GREEN Smoke and Mirrors!?!

 

Does it seem to you like suddenly everything is organic, recylced,  and/or eco-friendly? So, can anyone acurately say what GREEN really is?

Smoke and mirrors. 

 

                                                                                  Lolita Ginoski photo

Green smoke, that is, maybe green mirrors. You pick.

Let’s talk just a little bit about what that means in the furniture and design world. There are all kinds of variations on a theme available to the consumer, but I’ve come across one that I like. It’s simple  – not too smokey or too much glare. Believe it or not the words come to us from J.C. Penney through their “Simply Green” campaign.

1  Organic products must be made from 70% raw materials such as organic cotton or linen, grow without chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

2  Renewable products are made from at least 25% renewable materials such as bamboo, sorona, ingeo, soy, capiz shells, or wood that comes from managed forests.

3  Recycled products contain a mix of at least 25% previously used materials such as cotton, glass, or polyester made from soda bottles.

I am thinking , “Good for Penney’s” – at least they put their thoughts into words. They gave themselves, as well as their customers, guidelines and expectations.

Kermit should be proud because green is here to stay. I’ll continue this variation on a green-theme next time when we look at trends verses realities.

I remember back in my college  (hippy) days we were told to eat greens. But that was long ago. Long before we could imagine sitting on  them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dianne Ross

Interior Designer / Phelans Interiors

363-9634

More COLOR Trends for the Home 2.0

 

Hello, all you color freaks out there!

 

My apologies for the self indulgent post last week – but, well. . . I just got lost in the moment! Enough said.  Now, as promised,  I’ll get on with it.

The announcement you’ve all been waiting for. The color trend for

 2009 is:

WATER

 

 McKenzee Bell photo

Word concepts have  such a powerful influence in the decorating world that people are using terminologies today such as  ”spa” bathrooms and “hotel” bedrooms.  Now comes the buzz word for the newest color trend. It has been edited down to one simple word. WATER. It’s a power-word.

The new blues include deeper shades of AQUA than we have seen for a few years. Dare I even say TEAL? Hold on to your snorkels because it’s coming!  Also included in the blue category, which we haven’t seen in a very long time, is COBALT.  As an electric accent color, it is the perfect accompaniment for every shade of aqua. I am happy to see the blue palette starting to make a come back. No doubt the “spa” influence and thoughts of being  refreshed and being well play a roll  here with the idea of WATER as a color.

Water; life is born from it – and so is color!

 

Dianne Ross

Interior Designer / Phelan’s Interiors

363-9634

 

 

More COLOR Trends for the home

I love my job.

One day last week my daughter (who lives in Texas) called to ask how my day was going.

“I’m coloring,” I said, “window treatments.”

“Isn’t it wonderful, that as an adult, you can color on the job?” she exclaimed.

I hadn’t really given it much thought before, but she is right.

I swung my chair around to face the cabinet adjacent to my desk and pulled open the top drawer.

Upon reflection it became a near-religious-experience.

Filled to capacity is a drawer full of color! Paint decks, colored pencils, books, color chips,  illustrated brochures on color, painting technique pamphlets, two color wheels, and more paint decks. I mean really – How many people  have a designated color drawer?

After I took this photo I began wondering about all those paint decks. How many are there? The palms of my hands started to sweat as I anticipated the final count. I almost became  delirious over this color spectrum extravaganza. You know I’m going to tell you, don’t you?

Twenty-three!

And that  doesn’t even include my “big box” from Sherwin Williams. Nor does take into consideration the very extrodinary, even bigger, black box from Pratt & Lambert. That huge box is the exact size of  flight bags that airline captains are seen with. Inside, it contains nine individual notebooks of color samples! The box isn’t in my designated color drawer, clearly because it doesn’t fit. I have a special double door cabinet for that baby!

Is it just me or are there choirs of angels singing over head?

I got so wrapped up in my daughter’s proclamation I forgot to stick to my subject and write about home color trends. It’s her fault. Definitely her fault. Next week I promise to be more vigilant.

That is if I’m not busy coloring.

 

  

Dianne Ross

Interior Designer/Phelans Interiors

363-9634

 

French Inspired ZEBRA CHEST IS HERE!

 

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND. . .

Because I had so many inquiries on this piece, which I posted in a previous blog, I thought I’d give all of you a treat with this announcement. . .

ANNOUNCEMENT ** It’s here!  **ANNOUNCEMENT

It’s a piece of bold artwork, unique, flirty, functional, and above all – positively pulchritudinous!

Come on down to the store to see it proudly strutting its stuff!

Print this Blog and bring it with you for an additional surprise!

 

Dianne Ross

Interior Designer/Phelan’s Interiors

363-9634