I read this terrific interview with West Elm’s Angel Dormer on William Sonoma’s Professional site, and thought I’d share it with you on this very busy Monday. Enjoy!

As West Elm’s “resident design and style guru,” Angel Dormer is always scanning her New York environment for talented local artists, cool patterns and hot trends. Her findings shape west elm’s signature blend of vintage modern and limited edition designs. We caught up with Angel on a shopping and brainstorming spree to ask her where her ideas come from.

As west elm’s “resident design and style guru,” it seems like you might have an eclectic, creative role there that’s hard to pinpoint. How are your vision and sense of color used at west elm?

It is definitely not a cookie-cutter role! My full title is Style Manager for Color and Concept. My job is to pull together key concepts and colors that inspire each season. This includes setting the direction for print and pattern. It also involves collaborating with the design team and getting all of our ideas off the ground. This is fun from beginning to end! It is always interesting to see how one idea can grow into something much bigger. We collaborate with artists, and sometimes a little group of painting’s can become a pillow, rug and dinnerware collection. For instance, one of our favorite textile artists painted the artwork for our Watercolor Flower Duvet Cover and Shams that we also used to create the Boho Flower pillow.

In your own words, how would you describe the west elm aesthetic and design mission?

Our mission is to offer people unique, affordable designs that help them create personal and inspired living spaces. We help artisans earn their livelihoods by collaborating with the global crafts community from near and far. We also strive to get a little greener everyday! What’s really rewarding to me personally is finding new talent and giving them a platform to tell a fun story.

To give us a sense of how a designer-at-work operates, can you tell the story of one of the pieces you designed, from inspiration and conception to final product?

I enjoy going to the Antiques Garage Flea Marketin Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. A co-worker and I loved one of the sellers there who did these great collages. We started a conversation with him and eventually had him come to our design office to meet about collaborating with us for our Fall 2010 season. We commissioned him to do a group of artwork just for us and printed it on silk pillows, dishes and wall art. That artist is Mike Miller, and he is featured now in the store, catalog and web. It was great to see how a little Saturday visit to the flea-market inspired an entire season!

The rituals of creative people are always fascinating to us. Do you ever get blocked and, if so, what sorts of rituals do you have to re-inspire yourself?

Getting a good night’s sleep for starters! When I have free time I go to galleries. I am always inspired by art. I also love interior design blogs and magazines, and there is nothing like an afternoon at a museum! Inspiration shopping – getting out there and going to stores and wandering in different neighborhoods in the city – always gets the ideas flowing.

Color is confusing for many. As a color expert, what advice do you have for people don’t naturally have a feel for color?

Color can be a big subject, but have no fear! Color is really personal, so it is best to always begin with your favorites. Start by going through a design magazine and tearing out what you like. Just listen to your heart and go with it. You will start to see a common thread. You can also use contrasting colors to your advantage. For instance, if you favor neutrals and earthy colors, it is always fun to pop it with one bright color

Paul and I ended out discussion with some dirty talk. How to wash the sheets, that is. He’s got a few tips on shopping as well.

DH: Is it important to wash linens with special detergent?

PH: What you have to watch for in detergent is chlorine bleach.  Chlorine bleach kills cotton fabric.  It not only yellows the fabric, but it breaks down the fibers, causing the sheets to have a shorter life. They pill and rip more easily. There are many good detergents on the market. Just avoid any that contain chlorine bleach. Use an oxygen bleach instead. We have a page on our site dedicated to this subject.

DH: I iron my sheets, which has spoiled me forever. What makes an ironed sheets feel so much better?

PH: It brings out the crispness of the cotton or linen of the sheet.  The same way a nicely pressed piece of clothing becomes the person, the nicely pressed cotton or linen makes one feel “extra special” when crawling into bed.  It could also have something to do with the fact that extra attention was given to get this fabric just right.

Paul’s Tips on How to Buy and Wash Bed Linens

• Educate yourself about the various types of sheets. Do you want percale or sateen?¬† A specialty store can tell and show you the difference.
• Know and trust the merchant who is selling you the sheets.¬† If it sounds too good to be true, it generally is.¬† Will they stand behind their product?¬† Have they been in business a long time?¬† Will they be there tomorrow?¬† Those who have a long history tend to take the business more seriously, and offer better quality than others.¬† Sometimes price leads the way. If it doesn’t, shop at a specialty store that carries the best quality possible.

