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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!

Chameleon Design Featured Project: Mirador, Plan 2 // San Juan Capistrano

We recently finished four models at the beautiful new Mirador at Rancho San Juan. The community offers a range of estate-scaled family residences in the quaint mission town of San Juan Capistrano. Plan 2 has an updated farmhouse feel, with a bright color palette of yellow, taupe and white. The furniture pieces are gray washed pine with modern white accents for a rustic and natural feel. To contrast, accessories and accent pieces are glossy white. One of our favorite features is the flooring. Creamy, stone floors indoors also extend out to the courtyard and patio areas to create an open extended indoor/outdoor living space, ideal for the Southern California lifestyle.

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Kitchen

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Capistrano Room

Billiards Room

Master Bedroom

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Exterior View

Home Design Trends // Concrete

The design world’s latest darling is concrete, and this utilitarian material is now being used in unexpected and unusual ways. Concrete looks great contrasted with soft textures, such as velvet cushions/curtains, or fake-fur throws. Modernists love to mix it with glass, metals and wood. Warm colors and mood lighting will soften the look and highlight the texture. Below are some beautiful pieces we’ve found that could make themselves at home anywhere:

Concrete Bowls, Katharina Eisenkoeck

Concrete & Brass Lamp, Clayton-Gray Home

Concrete Dining Table, Hart Concrete Design

Concrete Fire Pit, Pinterest

Define Space in the Home Without Walls

Walls in your home are the ultimate dividers of space, from a kitchen to a bathroom or bedroom. But how can you define different spaces in your home without them?  Open floor plans have become increasingly popular but without walls as the typical room barrier, designers must rely on things such as changes in level, materials and colors. These elements will change the way space is perceived in a room without relying on walls. Consider the following tips to create your home’s spaces without relying on the typical vertical barrier for enclosure.

Level Change
A step or two can differentiate two areas just as well as a wall. The level change will designate separate zones in an open plan, which is what you’re looking for.

Photo: Cary Bernstein Architecture

Photo: Pinterest

Overhead Element
A change in material at the ceiling level is a smart visual way to delineate zones in a home with an open floor plan. If you can’t make a material change in your space, try using paint for a dramatic effect.

Photo: Architectural Digest

Photo: Pinterest

Structural Elements
A home’s structural elements can be used to define space too. Wooden ceiling beams add another layer of architecture that is exposed in vaulted ceilings.

Photo: Architectural Digest

Photo: Pinterest

Screens
Screens are an easy way to incorporate a room divider and a great way to create an architectural pause between here and the rest of the home.

Photo: Houzz.com

Photo: Pinterest

Flooring Material
Dark wood contrasts nicely with bright white walls and also acts as an instant visual cue to a room delineation. The same will work in reverse, meaning if you have dark kitchen cabinets and walls, go with a lighter shade for your floors.

Photo: Pinterest

Home Design Trends // Pantone’s 2014 Color of the Year

Pantone, a global authority on color, recently picked Radiant Orchid, a purple hue with pink and fuchsia undertones, as the 2014 color of the year, replacing the 2013 color, emerald. In the upcoming year, the purply rose will undoubtedly influence the world of fashion and interior design. Rich, deep, and a bit enigmatic, it can give off a glamorous, jewel-toned effect, while also having the ability to create depth and movement. See below for a few items we’d reach for to incorporate this gorgeous hue.

Silk Ikat Pillow, Michele Varian

Ovo Lamp, Lamps Plus

Wool Rug, ABC Home

How to Choose the Perfect White Paint

Choosing the perfect shade of white is an exercise in subtlety and anything but simple. A friend recently called to ask my advice on picking a good shade for her home interior, and it got me thinking about how tricky it can be if you don’t understand the spectrum of whites that are out there. Benjamin Moore, for example, makes over 150 different shades of white! As white reflects all colors, it easily takes on hues of all surrounding colors. So if your selections look like a this…hopefully our tips on differentiating the most common categories will help.

Creamy white

A white bedroom can be a very relaxing haven. For best results, use a few different tones of white and layer them in the space. Creamy white walls are lovely when combined with crisp white curtains and ivory colored bedding. This type of variation will prevent your space from looking too stark.

Photo: Vogue

Cool white

Cool white walls will create a serene, homogenous space that has very little contrast and/or distraction. These whites work well in contemporary spaces because they provide a feeling of newness. For a classic cool white to shine, the hues around it need only a hint of pigment.

Photo: Pinterest

Soft white
Soft white is a great choice as it creates a blank canvas for adding any other color. A soft white wall will also pair nicely with a crisp white trim, adding a subtle contrast. These shades are wonderful for bringing out the dimensions of panelled woodwork.

Photo: Pinterest

Snow white
A very classic way to treat wainscoting is to paint it with a glossy, snow white paint color. This look also works great in a more contemporary space, as shown here.

