There actually is a ’science’ to picking out colors, its called color psychology; and its effects on you and I can be both subtle or significant, psychological and/or physical. Next time you go into a nice home or business, note the feeling you have when you enter.  You probably are reacting to places and things based on its color; this was most likely planned on purpose.  Color and its importance should never be underestimated.

A simple example of color planning and how interior designers use it as a science is hospitals.  Have you ever noticed that hospitals use lots of greens and blues?  Green is considered a healing color and blue is a relaxing, calming color.  This is a good examples of how the science of color is used for a specific and planned purpose and how its effect can play a major role on how people feel in a space.

So where do you begin?

-Always Start Small.

• Experiment with small spaces like bathrooms, hallways or a simple accent wall.
• Select a color from a favorite piece of art, rug or other furnishing and use it as a basis to get started or an accent.
• If you don’t like it, change it!

-Think about the mood you want to establish: restful, soothing, dramatic, playful, formal, informal?

• Soft cool colors and neutrals create quieter feeling spaces while stronger colors add drama.
• Warmer contrasting and brighter colors add atmosphere, deeper blues and greens and neutrals make a space feel more formal
• Stronger more intense colors are best used in active spaces. Lighter colors that are more saturated can also achieve this result.
• Very light colors can feel stark when applied on all surfaces in a room, try using two or more medium-light, closely related pastel colors to create a luminous effect in the same room.
• Color in kids spaces are very important because intensely bright hues can overstimulate and lead to restlessness and irritability.

-Pay Attention to Lighting.  (Lighting is another science and a topic for discussion later!)

• natural daylight shows true color,
• incandescent lighting brings out warm tones and yellows,
• fluorescent lighting casts blue tones

-Learn Basic Color Terms:

• A hue is another term for color, red is the hue, blue is the hue.
• The value of a hue is how light or dark (how much white or black it has)
• Its saturation refers to how dominant the hue is, ie: red is fully saturated and pink is less saturated
• Intensity is the brilliance of the color, pure colors like red are more intense than colors that are mixed, like yellow-green.  A stronger intense color has a more dominant hue.

-Test your Colors!

• Before applying your color to the space, test colors on a large area of a wall and back up!
• Most importantly, don’t be afraid, it’s only paint!

-Consider Decorative Finishes:

• Add depth and transform flat, dull walls into interesting and personal spaces with subtle or dramatic visual texture and broken color.
• Burnished mineral/metal finishes and layered colored glazes add depth.

-Consider Adjacent Spaces.

• How will new colors interact with colors from adjacent rooms? Color planning addresses this issue: consider how colors will flow from room to another.

-Use a Color Wheel.

• A color wheel is a great tool for working with two or more colors.  This will help in selecting and making choices which may be complementary, contrasting or to consider new combination’s that you might not have thought would work together.
• A color wheel will also illustrated visual temperature differences between colors; ie; warm and cool colors.
• A color wheel can assist with Monochromatic schemes.  Try a single color in different shades or tones for walls, trims, ceilings (bold or subtle).

-Try Different Paint Finishes.

• A variation of a monochromatic scheme can be achieved by using the same color with different finishes. (satin, semigloss, matte)  The color will appear slightly different on each surface and a great way to create cohesion in rooms that have many doors and windows and little wall space.

Feeling confident now?  Give interesting and new colors a chance, try something different!  Remember, it’s only paint!

Mixing up tiles made of glass, stone, metal and natural elements is an up and coming trend. The eclectic look is perfectly in sync with today’s home furnishings aesthetic.

For years straight lines and boxed-in design was all the rage, but today’s home fashions are more well-rounded. One of the hottest kitchen and bath trends for fall, round and oval tiles will make your space pop…just make sure you truly love them, not just following the trend.

Traditional neutrals, like beige and browns, are being replaced with modern grays and blues. Pair them with anything from chocolate brown to fall’s hot jewel tones. The new color combo creates a sleek, sophisticated look.

With the two dozen or so daily email blasts I get about new products, new twists on old products, green products, new trends etc; I decided that it was time I share a little secret of mine about avoiding the pitfalls of trying to keep up with today’s trends in home decor and just be yourself.  When I work with clients I often get questions about what color is in, what style is in, and I always come back with my own set of questions such as-what colors do you like?  what style do you like?

Now some of you might be thinking -isn’t that what they are paying you for?  to figure it out for them?  And the answers is yes and no!

Yes, it is my job to help my clients figure out what they like, dislike and about how their lifestyle, their family and how their environment needs to work for them; but MOST times the client already knows the answers but just hasn’t yet realized them.  My clients will often say they can recognize good design but just don’t know how to go about implementing it.  That is where I can help.

There is nothing more exciting than to help someone realize and implement their own personal taste and style to create a unique and comfortable, functioning environment to live in, relax and enjoy.  Staying true to your own style compass is what will get you through the twists and turns of interior trends and keep you from staring at last years trends while dreaming of the next big thing to hit the market-not to mention it will leave more money in your wallet.

