An Interior Design walk on the Wild Side!

Do you want to take a walk on the wild side with your decor? Seems like I am seeing a large use of zebra patterns in the design world right now.

 When I was a little girl, my parents took me to South Carolina to visit with some friends. I remember being totally fascinated with their home. It was very modern, but what really got my attention was the zebra rug. Remembering that house now, it would fit right in with todays design style.

Zebra Rugs can be used in a variety of styles from very traditional, eclectic or contemporary.

Zebra rugs are often used on bare floors and sometimes they are used as accents on top of larger sisal or sea grass carpets/rugs.

 

Zebra patterns are not just for floors either.

  

wallpaper

Zebras come in colors too!

Here are some fun facts about Zebras:

Each zebra has its unique stripe pattern—like human fingerprints.

• Zebras take dust or mud baths to get clean. They shake the dirt off to get rid of loose hair and flaky skin. What's left protects them from sun, wind, and insects.

• Zebras have their own “smile”—a bared-teeth grimace that is a greeting and helps prevent aggression.

• Zebras are attracted to black-and-white stripes. Even if stripes are painted on a wall, a zebra will tend to go stand next to it!

• A zebra's eyesight at night is thought to be about as good as that of a cat or an owl.

Are you ready to take a walk on the wild side?

Source: Pinterest, Style at Home, Conspicous Style, Design Chic, Classic Chic Home, Eclectic Revisited

The Colors of Mardi Gras!

We celebrate Mardi Gras this year on February 21st. It is a time of parades, beads, masks and costumes and festivities.

Mardi Gras marks the last day of the Carnival season, a period of rich feasting and frivolity which follows Epiphany and is the day before Ash Wednesday when Lent begins. It’s a floating holiday and the date of Mardi Gras varies slightly because it must fall 47 days before Easter Sunday.

Mardi Gras celebrations have their origins in the ancient Roman festival, Lupercalia. It is considered the last great indulgence before the 40-day fasting period of Lent.

Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday.” Fat Tuesday started back in 1857. Then in 1872, some business men invented a King of the Carnival named "Rex." Rex is chosen each year by the School of Design in New Orleans.

The first Mardi Gras parade in the United States was in 1837. The first “throw” (beads or small trinkets) happened in 1871 when a krewe member dressed up as Santa Claus and tossed gifts to parade revelers. (Krewe is a non-profit organization or club participating in a parade.)

It was the first Rex that selected the colors of Mardi Gras and the significance they hold. The colors of purple, gold, and green have their roots in political and religious arenas.  Purple stands for justice, green for faith, and gold for power.

You might want to think about how you could use the colors of Mardi Gras in your home!

Here are some pictures to spark your imagination on how you might go about it! A little pop of purple, gold and green or an entire room the choice is yours!

Celebrate Good Times

Source: Blue Mountain, Pinterest

Maison & Objet or "I love Paris!"

I love Paris in the Springtime....

but the design world loves Paris in January. In fact this year Paris in January on the 20th - 24th was the place to be for Maison & Object.

For those who do not live and breathe design, this is where you find the newest and best of Design, home-fashion, objects, tableware…anything and everything for the home. This is where the trends start and this year everywhere you looked were distressed old wood, bright colors, faded patchwork rugs, white lacquer, brass and chrome, tufting, nail heads, taxidermy, skins and fur, horn, lucite and lots of leather! This year the displays were incredible. There was plenty of eye candy for everyone to indulge in, so much that I can not begin to show you all the photos that are floating around the Internet! But I will try to give you an idea of what is coming our way!

Did I say the displays were a bit unusual and over the top?



Something for everyone!

Keep your eye out and see how these are interpreted when they hit

the states in the future!

sources: Jody Seivert, Patricia Gray, Elements of Style, Design Mixer, Confessions of a Design Geek, Vladimir Kagan and Dwell

Designs that are... Born in the USA!

I will give you a minute to get the image of Bruce Springsteen out of your head! I am talking about furniture, fabrics, wallpaper and accessories that are USA created. Back in October there was a big hype at the High Point Fall Market about the rebirth of "Made in the USA." This emerging trend carried on into the January Market at the Americasmart in Atlanta.

Over the course of several years the American furniture industry has gone from making ‘world class’ products to shutting down plants and outsourcing hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs overseas . A new study from the Economic Policy Institute found that America has lost 2.8 million jobs to China in recent years because of failed trade policies.

But America is open for business again, so lets take a look at some of the companies that carry the Born in the USA label!

Lee Industries:  History of Lee Industries

Hickory Chair Company: History of Hickory Chair

Stickley Furniture: History of Stickley

Habersham Furniture: History of Habersham Home

Harden Furniture:  History of Harden Furniture

Lazy Boy: Lazy Boy History

Duralee Fabrics: History of Duralee

Kravet Fabrics: History of Kravet

Lee Jofa Fabrics: History of Lee Jofa

Thibaut Wallcoverings and Fabrics: Thibaut History

 

Urban Electric Company: Urban Electric Company

So the next time you start to make a purchase for your home, consider buying

And if you need help in making that decision, call me!

(Where did that come from?)