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Trends

Happiness Hack: How to Tell Your Story in Home Design

Designer hot take: Want to know how to truly make your home your own and a happy place you’ll love every day? Make it all about you! A home that’s full of character is one that authentically reflects the personalities of its inhabitants. And one of the things that makes people who they are is the stories they tell about themselves, like past experiences, achievements, relationships, and interests. If you’re not sure how that all translates into a cohesive and put-together home full of beautiful spaces, try asking yourself a few of these questions:

What was your favorite vacation?

What’s your favorite mantra or affirmation?

What item in your closet do you reach for the most?

Where would you live if money weren’t an option?

What sorts of activities make you lose track of time?

Use your answers as a jumping off point for your creativity. Create a mood or Pinterest board with color palettes, themes, photos, and mementos. There are many fun ways to incorporate these things to reflect what you love and create happiness every day. Arrange a vignette on a console table with a beloved collection, photo gallery, or aspirational signs. Surround yourself with those you love the most with a large family and friend photo wall. Entertain in style with a fun bar cart al fresco or a next-level game room with all the embellishments. Show off your personality using interesting paint details, like colorful ombre stair risers or mood-boosting horizontal stripes. If you love the outdoors, bring some of it inside with a heart-shaped succulent wall. Big or small, these individual touches tell your unique story and make your home a source of happy moments. Our homes should joyfully reflect the stories of our lives, so make the motto, do more of what makes you happy, your design mantra!

Photo Credit: Chameleon Design

Photo Credit: Chameleon Design

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Sustainable by Design: Rattan, Cane, Bamboo & Rope

If you’ve scrolled through your favorite home decor hashtags on Instagram for more than a minute, you know that rattan, cane, bamboo, and rope furniture and furnishings are back in a major way. People are becoming more environmentally aware, which is influencing their consumption preferences and buying decisions. In a recent National Retail Federation study, 57% of respondents would change their purchasing habits to reduce negative environmental impact! In other words, when it comes to home design and furnishings, people are seeking out more sustainable materials and earth-friendly products. Eco-conscious and renewable materials like rattan, cane, and bamboo are at the top 2020’s trend list for good reason. They add warmth, accessibility, and freshness to living spaces and give off a chic organic vibe. A 70s boho nod interpreted for 21st century tastes, woven furnishings bring some of the wonderful outdoors into the home, and who couldn’t use a little more of that these days!

Photo Credit: Chameleon Design

Photo Credit: Chameleon Design

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Geometry Play

Shape and form are design’s building blocks, providing organization and cohesion to interiors. We love them! Geometric shapes and forms add a modern look and a feeling of vitality. The unity of lines and curves introduces a fresh touch and complements a number of design eras and themes, working especially well with art deco, mid-century, and contemporary styling. Geometric elements like triangles, rectangles, squares, and hexagons introduce an appealing deconstruction of design into its most basic forms. They’re sleek and a bit raw, evoking emotion and mood. Take it a step further and think beyond lines and angles; circles, curves, and crescents create a smooth, undulating feel that’s sophisticated and pleasing. Geometric patterns are especially eye-catching because the repetition creates an illusion of movement in an otherwise static design. Pattern’s play between the cheerfully unexpected and a soothing repetition is appealing in a variety of applications, from a bold wallpaper or gallery wall, to a delicate tile or herringbone floor.

When incorporating this appealing trend into your home, take your room’s design into consideration, noting existing shapes and patterns. Balance is critical to creating your desired effect. Too many geometric elements detract from the impact of one or two in a space. A diamond pendant light, a pattern painted on furniture, or geometric contemporary art are a few ways to use shape and form to add a modern flair, and we’ve included some photos of our favorite client projects that incorporate the trend!

Photo Credit: Chameleon Design

Photo Credit: Chameleon Design

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Say It With Art

What is it about the allure of contemporary art? Everyone on the Chameleon team agrees art is essential to every installation because there’s nothing like the authentic and intimate feel of a thoughtfully selected piece that speaks to the soul of a space. Loosely translated, contemporary art refers to the ‘art of today,’ or art created from roughly the latter half of the 20th century to the present. With no unifying style or ideology, contemporary art is true freedom of expression, with a mix and blend of various styles, movements, methods, and materials. This type of free-range approach and lack of cohesion is part of what makes this style so appealing. There’s no right or wrong way when it comes to contemporary art, only what speaks to YOU.

Art beautifully distinguishes a home and expresses the character and personality of its inhabitants in a way nothing else can. Install a large-scale piece as a powerful departure from a gallery wall, or group several mid-size pieces in similar styles or colors. A collection of abstract art is a great option for our model homes because it brings welcome color, interest, and beauty to a room that’s subject-matter neutral and appealing to most buyers. Research also indicates mental health benefits associated with experiencing art, and we’ve written about the associations between good design, beauty, and happiness (check out our blog post here). Art is as essential to our projects as a sofa or dining table, and our happy clients agree!

Photo Credit: Chameleon Design

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Texture and Sensory Design

We’ve all heard the advice, “Add texture to a space,” but what does it really mean? Texture in design can mean different things to different people, but generally it refers to how a surface feels or is dimensionally perceived in a space. Layering materials, textiles, colors, or prints create texture and add dimension and visual interest. Texture in residential design immediately adds character – a touch of the unexpected is a pleasant disruptive element and speaks to the soul of a space. When it comes to adding texture, let diversity be your guide: think outside furniture sets and matchy-matchy and instead opt for different colors that are complementary, mixing materials, or layering prints. A simple swap of accessories, blankets or bedding, and pillows can create a cohesive look that’s interesting, eye catching and balanced. But don’t limit yourself to simple accessories, because creating texture can come from a variety of sources, like wall treatments, drapery, lighting, and rugs. It’s also not exclusive to bold or bright color. Adding texture to a neutral palette, like varying shades of white, ivory, or cream, is a beautifully understated way to create richness and sophistication. Texture adds an element of play to design, and we love using it to help bring even more personality to our clients’ unique spaces.

