Monthly Archives: June 2014

Now that 2014 is halfway through, watch for trend forecasters to spill what they are seeing in their crystal balls for 2015 and beyond. One of the first is Sherwin Williams; as they  unveiled their 2015 Colormix forecast last week at Neocon.  Jackie Jordan, SW’s Creative Color Director recently wrote a bit about the process leading up to the final selections:

Every February, the Sherwin-Williams trend team convenes in a large conference room in our Cleveland, Ohio, headquarters to start work on the yearly color forecast. We share our most significant research, deliberate over tremendous amounts of information, synthesize it into a set of well-defined concepts, then use them to validate the color and design directions for the coming months and year.

Despite the fact that it’s so dreary, overcast and frigid outside — or maybe because of it — the conference room really heats up, fueled by passionate conversation and spirited debate. Materials, imagery and color samples fairly fly around the room, as we assemble seemingly infinite arrangements. Success comes when we finally, finally — and collectively — agree which drivers affecting future design trends are meaningful, relevant and validated; that the design philosophies and sensibilities of the industries’ influencers support the drivers; and, most important, that our chosen hues are reflective of the consolidated findings behind each color story.

This year’s conversations wandered in so many different directions — from outer space to under the oceans, from Africa to Brazil, from Japan to Hawaii. Research covered just about everything: architecture, community, urban development, economics, consumer behaviors, sporting events, fashion, craft, culture, change, astronomy, growth, balance, unexpected humor and serendipity. And of course photography, print, pattern, texture, materials and product design played important roles in helping to reveal the upcoming color stories.

Here is the 2015 Colormix forecast starting with Unrestrained:

Unrestrained

Life is a Carnival, and we’re celebrating: from bold, ethnic-inspired colors, designs and crafts to the Bohemian lifestyle. But today’s wandering nomads aren’t starving artists — they’re fusing the carefree spirit of the gypsy with the sophistication of the jet set.

Artisans and purveyors of luxury goods are getting in the spirit, putting an irreverant spin on their work. South Africa and its colorful art scene exert a strong pull, while the 2016 Summer Olympics will rivet the world’s attention on Rio de Janeiro.

 Voyage

“To boldly go where no man has gone before.” That phrase was fantasy when it was born during the Sputnik era. Today we’re living it. The sci-fi dreams of the past have become everyday reality — from space tourism to undersea resorts. No longer confined to our earthly plane, we look to the beyond and find colors that are supernatural and magical.

Unusual atmospheric events, including a decade-best aurora borealis and a rare sequence of “blood moons,” will keep our focus on the heavens in the months ahead.

 Bouyant

Happy days are here again! We’ve weathered the recession. Our revived good spirits echo the optimism that followed World War II, when GIs returned home from exotic locales. Like that era, we’re expressing ourselves with bright florals, but today, our fascination with the tropics runs deeper. We’re exploring the secrets of the rainforest, applying the medicinal and cosmetic benefits of its botanical bounty. We’re looking to the natural world in other ways, too, incorporating green spaces into even dense urban environments — trusting in nature to keep our spirits bright.

Chrysalis 

Like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, we’re poised for change. As modern life and technology rush at us, we seek an oasis where we can find balance, mindful living and tempo giusto (the “right time,” or the steady, regular beat of the heart).

We look to earth and sky for inspiration, finding raw beauty in striations and gently blurred hues and patterns. Artisans break the mold, creating objects that aren’t what they seem. Shapes are layered and deconstructed. In this moment, silence is the greatest luxury, and metamorphosis is the mother of invention.

I love showhouses.  As a participant they are a grind, but as a visitor I always walk away with some bit of inspiration or a new idea or way to do something. Isn’t that why we go?   My thing is window treatments, so I am the one peeking behind the panel to see how it was hung or lifting up a hem to check out construction.  This year Kips Bay did not disappoint when it came to window fashion inspiration. I was really happy to see more going on at the windows than a pair of stationery panels hung from a rod and rings. Been there done that– way too many times.

So is the layering I saw  a signal that windows will play a bigger role when  designing a room in the coming months? Let’s hope so!

This year’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House made an unprecedented venue shift as it took over Manhattan’s quintessential mansion at 457 Madison Avenue, The Mansion on Madison. Situated in the heart of Manhattan, the famed building which was originally the north wing of the famous Villard House, is connected by a grand courtyard to adjacent luxury hotel, The New York Palace and steps from St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Designed and built by architecture firm McKim, Mead & White in 1884, the Renaissance-inspired Villard Houses were constructed by Henry Villard, President of the Northern Pacific Railway, to serve as six private yet connected brownstones. Renovated in 2011, the six-story and 26,190 square-foot Mansion on Madison boasts a grand staircase, landmarked hallways with marble floors, 16-foot high ceilings with elegant moldings, multiple Italian marble fireplaces, and a carved paneled room with barrel-vaulted ceilings. Here are my favorite inspirational installations at Kips Bay:

Alexa Hampton’s Sitting Room Folly

Moroccan  inspired cornices over panels frame the arch windows of the room. Contrast woven metallic jacquard banding is found on both the drapery leading edges and hems and the cornice. The scale of the cornice is masterful; making the window become a focal point in this room.

What you might have missed is the smocking tape pelmet at the top of each cornice.

Darryl Carter’s Sitting Room

Darryl Carter was inspired by the collected home concept and used it as a starting point to build a wonderfully layered room. I love the canvas between the windows and his take on “combination treatments” mixing paneled shutters and linen Roman shades with banding on the sides.

Young Huh’s Moody, Glamorous Powder Rooms

Young Huh transformed a freight area into a ladies and gentleman’s powder rooms. The wall covering is hand blocked fabric . ( See two of the blocks used to print the fabric on the window sill.) The wainscoting in patent leather. With a lot going on, Huh kept the window treatment simple; it feels like a kimono to me with draped pelmets banded at the hem for definition.

Inagro’s Study in Contrasts

First off – gorgeous Palladian windows. Second- I love the twist on traditional sheers and panels by using flat scrim panels with weighted hem bars. I love the contemporary mood it sets and how the light filters through shadowing the window architecture.

Juan Montoya’s Untitled Living Area

Same windows and similar look , but this time Montoya turns the scrim into a flat Romans and adds inset banding on each side in black.

Kristen Kelli Living Area

Kristen Kelli are know for their love of gold mixed with pops of bold color. These geometric stepped cornices are edged on all four sides in gold nailheads accenting the metallic grasscloth wallcovering .

Cullman and Kravis’ Bedroom

Love the appliqued band on these panels in Cullman and Kravis’ bedroom.

William Gregoris’ Library

With Saint Patrick’s Cathedral across the street and the windows overlooking it; Gregoris took inspiration from late Cardinal Spellman. As his rep, Sara Farevaag, noted, Spellman was “a supporter of Richard Nixon, Joseph McCarthy, and Broadway choir boys,” so the ultra dark and sumptuous reds (claret, burgundy, cerise, Chinese and blood reds are all here) ring with an almost disturbing opulence.”

Almost an after thought , because there is a lot going on in this room- the draperies are red silk with large bands on the hems and leading edges in Royal Stewart tartan. The taped headings are also faced with the tartan and the treatment is held back with antlers.

Matthew Quinn’s Kitchen

Last but not least,  I LOVE these valances by Matthew Quinn inspired by St. Pat’s and made from pipe organs.  They are mounted into sheet metal frames and inside mounted. Genius!

What’s your favorite?

For several years, it seems that the only variation to decorative pillow design is the fabric choice or what we call pattern driven design- standard pillow forms in poly or down mixtures; covered in solid or graphic patterns with knife edges or maybe cording . B Decorative pillows at the higher end have surface embellishment of trims and fabrics applied to add dimension or pattern. Where we’re moving is toward engineered design- the look of the pillow is dictated by the structural pattern of the design.  Fabric is combined, cut and sewn in a specific way to achieve  the desired look. With in this overriding trends are several themes we’ve spotted when it comes to what’s trending in decorative pillows. Here’s our cliff notes version.

• Creating pattern by manipulation- particularly stripes and trims
• Dressmaker details focusing on frayed and exposed edges
• Notions taking the spotlight like buttons, zippers, buckles and toggles
• The outdoors comes in- extending product durability and longevity
• Personalization
• Artisanal Collections- both figuratively and literally

To get the full monty , watch out Take Ten video below: