy away from it, there are many ways to use it, whether as an accent or a dominant color, in a way that is calming, fun and just plain gorgeous!

So.... Are you ready to add some red to your home?

Lovely Landscapes

My recent feature on Houzz.com got me thinking about landscape art and the impact it can have in a space.  Even the most indoorsy person can't argue that the natural world offers some of the most beautiful imagery and magnificent colors around. Landscapes can range from photorealistic paintings to abstract art using various mediums. In my French country estate, I used abstract landscapes to anchor the bedside tables. These used colors such as black and metallic leaf to create a landscape, but even when using an abstract approach, it is unmistakably a landscape.

Traditional landscape paintings are often seen in libraries and traditional settings, which may lead people to believe that they only belong in traditional rooms.  See the gallery below of landscapes used in many different settings, all to beautiful results!

Are you ready to bring nature into your home?