color trends for 2008...

It's exciting to read the color trends for 2008 as the influence of the upcoming Beijing Olympics brings a refreshing palette into the forefront.

Yellow is predicted to be a strong color, as well as Asian-influenced reds and greens. Juxtaposed against the neutrals found in nature, these colors will really explode into strong visual statements for home interiors. The lower level of the Cambridge Model Home in Harrogate is a prime example of the impact that yellow can make against a more neutral backdrop.

A more delicate butter yellow combined with red in the Keswick great room showcases the strength of red and yellow together.

Designers enthuse that culture will truly be a driving force in interior design, citing that other cultural influences in 2008 will be the vibrant colors of India...golds, orange...citrusy, zesty colors in combination with yellows and greens. And a rich warm palette inspired by Central America will bring accents of purple to combinations of reds, oranges, and golds.

(Featured interiors designed by Louis Tyler Creative Services, for Wilkinson Builders.)

repurposing redefined...

No longer is repurposing limited to creating duct tape wallets or even to fashioning old wine corks into placecard holders, a la Martha Stewart. More and more, the art of repurposing is the difference between good interior design and exceptional interior design.

Many new homes feature expansive foyers, two story family rooms, and other soaring spaces that are the perfect palette for repurposed architectural features from the past. Vintage wooden doors with exquisite molding detail become art. Wrought iron window grills or garden gates give the look of scherenschnitte when positioned against crisp neutral walls. Barn beams with hundreds of years of history may be the perfect addition to a family room ceiling, as in the Wilkinson Builders Model home at Carlton SouthGate. Even smaller details such as vintage glass door knobs, finials, newel posts, and handcrafted brass hardware can have a new life as wall hooks, bookends, and other accent pieces. The real art of repurposing is having the ability to take a look at something that you may have seen hundreds of time, and being able to look at it anew to discover where in your home it may be the item that makes your room really memorable.

proving it

Proving the space is as vital for one preparing a home for the resale market, as it is when one is searching for a new home. In The Bristol at Sandy Hill, interior merchandiser Louis Tyler of Louis Tyler Creative Services proved the space in every room, and did it masterfully. The dining room does not just have a table and chairs, but rather, it easily holds a table with chairs, extra chairs, an oversize hutch, and a sideboard. And yet the room does not begin to feel crowded

or tight.
The space has been proven.

And again, in the guest bedroom, often a room in which some are just happy to have contain a bed and bedside table, the firm has included a generous sleigh bed, two bedside tables, a wide dresser, an occasional chair...and more. Again, the space has been proven.

When it comes time to think about staging your home for resale, consider the importance of proving the space.

all it takes for "wow" is a weekend...

The Bristol Model Home at Sandy Hill will have its Grand Opening next weekend, and in thinking about that, and about wall treatments in general (when you visit that Model, be sure to check out the great Tricia Guild wallpaper!), it was a reminder that often it is the least expensive features of a room that give it the biggest “wow” factor...specifically when it comes to paint. As a rule, home buyers tend to purchase options in their new homes that would be difficult or cost-prohibitive to add at a later date. But paint? Now that’s something that can be upgraded with ease...often just taking part of a weekend to create an incredible effect.

With the rise in popularity of do-it-yourself shows on HGTV and similar venues, today’s homeowners are more creative than ever when it comes to interior paint. Instead of just putting a fresh coat on the wall, why not consider adding the perception of texture with ragging? Or giving an antique look to a wall with color washing? An illusion of a woven fabric can be created with the simple technique of dragging; while simple stripes of a gloss varnish over a matte wall can create an elegant striping effect.

On your next visit to a model home, take note of the wall treatments. What may appear to be wallpaper at first glance, could actually be a creative paint treatment.