Design Trends

This is my favorite room in the spread . It’s the library/dining room and the table is a covered in a tailored red felt. What a beautiful look. And very reasonable – felt is easily found at any fabric store, and those lucky enough to know how to sew could easily emulate this look. I also really like the curtains, the rug, and the bleached oak in this room, which tones down the color considerably.

Now this is eye-popping! This is the entryway to the apartment. Of course I love the leather and nailhead covered front door – it reminds me of a couple of pieces in my house-and the teal blue Venetian plaster walls make a huge statement, as do the black and white patterned floors. This is a lot for the eye to take in, but boy is the color making a strong statement. Now imagine how the entry would look if the walls were a rich glossy white or even black. How gorgeous that red door, chairs, and lampshades would look! Or what if the floor was hardwood, the door a rich mahogany, the walls still that striking blue - wouldn’t that be lovely and colorful, too? Clearly Redd was told to go for it in this project, and after all, that is what is he is known for. But for the rest of us, just making a change or two to these ideas would result in something we could easily find ourselves living with. Food for thought……

More Redd. This is a charming child’s room. The wallcovering is very appealing to me, although unexpected. The room is saturated with color, but in a more low-key way than the public rooms of the house.

Here is another view of the same room. The sofa is a lovely color and I also really like these pillows. The tape trim on the back cushions is a very nice detail, and so is the printed back to the chair to the left. The mirrors keep the red from becoming to overwhelming, and the soft blues and greens of these upholstery pieces keep the room balanced. The rug is gorgeous, and it looks as though Redd used it as a starting point for his palette in this room. This used to be the starting point for most rooms, but when simpler rugs and sisal became so popular, the palettes of rooms were decided by other factors, like artwork or a predominant fabric.

This was the cover of the magazine and, boy does it pack a punch! I love red, but I am not sure that even I could do this much in a room. But it’s a very appealing image, isn’t it? I really like the lambrequins on the window, with the red trim. And the fabric on the pillows is really lovely.