Brighten Your Living Space With Fabulous Colour

Make your living space a happy home! By injecting vibrant colours will lift you mood instantly!

Clashes of colour are very trendy at the moment, which is great news for those who struggle to get the right blend of colour schemes which work well.

I just love the orangey-red, it brings a real sense of warmth to the room and coordinates wonderfully with the wood flooring.

Not quite so sure about not having any curtains or blinds at the windows, or maybe they are there and just discreetly hidden!

The apple green chair reminds me of the swivels chairs which were all the rage in the 60s and early 70s. While the orange modern table lamp makes a real visual feature to the room.

Bringing colour into your home also brings colour into your life, it will energise you and make you feel bright and chirpy! Colour therapists will guide you as to which colours will be most apt or following the ideas of feng shui may also inspire you to add colour to your home.

Mixes of old with new is also a very trendy and economical interior design style at the moment, which is great for scouring junk shops for bargain finds, re-covering or painting things to spruce them up!

There’s no need to completely re-vamp a room jus add some wonderful injections of colour with modern table lamps, second hand chairs and a multitude of cushion in complementary colours and a variety of textures to transform your living space into a house of fun!

For further information, image source and great inspirational interior designs visit laissezfairedesign

My 10 Most Winning Wing Chairs

Traditionally a wing back chair was an upholstered easy chair with large "wings" mounted to the armrests and enclosing the head or torso areas of the body. Such wing back chairs were originally designed to provide comfortable protection from drafts, and particularly to trap the heat from a fireplace in the area where the person would be sitting. Hence, they were most often used near a fireplace in historic times. So the wing back chair started out to function in rooms that were not centrally heated. We have come a long way since then and the wing back chair has morphed to fit the times and the style of the rooms we live in.

Please leave a comment at the end of this article and let me know which is your favourite wing back chair.

Big Chair by Jens Risom from Ralph Pucci International - Walnut Frame

Bergère Chair by Autoban for De La Espada,is available in Black walnut or White Oak with oiled finish.
The De La Espada factory is located near the Silver Coast in Portugal.

Gabriel Chair by Oly Studio is beautifully upholstered in leather with nail heads.

Sam Chair by Oly Studio a more casual look in cane and ebonized black frame.

Leo Chair by Oly Studio A stunning look in white leather and nail heads.

Regina Chair by Poltrona Frau with a molded frame, round grommets to simulate tufting and buttons
It is upholstered in Maserati leather.
Patricia Gray Inc. Photography Roger Brooks

 


Laura Kirar Cradle Wing Chair

B & B Italia designed by Antonio Citterio, an updated classical look by the famous Italian Architect Citterio.
Slip covered and very comfortable to sit in.

CH445 Wing Chair by Hans J. Wegner from Suite NY.
This chair was designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1960 and reintroduced in 2006.
A modern take on the Scandinavian look.

The Marks Lounge Chair by Michael Taylor Designs.
Designed in the 70's by the famous Californian designer Michael Taylor.

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm writing about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Monoknit Chair

Monoknit Chair has been created and designed by Florian Krautli. This wonderful chair is made from polypropylene cord supplied by Seilerei Sammt.

Heat is used to make the cord shrink and harden. Due to the knit the chair pulls itself together and stiffens. This process forms the construction aspect of the chair, however, the seating part stays untreated. ‘The chair is not only easy to produce, but also easy to recycle‘.

I love the shabby style appearance of this chair. It looks comfortable and the ideal place to sit and unwind (excuse the pun!) with a cup of coffee and a book. Great for the latest in-trend ‘shabby chic’ interior design styles, with their mix and match materials where virtually anything goes as long as it looks ‘used’ and coordinates in a hap-hazard sort of way.

There is something almost endearing about this chair. Monoknit chair would look great in bedrooms with a Victoria design style. I think there is a real ’motherly’ feel to its appearance, it would make an unusual yet practical chair for use in a baby’s nursery as it has an almost ’grandma made’ look. Maybe that’s why it looks so inviting? Curtains ‘knitted’ in the same white cord and hung from a wooden curtain pole would be ideal for keeping a room shaded and cool in the summer! A great use of materials which provide a beautiful chair with a built in appearance of a throw casually placed over it.

For more information visit www.kraeutli.com
Image source: farm4

Fun and Funky ‘Frilly’ Chair

Making its debut at the Milan design Festival earlier this year 'frilly' chair by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola is fun and funky!

I love the vibrant transparent colours of these polycarbonate chairs. Due to the material used they can be used both inside and outside. What a great way to brighten up an outside seating area or add a touch of vibrancy to a room!

