Friday, December 28, 2012

Decorating With Velvet.......Mixing Modern And Classic

Velvet has long been associated with nobility and elegance. But many of you may only think of velvet as an old fashioned fabric that adorned your grandmother's Victorian furnishings. I hope to show you through this post just how practical and modern velvet really is. This fabric has made a serious comeback with some much-needed, updated charm. Velvet can add a touch of the popular Hollywood Regency Style glamour to your home. And no self respecting Boho Chic room would dream of not having this fabric on a piece of furniture somewhere in the room.Velvet is all about texture. Upholster a chair or sofa with it and you’ll add instant softness and warmth to any room. 
Maybe you're not prepared to jump whole heartedly onto the velvet bandwagon but you'd be willing to test out the luxurious vibe of velvet in your home in small doses. I just hope you gain some new respect for velvet and are able to catch the excitement about this fabric that has become a new design trend. Whether you use it in new traditional or contemporary interiors, you will be very much in style.



I love to mix  modern with classic. David Garrett is that perfect combination. I hope you enjoy him while you visit.


chicprovence.blogspot.com

This soft, luscious fabric was used by the nobility for centuries and is now becoming the hot new look. 

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Exciting color combinations and designs mix with traditional style furnishings and upholstery styles to creat a fresh modern look.

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modenus.com

Combinations of rich, luxurious, textures bring new excitement to interiors.

Prestonfield Edinburgh

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Velvet has always been a fabric of choice for antique furniture.

degournay.com

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Modern velvet fabrics come in a variety of patterns and colors.

degournay.com

Purple gives such a royal look to period rooms.

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Velvet tufted headboards are presently very popular for bedrooms.

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No matter what your style is, velvet always brings an elegant touch.

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Modern, eclectic take on antique style. This would look wonderful in a Boho Chic room.

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Modern styled velvet sofa in a period style room. Velvet is a great way to bring the two styles together.

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I love the yellow velvet sofa and peach pillows. These citrus colors are new combinations for velvet decor.

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 The combination of these two luxurious fabrics in bold colors gives a modern take on antique furniture.

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Selfbuilder & Homemaker Products: Velvet Eccentric launches dramatic ‘modern bohemian’ interiors collection.
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Great Boho style using , what else, VELVET!

brownpaperpackaging.blogspot.com

Fun velvet accessories.


Interior designer David Turnbough based the look of a Chicago penthouse on a Ferragamo scarf owned by the client’s daughter. A salmon velvet was used to cover the walls and the center borne settee.


Sabina Fay Braxton is a Paris based designer and company that produces an eclectic and exuberant collection of velvets, silks, linens and hemps by an atelier of highly skilled artisans who bring life to each piece they print.

fourseasons.jab.de

greigedesign.blogspot.com.au

Grey velvet is so glamorous and perfect for Hollywood Regency.

decorpad.com

theinsidesource.com

Several velvet patterns and shades of green makes this room pull together very well.

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Aubergine flocked damask wall covering and velvet covered furnishings in shades of pink and purple. Add in the zebra rug and you have a trendy new look.

dreamyspaces.blogspot.com

Perfect example of how velvet can be used in more chic, modern interiors.

Prestonfield Edinburgh

Now this is my personal favorite. Gorgeous!

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It may be an historic fabric but look what new color combinations can do for it.

thedecorologist.com
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thebudgetdecorator.com

Perfect example of how you can mix historic and modern styles. The mantle and book shelf definitely gives this room an antique feel but the the velvet sofa, acrylic table and zebra rug give it a breath of freshness.

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I love this room and it's mix of old furnishings covered in bright, new, colors of velvet.



If you are interested in refreshing you home with some touches of velvet, here is a glossary of  terms so you can better understand and make choices.

Crushed: This type of velvet can be produced by pressing the fabric down in different directions. It can also be produced by mechanically twisting the fabric while wet. The result is patterned appearance that is very lustrous.


Devore: This variety is produced with a caustic solution. This dissolves part of the velvet leaving sheer areas of fabric. Usually a definite pattern is produced


Embossed: A metal roller is used to heat-stamp the fabric, producing a pattern.


Panné: Also a type of crushed velvet, panné is produced by forcing the pile in a single direction by applying heavy pressure.


