Getting ready for Spring in your home

Have you noticed with the warm weather this winter that we are all looking for an early spring. I feel this is also true for our homes. I just created a garden room in my Maplewood store. I think plants and spring colors help with the depression that winter often brings. Now is a great time to add a pop of coral for spring on the walls or in a pillow. Go buy some herbs and start then now in your kitchen windows. Now is a time to turn to spring!!!

Fabrics give you a pop

If you have been watching HGTV or looking at Design NJ or Traditional Home magazines you will notice rooms have become a lot more neutral. The gray palate is still with us but this year it has shifted to more of a brown gray. Trim is super white and walls are pale grays or whites with a tinge of color. It seems that we are only getting pops of color right now. Often that color comes from fabrics.  Soft surfaces like pillows, window treatments and table runners, napkins give us our style. This is why I have devoted 3 shows to fabric. Fabric is more important that ever. Weather it be an upholstered head board or fabric dining chairs. It is the fabric that brings the style to our spaces. For more on this topic tune in to Modern Design on Hunterdon Chamber Radio live on Wednesday from 10- 11 am or anytime on the podcasts.

Fabric can be transformative

When I go into a fabric store to look for a new project I am often overwhelmed at all the possibilities. I really love fabric, it inspires me. Other than paint, there is no other surface that will change your home more than new fabric. It can be a window treatment or upholstered furniture or even just a pillow. Great fabric can make a room sing!!!

Wood can be hot!!!

In preparing for my radio show each. I take myself shopping and observe what seems to be trending. Yesterday when I said I better start exercising, I switched to sneakers and walked the mall. I noticed that there were several new stores and they all had one element in common. That element was the use of wood. I have noticed the look of wood is really popular right now.  Whether its rough wood, reclaimed wood, white birch or cork wood it hot! I seem to see wood wherever I go. Natural elements are great because they are trending, but will never really do out of style.  I am even seeing the wood look in fabrics and upholstery. For the complete story tune in on Wednesday to Modern Design on www.hunterdonchamberradio/design.

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When to take down the Christmas tree

I am often asked as a designer how long after Christmas is it socially acceptable to keep the Christmas tree and the decorations up.  After all January is dull and bleak if you live in the northeast.  The glow of lights often helps with depression in the darker winter months. Here is my answer. If it makes you happy take decorations down slowly but by the 3rd week in January you need to be done. Please savor these last moments of the season.

Christmas Time is Here

There is no better time to be creative than the Holidays.  There are so many ways to decorate for Christmas. There are so many design trends that fuel Christmas. This year we see a lot of Birch Branches and Mercury Glass. We also see a lot of metallic this year. Christmas is personal however and you should do what is personal to you. Make sure you put personal things on your tree. make your Christmas reflect your own tastes and style.  The best thing is to visit during the holidays and everyone does something unique and different.  Everyone have a happy and safe holiday and a happy New Year

Christmas Roses

This weeks blog installment and radio show is all about floral accents at Christmas.  There are so many things that make Christmas beautiful.  Things like bunched red roses, boxwood garlands, scented pine cones, wild dogwood branches, holly, paper whites and many others. Take the extra few minutes to add these elements for the season. The beauty and scents you create now will be memories for your holiday

 guests for many years to come.