Wouldn’t you agree with me If life is about to open curiosity of cabinetry, life will be more fun. I guess that might be the reason that I enjoy design career so much.
I recently went to BD West —-a boutique hotel design show in the west coast to check out what’s new & trendy in hospitality design industry and also would like to get some fresh ideas that I am able to apply for home or whatever the projects in the future.
Here are some pretty cool trends I got from the show:
It’s about luxury experiences:
Luxury Experience #1—Comfy with a touch of luxury. This black velvet upholstered club chair is light, stylish and super comfortable. Love, love the sheen on the black velvet—such a luxury!
2. It’s about having fun:
Luxury Experience #2—a fun atmosphere. Duo chandeliers, the gourmet cocktails, the stylish bar setup and moody candles—these all set up a good mood for a chill-out and cocktail party. And similarly, kitchen island area is also the most popular spot at home. So embrace some cool components and make this area a drama!
3. Play with patterns and forms
Love love this black striped garden chair with this cute form.
4. Of course, Pantone color of the year 2019
The more I look at Pantone color of the year 2019, the more I like it. It is fresh, warm and inviting. Of course the color here is a lighter version of Pantone Color of the year 2019. I love how their pair the color with brass and the artwork with a lot of black—it’s kind of cool.
5. Last but not the least—-customization, customization and customization.
It’s good to know even in hospitality industry, owners try to develop their own brands and customize whatever possible. It looks like nobody like cookie-cutters. And one of the things they do customization is using unique decor by hiring local artists.
When we just came back KBIS a week ago, we were really blown away by some of the innovations in the show. After all, the kitchen is the fastest growing sections among the whole home improvement industry. We always see some of the coolest things in kitchen from pro cooking appliances, range hoods, to refrigerators, faucets, countertop, smart technologies, lightings, etc… Although I am still working on the blog of KBIS 2019 (hope soon I can publish it), we were invited to a local trade kitchen showroom industry event several days ago, and actually were able to see some newer trends and technologies in the showroom that resonate what we saw from KBIS2019. This kitchen showroom is not that big but quite modern, neat and sleek even with a luxury walk-in closet and some cool technologies. Ladies, who doesn’t love a stylish, open and airy walk-in closet with a lot of bells and whistles?!!! And last but not the least, we had professional chefs working in the kitchen and making some yummy gourmet foods. Here are some of our wonderful moments from this beautiful night!
Fresh flowers always make guests feel so welcoming! I just love these saturated colors! They create a cheerful mood and beautiful moments. It is always such a good idea to have some fresh plants and flowers in kitchens. They make everyone happy and enhance the appetites!Hospitality! A stylish cheese platter is always a great idea to host a party in kitchens.What an eye-candy!Floral art
Here comes our pro chef! One of the things when we cook at home is that we can always use fresh veggies and other ingredients…
Yummy and beautiful!The kitchen is quite modern and sleek. Yet I like how the showroom styled the food with wood trays –very organic, warm and welcoming ..
Pretty and organic!
Here are some cool things in the kitchen area:
Touch-to-open sliding cabinet door! How cool it is! specially when you have a tight space, this type of doors can be a great idea!Miele Coffee machine—How neat it is! The coffee station incorporating a compact coffee machine in the kitchen is quite trendy in 2019. It’s convenient and very handy. Who wouldn’t love the coffee aroma in the earlier morning in our own kitchens?Here is my espresso just made from Miele coffee machine!
Time for some desserts
Yummy and pretty!
Well, after being through all of those above kitchen experiences, I think everyone just cannot wait to create a pretty live-in kitchen for ourselves or host a family/friends get-tother event soon in the already-pretty kitchens. After all, it is a life style!
Ok, let’s continue our beautiful evening by walking to the rear of the showroom. Wow, here is the large walk-in closet:
Love the central island and above chandelier and of course the lovely tufted leather bench.What a nice touch to be able to see your jewelries on the top island surface.Here is the overview walk-throughObviously, I don’t have any problem to just chill out here for the whole day!
Hello, everyone, here is our part II tile trends in 2019. If you haven’t red the part I, please click here to learn more
I recently attended Daltile designer event for the showcase of new tile products. I feel it is pretty amazing specially I can find the local manufactures who custom-made such fashionable and cool design tiles right here in our backyard. Here are 2 of trends I observed from the showcase:
Moroccan tile influence : Moroccan tiles are famous for its hand-made quality, its uniqueness, fun patterns and craftsmanship. People start to bring these vibes to machine-made ceramic tiles with lower cost and much-faster lead time. Here are some samples I found from the showcase:
Don’t you just like this fashionable vintage color pairs : sky-blue and bright yellow in such a playful Moroccan-style geometric pattern.Do you notice the chiseled edge? It’s quite boho and organic. I think these tiles can make a very adorable counter backsplash. Again, the pop of yellow make me feel cheerful.This tile design is one of my favorites. I love the muted neutral color palette. This pattern can be quite classic and modern at the same time. It truly can make your kitchen stay timeless.
2. Color, color, color : there will be more bold colors for tile design in 2019. I did a lot of grey tile projects in the past several years and I am open to some fashionable and bold colors.
I found coral and red at the showcase. The colors do make me feel excited:
This coral tiles will be perfect for a guest bathroom—warm and inviting.What do you think of color of red. This red tiles will make a strong statement in a powder room. I specially like the textured surface.
When the sun shines through the windows, that is when magic happens. We realize it is spring time. Fresh, fashionable and feminine, this IS the theme for our Spring Story collection in fashion, home and art:
Every time when people talk about California coastal interiors, it is always kind of either white, cream or blueish color palettes with signature California lay-back vibes. But not for this one. It is located right at Corona Del Mar , So Cal and has a perfect polished modern classical style with maximalism in mind. The home is owned by Jerrod Blandino and Jeremy Johnson, the co-founders of the California-based cosmetics brand Too Faced. Then, I guess you expect some big wows!
