Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Green is the New Black
Remember when Brown was the new Black? Well it appears that Green is the new Black. Not so much in color but in statement. The direction of fashion dictates the direction of home textiles and decor. Right now the fashion trends seem to be moving towards ethical, organic, and sustainable fabrics for clothing. As a society we are becoming socially conscious and environmentally savvy. There are a number of books out in the marketplace that discuss the topic and are worth the read. First is Tamsin Blanchard’s Green is the New Black
and Mathilda Lee’s Eco-Chic. Another new book on the market is Kate Fletcher’s Sustainable Fashion and Textiles. If you want to learn more about the direction that the fashion industry is moving I recommend you read one or more of these books so that you can determine which direction you plan to move in and whether or not you plan to follow the latest trends.Labels: Ecology, Fashion Trends, Green is the New Black, Market Watch, Outdoor Living Spaces, Outdoor Style, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles, Textiles, The Green Movement, Weather Resistant Fabric
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Simple Ideas to Make Your Patio Feel Revived!
Are you looking for some easy and inexpensive ways to update the look and feel of your patio? A very simple idea utilizes a little bit of time and energy but not too much money.The first step is to move the existing furniture pieces to a different location or place it in an alternate arrangement. This is the simplest way to accomplish a new look and feel. This past weekend while I was home with my family, we decided to reverse our deep seating pieces to create a fresh and new look. We simply moved the 3 seat sofa to the opposite side of the firepit, then moved the loveseat to the right of the sofa on the side of the firepit, previously it was directly facing the sofa, and lastly we changed the position of the two spring based club chairs.
This change did not alter the amount of space that we previously were using for this setting. The area now appears to be more spacious, however, this is just an illusion. Yet, it accomplished so much. Now when you look outside you see a completely different outdoor living space. The sofa is welcoming and the space between the club chairs opens up the area for people to enter. Of course we also rearranged the colorful outdoor throw pillows on the sofa, love seat and club chairs and VOILA!! A new room was designed with the greatest of ease.
This is such a simple idea that can be utilized in your backyard. It is nice to move things around, to shake things up a bit. It makes you feel as if you spent a fortune on new furniture, because all of a sudden you see the furniture in a different light. It also allows you to see parts of the furniture that may have been hidden before.
There are other simple ways to make changes, such as changing the color or style of the throw pillows. Or take that a step further and change the fabric on the cushions. All of these are ideas that will give you added pleasure in your own backyard.
These are a few of my ideas. write and tell me yours. Marcia Blake
This change did not alter the amount of space that we previously were using for this setting. The area now appears to be more spacious, however, this is just an illusion. Yet, it accomplished so much. Now when you look outside you see a completely different outdoor living space. The sofa is welcoming and the space between the club chairs opens up the area for people to enter. Of course we also rearranged the colorful outdoor throw pillows on the sofa, love seat and club chairs and VOILA!! A new room was designed with the greatest of ease.
This is such a simple idea that can be utilized in your backyard. It is nice to move things around, to shake things up a bit. It makes you feel as if you spent a fortune on new furniture, because all of a sudden you see the furniture in a different light. It also allows you to see parts of the furniture that may have been hidden before.
There are other simple ways to make changes, such as changing the color or style of the throw pillows. Or take that a step further and change the fabric on the cushions. All of these are ideas that will give you added pleasure in your own backyard.
These are a few of my ideas. write and tell me yours. Marcia Blake
Labels: Build your own outdoor pillows, Club Chair, Custom Outdoor Fabric, Deep Seating, Design, Outdoor Furniture, Outdoor Living Spaces, Outdoor Pillows, Outdoor Style, Outdoor Throws, Sofa, Textiles
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Don't Let the Gas Prices Get you Down, Fight Back!