Hammered: This type is extremely lustrous, appears dappled, and somewhat crushed.


Plain: Commonly made of cotton, this type of velvet has a firm hand and can be used for many purposes.


Silk: More expensive than plain velvet, this type is usually shinier and softer than the cotton variety.

Velveteen: A type of imitation velvet. It is normally made of cotton or a combination of cotton and silk. Unlike true velvet, this type has greater body, does not drape as easily, and has less sheen






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Thursday, December 27, 2012

Decorate Your Home In English Style


English style decor is collected over time and can feel casual or formal. The decision to bring English cottage or manor house charm to your home will result in it's always feeling warm and inviting. If you love floral chintz fabrics, patterned wallpapers, colorful rugs, and traditional furniture and window treatments, then this post will be a a feast for your eyes!

  English style decor is the mixture of old, worn, highly valuable, or not valuable but highly functional. It is a mixture that always looks as though it was put together over generations.

  Maybe one of the greatest influences on English country style has been the weather in Britain. To counter the chill, the interior must be warm, snug and informal. It's no surprise, consequently, that in the English country style, the emphasis is on comfort. Combining the classic elements of English country decor are part of the beautiful tradition that creates a timeless, warm interior that you will enjoy for years to come.

Please listen to the music of English composer Edward Elgar. It will enhance your tour.



Large or small, English homes always have a certain charm about them.

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The abundance of roses and other flowers in a typical English garden accounts for the use of floral chintz fabrics inside an English home.

Mark Hampton

Use drapes for the windows, not blinds. Curtains are employed, normally corresponding to the wall paper. Just as you will not see empty walls in an English country home, you will not find blinds either. If privacy is a problem use shades, not blinds.

Howard Castle in Yorkshire.

English bedrooms many times use the same pattern throughout the entire room.


There are usually books in English homes. Notice them as you look at the images. I wasn't aware of it myself until I previewed the post.


Needlepoint spaniel pillow and Staffordshire figurines like the one made into a lamp, are perennials favorites of English rooms.




Of course the Queen Anne chair is an English staple.

Ralph Lauren's English Country

Dressmakers details like the fringe on these chairs are a big part of English style. For a quick face life use fabric adhesive and attach some to your chairs.

Nancy Lancaster's bedroom at Mayfair.


Many times English art is displayed  in stacked order.



Equine art is a big part of the style.


English interiors are seldom without chintz.



Paneled wall are also a big design element in the English home.


The style encompasses a stately manor home look and casual cottage atmosphere.

www.lisafarmerdesigns.com

Needlepoint items such as pillows, bell pulls, chair seats, footstools are a must for English decorating.

Very pattern layered room. If done right all these patterns work to form a cohesive look.


From Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill’s new book “The Life of the House: How Rooms Evolve”


Needlepoint chairs, leaded glass windows, and High Tea. What could be more English?

Beautiful English manor



The English Country House look is best achieved by layers of textures and furniture from different periods.

You have probably noticed that almost all the rooms in this post have oriental or other patterned rugs on the floors. Most English floors will be treated in the manner.



English country style is all about the eclectic mix of traditional pieces, fabrics, colors, and accessories.


While it is not bound by a particular period of furniture or set of colors, English country style takes a bit of finesse to avoid looking haphazard.

This is a closer view of part of the room below which is Nancy Lancaster's famous yellow room in Mayfair. If every piece is perfect the room becomes a museum and lifeless," Nancy Lancaster once explained when asked her secret to melding fine gilt and humble country
.


This cozy style is tidy, but can easily become cluttered. Grouping like items can prevent this.



Charming!!

English country style suggests a sense of timelessness.


Hall at Wightwick

Stained and leaded glass are popular window treatments in English manor houses.


Because of the collectibles, English rooms are always entertaining.


You will usually see fresh flowers and pretty porcelain in English style interiors.


Artwork is always displayed in the English home.


Items that look to have been passed down from one generation to the next are ideal. English country homes always exude this "cluttered" feel. Collectibles, antiques, needlepoint, brass, antiques, art, and leaded glass are common.


Now set back and enjoy a tour of Highclere, the set of Downton Abby.




 Tally Ho old bean. Hope you enjoyed the post. Have fun bringing a touch of England to your interiors.
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