Color, Design and Art

A sunny-yellow-front-door welcome...

lydia@lydialyonsdesigns.com (Lydia) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:21:00 +0000

How wonderful yellow is.
It stands for the sun.

Vincent Van Gogh

I took the Front Door test on Blogthings the other day..

I selected yellow and was happy to learn this;
You are social, giving and very community oriented. You feel like you're making a difference in the world. Friendly optimistic, you are a welcoming person. You like to bring people together and you are a perfect host. whew..guess I passed that test!

There are only a few houses in my neighborhood with yellow front doors...

And they always make me smile.

It seems like such a cheery way to welcome a visitor.

I applaud the owners for choosing such a bold color and stepping away from the traditional red, black or white front door

A yellow front door seems to work well with just about any color and almost acts like a neutral.

Here are some of my favorite photos of yellow front doors in my neighborhood

and outside of my neighborhood...

If I were going to select the perfect shade of yellow

I'd choose...

Behr Vibrant or Benjamin Moore 2022-40 Banana Yellow

Or Farrow & Ball Babouche, the clearer, the brighter the better!

But why stop at the front door? These yellow interior doors are also so unexpected and beautiful.

I love the gray-taupe wall color with the yellow.

Enjoy!

Quick, Easy, Inexpensive Ways to Update Your Bedroom...

lydia@lydialyonsdesigns.com (Lydia) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:41:00 +0000

DwellStudio for Target has some amazing patterns and colors. A simple solution for a quick update to any room.

Love the blue and geometric designs

On Sale at West Elm:

Square Cutout Headboard ~ On sale for $179.00!

Or this one for $329.00

Finish the look with some updated wall accessories for $12.99

Rope Candleholders West Elm $12.99

simplicity, authenticity & balance

lydia@lydialyonsdesigns.com (Lydia) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 07:24:00 +0000

"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature.
It will never fail you."
Frank Lloyd Wright

Balance is a perfect word to start with. I've been away and have not updated my website or portfolio in a couple of months. You could say that I've been adding some balance to my life. I was lucky enough to travel for much of December. The highlight was a trip to Vienna.

While there I did lots of this:
Kaffee mit Schlagsahne, (Coffee with whipped cream)
+
saw lots of this
Love and jealousy, Venus and Mars

The art featured at the Kunsthistorisches Museum
+

I definitely ate more than my share of wonderful desserts. This is what was left of my birthday dessert.

Vienna is an incredible city, rich with history in design and art. The museum collections were amazing and I could have easily spent hours each day lost in the halls of the many museums in the Museum Quarter. December is one of the best times to visit because the streets are busy with the Christkindlmarkt. Neighborhood street festivals that come alive nightly, especially at happy hour! There are many booths serving hot chocolate with rum and warm punch (very potent). You could spend hours (and I did) shopping for handmade items and drinking hot chocolate with rum, (and I did).
The Streets of Wien

Color Trends & Design Updates..

Last week I attended Design San Francisco, which essentially is fashion week for the interior design industry. Always inspiring and good for a creative jolt. The week is filled with industry mixers & mingling opportunities, book signings, seminars, new furniture, fabric and material introductions, etc. It was nice to see many of my friends and fellow designers out and about.The seminar I always look forward to is the Benjamin Moore Color Pulse presentation. Mary Hoffman, a color specialist with Benjamin Moore, does a great job of putting together an informative, global perspective on color trends. In the last few years we've had:
2009 ~ Simplicity
2010 ~ Authenticity
2011 ~ Balance
The 2011 theme of Balance is represented as a return to 'The Farm', which represents a return to wisdom and all things organic. 'Balance' is captured by a sense of 'Order', which then allows us to 'Escape' and return to our core values of 'Tribe' (togetherness).
These are how the themes are represented in color:
The Farm

gray~brown = soil

creamy whites and buttery yellows = milk, hay and eggs

blue~Greens = vegetables
rich orange-reds = tomatoes & fruit
purples will have black undertones = eggplant and roots

This will translate to fabrics and color schemes with rich tones of gray accented with pops of yellow, red, green and accented with creamy neutrals.

Hand blown glass bowl found on Etsy

The Baxter sofa from West Elm
Order
This theme reflects the sense of order we need in our lives while the economy and the world is in chaos. It's represented by geometric shapes, primary colors and translates into stripes, color blocking; outlining, cubes, circles and strong patterns. Red and black have already taken hold in fashion and now it will translate to furniture and fabrics. The colors are clear and bold:

I think this theme is pretty easy to translate and it is amazing how quickly I have already seen it in new art and even tile!

A visit to the San Francisco Walker Zanger showroom features beautiful geometric patterned tiles.
Escape
Order and getting back to the farm are just the start. Once you've accomplished that how about escaping? The colors of escape are luminous, frosted pales, sheer, pinks softened by gray, ombre fabrics and soft coral. A very feminine approach to design.

The Escape palette

*421. Feelings don't deceive by Dudamix featuring Yves Saint Laurent bags

Ombre fabrics will start making an appearance in furniture

Soft corals and pinks will be accented with bolder colors and creamy whites

Tribe
Lastly, now that we've returned to The Farm, found a sense of Order and Escaped back into our imagination, its time to return to community. The Tribe represents togetherness, a return to core values and sense of belonging. The urban landscape becomes individualized as we learn to express ourselves within community.

The Tribe is represented by rich colors bronze, orange, pink, berry red, taupe, fuscia, yellow and blue. The yellows are blackened and the teal is clear aqua color.

Aqua paint color is Benjamin Moore 675 Thunderbird

"Persian Path" Bed Linens from Horchow

It will be exciting to watch as these trends emerge in fashion and design. While passing by the Robert Allen showroom I noticed that they were already showing these trends in full force!

Ciao for now. Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email if there is something that you liked or didn't like. Would love to hear from you.
xo
Lydia

Eco-Eye Candy!

lydia@lydialyonsdesigns.com (Lydia) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:57:00 +0000

A round up of organic interior design and a color trend alert.

You could go to Paris or a new city everyday if you had these glasses..

by Rockett St George

Organic Bedding for teenagers by Amy Butler now available at Bed Bath & Beyond. Great colors and styles.

Purple Alert! Look for the Magenta, Fuchsia and Purple in fashion and interior design, its on its way.

The new Roche-Bobois collection is amazing, decadent, sinful, gorgeous and I want every piece.

I'm going to have to remember to add purple to my usual black wardrobe...

Designing Furniture, it can be a nail biter.

lydia@lydialyonsdesigns.com (Lydia) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:36:00 +0000

My concept for a custom Armoir

Designing a piece of furniture for a client can be a bit nerve wracking. I am constantly checking my details, dimensions and finishes. Like anything, the perfect image can exist in your head, but how will it translate to your furniture builder? And more importantly can you translate the vision to the client without the need to see it in 3-d before placing the order?

Finding a furniture maker that you are comfortable with makes a huge difference. It takes a while to develop this relationship. But once he understands your style, preferences, etc.. it can be a great relationship! (now if only I could find a boyfriend that understands me, life would be perfect!!) I am really lucky to work with a guy that will take my concepts and bring them to life. I spend a couple of hours (at least) talking through my design, reviewing drawings and then go back and forth on finishes, dimensions and the fine details, down to the hardware.

From concept to completion.. ready for delivery!

This entry piece is designed for a client and will fit into a niche near the front door, below a window. The homes' interior design is modern meets craftsman-style. The drawers will serve as a place to store shoes, keys or anything else you may want to remember, without it looking like a huge pile by the front door.

Several sources offer the opportunity to customize your furniture and lately I've seen lighting company's do the same. See Lighting Universe and their offer to design your own custom light fixture. Wouldn't it be great to have a really cool light fixture designed by you?

Butterfly's and Bikes!

lydia@lydialyonsdesigns.com (Lydia) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:30:00 +0000

"Tranquility" by Damien Hirst. Auctioned at Seoul’s Modern and Contemporary Art sale, went for a cool $1.71 million.