Photo Credit: Chameleon Design

Photo Credit: Chameleon Design

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Bathed in Blue

When Pantone released its color of the year for 2020 back in December, we couldn’t say we were surprised. Classic blue is a perennial people pleaser and is a harbinger of serenity, security, and stability. 

“Instilling calm, confidence, and connection, this enduring blue hue highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era.”

Little did the team at Pantone know what lay ahead of our global community in 2020 and just how much we all could benefit from a world that’s more peaceful and predictable during these challenging months. Our team is seeing more blue hues crop up in interior design this year. With connotations of calmness and creativity, blue tones are universally well-liked and oscillate from light to dark and warm to cool. In color psychology, common associations around blue are reliability, trust, and security (that’s why so many banking and financial institutions incorporate blue in their branding!). Noted for its versatility, blue can be bright and bold or soft and understated, traversing the design spectrum from statement making to accent, depending on the tone and how it’s used. And because it has evolved into a neutral, it pairs well with many color palettes and can be seamlessly incorporated throughout a space. With all of these benefits, who wouldn’t want more blue in their home!

Photo Credit: Chameleon Design

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Wild at Heart

We’re all about bringing more of the outdoors in during these lovely warmer months. If florals and botanicals aren’t your cup of tea, opting for the fauna side of nature is a great choice! An animal theme or accent is both on trend and timeless, ideally suited for grown ups and children alike. Simple yet chic pieces of animal artwork, wall decor, or accessories add a feeling of playfulness and whimsy throughout a home. Dog themed pillows, dimensional flocks of birds mid-flight, cowhide rugs, and paper mache rhino wall decor are some quick and easy ways to embellish living and dining rooms and bedrooms. Really play up the motif for the kiddos with dinosaurs, equestrian style, zoo animals, or mix-and-match themes that pair well like bears and camping. Sweet and soft animal decor is a natural fit for a nursery, and vinyl wall decals, artwork, and bedding can be easily swapped out from infancy to toddlerhood and beyond. Our best advice for incorporating the animal kingdom into your space is to embrace the wild and have fun!

Photo Credit: Chameleon Design

Photo Credit: Chameleon Design

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Design for the Spring Vibes

Spring is in full swing and summer’s fast approaching. And while we may not be able to experience firsthand the incredible bounty, bloom, and color as much as we’d like, it’s still possible to bring the beauty of the season into our homes. In fact, maintaining a connection to nature is as important as ever as we spend more time indoors, so open those windows, let the fresh air flood in, and adorn your space with spring-inspired touches that bring a smile to your face! Incorporate botanical artwork, vinyl decals, pillows, wallpaper, and bedding for easy, low-commitment seasonal updates. Blooms are synonymous with spring, but these aren’t your nanna’s florals. Think dramatic, larger-than-life watercolor murals that make an accent wall Insta-worthy, or a gallery of sleek black-and-white botanical prints for a luxurious touch. Flowers, fronds, leaves, trees, petals, or cactus – go as vibrant or as muted as you wish or your current decor allows. Design must go on, so bring the sweet spring feelings inside!

Photo Credit: Chameleon Design

Photo Credit: Chameleon Design

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Working Together at Home

Without a doubt, we are all spending a tremendous amount of time at home during this period of social distancing. With work, kids’ distance learning, leisure activities, and normal day-to-day routines, our homes’ spaces must multitask like never before. That’s why, for those of us fortunate enough to be able to work remotely from home, creating a designated office space is so important. Establishing a separation between work and home life helps maintain focus, efficiency, and productivity.

If you already have a home office setup with a door that closes to the rest of the house, all the better, but it’s not required. A few simple yet key design features can help elevate a space, increase its functionality, and create a work-friendly environment during this extended time at home. Carve out a spot for your setup, whether it’s a desk, shared table, or some other area. Do what you can to keep your work surface clear and clutter-free, with stylish and functional shelving and adequate storage for documents and supplies. Make sure there’s plenty of light overhead (natural light, if possible!) and don’t hesitate to add a floor or desk lamp for more illumination. Speaking of the bright side, there are some real positives to working remotely, like a better commute, a flexible schedule, and making your own dress code!

Photo Credit: Chameleon Design

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Design at Great Heights

Sometimes, we forget that dressing up a wall space is just as important as picking out the right area rug for the living room, the right sofas, or the perfect backsplash for the kitchen. Even if a home is lacking in horizontal floor space, experimenting with vertical wall design can give us the extra room we need to add touches of self-expression.

It’s important to think outside the two-dimensional box: moving the eye up and down instead of side to side allows more options for depth and dimension (see below). Think about your favorite hobbies, experiences, and travel destinations and let them be your guide as you curate unique and eclectic wall embellishments. 

Surfboards, baskets, fishing poles, guitars, collected objects, clusters of art, and oversized flatware for the kitchen or dining area – each, like lighting, creates a backdrop of layering and adds interesting composition and visual impact. Floating shelves, wall planters, and hanging storage are functional while infusing visual interest and a sense of whimsy. It’s a transition from a phase of minimalism to a time of creative maximalism, offering an avenue of self-expression that’s unexpected and full of fun.

Photo Credit: Chameleon Design

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