Elegant, timeless and versatile White is like a Hollywood actress, Beautiful to look at and less  high maintenance than you first might think!

Decorating with white can seem daunting  and many believe that it is to hard to live with but nothing could be further from the truth. With the modern trends for strong colour, white offers the perfect alternative for those who like a softer colour palette in their home.

The secret to creating a successful interior with white is texture. Lots and lots of texture! From flocked wallpapers, to wooden floors, beautiful made to measure curtains, cushions and throws, these items will add warmth and interest to your calming space.

It is also important to remember there is more than one shade of white, you just have to lift a colour card to see the variety. In south facing rooms you can afford to use bright white but in north facing rooms it is best to use creamier white tones to add warmth. Mix and layer different shades of white in a space, on the walls, furniture and soft furnishings to add depth to the scheme.

Hints of metallic silver or gold  in wallpaper, guiding on mirrors or in fabrics will add a modern twist and give a nod to the contemporary trends for metallic finishes.

Period detailing is another way to add interest to a white scheme. Antique chandeliers,  roll top baths or ceiling cornicing will all grab attention and be set off beautifully by a white back drop.

Introducing key strategically placed pieces in striking colours like red, green or even black will help break up the white and add a focal point. Remember a colour will be intensified when placed against a white background, so one or two piece will have a big impact.

Pattern is essential in a white space. Keeping fabrics and wall covering all white means you can afford to go for large daring patterns like floral or geometric designs.  They will look a lot more subtle in white than in bright colour. These beautiful pattern details in wallpapers, bedding, cushions, carpet and curtains will create a feast for the eyes and stop the scheme becoming boring.

So this spring take your paint brush in hand and come over to a whiter side of life.

Ever wished you could live in a hotel or that your own boudoir could have all the elegance and glamour of a boutique hotel room. Well dream no longer in your decidedly average bedroom, getting that coveted designer hotel room look could be easier than you think!!!

First things first… the bed!! It is all about the bed. It is the centre focus of the room and should be more inviting than a ice-cream on a hot summers day. If you are buying a new bed always choose a model that is little higher from the ground than the average bed, this will give it more presence in the room. When choosing a mattress a pocket sprung mattress with a memory foam cover are the ultimate in sleeping luxury.

Even if your not purchasing a new bed the most important aspect of the hotel look is the upholstered head board. For get metal or wood frames, upholstered head boards in tactile, luxurious fabrics are the ultimate in hotel chic. The larger the better have them stretch up high on the wall as statement piece as you enter the room. When it comes to style of upholstered head board you will be spoiled for choice, with deep buttoned versions, shaped styles and pleated or rolled edges. The choice is huge.

Wallpaper is another important element in achieving hotel luxury. A feature wallpaper behind the bed in a striking pattern or colour, again makes a feature out of the bed. You could even wallpaper a whole room in a more subtle pattern, for extra warmth and glamour.

Finally a pair of voluptuous made to measure curtains hanging impressively on the window will add the final touch of grandeur. Make sure your curtains have plenty of fullness in them and opt for a hand pleated heading like pinch pleat with black out lining for the ultimate hotel opulence.

Are you a black and white kind of person? Prefer things clean cut and despise those pesky grey areas that make life that little bit more complicated? Well then I mite just have the perfect home interiors trend for you… Monochrome!! For get 40 shades of green or keeping up with this years must have colour scheme, opt for the stylish simple life of a timeless interior that will never date.

Just like the old Hollywood movies some things just look more elegant and stand the test of time in black and white. Easy to work with, unfussy and  ultra sophisticated you just can’t go wrong with Monochrome. There is however more to this ageless style of decorating than just two hues, Monochrome decorating can be versatile and give you more scope to be original than you ever might think.

Monochrome can be used to create a ultra modern sleek interiors, with clean lines, sharp definition and a masculine edge. This style looks particularly well in a kitchen with a high gloss black units, white walls and lots of shinny chrome fittings. A high end look that would impress any quests.

Monochrome however does not need to be masculine, it can work equally in a boudoir. This simple colour combination allows you to be more experimentative with soft feminine patterns. A floral wallpaper behind a bed with a textured head board and the bed piled high with lots of textured cushions and blankets in feminine satins, velvets and cottons. Makes for a room that is feminine without being overly girly.

Monochrome is also ideal scheme for creating a wonderful retro inspired interior. Just add geometric and retro influenced prints to your space in wallpaper, made to measure curtains curtains and cushions. Use low backed sofas and vintage shaped pieces to add extra interest, along side black and white photography on the walls. This look is ideal for sitting rooms and creates a space which has a cool modern feel that isn’t just a fad.

So take the grey areas out of your life and keep it simple with black and white.

We are living in a colourful era. From fashion to interior design, colour surrounds and encases our lives. All this wonderful colour can however seem a little bit like modern life, sometimes hectic and chaotic. If you prefer your world softer and more subtle, then the latest colour trend of 2012 is for you…Pastels!
  
