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Highlights. Trends. Insights. We’ve got the scoop on everything you need to know about interior design right here in one tidy space!

Home Design Trends // Exposed Bulbs

Exposed light bulbs and bulbs with transparent shades are popping up everywhere and in all manner of modern interior schemes. Also called an Edison bulb, its getting all sorts of attention as part of the industrial-chic trend. At just a few extra bucks a pop, they can turn a simple fixture into a statement piece.

Photo: Pinterest

Photo: Jasper Sconce, Pottery Barn

Capture

Photo: Reeves Pendant, Arteriors

Three Jar Chandelier, West Elm

Essentials for an Eclectic Home

Eclectic design encompasses a variety of periods and styles and is brought together through the use of color, texture, shape and finish. A space that is eclectic allows for traditional furniture to mix with modern, or vice versa. Though it may not look it, a true eclectic style is a very purposeful and well thought-out way of decorating, and it’s not easy. Some styles don’t mix well, so it’s best to use no more than two styles unless you’re a professional.

To achieve this look, choose a color scheme and stick with a neutral as your grounding force. Then add to it with colored and textured solids and patterns. A combination of finishes and textures sets an eclectic look apart from the rest. If you like a wide variety of styles in your home and don’t like things that are too matchy matchy, a more eclectic style may be just the thing you’re searching for.

Photo: Chameleon Design

Photo: Pinterest

Photo: Chameleon Design

Photo: Pinterest

Home Design Trends // Monochromatic Color Schemes

With home decor, sometimes it’s the most simple statements that make the biggest impact. The monochromatic look has been on the rise this year, and there are no signs of it slowing down. Monochromatic color schemes are color palettes based off of the same color spectrum. When they’re done right they make a big statement and can add sophistication and interest in your home.

Photo: Pinterest

Photo: Chameleon Design

Photo: Pinterest

Photo: Chameleon Design

Home Design Trends // Pineapples

The pineapple has a long and charming history going back to colonial times where it was used as a gift for the hostess when entertaining guests. Though the pattern is not new to home decor, it’s a hot trend right now and we’re seeing it used in new, fun ways. These pineapples are not the Early American version with brass trivets and welcome mats. These pineapples are bold, modern, graphic, colorful, and fun. Their quirky shape and bright colors bring a retro feel to any room, so why not add a juicy touch to yours?

Wallpaper, Rifle Paper Co

Print, Wallstudio.com

Fabric, Dark Dog Studio

Ceramic Jars, Two’s Company

How To Create an Open Plan Kitchen

The kitchen is often called the hub of the home and for a while we’ve seen spaces designed to open to adjacent family rooms, creating a more intimate, homey feeling. Now formal dining rooms are following suit: in many homes, they’ve effectively become obsolete, being absorbed by the kitchen, creating larger, more functional spaces.

Homeowners have broken free of formality and embraced floorplans that combine rooms for optimal use. There’s no sense in wasting square footage on a room that’s only used sporadically. Considering an open-plan kitchen? The key to design success in these spaces is to separately define the

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dining and kitchen prep-areas, while ensuring the combined space is harmonious. Read on for why these rooms get it right.

Photo: Pinterest

Photo: Chameleon Design

Photo: Chameleon Design

Diverse Materials:
A mix of materials and surfaces keeps the eye moving in these large spaces and prevents visual boredom. If your countertops are granite, opt for a wood table with chrome light fixtures. If you have butcher-block counters, a marble-top table set underneath iron light fixtures is a good way to introduce a variety of texture into the space.

Lighting Variety:
Using an assortment of lighting fixtures and styles will define the kitchen and dining areas as different zones, though they may only be separated by mere feet. Switch up the styles of your sconces, pendants, and chandelier to keep the design cohesive, but dimensional.

A Decorated Space:
Combining kitchen and dining spaces doesn’t mean you have to lose all of the décor components. This makes dining rooms special. By introducing art, vintage and antique seating, beautiful draperies, and decorative accessories, you can still give the design of your open-plan kitchen the high-end look of a formal dining room.

A Variety of Seating Styles:
By distinguishing the look of your kitchen barstools from your dining chairs, you can evoke the feeling of a separate dining room and make the space dynamic and interesting while you’re at it.

Key Decorating Tips to Make Any Room Better

Designers don’t follow a secret rule book, but there are definitely some rough principles that guide us to ensure a great result every time. They are tried and true things that work, not necessarily tricks or skills that take years to master. Consider these tips a foundation for developing your own design ability:

Pick the paint color last
Homeowners commonly want to pick a paint color before they move in. This is not ideal as there are thousands of paint colors with various tints, tones and shades, and each one looks different from home to home. Light sources vary, meaning what looks good in your current home might not be perfect in your new one.

Give your furniture some breathing room
Resist overcrowding a room. You don’t need to fill up a space with lots of furniture for the room to look great. Spend more of your budget on fewer, better-quality pieces, and your room will look better than ever.

