This time last year, I was working on a true labor of love; designing and styling the wedding for my son, Laird and his new bride Katherine’s. The two wed in Columbia, South Carolina at West Ashland Methodist Church and celebrated their nuptials at the historic building, 701 Whaley.
Rehearsal Dinner: Capital City Club
Photography: Sara Parker Photography
Inheriting furniture from family members can be tricky at times. You are often challenged with something that has significant sentimental value, but may not necessarily work with your current design. In my opinion, that is what makes a home unique to the individual.
This East Lake chair was my grandmother’s, and ever since I can remember it has been covered with this red velvet fabric. It was handed down to my mother, and then to me and I’ve always loved the intricate detail of the woodwork. As I have been re-decorating my own home, I realized the red velvet fabric of the chair was not going to fit as well as it had – I was looking for something a bit more “fresh.” Since I have been just CRAZY about hides lately, I had the chair re-upholstered in a funky off-white hide with metallic gold “burn out” spots. I absolutely love the combination of the traditional parlor chair with the modern fabric!
Last month, Pantone announced Tangerine Tango as the color of the year for 2012. Since 2000, the Pantone Color of the Year has influenced everything from graphic design and packaging to fashion and beauty collections. The reddish orange hue is described as “sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it.”
For the past several years, orange has been making a comeback, in a bigger, brighter way. I have selected some of my favorites…there will certainly be more to come. Happy New Year!
Visit the Pantone website to see all of the past Color of the Year selections.
If you ask my son his favorite childhood memories of Christmas-time, many that he will recall involve the decorations that I used and the traditions we established through our annual holiday decor. I always put up a white christmas tree just for him, decorated differently every year (but always including the ornaments he made himself!)
To me, the best part of decorating for the holidays is creating a new theme or color pattern for my holiday designs, wrapping and decor. Of course, every family has those few traditions that you’ll put up year after year, but have fun with your holidays by getting inspired by the season as well as your own personal style.
Over the years, I’ve created holiday tablescapes, decorated trees and wreaths and mantles, in an effort to show my friends and community the joy and creativity that can be found in holiday decorating. I’ve wrapped orange and pink gift boxes, mixed them with bright flowers and greenery from my own back yard, added pops of turquoise to accent red poinsettias and created strings of ornaments to hang on my tree. I love grouping odd-shaped ornaments together, they help fill up the tree and saves you time hanging ornaments, too!
I perhaps find the most fun in selecting a “look” for my gift wrapping. I’ve done everything from purple with green and golds, to traditional green wrapping paper with the simple message, “Merry Christmas from Jolene.” It doesn’t get any easier than that! Take a look at some of my choices this year and in previous years.
Most importantly, have fun with your holiday decorating. There’s no reason to decorate if it stresses you out or isn’t fun, so make sure that it is by keeping it fresh every year and taking advantage of the things that you already have around. And, after all, if you don’t get the bow on the wreath, who really cares?!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
While shades of turquoise dominated this year’s furniture market in High Point, NC (as noted in last month’s Color Pop post), emerald had a prominent presence as well.
Emerald has a deep richness that works with almost any color palette, and is guaranteed to make a statement. Depending on whether you want the pop of contrast by pairing it with whites or creams, or a blending of similar colors; aquas, turquoise, minty greens, the gem of emerald shines all on its own.
I like using it both ways; Emerald walls, accessorizing with black and white gives a more bold, sophisticated look. Grouping similar colors, gives a more monochromatic look in which case, a pop of yellow helps lift the room and keeps the colors from fading into one another.
Photos courtesy of:
1. Pinterest
2. Rue Magazine
3. Charm Home Design
4. Lonny Magazine
Glass Art in any form amazes me. While vacationing in Bermuda a couple of years ago, I discovered Dockyard Glassworks, a glass art studio situated on the western end of the islands. For more than ten years, artists at Dockyard Glassworks have been blowing, molding and shaping glass into gorgeous pieces. The space is broken up into two parts; the studio and the gallery. The Studio is where I spent most of my time, watching artists transform glass blobs into beautifully crafted pieces. The Gallery showcased the finished products, as well as other handmade glassware from all across the island.
