I love the new lines of paper and fabrics from Jane Churchill. They’re a contemporary departure from her more traditional patterns. Lonsdale embraces the return of foils - something that was quite popular in the 1970’s. If foil isn’t your thing, her Calder and Caro Collections works with Lonsdale and come in a wide choice of colorways.

I find that some of my clients shy away from bold wallpaper patterns, fearing they’ll overwhelm a room. I feel quite the opposite. Large patterns can really make a room zip. Here are some tips on how to get it right.

• Flat surfaces will always show an over-sized design to its best advantage, so avoid using it on a wall with lots of picture molding that will break up the image.

• An intense, large pattern will look lighter with a diaphanous fabric on the windows.

• Carry the design through-out the room. Use the print from the walls on things like upholstery or bedspreads or a bedskirt. This will create an intimate feeling.

• Use a large print on the walls, ceiling and at the windows. In a smaller room, such as a bath, this looks great.

• Use large graphic motifs to create artwork by framing it. Or to create the illusion of a headboard.as works of art in their own right by framing them.

• Strong contemporary colours bring traditional prints such as damasks and toiles up to date.

Jane Churchill designs are available through your favorite designer. Don’t have a designer? Send me an email and I’ll get them for you.

This chair remind me of bridge construction. It was designed by Marcel Wanders for Droog in 1996. It’s now produced by Cappellini.

It’s made of macramé knotted carbon and aramide fiber cord with an epoxy resin finish. Each chair is shaped by gravity and the hands that made it. Sort of like a suspension bridge - right? You can find it at Unica Home for $3,890. Cheap!

I have a graphic designer friend who would love one of these trays from Carolina Cottage. These decoupaged beauties are made of wood, measure 9-1/2″x6″  and are covered in a variety of papers.

You can find then at her Etsy Shop where they sell for $21.00 each.

Sorry Misterarthur, but I’m in love with someone else. He’s Lazy, but has long…. lines. And he’s too good looking to pass up. I could lay on him all day. Yes, I’m going to marry this sofa from Swedese. 

My bridesmaids will be Catifa Chairs. And my flower girl will be an Aalto stool. In a few years we’ll have several side chairs - maybe some that match! So I’m off to Mezzanine to arrange the happy occasion.

The spacious, contemporary interiors in this classically designed beach house offer a nice juxtaposition of styles. You can mix the two and still create a harmonious atmosphere. This Martha’s Vineyard home was featured in Coastal Living and I thought I’d share it with you today.

“The interiors defer to the spectacular scenery with low-profile furniture, muted fabric colors, minimal window treatments, and a neutral hue for the walls, trim, and ceiling.

Ample windows embrace a breathtaking panorama of Vineyard Sound, the Elizabeth Islands, and Cape Cod.

In the sun-soaked master bedroom, a webbed chair and bench recall outdoor furniture, uniting the room with its surroundings.

The adjustable sconce for nighttime reading and a shelf that fits neatly over the headboard eliminate the need for a bedside table.

Soft blue and gray glass tiles continue the house’s subtle color palette in the master bath, echoing the ocean hues that can be seen from every window.

The house’s open floor plan allows for views from every living space, including the dining area, which features a classic old farm table that was brought over from London.

Visitors can soak up sun in modern chaise lounges that outfit the side deck, or descend the long wooden stairway to the sandy shores of Vineyard Sound.”

I need a Chum Bucket vacation!

via: Coastal Living
photo credit: Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

Here’s something that I thought would be fun and get a good conversation going. Take a look at this room and tell me what you think. Specifically, I’m wondering whether you think the room should be repainted. Are the faux vines too Last Century? Or, considering that the windows allow the garden to become part of the room, perhaps the vines still work - even though this sort of faux thing is really an out of date trend.

Here are a couple of other things to keep in mind. This house will be sold (assuming the mortgage crisis is resolved by then) in about four years. And, the price to have this room painted could feed a small nation for a year. Is it worth the money to repaint? One suggestion I’ve already received is to paint only the doors and leave the walls alone.