A few months back I wrote about the 'Butterfly' trend in fashion, textiles and jewelry, and now with the inspiration and genius of Damien Hirst, whose Tranquility painting, which was filled with butterflies and sold for $1.71m, a new LIVESTRONG Trek Madone has been created by the artist. Damien Hirst has beautifully customized the bike and added a butterfly all-over design to it. The customized Trek Madone bike has a gorgeous array of real butterflies from the frame down to the rims and replaces the bright yellow and black typically used in the LIVESTRONG design. A masterpiece for sure!

LIVESTRONG, Trek Madone, Created by artist Damien Hirst

The not-always-pretty side of design, but it's progress!

lydia@lydialyonsdesigns.com (Lydia) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:35:00 +0000

Before and after:
What a difference flowers make!

Many of my projects are in that in between stage. A lot is happening and I see the daily & weekly progress but they are not quite ready for their beauty shots. The framing, tile installation, millwork and plumbing stage require a lot of my time for site visits to make sure the installation is per my specifications and to work out any glitches that inevitably arise. Plus it gives me time to say hi to my favorite construction guys, and most of the time they are happy to see me.

The construction people I work with range from the completely inappropriate, to the guys that like to tease, give me crap about the my (not) job approved footwear I'm sporting or occasionally about a detail that didn't quite come out the way I planned.. ouch. Most of the guys I work with become good friends over the course of a year long project and help me problem solve along the way. Johnny is the guy that loves to give me crap when something does not go right "Lydia come on now! How long you been a designer?" to Howard who everytime he sees me says "Lydia, the light of my life, my Ma raison de vivre!" So nice. Then there are those 'other guys', like the one that calls me "Miss Thing" and looks me up and down upon seeing me and ALWAYS has to comment on what I'm wearing and if he likes my outfit or not. I always have to say 'well it must be easy to get up and put on dirty sox, dirty shorts, dirty shoes, spit your hands and comb the 2 pieces of hair you have"... yes..its a glamorous job indeed.

Howard and Johnny Bu 2 of my fave project managers

A few of the jobs I have in progress:

Willow Glen Ranch Remodel:
From the street this home looks like all the other sprawling ranch homes in Willow Glen, but step inside! We have opened up the ridgeline in the Kitchen-Family Room and in the Formal Dining and Living Room with beams and skylights, not visible from the street. It's pretty dramatic!

Street view

Step inside! A temporary center ridge beam will be replaced by 3 beams that will be wrapped in wood and mimic the steel beam, the steel beam is the only beam that is structural

This house used to have low ceilings and was a typical dark ranch style home.

There are a lot of final decisions being made at this time; here are just a few:


Exterior Paint and Stain Colors

Mary trying to decide on the exterior concrete color,
really hard to pick from a printed chart!

Interior Paint Colors

Before grout

After "Alpine White" grout

Crema Mar Fil Vanity w/Oceanside Glass Tile Backsplash

I'm really excited about this house and my clients have been dream clients. The nicest people you have ever met. Mary, grew up in this house and inherited it when her parents passed away. It's been a joy to work with her and her husband Vern. I will keep you posted as this job comes along. Completion is scheduled for September.

Auberge du Soliel bedroom:

In a previous post, you might remember that one of my clients asked me to re-create an Auberge du Soleil-feel for her master bedroom.

Inspiration photo actual room from Auberge website

It's not quite finished but we are getting there. The room has been painted a creamy white, the bedding, the nightstands and the headboard are all in. We are still waiting for the leather chair, 2 footstools for the end of the bed and we are very close to making a decision on the rug.

Here are a few photos:

The headboard is a woven fabric from Quatrine, the nightstands are made from Alder and have a warm stain, the drawer fronts are wrapped in the same fabric as the headboard.

Note the Bekins box nightstands they were using!

Need to decide on the rug! My vote is for the orange one on the left.

