Interior Design...What's In, What's Out 2010

 I got a personal tour of the Parade of Homes last night
by the 11-times Design Winner, Karen Jones.
It was fabulous!
She decorates with classic tastes,
enduring, timeless style
to fit any budget
and promotes an easy lifestyle.

As we went thru three of her Parade homes,
she shared awesome insights,
tips, and the why's and how's she did things the way she did them.

I learned alot--
some of which I'll share here:
Choose a color palette from something that inspires you--
from a fabric or textile like a rug.
A home should feel like it has continuity through-out,
not chopped-up room by room.

Two color schemes she used:


 Benjamin Moore/Wheeling Natural (Main Paint)
Benjamin Moore/ White Chocolate (Trim)
Benjamin Moore/ Prescott Green (Hall and Stairs)
Benjamin Moore/ Gray Cashmere (Powder Room/Guest/Girls' Room)

Those colors were soothing, calm and accessorized with chocolate browns, a touch of red, and light blue--not baby blue, but that aqua-kinda blue that's everywhere.  The kitchen cupboards were a mix of cream and a deep walnut color.  I'm hoping she puts pics up on her site so I can show you.
*****************
In another house, she used this *color-scheme:

Devonshire/ it was a custom mix similar to Desert Sand by? shoot.  It was a warm gold. (Main Paint)
Kwal Paint/ Swiss Coffee (trim)
Sherwin Williams/Red Tomato (Powder bath)
Sherwin Williams/Wheatgrass (Kitchen Nook/ Guest Room Suite ( I just painted my familyroom that color!--and it was awesome to see that she used it too in a 1.8 million dollar home!)
Those colors were cheerful, but not overdone.  She accessorized with oranges, yellows, black, dark lime greens, deep browns and creams.

Trends that are Out/ What 's IN:
Veined, multi-colored real stone/ faux-stone countertops are OUT.
Solid-colored countertops are IN. And you don't have to use the same material on every surface in the kitchen--if you've got an island for example, you have have it made of a solid wood or travertine or something that contrasts but doesn't clash.
Animal Prints OUT.  Botanicals IN.
Short-loop (think Berber) carpet OUT.  Lush short shag is IN.
Matchy-match fabrics in any room OUT.  The Look of "collected or gathered" with a similar color is IN.
Raw woods such as Alder wood OUT.  Smoothe painted cabinets are IN.
Rustic is not as IN as French Country is IN.
Chandeliers are IN...and are what she calls "character pieces".
As are different types of doors...don't make every door in your house identical.  Add some variance to give the house character.
Keep your foundations neutral...like tile backsplashes, flooring, bathroom tiles--nothing dates a home like teal tiles in a bathroom--that screams 1990!  (I've seen that more times that I can count...IF you do have teal tilework and want to update your look but can't afford to rip out the tilework just yet, match it with chocolate brown and cream to tone the teal down.)
Faux-finishes and accent walls are OUT too.  Paint the whole room the same color. To change up a color, find a "dying place" like around a small corner to let the color die.  Or if you don't have that option, tape a straight line to cut it off.
Some of the places she shops for accessories/linens are around town: TJ Maxx, Home Goods, Hobby Lobby, Target, Marshalls.  And she gets some of her fabrics from even JoAnn's.

It was a great tour.
I asked Karen where one should Start with a home makeover...
she said, "The entry, the place guests see first, and then where your family spends the most time.
And don't start in one area and go to the next. Finish one room completely before moving to the next. It'll make your husband happy."
I'm thinking about painting the front room and entry that Desert Sand color because I saw it in the 1.8 million dollar house where my wheatgrass was and I loved it.

*Karen's website has not been updated with pics from this years' Parade of Homes b/c it doesn't end until the 22nd.  But check back for her wonderful ideas!