What would you do if this were your house? What color would you paint it? There is no right or wrong answer.  I hope everyone will have fun, cast their shyness aside and weigh in with their opinions.

Kirsty Anne Powell is the creative genius behind textile designs from Oromono. In the eight years since she graduated (with a first class honors degree in textile design) from Loughborough University in England her career has taken off like a rocket. More about Kirsty in a minute. But first, she’s kind enough to offer Design Hole readers a 20% discount. Details at the end of the post.

Kirsty began her career as a freelance textile designer and stylist in London. After styling within the industry for a year, she moved to Amsterdam. Living in such a creative city surrounded by such inspirational design, Kirsty decided start her own label and set up her own textile design company. Now that takes real guts in a city so devoted to design.

Paper & Ruffles Collections

Kirsty designs three-dimensionally with textiles to create sculptural forms. By manipulating fabrics with various techniques Kirsty created a range of individual collections that add their own unique style. Each textile design concept was then developed into home and fashion accessories.

Texture Collection (my favorite)

The Oromono label was launched in 2004 at the Maison en Objet Fair in Paris, where it immediately sprung into the limelight by winning the award for the best newcomer in Textiles.

Blooming & Stitch Collections

Can Kirsty make a wrong move?
No! Especially because she’s offering all Design Hole readers a special 20% discount on all orders.

Just enter the word HAPPY when you place you order online. You can also order via phone by calling 917-338-7568

Personally, I love the Texture collection and the slippers. What’s your favorite?

For the third time international design and art galleries are presenting much sought-after design classics and exclusive products as part of the Design Miami exhibition at the Art Basil fair in Switzerland. This year, they’re focusing on limited editions of contemporary works. It’s all in the attempt to further the notion of design as fine art. It receives a lot of attention in the specialized press. I think Brad Pitt recently bought some of these pieces and, of course, the press made a big deal out of that. At any rate, there are now few designers who don’t offer their works for sale in art galleries or auction house. Which brings me to today’s chair.

Archiduchaise is a creation by the Belgian aluminium specialist Xavier Lust, who has already created a stir with his ingenious designs for MDF Italia. “Elegant as a baroque crinoline,” says Lust. “The lower structure of this cantilever chair stretches well beyond the seat, which gives this sculpture its figure-like appearance.”

I’m not sure how I feel about design as art. I absolutely agree that some designs belong in a design museum. And a chair can certainly lend itself to being an object d’art if it’s placed and lit properly. I just hope the whole movement doesn’t get carried away into total pretention. I hate a poser. I don’t want to hear an interior designer try to talk a client into buying some ego-laced sofa because “it’s high art.” A sofa will always still be a sofa - no matter how groovy it may be.

I’ve been putting this off for as long as I can, but I feel it’s time to let everyone in on something personal. I have a wonky hip that might need replacing. But maybe not. The surgeons (3 of them!) are trying to figure out exactly what’s going on. I tore the cartilage in my hip socket a few years ago and then walked around on it while I shredded it to bits. I had surgery last year to fix it and it worked like a charm. But the pain has returned.

How could someone so young be in this position? Well, it’s because when I was younger and even younger than that, I did a lot of this (below) starting at age 5.

I wasn’t as good as these girls, but all the pounding and stretching took a toll. Beyond dance and gymnastics, if you name the sport, I’ve probably done it. Then I discovered yoga and started doing this.

Really! Though that’s not a picture of me! I could put my legs behind the head and everything. I thought I was totally too cool for school.

Until the day…

I moved something heavy and my cartilage snapped. Anyway, the point of this is to let you know that I have to undergo a bunch of diagnostic procedures in the very near future. I’m also in some pain, which gets very annoying and makes it hard to concentrate and sleep.

Which means there will be days (sort of like today) when I won’t be able to write. However, I also expect that this be resolved soon and I’ll be back to my normal life before you know it.

I hope you guys will stick with Design Hole! I’m not going anywhere and expect to be writing almost every day. I just don’t want you to wonder where I’ve gone when I miss one.

Anyway, now you finally know why I’m an expert on chair comfort.

Here’s a quiz for everyone. What famous chair does this remind you of?