Note on rugs: Many of the Oriental Carpet stores will deliver rugs to your house and let you test drive them for a while. These rugs happen to be from William Sonoma Home, they were the only place I could find rugs that had a cream base and just the right shade of orange/rust I was searching for.

Living Room Before and After:
I've been working with this same client to help furnish the rest of her home. We've made good progress on her family room and dining room, although we had to send the dining table back because it was damaged during delivery! #@^%$! hate that when that happens!

I'm really happy with this living room. It has great color, inexpensive accessories and is a really inviting room!

Before, with new couches and coffee table

After with art, accessories, plants

Still missing are end tables (on order) and lamps (we are close!)

A round up of the accessories and furnishings; some surprisingly inexpensive!

1. Artwork from TJ Maxx/Homegoods ($80 for both!)
2. Capiz Shell Hurricanes $16 for both from Pier 1
3. Seguro Mirror - Crate and Barrel $799.00
4. Crate and Barrel area rug $800
5.. Santos Coffee Table by Environment Furniture - Part design consortium, part modern craftsman, Environment is a furniture maker unlike any other, underscoring its commitment to people and the planet through a forward thinking commitment to using materials and processes with low environmental impact. $1,100
6. Accent Pillows by Target and Pier 1 Imports $50
7. Sofa and loveseat by Natuzzi $15,000

More projects in progress:

Alamden Hills, incredible views of Mt. Umunhum and the foothills of Almaden and Los Gatos. This home features beautiful custom cabinetry, extensive millwork and moldings and will be ready for its beauty shots at the end of August. Did I mention that again I am working with the nicest people? I've been really lucky in that regard.

View from Masterbedroom patio

Living Room w/Hickory hardwood floors

4 different moldings created this look

Approving a 'mock up'

Approved molding

Upcoming Project: A 1920's Tudor in Downtown San Jose

Very dark interiors, with great art deco tile in the bathrooms and fireplace surround. I'm going to preserve the tile and try my best to stay true to the design, finding creative ways to bring light into the interiors. Stay Tuned.. Starting construction in August!

Original Living Room fireplace tile from 1920

My latest Obsession ~ Staircases!

I'm always amazed by staircases. Their purpose is one of function; but I am always fascinated by the beauty they can add to a space and I'm equally fascinated by how they were planned and where they are located in a home.. So much detail in such a small area!

The questions & thoughts that race through my mind are...
Why is it placed there? Is there another location it can be placed that makes better use of the space? Is it meant to be an architectural statement? Or purely a function of space? What materials will it be finished in? Stone? Wood? Paint or Stain grade? Metal? Glass? What style pickets & balusters? Sleek and modern? Simple? Sweeping and grand? How will it cantilever? What happens below the staircase? I could go on and on... see the photo's below note the detail and differences in each one and you'll see what I mean!

Time to catch up!

lydia@lydialyonsdesigns.com (Lydia) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:46:00 +0000

Some of the great things I've been seeing...
{left to right, top to bottom: pleated petal tank, julien de smedt's crushed bowl, multiple pearl necklace, feinedinge lamp, maria la rosa cosmetic bag, and arzu firuz pillow.}

Photo courtesy of Oh Joy!

Love this shelving idea by Tocha Projects

Some of the fun things I've been working on...

I've been remiss on updating my blog. Busy and the weather has been too beautiful. Too nice to sit at my desk. Not to mention I snuck in a quick trip to Palm Springs during my daughters Spring Break. So now I'm vowing to stay consistent...as long as I can still get time on my bike and enjoy this beautiful Spring weather!

I am working on 3 remodels, 2 bathroom re-designs, one incorporates universal design and features a cool concrete ramp sink/vanity. I'll post more on universal design and this bathroom once it is closer to completion.

Concrete Ramp Sink, just out of the mold! Applying final color blend and wax finish is next! I'll post the final photos when the bathroom is complete.

I also have a couple of furniture projects, which I love! Furniture coordination and layouts can be the most challenging but also the most rewarding when you get it right. Right now I'm working with a client who showed me pictures of her hotel room at Augerge du Soleil in Napa and she has asked me to duplicate the room.

