Sunday, June 15, 2014

Home Decor Trend......Decorating With Insects.



Nature was the inspiration for much of the home interior trends in 2013 and insect inspired collections were at the forefront. Still making it's presence know at this years Dallas Market, the trend is going strong. Insects are hot....on the runways and in room design, so all those with entomophobia
 will need counseling if you are going to ride this current decorating wave.
Actually insect decor isn't anything new......the Victorians loved their taxidermy and insect collections which were given prominent position in parlors across England and America. There are still beautiful insect inspired porcelain pieces in antique shops today bringing hefty prices.

My father owned a pest control business so I was brought up with the idea that the goal was to send insect invaders packing. I wonder what he would think today seeing them as welcomed guests......with places of honor no less. Now you can see ant infested lampshades, beetle wallpaper, and bumblebees and butterflies for the bedroom. These are the kind of insects you do want in your home however. Actually many insects are quite beautiful and can add an unique surprise and bit of interest to home decor or personal styling.

A bit of caution.....don't get "cutesy" with this trend even though it is somewhat whimsical. That tendency ruins many good design ideas. You can have fun with the insect trend while keeping a certain amount of refinement and restraint. And please .......no killing these creatures to fuel your decorating needs!!!




Enjoy this whimsical song .......this is a style that you must have fun with.


Perfectly painted ants on fine china.

I am currently having a "real life" crisis with these little guys so this isn't very humorous at present!!!!


Displaying insect pictures as part of a set is a lovely way to incorporated them into your home.

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Insect accessories are a great way to spice up living spaces from modern to traditional. 

via pinterest

 If this trend is a hard one for you, this would be a great place to start. It is simple, elegant, and not overwhelming at all.



The Preying Mantis is the star of this insect inspired plate. I like him!!!

vogue.com

Just one big statement. This is my favorite way to decorate with this insect trend.

 Bringing the beauty of the outdoors in is not limited only to flora.

Beetles are said to symbolize protection, simplicity and progress.

An upholsered piece like this makes it easy to get over the creepy factor of insect inspired interiors. Some insects are especially pretty and their presence will add flair to a room. I like this colorful chair!

ofallthefish.com

Insects take center stage on the wall above this desk.


Unique insect accessories like these are sure to start a conversation.

Alessandra Branca

I like this simple use of preserved butterflies in elegant glass domes. According to Branca these were found in Paris. If other insects are too creepy for you, butterflies may be the answer.

DC Design House By Marika Meyer

Shelves are great for displaying insects!

via pinterest

Entomology in decor has always been a popular subject for prints.



Make sure not to go overboard with the insect  look. This is a trend that needs restraint. A focal point or a few scattered "crawlers" placed strategically is all you really need.



This room is successful because of the use of a somewhat nondescript butterfly patterned wallpaper with a statement piece in the form of the large single insect.

via pinterest

Great insect pictures.

Butterflies and other little insects randomly flying all over the plates and dishes is a popular look at present.

The walls come alive in this colorful butterfly inspired room.

Butterfly pillow cover by secdus on Etsy

Pillows are a great way to be part of the insect trend without a huge commitment. And there are gorgeous ones out there to choose from!

via pinterest

Karen Robertson

A butterfly collection goes hand in hand with other natural elements on his gallery wall.


Maybe your style of joining  the insect trend is one of the wonderful pieces by American sculptor Mike Libby in his studio, Insect Lab.  Displayed under a spotlight, this would be a conversation piece!

via pinterest

I like this beautifully etched glass door featuring various kinds of beetles.


Nina Campbell Wallpaper


If you want to go the way of the Victorians, try a small insect collection or two. But don't kill them for your collection. Instead look for vintage collections, find dead ones to display, or go the faux direction.

Curtain from West Elm

via pinterest


I have always liked this pretty bathroom featuring a very tasteful display of butterflies.



John Derian in the Astier booth - 11" Round Black and White Insects at Maison Gift Show in Paris this year. The spider would be too much for me!