Photo: Pinterest

Antique white
For a more traditional space, antique whites work best because they provide a lived-in feel to a room. They have a timeless appeal, with slightly tarnished brown undertones that help lend depth to white walls without overpowering a space.
Ivory white
Many people like the look of white cabinetry in the kitchen, but they don’t want the space to appear too cold. In this case, look for a white that has a slight ivory undertone. You can also add warmth to your kitchen with wood flooring, and by using clear halogen lighting.

Photo: Pinterest

Gray white
A crisp, grayish-white wall color will always make a sophisticated, museum-like backdrop for artwork and vivid accent hues. Having undertones of blue & grey can make the room feel cold, so be careful where you use this shade.

Chameleon Design Featured Project: Cortile, Plan 4 // The Colony, Anaheim

Cortile at Colony Park in Anaheim offers six floor plans to cater to a range oflifestyles. Located near trendy boutiques, cafes and museums, the revived neighborhood has a lot to offer homeowners. Plan 4 is a 2 bedroom/2 bath interior floor plan, so there are no side windows. No windows means a major lack of light, so we painted the brick wall white to add light, impact and texture.

The target buyer is a young couple living with a roommate and the office space on the first floor can function as a home office or den. Our design inspiration came from the store Anthropologie, leading us to white painted brick and reclaimed, rustic furnishings throughout the home. Light greys, whites and small accents of purple, pink deep red and gold made up the color palette. This plan also features beautiful outdoor areas and courtyards.

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Living Room

 

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Chameleon Design Featured Project: Cortile, Plan 3 // The Colony, Anaheim

Cortie, Plan 3 is a charming 1100 sq. foot, two bedroom townhouse at the Colony in Anaheim. The plan was designed for a young couple, with a second bedroom for guests. The space is an interior unit with no side windows, so we kept things light and bright with an all-white and neutral color palette and dark wood accents. Floors were done in a washed pine with dark knots and cabinets were all painted white. We love this clean look that’s very popular right now. It’s inspired by Swedish style and feels very fun and fresh.

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Office

Dining Area

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Living Area

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Master Bedroom

Guest Bedroom

Outdoor Patio

Is Your Home Ready for the Holidays?

The holidays are the year’s busiest social season and every home is bound to have a guest or two! Whether you’re planning a big party or hosting overnight guests, the preparation can be a lot to tackle when your to-do list is already a mile long. Luckily, there are small things you can do that will make a big impact.

Spruce up your entry, inside and out
It’s the first things guests see, so make sure it sets the right tone. A festive, fresh wreath on the door or garland hung above and some candles will create a very inviting front porch. And don’t forget to give the foyer a little bit of love. This small space is what gives guests their first impression of your home- so make sure it looks terrific.

Let the Light In
One of the neglected areas of holiday parties, or parties of any kind, is the lighting. Use votives and tea lights to light stairs, dining tables tops, consoles, bookcases, guestrooms, bathrooms, anywhere!

Prep guest rooms
Fresh sheets and extra towels, a mirror, working bedside lights, curtains on the windows, a place to put a suitcase — check the basics off your list now so you won’t have to scramble when a guest is due to arrive. Stock the guest bathroom with spare toothbrushes and other items guests may have forgotten to pack. And if your guest room shares space with a home office, now is also a good time to clear out the clutter. Guests shouldn’t feel like they’re sleeping in an office.

Stock the bathroom
It’s perhaps one of the cheapest and easiest ways to prep your home for party season, but it’s a must-do. Buy new hand towels, add a small arrangement of fresh flowers and a nicely scented candle and you’re done!

Just-In-Case Gifts:
Don’t forget to have a few extra gifts around for unexpected guests or a last minute party invitation. These gifts should be fun for kids and adults alike. Pick things that are unique so they look less like an after thought.

Happy Holidays! We hope all your hosting is a success!

Home Design Trends // Painted Floors

Applying paint to the ground has had a long history of enlivening rooms. A solid color can conceal unsightly cracks and highlight furnishings, while a geometric design or faux-stone motif adds instant drama. A painted floor is also a less expensive alternative to replacing surfaces entirely—so don’t be afraid to tackle wood, concrete, or even terra-cotta tiles.

Photo: Pinterest

Photo: Pinterest

Photo: House Beautiful

Home Design Trends // Bone Inlay

For centuries craftsmen have relied upon inlaid bone to add surface dazzle. Designers today have continued to find fresh ways to feature the material. The art of bone inlay is specific to the Udaipur region of India, where this meticulous skill is handed down from generation to generation. Three craftsmen are employed to make a piece of bone inlay furniture and the process can take weeks.

Furniture and objects inlaid with bone are almost always personality pieces and even small items can have a major impact: Here are some pieces that we like:

Tray, Serena and Lily

Two-Drawer Chest, Roberta Roller Rabbit

Box, One Kings Lane

Console, Liza Sherman