So far we have purchased the headboard and nightstands from Plantation SF. The headboard is a fabric headboard in a Maize-colored raffia. The nightstand drawer fronts will feature the same fabric and are in a warm wood tone.
We have not found, exactly, the right bedding, but we are getting close. This collection from Horchow is high in the running because it has navy blue and orange accents and the navy blue would tie into the blue featured in a stained glass window and the masterbath tile, adjacent to the bedroom.

"Blossom" Bed Linens from Horchow

Stay tuned! I'll post photos of the final room which should be in a couple of months.

And one of the more fun projects I've been working on, is the Sunset Dream Kitchen. Each Week Sunset is posting a design element of a kitchen and asking readers to vote on their favorite product. So far we have had votes on the kitchen layout, cabinets, tile, and countertops. In the next few weeks we will be voting on lighting and flooring.

The house is being built by De Mattei Construction and the end result will be a photo spread of the winning kitchen design in Sunset's October issue.

Work in progress Sunset Dream Kitchen

It's been a little tricky coordinating the selections and making sure we are offering options diverse enough to appeal to anyone who may appreciate more a modern design to the person that likes a more traditional feel. Not to mention the construction schedule that is in a holding pattern while all the specifications are voted on. It's come with its share of challenges, Sometimes those construction guys don't understand the 'wait for a decision' process. It's their job to go! Get it built! On time! I need answers!! yikes! But, really, I am really excited to be a part of the team that is making it happen. It is the first time a Time Inc. publication has taken something like this on. It's been great working with Sarah Gaffney from Sunset and the very talented and organized Dera-Jill from CCS Architecture. Check out my guest blog posts on Sunset's website and check in weekly to vote.

Back to the round up of some of the cool things I've been seeing..

I love this painting! So whimsical and colorful, from flikr, sorry artist not was not credited.

The Birth of Spring, painting by Mark Oberlin, Hang Gallery San Francisco

A classic lamp design reinvented just in time for Spring!

From Artemide - Tolomeo design by M. De Lucchi & G. Fassina now available in beautiful vibrant colors.

Paintable wallpaper! Such a great idea. From Graham & Brown. Many cool patterns available.

Also, I really like these Wall Flats from Inhabitat

Wall Flats are Inhabit's take on a modern, eco-friendly wallpaper. A modern embossed three-dimensional wallcovering that is good for the environment. Does it get any better than that?

Wall Flats are simple, modern, versatile and made from 100% bamboo pulp, one of the world’s most renewable resources. No trees were harmed in the making of this product:) They are sustainable wallcovering that is free of chemicals and will not be a burden to the environment at the end of it's lifecycle, since the tiles are 100% bio-degradable.

Lately I'm obsessed with white interior design...

Photo courtesy of Western Interiors
White accessories from Urban Outfitters

Pretty bathroom vanity!

I could just pack a bag and move in!

Photography by Mark Lund
Roaman Residence, Ny

White interior design featured in my 2 favorite movie-houses...

Cameron Diaz's house in the movie Holiday

Diane Keaton's Long Island House in the movie As Good As It Gets

Circles..Funky, Cool, Elegant, Modern

lydia@lydialyonsdesigns.com (Lydia) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 23:43:00 +0000

Whether used in a rug, a mirror, art or a piece of furniture, Circles add an immediate modern update to your homes interior. They can be elegant, whimsy, sculptural and very architectural. Here are some of the many items that feature designs with circles.

Mirror by Horchow

Cardboard furniture bookcases designed by up and coming, industrial designer Giles Miller from the U.K. Such a great idea! Functional and stylish.

Massimo Castagna Flying Circles Bookcase

From Ann Sacks Tile

Classic furniture design by Laura Kirar for McGuire Furniture

New from Kraftmaid Cabinets 'Venecia' a new line of contemporary, euro-style, cabinets.