The trick is to look for pieces and styles with longevity and to shop alone with your designer; one the most difficult ways to shop is with your husband, mom, best friend or cousin by your side telling you what they think is nice.  This situation will surely bring you a mix of purchases that someone else loves and leave you wondering why you now don’t like it.

Another tip is to splurge on everyday high end pieces like sofas, window coverings, decorative pillows, bedding, and dining furniture. The majority of your secondary pieces such as extra seating, lamps, and accessories can come from less expensive sources, providing of-the-moment interest without buyer’s remorse if styles change too soon.

Other timeless buys?  Interesting and formidable metal tables and chairs can be found everywhere right now. These sturdy furnishings add to a room’s eclectic layer and are  additions worth the investment.

Other things I love?   Numbers and letters as pattern; geometric, two color fabric prints; limed or white washed finishes on dark woods; and green materials.

What to avoid? Plastic anything, water features, “brown furniture,” Hollywood Regency, stacks of art books you won’t read and chenille!  Yes, I said it!!  Chenille!

Ready to start? The most important thing to remember is to embrace your own sense of style and choose pieces you really like!!  Ready? set?  Go!!!

I think it would be safe to say that even though our economy seems to be in a tail spin, it isn’t as bad as one might think.  Even if they were all bargain shoppers (which many were not judging from the host of designer names across their bags) people are still spending their hard earned cash on odds and ends, not just necessities.

That brings me to my point, and yes, I do have one!  A lot of my clients want me to design a room for them sometimes using what they have and building upon it, others want a room completely from scratch and some even just want to remake a room on a limited budget.  All of these scenarios have there challenges but they can easily be done on any budget.  For those of you on limited budgets, there are a lot of things that you can do to build up an interiors existing design style or even to enhance it.  This is easily done by accessorizing your home.  Small flourishes, such as introducing new vases and lamps, as well as inter-changing lampshades and cushion covers, are all great ways of bringing life to a room. Choose a colorful piece of furniture and make it a focal piece. Be bold, make a statement with your furniture. Functional design doesn’t have to cost a lot.  There is a huge range of stores out there to get great iconic pieces that suit your taste and budget.

New colors bring new life.  Autumn/Winter 2009 will see a fusion of nature with a desire for stylish, sophisticated and edgy design. Furniture shapes will be more rounded and comfortable and a warm, autumn color palate will be used to complement the new ranges. Fig is a key colorway for the forthcoming season.    Bold and bright colors are also big this year, give it a go!

Eclectic accent pieces are proving popular, this incorporates traditional influences from around the globe with a modern twist.

The decadent baroque trend will start to diminish in 2009.  If you like to decorate according to trends then here are some tips for you: an incoming trend is updated 1950s retro style silhouettes with bold colors, abstract shapes and geometric patterns. Key items will be wire framed chairs, black lacquered wood tables, quirky wall graphics and metal furniture with laser-cut lace patterns.

All white Furniture.  The trend for all-white furniture has not yet reached its peak and is still very much alive. As well as having a lightness and clarity about it, it’s also timeless, and easy to team with other colors, or tone on tone. White also provides an excellent showcase or back-drop for other materials.

Bright, shiny colors.  The opposing trend to this is one of bright, shiny colors, leading to a demand for glossy furniture. This trend is all about smooth, shiny surfaces, as well as high-gloss lacquered fronts on cupboards, chairs and tables. Chairs and sofas are cropping up covered with lacquered leather, and even upholstered furniture has high-gloss elements teamed with matte upholstery.

Large lighting, again.  Another strong theme emerging is over-sized lamps and shades, giving an exciting new look for lighting as well as a focal point in the home.

Flamboyant Wall coverings.  Wall coverings are similarly flamboyant, as well as abstract designs, also taking center stage are nature-inspired prints of flowers and trees for your walls.

Home grown style.  Following on from flowers and trees, there will always be a demand for furniture and accessories inspired by nature, with an overtly craft-oriented feel to them.

The hand crafted look.  Dark, bold schemes are still fashionable, but more to the point, designers are taking a playful approach with traditional furniture by blurring the borders between professional production and technical ornamentation. Things that aren’t actually handmade are taking on the appearance of being painstakingly hand-crafted in styles reminiscent of traditional craftsmanship techniques. Combining materials is still a hot trend, too. The harmony and softness of fabrics and upholstery meet the austerity of braided leather, lacquered woods and metal. New interpretations and re-editions of tried and tested classics combine the familiar with the new.

Pearl-escents & Mother Of Pearl.  There are dynamic things happening in the world of tiles! Hand-crafted mother-of-pearl tiles come in a range of gorgeous, lustrous colors, all made from recycled shells from the seafood industry. These tiles are also show-casing new wall and floor tiles in a range of dramatic new textures and surfaces.

