Sunday, February 28, 2010

Contemporary style

You might like a contemporary style of decorating if you like to keep current with styles, enjoy things that are modern, of today, right now.

While it's been thought that modern interiors are cold and minimalist, today's contemporary interiors are comfortable and welcoming without being cluttered and dark. It's a style that is equally appropriate for offices and stores, lofts and homes.

Fundamentally, simplicity, subtle sophistication, texture and clean lines help to define contemporary style decorating. Interiors showcase space rather than things. By focusing on color, space, and shape, contemporary interiors are sleek and fresh.

Neutrals, black, and white are the main colors in contemporary style interiors. The palette is often punched up and accented with bright and bold color. Black is often used to ground and define a contemporary style room. With walls painted in a basic neutral, you have a wonderful backdrop for bold colored accessories. If the walls and windows are painted in pastels, the trims should be neutral. If a wall is a bright, bold color, neutrals should be used everywhere else.

French country/shabby chic style

http://brabournefarm.blogspot.com/

For people who choose comfort over formality and appreciate an eclectic, mismatched look, the shabby chic French country look is a good option. The ever-popular shabby chic decor trend is spiffed up in its French country interpretation, still emphasizing distressed finishes and flea market finds, but opting for a richer color palette and more artisan touches. You can add a shabby chic French country element to a room with a change of paint or textiles, or invest in some vintage furniture that serves as a focal point.

The key hue in a shabby chic French country palette is antique white. Distressed, matte surfaces are appropriate in this style. Faded blues, purples, yellows and pinks work as wall colors, accent shades and furniture finishes.

Traditional style

Traditional style interiors are comforting and classic.

Upholstered furniture in a traditional room exhibits classic lines and understated details. It is functional, unfussy, and restful looking. Edges are soft, smooth, and blend into the whole.

Traditional style homes feel comfortable for any age group. It's a familiar look that you'd see in magazines or furniture show rooms. A traditional room is not a place to showcase a piece of modern art or stainless steel furniture.

Color in a traditional room is often in a mid-range of tones, though very dark and very light colors can also be used. Pretty multi-color florals are often the basis of a traditional color scheme that uses the lightest color on the walls and deeper hues for upholstery and flooring. Avoid neon brights and jarring combinations.

Accessories include pairs of lamps, urns, plants, mirrors, framed prints, china, vases, and collections of books. Pairs of objects are usually arranged in balanced symmetry.

Classic furniture

http://www.garancedore.fr/en/

A classic and elegant formal bathroom.

A classic bedroom furnished with traditional furniture.

The classic style is characterized by its very nature by a wide use of wood, especially furniture are cherry-wood and oak, as well as mahogany and solid wood; recall the Old and warmth’s wood are the fundamental characteristic of this style. This style is revisited today by artisanal production that makes it accessible even in contemporary environments while maintaining the value and flavor that only with an accurate woodworking can have.

The classic furniture is timeless and fills the environment with his compactness, does relive the warmth of a time and at the same time is a sign of prestige and sophistication. The craftsmanship embellish every detail so that there are showcases and beliefs from golden profiles well matching with shelves in marble and granite.

Eclectic Style

A Style For Those Who Want It All

Eclectic style is about mixing rather than matching, though all design elements should coordinate to achieve a look that is fresh and avant-garde. Eclectic style is the fingerprint of innovation and creativity. Borrowing from different sources and periods, eclectic style is a highly individualized style and is easily changed on a whim. A person with an eclectic style is a person with a lot of favorites who finds a way to indulge in them all. Purple and pink together? Why not? Modern and traditional furniture? Absolutely. The eclectic minded person finds a way to have it all and make it make it visually cohesive. Eclectic style is casual and approachable, making it a natural choice for home or business decor. The unexpected is always the focal point; here, the modern red pendant lamp gives the room a super hip and modern look, while the bubblegum pink walls vie for your attention. The cruel, hard edge of the desk is offset by the chair’s welcoming curves and plush fabric. Far from generic, eclectic style is the harmony in contrast. Experiment with eclectic style in your home; assess what you consider your “favorites” and unleash your inner artiste.

http://www.invitinghome.com/home-decor/style-eclectic.htm

Eclectic Great room

Megan and Mark Sutherland's home in Overland Park, Kans., strikes just the right balance between a gracious country house with old-world details and a relaxed family home that always welcomes. Drawing on her love of the English countryside, her sense of color, and her previous business as an antiques dealer, Megan made a new house (built 13 years ago) feel convincingly like a century-old home.

From http://www.countryliving.com/

Submitted by: FatIrene Decorates

The French Bedroom Company

http://www.frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk/

I visit Georgia Cons a once a year in her luxurious boutique home in Sussex, UK.

She is as elegant and as stylish as her designs and furniture.

The French Bedroom Company

http://www.frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk/

Luxurious fabrics

Named after a Paradise island in the Philippines, Borocay encompasses an eclectic range of prints, silks and weaves that co-ordinate perfectly with the wallpaper collection of the same name. These rich designs are perfect for both classic and contemporary rooms.

Silk Collections

Sanderson has created a collection of fine woven silk fabrics for decoration comprising of classic and contemporary designs that represent amazing value for money and superlative quality.

http://www.sanderson-uk.com/

Up close and personal

An ornate mirror is appropriate for a powder room, where it can be admired close up. Anchoring this small but elegant space decorated by Pamela Laney is an antique marble-top Louis-Phillipe chest that has been converted to a vanity. Antique French bronze sculptures dangling with crystals affix to toile Scalamandre wallpaper.