More shopping tips and all about washing after the jump.

• Forget about thread count. It is not an indicator of quality. It used to be, when all yarns were the same, but no longer.¬† A higher thread count today has nothing to do with the quality. You have to know the manufacturer (we‚Äôve been at it for 118 years). The best Egyptian cotton yarns are used.

• Jennifer’s shopping tip: If you’re like me and buy white sheets, buy 2 sets and rotate them. They’ll last longer and you’ll always have a fresh set.
• Launder your sheets in warm water. Make sure you sort the colors. [Jennifer here: I wash my sheets separately]
• Never use chlorine bleach. Pre-treat and use an oxygen bleach instead.
• Yes, sheets can go in the dryer. But don‚Äôt bake them! A hot dryer is the worst thing you can do to fine linens.¬† The heat breaks down the fine fibers.
• Dry sheets in a cool dryer for about 15 minutes, then check on them.¬† It is okay to remove them while slightly damp. If you have the space, dry them until they’re “just” dry and hang them to dry the rest of the way.
• Never dry clean sheets – always have them laundered.
• Jennifer’s last word. If you don’t have time to iron your sheets, at least iron the cases. It wouldn’t take that much longer to iron the first 2 feet of the top sheet. Your bed will look really great.

Thanks, Paul for a great interview!

Have any questions about what to look for when buying and/or laundering sheets? Put your question in the Comments Box and your answer will be revealed.

Thanks, Jillian!

From the start of this season’s Top Design, one designer stuck out as the obvious front-runner to us. With stints at Alexandra Champalimaud & Associates and Nathan Egan Interiors, New York-based designer Nathan Thomas displayed an approach to design that would enhance any loft. Following a well-deserved win on the Bravo series, he has now launched his own eponymous design firm, Nathan Thomas Studios.

We had the opportunity to ask this season’s Top Design winner a few questions about his artistic sensibility.

LoftLife: First things first: Season One’s finale was a loft challenge and you were tasked with a nondescript townhouse. Which kind of space do you prefer to work with?

Nathan Thomas: In comparing both finale spaces, the loft of Season One and the townhouse of Season Two, I would have to say that the loft speaks to me more in a designer’s vocabulary versus a townhouse. I find the architecture of cast iron or old warehouse with soaring windows to be full of personality and possibility.

The bones of a real loft space are historical, and conjure up ideas of modernity and sophistication. I tend to view architecture of the late 19th century and its prospects of re-purpose as so relevant today. Although I was very happy with outcome of my town home in the finale, I feel I only achieved that by channeling an idea of a more architectural spirit. It was a builder’s home, void of character and personality. This is the true test of a designer/decorator, however. The ability to look beyond what may be a dull and vacant space and transform that into something special and unique.

LL: Your artwork tends to be such a striking focal point. What draws you to a piece? When do you work it into the design process, at the beginning or the end?

NT: When decorating interior spaces, whether they be commercial, residential, private, or public, artwork plays such a crucial role in the outcome and total package. I have always been deeply connected to art and have never felt like a room should be designed around art. Rather, the art is the piece de la resistance, the bonus, the firework!

Read the rest here.

Here’s the start of the interview:

Creative director of the storied Italian furniture manufacturer Moroso, Patrizia Moroso was in San Francisco on Thursday morning at the Dzine showroom to chat with the press about the history of her company—founded by her parents outside Milan in the 1950s—and what we can expect in the future.

A disarming, unpretentious woman, Moroso chattering about this Parisian showroom or that trip to India or how this is her first ever visit to San Francisco. Dressed in a colorful top, loose pants and flat shoes, with short burgundy hair and chunky glasses, she looked like any Italian mother and seemed at greater ease than the bubble skirted, pastel tied and perilously high heeled in attendance. We spoke after things quieted down and I found her pleasant, personable, and happy to chat.

To read the rest of the interview, scoot over to the Dwell blog here.

Design Hole: What makes Aura special and why should customers be excited about it?

Sonu Mathew: To begin with, resin is the “glue” that binds the liquid together.  Benjamin Moore is distinctive in that it makes its own resin.  The secret to Aura’s technological advance is the all-waterborne colorant system which Benjamin Moore created – Aura, the paint, only becomes whole once the colorant is added.

