Thursday, December 17, 2009
Celebrating the Season
The Oviatt-Pratt showroom puts on its holiday decor. Stop in and see our new Bedding display but together by Lauren. So inviting that you'll want to climb right in.
Monday, December 7, 2009
KSL Segment - Holiday Decor
Today I went to KSL to shoot my "Alternate Holiday Color Schemes" segment on Studio 5. What a blast. Their studio was all done-up for the holidays and the other guests on the show were doing all kinds of fun cookie treats and other holiday gifting ideas.
I've attached my write-up which appears on the Studio 5 website as a web article. Below are a few pictures from the segment as well. It's a great priviledge (and a personal thrill!) to be on air with Brooke & Darrin and I hope I'll be able to go back again soon.
Poinsettias, Amaryllis, Holly & Ivy, Christmas Trees, Santa’s hat – The holiday season is so easily associated with two dominant colors, red and green. With tradition meaning different things to different people, why not create your own holiday color scheme? Better yet, plan Christmas decorations to work with your existing décor, even if it means breaking from that standby red and green.
Designer Lauren Oviatt shows us three non-traditional colors schemes and gives us tips on how to take what each of us love about holiday decorating and make it a personal reflection of our own style.
Create an opulent feel without overwhelming the space by decorating with a limited color scheme of silver, green, and chocolate. Wrap pieces of wide taffeta ribbon in varying shades of caramel and brown around your garlands and throughout your Christmas tree. Ribbon adds a richness and texture that ornaments never could. Mercury glass ornaments are readily available in many shapes and sizes and are great element in this color scheme – their reflective qualities create the illusion of more light and add that “sparkle factor.” **Tip: Use white poinsettias, paperwhites, ivory candles and other cream accents to soften the impact of the silver while maintaining the look you’ve created.
Blue and silver have always been a popular combination, (think icy winter wonderland) and can easily be carried over into New Year’s Eve festivities. A more modern idea is to use aqua, sky blue, or lime green accents for a monochromatic yet colorful punch. For those who have furnishings in a more cool color palette, blue can be a great addition because it too is “cool” in tone.
Orange is a very unexpected holiday color, but one that is deeply rooted in tradition. Cloven oranges, also known as pomanders, go back as far as wassail. A friend of mine always had an orange in the ‘toe’ of her stocking each year. They make a fabulous addition to wreaths and centerpieces, whether they are cloven or not. Plus, they are in season, so enjoy them & then eat them! Orange paired with cream and green makes for a very traditional scheme, where orange paired with pinks or lime green creates a very energetic and youthful look. It can be fun to have a secondary or kids tree with this kind of scheme.
Other ideas for high-impact holiday design:
* Use lots of greenery and metallics. Be creative and place left-over ornaments and greenery in a decorative container for a fabulous and easy centerpiece.
*Collect something you love. Much of the fun during the season stems from annual traditions ranging from collecting pinecones outside in the yard to shopping for a new ornament each year.
*Combine multiple ribbons for interest. Use either different textures in the same color scheme or varying colors in a similar style. Try them tied around your wreaths, packages and garland for a cohesive style from room to room.
* Embellish what you already have. Year-round accessories can be punched up and highlighted by adding ornaments, holly berries, or sprigs of leftover evergreen.
* Group items for impact. A silver tray that rests on your coffee table is the perfect place for an assortment of candles, ornaments, or holiday magazines and books.
Friday, September 18, 2009
KSL Segment - Finding Your Style
This week I was invited to do two segments on KSL for the "Home Decor" week... part of "Find your Style" month on Studio 5. Brooke and Darrin invited three designers to fill out the theme with segments on identifying current styles, finding your own style, and incorporating your style using what you have.
My segment Tuesday focused on getting deeper into the differences between the five current styles I identified: Transitional, Mountain Traditional, Coastal, Contemporary, and European.
You can click here to view the page and video on Studio 5's website - or watch from here (and read my article below)
With great local boutiques and online access to thousands of furniture, accessory and bedding resources, these days it seems overwhelming to design your own tasteful, personalized spaces - there are just too many options! The problem is not that we can't finding things we love, it's that when we start combining those things… we can end up with something a little off, a little too, je ne sais quoi, eclectic?
Here is a list of the most current styles right now. With a few resources and tips to get you started, you'll be able to identify your style and suddenly, your rooms and spaces will become pulled together and cohesive.
Transitional
Transitional seems to be the "in" word these days in the design world. Simply, transitional is a twist on classic traditional design. In this style you'll see the use of very traditional and enduring furniture in tables, hutches, and accent pieces. The transitional twist is to pair these pieces with upholstered furniture that is covered in lighter-colored (mostly neutral) and more current fabrics. In this style we see the use of color in bold strokes, either by throwing dramatic toss pillows on a neutral sofa or using a patterned upholstered headboard that pops against an otherwise all white bedroom. To finish things off, transitional spaces use current accessories, such as mirrored furniture, metallic accents, glass objects, things that are eye-catching and spark conversation.
