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FOX 32 News- Granny Design

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Binge On My Videos!

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Are you done binge-watching “The Crown?” Check out my series of six interior design videos at Sweet Peas Design Videos.  They are short, so quicker to watch than the latest trials and tribulations of Queen Elizabeth. Each one is different, but all are full of tips to update your home for 2018. I’ll take you on a tour of my Chicago condo, above, where you can see these aluminum bar stools. They are a variation on the iconic Emeco 1006 chairs designed for Navy submarines during World War II. Gorgeous and  indestructible!

 

Garry Hattam and I will give you a tour of this three-story bachelor pad in Old Town, too. We focused on texture and geometric designs throughout, as in the living room above, with its blue suede coffee table and the square-in-square, hair-on-hide rug. It’s the perfect spot for entertaining or for solo evenings at home in front of the fireplace.

 

You will also meet my dear friend and intuitive extraordinaire, Jillian Maas Backman, above left, as we talk about how to bring positive energy into your home. So, grab a cup of coffee or tea and get ready for loads of inspiration!  Many thanks to Julie Anderson for producing the video series.

More Portfolio Photos!

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Take a peek at our newest project photos at SweetPeasDesignPortfolio.  Look for Mountain-Inspired Home Design in the top row, followed by three more of our recently released projects – Libertyville Home Remodel, Northshore Home Redesign and Lake Forest Home Update.

You’ll find loads of fabulous design ideas for every room in your home among the two dozen-plus projects in our portfolio. Each home reflects that client’s vision, lifestyle and personality, so no two are ever alike!

 

 

New Portfolio Photos!

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We just posted photos of three of our most recent projects on our website at https://sweetpeas-inspired.com/portfolio/. Look for Libertyville Home Remodel, Northshore Home Redesign and Lake Forest Home Update at the top of the list.

 

You’ll find plenty of fabulous design  ideas for your kitchen, laundry/mud room, family room, dining room, master bedroom and bathrooms. Want more? We have photos of more than two dozen projects in our portfolio covering every room of a home.

 

Our unifying theme: Function first, then we layer in custom details and  textural elements for a collected, more livable and not so perfect style. Just enough and just right!

 

On Air with Angie Miles

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Check out my latest interview with Angie Miles at Business First AM for 2018’s hottest design trends at BusinessFirstAM

I’m declaring this the Year of the Woman as I’m seeing a big turn-around from masculine, cool grays, sharp corners and edges and geometric prints to feminine curves, saturated colors – as in the kitchen above – and the return of pattern-on-pattern layering, below. Okay, that’s a bit over-the-top, but you get the picture!

Thanks for inviting me back on your show, Angie. It’s always a pleasure!

 

 

 

Talking Design Trends on FOX 32

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A warm thanks (on a very cold day) to news anchor Sally Schulze at FOX 32 Chicago! It was exciting to dish with her about design trends for 2018 on Good Day Chicago. You can see the whole interview at Design Trends 2018. But here’s a little sample….

 

Kitchens are going dark in the New Year – surprise! Navy blue, charcoal, black, forest green and darker stains for cabinets are moving in. (But I still love white kitchens!)

 

The design world will be throwing us a lot of curves in 2018 – gotta love it! Sofa and chair arms, headboards, side tables and chair backs will be rounding out our homes. I must admit I am a curvy gal who loves circles and S-curves and curvaceous sports cars!

Lighting will be more organic – free-form and loose, not structured. People want their homes to be elegant and sophisticated, but not pretentious.

 

Stone slabs such as marble and quartzite will be used as works of art, not just for countertops. After all, Mother Nature is the world’s most talented artist!

Thanks again, Sally, and stay warm!

