Designing Woman

In a few weeks, we begin the renovation process which will give us a new guest room. Once again, I am on my floor in my living room every evening surrounded by paint chips, ragged cutouts from design magazines, fabric swatches.

And of course, the IKEA catalog. I don't buy furniture at IKEA, but it is my official supplier of candles, napkins, zinc containers and odd shelving. And maybe a picture frame or two.

One of my favorite design industry trade shows in Europe is HEIMTEXTIL in Frankfurt, which takes place every January. It is really the trend setting show in terms of the next season's colors for Europe and eventually North America, which is usually one season behind in home textile implementation. Everyone in the textile business is there, from fabric and wall paper producers, to carpet manufacturers, to specialty fabric designers. The last time I went was in 20o3 when I was putting together ideas for the house had just bought.

I adore textiles. I could spend days and days looking at them and fantasizing.

One of my favorite fabric designers is JAB Anstoetz. They always have a huge booth at the Frankfurt Show. One of the design firms I worked with in LA specified a lot of JAB fabrics and it was a favorite temple of mine to visit at the Pacific Design Center.

A bedroom design from JAB:



JAB's fabrics appeal to my sense of design and comfort. Often, a JAB fabric will be a starting point for me to put together other ideas.

I peruse last year's post-show articles to let them sink in. There has to be some kind of unity between what is hot and what I like. I hate over-designed spaces, they make me cranky. Which means the colors have to be inviting, the textures durable but soft, and there has to be an element of my hand in the general feel of the place.

All of this makes me want to go back and re-do the other rooms as well, and improve them with all I have learned. I will do a little work in the existing rooms, changing out some of the furniture and the artwork.

I am leaning toward lavender-tinted grey as the back drop with green and deep purple as accents. Some mosaic work on the walls, depending on what kind of tiles I can either fire myself or find around. General indirect glow lighting, with direct spots where needed. The room will of course have heating but I am toying with the idea of adding a wood burning stove in this room as well for guests that really want to come in the winter.

This is always the fun part. Going over the border to France or into Torino or Milano, looking in lamp shops, finding the right coffee table or chair.

I do love the design process!