Interior designer Mary MacDonald create such wonderful color palettes for each room:
Feminine hot pink pops up from cream, white and grey background with masculine architectural elements.The entry hall staircase is so French featured with gilded rails, hand-painted wallpaper, marble stairs. White, gold and black create such a modern classic tone for t5he whole houseLove this teal color in the libraryGrey, white, gold again create classic atmosphere in the master bath and wooden ottoman add a touch of warmth to this all marble-covered space.Love this pink guest bathroom. Pink, black and strong geometric patterns balance off each other.
Often time, when we try to furnish the room, we just cannot find that right piece to fit the space, match the current interiors, add piece of personality and have all of the bells and whistles clients want. This, then, will be the perfect moment to customize whatever the pieces we need. Sometimes, the process can be really tedious since we have to make prototypes and get approvals from the clients. And of course, the clients usually have their budgets. For the following project we did, the client has dark brown wood cabinets in her kitchen—kind of cookie-cutter style. . We had a very hard time to find the right bar chairs for the island. She wants something light, elegant yet very cool. So we decided to customize the chairs for her. We have two purposes on our minds before we started the jobs: 1) Light up the dark brown kitchen cabinets 2) Add a touch feminity. We tackle the issues by focusing on creating the shape of bar chairs and searching the right fabric. we chose sky-blue performance velvet for the chair fronts and rose embriodery silk for the back. The clients really like the end result.
We are creating the bar chair prototype. The shape of the bar chair is cute and playful, which ease off the seriousness of the dark brown wood cabinets create in the kitchen. The chair can be rotated and the large seat area offer extra comfy.Whimsical rose emboidery blue silk adds a touch of elegance to the dark kitchen.The end result that the client falls in love with. Yes, we do the floral arrangement too.
There are 5 take-aways from tones of the projects we did to streamline the whole furniture customization process:
Always keep eye on vendors’ offers and options to simplify the custom-made work.
Understand exactly what clients want and their top priorities.
Develop good relationship with local workrooms and stay with ones who are able to understand and express your ideas better.
The finishes and fabric of custom-made pieces are always very important. They will either make or break the jobs. So the key thing is always to look for and learn the new fabric and finishes out there.
Be inspired all the time. the inspired mind can create magical.
We are in the beginning of the year and it rains a lot. Whenever I visit a new art show wit full of colors, a boutique stores with fresh and interesting color palette, I always feel super inspired, especially at the winter season of the year. We want to see the colors to look forward to the future and stay motivated.
Maximalism design at home starts to kick in main street back several years ago. With bold and saturated colors of the year 2019 announcement from different paint companies and Pantone, I feel 2019 may be the year for Maximalism to play big.
You can click here to read more about Maximalism color by Sherwin William
Remodeling is always a such a daunting job for most of home owners. There are so many factors you have to consider. Here are 12 ideas can pay them off in the long run.
Paint walls. A fresh coat of paint can breathe new life into a space, tidy up faded walls, and works to set the stage for the look and feel of the room.
2. Paint the front door.
Curb appeal is everything, a fresh coat of paint, polished hardware, and a tidy porch will catch the eye of buyers every time.
3. Paint kitchen cabinets
The kitchen is the heart of the home and the place where family and friends hang out together all the time. The instant make-over of your kitchen is to paint those cabinets. Paint can work wonders on everything, and kitchen cabinets are no exception. If you like kitchen and colors, here are some inspirations.
4. Invest in architectural details such as millwork and trim. The moldings and frame always give a home a sense that it is ‘finished’ and can make people feel that the space has been carefully constructed with quality.
TGIF! After a long week, I hope you are able to wind down for a relaxing Friday evening with a glass of red wine and enjoy some of the glamous interiors I am going going to share with you in this blog. They are either edgy on the color palettes, having one of the art collections or still keeping flawless classic charm:
“The chartreuse color in the dining room actually inspired the entire space.”vintage white
statement pendant
indoor-outdoor vibesmix-and-matchclassic English charm.
It’s all about color story of originality, ingenuity and creativity through fashion. The Pantone Fashion Color Trend Report for London Autumn/Winter 2018 features a bold palette of autumnal hues complemented by some more surprising shades.
For a yellow with plenty of bite, the tart and sprightly Limelight hits the spot. “Animated and effervescent,” Pantone explains that this, “pungent yellow-green becomes the center of attention.”A beautiful orange, slightly more red than yellow, Russet Orange seems primed to take over as the new bold organic dujour — Pantone links it to nature and foliage, noting, “This forest floor orange speaks to earthen warmth.”
A rich silky hue that sits somewhere between the true yellow of gold and the greenish undertones of brass, Ceylon Yellow is described as a, “savory and spicy yellow [that] adds an exotic touch.”A delicate, energetic floral shade, Crocus Petal feels like the sweet, barely subdued understudy to Ultraviolet. Pantone calls it, “A cultivated and refined hue [that] adds a light and airy spring-like feeling.”
A rich jewel-tone straight off of the classic autumnal palette, Valiant Poppy is a, “brave and outgoing red shade effusive in its allure,” according to Pantone.This year’s Color of the Year pick, Ultraviolet is a vibrant, spiritual purple grounded by deep blue undertones. “Inventive and imaginative Ultra Violet lights the way for what is yet to come,” says Pantone.Nebulas Blue is an electric, celestial shade, which Pantone describes as, “reminiscent of twilight,” and “a thoughtful, starry-eyed blue.”
Many of these unique shades easily stand on their own, however mixing and combining unexpected colors can help create a signature style or look. Adding an unexpected element allows for the artistry and originality that optimizes individuality…
