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Design Trends: Patterns Everywhere

KitPollard — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:32:01 +0000

It’s very nearly springtime – and spring has really sprung at our local Target stores, where after much hype, the Liberty of London line is finally available. We love the brand’s riotous floral patterns – they’re great on notepads, dishes, bathing suits, and just about anything else you can think of. We can’t stop watching this ad:

These days, we’re not just in the mood for Liberty florals, either. The Oscars red carpet reminded us that patterns are super hot (we loved Rachel McAdams in her Monet water lilies-inspired gown and we thought Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Dries van Noten was pretty cool, too). That made us think – we love wearing patterns, so why not decorate with them, too?

Using multiple patterns in one room can be tricky – there’s a fine line, after all, between just enough and too much. But with the right touch, multi-patterned rooms can be absolutely fantastic.

This room, with its intense color, could easily cross over into “too much” territory, but it hovers just on the right side of that line:

We love the way the rug (which reminds us of old school video games) works with the adjoining room’s wallpaper. Both patterns are subtle, but bright. Plus, the room works because the colors are all intense. Matching tone of color is just as important as matching shades.

Speaking of color:

This room is full of pattern – from the walls to the furniture – and the limited color scheme gives it a sense of balance. We love the way the funky yellow and zebra prints work with the uber-traditional floral wallpaper, too. It’s a great mix of modern and traditional.

We like spaces that totally flout tradition, too, like this one:

If you told us we’d love a room that included a cow print rug, a crazy mix of bright patterned pillows, and faux-forest walls, we’d say you’re crazy. But something about this room appeals to us. It certainly doesn’t take itself too seriously. As for patterns, we really like the way the pillows play off one another and the way the rug’s stark black and white work with all of their color.

So that space is definitely untraditional, but tradition doesn’t have to be boring:

The jewel tones in this room are gorgeous and we absolutely love the way the rug’s tiny print works with the bold and unusual shapes on the decorative plates and the sofa. The effect is just a big exotic, but not over the top.

There are as many ways to make patterns work as there are patterns. How do you incorporate them into your home? Anything daring to share?

[Photo credit: all interiors photos from Houzz.com.]

What’s new at Alluminare

Friday Shamblen — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 23:58:00 +0000

1. We redesigned the product detail pages and the wizard to be more fluid and easier to follow. Here’s the highlights:

Check out the “More views” underneath the pictures. We have a nice lightbox-style pop up instead of going to a different page with room views (where available), and a handy swatch view with rulers, so you can see the exact scale.
Zoom in on the image, right on the page.
More details on the product detail page (of course!), and Expert Advice in our customization wizard

2. The “Featured Designers” pages have been redesigned to use the handy “More Views” function and have bigger, clearer pictures. Check out Jules Davis’ designer page for an example.

3. Our Large Rectangular Pendant light and our Oval pendant lights are now available with stems. The stems can be linked together for short or long installation requirements.

What’s New at Alluminare

Friday Shamblen — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 23:11:00 +0000

1. We’ve brought down our ship times. Our longest ship time was once up to 6 weeks for items fabricated from custom fabrics. Now, due to major adjustments in our processes, our longest lead time is now 4 weeks from start to finish.

2. We’ve updated our home page with a smashing new design. We’ve given it a brighter look and more dramatic style. You can preview new colors and patterns right there on the home page in room views! (Your saved and recently viewed items did, however, move down the page a tad.) We do nearly all development in-house, so it was a fun project for us all to take on!

3. We added a color browser on the home page. One click, and you can browse all of our custom patterns by color, then once you’ve found a pattern you love, you can view all products in that pattern and color combination.

4. And finally, we have updated our phone system. In short, we’ve made it easier to give us a call – our staff is small and well-versed in our products. So while you may need to leave a message because we’re busy working with other customers, we will call you back straight away and can help in detail.

New Features This Week at Alluminare

Friday Shamblen — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:42:00 +0000

Quick blog post to let everyone know about new features and designs.

1. Strikeoffs now available! A strikeoff is a custom printed piece of fabric with your chosen colorway and pattern. We also include all of our custom colors. The overall size is 24″ x 24″, and the pattern itself is 12″ x 24″ – big enough for fabulous little things like napkin ring holders or curtain tiebacks. The way to get a strikeoff? Below product pictures on detail pages and in the wizard, there is a button that says “Order a sample” – just click that and your pattern, scale and colors are all set for you!

2. A coupon code is now available. The form to fill out is at the bottom of most pages and can be found also by clicking here.

3. Want to know what other people are designing? We’ve added links from our product pages so you can see what people have saved in the material you are considering and the product you are considering. We use it in-house to see what folks like the most, but thought our customers would like to see this as well. Take a look at the most recently saved items in Libby Unwin’s Lineoak on Second for instance.

4. Rose Leaves from Zoe Brench, Fan Leaf from Jessica Gonacha Swift. Jessica also has 3 patterns online, so we have made a widget that displays her favorite ones. The widget can be installed on websites/blogs/etc. to show Jessica some love!

5. Guides are now available for dining lighting, kitchen lighting, ceiling lighting and bedside table lighting. Just go to “Design a Product” then to “Guides” and choose a guide (this is on the main Alluminare site).

Meet Designer Libby Unwin

Friday Shamblen — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:07:00 +0000

We’re proud to have Libby Unwin as one of our first World-Class designers. Her work is fresh, bold, and with an inimitable style that is unmistakeably modern.

More of Libby’s favorites and her bio statement can be found on her profile page. She’s generously created a few colorways for us that she thinks you’ll enjoy.

We recently had a chance to sit down with Libby, and discuss her design influences. We think you’ll fall head-over-heels for her work like we have!

