Pleated Lampshades

First of all, I want to congratulate you for clicking through to read this post.  You're a design geek of the highest level.

I firmly believe that it's the details that take a space from "pretty good" to extraordinary, so I tend to scrutinize rooms that I admire and make mental notes of all of the details.  One of the details on my radar right now is the use of pleated lampshades.  

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Pleated lampshades were big in the 80's and 90's, but fell out of favor for the more streamlined drum shade.  Apparently someone smarter than me thought that if brass could make a big comeback, why not bring back  pleated lampshades too.

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I think this is just part of a larger movement to more classic interiors, where the pretty details are layered on.

Nick Olsen in House Beautiful

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Are you ready to revisit pleated lampshades?  I found a  diy tutorial here and source here.

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Consultation Services in Chattanooga, TN.  Call Kim at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com to find out how a well designed home can improve the quality of  your life!

Bullion Fringe - Is it Dead to You??

I really want to hear your opinion on this one, even though I'm sure the majority of you will say (hell) no.  But the subject is bullion fringe, and I'm wondering if there would ever be a snowball's chance in hell that you would consider using it. Anywhere.  For anything.

OK mostly I'm wondering about using bullion fringe on furniture.   Like the fringe on the settee in this shot.  Would you ever do that?  Or even consider it as an option? 

Meg Braff in House Beautiful

I think most of us would rule out bullion fringe because it seems old fashioned and a little stuffy, but in the space above I don't think the room reads "formal" at all.  I think the seagrass rug, the fabric choices and the soft color palette help knock down the fussiness.

I don't know why this Pinterest image is so grainy, but I wanted to use it because I thought the use of bullion fringe in such a modern setting was interesting.

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I love this image because all of the design elements are so traditional, but (to me), the space feels modern. And don't they all look happy with those bullion fringe trimmed sofas?

Have you figured out which way I'm leaning?  Could you ever see yourself with bullion fringe trimmed anything?

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services to happy homeowners in Chattanooga, TN.  If you'd like to experience the joy of living in a well-designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

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Chevron Gone Wrong

Apparently the folks at Snuggie have jumped on the chevron bandwagon too.

Spotted at my local Bed Bath & Beyond. 


Can Imperial Trellis Snuggie be far behind?

Need some help pulling your style together?  The Green Room Interiors can make your home a beautiful place to be!  Call Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

Really Country Living?

Chevron pumpkins?  Couldn't we let it die with a little dignity?

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What I Love about Nick Olsen's Spread in Veranda

Were you as captivated as I was by Nick Olsen's work in the latest issue of Veranda?  There's something about his aesthetic  that's complex, and yet, so effortless.  Nick has a voice and he's not afraid to see his vision through. 


 The setting  is a Pre-War Beaux Arts building in New York City, which doesn't hurt things, since there were (most likely)  abundant architectural details already in place. Olsen masterfully updated the space with fresh colors, an engaging mix of styles, and a smattering of the unexpected.  


What I love most about the design is that it's rooted in traditional design. There are antiques, silk taffeta curtains, velvet sofas, bullion fringe, canopy beds (although freshened up with white paint), Persian rugs and floral (deGournay) wallpaper.   Olsen layered in some modern elements as well,  but it didn't feel trendy or overplayed, as in chesterfield/barcelona/chevron/ikat/suzani/geometric - rinse and repeat.  (And please don't misunderstand, the aforementioned design elements are lovely and I don't  hesitate to use any of them myself,  I just don't think they're a requirement for every space.)

Source: quintessenceblog.com via D on Pinterest

I also love that it''s "pretty" .There's color!  There's pattern! There's trim! There are flowers! 

Source: quintessenceblog.com via D on Pinterest

Oh, and one last/important  thing .  The apartment doesn't feel overly  "coordinated".  Olsen pulled from a wide range of colors, textures and design styles. The curtains don't match the pillows which pick up a color from the rug, etc.etc.  Of course there was an overall color concept  and mood for the space,  but then some of the pieces were chosen intuitively; just because they felt right  in the space, and not because they matched.  This maneuver is tough to pull off, and the results are never middle of the road.  It's either a home run or a swing and a miss .

Source: quintessenceblog.com via Denise on Pinterest

And so (for me), this apartment by Nick Olsen is what great design is all about.  It starts with a base of tried and true classic pieces, layers  in some modern elements to represent where we are today, and tops it all off with a bit of the quirky and unexpected.  It's the art of the carefully chosen mix at its best. 


What did you love (or not love) about it?


Need some help pulling your style together?  The Green Room Interiors can make your home a beautiful place to be !  Call Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com.

