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Trending: Bring a Desert Vibe Inside

Cacti are no longer just for desert scenes but any space, and an earthly plant offers balance to a modern home. Pot a statement cacti to bring an outdoor surprise indoors.  Frame small cacti art and use as guest nametags for a summer soiree. Clump various types and heights of cacti in a traditional space as an artistic nod to modernism. Give this prickly plant room to reinvent itself among annual plants and shrubs.

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Project Highlight: Mason, Plan 3, Playa Vista, California

Dreamy, Beachy and Extremely Modern

Brookfield Residential tapped Chameleon Design to help set the stage for modern families living in the west side of coastal Los Angeles. At Mason in Playa Vista, we designed a contemporary, masculine scheme by incorporating smoky wood cabinets and paneling details for the mainstage entry and living room. We also invited nature in by grounding gray walls with tiles that appear like wood and continued this theme by selecting modern wood furniture and brown leather accents. The downstairs studio is just right for mom to use as a hub for hobbies or dad to watch the big game without interruption.

 

Great Room

Dining Room

Kitchen

Patio

Master Bedroom

Master Bath

Family Room

Nursery

Kid Room

Exterior

Tiny Houses and Why We Love Them

Like a grown-up version of the Barbie Dreamhouse, tiny houses are big on style and functionality. These houses – often measuring less than 400 square feet – are part of a growing movement toward minimalism, born out of consumers’ desires to simplify their lives while maximizing their sense of fulfillment. Although living smaller may not be right for everyone, the lessons about simpler living in a more efficient space translate to virtually any home. Steal these ideas from tiny living to reap the benefits of their thoughtful, innovative designs.

Pare Down Upkeep

Although it’s a popular trend to hang a flat-screen television over a built-in fireplace, electronics and heat don’t mix well. One new solution to this dilemma is to select an ethanol-alcohol fireplace, which produces less heat, and recess a TV into the wall so it’s protected better. Although a TV is a focal point in many living rooms and dens, a cupboard design like this one allows homeowners to hide the monitor when not in use.

Look Up

One of the best features about tiny houses is that these designs maximize space. Imagine drifting off to sleep in a loft suspended from high ceilings.

Choose Double-Duty Furniture

Not every home has enough space for a separate home office, but with the right selection of furniture, every space can serve multiple purposes. A hideaway desk can morph into a workstation easily, especially one with lots of cubbies and drawers for storage. Another option is to build a desk and shelving into existing nooks.

Play with Color

A paler color palette comprised of soft neutrals can open small quarters to create the visual equivalent of space. But you don’t have to stick to white, beige and gray; a pop of color can focus attention on the spectacular design of a well-appointed piece. Alternatively, a richly hued scheme incorporating dramatic, even dark, color on the walls can add drama.

Trending: Navy Is the New Black

Just right for smaller spaces or any room requiring a touch of drama, navy is surging as a top color trend for 2017. It’s as versatile as black but not as harsh. An inky blue accent wall looks modern and sensual, and a navy-and-white combo can lend some nautical whimsy to a coastal home. Look to patterned tile to lend a focal point to bathrooms. But don’t stop there: For a quick update, incorporate navy-hued accessories into a home.

 

How to Incorporate Home Technology Invisibly into Design

Although technology is ubiquitously designed into every new home, no one wants to see the telltale signs of it. Gone are the days of showcasing technology as a design focus; today’s consumer wants it to work in the background seamlessly. Fortunately, thanks to a crop of new audio, theater, energy monitoring and security gadgets, technology is more powerful than ever before yet integrated into home design for practically invisible use.

Stage a TV over a Fireplace – Or Make It Disappear

Although it’s a popular trend to hang a flat-screen television over a built-in fireplace, electronics and heat don’t mix well. One new solution to this dilemma is to select an ethanol-alcohol fireplace, which produces less heat, and recess a TV into the wall so it’s protected better. Although a TV is a focal point in many living rooms and dens, a cupboard design like this one allows homeowners to hide the monitor when not in use.

Hear It, Don’t See It

For an ambient experience, consider embedding surround-sound audio speakers into existing design. In fact, some types of speakers are made to vibrate and amplify audio signals better when hidden in walls or ceilings. Other solutions include faux rocks to hide speakers in a backyard or on a patio.

Charge Wherever You Are

Mobile phone users swipe, tap and pinch their phones on average 2,617 times a day, racking up a million touches every year, according to research firm Dscout. All that checking in drains battery life quickly, but furniture with built-in, wireless charging pads mean you can set down your smartphone and charge up in no time.

Whole-Home Integration: There’s an App for That

For the ultimate in convenience, homeowners are turning to automated systems that run lighting, heating, security and other electronics from one touchscreen system – even a single app accessible from any mobile device. An integrated system like this one lets users control practically everything in a home.