Last but not LEAST, designer Maximo Riera's Rhinoceros Beetle chair.  Now this would definitely make a statement in an insect themed room.





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This blog post was published by Lisa Farmer

















I have always thought this was a pretty bathroom featuring very tasteful display of butterflies

Monday, June 9, 2014

Matching Upholstery and Wallpaper......Lovely Interiors When Done Correctly



I am an advocate for mixing patterns when it comes to design, but even that can many times get out of hand. Haven't you entered a room only to have your eyes wanting to go in 10 different direction because of the over use of pattern? Nowadays we over complicate rooms with too many patterns and colors. Sometimes the best way to be bold is by unifying your look. It's an older style of decorating used by icons like Dorothy Draper, that now has such designers as Tory Burch praising it's merits.

I have always admired the idea of what I like to call camouflaging a room. This is done by using the same pattern on your upholstered furniture as on the walls so that the furniture blends into the background and is somewhat camouflaged.

To make this look work you need to show some restraint and not drench your whole room in a particular pattern. To make this style more modern you need only to have one piece of upholstery that coordinates with your wallpaper. I am fondest of chairs and sofas blending into the paper like those in the images below.
Having just one piece done in the coordinating fabric is enough to make an interesting statement without your space feeling overly "matchy".

It's a perennial look that is classic and will never completely go out of style. Rapper LL Cool J, says it best......"don't call it come back. It's been here for years." 



It has always been perfectly fine to saturate a room in toile covered furniture and wallpaper......a look that is never frowned on and never goes out of style. 


Chairs and wallpaper perfectly matched in toile.

eclecticrevisited.com

There are so many other lovely patterns on the market that look equally beautiful when upholstery and wallpaper are matched.


For many, the thought of a room covered in wall to furnishings pattern may induce vertigo, but the effect can be surprisingly serene, unified and harmonious.

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"Dorothy liked the idea of upholstered furniture becoming part of the architecture of a room and blending in with the wallpaper so your eye didn't jump from one fabric to another," said designer Carlton Varney, who runs Dorothy Draper Designs today.

dreamstime.com

Sometimes continuity is a good thing! I was taught in landscape design that one large splash of a single color flower makes a bigger statement that a multiple colors in the same bed. It is true! And this thinking also works in interior design. You can see here what a large show of pattern on walls and furniture does for a room.

via pinterest

If you don't want to commit to this look all the time, simply slipcover chairs in the pattern of your wallpaper to use occasionally.

Stroheim & Romann Neoclassical Print Room

This lovely space has just enough of a small print to break the over all larger pattern.

Zoffany



This might have one leopard chair too many for me....would rather see one chair or settee that matches the wallpaper. But you get the idea.

aynart.livejournal.com

Matching upholstery to wallpaper can transform a mundane space into a wonderland—if you've got the guts to try it
.

If you like the look but don't want your furniture to totally blend in with the wallpaper, install some millwork or simply paint under the chair rail.

Rose Tarlow

You can still have a mix of pattern as long as you match only one item of furniture to the wallpaper.

via pinterest

Maybe just cover something small like a bench of chair in your wallpaper pattern.


To me the prettiest use of this style of decorating is with soft pattern so it is not  overwhelming. There is alot of the same pattern here but it is calming to the eye.



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Again the best of both worlds is the slipcover! You can have the wallpaper/upholstery matched look as well as something more subtle.

via pinterest

Window treatments may be too much of a good thing for many of you. One item matched with your wallpaper and camouflaged is plenty.


Even though this isn't, many people like the pattern on upholstered pieces to blend in perfectly with the horizontal pattern on the wall. This is true camouflaging.

via pinterest

chelseatextiles.com

Liberty of London fabric on the upholstery and matching wallpaper.



Even though this style of decorating has been generally used with traditional fabrics, that is not the case in today's interiors. Camouflaging with bold designs is becoming very popular. 

decoratorsbest.com



Please visit my website at www.lisafarmerdesigns.com



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This blog post was published by Lisa Farmer
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