Aura is quite simply the finest paint we’ve ever made- and considering we’re celebrating our 125th anniversary, that’s saying a great deal in our perspective.  Aura relies on a proprietary technology that our technology group developed over the course of three years.  In a way it’s like deciding you’re going to make the best cake the world’s ever seen, but you decide not only to make it from scratch, but to create a new combination of amazing ingredients to do so.

Our goals in developing Aura were to create a highly durable paint that can meet or even exceed federal regulations for volatile organic compound (VOC) compliance while being offered in unlimited colors. This is key because across the industry traditionally, if paint became environmentally responsible it was with some sacrifice.  We’ve developed a product that has become stronger through our technology while achieving our goals.

Design Hole: What were your goals with regard to Aura?

Sonu Mathew: We had several, such as durability. Our patented Color Lock Technology essentially allows color pigments to be “locked in” to the resin.  With our water based paint and water based colorant, the two work well together and the pigment is protected and so we end up with very usable features such as minimal color rub off and burnishing.

Essentially, you can brush up against it without worrying about color coming off the wall or leaving your mark on the wall. Durability also allows the surface to be washable and scrubbable. Also, since the color is locked in, you can touch up seamlessly after you’ve painted. The color will match perfectly.

Improved coverage was another. You’ll never use more than two coats, regardless of the color Рeven reds. And, if you need a second coat, the first will be dry in about an hour, so you can complete your project faster.

Design Hole: Low VOCs was another goal wasn’t it?

Sonu Mathew: Yes. Aura has low VOCs. We looked to the West Coast, as they adhere to the most stringent regulations on VOCs and we made sure that Aura met those regulations first. VOCs are naturally occurring in our environment at all times. They’re the “off gassing” from new furniture, a new car smell, carpets, etc. Basically, our effort to reduce VOCs is similar to the reason you wouldn’t want your children around when you are using a kitchen cleaner. Clean, fresh air is what we want to linger in our environment.

Design Hole: Typically, low VOC paints are limited less saturated colors. How is Aura different?

Sonu Mathew: Where other environmentally focused paints are limited in their color choice, Aura can be made in any of our 3500 colors. A little known fact is that VOCs are measured for a can of paint before it’s tinted or colored to the color of your choice.  Essentially, when you add colorant to it, traditionally, that colorant has it’s own VOCs that are now being added to and therefore increasing the total VOC content in that can.

In other words, you may have started out being green-focused, but end up with a can of paint that has more VOCs than you anticipated. With Aura, our colorants are entirely water based and have zero VOCs, which is why we’re able to say it’s available in any color without increasing the overall VOC content of the can.

Design Hole: Oil based products have such a beautiful, brushless look to them. But, due to their high VOCs, they’ll soon be a thing of the past. How does Aura compare to oil?

Sonu Mathew: No product can be an exact replica, but contractors who used Aura say it’s one of the closest alternatives on the market today.  Our various finishes from matte to semi gloss offer you the choice of luster and sheen.

Design Hole: What’s the best way to create a sense of depth to a painted surface? Can this be achieved without a special technique? In other words, does Aura have more depth than traditional latex?

Sonu Mathew: As you referenced, one way to create depth to any painted surface is to use special techniques (an entirely separate interview, indeed!).  With Aura, we created a new set of colorants all together- they are sophisticated and complex with a natural depth to them.  We also introduced a color collection called Affinity to really play up these properties in the technology.

Affinity is an amazing collection of 144 colors that are quite beautiful.  They’re what I like to call chameleon colors, because you can essentially pick any 3 of the 144 and they will (about 9 times out of 10) work together and the color formula is such that the colors shift and adapt slightly according to the colors you combine it with.  Is Wenge a plum or a chocolate?  Well, it depends on the context, so you always have a look that’s your own.

Aura has a quality about it that I’m not sure can be described in technical terms Рit simply looks like it’s integrated into the wall itself and so offers a depth unlike anything I’ve seen in paint.

Design Hole: Does Aura require any special or extra prep work?

Sonu Mathew: Actually, Aura is a self-priming product.  For a minimal number of colors, we would recommend a partner primer product called Color Foundations.  However, by and large, Aura eliminates the need for priming.

Design Hole: Does Aura look different on the wall? For example, would an eggshell Aura finish reflect light differently than eggshell latex?