Mountain Traditional
As much as we don't like to admit, Utahns have a reputation for being a little slower to trend and more hesitant toward change. Many Utah homes are the same way! There is still a very strong trend toward what I call "Mountain Traditional", a style that combines cabin living with high traditional design. Here we'll see darker wood-stained furniture, heavy casegood pieces (casegood is design-speak for "tables, dressers, chests, hutches, etc., wood furniture), rich and heavy fabrics on sofas, drapery, rugs and bedding that is often deep colors of red, gold, sage, and other warm dark tones. You'll often see the use of accessories and details like tasteful antlers or fur, antique leather books, worn brass lamps and fixtures that finish off the style.
Coastal
Alongside Transitional, Coastal style is very big right now. "Coastal" is the new "cottage." Most of the country lives too far from the coast to have authentic beach-homes, however, we're seeing elements of this style used all over the country! This style is simply categorized with the use of lighter color palettes. Whitewashed or muted painted cabinets or casegoods, heavy white millwork in baseboards and crown molding, and the use of light wall colors are key identifiers. Instead of heavy fabrics, Coastal style lends itself to natural fibers and softer, washed fabrics… think jute rugs, linen upholstery, sheer gauze-like drapery, and overall less formality in design. The trick to staying away from too "romantic" or "cottage-y" of a space is to choose your furniture and upholstery with cleaner lines and shapes in mind. Cut out the fussy and ornate carvings, too much appliqué, and other overly feminine details.
Contemporary
For those who love the feel of loft-living or more industrial spaces, Contemporary is your style. This design style is categorized by the use of concrete floors or countertops and other hard surfaces, metal accents in furniture and accessories, abstract pattern in fabrics, and overall more bold design choices. Contemporary can be difficult because many people think anything goes - and that is certainly a misconception! Be careful to choose pieces that are still complimentary of one another. Those who love contemporary are drawn toward more minimalistic design and furniture that has strong square lines and dramatic features. Color wise we see both the use of very strong bold hues working together or very little color at all - the key is in the shapes and the feel evoked as a whole.
European (French/English)
The European style is probably the most enduring style of all. Think of very traditional elements using antiques in furniture, accessories and art. Fabrics that coincide with this style are classically paired, various layers of texture and color in large-scale florals and toiles combined with smaller-scaled checks and gingham patterns. Pastoral or floral artwork and wallpaper are used often in this style. Look for rich use of color in true primary tones like cherry red, royal blue, and colonial yellow. Tables, chairs and other wood pieces are typically finished in a medium stain or painted in historically muted tones.
My segment Tuesday focused on getting deeper into the differences between the five current styles I identified: Transitional, Mountain Traditional, Coastal, Contemporary, and European.
You can click here to view the page and video on Studio 5's website - or watch from here (and read my article below)
With great local boutiques and online access to thousands of furniture, accessory and bedding resources, these days it seems overwhelming to design your own tasteful, personalized spaces - there are just too many options! The problem is not that we can't finding things we love, it's that when we start combining those things… we can end up with something a little off, a little too, je ne sais quoi, eclectic?
Here is a list of the most current styles right now. With a few resources and tips to get you started, you'll be able to identify your style and suddenly, your rooms and spaces will become pulled together and cohesive.
Transitional
Transitional seems to be the "in" word these days in the design world. Simply, transitional is a twist on classic traditional design. In this style you'll see the use of very traditional and enduring furniture in tables, hutches, and accent pieces. The transitional twist is to pair these pieces with upholstered furniture that is covered in lighter-colored (mostly neutral) and more current fabrics. In this style we see the use of color in bold strokes, either by throwing dramatic toss pillows on a neutral sofa or using a patterned upholstered headboard that pops against an otherwise all white bedroom. To finish things off, transitional spaces use current accessories, such as mirrored furniture, metallic accents, glass objects, things that are eye-catching and spark conversation.
Mountain Traditional
As much as we don't like to admit, Utahns have a reputation for being a little slower to trend and more hesitant toward change. Many Utah homes are the same way! There is still a very strong trend toward what I call "Mountain Traditional", a style that combines cabin living with high traditional design. Here we'll see darker wood-stained furniture, heavy casegood pieces (casegood is design-speak for "tables, dressers, chests, hutches, etc., wood furniture), rich and heavy fabrics on sofas, drapery, rugs and bedding that is often deep colors of red, gold, sage, and other warm dark tones. You'll often see the use of accessories and details like tasteful antlers or fur, antique leather books, worn brass lamps and fixtures that finish off the style.
