RGB WALLPAPER: A SYMPHONY OF COLOR

Truly astonishing: we are amazed by this wallpaper designed by Francesco Rugi and Silvia Quintanilla (Milan based "Carnovsky"). The two designers created this unique line of wall covering named RGB for Jannelli & Volpi, the famous Italian wallpaper brand. 


"Carnovsky say that they wanted to represent the antique theme of the metamorphosis intended as an unceasing transformation of shapes from a “primigenial chaos”. For this purpose they created a sort of catalogue of natural motifs starting with the engravings from natural history’s great European texts... This collection of motifs doesn’t have a taxonomic or scientific aim in the modern sense, but it aims to explore the real and the fantastic, the true and the verisimilar in the way medieval bestiaries did." (source: Yatzer)


Shown during Milan Design Week at the Jannelli & Volpi store, RGB is a collection of wallpapers that mutate and interact with different chromatic stimulus.
The overlapping of three different patterns results in surprising, disorienting images. The colors blend with each other and the lines and shapes are merged, creating somewhat of a symphony of color and form.  Each layer responds to a different wavelength of colored light.
The images on the wallpaper are created by layering three patterns (red, green, blue) - it is only possible to see each layer clearly if viewing through a filter.


Would you like this in your house?

All images: Luca Volpe (source: Yatzer)

TRIBAL TRENDS & BOLD COLOR

Trends come and go but it's always fun to incorporate some new ideas into home decor each year!
The Sherwin-Williams 2010 design trends forecast revealed several unique themes for this year, including color palettes reminiscent of Aboriginal and Native American cultures, Bauhaus inspired lines, European Old World distressed leather and bright 1960's style floral tones. We have also seen a trend toward earth tones; colors derived from minerals, rocks and plants. 
Look for unexpected colors created from historical natural dye developments such as “baby indigo” and “madder red”. We also love high shine lacquers and patents for pale and earth tones and metals with high shine - fantastic for an accent wall!


Here are a few great design elements that are in vogue this season:

- Curved sofas
- Tribal prints
- Distressed leather ottomans
- African inspired textiles 
- Earthy color tones for rugs
- Simple, understated sofas and chairs with clean lines and minimal detailing
- Modular furniture for limited spaces
- Oversized floor pillows in bright colors in bohemian designs
- Bright colored sofas (red, green or yellow) complemented by neutral-colored pillows
  Source: Associated Content

CURVED SOFAS:

Curved modular sofa (Opulent Items)

Constantini Design

TRIBAL TREND:

African-inspired home decor - incorporate elements made from stone, clay, woods and other natural materials. Muted, earthy colors add an organic feel.

"Tribal" color palette inspired by earth's elements.

Image: Pippa Jameson Interiors

Galia Gluckman is an artist who makes large-scale collages out of coloured paper. Made from small pieces of paper from old magazines and wrapping paper, she creates wonderful landscapes in color.

The Pupunya rug is inspired by the Indigenous Australian Aboriginal "Dot" Art". Created in a dimensional cut and loop pile in wool, this colorful rug tells mythic stories of tribal rituals (Malene B. Custom Handmade Carpets).

Market Women rug (Malene B. Custom Handmade Carpets).

A beautiful dining table with a natural feel:  The Y Base Slab Cocktail Table above in Bastogne walnut with a bronze base (Newell Design).

Genuine zebra hide and distressed leather (Keleen Leathers).

Studded leather screen (Jasper by Michael S. Smith).

Esedra leather pouffe (Poltrona Frau)

BOLD COLORS & PRINTS:

Trend: Bold colored sofas (red, green, yellow) and 60's patterns.

MM Design Associates

Eastern and African influences combined with European chic. Trend: oversized floor pillows. Interior designer Windsor Smith's backyard retreat in Los Angeles.

We incorporated glass vases in beautiful, bold hues and patterns to a neutral space to add interest and color.  MM Design Associates.

Image: Pippa Jameson Interiors

Mix metallics with colorful prints for a playful yet stylish look.

GOING GREEN - EARTH DAY 2010

Today is Earth Day - an opportunity to think of the environment in which you live, issues such as energy conservation, recycling and 'green' living. Most of us spend 80% of our lives indoors, so why not make healthy environmentally-friendly choices for the space you live and breathe in?

"Going Green" in interior design no longer means having to compromise on style. These days there are many green, sustainable choices in carpeting and flooring, fabric, tile, paint and wall coverings.

