Interior Design Resources: Houndstooth
Have you caught the fever for houndstooth prints? This bold pattern is a terrific way to instantly update a room – taking it from blah to groovy, baby. Here are some options and inspiration.
Black and white houndstooth goes well with pinks and grays. Why not go bolder and team it with yellow or red? Purple would look smashing. Don’t forget a silver metallic wallcovering to complete the ’70′s look.
Here are some fabric options I picked up at the Design Center last week. Each comes in several colorways. From the left is: Schumacher’s Chatham Houndstooth, in Espresso (100% linen), Greeff’s Brayden Houndstooth, in Saddle (100% cotton), Schumacher’s Martin Houndstooth, in Onyx (100% cotton). Contact me for prices.
FLOR offers All Bark and No Bite ($16.99 per square) comes in five colors. It’s a subtle option.
Not so meek is Jonathan Adler’s Zebra Houndstooth Rug ($1,050.00). It comes in black and brown. Adler also offers the same prints in a rectangular shape.
This storage bench is from Target ($189.99). Buy two square trays and you’ve got a great coffee table. You can play it safe with black, or go crazy with screaming yellow.
Did you know that you can major in interior design and specialize in car interiors? There’s more to it than you might think. The designer behind Kia’s Soul, is one groovy hipster.
Here’s another colorway to consider. I found this lamp ($49.99) at Bed, Bath & Beyond. Stunned? I was.
This is a very nice chair from Overstock.com. Priced at a mere $295.00 I’d snap up two.
Two more fabric choices are both from Schumacher. On the left, Langley Houndstooth, in Pepper (a soft gray in 100% wool). On the right is Chelsea Chenille in Jet Black. Contact me for prices.
Finally, two pillows. The brown is from Bassett and is on sale for $39.99. The black option is from Ballard Design and sells for $119.00.
Friday Favorite: Jane Hornsby Cushions
I’m dedicating this Friday Favorite to my friends, Jeremy and Mariana. He’s from London, but loves his new home in the US. Even so, I think he’d like these beautiful cushions from Jane Hornsby.
I like them because they’re not the usual souvenir sort of thing. They’re made with velvet appliqu?©s. And they’re fun as well as good looking.
Jeremy, or his wife Mariana, might like this cushion. I do.But Mariana is from Australia. Hmm…
Some Love anyone? Love the color combo here.
This may be a little too feminine for Jeremy. If Jane makes a Manchester City cushion I know he’d buy 20 at least.
Jane Hornsby’s cushions come with a feather insert at start at about $99.00 US. Shipping is free in the UK. She ships everywhere.
Cushions are a terrific way to change the look of a room. Or add that little something extra to round out your design. But I have a feeling you already knew that. Right?
Decorative pillows by Nena Von
Home accents designer and Etsy shop owner, Nena Von, sews up some terrific accent pillows. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Nena uses higher-end fabrics for her pillows. This lumbar style is made with fabric from Romo ($30.00).
She has a good eye for putting things together. And I like her choice of fabrics and colors.
The cut velvet lumbar pillow (above) is my favorite. Her down pillows come with the insert. At $20.00, that’s a steal.
In addition to pillows, Nena sews up memory boards and has another shop featuring accessories for the nursery.
Clarissa Hulse’s jewel-toned fabrics and wallpapers
A happy surprise at ICFF was discovering the work of Clarissa Hulse. Her interior design products are sold in shops throughout the world as well as her own shop Online.
Clarissa began creating fabrics from her home base in the UK in 1992. Her line is now extensive and includes wallpapers, bedding, and pillows.
I love her jewel-toned fabrics and wallpapers which are hand-screened onto linen and silk. Her fabrics come in upholstery and “soft home” weight (that means a lighter weight for curtains, pillows, etc.) and are sold by the meter.
One of my favorite fabrics is Virginia Creeper (above). It comes in four colorways. Briar (below) comes in six. Love that one, too.
These chairs are awesome! I’m also showing a peek at her bedding line and gifts, like notebooks.
Something else that’s cool about Clarissa is that she’s a Hulse, which is my maiden name. I don’t often run across it. I guess that makes us cousins, doesn’t it?
Moxy Crochet
Helping people to support themselves and become independent is a growing phenomenon in depressed regions of Africa. 
Moxy Crochet is part of this growing trend. The small company (only seven people) are from the Khayelietsha neighborhood of Cape Town, South Africa.
They work from home to create blankets, pillows and handbags. The team members work from home and meet every two weeks to exchange materials and news. Laura Summs, the chief designer of Moxy Crochet, pieces the elements together herself.
Moxy Crochet’s products are made from locally dyed cotton, wool and mohair. Each item is one-of-a-kind. They make their blankets in a standard size, but take custom orders.
To find out more about Moxy Crochet, or to place an order, visit their site and contact them directly.
It seems that crocheting is making a comeback. I think it’s the brighter colors that make these blankets so appealing.
Does anyone crochet? I’m thinking of learning how, since all I can knit is one long thing. This seems easier to do and to make something usable. Is it easy to learn?
