While at the furniture market I was able to learn more about one of the best things that has happened with toilets – regardless of what style may suit your interior décor. It’s Geberit, a concealed mounting frame for wall-hung toilets as well as sinks. Its best feature is that you do not see it, but it can have a real impact in any type of bathroom or powder room. Read the full story

A foyer can be an introduction to design elements in the rest of your house.

Foyers, which serve as an entrance to your house, should reflect elements of what to expect inside style and color-wise. In this case, the above picture is of a modern lakefront house foyer; the house replaced a former smaller lake cottage. The new house has some curved walls, large open adjacent spaces and a lot of glass. Built over 10 years ago, it still is unique and modern architecturally. The owners, a husband and wife who wanted the interiors to be modern, had elements of their previous marriages that they wanted to include in the house. These items included traditional furnishings as well as antiques. Read the full story

Here are a half-dozen current home design trends to consider as you build or renovate your home, from the kitchen to lighting to ceilings.

The kitchen still remains the heart of the home as well as the room most people consider important in a home. If you are designing a new kitchen you should try to include mega-islands for prepping meals, cooking as well as socializing with guests. Read the full story

Some designs use hand-cut limestone for mantles, fireplace surrounds and stove hoods.

Recently I attended the opening of the trade showroom Francois & Co. in Charlotte. They carry distinctive fireplace mantles and surrounds, stovetop hoods and countertops. What impressed me the most were the fireplace mantles and surrounds in both styles and materials that they were made from. While the majority of fireplaces in today’s homes are plain, rather generic fireplace surrounds either painted white or stained a brown color, these were not. Keep in mind, choosing a design style and material for these surfaces is just as important when planning the overall look for your home’s architectural elements as is selecting the right colors and fabrics to use in them. Read the full story

Accessories can add interest to a space, such as this lobby in a residential high rise.

Successful design within a space involves many elements: scale, proportion, balance, color an the most important, functionality. Functionality means how we use the space and which pieces of furniture provide this for us. Without functional pieces of furniture, the area merely becomes a space we briefly pass through. While having furniture that allows us to be in the space is the most important consideration, we have to consider the visual effect the space gives us. Visual translates how we feel about the space and how much time we will spend in it. Read the full story

Color trends for 2013

Every year brings us new trends in colors and materials. Even more than past years, this year’s trends reflect multiple global influences. While each paint company has its own color story, I will talk about Porter Paints’ new colors and trend forecast. Read the full story