Muted, understated and gentle on the eye, pastels are the perfect way to incorporate colour into your home in a subtle way that will create relaxing, soothing spaces to live, work and sleep in.  Pastel and sherbet tones are all part of a general shift towards 1950’s styling in the home. Think soft feminine colours, pretty traditional floras, polka-dots and stripes all shaken up with a little hint of kitsch and you will have the perfect look.
 
This new pastel trend has resulted in the major paint companies launching new ranges of pastel toned paints. With Whispers and Natural Hints ranges giving just a touch of soft pastel colour.

The most popular pastel tones for 2012 are set to be pale pinks, powder blues, soft lilacs and gentle greens. When decorating with pastels you can afford to be braver in your combination of colours as the tones are so light. You could, for example, combine pink and blue walls or pink and green in bedding and made to measure curtains. So don’t be afraid to be a little more daring.

This pastel colour trend is ideal for bedrooms, as it creates a very relaxing environment after your long day at work. For a quick update simply change bedding to a floral patterned pastel duvet set or introduce a pastel curtain fabric in a neutral coloured room.

However, be careful when using pastels and sherbet colours, as just like their sweet counter parts, they can become sickly in large amounts. Always balance them with neutrals such as white or cream; as well as adding strong accents to anchor the scheme.

So indulge your home in some soothing colour this spring/summer, and take a step back in time to a more relaxing era with pastels.

Toile de Jouy, a century old pattern originating from France. Nothing exciting or new there I hear you say? Oh contre my dears, this little French Fancy has been reinterpret, revamped and reproduced to give a touch of French elegance in a modern creative way to fashionable interiors in 2012.

One of the worlds most recognised and used interiors patterns. A complex design, usually depicting a pastoral theme for example depicting a couple having a picnic by a lake, printed on a plain cream/white background in a single colour usually red or blue. This famous traditional pattern as we know it has been restyled for interiors 2012, the pattern scale has been increased, it is being printed on coloured back grounds instead of just white and the range of colours has been brought bang up to date, with vibrant fuchsia pinks, lime green and sophisticated greys.

Using these new modern Toile de jouy patterns in your home gives a contemporary twist on a classic timeless look, the contrast between the old design and the modern colours creates an unusual and interesting paradox, that has a real elegant French influence with a modern edge.

The great thing about Toile de jouy is it can be introduced anywhere in your home from the  entrance hall, to kitchens or even a bedroom. It can be brought in on sumptuous made to measure curtains, Roman blinds, feature wallpaper, cushions, chair upholstery or bedding. You can go completely toile or introduce subtle accents of the pattern to a existing interior

Some of the fabric and wallpaper companies have launched fantastic ranges of co-ordinating toile fabric and wallpaper allowing you to create a polished cohesive finish easily.

So get ready to reignite a romance that has spanned over century’s, as we fall in love with Toile de jouy all over again.

Like two peas in a pod, floral and stripe have become the new bonnie and Clyde of the  interiors world. Inseparable, inescapable and incredible, the combined force of this pair is evident everywhere this Autumn/winter.

From broad stripes and bold floral to thin pinstripes and dainty rose buds, whatever the scale or the size, floral and stripes are being combined everywhere from the kitchen to the bedroom. The masculine, clean modern lines of the stripe, combine and balance the feminine influences of the floral, while the floral softens the straight lines of the linear stripe. They are the perfect complement for each other, balancing and enhancing one another.

There are loads of ways to combine your floral and stripes in your home. One of the most popular is in your window treatments. With all the major fabric houses designing fabric stories that include mix/match able floral and stripe designs, making it easy to create your own bespoke design. It is hugely popular to put the stripe design in roman blinds on the smaller windows  and the floral design on the larger window in the room in made to measure curtains and then combining the patterns in cushions. You could even experiment with putting bands of stripe to the top of your curtains or do double sided cushions with flower on one side and stripe on the other.

Wallpaper is another great way to mix these designs. A stripe curtain is the perfect complement for a striking feature floral wallpaper, with more life and interest than plain curtains. You could even wallpaper one wall in a stripe paper and one in a floral paper for added interest.

Sofas are another great way to mix and match flowers and stripes, with patterned sofas becoming very fashionable at the moment. A stripe chair is the finishing touch to a floral sofas, it will not only be a feature in it’s own right but it will tone down the strength of the floral pattern,

So get ready to have your home redecorated with the greatest coupling of the year, floral and stripe.

While we might have a while yet to wait to our summer holidays in exotic foreign lands, that is if we are lucky enough to get a break away at all, we do not however have to wait a moment longer to bring some exotic style and colour into our homes, as interiors take a Mysterious carpet ride into Moroccan decorating with a modern twist.

Think of all of the beautiful colours of a spice market, luxurious bellowing silks, ornate fret work and relaxing on a day bed and you will have a glimpse of the seductive charm of this vibrant and unusual style of decor. We have all gone on holidays to far away lands and wished we could bring some  of that charm home, well now is your chance.