The rising cost of gasoline prices are pushing people to stay at home. In a reaction to the accelerated pace of daily life a movement formed called the general slowness movement. According to Chris Welsch of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, “ …slowness took off as a concept in 1989 in Italy with the advent of the slow-food movement. What started as a local revolt against fast food has evolved into a philosophy with followers worldwide. The idea that fast isn’t best has now crept into other arenas: Slow Design and slow cities have their own movements. Slow travel refers to traveling at a pace that allows the traveler to fully appreciate the place he or she has traveled to, says Geir Berthelsen, a Norwegian activist who started the World Institute of Slowness in 1999. The idea is to relax more and not return after a vacation feeling like we need another.” There has never been a better time to join the slow travel movement as today.
Perhaps we should take this concept one step further, and rather than considering the process of slow travel, why not no travel. Stay at home this summer and enjoy life in your own backyard. Create an outdoor living space that will provide you enjoyment, relaxation and many hours of fun. Start your day enjoying a hot cup of coffee and reading the news in the paper or on your laptop while sitting in the luxury of your own backyard. Next take a nice long walk or bicycle ride with your partner, child or simply by yourself. Take the time to feel more a part of the landscape, instead of rushing around, notice the scenery, the trees, flowers, birds and beautiful architecture that surrounds you. Discover the little things that go unnoticed in our accelerated culture.
After you return home from your adventure, take a book or magazine that you have been wanting to read for a very long time, but never found the right time, and sit in your comfortable outdoor furniture relaxing against outdoor pillows that add comfort and style to your setting and spend a couple of hours reading to your hearts contentment.
“The slowness movement is all about quality over quantity” says Chris Welsch. Time moves too fast, one moment we are young and carefree and the next we are deeply entrenched with responsibilities and expectations. Let’s take this time in our life to make a change. Don’t spend the exorbitant price of gas to take a trip, instead stay at home.
You can use some of the money that you would have spent on travel to create the outdoor living space that will provide you with hours of pleasure. Buy deep seating furniture to sit back and relax on. Build a structure to enclose or separate a particular space. Add accents in the way of outdoor pillows, drapes and throw blankets. Perhaps install an outdoor television for your viewing pleasure. Add outdoor speakers for you to play your favorite music. Blur the space that separates the indoors from the outside by creating an outdoor living room.
End your day with candlelight or flames from a firepit, while enjoying the company of loved ones and friends in the best place on earth, your outdoor living room under the stars. Simplify your life, downshift your plans, stop and smell the roses and relax. Don’t let the cost of gas get you down, fight back in a positive manner by reducing your consumption… stay at home!
Write and tell me what you are doing about the rising gas prices.
Perhaps we should take this concept one step further, and rather than considering the process of slow travel, why not no travel. Stay at home this summer and enjoy life in your own backyard. Create an outdoor living space that will provide you enjoyment, relaxation and many hours of fun. Start your day enjoying a hot cup of coffee and reading the news in the paper or on your laptop while sitting in the luxury of your own backyard. Next take a nice long walk or bicycle ride with your partner, child or simply by yourself. Take the time to feel more a part of the landscape, instead of rushing around, notice the scenery, the trees, flowers, birds and beautiful architecture that surrounds you. Discover the little things that go unnoticed in our accelerated culture.
After you return home from your adventure, take a book or magazine that you have been wanting to read for a very long time, but never found the right time, and sit in your comfortable outdoor furniture relaxing against outdoor pillows that add comfort and style to your setting and spend a couple of hours reading to your hearts contentment.
“The slowness movement is all about quality over quantity” says Chris Welsch. Time moves too fast, one moment we are young and carefree and the next we are deeply entrenched with responsibilities and expectations. Let’s take this time in our life to make a change. Don’t spend the exorbitant price of gas to take a trip, instead stay at home.
You can use some of the money that you would have spent on travel to create the outdoor living space that will provide you with hours of pleasure. Buy deep seating furniture to sit back and relax on. Build a structure to enclose or separate a particular space. Add accents in the way of outdoor pillows, drapes and throw blankets. Perhaps install an outdoor television for your viewing pleasure. Add outdoor speakers for you to play your favorite music. Blur the space that separates the indoors from the outside by creating an outdoor living room.
