How is interior design trending in 2011?

The Canadian colour expert Janice Lindsay said in a recent newspaper interview she believes the next direction for design is to follow the way teenagers and kids decorate. Janice was one of the speakers at the Australian International Furniture Fair earlier this month. How many interior designers consult with teenagers and children when working on a project?

Give teenagers and kids a chance to decorate

I keep hearing about the Pantone colour of the year honeysuckle. Wonder how popular it will be; it is a vibrant warm colour I am sure it will appeal to many.

Honeysuckle Pantone colour of the year

In Australia kitchen and bathroom design continue to take top priority in home design. The most popular bench tops are engineered, stone, granite and solid-surfaces. Stainless steel, timber and concrete bench tops have become less popular.

Kitchen and bathroom design trends

Two-pac polyurethane and colour painted kitchen doors continue to be in vogue. Increasing in popularity are low-pressure laminated, glass, vinyl wrap and vacuum-formed kitchen cabinet doors. Engineered stone and glass splashbacks are very much in vogue. Acrylic and Perspex splashbacks are no longer popular. Below is a dramatic kitchen colour scheme shown on a mood board created on SampleBoard.

 

If you would like to view details just follow this link http://www.sampleboard.com/boarddetail/713

Great kitchen and bathrooms are said by property developers to sell houses

Square form, double bowl, under-mounted sinks are the flavor of the month in kitchen design. Solid surface, round bowled and single sinks have lost favor. Deep wide drawers that are soft closing are a prominant feature in up to date kitchens.

Bathrooms are tending to be large and lavishly fitted with courtyard views. No longer just utilitarian they have become places of luxury and private retreat. Kitchens and bathrooms have become more and more important in home design. Below is an example of a courtyard bathroom design shown on a mood board created on SampleBoard.

 

If you would like to view details just follow this link http://www.sampleboard.com/boarddetail/714

Green design continues to gain momentum

Over 93 percent of entries into the 2011 furniture fair in Sydney had an environmental theme. Green design is very much in. For example Roslyn Campbell has created a chair out of pebbles and Andrew Bezzina has created a fold-up chair called the ‘robot stool’.

Revisiting old designs finds green credentials

Home designs of the 1950s are becoming benchmarks for sustainability. We have only to look at the brilliant designs of Robin Boyd, Walter Burly Griffin and Frederick Romberg to find evidence of green design.

Robin Boyd’s daughter Susie Boyd stated to the Sunday Herald Sun “To see my father’s ideas from 50 years ago revisited as a new standard is very pleasing”. This could be a subject for a future blog.

The Multi Fashion Designer Trends of 2011

The age of the designer is really upon us. Fashion designers are designing wallpaper and fabrics as are famous costume designers. Many artists are adding interior decorating to their skills. The cross over is of design disciplines is amazing.

To stay up to date designers need to keep their eye on all facets of design

Retro fashion styles are still in vogue in 2011. 1970 style dresses, high waist trousers and elegant blouses. An understated punk style is still fashionable. 1950’s full circle skirt dresses and sheath dresses hugging the body to below the knee emphasis the hour-glass figure are popular. The 1970’s maxi dress is back in fashion in sheer fabrics.

Maxi sheer

In the recent Myer catalogue Jennifer Hawkins is pictured in a 1950 style dress with bobby socks. Bobby socks were popular in 1940s and 1950s. The socks are ankle length. The socks are designed to fold down and often have lace or bows and other ornaments as decoration. Frank Sinatra was called the Bobby Sock Idol.

Bobby socks & full-skirted dresses

Women’s clothing this year is feminine and soft including lace used in new ways. Bell bottomed trousers and Capri are also back in fashion. Kitten heeled shoes will thankfully replace the extreme high-heeled shoes of the 2010. Clunky wooden shoes only just remain in fashion.

 

Kitten heels replace high stiletto heels

A kitten heel is a type of shoe with a thin-based, low heel (usually 1.5 inches or less) and is set in from the back of the shoe. These sorts of heels are especially popular on pumps, kitten heels can also be found on many types of women’s dress shoes. More than just being a low heel, what makes a kitten heel is the placement and feminine curved shape of the heel.

In addition to being ankle length, bobby socks are also typically ornamented with a layer of lace or other material. The tops of the socks may be designed to fold down to showcase decorative materials, and it is not uncommon to see a bow or similar ornament on the back of the sock. Traditionally, bobby socks are plain white, but patterned and colored versions are available.

Flared jeans

Flared jeans are back in vogue for men and some believe they will totally replace the skinny jean trend of 2010. Leather jackets and aviator sunglasses are also said to be popular.

 

Colours

Many current fashion colours in vogue are derived from nature, vegetable colours like eggplant, tomato red, hay, grass. Neutrals brown, beige, taupe, charcoal and black are still very much in use.

Fabrics

Sheer textiles in dreamy pastel shades lavender, pink, misty blue and pearlescent creamy whites add a soft feminine look to the season. Gingham checks, burlap, plaids, beeswax, floral yarns and rope style fabrics grace the fashion conscious belle.  Large colourful stripes looking like liquorice all sorts are also in vogue. Below are some of 2011’s trendy colours. Please note colours can vary.

Hair

Bird nest buns, braided knots and double knot hairstyles are predicted to be popular this year. The classic bob hair style has been reinvented as the waved bob in relaxed and understated style.

Reinvent waved bob & bird nest buns

The waved bob can be created by using a maximizing mousse and salon style. The mousse should be worked into the hair then the hair dried. Semi loose ringlet style curls should then be created by sectioning of the hair and using a styling product. To keep the style in place use hair spray and dry the hair with a hair dryer.

