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MAISON&OBJET ANNOUNCES THIS YEARS TOP TALENT

Maison&Objet Americas has announced its picks for this year’s Rising Talents. The six up-and-coming designers representing North and South America were chosen by a committee based on their work as designers as well as their commitment to helping usher the design community into the future.

On April 5, two of the six Rising Talents, which include Samuel Amoia, a designer from the United States who uses natural materials in his work, and Javier Gomez, an artist and photographer from Panama who’s based in New York City, attended an event at the Carpenters Workshop Gallery in NYC, along with Maison&Object Americas director Gastón Isoldi, announcing their designation. The six designers will be showcasing some of their work at next month’s fair and there also will be an award ceremony held in their honor.

One of Maison&Objet’s goals is to promote design and give the Rising Talents a platform to expose their work to buyers and the international media. Isoldi stated that Javier Gomez has been selected because of the unique way he applies his photography of buildings to design and Samuel Amoia’s great talent to create furniture using innovative techniques.

This is the second year that the 20-year-old fair will be held in the United States. The next fair in Paris will be held September 2-6.

TOP 4 TIPS ON DECORATING WITH TEXTURE

Texture when designing a room can be overlooked, however it has the power to set the tone for the overall mood of a room. If you have every stepped into a room for the first time and felt it was warm and inviting, texture is the reason!

In interior design, textures are either visual or tactile. Visual textures appeal to the eyes and are usually noticed on first glance. In contrast, tactile textures require a closer look and need to be touched to be appreciated.

Here are some major tips when decorating with texture!

Accentuate Contrast
Usually texture is crafted by changing the surfaces of furnishings that provide either a visual or tactile appeal. The most obvious application of implementing texture is through the selection and use of textiles. All fabrics look and feel totally different. You can create a visual and tactile interest with fabric, which can accentuate or balance the other elements in the environment.

All About Balance
Texture in a room needs to balance out. An example of unbalanced texture is pairing a shag-type rug with a leather sofa. You typically wouldn’t want combine 2 high textured fabrics. If you go the monochromatic color scheme in your home design, texture helps create depth in the environment. Try adding soft texture with faux fur rugs.

From the Ground Up
Of course the best place to start playing with texture in your home is right under your feet! Floors can be worked with many typed if textures such as tile, stone, wood, carpet and concrete. These textures all create their own unique style to a home. Choosing a rug for you floors is a way to find balance in the room by pairing 2 different textures.

Layer Over Neutrals
When you start of your home in neutrals and are excited to make it more interesting texture is the way to do it. Try adding texture to your neutral landscape with animal hides, fur throws, and leather. These textured fabrics will add another layer to neutrals. Try adding dimension with wood grain, textured wallpaper, metal and tile. Combining these textures can create a truly delightful space.

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR HOME FURNITURE AND DESIGN STYLE

Today I am going to share with you some tips about choosing the right furniture for your home. I will also be helping you find your unique design style. Shopping for big-ticket items like couches and dressers are truly an investment. Make sure you consider style, value, and color when building a room.

Break the rules and mix thing up!
When coming up with your own home design style it is all about breaking the rules! You can start by finding a print that you love. If the print has multiple colors this allows for more options of mixing and matching different types of furniture.

Doing too much of one thing can come off as basic. Vintage, modern and rustic can work together to create something distinctive and personal, yet chic. Match that 18th-century sofa with a modern rug and it’s a whole new look.

Embrace your differences
Most couples to have different tastes when it comes to home decorating. They each have a strong sense of what they do and don’t like. Since the best interior spaces are about combining looks and styles into one cool space, designing with a partner can lead to magic design moments. Don’t be afraid to take risks and try things in unconventional combinations. This is when the magic happens and you find your unique home style.

Go for quality
No matter what kind of home item it is, buy the best quality you can in your budget! Well-made furniture pieces can be more expensive but can actually last a lifetime! They can then be passed on from generation to generation. With the help of a professional interior designer you can find the perfect piece you are looking for!

ACCESSORY NECESSITIES FOR YOUR FIRST HOME

See these home take-a-ways from this great Vogue article, “20 Things Every 20-Something Needs in Their First Home”. When you are young and getting to decorate your own space for the first time finding your design style can be hard.

Take advantage of some advice from some of the most learned designers out there!

“A good Dutch oven from a brand like Le Creuset. You can cook everything in one of these—spaghetti sauces, risottos, stir-fry—or even a roasted chicken! It also looks great on the table when serving family style.”
—Kate Arends, Wit & Delight

“Good bedding, like Restoration Hardware’s linen sheets, and a butterfly chair—which is iconic and movable. Also, most rentals are a horrible shade of institutional beige. A fresh coat of white paint—and halogen light bulbs—are game-changers.”
—Patrick Mele, interior designer

“A wine glass set. Gone are the days where mismatched glasses are okay. Skip using the decanter for alcohol and fill it with your mixers instead. Nothing looks worse than juice cartons on your bar. Also, an amazing candle is one of the best affordable luxuries you can get for your home. Remember that good environments tap into each of the senses, and scent is always key.”
—Alex Reid, head designer of The Studio at One Kings Lane

“Get one good piece of furniture every year. My first decent purchase was a Barcelona coffee table—it made all my hand-me-downs look better.”
—Emily Summers, interior designer

REDESIGNING YOUR BATHROOM? CHECK OUT SOME NEW DESIGN IDEAS!

Every room in your home has an elemental purpose. Each room needs equal attention if you want to exude luxury in your interior design. The smallest room in your home needs just as much vigilance as the biggest. One of the rooms you spend plenty of time in, prepping for a party or every morning to brush your teeth, the bathroom one of the most important environments in the home. Keeping it spotless and topping it off with a fresh design is essential to a happy home.

Just because the bathroom is a the room in the house that serves a not so glamorous purpose doesn’t mean it has to look boring! With a few little changes you can turn it into a stylish room. Start your morning with a bright and warm room while it also calms you down for a good night sleep.

Check out some great interior design ideas to give your bathroom a facelift!

Bench and rain showerhead:
If you want to shower in pure bliss and peacefulness then why not take a seat and let the rain pour over you. No shower has ever felt so good with a rain showerhead. The Kohler round showerhead mixes technology and luxury to create a contemporary and elegant bathroom necessity. Getting to sit on a bench while you shower just tops off your showering experience.

Built in storage:
A sparkling and organized bathroom can be life changing. Why not have it all with storage components built into your wall! These modern storage features are not only bringing functionality to your bathroom but a bold style. Picture it now; your walls become your storage space, saving space while saving time to find what you need in hurry.

Freestanding bathtub:
A traditionally and classic look for your bathroom is the freestanding bathtub. Picture your new tub taking center stage in your bathroom creating a space that is uniquely yours. This look exudes luxury and can set you apart from other homeowners.

Vessel sink:
The vessel sink is a sink stripped down to its most basic elements: a spout and a washbasin. This unique look adds character and modern flair to you bathroom. You can see some great options and styles here.

Define you bathroom with tiles…
Go exotic with bold and beautiful Arabesque ceramic tile. This would give you bathroom confidence and refinement. Go modern with innovative geometric tiles. This will look sleek and futuristic in such a small space.

Add a splash of colors and patterns…
Especially when you have an all white and crisp bathroom color and pattern can really go a long way. You can add these bright colors and patterns within your bathroom accessories such as your towels for example! Test out the Chromatropic pattern trend here!

Accessorize with luxury…
You can find affordable Egyptian cotton towels that will give your bathroom that high-end flair with out breaking the bank.

Glam Lights
Make more of a statement in your bathroom and get rid of the industrial fluorescent overhead light! Look for a unique and artistic light fixture and add some LED bulbs and you are on your way! Now you can glam up your bathroom with a stand out piece.

Punchy Wallpaper
Making an easy and affordable change is simple with this trick. Pick out patterns that pops and you can completely transform your bathroom. You can base the whole style of the room with the wallpaper and wont need any additional artwork! Have you visitors be spellbound when stepping into the room.

Smarter Storage
If you are short on storage in your bathroom, and your linen cabinet is overflowing, try adding a bracketed shelf above the sink made of glass. This will add a ledge for toiletries. You can also install shelves with doors that sit above the back of your toilet. This is a discreet and quick storage fix.

As you can see there are various ways to rejuvenate this room and keep it high end and fresh. Make sure to look into every design element in your home.

TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN MIAMI THIS WEEKEND

Miami is known as the city of exquisite beaches, a multi-cultural food scene, edgy art and contemporary design, and a multitude of lavish hotels that double as a playground for locals. Finding something to do isn’t hard when so many adventures await you!

Start your weekend off right, at the beach! Lummus Park Beach is the most popular in South Beach. The beach runs between 5th and 15th streets on Ocean Drive. If you’re into people watching this is the place to be. For a beautiful beach sunset view, head to South Pointe Park, at the southernmost tip of South Beach.

There are always new bars and restaurants to check out. Be sure to spend a night on the town with your friends this weekend!

Looking for some more design inspo? Hit up the Wynwood Arts District, home to more than 70 galleries, studios, and boutiques.

And of course don’t forget all of the shopping! We have mapped out for you the best malls and shops in Miami!

Enjoy your weekend!

CHECK OUT THESE MINIMALIST SPRING INTERIOR DESIGN IDEAS

Today I am going to share with you some simple and minimalist ways to decorate your home for spring! Birds in the air a flowers blooming, it’s the time of year to celebrate the season using nature’s colors as inspiration.

Chic Entrance: Make a really bold rug work your entryway. Try keeping the rest of the entryway subdued and this will make that rug pop. This bright rug or runway will look great against a light wood floor.

Copper & Neon: Scandinavian lifestyle is all about creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Bring in metals like copper and chrome to work with soft pink. Matching ultra-polished materials with light colors will add a modern, feel-good vibe without an overwhelming industrial look. Suspended lights are also a way to bring in copper and bring space to a room. These light take up zero floor space and make the room more breathable.