End your day with candlelight or flames from a firepit, while enjoying the company of loved ones and friends in the best place on earth, your outdoor living room under the stars. Simplify your life, downshift your plans, stop and smell the roses and relax. Don’t let the cost of gas get you down, fight back in a positive manner by reducing your consumption… stay at home!
Write and tell me what you are doing about the rising gas prices.
Labels: Build your own outdoor pillows, Custom Outdoor Fabric, Deep Seating, Outdoor Drapes, Outdoor Living Spaces, Outdoor Pillows, Outdoor Style, Outdoor Throws, Sofa, Textiles
Friday, May 23, 2008
Inspiration
How do you achieve design? It is through inspiration.
You do not need to be creative or a designer to be inspired by some person, place or thing. You just need to be able to identify what it is that inspires you and then either work with a designer or yourself to build upon your inspiration.
Design must be inspired. The first step you take is to decide what your inspiration is. This is really a very fun task. You can think about whether a particular color or an accent piece such as a painting or perhaps a fun or interesting fabric interests you. Perhaps it is a book that you just finished reading or a movie that you saw long ago or recently. Maybe a vacation or a business trip to a new city or town provided the source of inspiration in the landscape or the architecture or the people.
There are an infinite number of possibilities that can stand out in your mind. Take for example some things that inspired me over time like the beautiful antebellum estate in Gone With The Wind
Or the fabulous color of the dress that Amy Adams wore in the recent movie Enchanted
And the impressionist painting by Claude Monet called Water garden and the Japanese Footbridge,
Or the breathtaking views of Tuscany.
Each and every one of these things has given me a source of inspiration for design projects.
Once you identify which particular item you are going to use as your inspiration then you can start your planning. If it is the architecture in the antebellum mansion then you can utilize parts of the home in your design. If it is the color in Amy Adam’s dress you can create a palette that will complement the turquoise fabric and use it as a paint on a surface or within a fabric on the furniture. If you use the impressionist painting you might consider getting a copy and using it as focal point to your setting. There are outdoor pieces of art that withstand the elements from Mother Nature. Once you determine where the painting will be hung you can design around it.
My recommendation to you is to take some time out of your day and consider some of the things that inspire you so that you will be ready for your next design project.
These are my insprations…write and tell me yours. Marcia Blake
You do not need to be creative or a designer to be inspired by some person, place or thing. You just need to be able to identify what it is that inspires you and then either work with a designer or yourself to build upon your inspiration.
Design must be inspired. The first step you take is to decide what your inspiration is. This is really a very fun task. You can think about whether a particular color or an accent piece such as a painting or perhaps a fun or interesting fabric interests you. Perhaps it is a book that you just finished reading or a movie that you saw long ago or recently. Maybe a vacation or a business trip to a new city or town provided the source of inspiration in the landscape or the architecture or the people.
There are an infinite number of possibilities that can stand out in your mind. Take for example some things that inspired me over time like the beautiful antebellum estate in Gone With The Wind
Or the fabulous color of the dress that Amy Adams wore in the recent movie Enchanted
And the impressionist painting by Claude Monet called Water garden and the Japanese Footbridge,
Or the breathtaking views of Tuscany.
Each and every one of these things has given me a source of inspiration for design projects.
Once you identify which particular item you are going to use as your inspiration then you can start your planning. If it is the architecture in the antebellum mansion then you can utilize parts of the home in your design. If it is the color in Amy Adam’s dress you can create a palette that will complement the turquoise fabric and use it as a paint on a surface or within a fabric on the furniture. If you use the impressionist painting you might consider getting a copy and using it as focal point to your setting. There are outdoor pieces of art that withstand the elements from Mother Nature. Once you determine where the painting will be hung you can design around it.
My recommendation to you is to take some time out of your day and consider some of the things that inspire you so that you will be ready for your next design project.
These are my insprations…write and tell me yours. Marcia Blake
Labels: Art, Custom Outdoor Fabric, Design, Inspiration, Movies, Outdoor Living Spaces, Outdoor Style, Textiles
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