Seyhan Özdemir and Sefer Caglar Ring Table found at Bonluxat
Mirrored furniture and Coffee table from Horchow

Hive Modern Infinity Wine Rack
Elegant polished nickel chandelier from Plantation

Sustainably designed Circle Table by Michael Arras on Etsy. Michael is a furniture maker from Portland, Oregon..
From his Etsy Profile:
My goal is to make unique, well-crafted furniture at an affordable price. Keeping the construction methods simple without sacrificing quality, I strive to find a balance between high-end studio-furniture and mass-produced works. The challenge of working in this middle-ground keeps me inspired, and I'm driven to constantly simplify and beautify my designs.
Check out his shop, many beautiful pieces, very affordable!

Many mirror and wall decor options available. Email me, if you would like the resource for any of these items.
Home Portfolio inspiration bath & tile from Sicis, Italian tile.
William Sonoma Home Madison lamp

Circle Iron Candle Holders from Pottery Barn
Eco wallpaper from Kreme Life, featured in this months Sunset Magazine, Best of the West as one to watch, owner/designer Cadee Wilder has also been written up in many design blogs.

Style Alert: All Things Morocco...

lydia@lydialyonsdesigns.com (Lydia) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:45:00 +0000

Global design and bold colors are here for Spring fashion and so are the colors, shapes and textures of Morocco.

The distinctive shapes and patterns make it easy to give your home a touch of global, Moroccan style. Lanterns from Cost Plus World Market.

Inspiration & Finds:

Bravo's Top Design Winner Nathan Thomas, featured in this months Elle Decor. The inlaid chairs are beautiful. Photo from Elle Decor

The spice colored wall and bedding add a touch of exoctic to this sophisticated pied-à-terre.

Love the Moorish inspired windows!

Veronica Webbs' Key West home featured in this months Architectural Digest.

Jeweled-toned pillows are an easy way to give a colorful accent.

The Pouf is in! I found them everywhere and in many different colors and fabrics. What a great way to add colorful seating to a small space.
The Moroccan Pouf comes in many different colors. Tazi Designs, San Francisco

A great garden setting with white stucco walls, lanterns, bright colored pillows. Very inviting! Photo from Western Interiors.

Use Pottery Barn Outdoor furniture to help you re-create the inspiration photo above.

The Rug Comapny has many rugs in bright colors and patterns.

From one of my favorite artists, Tina Fuller the colors in this painting add just the right compliment to a bold palette. This painting would look great placed on a yellow-gold painted wall.

More Moroccan inspired finds....

Pottery Barn coffee table.

Pillows, Bedding & Rug & Candle Sconces all from West Elm

Alhambra inspired rugs, mosaic garden pots, and wall hanging & bedding all from Horchow

A great find! Eco furniture from Ankasa, beautiful home furnishings and woman's clothing.

From Tazi Designs. One of my favorite stores located in Hayes Valley, San Francisco. Grab a cup of Blue Bottle Coffee and spend time, lingering, taking in all the colors and textures.

Another favorite Hayes Valley store, Plantation. Great accessories, art and furniture.

From Showroom Indie, an online shop featuring textiles and clothing from indie designers.

NEW! Trina Turk Textiles:

I was very excited when Schumacher Fabrics announced they were adding a line from one of my favorite designers, Trina Turk, her designs are always fresh and exciting. Her signature store on Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs is a must see if you are in the area.

New Eco Fabrics from Robert Allen:

Erin Adams for Ann Sacks Tile
Moroccan in Sunset
Casablanca Lamp from Rianrae

The Color of Hope...

lydia@lydialyonsdesigns.com (Lydia) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 04:31:00 +0000

Mimosa Embodies Hopefulness and Reassurance in a Climate of Change

Excerpt from Pantone press release:
Pantone Selects Color of the Year for 2009:
PANTONE 14-0848 Mimosa

"The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance," explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. "Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation."

Zac Posen, Michael Kors & Badgley Mischka all included this color in their Spring line up.