Pastel Pouf: Minimalistic decor relies on a few home essentials for character. It’s best to make sure you can mix and match these colors. Pastels are a perfect subtle fit. Poufs and ottomans are the perfect home accessory to express this look. They can be use in multiple ways such as a footstool, seating, and storage. Remember when crafting this look in a room, less is always more.

Navy & Pink: When you have just moved into a new place and designing with your partner opinions may vary. Luckily the Scandinavian minimalism movement is the perfect answer to solve your home design woes. Strong looks like navy blue and rustic materials pair naturally with more feminine accents like pastel pink, rose and gold side furniture. Save some space by putting a bench in front of your bed to create more storage.

HIGH END INTERIOR DECORATION INSPIRATION OF THE WEEK: WALNUT SHELVING

Today’s inspiration comes from across the pond. Take a look at these beautiful walnuts shelves crafted in England. Every room in your home can be designed around a piece of furniture. Draw your inspiration from materials and shapes that you love.

Hand carved in a Florentine atelier by master artisans, this walnut shelving is made from solid walnut and brass. A variety of compositions are available.

Keir Townsend created this piece. Like many of Townsend’s work, the unit has been inspired by nature, positioned as both a functional shelving display and a work of art itself.

As well as the brand’s retail branch Keira Townsend and her partner Alastair Keir work in high-end residential and commercial interior design.

Many of this design groups project you can find through out luxury homes in London. Each piece of furniture is authenticated with a small brass cylinder containing a serial number.

3 LEGENDARY INTERIOR DESIGNERS YOU MUST KNOW

Inspiration comes from all different colors, materials and places, but today we show respect to the legends of the interior design industry.

Today I am going to share with you three interior design icons. These are some of the most influential masters of the 20th century. Every design lover should know the founders of interior design.

Sister Parish
Well-heeled, well-connected Dorothy May Kinnicutt (the childhood nickname “Sister” eventually replaced her given name) was born in 1910 to parents with homes in Manhattan, New Jersey, Maine, and Paris.

When in the Wall Street crash of 1929 her fortunes took hits, she opened her own interior design shop in Far Hills, New Jersey. Her style was based off of the unique antiques her father had collected such as heavy, dark, brown furniture. She loved, glazed chintz, quilts, hooked rugs, and overstuffed armchairs instead of formal antiques. Parish is credited with popularizing that American country aesthetic in the 1960s.

Her designs were romantic, warm, and elegant, but her tactics were precise and exacting. She would walk around a client’s room and edit out any unnecessary home ware. Parish’s relationship with fellow designer Albert Hadley lasted 30-plus years. They were widely considered one of the most successful partnerships in the world of interiors.

Dorothy Draper
Boldly colorful, elegant, cheerful, and full of life: Dorothy Draper’s image includes bold color, elegance, cheer, and design full of life. For a true source of Draper’s decorating style check out her book Decorating Is Fun!

Draper was Sister Parish’s cousin, so design really did stay in the family. Draper opened what is arguably the first official interior design business, Architectural Clearing House, in 1925. She extended her elegant “modern Baroque” style to many public buildings, including the cafeteria at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Fairmont and Mark Hopkins hotels in San Francisco, and, most famously, a total redesign of the Greenbrier in West Virginia. Her style can go many ways. Sometimes she used a limited color palette of classic black and white, while others showcase a frenzy of pinks with greens, turquoise, and orange.

Draper protégé Carleton Varney may have said it best of the decorating legend: “Dorothy Draper was to decorating what Chanel was to fashion.”

Jean-Michel Frank
In the 1930s, Jean-Michel Frank, of Paris, was the most celebrated decorator and designer of the era. His projects were often to decorate rooms with Picassos hanging on the walls. He decorated for the elites around the world.

Frank’s known as a minimalist, but it’s his layer of maximalism that makes his work so interesting and complex. The furniture he designed was understated and restrained in shapes but often dressed them in luxurious materials. Some of these materials include ornate mica screens, bronze doors, lamps made of quartz, as well as the shagreen-covered vanity and cubic sheepskin club chair he created for Hermès.

Frank was credited with designing one of the most iconic minimalist pieces of furniture in history—the Parsons table—but would often cover the tables with the most luxe finishes.

Frank’s work is still celebrated in museums today, and you can buy reproductions of some of his most iconic furniture pieces designed for Hermès.

TOP 3 WAYS TO GIVE YOUR HOME AN UPDATE THIS WEEKEND

Art for your floors…
Floor rugs are always an excellent way to update a space quickly. Even 2 small runners in the hallway can make a huge difference. This can help break up the space of a hallway. Learn tips on choosing the perfect rug here.

Beautify your bathroom…
New towels can brighten up your bathroom in a minute! This small update can make a huge difference. Try combining patterned and plain towels or bold colors with pastels or neutrals. You can mix and match and change the overall feel of the bathroom regularly. Oil diffusers will help create a nice aroma to add to the overall look.

Going Green…
Potted plants and shrubbery help cater to inspiration if nature in your home. Bringing the outside in isn’t always simple, but buying the perfect succulents or cleaning up your front yard with minor landscaping can really update your home in a few short hours and a trip to the florist!

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