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February 2018 | Olympic Design
Reading Time: < 1 minuteNew Portfolio Project: Old Town Home Renovation
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHave you seen our latest portfolio project? This stunning three-story home renovation is a masculine, laid-back urban bachelor pad that feels luxe but not over the top. It’s the perfect place for entertaining friends and family or having a comfortable weekend at home.
For this project, we refined a sleek color palette and added more sharp lines and angles for a modern, masculine feel. Click through all the photos in our portfolio for design inspiration for every room of the house.
Design Inspiration: Year of the Woman
Reading Time: 3 minutesIn January’s newsletter, I predicted that 2018 will the “Year of the Woman” not only socially and politically, but in the design world as well.
While the last several years have been dominated by masculine design trends, cool colors, bold lines and geometric patterns, I’m anticipating a return to more organic shapes, warmer, saturated colors and bold, sensuous curves in furniture and architecture.
Below are a few of my favorite new design trends to keep an eye out for in the Year of the Woman.
Warm Grays
For the past 5+ years, the color trend has veered toward cool, dark grays. But this year, we’re expecting to see warmer, softer grays with tan or brown undertones. It’s the perfect way to soften up any space, and it looks at home in a farmhouse kitchen or an ultra-urban bachelor pad.
Image via Jennifer Schoenberger Design
Pattern Mixing
Mixing patterns has definitely been growing as a trend in the past few years, but we expect it to really explode into the mainstream moving forward. Whereas previously, minimalist designs and patterns were celebrated, we’re seeing a reversal with some embracing and accepting the brightly colored “maximalist” lifestyle.
Image via Design*Sponge
Organic Designs
Natural, lush, organic patterns and designs are now being favored over rigid, tightly geometric lines and patterns. Think circles, abstract shapes, raw edges and uncommon architecture, like this fun and funky freeform table in our clients’ family room.
Image via Sweet Peas Design
Saturated Colors
Since Pantone’s Color of the Year is a bold, over-saturated Ultra Violet, I think it’s safe to assume we’ll be seeing a lot more lush jewel tones coming up.
Image via HGTV
Bold Curves
We’re anticipating a departure from the rigid utilitarian lines and a movement toward more organic, curvaceous furniture and architecture, like this delightfully curvy console table from our Lake Forest Showhouse project.
Image via Sweet Peas Design
We’re In Print!
Reading Time: 2 minutesCheck out the current issues of NS and Luxe magazines – we’re in there! Laura Hine, editor-in-chief at NS, spotlighted one of our master bedroom projects (click on the photo above to see the write-up) where we turned a cozy corner into a quiet escape with a curvaceous chaise lounge, crystal-topped table and a meditative piece of art. It’s ideal for enjoying a hygge moment, which I talked about in the Luxe article below!
Paulette Pearson, Homes Editor at Luxe, invited me to discuss the cozy Danish concept of hygge, above and at LuxeMagazine. (Page 128.) If you want to learn even more about hygge, check out our November 2017 newsletter, HappinessViaHygge.
Thanks to both editors and publications! It’s always an honor to be included.
January 2018 | Year of the Woman
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBest of Houzz Winner!
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWe just added two more Houzz awards to our collection! Many thanks to our wonderful clients and Houzz followers who helped us earn Best of Houzz 2018 for Design and also for Customer Service, which is based on client reviews. It is such an honor to be recognized. Since 2013 we have received 7 Houzz awards, including four for design and three for best service.
Houzz is a great tool for connecting home design enthusiasts with home improvement professionals, including interior designers. Many of our clients rely on it for design inspiration when they are launching a project with us. The site attracts an incredible 40 million unique monthly users! You can explore our Houzz profile page and portfolio here: SweetPeasDesignProfilePage.
Please Vote for Us!
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWarm greetings on a cold and snowy Chicago day! This is just a quick note to let you know that we are competing in the national Luxe Magazine RED Awards for interior design, and to ask you to vote for our projects here: OldTownHome and here: GoldCoastCondo It’s super fast and easy. Click on the “thumbs up” icon for each project and you’re done!
Many thanks from the entire Sweet Peas Design team for your consideration – we appreciate your support so much!
Oh Man!
Reading Time: 2 minutesIf you missed my talk at the Oh Man! cocktail event with Conlon Real Estate, no problem! You can catch up with this short video OhMan! showcasing some of the evening’s most memorable moments – a bit like football highlights.
Talking to this dynamic group of men about making their homes more livable and thus date-ready for that “certain someone” in their lives was fun! I got the biggest laugh of the night when I suggested it was time to stop sleeping on a mattress on the floor – I have a feeling that hit home with some of the guys!
Single men really appreciate the way we design their homes as we know that the first impression is a lasting one and speaks volumes about who you are. What does your home say about you? Many thanks to Stephanie Poulakidas and the Conlon Real Estate team for inviting me to join their party!
December 2017 | And So The Adventure Continues…
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDesign for Guys on FOX
Reading Time: 2 minutesAs you can see above, I truly enjoyed chatting with Sylvia Perez on FOX32 about designing for single guys who want to make their home “date ready.” Yes, it’s a trend! We discussed why more single guys want help with their homes and I shared some tips for creating a pulled-together, masculine look, here: https://youtu.be/7QAaJ4yyWHA.
Single guys, whether divorced, widowed or never married, appreciate the way we design for their personalities and lifestyles. We love working with them, too! They are a growing segment of our clientele, alongside our suburban and urban couples, families and single women. A big thanks to Sylvia for bringing me back on her show. She always makes me feel welcome!