With the moulded curve in the back rest 'Frilly' chairs look remarkably comfortable. These are a great alternative to the mundane plastic chairs seen on many patios and decking areas. Being made from polycarbonate they will be easy to keep pristine looking throughout the summer season. When it's too cold to sit outside the chairs can be used inside. Being water resistant makes them suitable for use in rooms with humid atmospheres like a bath or shower room. Alternatively they would provide a trendy injection of colour in a bedroom. With a wide range of colours available there is a chair to suit all interior decors and colour schemes.

Patricia Urquiola wanted to create a practical chair which gave a pleated fabric look to her high backed chairs, which I think she has achieved superbly.

My favourite colour is the vivid cerise pink, which I would chose for a trendy yet feminine teenager's bedroom.

Due to the transparency of the polycarbonate, placing the 'Frilly' chair near a window or light source I'm sure would produce some fantastic visual effects.

To find out more about Patricia Urquiola and her designs visit www.kartell.it

Image source: www.designboom.com

Curvaceous Perillo Lounge Chair

The curvaceous flowing integral seat, arm rests and back of this beautiful chair is extremely visually appealing to me. With no harsh edges or straight lines the continuous fluid movement of the seamless design offers a stunning piece of contemporary furniture.

I love the contrast between the grained wood and the plain inner surface. I just want to run my hands over this lounge chair and enjoy the smooth sensuous surface!

This may sound strange but I also look at this chair and can’t help think of how hygienic looking it is. There is no where for dirt or grime to accumulate or hide! A practical as well as functional lounge chair that would look great in both contemporary homes or informal seating in office foyers and public places.

German designer Martin Ballandat has created the Perillo lounge chair for the Swiss based company Zuco Burositzmobel. Ballendat says “The main objective when developing the product was to create a piece of furniture which is also a true showpiece. In a world which is geared towards efficiency and economy, ‘Perillo’ offers a welcome and exciting contrast when compared to the sterile linearity of many modern buildings.”

In my opinion Ballendat has surpassed his main design objective, Perillo really is a true showpiece of exciting contemporary furniture.

Ballendat set up his own design office “Design Ballendat” in 1995. Visit www.ballendat.de to see more of his wonderful designs and information regarding the numerous design awards he has achieved to date.

Image source: www.notempire.com

'Barca' Lounge-chair

One of the two winners of the prestigious ‘Gold Leaf’ honour at the International Furniture Design Awards in Japan, this ash ‘Barca’ lounge-chair was designed and made by Jakob Joergensen.

Jakob is a design student at the Designskole in Copenhagen. One of the Award judges made a comment that said the piece reminded him/her of a Viking ship when viewed from a certain angle, ‘Barca’ means ‘ship’ in Spanish so the chair has been aptly named by Jakob and well spotted by the judge!

The piece was made by sliding the identical ash boards around to form this semi-spherical beautiful shape. I’m not sure how comfortable or practical its use as a lounge-chair would be, however the ship like appearance certainly has great visual impact and makes for a delightful piece of sculptural art that would look very at home in a large light airy room like a conservatory.

Equally the piece would provide interest on an outdoor decking or grassed area, although I’m not sure it has been made to withstand outside weather conditions. As Jakob is still a design student practicalities of use may not be foremost in the mind at present. Good designs do not always have to be practical though, do they?

The curved interior shape would be ideal to place a blanket on and lay a baby inside, somehow the chair reminds me of those wonderful baby photographs by Alison Geddes. Actually to answer my own earlier query, curled up in this lounge-chair would probably provide a wonderful sense of security.

Materials: Steel, Ash.
Dimensions: W 1,200 x D800 x H250

Image source: www.notempire.com

Barnacle

From Sea-Urchins to Barnacles! My love of natural and reclaimed materials is captured in this chair, leaning post beautifully.

The chair is made from sustainable ash and reclaimed industrial felt, designed by Ania Wagner who likes to ‘work with local materials the designed to create minimal material waste’.

The chair has two functions, the felt lined bucket style seat which can simply be flipped over to provide a great leaning space! Ideal for chilling out in a variety of ways. The beauty of the light ash with its ‘fringed’ style end adds a touch of visual impact in an understated way. The colour of the reclaimed felt is pleasantly neutral which makes a real change from bright vibrant colours or garish patterns.

There is no right or wrong way up for this piece of contemporary furniture, simply flip it or move it, sit back and relax. I can image this piece being a firm favourite with young people, from toddlers to teenagers. A real piece of ‘me’ furniture when you need to be left alone or a great communal sharing space. I also think young children would find a lot of other role play purposes for this chair, a great boat, or space ship!

Chill out and watch TV with a bucket of popcorn by your side, a book and a mug of cocoa the choices are endless! I think this chair would fit perfectly in a lounge or bedroom and makes a stylish change from the ‘classical’ beanbag for resting on, far more neat and tidy in my opinion!