"Going green" can simply mean adopting an attitude of awareness about your environment.  It could mean choosing materials from a renewable source, opting for energy saving appliances or purchasing recycled /recyclable materials for your home. These days going green is easy - you can start by switching to efficient fluorescent light bulbs and painting with non-toxic low-VOC paint products.

We have chosen some of our favorite green design products that are both eco-friendly and beautiful:

The Kravet Green Collection is recyclable and made of 100% recycled polyester (a blend of post-industrial and post-consumer fibers). The fabrics are woven and treated with no additional chemicals. During the finishing process, water based products and environmentally approved dyes are used.

There are plenty of green flooring options on the market. Consider using reclaimed wood flooring, an environmentally responsible alternative to cutting down trees.Made from antique flooring saved out of demolished homes, old doors and barns, reclaimed wood floors give character and history to a home.

    Mountain Lumber Co.

Cork, a renewable resource, is another green flooring alternative, both durable and comfortable. The process of stripping bark from trees can be repeated every nine years throughout the 150 plus life cycle of the tree. Harvesting cork from the oaks actually encourages growth in the tree.

Cork flooring from ECO Friendly Flooring.

Recycled glass tiles are a great option for kitchen backsplashes and as bathroom tiles. Recycled metal tiles can also add an interesting textural element to your kitchen wall or floor. Recycled metal does not leave fingerprints like stainless steel does, making it a great option for families with children. Also, they are lighter than stone, very durable, and heat resistant (up to 300 degrees).

100% recycled glass tiles from Bedrock Industries.

Recycled aluminum tiles from ECO Friendly Flooring.

Eleek Tile

IceStone is a durable surface made of 100% recycled glass in a cement matrix, a great material for kitchen counters.

IceStone 100%  recyced glass countertop.

Graham & Brown's eco-collection is made from recycled papers and/or FSC-certified forest woods. The VOC-free (volatile organic compound) wallpaper is printed on paper from managed resources (for every tree chopped down, three are planted).  

There are many options for "green", low-VOC paint on the market. Stark has launched an environmentally-friendly ecological line of paint which is all water-based with zero VOC's and meet the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED standards.

image: Interior Design magazine

Several furniture companies are now manufacturing environmentally-friendly furniture. Lee Industries offers upholstered furniture with soy-based cushions, recycled fiber-filling for pillows, organic and natural fabrics, water-based finishes and sofa springs made from 80% recycled metal.

Lee Industries

STRIPES

We are seeing stripes in Interior Design more than ever before as there is a big nautical influence this Spring. Inspired by the French seaside look, St. Tropez and the French Riviera, deep navy blues or black paired with clean and crisp white is the new fun and flirty pattern in design. Think Coco Chanel in the 1930's or Audrey Hepburn in the 1960's with a modern twist.

Incorporating this stylish look in your home is simple: painted stripes can give character and unique style to your walls, add a striped rug or drapery in your living room for drama, or why not accent your sofas with elegantly striped pillows? Wallpapering horizontal stripes on the ceiling or wall of a long, narrow room can make it look dramatically wider. Fool the eye: vertical stripes on a wall make a room appear taller and horizontal makes a room appear wider. 

Here are a few of our favorite striped looks:

        

Above: Create a headboard effect with wide stripes painted on the wall. Continue the stripes across the ceiling for a highly unusual effect!

Left: Designer Joseph Abbati created a stripe that continues from the wall onto the floor. A highly glamorous and graphic look.

Wide horizontal stripes can modernize a traditional decor as well visually expand the room.

Above: Stripe Table. Designer: M. Marconato & T. Zappa (Atelier)
Below left: Kyle Bunting rug: A fantastic choice for a more discreet use of stripes. Below right: House Beautiful.

 

 

An optical illusion effect for the more daring: cover an entire room, from floor to ceiling, in stripes.

Stripes can be understated and elegant as an upholstered headboard (above left), or dramatic paired with black in a foyer (right).

 Living room by Nick Olsen for Domino Magazine. Roller shades painted with glossy black stripes become a dramatic window treatment.

 

Left: Domino Magazine                                          Right: Miles Redd

Homes and Gardens

The black and white striped floor covering above is paired with similar textiles and accessories. A stripe laid horizontally makes the room look wider. The turquoise-green wall color calms the bold look.

Pair stripes with other patterns to create extra visual interest in a room. (Domino Magazine)

Left: Striped shower designed by Eric Cohler.

 

Striped furniture: Winner of the Grand Prix Award at the International Design-Debute 2008 competition designer Jan Schreiner created a unique furniture design. ‘Chair STRIPE,’ is a modular, functional piece of furniture that responds to the ever-changing needs of modern users: a chair that can be converted into a tea or side table.