Living Coral for Spring 2019 – Pantone Color of the Year

photo credit www.pantone.com

Pantone is the bible of color for all products, fashion, interior design and most everything having to do with color, and it has named “Living Coral” as the color of the year. It is the color of underwater reefs, and the sky at dusk. Laurie Pressman, Pantone’s Vice President, considers this saturated orange base with a golden undertone not only warm and welcoming but life-affirming. We want colors that make us feel good…not too heavy. We want to feel uplifted. It is emotional nourishment.” Look forward to your favorite products in the new “Living Coral” color.

Go ahead, be creative. Let your imagination run wild. Remember love is in the details.

Please follow and like us:

Fresh Trends for Outdoor Living


Every home design magazine (shelter) shows wonderful ideas to create an extra “room” from your outdoor yard space providing another place to live and entertain. Just as interior design trends change with time so do the designs of our outdoor living spaces and furnishings. The Wall Street Journal (May 26-27, 2018) polled over one hundred design pros to identify new ideas to use in the fresh air. Here are some of their thoughts.

OUT

Billed as “dorm room like décor”, STRING LIGHTS are overused and too cutesy plus the exposed filament bulbs (you can see the lighting wires in the bulb) create an unflattering glow.

 

OUT

Brown “BLOCKY FURNITURE” pieces have had their day. No more thick frames, heavy weaves, and dark colors. These oversized pieces become hot in the sun and are not conducive to lounging.

 

OUT

STRIPES, BRIGHTS AND LARGE PATTERNS are visually “loud” in a setting. They are now tiring and too bold….these patterns have worn out their welcome. The out of doors space should have patterns that work in all seasons and are not the focal point of the space but instead adding an organic feel.

OUT

Planters with COMBINATIONS OF PLANTS can be found at every home improvement store. In England’s famous Great Dixter Garden, experts never mix varieties in one pot. And no more Zinc planters…especially those that are too tall with too small a width for your new plants.

OUT

Be careful with ‘KITSCH’ furniture pieces.  Maybe one or two of your favorites as an accent but not an entire area.  What is kitsch? Fussy, mid-century, bent wire, wrought iron, Victorian, “Garden” style and retro-inspired pieces. Less is more!!

IN

UV rated individual outdoor LIGHT FIXTURES are becoming more popular for a room like look. Choose from table lamps, floor lamps or randomly placed low indirect lighting pieces for a beautifully lighted exterior room space.

IN

A SMALLER SIZE AND SCALE like we have inside our home are now brought to the new “outside” room. Be certain the frame of the item and the fabrics used are suitable for exterior use. Remember accents of pillows and plants can add depth and color.

IN

Look forward to TWEEDS, SMALL PATTERNS AND WOVENS (not prints) in softer neutral patterns/colors. Make certain the fabric is specified for use in outside spaces and be sure to mix soft neutrals, stripes, and tweeds allowing the organic feel of the landscaping to be the focal point.

IN

Try a new potted plant look by using ONE SPECIES OF PLANT per container which makes for a more impactful look. And yes, classic terra cotta pots always look great in any planting area…they become better with time.


IN

NATURAL, ORGANIC, WOVEN, pieces that look like nature and fit in with the area. The pieces are not meant to be an attraction in themselves, but instead, an adjunct to the environment created.

Although the materials need to be able to withstand the outside elements, choose materials and designs creating a finished look of an organic and environmentally cohesive design.

 

Please follow and like us:

Upcycling is the newest thing for old designer fabrics, clothing and home furnishings.

We have a hot, new trend which has begun in the ready-to-wear (clothing design) industry and is rapidly moving into our home furnishings area. It is called UPCYCLING! 

Designers are reworking old, used, or leftover fabrics into new styles of designer clothing and home furnishings.

Upcycling often requires labor-intensive and time-consuming reconstruction and piecing together which adds to the cost. “It actually requires more creativity and ‘out of the box’ thinking to re-imagine an existing item and create something spectacular from it” explains a professor at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.   

Polo Ralph Lauren, Missoni, Victor and Rolf, are among some of the designer labels that are upcycling vintage fabrics. Many seasonal runway shows include these newly created designs as limited editions. The purpose is to extend the life of fabrics and clothing that might otherwise be discarded in landfills.   

Many designers are repurposing second-hand clothing creating a luxury one of a kind look with upcycling.
Why is this so important?
Fashion and Home Furnishing trends change very quickly and many of the unwanted pieces end up in the landfill…..Upcycling is great for our environment! 

As one designer put it, “We feel strongly about this approach. To create something beautiful from older or unused pieces makes sense with all of our ecological problems. Designers are now taking various fabrics in creative and ingenious ways to create new designer looks.”

PILLOW GALLERIA’S ARTFUL PILLOW DESIGNS ARE A SUCCESSFUL EXAMPLE OF UPCYCLING.

Some consumers will pay more for garments made of old clothes and upcycled designer fabrics because they are one of a kind…a unique piece of art. Pillow Galleria’s designs are based on the same premise. There is an individuality to upcycled products…everyone likes to have an original, a one of a kind item.

New trends keep our industry interesting and exciting. Upcycling, the unique trend, offers additional benefits for sustainably and the environment. Pillow Galleria will be creating more artful one of a kind designer home furnishing pieces with the new environmental trend of upcycling.  We invite you to follow us discovering our new and creative home furnishing products utilizing Upcycling!

Please follow and like us: