Capturing Mood

Living Room by Bunny WilliamsAn important feature of a successful interior design is setting the mood.  The mood can be warm and cozy, cool and light, fun and casual, or sophisticated and formal.  In other words, the mood is what gives the room personality.  Without mood, the room can turn out bland and forgettable. 

How does an interior designer capture a mood?  There are many tools that a designer can use.  The easiest is the use of color.  If you want to establish light and airy, the mood of spring, then you can use the colors of spring.  In the living room above by Bunny Williams, she applied a color scheme of sky blue, bright yellows, greens and whites, a spring-like palette.  Accessories are another tool used to establish mood.  Ms. Williams used topiary and graphic prints of flowers to remind you of spring. 

Bedroom by Catherine CleareIf you want to create a soft, romantic mood, then study designer Catherine Cleare’s ideas for a master bedroom. Cleare applied a variety of textiles to achieve her romantic look.  She used soft cottons for the bed canopy and added ruffles to the vanity and bed linens.  She also chose floral wallpaper to further the romantic effect.  Lighting is also another tool which a designer employs to create a mood.  Since a soft look is the goal, Cleare used several small lamps with linen shades to soften the light output. 

Living Room by Joe NyeMany clients want a warm and cozy feel in their living space.  To achieve this mood, Los Angeles designer Joe Nye applied a warm muted palette to his room.  He used an orange raffia wall covering by Phillip Jeffries to add warmth and texture to the space.  He chose dark woods for the furniture and mirror to give depth and warmth.  He also chose a tufted sofa which is very inviting and added several pillows for the cozy touch. 

Interested in learning more about interior design?  Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you will learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories. 

On the Radar: NYCx Design Week

View of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan

New Yorkers are gearing up for a big city-wide design month in May called NYCx Design.  Different venues in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens including galleries, museums, warehouses, and stores, will offer access to current designers across several fields. 

The Collective Design Fair will kick off the design month on May 8th at Pier 57, a huge industrial space.  The Collective, comprised of designers, curators, gallery owners, and collectors, founded and curated this design fair to showcase contemporary art and design. Some of the exhibitors will include:

• 21^st Twenty First – will present limited edition furniture.
• Casati Gallery – will show mid-20th century Italian furniture.
• Modernity –a leading design gallery in Northern Europe will display mid-century Scandinavian furniture – including those of Hans Wegner, Alvar Aalto.
• Wexler Gallery - showing fine art, sculpture, glassworks, and furniture

Ecosystems sofa-tableBrooklyn Designs begins their annual exhibit on May 10-12. Held at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Dumbo, Brooklyn. The show will display local designers of furniture, lighting, and accessories. In the above photo, Brooklyn-company, Ecosystems, displays their versatile furniture called the BADA - a table that transforms into a sofa - great for tight spaces. 

City museums are presenting special exhibits as well:  Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) offers After the Museum: The Home Front starting on May 10^th. This show will examine the museum’s role in presenting design to the public and how it could change. The MOMA offers an exhibit on applied design until Jan. 31, exploring the many diverse areas a designer may choose to work in – including video games, bioengineering, consumer products and furniture.

For more events and information, please check out the NYCx Design website. 

Interested in learning more about interior design?  Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you will learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.  

Lighting the Way: LEDs

Starflex and Connetix by SonnemanSleek, beautiful, modern are just some of the words that describe the LED lighting shown at the recent Architectural Digest Home Design Show. But equally important are the more technical descriptions: green, efficient, long-lasting. We discuss this lighting technology in our interior design course.

Light fixtures with LED lamps are appearing in many stores now and interior designers are finally recommending them to their clients. Philips, the big Dutch lighting company, has reported an increase of 38% in sales of LED bulbs over last year. 

Above is the flexible Starflex pendant from Sonneman. The arms hold LED-lamps that can move up and down in various configurations. On the wall is the Connetix sconce that are available in different sizes.  Below is the Axes lighting - available in singles or multiple arms, in sconces, pendant or floor fixtures. 

Axes sconces by SonnemanBrooklyn-based Bec Brittain offers their version of LED lighting in this hanging pendant called Shy.  Its multiple arms are lit with LED tubes and can be arranged in different ways that recall star constellations.

Shy pendant, courtesy of Bec Brittain

Interested in learning more about green design and lighting?  Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you will learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories. 

Graphic Power: Diamonds & Stripes

June and July Stripe pillows, courtesy of Pine Cone HillWhat do Annie Selkie, warm breezes, cool linens, and ocean blues have in common?  They all evoke the perfect summer vacation home!  But you don’t need to have a vacation home to achieve this sunny, relaxed atmosphere – just a few additions or replacements to your interior design will create the look.

Annie Selkie is a textile designer and owner of several companies, Dash & Albert and Pine Cone Hill.  Together they bring affordable rugs, bedding, and pillows to the home.  Above we have a summery June and July Stripe pillows from Pine Cone Hill, complemented with their herringbone matelasse coverlet. 

striped rugs from Dash & AlbertSelkie also designed a wide range of striped rugs in bright colors and varying stripe widths. There's one for every color scheme you may choose! The diamond rugs have different styles. The tribal rug below is Rhapsody in a woven wool material.  The multi-color diamond is the Harlequin and is a woven cotton rug.  The blue and white diamond is an indoor-outdoor rug in polypropylene – great for beach homes that have a lot of wet traffic. 

rugs from Dash & AlbertWe have discussed other graphic patterns in previous posts – take a look at Graphic Power for more inspiration and ideas.

Interested in learning more about accessories and floor treatments?  Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you will learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories. 

Sculptural Furniture

Diamond Cabinet from Boca do Lobo

Ever yearn for furniture that’s shaped more creatively like your jewelry? Tired of those boxy plain furniture pieces?  If you’re nodding yes, then we have the furniture for you!  As interior designers, we’re always on the lookout for the unique, and this sculptural furniture definitely break out of their box and catches your eye!

Above is Boca do Lobo’s Baroque interpretation of that coveted gemstone, the diamond. Finished in a glossy amethyst varnish, the Diamond cabinet flaunts faceted doors and sides, ending in gold-leafed lion’s head feet.  Below is the Manuel cabinet, gilded in copper leaf and styled in an ombre finish. The Manuel’s cubist surface reflects a city skyline and sits on top of turned mahogany legs. 

Manuel cabinet from Boca do Lobo

Robert Kuo designs very sculptural and organic furniture pieces.  Below, we have his Root dining table and stools, reminiscent of large tree roots and trunks. The base for the pieces is hand hammered and the stools are lacquered in a gold finish. 

 Root Dining table, courtesy of Robert Kuo

Root stools and Tree Trunk Dining Table by Robert KuoAlso by Robert Kuo, these O Table and Bench remind me of gold link necklaces. Beautiful!

O tables, courtesy of Robert Kuo 

Interested in learning more about furniture? Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design. At Sheffield, you'll learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.