Trends and fads are about staying current. Most are bits of whimsy. Have you noticed a lot of crowns around lately?
One trends that has caught me by surprise is the light blue door... I keep seeing them everywhere.
Are you smiling?
When the master painter took brushes to the desert the "Art of Restraint" was born... Nowhere else can one hear the silence more amplified.
My friend Linda's (RMS mom of a german shorthair) desert home showcases this beautifully. Linda's interiors echo the sheer beauty of nature. Take notice of how carefully she has edited her kitchen. The art of restraint at it's very best.
When the "Art of Restraint" is not utilized, the results are not visually pleasing, as is the case of this next kitchen. Though it belongs to one of America's wealthiest couples, with the resources to hire the most sought after designers... they somehow missed the mark. A classic case of the "Art of Restraint" ignored... What do you think?
The color blue has been associated with just about every fashion trend ~ a blue and white color combination has been used all through history. Symbolically, it signifies constancy: think of the phrase "true blue friend".
I agree with Mr. Dixon and rarely use blue in any of my own projects. I challenged myself to find blue rooms for you that I too find appealing. I love this room, it is the guest room of Joni at COTE DE TEXAS http://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/ (Be sure to check out her great blog for more of her work.)
I find for me to enjoy blue rooms , most the time they must include lots of neutrals, texture and dark wood. I also believe that the inside of a home should echo the outside, such as in the case of a beach home ect. I am feeling the blues with these rooms, so tell me how about you?
Furniture provides many flat surfaces for the placement of accents. Coffee tables, consoles, side tables, desk and bookcases are all potential dance floors.
Though our dance floor may be the back ground for our loved objects, they never take a back seat. The more attention lavished on these surfaces ~ a superior paint job, or fine polish on a mahogany table, the more handsome the accents placed on it will appear.
Ideally the arrangement of the dance should create a pause and draw the viewer in... But if it is not well balanced, regardless of the beauty of the objects involved, it will not be pleasing to the eye.
The most fascinating groupings invariably include contrast of color, texture, shape and scale. Pairing the old with the new and the rough with the smooth has the makings for a fresh new dance. Take a look around your castle, do your accessories need new partners?
Do you ever find yourself in the mood... Even though I love the look of these romantic, overly feminine rooms, I know they are not for me. And yet, they always turn my head.
I stop and linger, I fantasy, I wonder about the person who created such soft sumptuous spaces and tell myself ... someday.
The youthfulness of a recently built home can artfully be disguised by the details and unexpected surprises that one can tuck into the corners of a fresh new space. Designer Brooke Giannetti has managed to do this beautifully in her own "Newer" home.
It's the unique and unusual vintage pieces like the large mirror that was once a window in a church... the architectural corbel that came from a older home in New Orleans that magically turn ones interiors into rooms with character.
Flea market finds like Brooke's painting casually tacked to the wall whispers of a past life once lived. Wood board walls and built-in shelving add lovely character to this newer home. Do you need to add a bit of character to your castle?
Washington D.C. designer Darryl Carter is sophisticated yet comfortable, desirable yet attainable, classic yet contemporary and is therefore defining the emerging style known as "New Traditional".
He has a furniture line sold by Thomasville. The pieces have a fresh look with the feel of having been collected over time.
His work has a patina of a well-worn antique, but on a practical note, a credible reproduction could be used and work just as well. 
Often rooms are predominated by art, so the objective is to create rooms that respect those objects while remaining intimate. I am finding more and more that he is one to watch! Are you watching?
