Arrested by Color
Posted on October 26, 2011 by jbutler in Color Forecasting, Fashion and Design
Denise loves her blues!
In New York, our creative team, Denise and Carl, were repeatedly arrested. Arrested by color, that is. The colors that caused the most commotion were the usual suspects: red, green and blue. But seen with a designer’s eye in a vibrant NYC milieu, they’re anything but ordinary.
Intoxicating Reds: According to Denise, “red has graduated.” Literally! She further explains, “We’re seeing a broad palette of reds – from quiet pink, blush and rose to live-out-loud fuchsia, raspberry and cherry – all interacting together. The mix is the thing.” It’s a new mind-bending approach to monochromatic!
Not-Your-Granny’s Green: Green is making a comeback. “After all,” Denise comments, “green is the ultimate perennial – the color of nature. But a new incarnation is just starting to emerge.” Denise took note of this in Fifth Avenue windows and SoHo boutiques. Green is bubbling across a broad palette – from jade and Anjou to pistachio and puce.
Wild Blue Yonder: “I can’t be impartial about blue,” Denise confesses, “It’s my personal favorite, and I love where blue is going now.” The expansive palette is once again in play. Blue-infused charcoals and smoky lavenders seduce. Indigo and turquoise demand attention. True blue is the color of water and sky, evoking a sense of harmony, fluidity and flow where ever it goes.
No one is neutral about color. What hues turn your head and trigger your imagination? Drunk on reds? Green with envy? Singing the blues? Tell us about your favorites. How are you are using the colors du jour to freshen up your wardrobe and your home décor? Stay tuned for the conclusion of this mini-series, where Denise and Carl revisit familiar patterns with a fresh eye.
Urban Country’s Rachelle Roth
Posted on October 20, 2011 by jbutler in Dealer Spotlight
We’re kicking off a new series this month similar to our Blogger Spotlight series, but with the spotlight focused on some of our dealers and their designers, who inspire our creative team. On a recent trip through Virginia and Maryland, Carl Bundy, our senior vice president of product development, was inspired by Rachelle Roth, owner of Urban Country.
Pictured from left to right: Sascha, Rachelle and Jillian Roth of Urban Country
Urban Country, a retail store in Bethesda, Maryland, was named “Bethesda’s best kept secret in Interior Design” by the Washington Post. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the retailer has everything from furniture to fabrics to custom window treatments and bedding. They offer full interior design services and have five accredited designers on staff.
We caught up with Rachelle before she left for fall High Point Market, and here’s what she had to say.
Obviously, you have a passion for home furnishings and interior design. Where did it all begin? Tell us how you got started.
Growing up in a family of European heritage, style and fashion were almost inherent. After earning a graduate degree in art history, I entered the world of fashion on 7th Avenue in New York, where I developed a love of fine fabrics – very fine fabrics, as in Haute Couture and the likes of Geoffrey Beene, Oscar de la Renta and Ralph Lauren, and a great color sense. I forecasted the season’s hottest color trends, worked one-on-one with some of the fashion industry’s most respected buyers and attended the most coveted fashion shows every season.
Fast forward some years later to Washington, D.C. where I started a family, designed a line of children’s clothing, enrolled in design school and started my own interior design business. My husband, Jeffrey, and I both loved to travel, and we wanted to work together so we blended his corporate retail experience with my design experience and founded Urban Country, a home furnishings store for countryside and urban spaces.
Twenty years later (my husband passed away 12 years ago), two of my three daughters and I continue to provide fashion-forward design in an exciting retail atmosphere. When asked what I buy, I say I buy what I love, be it furniture, bedding, bath, accessories, jewelry, baby or haute couture-inspired pet beds and accessories.
You’re a pro. Can you share a favorite decorating tip or approach that can help take a design project from good to great?
Scale is of utmost importance. Color should speak to the client’s personality.
The room should evoke great emotion by incorporating an important piece like a family heirloom, an accessory that makes a statement, special detailing that subtly makes its presence known, like a cashmere throw or a salvaged rose window from an old church that hangs in the hallway and encourages the eye to look upwards.
What’s your favorite, must-have Drexel Heritage piece…and why?
The Lainey Chair. It’s luxurious like an Armani dress and elegantly styled in tones of brown mohair and velvet. What more could I ask for?
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Rachelle! Happy anniversary and cheers to another 20-plus successful years!
For more about the Maryland furniture retailer, visit urbancountrydesigns.com and Urban Country Designs on Facebook.
Cool + Warm = Hot!
Posted on October 12, 2011 by jbutler in Color Forecasting, Trendy Tips
Two distinctly different masterminds lead our creative design team. First, meet Denise. Her style is cool, hip and feminine with a European slant. We also want you to know Carl. His style and manner is warm, friendly and funny with a penchant for detail, detail, detail. It’s interesting that this “cool and warm” commingling design combo is also playing out in the world of design on the streets of NYC. Let us explain.
In a traditional design approach, harmony is achieved by bringing together colors with a similar value. For example, icy blues, dove whites and silvery sages might reside beautifully in one cool and collected palette, while those dusty taupes, teals and tawny browns are in another neighborhood.
The rules are changing. As a design team, Denise and Carl meld two style perspectives and approaches. In fashion, so-called cool and warm tones are mixing it up, and the result is anything but lukewarm – it’s hot! “It’s really refreshing,” Denise notes. Her favorite: a warm espresso dialed up and down across a diverse spectrum. “It’s already an important accent color in our line, and I think there’s room for expansion. Stay tuned.”
The new hues are not limited to fabrics and textiles. Wood furniture is traditionally brown, “but who said so?” asks Carl. Most of the Drexel lineup is available in more than 40 custom paint and finish colors ranging from Tangerine and Apple Green to a Smoke, Linen and Fog. The design team is “in the lab” now calibrating new paint color introductions inspired by travel and fashion trends.
Are you a student of color? Be sure to share your thoughts, and stay tuned as we discuss more color trends in part three of our trendspotting series.
Juicy News
Posted on October 5, 2011 by jbutler in Color Forecasting, Fashion and Design, Trendy Tips
We’ve got a crush – an orange crush that is. We’re smitten with this zesty, tantalizing color. It’s the design world’s latest obsession, and our creative team is no exception. From bold paprika to spicy persimmon, this eye-catching shade offers a welcome pop of color to any room in the home and can breathe new life and energy back into tired spaces.
Our friends at Real Simple gave a shout-out to this spicy hue (and our Jacque Table from our Postobello Home collection – thank you!) in their October issue. Editors suggest pairing darker shades of orange with rich neutrals, such as gray, for a sophisticated look, and pairing brighter shades with hot pink or turquoise accents and accessories for a more playful look.
Hey, here’s an idea. Choose from our more than 40 punchy paint finishes, and group our sweet Jacque Tables in pairs of two, three or more! Just look how cute they are together!