I decided to commission the artist to create eight salad plates. My only constraint was that each plate had to be different. A pile of crushed colored glass was effortlessly spun into the most incredibly unique plates that are both decorative and functional.
Side note: Did you know there is a difference between Art Glass V. Glass Art? The term “Art Glass” is a much more general term, encompassing both decorative art pieces displayed in your home, as well plates, and glassware you use daily. “Glass Art” usually refers to a large scale, one-of-a-kind modern piece made mostly or completely out of glass.
Turquoise has not lost momentum as a favorite among interior design professionals, and the color still reigned supreme at this fall’s Furniture Market in High Point, NC. Here are some of my latest turquoise favorites that keep me convinced the blue hue hasn’t lost its spark.
The turquoise gemstone is the namesake for the blue/green hue that has been a favorite among design professionals throughout the past several years. It is the blend of the blues and the greens that create this striking, yet tranquil color that is uniquely versatile. We are excited to show you our favorite things about turquoise!
Once you’re an addict, there is no turning back. Get ready for November’s flavor of the month!
Each month, I’ll be selecting a different color to feature on the JSI blog. The blog header will change to reflect the new color, and we’ll be highlighting looks and design decor that are not just fabulous, but that also well utilize our featured “Color Pop”. I welcome your suggestions or challenging color choices! Leave your comments here and we’ll consider them. You can always email me at jolene@jolenesmithinteriors.com.
During the month of October, the color pink abounds, and so it is only fitting that it be this month’s Color Pop. With plenty of events surrounding breast cancer awareness going on throughout the month, it is easy to find a way to give back, while having a little bit of fun, too.
I had the pleasure of attending last week’s The Pink Party at Eco Deco in Mount Pleasant. The event was chock-full of pink party-goers who were excited to buy raffle tickets, nosh hors d’oeuvres, sip pink bubbly and, most importantly, support Hollings Cancer Center’s breast cancer program. There were plenty of design industry experts on hand to talk about the many ways that you can ‘green’ your home and avoid harmful carcinogens that are often found in household products.
Eco Deco was a particularly fitting venue for the event, as their paints are derived with low-to-no VOCs, or volatile organic compounds. Without sacrificing quality, these paints provide a healthy alternative to traditional paints on the market. As a designer, I am constantly looking after my clients’ best interests when it comes to their homes. I was equally impressed by the quality of the European style paint, whose parent company, RECA, has been a predominant force in the European paint industry for more than two decades.
Hollings Cancer Center breast care coordinators spoke to the crowd about the many tangible ways that the funds raised would be put to good use. Everything from post-operative transportation to mastectomy massage tables, it makes you feel good to know that this kind of treatment is available in our area, should we ever find ourselves in need. I was happy to support this cause, and didn’t mind an excuse to wear pink tights, either!
What do you do with a nine -(going on 18) year-old who is passionate about her two favorite colors: shocking pink and green? You treat them as you would any other client, of course! I worked directly with Alice to identify her needs for the space and listened to what she did and didn’t like about her current bedroom. The bedroom is in a 1970′s ranch located on Pine Island in Bluffton, SC and serves as the family’s second home. I personally love ranches as they make for easy living.
BEFORE:
Alice typically brings a gaggle of girls with her on her visits to Pine Island, making it imperative to have ample space for sleeping and lounging between activities. The full size bed (shown above) has been in the family since her mom was a child so it was a “keeper,” however, it did not provide the sleeping space necessary for this nine-year-old and her friends. The solution: one custom, half-round mattress made to fit snuggly against the seven-foot-long window seat. The girls now had a place to curl up and read, chat and sleep. Flower pendant lamps were a funky, fun and functional addition. A “chat” group was added to the center of the room, which included four chairs and LOTS of pillows! We covered the bright green walls with pink raffia wallpaper that allows for tacking up photos, making for a room-size cork board.
AFTER:
Every inch of the space was transformed with Alice in mind. And the payoff – a late night phone call from a little girl, talking with so much excitment that I could not understand a thing she said!
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