Design Deja vu - Round 2 - Photos from the 60's and 70's

I hit the jackpot this weekend at an estate sale and added to my growing collection of vintage decorating books.  These books are so fun to go through, and it reconfirms my belief that there really isn't anything new under the sun - just a reinterpretation of great design elements.  I got four new old books at $1 each.  This book, published in 1976,  is the  most high falutin' .

It opens with this old photo of Rose Cumming in her Park Ave. store

and goes on to highlight the works of design giants like Parrish-Hadley

and Mario Buatta , who really came into his element in the over the top 80's.

But what I find the most fascinating are the design elements we're still crazy about today, although some would call them "trends" that are "over".  I beg to differ. Like the chevron pattern on the rug above.

A few relevant design elements in the space above include the marble floors, the fur bedspread, the arrangement of twigs on the piano and the bold abstract art.  Do you see any more?

We're still all over a classic sunburst mirror, as well as the gallery installation of the artwork. Now below, look at the use of animal prints

And that's not all!  There's Greek Key

plenty of Campaign style furniture

and even some antlers.

Oh, and it seems I have a duplicate copy of a favorite decorating book from the 1960's. This means I have one to give away.  More to come on that soon!

Have a wonderful start to your week!

Need some help pulling your style together?  The Green Room Interiors can make your home  a beautiful place to be! Call Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

Embracing the trend - oversized lamps

My name is Kim and I am a lampaholic.  It started out innocently enough - just admiring pretty lamps and picking up new ones here and there.  I don't know when I lost control of it all, but I have more lamps than I can ever use.  My latest obsession?  Oversized lamps - which really, should be no big surprise.  After all, if a pretty lamp is good, an enormous pretty lamp is even better!

Lonny

On a side-note, have you ever seen these big black shiny shades for sale anywhere? 

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Lonny

Apartment Therapy

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And now my latest acquisitions

That guy in the middle is an average size table lamp - just put him in for comparison!

Isn't the first step to admit that you're powerless over the addiction?  Oh well, one day at a time.  :)

Do you like supersized lamps?

Need some help pulling your style together?  The Green Room Interiors can make your home a beautiful place to be!  Call Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

Design Deja-vu - Great images from the 60's and 70's

Happy August, kids! If your idea of a good time is driving from one estate sale to another in the summer heat, then you would have loved my weekend! The only problem was everything I wanted was either already sold or more than I wanted to pay. Luckily, I found these incredible vintage decorating books - the one on top was published in 1965 and the Better Homes book was pubilshed in 1975. 

After browsing through these books a half a dozen times, I'm convinced that there's nothing really "new" in design.  And I'm not saying that's a bad thing - I think it just shows that great design is timeless, and doesn't have to be "new & improved."  I have some images to share with you that are out of these mid-century books that are completely relevant (although some might say redundant) to where we are today! These images are crude, the pictures in the books were very small, and I took them with my point and shoot.

This image is from the 1975 BH&G book.  What about that wallpaper?  And that fresh green and white color scheme? It's good, right?

 Oversize paper lantern, (did they have Ikea and Pier 1 back then?) coffee table, painted parsons desk, turquoise and green color scheme. 

Yep, that's a ceramic garden stool and lots of Asian-inspired/Chinoiserie accents. Red lacquer lampshade.

Asian screen, painted coffee table, mix of furniture styles.

Horizontal stripes, black & white color scheme with a single accent color.

Gallery walls

Can you see that this room was done by Dorothy Draper?  Would you make any changes nearly 50 years later?

Don't get me started on this one.  Bri, I'm sure there's a project for you based on that wallpaper.  You can do it at my house :)



Okay, so what do you think?  I've read on several different blogs that certain design elements (like Chevron patterns, gallery walls, painted furniture and ceramic garden stools) are "over".  Do these 50-year old images prove them wrong?

Need some help pulling your style together?  Kim Lemmon can make your home a beautiful place to be!  Call 423.653.3186 for details.

Design Trends - Driftwood

Have you discovered the rustic beauty of driftwood?  It's a trend that's popping up everywhere, and I love the rustic, earthy quality it conveys.

Contrast at its best!  The rough texture of the driftwood is enhanced by the slick surface of the mirror, creating just as much tension as your mother-in-law's weekend visit - only prettier.

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Pretty sure you won't see this console over at your neighbor's house!

Elle Decor

Modern room + weathered coffee table  = unexpected beauty!

Lots of driftwood lighting options...

The good kind of chunky.

Random driftwood beauty

Coastal Living

Trend or true?

Need some help pulling your style together?  The Green Room Interiors can make your home a beautiful place to be!  Call Kim at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com