Trending: We Admire Wire

Forget about overwrought patio furniture or quaint bed frames, the trend toward wire furniture brings modernity to any room or space. The look mixes well with wood, as seen in this dining table and coffee table, and accents like these ottomans and storage baskets add scriptural artistry to otherwise functional pieces. Even lighting gets wired this year, a big trend that takes up little space – a perfect for fans of minimalism.

1. Wire Storage Basket, Horne | 2. Wire Floor Lamp, Land of Nod | 3. Wire Ottoman, Horne | 4. Rose Gold Wire Bar Stool, Target | 5. Wire Coffee Table, CB2 | 6. Hairpin Dining Table, World Market

Project Highlight: Skye, Pool View South, Palm Springs, California

Care for a Martini?

Any fan of Palm Springs knows two things: The desert oasis is a mecca for snowbirds and creatives, and it’s synonymous with midcentury modern style. Chameleon Design built upon these archetypes to help Woodbridge Pacific Group present Skye, a new community located within walking distance of downtown Palm Spring’s vibrant shopping and restaurant district. The spacious, well-designed floor plans with luxury finishes provided the ideal backdrop for our design, which includes all the details required for a Mad Men-style happy hour. Inspired by the desert color palette, we incorporated punches of tangerine, citron and turquois to complement the glossy white modern flat panel cabinets and large format, white porcelain tile we selected. With a space focused on entertaining, the only thing a homeowner will have to decide is whether to serve martinis poolside or in the outdoor den.

 

Courtyard

Dining

External view

Great room

Great room

Kitchen

Master bath

Master bedroom

Patio

Patio

Bedroom

Bedroom

Great room

Great room

Master bedroom

Pet parlor

Pool

Project Highlight: Celadon at Parasol Park, Plan 4, Irvine, California

Midcentury Modern Meets 21st Century Family Life

The newest of the Great Park neighborhoods in Irvine, Celadon at Parasol Park stands out for its well-conceived designs for modern homebuyers leading busy lifestyles, including one floor plan just right for growing families with four children. The builder, William Lyons Homes, tapped Chameleon Design to envision an eclectic version of midcentury modern interior design for this model that is budget- and kid-friendly. The result is as appropriate for playtime as it is for cocktail hour, thanks to a mix of surprisingly affordable pieces that mimic vintage lines. We selected a fun and energetic color palette based on pops of color as a design solution with all-white walls. We also took the opportunity to play with shapes and finishes, such as the multisided coffee table and brass trunk in the living room or nubby pillows and a nightstand featuring a honeycomb-inspired façade in the master bedroom. From morning school bell to après-dinner entertainment – and the family moments that happen in between – this design is tailor-made for Southern California lifestyles.

Living Room

Dining Room + Kitchen

Kitchen

Bedroom

Living Room

Living Room

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Patio

Patio

Details

Bedroom

Bedroom

Stairs

Details

Bedroom

Faux Finishes Mimic Nature

It all began the moment you settled in to read the latest thriller from your favorite author and draped a faux sable blanket across your lap. Since then, your love affair with all things organic and lush has grown in intensity. Now it’s time to invite other faux finishes into your home to drive your interior design choices. From rugs to ceiling aesthetics and everything in between, here’s your guide to using budget-friendly faux finishes to make everything look a bit more luxe.

Mesmerize with Marble

The faux finishing technique of marbleizing replicates the intricate, variegated veins of real marble. This countertop and back splash is made of natural quartz designed to appear like marble.

Chameleon Design

Get the Look of Ancient Stone

Stone stands up to the test of time, but the cost can be prohibitive. That’s where artisan finishes on drywall or wood come in. The look of a faux stone finish is organic – even responsive to fluctuations in lighting.

Nature at Your Feet

If you love the appearance of real wood flooring but loathe to undertake the upkeep or cost, tile that mimics the raw wonder of wood is easy to care. Faux wood tile flooring bears details once found only in nature, such as varying grains, concentric rings and knots, as well as a range of hues.

Chameleon Design

Wood Grain Craze

Enveloping cabinets or even walls in faux wood gain can mimic a range of looks from rustic to refined to exotic. The secret to trying this trend is to varying the direction of the grain to create the illusion of spaciousness in tight spaces.

Trending: Ceramics Are Dynamic

Ceramic accessories are affordable, quirky and oh-so-fun to style. You’ll covet the latest crop of ceramics found in modern collections of vases and love how hanging ceramic pots spotlight greenery. We believe the revival of ceramics coincides with consumers’ desires to personalize living spaces with accessories that spur organic connections to nature – a trend found in ceramics with earthy, artisanal finishes just perfect for spotlighting a posy or two.