This is Spectrum’s Metropolis Chair. It was designed in 2005 by Roderick Vos. Its principle use is in the commercial marketplace. Frankly, it doesn’t look so comfortable. So in a waiting room, where you hope you’re not waiting too long, it would look great.

I hope to have more information on my fascination with comfort tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Melissa Summers believes that it’s okay to have a glass of wine during the day, which makes her my kind of gal. She’s also a fellow blogger and a Detroit suburbanite – just like me! However, we have yet to meet in real life. Whether or not we ever get around to it may depend on how well I do with her design dilemma. The pressure is on.

“I’m struggling with my front room,” says Melissa of her rented town home. “It has great bones, a huge window and I love our new sofa. I found a chair and a desk I like at thrift stores we also have a shelf my husband built with his brother. But…

The mantel is not my taste (very traditional) but it can’t change it at this point. I like the general vibe but it’s so boring. I would like to paint the desk and accent the bamboo on it. What color? My husband is saying white, I’m not sure if it will go with the black bookcase.”

Melissa would also like some advice about how to pull the room together with accessories she can take with her. Here’s what I’ve come up with.

Creating a focal point
Melissa wants to paint the desk as her first step. The problem here is that she’s running head first into my number one rule, which is to choose paint colors last. So, I suggest that she create a focal point with artwork over the fireplace first. Then, paint the desk to coordinate.

There are lots of ways to do this without spending a fortune. My favorite way is with photography. Here I’ve used a photograph from Olya Photography. Her images sell for $70 for a 20”x30” print. I’ve approximated that size and added a 4” mat. Other options include taking four close-up photos of flowers, or other colorful objects. Have them printed in a large format at Kinko’s. Buy Fjallsta frames ($19.99) at IKEA and hang them in a grid.

I like the mercury objects on the right side of the mantel. Remove the fruit, divide them in two and place them on either side of the mantel. Focal point accomplished.

Painting the desk
Melissa wanted to do something with the desk that will highlight the bamboo. To accomplish this, paint these features an accent color, such as red or hot pink. Then, paint the entire desk dark brown. (See my post on how to paint laminated furniture here). Then, sand off the brown to reveal the red. BUT…

This won’t look contemporary. I think the desk would look much better either all brown or painted a funky color that coordinates with the art, such as a burnt orange. The photo, above, is my very bad attempt at depicting the red under brown thing. White will be too loud. Don’t go there.

Melissa mentioned that she likes orange and has some orange accent pieces elsewhere in the house. Because Melissa might move, it’s smart to choose things that can happily fit into different room settings. She can combine them later if need be.

Accessories
I have a photo of some linen curtains from Restoration Hardware. They’re a nice neutral in a standard size. This is important if you want to have any chance of using them again elsewhere. However, I had an idiot moment and just  found Melissa’s photos which head this post. In the interest of time (and because the above idea is generally a good one) I didn’t redo the image.

But I think inset panels will work better than drapes with this window. Get out the trusty sewing machine and make up some ivory semi-sheer, pleated or gathered panels that will fit into the window casing and rise just above half-way. This will provide privacy and a contemporary look. It also uses a minimal amount of fabric, so the cost is low. You can find a great semi-sheer fabric over at Haberman’s.

I’ve chosen some pillows for the sofa that will tie the artwork in with the rest of the room and add some more color. The long pillows are from Rose & Radish. The square pillow is from Paper Cloud. Finally, hang the mirror over the desk and use the poster over the bookcase. This spreads the color throughout the room. The mirror will look great near the mercury objects.

That’s it. I think these simple things will tie this room together nicely. I hope Melissa likes my ideas, but I invite everyone to weigh in with ideas and resources of their own.

One of my favorite home stores here in Detroit is The Bureau of Urban Living. They’ve started a new initiative called First Thursdays. It’s a special day whereby they set aside a percentage of sales to benefit a particular Detroit charity.

This July 3rd, proceeds will benefit efforts to save the old Tiger Stadium. The store will be open late, until 9:00 PM. Mark your calendars and I’ll see you there.