Old but new classics.  You only need to look at the car industry to see how the current trend for taking old, classic designs and breathing new life into them with a re-vamp can be incredibly successful. Those icons of the flower-power age, the Mini and Volkswagen Beetle, have both been re-styled for the 21st century. The same is true of certain styles of classic furniture, such as this floral upholstered Egg chair.

Danish Design.  Talking of Denmark… Always very high profile, the design-conscious Danes, fielded a range of interesting pieces at 100% Design 2008, including Normann Copenhagen’s Norm 03 sculptural stainless steel lamp and the vibrantly red Corona chair from Erik Joergensen Moebelfabrik. The sculptural lamp is picking up on a wave of shiny stainless steel pieces of furniture, which, along with glass, while undoubtedly creating an impact, must be one of the trickiest materials to keep free from finger prints and smears, especially if it’s a piece of furniture such as a chest of drawers that is in constant use.

Scanning for trends requires watching a variety of industries for future tendencies in design; it is a rapidly evolving world which requires designers, companies etc. to know about future trends to create successful ideas and projects.  Success is more than a cool design and smart function, you need to understand consumer behavior as well to know the needs.

We can learn a lot by observing the most trendy consumers and innovative products. However, observing is one thing. To fully understand and use trends, it requires that we are constantly on the edge of developments and understand the process and how to communicate it.

I’ll do my best to post what I find, feel free to make a suggestion for me and I’ll do my best to find it, then post it!!

venetian mirrors

truly a thing of beauty

In my quest to find beautiful and somewhat unique pieces for my Accessories line, I discovered a connection to a craftsman who hand crafts these lovely Venetian mirrors using the traditional Venice Technique, here in Bogota.

Each mirror is hand etched, engraved, beveled and polished in the shop; each hand cut piece is assembled separately and attached to a wood backing.  These items are unmistakably elegant and add style to any decor.

A variety of styles and sizes can be made-traditional, classic or contemporary- custom designs and style to order!  These lovely mirrors undoubtedly have the same charm and beauty as the 17th and 18th century originals with an, easy on your pocketbook, price by comparison.

I can’t wait to show you in person how truly beautiful they are, I’m certain you will share the same enthusiam and passion for the design and superior quality as I do!!

I am also very happy to report that mirrored furniture is also part of my new line as well as designing and building custom pieces to your needs.  The options are unlimited, we can dream it and build it for you!

Queries?  Contact me if you are interested in anything you see here or anything else that you might have dreamed up!

I am very open to other design ideas, especially since we are still early on in the design process in this portion of the accessories line.   Post your comments or ideas below or post a link.

]]> http://www.idesigninteriorsplus.com/?feed=rss2&p=15 0 http://www.idesigninteriorsplus.com/?p=5 http://www.idesigninteriorsplus.com/?p=5#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:24:39 +0000 kellcia http://interiorsplus.wordpress.com/?p=3 The first post on our new blog, Welcome!  Theres nothing like a clean white slate (or in our case a chocolatey brown one) to get the creative juices flowing.

Quick introductions are in order,  Interiors Plus+ is part of Kellcia Designs, a full service Interior Design company.  For the past year I have been living in Bogota, Colombia, reestablishing my life, career and dreams yet again!

If you are a regular from our other blogs and website you know that I live a nomadic lifestyle, moving from one place to another, at times moving around the world every 2 or so years.  Believe it or not, this is not an unusual lifestyle in the expatriate circles from which I come.

Over the past year I have been watching, learning, studying, and at times just plain leering at things in my new environment.  This city is surprisingly slow paced, almost backwards at times and design as a whole, as I’ve seen it, is generally repetitive and expensive at best.  There are masters of ‘reproduction’ to be found here, but a total lack of variety and, what I call, smart design…

About 2 months after my arrival, I found myself looking for lamps and pillows of all things, and it was an incredible and almost impossible task!  Everything was either old style, cheap quality, ridiculously expensive or 100% modern in design…  I have nothing against any of these things, to each his own-I always say!  But I couldn’t help but notice the disparity.

So after my quest to find pillows and lamps fizzled, the ideas began flowing, why not start my own line of accessories?  And so there it is, how the vision of Interiors Plus+ developed-yes, it really was that simple!  I have since then spent my time running here, there and everywhere, looking at every range of products to be found in high end, low end and even open air markets.  The process of filling the gap in the design market are in motion.

Once you start looking, you become completely enthralled with new design inspirations.  Some of my clients have expressed interest in the inspirational process for a design and the implementation of it always seems to captivate them, so it is my hope that this blog will do the same for you.

Being of a global design mind, if you have something to share that inspires you, please post a photo and your thoughts!  Every culture is different, every person sees things in different ways, I would love the idea of cross inspiration from one to another.

On a final note, in November, look for our line to launch, we will first launch at some of the local fairs and just in time for the holidays-shortly thereafter, we’ll launch an online store as well and as always, offer custom designs to our special clientele!

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