I LOVE Suzani’s. Native to several central Asian countries, these textiles are colorfully embroidered works of art. Generally made of cotton or silk, their patterns feature rosettes, floral motifs, birds, or ancient magical symbols. Simply gorgeous!
Sources: The Decorista, Pottery Barn, Joy Plotnik, Etsy, l’aviva, Once Upon a Tea Time, decorpad
Chevron. Honestly, it is everywhere! Chevron must seriously be on trend right now because I am bumping into it left and right. Just see for yourself.
When it comes to Art Deco, the word GLAMOUR says it all. A middle ground for modernism, Art Deco was geometric, streamlined, super sleek and sexy. This style occurred during the financial boom of the 20s-30s, but was short lived because of WWII. Examples of Art Deco architecture include the Chrysler Building, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, and hotels in NYC as well as Miami.
Characteristics of Art Deco include: rounded silouettes, glossy exotic woods, sunbursts, chevrons, zigzags, shiny metals, mirrored furniture, bling, bling, and more bling. Think Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Think flapper girls. Think King Kong. Think the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz.
Moving right along… Art Nouveau. Considered avant garde for it’s time, this style is an exaggerated expression of lines in nature. Nothing slow, straight, or simple here! Art Nouveau is intricately detailed with curling tendrils, stylized flowers, dragonflies, butterflies, peacocks, and women with flowing hair. The whiplash lines common to this style remind me of wildflowers dancing in the wind. Art Nouveau became especially popular in decorative arts such as metalwork, glass, jewelry, etc.
I love the complexity of this style, in moderation. Creating an entire room or house might feel too much like living in Rivendell (Lord of the Rings). What do you think?
Next up, Arts and Crafts. One of my absolute favorites, this style developed in response to the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century. At a time where machines were quickly replacing talented artisans with inferior products, the Craftsman Movement was about celebrating traditional skills and creativity as well as emphasizing the natural qualities of materials. Important names to note during this period are William Morris, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Gustav Stickley.
Qualities to describe the Arts and Crafts style: earthy color palette, natural materials and finishes (wood, stone, slate, leather), built in’s (cabinetry, shelves, benches), stained glass, dark/rustic hardware, beefy/tapered columns, handcrafted textiles and ceramics, and an overall emphasis on nature.
Honest to goodness, I love this style. Arts and Crafts is classic, a great balance of not-too masculine or feminine, it’s architectural, and I love the emphasis on nature. See for yourself.
Another popular style is Shabby Chic. The keyword here is WHITE. Characteristics of Shabby Chic include slipcovered furniture, vintage items such as linens, accessories, and furnishings, distressed pieces, as well as floral and toile fabrics. Although this style is often thought of as more casual, I would have a hard time letting down my guard with so much white. In a nutshell, I’d describe Shabby Chic as feminine, light, and airy.
HGTV does have quite the cast of some very talented people nowadays. My most favorite of all is Emily Hendersen, host of Secrets from a Stylist, and recent winner of HGTV’s DesignStar.
Besides being cute and a bit quirky, I am fascinated by Emily’s approach to interior design as well as the format of her show. Her “Style Diagnostic” and layered approach to personalizing a space certainly helps this design professional to think outside the box. Secrets from a Stylist offers oodles of information - a definite must see.
My MOST favorite episode to date was the Bohemian/Mid-Century living and dining area. This is me, to a T.
Next up - Orange! (Sorry Orange, you didn’t get much of an intro there). Orange is one of those colors that most people either love or hate. Personally, I have to admit that Orange has found it’s way into my heart.
From Red-Orange to Yellow-Orange, this color is known to suggest humor, happiness, encouragement, adventure, spontaneity, creativity, and abundance. A common element in nature’s palette, Orange is frequently represented as the undertone of many wood grains, soil/earth, sunrises and sunsets.
Hello again! I’m having such a great time with these colorful posts - hopefully you are enjoying them as well. Next in our series is what I would refer to as Blue-Green or Turquoise.
Although Pantone may have coined their “Turquoise” as Color of the Year for 2010, I wouldn’t consider Blue-Green to be out of fashion. After all Blue-Green encompasses a wide range of colors. For example, ”Quarry” is a hot color trend for Fall 2011.
Maybe it’s the soul of summer, but Blue-Green (or Turquoise) is really speaking to me. 
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