"Design Happens"

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Soon it will be time for turkey, homemade stuffing, cranberry sauce and lots and lots pie (my favorite dish of the season). But before the feast begins, one of my favorite things to think about is decorating the Thanksgiving table.

See How My Fellow Blogger Kim Stoegbauer Sets Her Dessert Buffet

In my family the table decorations are just as important as the turkey. My mother spent hours thinking about the dishware, the linens and the platters. When it was my turn, I, too, made sure my tabletop display was absolutely perfect.

This year that task turns to my sister and her husband who will be hosting the holiday, but the thoughts remain the same. How do you create a table that is reflective of you and your family; that is warm, welcoming and one-of-a-kind? After years of experience, here are my tips for creating a memorable Thanksgiving table.

Country Living

First things first, it’s important come up with a unique scheme. Do you want something rustic or modern? Will you choose traditional shades of pumpkin orange and brown, or go in a new direction using dishware, linens, glassware and accessories that offer a unique spin on the traditional holiday tabletop?

Country Living

I like to start with the basics — choosing a color palette for my feast. In past years I’ve gone from typical orange and brown, to fun shades like purple and black. Here, black, cream, coral and blue create a lovely fall tabletop display. You can find unique plates like these from shops like Anthropologie and Crate & Barrel.

West Elm also offers some fantastic plates for the season. With messages like “Thanks” “Give” “and “Wish”, these are perfect for getting guests into the Thanksgiving day spirit.

Don’t just stop with plates, but also look at other pieces like platters and serving ware. This Give Thanks Platter at West Elm is perfect for serving appetizers before the feast begins.

The next step is linens. Designer Manvi Drona Hidalgo designed this table setting with a unique tablecloth and napkins to bring a pop of color and pattern to this festive table.

How to Make Elegant Stenciled Napkins

Find original linens like the tablecloth featured here at stores like The Loaded Trunk. I also recommend indie lines, like the AphroChic textile line. Our Haze Mimosa Runner would look beautiful on a table with a yellow color theme.

To finish the look, it’s all about the centerpiece. For something modern, try a simple setting of branches. This project on Holidash would be fun for the kids. Branches can be collected from your backyard. Just spray paint with a bit of gold or silver paint and you have a fantastic centerpiece. Setting the branch display to the side is a great way to keep the conversation going at the table.

Ohdeedoh

You can also give the traditional pumpkin a modern update. These pumpkins are transformed with white paint. Another crafting idea for the kids, pumpkins can be painted in a palette that complements your overall tabletop design.

More Thanksgiving Ideas From HGTV

The most important thing is to have fun with the decor and create a backdrop for a Thanksgiving dinner that your family will enjoy and have memories of for years to come.

On a recent visit to Kate Spade New York I spotted something in the store that I fell in love. No, it wasn’t a handbag or shoes (although I love them all!). It was a gallery wall – a mix of prints, calendars, and even album covers that were hung on the wall as beautiful statement pieces. The collected wall of pieces left me inspired, and got me thinking about how I would create my very own gallery wall at home.

Kate Spade New York

I am a huge fan of art. It’s my belief that no home should be without art on the walls. Art has the power to express what you love, and is a great way to express your individual style. I’ve been working on curating my own collection of art over the past year, and now it’s finally time to get it up on the wall. Here are few images that keep me inspired as I explore how to create the perfect gallery wall.

Life And Work

There are a number of different ways to showcase your art. I love the idea of a slim shelving unit for a rotating collection. That way pieces can easily be displayed and changed over time.

See how my fellow blogger, Erin Loechner, made her own modern art shelf.

Elle Decor :: Photographer Simon Upton

For a cleaner look, feature the work of just one artist in simple, cohesive frames. Here, prints by Gary Hume are placed in white frames, allowing the design and color of each piece to stand out against a minimal background.

West Elm

If wall space is limited, you can be innovative and use another backdrop for your collection. With nails and a few hooks, you can install art on a bookshelf, and change out pieces whenever you would like. (Important tip: be sure to put your framed pieces in front of books that you’re not going to need often. While the look is beautiful, it would be a pain to have to move a painting every time you have to get your favorite design book.)

via Erin Ever After

While I’m a fan of a collection of frames for an art gallery, oversized pieces also create an exceptional look. Two or three big pieces hung in succession will make a quite a statement. With big prints, a little bit goes a long way, so make sure your pieces complement each other through color, technique or design for a cohesive look.

I am completely inspired.  How about you? Do you have or are you thinking about creating a gallery wall at home?

In celebration of Halloween I wanted to create a color crush board that goes with this holiday’s most dominant shade – black. Scary, spooky, the color of midnight, black can definitely be intimidating. However, in the world of decor, it can also be the hue that brings some bold, sexy, and glamorous style home. While some of you may be dressing your homes in black today to scare a few kiddies, here are some black rooms that show you can live with this color all year long.

Black on black can be so beautiful. Birds on Branches Wallpaper by Ferm Living gives a room some layers, and depth, and all in a striking shade.

House Beautiful, Photographer Thomas Loof

Black and mint may be my new favorite color combination. The pastel shade pops against the black walls and carpet. And with a little bit of white mixed in, this room feels open and airy even while enveloped in a dark shade.

Miss Walker

Black is the perfect backdrop for jewel tones. Emerald green, teal, yellow, purple, all come to life when set against a black background.

The Decorista

I love how this office space uses unconventional materials — tiles! — to give the black wall some texture. The mix of shades among the tiles lightens up the room. And when black is paired with gold, the effect is warm and beautiful.

You can explore more black rooms over on my HGTV Color Crush: Shades of Black Pinterest board and my previous post Black Is Beautiful. And if you pin, be sure to share with me some of your favorite black rooms. Have an amazing Halloween!

If you can’t already tell, I am a designer who loves modern style.  I absolutely love modern interiors and decor, but one thing I don’t like is a modern home without soul. Even the most modern homes need pieces that will soften the space, make it feel warm and lived in.

Aphrochic: My Report from Maison et Objet in Paris

One way to do this is to bring in something not-so-modern, like vintage textiles. Today, whether you’re shopping at Pottery Barn or an indie shop, special collections of vintage textiles are popping up everywhere. It’s all about that lived global experience that people are desiring – pieces that tell the story of where you’ve been, and even where you’re dreaming of going. Here are some absolutely beautiful ways to bring the vintage textiles trend home.

On a Design Sponge house tour, homeowner Paige Morse hung a vintage embroidered wedding cloth as a piece of art in her home. It’s such a lovely way to bring in color, pattern and warmth.

You can find beautiful vintage cloth like the one Paige has by sourcing antique quilts. This collection was featured in Country Living. Scouring flea markets can help you discover remnants of quilts, ticking, and fabric that you can turn into your own work of art.

There are also some fantastic online boutiques that offer one-of-a-kind vintage textiles. Check out Mela & Roam. I discovered this online store while roaming the net, and completely fell in love with this Vintage Kantha Throw. The colors are just amazing.

Vintage textile pieces, like pillows, can be mixed and matched to bring color and pattern home. In this child’s bedroom featured in Domino the mix of vintage textiles really make the space.

At Pottery Barn, Kantha-inspired pillows covers can be found. Mixing a few patterns together can create a global look.

My favorite way to bring vintage pieces home is through rugs. I absolutely love this image from Domino that showcases the idea of layering vintage rugs. You can put together rugs that have been discovered over time, creating a warm and cozy vibe.

ABC Carpet & Home is the perfect resource for vintage and antique rugs. Their vintage rugs are so distinctive with unique colors and patterns, making these pieces more than just rugs, but works of art.

Do you have any vintage textiles that you’ve been collecting over the years? How do you use them in your home? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments section below.

Last month, I experienced a design dream come true — presenting my home decor collection at Maison et Objet, one of the world’s largest home design trade shows. My ten days in Paris were spent transporting and decorating the AphroChic booth, as well as meeting with potential buyers from all over the world. As you can see, color took center stage in our showroom. The pillows and linens certainly popped against the white walls.

When possible, I took breaks from selling to explore other booths at Maison et Objet, on the look out for the latest design trends. Here’s what I found: Design is moving to a happier place where color is used to put us in a good mood. Just like we’re seeing in fall and spring fashion trends, color is everywhere!  I came across home accessories, furniture and textiles representing every hue of the rainbow.

Pieces like these Jonathan Adler vases caught my eye. Deep yellow, bright turquoise and Jonathan’s signature use of gold delivers an uplifting and glamorous feel.

I marveled at the mix of color and pattern in the Szalay booth. Their new collection of textiles and upholstered pieces includes ottomans and patchwork cushions. Love those primary shades.

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It took me a long time to understand the allure of metallic home accessories. I’ve always been a silver girl myself, never going towards the glittery gold or brass hues, feeling they were a little to brash. However, over the last few years tones like gold, brass, copper and silver have exploded in home decor. I’ve finally come over to the metallic side of things, having my own little Kelly Wearstler moment at home. I’ve tuned into the ability of metallic hues to lift and energize a space. In my own beige interior, golden tones have been making an appearance to spice up the boring paint palette (beige was my landlord’s choice, not mine). And paired with today’s most exciting hues like navy blue, purple and pink, metallics can make a real design statement at home.

Here are some of my favorite metallic pieces. You can explore the rest on my Pinterest board.

