Design Insight

Redefine Your Style with Sherwin Williams’ Redend Point

Sherwin Williams has announced its color of the year for 2023, and we’re loving it! Sherwin Willimas’ Redend Point SW 9081 offers a refreshing take on the new year by paying homage to subtle desert hues and highlighting nature-inspired interiors. While it’s quite different from Pantone’s bold and vibrant Viva Magenta, we think this warm and versatile color is in a league of its own. A vision of beauty inspired by connection and depth, this blush beige is the perfect mid-tone neutral. One of our favorite ways to use this shade is on an accent wall, or as a complementary layer of bedding. Trends in recent years have been moving toward earth tones, and we’re watching greens take a backseat to awe-inspiring sunset pastels and clay hues. Redend Point works great as a companion to soft, cool neutrals like grays and browns, and when mixed with wood tones that exemplify this color’s natural roots, SW 9081 really shines in a calm, cozy, and earthy way. This soft color is the perfect addition to any space when you want to freshen up your home for the new year!

Photo credit: Chameleon Design

Photo credit: Chameleon Design

Photo credit: Chameleon Design

Photo credit: Chameleon Design

Photo credit: Chameleon Design

Photo credit: Chameleon Design

Photo credit: Chameleon Design

Photo credit: Chameleon Design

Photo credit: Chameleon Design

Photo credit: Chameleon Design

Photo credit: Chameleon Design

Photo credit: Chameleon Design

Fiery Fireplaces

A beautifully integrated fireplace can completely change the feel of a room, no matter the season. As a natural, central focal point, it is the perfect place to congregate with friends, family, and guests. Although it’s easy to relate a fireplace to a cozy and homey atmosphere, the styling and accompanying decor can also make this stunning architectural element luxe and modern. Beneath a TV, we love to add a linear, electric fireplace with a cantilevered hearth to achieve a sleek look. This style adds a layer of functionality with a ledge for unique accessories. Add extra intrigue with floor-to-ceiling tiling around the fireplace. When the tile plays off of the other furnishings, talk about a showstopper! Of course, tile isn’t necessary, and we do love adorning traditional wood fireplaces in a more classic style. Fireplaces are great, both indoors and out, and act as an inviting hotspot. When well-decorated, it can be a cozy, toasty area to hang out all night long. We love outdoor fireplaces adorned with natural-looking stone, as it draws the eye every time.

The Timeless Texture of Fluting

An Ode to Organic Textures and Textiles

Organic interior design is nature-inspired and blends mid-century modern or Boho-style with the concept of using natural materials. This design theme uses different representations of nature’s colors, textures, and whimsical beauty to create showstopping interior palettes. But we want to focus specifically on the fabrics and textiles that help create inviting, globally-inspired spaces—like fringe, crochet, tassels, and macrame. When applied to pillows, curtains, and throw rugs—either singularly or in combination—an engaging, layered look is achieved. Natural materials like leather, cotton, wool, flax, bamboo, and jute mix well with wood and stone elements to create beautifully organic aesthetics that soothe the senses. We absolutely love the extra level of texture and playfulness these pieces add to a space. A tasseled throw blanket strewn across a bed, or woven baskets of different heights sequestered in a corner add an unparalleled level of depth and dimensionality. These textiles come across as earthy and cozy, particularly when used in tasteful, neutral shades. Utilizing natural textures and organic textiles is a great way to elevate a space that looks cold and uninviting to one that feels just like home.

The Secrets of Open Shelving

We’re loving open shelving as a functional design element in minimalist interiors. This trend has grown in popularity in recent months, and it’s easy to see why. Mounted wall shelves, stand-alone multi-tier bookcases, and built-in shelving add personality and modern style to any space. We aim to highlight opportunities future residents have to showcase their own, personalized aesthetic, and these decor elements do just that. The units encourage the tasteful display of each homebuyer’s favorite trinkets and provide easy access to frequently used items. A great, dimensional application is a built-in bookshelf that frames a fireplace or wallpaper feature wall. Shelves help to balance and frame a wall, while also providing space to display coveted accessories like art, sculptures, plants, and vases. This customizable element complements a variety of design styles and has the ability to set the tone for a room’s spatial aesthetic.

