Old is New in 2012!

 Post by:

Cynthia
Griffin

Old is New in 2012

One of the trends that I see for 2012 is the use of old materials in natural, creative and textural ways.  More specifically, I see a return to “the good old days” of the Victorian Period:  the use of metal representing the Industrial Age when metal was manufactured and used for many things modern and in direct contrast the use of hand-crafted wooden pieces popularized during the Arts & Crafts Period.  Metals are either aged patina, aluminum, or lightly colored, as well as bent, folded or overlapping with other materials.  Textured wooden pieces include wonderfully collected pieces of driftwood left natural or treated with a finish.   One such piece introduced into a setting can add a fresh yet mature perspective which will make you look twice – is it old or new? 

Aluminum stippled pendant.

Champagne colored overlapped metalwork.

Aged patina designed into modern artwork.

Folded aged metal – beautiful candle holder!

Reminds me of an old barn light, great use in a kitchen!

Upside down fence?  I like the nails too.

Something from my Grandmother’s time.

Sophisticated, gently bent wood.

I bet this casts great edgy shadows.

A “new” wall hanging, great for a den or a long hallway to add visual interest!

Georgetown Jingle

 Post by:

Marika
Meyer

On Sunday, December 11th, the Four Seasons Hotel hosted the sixth annual Georgetown Jingle. It is a fun filled event that puts everyone in the holiday spirit and raises money for the Georgetown University Hospital Pediatric Oncology department. Each year a group of designers is selected to decorate Christmas Trees which are auctioned off at the event. The designers are paired with a child being treated at the hospital and they work together on the theme of the tree. This year trees were complied of everything from toys to wine bottles! It is a wonderful way for the design community to come together with families in the area to celebrate the season in great style while supporting an important cause. This was my fifth Jingle and by far the best!  See some great event pictures below:

I had a great time with my son and family friend in town! Georgetown Cupcake donated dozens of treats...as you can see we enjoyed!

Some of the highlights this year included the annual display of Christmas Trees and Vignettes designed by area interior designers. They are all so colorful and fun!

A new theme room included for this year's event was the "Ice Lounge". Big fur coats were provided for a trip into this one of a kind ice world. I was blown away by the chic style and combination of materials--ice and fire. 

                  



As always, restaurants from the area filled the main ball room with tables of delicious food. Everyone from favorites like The Source,  and Bourbon Steak to the hot new Paul Bakery donated to the cause. 

I am counting down the days to next year's event! Can't wait to see what designers come up with for the next round of trees. 

Fresh Traditions

Post by: 

Lena
Kroupnik

 Twice a year, the furniture industry flocks to High Point, NC to show off new products and to see for themselves what is new out there.  As it was my fifth time at the market, I assumed that many companies  would be showcasing typical traditional furniture — i.e. heavy sofas with turned legs and boring fabrics. Instead, I was pleased to see bolder color, bigger patterns, and collections strongly influenced by fashion.  Across the board, many designers are finding ways to modernize traditional furniture. Other big news for me on upholstery was nail heads and round pulls.  Much of the furniture at High Point leans towards traditionalism, but there's an interesting intersection with modern and contemporary aesthetics.

Fashion and going in one direction: color, pattern, scale. By Nourison Rugs

Love the coral motif fabric on the backs of the dining side chairs. Harden Furniture  http://www.hardenfurniture.com/ .

The Baxter sectional in a Spa Blue velvet, domestic texture is accented with a luxurious velvet welt, exquisite silk toss pillows & an intricate nail design. Bentley Churchill Co http://www.bentleychurchill.com/ .

An ottoman may serve as an ottoman or a coffee table. The oversized pouf is easily up to the task with the simple addition of a sturdy tray. I love the bold orange color and nail head design.  Designer Barry Dixon

Lili Alessandra-Suites at Market Square. Greek Key Bedding. Loads of comfort and style.

A must see ottoman from Ryan Studio has bright yellow  gorgeous grosgrain detailing on natural linen...

The orange beads of the Currey &CO chandelier look like the 

berries of a Rowan Tree in the late fall... 

Leathered key-hole mirror by John-Richard    http://www.johnrichard.com

The Naples Chair by Palecek http://www.palecek.com/ combined wool fabric, nickel nail heads and pull.

Timeless, well styled and elegant – Traditional is never out of style. Usually hand-crafted to a specific order with much attention to the details, proportions, finish.

What Inspires us...

  Post By:

Carol
Freedman

Inspiration for room design can come from just about anywhere....a work of art, a piece of clothing, a special season of the year, a favorite tote bag, a sunset...Just for fun, let's take a peek at a few sources of inspiration that have influenced our very own DCIDA designers' recent projects....


In a recent condominium project designed by Marika Meyer, her jumping off point of inspiration was a beautiful striped shirt worn by the husband at their first meeting. The simple stripes displayed mauve, pale blues, taupes and green... Marika pulled out the separate colors for each of the condo's rooms, including blue in the sunroom and lavendar in the dining room. Then, she tied the rooms together effectively with multi-color fabric accents throughout... And of course, she discovered a refined striped fabric similar to the inspiring shirt, which she proposed for living room drapes...

Cindy Griffin focused on a large colorful piece of art as the design inspiration  for the living room in this college student's first apartment. Harsh white walls were softened with a warm beige color, and accessories added bright touches of color to complement the neutral upholstery, chrome and dark wood touches.  For visual accent, various textures were added in the pillows and porcelain art work installed above the fireplace...

For Lena Kroupnik, inspiration for her clients' serene and airy living room sprang from a framed watercolor purchased during the homeowners' honeymoon. The image's depiction of the coastline with a blissful water view included light greens, mauve, pinks and blues, which were carried into the room's fabrics, wall colors and accents....

One of Lana Barth's clients had amassed a magnificent collection of Fornasetti plates, which were displayed over the dining table in the multi-purpose room of her condo. The room needed to function as a living room, dining room, tv area, and home office. With so many areas competing for attention, the plates were vastly under appreciated in their current location....

Lana decided to "divide and conquer" the spaces in the room, using the Fornasetti pieces for her inspiration... She selected the "eyes only" image to anchor the office space....

Another grouping of the Fornasetti plates, which she arranged in the living room corner of the room, inspired this stunning sectional seating area for entertaining and watching tv. What a great touch in the floor lamp repeating the Fornasetti design!

In one of my own recent projects at Carol Freedman Design, the Bethesda homeowners adored a vintage French poster in their collection, which was the colorful jumping off point for the family room and living room...

This poster's vivid reds, blues, golds and greens played out in the family upholstery with lively checks and geometric designs, and in an accent wall of the vibrant red....

In the adjacent living room, I employed the same colors, emphasizing the sumptuous golden yellow....

Lorna Gross of Savant Design used a classic pair of boat deck chairs that her clients had found as the main inspiration for a club room to be enjoyed by the new empty nesters....

The rich lustrous wood of the deck chairs is echoed in the other wood details that she used in the room.  The curvilinear shapes of the chaise and side chairs are reminiscent of the luxurious epoch in which those deck chairs were originally enjoyed...

We welcome our readers to share some of their sources of design inspiration with us as well!