Sonu Mathew: Generally, paint will always appear differently on the wall than on a chip and depending on the sheen, you again have variations.  A couple of rules of thumb:
- A higher sheen will reflect more light off the surface and so will appear lighter than it’s lower sheen counterpart.

- When selecting a color for the interior, the color you choose will be influenced by your lighting situation and will appear slightly darker on the wall than your chip.  It helps to select an interior color against a white background.

- Alternatively, when selecting a color for the exterior, the color you choose will be influenced by natural daylight and will appear slightly lighter on the building/home than your chip.  It helps to select exterior colors against a black background.

- A trick to working well with Aura Рdon’t overwork or roll back into the coat that’s already drying.  Simply roll or brush once and let the paint do the rest.

Thanks Sonu for taking the time to answer all our questions over the last three days. Aura sounds amazing and I can‚Äôt wait to give it a try on my upcoming hallway project. You can read the first two posts to find out Sonu’s color forecast for 2009 and to learn about color palettes.

I’m wondering if anyone has tried Aura yet. If so, what was your experience? Send pictures!

Today, we’re talking about color palettes and the most popular color choices at Benjamin Moore. Here’s what Sonu had to say.

Color Palettes & Favorite Colors

Design Hole: Color palettes are a hot ticket these days. Creating them is the number one request I’m asked for in my Design Dilemmas, a regular feature on my blog. Do you have any thoughts on how this trend emerged?

Sonu Mathew: I can imagine how many people find your advice invaluable!  We’re all looking to make color our own and personalize it.  Anyone can have a red dining room, but when you pair it with an orange ceiling and copper accents, you’ve made it your own analogous scheme that will surprise your guests.  I think it has a lot to do with both self-expression and the fact that people see in fashion and auto design the power of color in context.  That same red dining room would feel entirely different if paired with pale blue table setting and camel colored upholstered chairs.  Our clients are having fun and looking to experiment to create the right “Mood” for their space.

Design Hole: What advice would you give a homeowner who wants to ensure their room colors work together? Is there a something you suggest they start with?

Sonu Mathew: Really, I always say, “Start with what you love.”  If there’s a painting, a vase, a quilt, a heritage piece such as a chest, look at the colors, textures, patterns, and finishes in that item for inspiration.  Draw from that as a starting point because at the end of the project, you have simply amplified something that you were passionate about to begin with!

Design Hole: My number one rule in decorating is to choose the paint last. If you had to create a rule, when it comes to choosing color, what would it be?

Sonu Mathew: When you select color, look at it against a primed surface (NOT against the existing color in the room) and in context with the other things that will go into that room & you’ll find the right color for you.

Design Hole: What are the best selling colors at Benjamin Moore?

Sonu Mathew: Actually our best sellers are many whites – we have 180 toned, tinted and off-whites – since so much white is used when you account for ceilings, trim and other architectural features:

The top five whites are:

Our perennial favorite collection is our 174 Historical Color Collection, which debuted in 1976 for the country’s bi-centennial and are an interpretation of the historic palettes found in historic houses under the auspices of the National Parks Service.

Our top colors start with:

A Final Question on Color Forecasting

Design Hole: Before we end today, I have a question about Color Pulse, your forecast directed to the trade. Specifically, it predicts colors 2 years into the future. What factors do you look at to create a long-term prediction?

Sonu Mathew: Color Pulse is a very special forecast that is directed exclusively to the industry because many professional projects and industry introductions require time to bring to market.  Our color and design selections in the publication revolve around year round research conducted by our North American Creative Design Team of Color & Design Professionals at Benjamin Moore.  We look at many of the factors I mentioned before in the US and abroad.

We literally attend fashion shows in France, design shows in Germany/England, or furniture shows in Italy, as well as paying attention to our own backyard and reading up on issues of the time. The influences are global and the result is local.  Our goal is to evaluate color and design introductions in global markets and anticipate what evolutions will come in the next two years.  We’ve enjoyed great success through Color Pulse over the last several years with designers coming back to purchase the upcoming forecasts.  Also, industry professionals- designers of interior design related products such as tile, carpet, laminates, etc. reference our forecast for their work.

Tomorrow Sonu and I discuss Aura РBenjamin Moore’s innovative new paint. Stay tuned!