Pets have become more than just guard dogs or mouse chasers to most of society, they have become friends and companions. It's no wonder that you can find more and more ways to accommodate, accessorize, and modify your home to be pet friendly.
If you want the basic essentials for interior decorating, there are a few basic rules:
- Nothing touching the floor should be white, even white leather can become stained and scratched.
- Use black sparingly, getting light colored fur off of black furnishings and pillows is never fun.
- Bold or bright colors will show more hair than softer neutrals.
- Absolutely no velvet anywhere! If your animal sheds, this might as well be a hair magnet.
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Posted by J. Chandelle, in General.
As the days get longer and the temperature rises, the need to change our interior environment also increases. We turn from wool and heavy upholstery, to cotton and linen. Dark, muted colors become bright and bold. As our lifestyles change with the season, so should our homes. There are a variety of ways to switch-up your home, but we'll start with the simple basics.
Windows are a good place to start, and can also be an economical consideration. With summer energy bills soaring, you will want to consider blocking out light as well as letting it in. For functional purposes, purchase "black out" shades or curtains (I like the roller blinds for summer use), and install them in as many rooms as you feel necessary. I mostly put them in rooms that are not used during the day so that I block out the hot sun from the room, this will decrease the amount of energy you need to use to cool your home. In rooms that are used the most, I remove the heavy drapes that blocked out the winter chill, and opt for light sheers to let in the light, but provide privacy. By letting in bright sunlight, I decrease the need to use ceiling lights during the day, which helps with energy cost as well. I prefer white or cream colors for my sheers, but light blues or bold stripe patterns can be a great deal of fun, and add oomph to a space.
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Posted by J. Chandelle, in General.
Blinds, draperies, and shutters are the most common home decorating methods for blocking out sunlight and trying to regulate the temperature of your home. Another idea is the use of decorative sticks as you see in the picture here. The decorative sticks seem to work well in this backdrop of an ocean view in a very sunny room. These rods are made of fiberglass with a resin coating. The base is made of French oak. Height: 70 ¾". Available at: Janus Et Cie.
I was looking at the new releases in ceiling fans from Modern Fan Company and saw one that caught my eye. Spanish designer, Jorge Pensi, is releasing the "Pensi" ceiling fan in August of this year. The Pensi has a throw back look that makes me think retro modern. This ceiling fan is available in gloss white, aluminum, or aluminum with a light. Along with the finishes is a large selection of fan blade colors to match the décor of your home. Measurements: base 6"; height 17". Available: here.
Did you ever wonder about the phrase "It's a classic"? Who determines what becomes a "classic", whether the item is a car, a book, or a piece of furniture? Society, consumers, and the industry from which the piece comes all factor into something earning the honorable title. The next question then becomes, where do these works of art come from? Innovators and visionaries also called product designers. Though product designers will draw up thousands of designs, sometimes only hundreds will go into production, and only a precious few (if any) of their designs will be deemed a classic.
I have actually had the pleasure of meeting one of these geniuses of the design world, and though I have idolized many of his furniture pieces (as well as his accessory collection), I was pleasantly surprised to find that Jeffrey Bernett himself didn't require the same adoration. Impeccably dressed and clean cut with bright watchful eyes, he seemed to enjoy watching the high society party that surrounded him at the opening of Dallas's B&B Italia Showroom, sponsored by Elle Decor. He was there as a special guest, and several of his furniture pieces were present. Jeffrey was a perfect choice for a guest designer, as he is the only American designer B&B Italia works with, and I was thrilled to get a few moments of his time to discuss his design process with him.
Continue reading "Interview with Famous Designer Jeffrey Bernett" »
Posted by J. Chandelle, in General.