This new modern Moroccan style of decor is not about trying to turn your home into a Bedouin tent or a Moroccan palace, it is about introducing hints of the mysterious and exotic into our existing interiors in a way that will enhance our homes and give us an individual interior, filled with personality, while allowing us to show off our new found treasures. 

Colour is hugely important in Moroccan decorating, vibrant pinks, oranges and yellows. Warm hues are all combined together with confidence. So add blocks of striking colour to an interior for an instant injection of personality. Long loose luxurious silk               made to measure curtains or lots of cushions in stripes or northern African patterns. Moroccan culture uses a lot of low level seating for lounging upon, so use lots of bean bags and cushions for added relaxed seating in a space.

Fret or lattice work on screens or room divides is very Moroccan, so for an added hint of  foreign mystery, you could introduce a elements of this in your interior on head boards, room dividers or shutters.

Gold and silver are another huge part of this culture so silver gilded furniture with foreign patterns, silver lanterns or chunky wood furniture with gold locks and detailing will all add to the feel of this style.

Soft, feminine and luxurious, prepare to have your interiors laid bare as we become swept away in the romance of new nudes. From ballet pump pink to lustrous pearly pinks, the nudes of 2012 have a girly, 40’s exquisite glamour.

We all love a little romance in our lives and a hint of vintage glamour in our interiors. These soft understated blush pinks and skin tones have been big news in the fashion world for a while and it is now the turn of our interiors to get a prima ballerina make over. The gentle shades have an elegant, romantic feel, with a hint of 1940’s Hollywood charm, which is just irresistible. This beautiful colour combination of blush or pearl pinks, combined with soft gentle dove greys, caramels, creams and taupe’s, is easy to live with and ideal for a fresh bright make over.

These new colours are ideal for a boudoir revamp or can be used for a soft new look in a dining room or a glamorous sitting room. Some might consider this blend of colours not masculine enough for the men in the living spaces of the house but if you keep the blush pinks to small accents and add manly touches with rich Carmel and coffee tones, it can be a sophisticated calming palette that all the family can enjoy.

When it comes to furniture with this look add extra shape and luxury by using curvaceous furniture, for example dressing tables with shapely legs, La bombe chests or curved back sofas. Avoid straight lines which will seem too severe and modern.

Use lots and lots of fabrics and texture. The softness of velvets and shine of luxurious silks will all add to the glamour and romance of this style, Choose upholstered head boards instead of wood or iron alternatives, use deep buttoned sofas, lots of inviting cushions and sumptuous floor length made to measure curtains, all of which will enhance the scheme.

When it comes to pattern keep things simple, use one accent pattern on the wallpaper or the curtains and then keep everything else plain and understated, with lots of layers of different shades of creams, taupe’s and pink building upon each other. This style is suppose to be relaxing and unfussy, so let the rich colours and beautiful fabrics do the talking, instead of the pattern.

So take a trip back to a more  feminine glamour’s era and try going nude this year in a blushing bashful pink.

The contemporary kitchen has become a futuristic vision of space age technology, sleek design and shiny surfaces.  The only problem with these Mecca’s of  practicality, is that they lack warmth, character and charm. There clinical edge is leaving a taint on the family kitchen and this winter designers are showing that fashionable does not need to mean soulless!

Character, quirky detailing, natural materials and  vintage finishes are being added along side the sleek and contemporary to create contrast and interest. This will allow us to create kitchens with personality and  style, that reflect our individuality.

One of the best ways to add character to your kitchen is by breaking up your walls of identical units, by adding in a piece of feature furniture like a larder, dresser or cabinet. If you have a wooden kitchen you could even paint some your cabinets a different colour for example if you have a cream kitchen, you could have the island units painted in a duck egg blue or a modern aubergine for a new look.

Open shelving is another great way to add a twist to a kitchen. Having bespoke shelves added from ceiling to floor will give you loads of storage for displaying treasured items but you can also have it made to accommodate items like the coffee maker, toaster or microwave, freeing up counter space.

Wallpaper has been a huge trend over the last year and adding a feature paper to you kitchen can be a great way to add personality, colour and pattern to a bland kitchen. You could even wallpaper around the splash back area, under the cabinets and then have clear glass panelling fitted over it, for a truly unique detail.

Even kitchen chairs can add a little charm by upholstering chairs in different colours from each other or patterns for a dramatic impact. Adding a quirky Roman blind or made to measure curtains in a unusual pattern and colour is another great way to add character to a plain or dull kitchen.

Mix your materials and finishes for added interest. Put a sleek lacquered kitchen beside a distressed old farm house wooden table or a classic shaker style kitchen along with a futuristic chrome double fridge. This mix of the old and the new will add more character for a stylish look.

Be creative and throw out your rule book, to reinvent your kitchen this winter into the warm hub of the home rather than a left over from star trek. We at The Fabric centre love interiors and as always we bring to you the latest in style and design at outstanding value. With our curtains, blinds, upholstery and wallpaper. Our expert interior design staff are always available to offer you whatever advice and assistance you may need. (The Fabric centre, Port Road, Letterkenny, Tel074 9167858)