I’m a fan of antique brass pieces for their vintage feel. The Meurice Mirror by Jonathan Adler is so sophisticated. The bamboo metal would look stunning against a dark black or navy wall.

Accessories like this Globo di Luce Pendant show how beautiful modern copper pieces can be. In a simple neutral interior, this bold light fixture is sure to illuminate with great flair.
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Can you believe that the days are already getting shorter? Fall has arrived and with it all of the beautiful things about this season — cooler days, longer nights and more time spent cozying up at home. It’s blanket time again! My favorite home accessory to buy this time of year is a colorful new throw to brighten up my space. A few of my favorite stores have just the thing — unique throws that are great for snuggling and adding warm color and texture at home.

Stripes are still in, and Dwell Studio’s Draper Stripe Throws are a classic. They are made with alpaca and are sure to be super-soft.

West Elm’s Kantha Quilted Throw is absolutely gorgeous. Made from recycled saris, pieces are stitched together to create one-of-a-kind intricate designs. Each one would be a colorful addition to a bed or even a wall for some added warmth at home.

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As a designer, I find that I’m more inspired by the past than hot, new trends. I love exploring designs that have stood the test of time. My job is to make them new again. Toile has always been a favorite for me. Painted scenes that tell a story are the essence of this 16th-century French decorating pattern. I did a deep dive into the history of toile in preparation for AphroChic’s Brooklyn Renaissance Collection, studying how today’s designers are updating these traditional treatments with contemporary stories and colors. Here are a few of my favorites. Designs that are completely reshaping the way we see and use toile in interiors.

The Parisian company Manuel Canovas has the most beautiful Toiles Collection of fabric and wallpaper. The designers at Manuel Canovas demonstrate just how beautiful toile prints in mod colors like fuchsia and paprika can be. It’s French design in a whole new light.

When I came up with idea for the modern toile for our Brooklyn Renaissance collection, I knew I wanted something completely out of the box. My husband and I worked with Brooklyn-based artist Samantha Hahn to create the Brooklyn Life Indoor toile that tells the story of young women living in Brooklyn on a really fun and fantastic (if I do say so myself) pillow.

A particular design by Sheila Bridges greatly influenced my Brooklyn Life toile. Her Harlem Toile de Jouy Wallpaper is so unique, presenting baroque scenes of “Afro-French” people. It comes in a range of hues like yellow, robin’s egg blue and cherry, and it is certain to brighten any interior.
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Every month, I set aside an afternoon to enjoy a cup of tea and leisurely leaf through my favorite shelter magazines. (I can’t wait until HGTV Magazine comes out in a few weeks!) It’s part pleasure and part required reading for my line of work so I keep up on the latest in the design world. The August issue of one of my favorite glossies, Living Etc. from the UK, features a cool design trend — laser-cut home decor. I absolutely had to explore it for myself, and after a little online digging, I found that more and more designers are using this cutting-edge technique to create gorgeous patterned furnishings and lightweight home accessories.

Pieces like these Vale Dining Chairs showcase how beautiful cut metal can be. The chairs have the feel of a Louis Ghost Armchair. The laser-cut metal detailing on the back, which is reflected in the lacquer wood seat, is a showstopper.

Brocade Home’s Laser Cut Rug takes a lovely wool blend felt and elevates it with a striking pattern. This type of decor is designed for a singular purpose … to make a statement.

This bright red Mediterraneo Fruit Bowl by Alessi shows how lasers can transform stainless steel into something light and otherworldly. The metal has been shaped into a bright, colorful and imaginative form.
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Are you looking for towels that are modern, featuring bright colors or bold stripes…and that feel incredible? That’s exactly what I found on a trip to the Eastern Market in Washington, D.C. My sister and I came across the Bath Style booth, and they specialize in Turkish bath towels, or peshtemals. I could not get over their beauty. I knew I absolutely had to learn more about these hand-woven pieces and what other incredible designs are coming of Turkey. After a bit of digging, I came across some beautiful Turkish designs that range from bath towels to rugs, pillows and even ceramics. My four picks offer perfect ways to infuse culture, color and one-of-a-kind design in your home.

While Turkish bath towels can’t be found everywhere just yet, the Etsy shop Bath Style has an incredible array in stock. Peshtemals are known for their absorbency and unique styles, which are representative of different regions in the country. I think these towels are so appealing, why limit their use just to a bathroom? They would make gorgeous table cloths or throws for a casual living room.

Yastik, based in Istanbul, presents a new collection of Turkish pillows every season. “Yastik” is the Turkish word for cushions, and these cushions are absolute works of art. The colors and attention to detail in each one is breathtaking. I’d love to have an entire collection at home.

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