How to Decorate with a Splash of Neon!

While watching the latest fashion walking down the runway its hard to ignore the Spring’s theme is the triumphant comeback of Neon. Bursts of these vibrant colors pour out onto the streets from Bloomingdale’s window. Bright pinks, purples and greens scream from the billboards that cover 34th street. Even Target entertained this neon-happy mood with their newest commercial titled, “Color Changes Everything,” and if you haven’t seen it, you ought to. In fact, here is a link: Target Commercial. It is this colorful neon dance that inspires this weeks blog.

The addition of color into any room gives a sense of optimism, spontaneity and promise. Plain white walls can be converted into exciting and enticing color havens; blank palettes for your creative side. The idea is to incorporate these pop art colors into furnishings and fabrics. Keep it small and simple, balance your tones and narrow down the palette are key with this new trend.

Adding electric pink and green pillows helps spruce up this feminine bedroom. Small objects are important when adding accent colors, and cost-effective! Along with the pillows, the designer added a subtle floral design on the ultra white bed frame. Super simple but created with a professional designers eye.

Here, Johnathan Adler arranges some showstopping neon pieces. Year after year, Mr. Adler uses the pop art theme with a very classic style.

This bathroom accessory was found in ElleDecor’s recent Trend Alert. (Hopefully you have checked out my designers profile at the ElleDecor website! If not, here is a link: ElleDecor!) The Barbie lacquer soap dish, lotion pump, and tumbler are by Jonathan Adler as well. At  jonathanadler.com.

David Sharff, an architect in the Boston area knew these vibrant orange bar stools would complete the look in this eclectic/contemporary kitchen.

One of the tricks to adding bright colors is to keep in mind the complementary color wheel. The mellow blueish green hues of this room set off the yellow dining table chairs.

Energizing your home with brilliant colors can be done by simply adding these shades to pieces you already own. Painting this modern wood cupboard with this neon olive stain enhances the piece and the room as a whole.

Having a balance of neutral colors in the room is what makes neon colors work. The lacquer green bar-top complements the soft toned hard wood floors while the hexagon-tiled column draws vertical attention to the kitchen.

Elegance is not lost with the collection of color to a room. The designers here, Elad Gonen and Zeev Beech, incorporated lustrous yellow fabric on a traditionally formal Bergère chair.

Punchy items should be anchored by neutral walls and complementary fabrics. The idea of sticking to two or three shades is well displayed in this bedroom.

Because neon colors are associated with the 1980′s, it is common for the use of these colors in your home to be cheesy or cheap. That is why its important to use the advice of someone well versed in designing a residence so your colors represent the exact look you want. This fashion forward contemporary kitchen is bold with its use of aqua blue cabinets.

Love this room, great balance of color, patterns and accessories!!!

Neon is a hard color to commit to while decorating. Having an experienced designer is all it takes to making this new trend work in your home.

How to turn your Apartment into Bachelor Pad.

contemporary bedroom design by photographer Elad Gonen & Zeev Beech

Animal prints in this sleek living room area are perfect for the new single man, (maybe not single dad.) These delicate pieces add a sense of adventure to any room! And an common WANT from many recently divorced men.

How to Design with Wall Art

Making your house a comfortable living space is important. All too often we loose sight of this in our busy schedules but redesigning your space to make it more “you” can be fun and easy. Look around the room and notice what sticks out the most. What do you like about the room? What colors pop out? Is there a clear feature wall for you to transform into your personal art collection? By covering a room with art that expresses yourself is a great way to freshen up your home!

Deciding on a theme for your wall art shouldn’t contradict the obvious nature of the room, e.g. kid’s art in the kid’s room or sultry art in the master bath. And your options are endless.  Maybe moving around some furniture will open up the room and bring attention to a wall you may have overlooked.

This flirtatious art is arranged by just resting upon two twin floating wall shelves. The look is easy to achieve once the shelves are installed and the pieces of art can be rearranged as you collect your works.

Take a look at the pieces of art you already have, do you seem a common theme? Here the focus is on whimsical illustrations.  Adding some personality by framing some of the kids art or your favorite children’s book cover will make this room meaningful.

Splitting up with collage wall arrangements can enlarge a room as seen in this simplistic dining room. The use of different color and shape frames is illustrated here nicely without being overwhelming.

How to Update Your Surroundings with the Trend in Metallics?

Whether it be the D & D building or 200 Lexington Avenue, the trend is obvious.  We all need to add shimmer to our environments.  There are many ways to incorporate this new accent.  You can create a whole room complete with wall covering, furniture and draperies or you can do one of the items listed above.

Can you imagine living in a house like this?  Maybe, this is too much but it makes you think!

But, more realistically a great way to add shine is through texture.  The first is a wall covering and the second is a furniture fabric

Fabrics that are prominent in the design world are great for draperies to let the shine in.

Of course small pieces of furniture or small spaces look great with this new shimmery desire.

Bathrooms are a great place to add embellishment and the gloss of the metallic paint will benefit moisture in the room.

Whether you do it large or do it small, whether you do it through texture or through paint, just do it!

How to Incorporate the New Trends of 2012?

Now that 2012 is upon us, we see some trends continuing but other ones standing out in the crowd. The continued use of mid-century modern has yielded to a very clean, modular sense of balance. Woods are lighter in tone after several years of dark wedge dominating. We still see a lot of white everywhere which again lends itself to the feeling of openness being achieved today in interior design. This lighter palette adds to a sense of mobility. As the use of smartphones, iPads and laptops cleared the way at the end of 2011, furniture is becoming more mobile. You may want to eat in different parts of your home or apartment. This type of furniture allows you to do so.

Creating an all white kitchen gives you that same sense of mobility and freedom that these two simple floor lamps do.  This is a freestanding kitchen that can be created within the walls of your abode.

The next exact opposite them is color.  Picture yourself in the midst of a tropical rainforest or viewing a rainbow after a warm summer shower.  Incorporate that into your living space.

Tufting as seen in the last years in headboards has expanded to furniture.  Most appear in the classic form but used in a contemporary setting.  But, you still have the option to create a new style of furniture.  The look is chic for sure.

Daybeds are the answer.  With apartments trying to utilize every square inch of space but trying to keep the space clean and open, they have become a great motility for use as a sofa and a night as a sleep solution.

Recycled and Reclaimed will become more and more apparent in kitchens/baths and furniture.  The use of  metals, glass and wood find themselves as new countertops, tabletops and tiles.  What will they think of next?

Duvets are a thing of the past.  Enter beautiful sheets, blankets and throws.  Make that bed look divine with the use of a great coverlet.  Washable is not always the desireable.

Pebble colors are appearing in upholstery along with folded, cascading and molded treatments.

And course animal prints which are omnipresent.  Adding to zebras you will find many others from the “Cat” family.

Ring in the Ne Year with a new room and a new expression.  Here are just some ideas that may affect your next project.  Feel free to call upon Holzman Interiors to make your goals a reality.