Photo: Houzz.com

Hang artwork at the right height
Galleries and museums hang artwork so that the mid-line (center) of each piece is 57 inches to 60 inches from the floor. (The average human eye level is 57 inches.) You should do the same in your home.

Photo: Chameleon Design

Resist the urge to have a theme
Some people have a tendency to go overboard with one particular theme or style and it can come off all wrong. For example, the Cape Cod look is a very popular, but it has been done so many times, it lacks individuality.

Create a focal point
Choose your piece and make it the focal point to anchor a room, while other items take a secondary role. Your focal point might be a dramatic hood in the kitchen, a mantel and art piece in the living room or a headboard in the bedroom. Whatever it is, choose something that will draw the eye’s attention.

Add layers of lighting
In a well-designed kitchen, the backsplash is lit, the artwork is highlighted and the cabinet interiors are filled with light. One central lighting fixture would not have had nearly the same dramatic result. Professionals build layers of lighting to create interest, intrigue and variety. In a room where everything is lit evenly, nothing stands out. Pick a focal point and perhaps a secondary focal point and highlight those. Add general ambient lighting and some lower lighting, like table lamps, for interest.

Photo: Chameleon Design

Be bold
Personality is what makes a space great. Make your own statement and have fun. The more you try, the more you will begin to see what works and what doesn’t. Incorporate unexpected elements for drama.

Photo: Houzz.com

Home Design Trends / / Gold Hardware

After years of silver being the preferred accent metal of choice, gold has started to take over. Just like brass, gold is the warmer metal and automatically up-levels a space. There’s nothing like a touch of gold to add subtle luxury and a fresh look to a classic design. As one of the hottest trends in home décor, many designers are now going gold when it comes to their hardware choices.

Photo: Pinterest

Photo: Pinterest

Photo: Pinterest

Photo: Pinterest

Home Design Trends // Dip-Dye Color

Dip-dye has been popping up everywhere lately from furniture to upholstery to utensils and more. We love the trend; it’s a fun and playful way to add some personality to your home. We’ve got several ideas on ways to decorate with dip-dyed accessories and furniture:

 

Side Table, West Elm

Cooking Utensils, Etsy

Salad Bowls, Wind & Willow Home

Storage Basket, Target

Tips for Designing Your Dream Kitchen

A place where function is certainly more important than form, there’s a lot to consider in a kitchen renovation, beyond fabrics and pretty finishes. So below are a few expert tips to get you headed in the right direction:

Splurge on Hardware
Hardware is definitely something to spend some money on, as it really dictates the look of your kitchen.  Three things to consider in hardware: it should feel good to your hand, it should be easy to use, and it should be aesthetically pleasing.

Photo: Pinterest

Connect Your Rooms
Many kitchens today have an open plan, flowing into the living room or dining room, or they have a “breakfast nook” that’s used regularly, even for dinner. To create continuity between these spaces, surfaces need to speak to each other.

Photo: Chameleon Design

Be Smart About Appliances
When shopping for appliances, work with a professional for guidance. Weigh all factors, such as who uses the kitchen, how many people are cooking at one time, and how often your family cooks. Not everyone needs all of the appliance features on the market, and they’re very often not used.

Photo: Chameleon Design

Upgrade Your Cabinetry
Replacing cabinetry will always give you the most value. It takes up the largest part of your kitchen, and it will inevitably make the most impact.

Photo: Pinterest

Install More Lighting
Lighting is always important, and every room should have a balance of countertop and overhead lighting. New innovations in LED bulbs have greatly improved the options of undercounter lighting- with the LED bulbs now, your food even looks more attractive. Interior and lower cabinets are also recommended. Anything that’s deep, dark, or below the counter should have a light.

Photo: Pinterest

Chameleon Design Featured Project: Pavilion Park Information Center // Irvine

Pavilion Park in Irvine is the first community at The Great Park Neighborhoods for Five Point Communities. Chameleon Design was brought on board to design the Information Center, which they wanted to have a warm feel with elements of folly.

In the building itself, we created a “beacon wall” of TV screens, which all run a loop of the community amenities, to be the star of the room.  We flanked the reclaimed wall of paneling with large framed succulent walls and kid friendly rockers surround the tree in the center. Custom chairs that were designed to remind you of gardeners gloves, natural branches, crystals, coral, and crystals also help to bring the outdoors in.

Outside we used a mixture of wood and metal furniture. Adirondack chairs made of wine barrels, vintage wood chairs, cream metal gliders and wood stools were sprinkled along the low wall near the outdoor fireplace to allow for places to sit and talk. Near the basketball courts we commissioned custom tables made of slabs of wood and cool metal legs and outside the green house we placed two long gathering tables with galvanized stools. The pool deck also has these elements along with wide chaise lounges made of vintage beam wood. Wind chimes, stone owls, metal balls created with wine barrel strapping and stone rain chains hang here and there for natural folly.

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Information Center

Information Center

Kids Play Center

Greenhouse

Pool Area

Greenhouse

Greenhouse