The 2009 Color of the Year that Inspires Hope
Our need for hope has permeated even the world of color. Yellow a color that represents joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, imagination, sunshine, philosophy and in Asia is sacred and imperial,

Now, not only should the color represent all of the above, it has also been given the responsibility of setting a collective mood of hope.

I am not sure if is the cold, rainy weather we have had, or maybe my own need for hope in the bad news of economic downturn, but I felt inspired to dig a little deeper and discover how Mimosa is being used in interior design and offer some suggestions as to how you might use it in your home.

This is what I learned..

It's a bold color and can quickly over-power your homes decor, and there are many different shades, so the rule here is... a little goes a long way.
Almost any color will work with yellow. I was surprised to find that it very much a versatile color and when used as an accent, it can be paired with many color combination's.
Even neutrals, like tans and browns go well with Mimosa.
When paired with bold colors, like Navy blue or orange, it gave a classic, modern feel to the decor.
The most popular is to pair it with a bright white, which gives the room an instant freshness. Pottery Barn demonstrates this the best.
There are lots of choices and many retail offerings to add this new color to your home. A pillow, a soft throw, a piece of art, paint an accent wall or if you are really bold check out the new Conran Sofa!

Make yourself a Mimosa and get inspired! Cheers!

A Mimosa colored flower arrangement will brighten any space.

Paired with Navy blue it gives the room a sophisticated flair.

Gio Lemon Baby Crib Bedding by Dwell Studio

Adds a touch of surprise to what might otherwise be a boring palette. From West Elm

Pottery Barn Polka Dot Yellow rug and white furniture, white paint gives a clean, crisp feel to any room.

Sherwin Williams Harmony, Zero VOC paint in Daffodil SW 6901

Shiny Yellow Garden Seat by Horchow

New from the The Conran Shop, The Oswald Sofa

Starting in March 2009, Tommy Hilfiger will offer an oversized Mimosa yellow tote in soft leather, 50 per cent of the proceeds will go to Fund for Living, an ongoing global campaign set up by Breast Health International to support those with breast cancer.

The home of Kim Clements and Joe Schneider, J.A.S. Design-Build, Seattle. Photo from Sunset

Thomas Paul for DuraLee Fabric

Gumps Moroccan Pillows

A yellow accent wall helps to brighten and define a niche in the dining room of the top photo. The second photo shows how a vintage look can be made modern with bold accents of yellow. Both Photos from Southern Accents Magazine.

Classic, contemporary chairs in yellow.

From Western Interiors & Design March Issue

Green is Good...?

lydia@lydialyonsdesigns.com (Lydia) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Well..maybe not to this extreme!

While going about our day to day activities, we have all become good recyclers and role models for our kids when it comes to reusing plastic or carting our groceries in fabric shopping bags and we are all pretty aware of our carbon footprint and how we might reduce its impact. But.. I wonder if it's so when you shop for furniture or ways to update your home?

Are you aware of the beautiful bowls made from bamboo? The light fixtures made from FSC certified wood or recycled materials? Or the many green textile options available in towels and bedding? And when it comes to home improvements are you thinking about buying a low VOC paint? Flooring made from bamboo? Do you know about the many concrete or quartz composite countertop materials that are available?

From 1STDIBS.com

Commercial design has always been light years ahead of residential design, when it came to sustainable products and their offerings. Ten years ago the green products and materials that were available in residential design were austere, cold and ugly! They colors were drab, the materials were hard and not pleasing to the eye at all! There was nothing that made you want to display or spec it in your home.

It's The Right Thing To Do!

So, here we are in 2009, and there is an exciting revolution taking place in the world of sustainably designed home decor. It's no longer a more expensive option or perceived as an option for the granola crowd. The aesthetic improvements in home furnishings, materials and accessories and the options available, are like never before. As a designer, I now can bring to my clients a wide selection of materials, textures, colors and shapes and not only feel good about their green-ness, but also the beauty they add to the design.