Coastal
Alongside Transitional, Coastal style is very big right now. "Coastal" is the new "cottage." Most of the country lives too far from the coast to have authentic beach-homes, however, we're seeing elements of this style used all over the country! This style is simply categorized with the use of lighter color palettes. Whitewashed or muted painted cabinets or casegoods, heavy white millwork in baseboards and crown molding, and the use of light wall colors are key identifiers. Instead of heavy fabrics, Coastal style lends itself to natural fibers and softer, washed fabrics… think jute rugs, linen upholstery, sheer gauze-like drapery, and overall less formality in design. The trick to staying away from too "romantic" or "cottage-y" of a space is to choose your furniture and upholstery with cleaner lines and shapes in mind. Cut out the fussy and ornate carvings, too much appliqué, and other overly feminine details.
Contemporary
For those who love the feel of loft-living or more industrial spaces, Contemporary is your style. This design style is categorized by the use of concrete floors or countertops and other hard surfaces, metal accents in furniture and accessories, abstract pattern in fabrics, and overall more bold design choices. Contemporary can be difficult because many people think anything goes - and that is certainly a misconception! Be careful to choose pieces that are still complimentary of one another. Those who love contemporary are drawn toward more minimalistic design and furniture that has strong square lines and dramatic features. Color wise we see both the use of very strong bold hues working together or very little color at all - the key is in the shapes and the feel evoked as a whole.
European (French/English)
The European style is probably the most enduring style of all. Think of very traditional elements using antiques in furniture, accessories and art. Fabrics that coincide with this style are classically paired, various layers of texture and color in large-scale florals and toiles combined with smaller-scaled checks and gingham patterns. Pastoral or floral artwork and wallpaper are used often in this style. Look for rich use of color in true primary tones like cherry red, royal blue, and colonial yellow. Tables, chairs and other wood pieces are typically finished in a medium stain or painted in historically muted tones.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
KSL Segment - Relationship/ Design Style
What a great idea to bring design and relationships together! Today's segment featured Studio 5's relationship contributor Matt Townsend as he talked candidly with us about 'struggles' couples face where their own home design is concerned. It was a treat to be a part of such a fun piece. Click here to watch or click "play" below.
Monday, August 17, 2009
KSL Segment - Be Relaxed
Today I went back to KSL to record a live segment on Studio 5. The show's theme this month is "Be Relaxed" - and my segment revolved around ways to relax in the bedroom. We talked about design tips and techniques along with various products and concepts that evoke sensory reactions. I displayed three different nightstands; each with its own decor and products/accessories.
I had a wonderful time, again! I'm thrilled to be a part of the show and excited to return in September for the "Find Your Style" week featuring Home Decor.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
KSL Segment - Fresh Summer Bedding
Today's segment was on Quick Tips for a Fresh Summer Bed.
To get the ‘hotel look', simply fold your fitted sheet down over your coverlet or duvet - it adds instant appeal and shows off a great pattern or color underneath.
• Pare down the pillows! Instead of layering lots of small decorative pillows on the front of the bed, choose one or a few ‘statement' pillows that are larger in scale. They'll stand alone and cut your time making the bed in half!
• Another option: Fold a heavy coverlet at the base of the bed. Layer a light quilt or textured blanket across the main area of the bed.
• Whites and creams are the best neutral! They'll match anything and are the first step toward brightening the bed.
• Don't be afraid to mix stripes and florals - just keep your color palette in mind and have fun experimenting with the things you love!
• A light palette doesn't necessarily mean a feminine palette. Look for linen and cotton fabrics blends with a more tailored design like box pleats, pillows with minimal fringe, sheets and duvets with stitch detailing instead of added ruffles.
To get the ‘hotel look', simply fold your fitted sheet down over your coverlet or duvet - it adds instant appeal and shows off a great pattern or color underneath.
• Pare down the pillows! Instead of layering lots of small decorative pillows on the front of the bed, choose one or a few ‘statement' pillows that are larger in scale. They'll stand alone and cut your time making the bed in half!
• Another option: Fold a heavy coverlet at the base of the bed. Layer a light quilt or textured blanket across the main area of the bed.
• Whites and creams are the best neutral! They'll match anything and are the first step toward brightening the bed.
• Don't be afraid to mix stripes and florals - just keep your color palette in mind and have fun experimenting with the things you love!
• A light palette doesn't necessarily mean a feminine palette. Look for linen and cotton fabrics blends with a more tailored design like box pleats, pillows with minimal fringe, sheets and duvets with stitch detailing instead of added ruffles.
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