Hop On the Velvet Love Train

At Chameleon Design, we have a longstanding love for velvet fabric. It’s one of those comfortingly cozy, textural elements that can be used in design styles ranging from modern, to bohemian, and even minimalistic. This dramatic material is often underused and can be seen as heavy and overwhelming, but when incorporated in the right ways, velvet becomes the grounding focal point of any room. While it looks chic and subtle in a neutral hue, it vividly transforms the vibe when chosen in bold, bright colors like vibrant green, cobalt blue, turquoise, or burnt orange. Some of our models with the most vibrant color schemes incorporate an ottoman, sofa, or accent chair in a crushed velvet fabric, and the elegance it adds to each space is unmatched. If we only want to incorporate a small touch of velvet, we tend to do this in the form of throw pillows, alongside pillows in other materials for a fun mix of textures. It’s a delicate balance, but working with this popular fabric is well worth the effort when you see the luxurious results.

Go Sculptural with Dimensional Art

For many, wall décor is viewed as somewhat of a design afterthought. Here at Chameleon, we flip that idea on its head and turn the wall art into the star of the show. That’s the intention of 3D wall decor– it immediately catches the eye and creates a memorable impression. Dimensional art makes a wall come alive with texture and movement, and adds an element of playfulness and charm. It’s unexpected and super fun to integrate into our clients’ model homes and sales offices. We like getting creative with it to tie together a room’s theme, era, or color palette. A playful lip-shaped art piece, a succulent wall, and an assortment of sun hats are only a few of the delightful objects we’ve used to make walls pop-pop-pop. One caveat we keep in mind when utilizing this design feature- keep nearby elements simple to avoid an overcrowded look. When done right, dimensional wall decor offers endless possibilities to liven up any room. It’s the perfect excuse to really let creativity shine and stray away from the expected!

Pillow Talk

Never underestimate the power of a throw pillow to pack a serious design punch in your model homes. We’re all about creating BIG moments in rooms using small accents that add personality. Throw pillows accomplish this in spades because they deliver comfort, texture, and color in equal measure. They can take any living room, bedroom, or even a hallway to the next level. Pillows can elevate an otherwise neutral sofa – we especially enjoy layering several for intrigue (plus, who doesn’t like that cozy feeling of lounging in pillows!). For our clients’ projects, we love mixing pillow patterns, textures, and sizes while threading in the room’s theme or palette to unify the design. Don’t forget your patio or deck area — throw pillows in UV and water-resistant fabrics will help create the outdoor living vibe that’s so popular right now. An especially playful way to “speak” to homebuyers is by incorporating pillows with fun words, phrases, and graphics. It’s all about creating opportunities for buyers to see themselves in the homes and adding those special touches that stick with them even after they walk out the door.

Creating Cozy Corners

Drink to That: Beautiful Home Bars

Live every hour like it’s happy hour in these inspiring spaces made for relaxing and socializing at home. At a time when there’s still uncertainty about nights out on the town, many households are interested in creating dedicated spaces for unwinding at home. The home bar is making a comeback, much to the delight of cocktail lovers and wine enthusiasts. But homebuyers don’t have to be connoisseurs or aficionados to enjoy this trend — a little evening escape is a wonderful way for anyone to enjoy their new home.

Plus, bar spaces are versatile and can be created almost anywhere! Set the scene in an alcove, loft or den with open shelving or glass-front cabinets to show off wares. A simple under-counter bar cooler keeps all the best beverages chilled for the family. With the addition of a wine fridge, either in the kitchen or in the living room, all the prized bottles can be kept at the perfect temperature. Take the good times outside with a space-saving bar cart for a refreshing drink alfresco. But beware — these inviting spaces will make you want to end the workday a little early, which is fine by us. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, right?