Eco-friendly home decor is trend to watch

I'm already getting a sense of what designers and others in the trade will see when they arrive for the fall furniture market in High Point next week.
A folder in my email account is stacked with announcements and images that are a preview for what's ahead.
It's so easy to focus on the visual brilliance in the home decor industry, but breathtaking design may come at a price to the environment.
I was reminded of that this week when talking with Fernanda Vergara at Tronk Design, a fairly new boutique furniture company that will bring its designs to the trade show for the first time.
Tronk uses solid walnut for many of its designs, which combine an industrial look with influences of midcentury modern style. But Tronk's new Williams dining table is not solid walnut. It’s made with walnut plywood, an alternative that has LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
“Walnut is everywhere right now,” Vergara said, explaining that its popularity is causing Tronk’s suppliers to be concerned about availability in the future.
Meanwhile, some of Tronk's clients are asking for ecology-friendly furniture. The Williams dining table is a step toward answering both concerns.
So now I've got a better sense of what to look for next week when I visit showrooms to get a sense of trends that are coming for spring. Environmentally thoughtful design is on the list.

Karen’s blog: http://homelifeclt.blogspot.com; on Twitter @sullivan_kms

What your wall colors say about you

Color has power over us. So the first step to choosing a palette for decorating could be to ask how you want the room to feel.
“You start to get an idea of the mood that they’re after, and color can enhance that,” said Kate Smith, chief color expert at Sensational Color in Ashburn, Va.
Smith is mainly a consultant to corporations. Her clients produce products in enough colors to confuse the average consumer. She steps in to help those businesses help their customers make the right color choices.
“Some colors make you feel calmer; some make you feel energetic,” she said. “Most people respond in those general ways, even if they don’t recognize it.”
I was fascinated reading about the psychology of color on Smith’s website. There’s much to recognize about ourselves, family members and friends just by looking at the colors in our homes.
Yellow, the color of sunshine (and much of my home’s interior), relates to happiness and optimism. Tranquil and refreshing green speaks of value for nature and community. Blue, a calming overall favorite, is for the trustworthy and committed. Purple uplifts and calms the mind. Creative people and eccentrics tend to embrace it.
Softer colors can help you relax. For a lively room, use intense hues and high-contrast combinations.
I’m feeling better now about painting our family room a flaming terra-cotta orange.

Karen’s blog: http://homelifeclt.blogspot.com; on Twitter @sullivan_kms

A paper chandelier says special occasion, but not too serious

Family gatherings, graduations, weddings, garden parties and cookouts. Hosting any of these events soon? If so, try not to get lost in the tactical details. Bringing people into our home doesn’t have to be all ... serious. Be playful where you can.
I was reminded of that when I saw a couple of colleagues making paper chandeliers for an office party here at the Observer. Love this idea. The chandeliers don’t actually provide any light, and that’s exactly what makes them so much fun. They’re pure whimsy – a little magic just for the moment.
I’ve been trying to figure out how I might hang one of these outdoors above a big, dressed-up table, maybe with a few lights or other ornaments. What a way to set the mood and create a focal point.
Chuck Cole, the Observer’s creative manager, found a basic template for the chandeliers online and added embellishments. He made them for about $60 each using foam board instead of paper and an X-Acto-style knife. (See how he did it in a slideshow here.) He also talks about making them in this video:



The idea, Cole says, is to make room for the unexpected in your decor. You could use plywood and paint to make a longer-lasting design, Cole says, but that would require more tools – and more skill.
So make your lists and look after the details as you plan each event, but find a way to put your heart into it, too. Your guests are sure to have a good time if you’ll do the same.

Karen’s blog: http://homelifeclt.blogspot.com and @sullivan_obs on Twitter

Color, imagination are top tools for celebrity interior designer Jeff Andrews

There's a good chance your weekends at home will be busy for the next month or so.
As many as 7 in 10 people are probably starting or making plans for spring home improvement projects, according to a recent National Home Design and Color survey by Sherwin-Williams.
Time with a paint roller is at the top of the to-do list for the most of the 1,400-plus folks who took the survey, or about 42 percent. Others were making plans for landscaping (39 percent) or redecorating (30 percent).
It's not surprising that painting is at the top of the list. It’s considered one of the most cost-effective ways to freshen up a room or make it look dramatic.

Great design depends on color, according to celebrity designer Jeff Andrews, who designed the rooms shown here. Other essential ingredients are imagination and inspiration, said Andrews, whose clients have included pop-culture figures such as radio and TV host Ryan Seacrest, the Kardashian reality show family and actor Michael C. Hall.
The bedroom is where most people (24 percent) wanted to focus their efforts. The living room or family room was a close second (22 percent), with bathrooms ranked third (21 percent).
Warm neutrals with accents in red, yellow or brown are one of the most popular combinations. But cool neutrals with touches of blue or green also rate strongly with consumers.
So choose colors that inspire you, focus on comfort and use imagination to finish the job.

Karen’s blog: http://homelifeclt.blogspot.com; Twitter @sullivan_obs

Vivid colors return in time for new year

I'm working on my list of things to mention when the conversation turns to New Year's resolutions and things of note from the year passing.
The best news, to me, is the return of bright colors. That trend will continue, as neutrals move to a back seat. Plums, purples and lilac tones are darlings for 2014.
The timing for this switch couldn't be better, as far as I'm concerned. Who wants to be surrounded by beige in an economy that's still sputtering along? Bring a cheerful tone into the room, and suddenly, everything around it seems to have more life and energy.
My resolution for next year is to learn how to operate my digital camera. I've been using point-and-shoot mode since I got it months ago. I signed up for photography classes at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. (See details here.)
All of you Facebook friends, no need to worry that the classes mean you'll have to put up with pictures of my morning yogurt parfait or victory shots when I've cleared a weedy section of my garden. Those pictures are already stored in my phone.
Speaking of smartphones, I spent more time than ever with technology in 2013. Maybe you can relate. We come home from a day at a computer only to pick up again – laptops, smartphones and tablets. I'm adjusting. To make that easier, maybe next year. I'll get a new case for my phone – something in a very bright color.

Sullivan: homelifeclt.blogspot.com; @sullivan_obs on Twitter