Image source: www.yankodesign.com

The Divine Law of the Great Chair

The excerpt below is from a wonderful Blog by Carrie and Danielle. It totally ties into my love for chairs and also the spiritual aspect of surrounding yourself in your homes with things that you love. Carrie and Danielle are also authors of the best selling book: Style Statement: Live by your own Design

Here’s a radical notion: what if you really liked, even outright adored every material thing in your own life? What if the quality, shape, color, function, and feel of the things you owned gave you satisfaction, pride, and delight?

Enter, The Divine Law of The Great Chair.
When you let go of things you don’t love, you create space for things that you do love to show up. EVEN IF: it’s “useful”, it’s filling an “empty” place, it was a gift, it was inherited, expensive, imported, exotic, or you truly loved it once upon a time -– if you don’t like something in your space, it’s dragging you down. This isn’t about old, or new, or what you can afford – this is about how STUFF makes you FEEL.

THIS WEEK: Identify the “old chair(s)” in your life that you’re making do with, and get rid of it. You may have to sit on floor cushions for while, but you’ll be dwelling in possibility – instead of compromise and regret.

Photos
Top: Thomas Pheasant
Top Row: B & B Italia, Vicente Wolf, unknown
Second Row: Bertoria Chair, Andrew Martin, Ghost Chair
Third Row: Knoll Eero Saarinen Womb Chair, Knoll Brno Chair, Knoll Warren Platner Chair
Fourth Row: Barbara Barry, B & B Italia, Barbara Barry
Fifth Row: Madeline Stuart, Thomas Pheasant for Baker
Sixth Row: All Oly
Seventh Row: Oly, Blanchard UK, John Saladino
Eighth Row: Chapman Radcliff, Baker, Jayson Home
Excerpt above from Carrie and Danielle The Divine Law of the Great Chair

Patricia Gray writes about Interior Design inspirations, emerging trends, and the world of Design.
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Ink Art Work

I firmly believe that the most successful interior designs are those which not only work extremely closely with the client in terms of finished appearances but also include personal preferences and interests to ensure that individualism is incorporated skilfully within the agreed designs and styles.

For me this piece of intricate ink work displays a passion for using tattoo artistry which clearly demonstrates the ability of the artist to the full. Hand tattooed by Mama Tried studios directed by Scott Campbell, the team at Mama Tried has adopted a ‘why didn’t we think of that’ philosophy in producing exciting and unorthodox approaches to visual media.

The new series of the successful TV programmes London Ink and Miami Ink shows that many, many people are using tattoos to decorate and bring art to life on their bodies. This striking chair with its retro black ornate frame, cream leather seat and back rest tattooed in black ink will bring much pleasure to those who adore this type of artistry and a bold way of life. The trendy skull design used as the main focus has a haunting appeal, daring someone to take a seat!

Undoubtedly this chair will not appeal to everyone’s taste, however, I do feel that it would make a striking focal point when incorporated within a room which has taken client personality and individualism seriously. I’m sure many a discerning tattooist would jump at the chance to include this unorthodox chair in their workplaces to provide an unusual and unique method of promoting their profession effectively.

Image source: www.decojournal.com

Architectural Digest

I have recently been published in Architectural Digest magazine and have been getting quite a few inquiries about the chairs I used in this article. They are from Poltrona Frau designed by Paolo Rizzatto. They are an extremely modern design of the bergere chair: comfortable and welcoming, but with great visual simplicity. The seat and back are obtained from a single rigid shell which is covered with a new design of the capitonnee, where the buttons are replaced with special fastening rings of polished aluminum that create transparencies. The base is aluminum. The armchair can be reclined to find the ideal relaxing position. Upholstered in white Ferrari leather.

More photos from Architectural Digest December 2006

X Sculpture Martha Sturdy

Blissful Chairs

These watercolor renderings are done by Anne Harwell. She has a wonderful blog: Annchovie,
where she daily posts her paintings. Anne has a wonderful whimsical approach to capturing the essence of her subject matter. I love her technique and she also has a fetish for chairs as I do, so I feel we are kindred spirits. She takes commissions for paintings. I am commissioning her to do a painting of a home that I designed that was featured in Architectural Digest December 2006. Stay tuned I will post this painting of hers when it is completed. There is nothing like a hand painted and hand rendered piece of artwork. I think it is an art form that we need to support and encourage artists like Anne to continue. So please give her your support in whatever way you can. Art and artists are our life blood and they need to be supported and encouraged in their creativity.

Here are some of her whimsical painting of chairs.

"Artists help us to see and understand the world around us better." Patricia Gray