Talking Design for Single Guys on WGN

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A huge thanks to radio host Steve Bertrand at WGN 720AM for chatting with me on the Wintrust Business Lunch show about our new niche market of single men. If you missed it, just click here and skip forward to about 18 ½ minutes! http://wgnradio.com/2017/11/28/wintrust-business-lunch-11-28-17-markets-celebrate-shopping-giving-tuesday-interior-designing-for-men/  I told Steve that single guys, whether divorced, widowed or never married, are more interested in working with designers because they want to entertain family, friends and dates in comfort and style, and they want their homes to reflect their personality and lifestyle, whether they are sports fans, music lovers or fitness fanatics. Tune in to find out more!

Boomer Lifestyle Biz With Angela Miles

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Baby boomers are keeping interior designers busy with lifestyle updates these days! Why? I had a chance to discuss this booming niche market with Angela Miles of Business First AM on WYCC/PBS Chicago recently: https://youtu.be/enZ1qhOhy5U.

 

Boomers first started reaching the standard retirement age of 65 just six years ago, which translates to a steady surge of empty nesters and retirees who are excited to make changes to their homes. They are ready for a new look, but they want to keep some of their much-loved furnishings, as in the project above, where we kept the existing traditional tables and artwork but incorporated new transitional elements, including the sofas and pillows, the hair-on-hide rug and accessories. We enjoy this kind of project so much – as it is a challenge to make existing pieces work within an updated color scheme and new furnishings, window treatments and artwork that resonate with people entering a new phase of life. It is more difficult than starting with a naked room or home.

 

We look at your space with “fresh eyes” and envision the possibilities, which can be hard to do when you have lived in your home for so many years. To makeover this traditional dining room, we started with the existing breakfront, table and the wood side chairs, and we re-purposed the rug from the family room. To that we added four upholstered chairs in two coordinating fabrics – a mushroom colored, quilted fabric and a tone-on-tone damask. We reupholstered the side chairs in a creamy camel fabric that we also used for the window panels. The ceiling was specialty painted in a warm milk-chocolate with a copper metallic finish, and to finish the look we added a 42-inch silk drum chandelier, a pair of abstract watercolors and ivory grass cloth wall coverings.

 

These clients loved the worn character of this delicate console table, but it was too short for the new sofas, so we added this pair of glass cylinder floor lamps with antique brass cores and bases to fill out and balance the space. The media center on the wall to the right is another existing piece that we blended with the new sectional, fireplace screen, rug, accessories and specialty painted wood paneling above the mantel.

 

After building an addition on their home with a more spacious master bedroom suite, these clients didn’t want to part with their existing furniture. We updated the statuesque four-poster bed with an ivory silk coverlet and bed skirt, and added throw pillows in colors inspired by their painting of cranes, which had been in storage for years. The woven blue Roman shade with butterscotch banding is another new touch that echoes the color of the painting.

 

Opposite the bed, we established a comfortable seating area for these same clients, using their existing chest and mirror as backdrop along the wall. The new, grayish-blue angled sectionals, silk shag rug and leather ottoman face the fireplace.

Maybe we should call these projects Boomer Updates!

 

 

Missed our Dorm Room 101 Discussion On Fox News? Here It Is!

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A big thank you to Sylvia Perez at Fox 32. I had such fun selecting all the dorm necessities for Dorm Room 101! In case you missed our discussion on Saturday morning, watch here.

http://www.fox32chicago.com/mornings/273781759-video

Much appreciation to college living experts Kelsey (my daughter) and to Lauren Benditzky as they were oh so helpful with the selections.

 

Go-To Favorite Paint Colors

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A big thank you to Chicago Woman for publishing our favorite go to neutral paint colors…. Try one on your walls, ceiling or cabinets, we promise you’ll like it! And don’t you just love all the unusual names? London Fog (I drink this tea from Starbucks daily), Cake Batter (Yummy), Pashmina (Wrap me up in this), Cinder and Plaster of Paris… How do I become the official “namer” of paint colors? If the job is already taken, sign me up to be the official ”namer” for nail polish or perfume!

Check out the article here.