Branch Home is one of my favorite resources. A San Francisco based company, founded by Paul Donald, a colleague from my Sunset Magazine days, Branch Home offers everything from bamboo kitchen utensils to furniture. Here are a few of my favorite products.

http://www.branchhome.com

Consisting simply of wood panels and cotton rope (which holds everything together), this is one of the most inventive chairs. The Knit Chair won a Bronze Leaf at the 2005 International Furniture Design Fair in Asahikawa, Japan.

Recycled glass stock; processed in an electric furnace that's powered by wind energy.

Made by Amenity in Los Angeles. Amenity creates unique products that embody eco-friendly materials and processes, and which are printed and sewn domestically, most often by local manufacturers.

The innovative design of these lamps combines sustainable materials with an energy-efficient light source. The shade panels pop into the bamboo frame without the use of fasteners or glue. This clever design permits the lamp to be shipped flat so as to minimize packaging.

100% organically-grown bamboo, non-toxic water-based adhesive, natural lacquer (derived from the cashew nut tree), food-safe polyurethane

Other notable mentions...

Don't forget about the VOC content of your paint in your home painting projects. Safecoat just came out with a new color line called 'Ayurveda Essence'. The colors are really beautiful!
Many so-called "Zero VOC" products on the market reduce emissions that cause outdoor air pollution, but still contain a host of unregulated toxic ingredients (such as formaldehyde, ammonia, acetone, exempt solvents and odor masking agents) that cause indoor air pollution. Safecoat is a leader in this area and has won many awards due to their green R&D.

Enough said.

BEYOND GRANITE

IceStone is one of the many countertop options that feature glass and concrete.

CaesarStone is a product that I specify quite a bit in my projects. I sell it by telling clients its "bulletproof and it's beautiful". It won't stain like a natural stone and it comes in a variety of amazing colors. It offers numerous advantages over other natural stones. Quartz has a hardness of seven on the Mohs scale (this measures the hardness of a mineral), a diamond is the hardest at ten. The material is also cleaner, safer and more consistent than that of other surfaces.

I recently used Caesarstone 'Blizzard' with an Akdo glass tile backsplash. The result was a clean and contemporary laundry room and not to mention, super functional. Note my two happy clients!

A recent project; the client needed a place for their flat screen TV and more room for their furniture. The hearth stuck into the room 2ft and took up valuable space. The brick was removed and a niche was framed above the fireplace. The fireplace surround was wrapped with 'Lagos Blue' CaesarStone. It transformed the room and gave it an updated contemporary feel.

O R G A N I C

lydia@lydialyonsdesigns.com (Lydia) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 04:46:00 +0000

or·gan·ic adj.
Resembling a living organism in organization or development; interconnected; developing in a manner analogous to the natural growth.

As I was perusing and ripping the pages out from my usual stack of home-design magazines, I was trying to decide how to start my first blog. After several cups of Peets coffee and destroyed magazines, I decided to do what I usually do, and look for an inspiration. And if I was lucky, perhaps, there would be a theme to my inspiration! After all, this is what I do, translate what I see in the world of design and use my insights to help my clients create beautiful homes. Easy-schmeasy..

After about an hour of destroying my favorite magazines, I started to see a theme, one word ...Organic.

The word organic is not by any means a new term when it comes to home design. Frank Lloyd Wright introduced the word ‘organic’ into his philosophy of architecture as early as 1908 and Interior design has always taken its cues from nature; colors, shapes, and materials, but it seems of late organic has been taken to a whole new level of sophistication.

Materials ~ unstructured and formed by nature

Walnut Dining Table from Hudson Furniture

Driftwood Lamp

Horchow Flower Pillows

Organic Trend Alert.. Butterflies!

Look for them to start appearing in couture, jewelry, fabrics and wallpaper

Giorgio Armani Spring 2009

Sandpiper Eco Chic wallpaper

THG's Capucine Mauve Lavatory set with Barnaudaud Butterfly Porcelain Handles.

Butterfly print in Mimosa. Springs two hottest trends combined!

Pottery Barn Butterfly Pillow Cover in the new yellow-mimosa color that is all the rage!