The wonderful thing about fashion in the 21^st century is the multiple choices available. So many trends are happening at the same time. This makes it so easy to create a truly unique up to the minute look.

A way of keeping our design creativity buzzing; be open to the enjoyment and wonder of all forms of art

During my years studying art and design I was so grateful to the teachers who opened my mind to encouraged research and understanding of many art forms from music, dance, drama and craft as well as the visual arts. I still find my creativity as a designer stimulated by painting, sculpture and other art forms. I revisited some DVD’s of Sister Wendy Becket recently unfortunately I did not have time to view the whole collection. But I enjoyed enough to become enthralled again with the wonder of creativity and art. I love and so completely agree with her statement (I think it is something like) “I get cross when people make a distinction between craft and art”. The image below is from the Lascaux cave paintings.

Craftsmanship is art

Craftsmanship she believes is art and I agree. If you have a passion for art I am sure you will enjoy the series of BBC programs; ‘The Story of Painting’, ‘Sister Wendy’s Grand Tour’, ‘Sister Wendy’s Odyssey” and ‘Sister Wendy’s Pain of Glass’ You can get a taste by visiting this youTube link.

The Story of Painting

Sister Wendy was born in South Africa, educated in the UK, joined a convent with a strict code of silence. When I was a young girl I wanted to be a nun but my mum said I could never keep the vow of silence for ten minutes. Sister Wendy also trained as a teacher and taught in South Africa. After getting special permission to study art she went on to be a recognized authority on the subject. Cezanne (see example of his work below) is one of her favorite artist. He is also one of my favorite painters

Art can inform the work of designers

If you have never really got the art bug this could be the series to change all that. Her passion is contagious.  As designers I think art can inform our work in a very profound way. I will leave this little bit of heaven Sister Wendy’s world of art for a time when I have more time to enjoy it. But I do highly recommend you treat yourself to the treasurers glimpsed in these DVDs.

Do classic designer hair styles like the pixie chop or the choppy mop ever go out of fashion?

Designer’s haircut

I wonder if you are like me. I don’t simply go to the hair dresser and have a cut. No I design every part in advance I know exactly how I want the back, the top, the sides and the front. One of our friends in another state who we don’t see very often laughingly told me ‘I don’t think I have ever seen you with the same hair style twice’. I have always loved experimenting with hair colour and styles. Now a little older and maybe wiser I do not change my hair style as often. The classic hair styles appeal to me but as a designer I have to design and adjust the cut. I just can’t help myself I am a designer at heart.

The Classic Bob

Last year I read an article in the magazine Notebook on classic hair styles. I thought I need to come back to this topic and have a closer look so that’s what I am doing in this blog post. Who can forget the most copied style of Jenifer Aniston when she was on Friends? Another recent leader Victoria Beckham led the worldwide trend for the classic bob. Catherine Zeta Jones also had her hair cut in a bob in her movie Chicago.

Josephine Baker an American dancer working in France during the 1920s as well as silent movie actress’ influenced the swinging twenties fashions with their bob hairstyles. The basic straight line cut of the bob has been reinvented many times. People like Barbara Streisand in Funny girl, the actress Greta Garbo and the designer Coco Chanel have had bobs cut in varying lengths.

The bob needs to be cut often and well. It can then just be left to dry naturally or blown dry to emphasis smooth sleek lines of the style.

The Pixie Chop

A brilliant hairstyle for the over 40s is the pixie style. Dame Judi Dench has successfully worn this style for a number of years. Hair is cut to about 3 – 5cm all over. Sometimes it is left a little longer on the top. The beauty of this style; it looks brilliant with very little work just wash and dry your hair and you are ready to go.

I first saw this style in the 1960s when worn by the iconic model Twiggy. I had a friend who looked just like Twiggy. Mia Farrow also favored the style. Recently the actress’ Michelle Williams and Carey Mulligan have looked awesome with this haircut.

The Choppy Mop

In the mid 1990s Meg Ryan introduced the choppy hair style. The style can be created on short to shoulder length hair. This modern style needs hair styling products to work. Wax is needed to separate the hair to add a textured look. This is a no straight lines haircut and best suits hair that has a natural wave or curl.

Have some fun and discover the designer hair style for you

There are a number of website where you can view hundreds of hair styles. You can even upload a photo and try a hair style. Great fun 4 Hairstyles.Com is an example of this sort of site. Just follow this link and have some fun http://www.4hairstyles.com/tester.htm

The Newsreader Flick

Suzanne Wangmann in her article (in Notebook) 5 Classic Cuts mentions two more styles; the newsreader and the peek-a-boo styles. Candice Bergman wears this style in the movie Sex and the City. It is called the newsreader because many newsreaders around the world have this style. People like Barbara Walters and Martha Steward have been fans of the style.

It is popular because is suits most face shapes and age groups. The hair needs to be left long enough to allow the hair to kick out and is highly textured with a side part and a long fringe. The hair needs to be cut every six weeks to stay in shape. It also can require a lot of styling.

The Peek-a-boo Smooth

The long wavy glamorous peek-a-boo hairstyle is back in fashion. The hair has a side parting with a deep fringe that falls over one eye. The movie actress Veronica Lake made the style the rage in the 1940s. Others like Katherine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall and Gene Tierney followed suit to make it the most popular style of the day.

The hair needs to be blown dry with a large round brush making the ends roll under. Rollers or a curling iron can also be used. Different hair types will require different products. Fine hair needs a body building shampoo a conditioner and a thickening mouse. Thick or coarse hair may need a smoothing serum applied after the hair has been washed. It is best not to weigh the hair down with too much product especially silicone smoothing products.

I believe hairdressing is an art. Great hair stylists are great designers.