What designer has inspired you most and why?
I have loved Abigail Borg’s work for quite some time, and really admire that her work is hand-drawn. I get really excited about Patty Young’s designs, especially her colorways. It seems like I discover someone new every day – someone who is pushing the bounds of pattern design, someone who is creating work that astounds and inspires me.

Who do your designs appeal to most?
My designs appeal to people looking for something new and versatile, and who are wanting to meld several themes together in one room. I try to leave room for that one extra color, so the pattern can work with other things going on in the same area.

Where do you see yourself, as a designer, in the upcoming year?
I plan to push on my own boundaries: do more hand-drawn work, venture into high-detail designs, create collections of patterns with innovative colorways.

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
Everywhere! I was watching TV last night, and a baby was in a high chair with dots on the seat. My brain quit watching the show for about 30 seconds while I was rearranging the dots, adding other shapes, sneaking in a very hot pink, mapping out another pattern, and then another, and then another. All from a couple of dots. It’s endless! Sometimes I sit down and draw something that’s been percolating for awhile; other times I’m drawing with no direction, no ideas, just a pencil.

What is your favorite room in your home/apt. and why?
We just moved into our first house and lately I am obsessed with the living room. I have plans to fill the room with Moroccan-esque colors and fabrics. I love texture and color working together, and of course, patterns. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

What are your favorite colorways and products? How do you see them being used in people’s homes or businesses (like restaurants and hotels)?
Lately, I’m in love with purple, so I think this purrple colorway is gorgeous.

I can see it in an office as wallpaper, and/or as throw pillows in a purple room. Because it’s two very versatile colors, the pattern would provide a good backdrop for other accents and decor touches.

I also am drawn to colorways that feel soothing and refreshing at the same time. I would use this colorway as a fabric in a spa’s window coverings, in a reading room’s lamps, or in an indoor garden’s lounging furniture.

The colors are so gentle, but punchy enough to add a “fun” element to the room. Because the colors are earthy, but fresh, you could use rich browns to make the room feel warm and cozy, or add a coral or a blue and make it feel bright and alive.

This lampshade would look killer in my home office.

I’ve got grass green and bright sky blue with browns and blacks working together. Bright and poppy! I like to see colors bouncing off each other. I love overhead lighting for reading or drawing, and I love the circles in the Stop Drop #4 pattern working with the rounded shade, especially since everything else in the room has very straight lines.

In setting up our dining table last night, I realized I need to make covers for the chairs. The room is gold and red with black dishes, so I am thinking this fabric would look great on the chairs.

I love that on Alluminare’s site, I can change the colors of the patterns not only to create new colorways, but even change the pattern itself by using two of the same color. This fabric is Linoak on Seventh with Classic Red on two of the three color options, isolating the small background squares.

New Designer Pattern: Suzani by Jennifer Mitchell

Friday Shamblen — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:08:00 +0000

Click here for an entire gallery of fabulous starting points using Suzani.

Hand-drawn and high-end, our newest pattern is graciously contributed by Jennifer Mitchell at DesignHole (the fabulous, on-trend design blog). Suzani is a traditional pattern, with roots in the Silk Roads that connected Europe, Turkey and China with the Muslim world. Suzani draws from the natural world of plants, animals, and the stars to visually describe the beauty of nature.

Custom wallpaper, custom fabric, lighting fixtures, lamp shades, and pillows are all available in a huge range of colors and you can even change the scale of the pattern. Even if you don’t buy anything—it is a great way to spend the afternoon!

We had a chance to talk with Jennifer about her lovely Suzani pattern and hope you enjoy reading about Jennifer’s lovely Suzani pattern and its origins as much as we did!

[P.S., would you like to send us your pattern? Add a comment or touch base with me on Twitter.com/Alluminare ]

What inspired you to make this pattern?

Aside from the fact that I love Suzanis, my inspiration came from a practical matter. I was working on a bedroom project for a client and thought a Suzani would be the perfect thing for curtains and a matching bedspread. But the perfect thing (at least to my designer’s eye) was not to be found. It was a bit of a Eureka Moment when I learned that Alluminare was looking for new patterns. I especially liked the fact that my design could be made into wallpaper, fabric and pendant lamps.

Have you used it in other projects before? If so, how and why?

I used a couple of Suzani pillows as an accent on a client’s bed. The pattern’s colors pulled the other elements of the room together. It was the perfect finishing touch.

Why do you love Suzani?

My forté as a designer is color. I love playing with using color in unconventional ways, like painting ceilings red. Suzani prints are often very colorful, so I’m naturally drawn to that aspect. But they’re also organic – with all the motifs going this way and that. Although Suzanis have been around for centuries, there’s something about them that seems very contemporary, which is why they’re an emerging trend. Suzanis can be used on just about anything: curtains, bedding, accessories and wallpaper. They’re playful, colorful and fun.

Anything else you would like to share about your Suzani pattern?

I think your readers would be interested to know that Suzanis are very old and come from Central Asia – Uzbekistan in particular, which was part of the Silk Road. The traders spread the design beyond the world of the nomadic people who made the original Suzanis. Their lives were hard and bleak, so the women decorated just about everything, including rugs, tents, saddlebags – all the things they used in everyday life. They also made wall hangings. Original Suzanis are embroidered, woven and appliquéd.

About Jennifer:

Jennifer Mitchell is an interior designer from Detroit, Michigan. She also writes a popular blog called Design Hole. Jennifer’s design work and blog are dedicated to showcasing her unique and creative perspective on beautiful living in the 21st Century. Jennifer studied at The College for Creative Studies. Design Hole has been featured twice in The Washington Post, and her work as been published in Detroit Home and Metropolitan Home magazines.