Happy 2012

Stationery card

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Color Block

Lola Chair by Shine Home

I get the question a lot: "What are the current color trends?" Now, usually this is a precursor to, "What color should I paint my walls?" In which case I usually go into my speech about using what you love and what makes you feel good instead of trying to follow a "trend". Number one, I'm not one to "follow", I do, of course, like to play the Black Sheep and break the rules and number two, if you are unsure about a color, why spend a great deal of time, $$ and effort painting a room bright purple only to decide you want to change in six months. But using color trends as accents, this I do applaude. A splash of color can create a focal point, make a boring neutral piece bright and lively, and can bring life where none existed previously.  With all this said, after seeing what was shown in April's International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, NC, I can tell you two colors stand out: Turquoise and Pink - and I mean these colors in their boldest most beautiful shades!

Blue Glass Bulb Vases from Global Views

And with the trend crossover between the fashion industry and the furniture industry, legendary Palm Beach fashion label Lilly Pulitzer has joined the pack with a new range of home furnishings including a furniture line for Hotel Maison, fabrics by Lee Jofa, as well as accessories and a bedding line. Bright colors make a splash per the traditional look of the line.

Lilly Pulitzer fabrics for Lee Jofa

Bright patterns, bold stripes and fresh summer colors are the norm at Lilly Pulitzer and the fabrics and furnishings are no exception. I've been a Lilly fan for years and I love the tropical, seaside patterns. Trivia: did you know 'Lilly' is incorporated into every pattern somewhere - look for it, its there! And I love the furnishings line. Pretty lines, not too trendy, very transitional. Could be used in a variety of settings. So get ready for summer and grab some color, throw it on a pillow on the sofa, an accessory on the coffee table or cover a quirky chair in a fun print!

Lilly Pulitzer furnishings by Hotel Maison

Upcoming Events

Candice Kelber Interior Design will be participating in a tabletop design event presented by the South Florida chapter of ASID and Miromar Design Center. It will be held in the main atrium of the MDC in Estero, Florida on Thursday, April 14th with a champagne preview of the tabletops on Wednesday April 13th. Tickets are only $45 and there will be beautiful themed tabletop settings to bid on, as well as a variety of vendor tables set up to purchase a variety of boutique items. Proceeds benefit the ASID education programs. Should be a fun event, hope you can join us!

Bed Fit for a Queen

I've blogged about beautiful beds several times recently and this just came across my desk, had to add it to the collection. This is yet another piece of beautiful decoration done Disney-style. It is the new Fairytale suite at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. I've also blogged about Disney design before as well as they are the leader in "setting a scene" and creating an environment to make guests feel as though they've traveled to another time and place. And the bed in this room does the trick and is to die for! Gorgeous and luxurious, exactly the way one should feel when they lay down for the perfect night's sleep. I'm a huge fan of the canopy beds of old and love the upholstery and drapes shown here. I also love the coloration of the fabrics and wallcoverings, soothing, inviting and peaceful. And notice how they have thrown in the dark wood on the bedframe to contrast all of the light color = perfect balance. This is definitely a bed fit for a queen!

Greeting Guests for the Holidays

It's November 1st, Halloween has come and gone, and many of us are looking forward to the upcoming holidays and the fun, frivolity and family this time of year brings. A time to put the worries and stress of everyday living aside and spend time with the one's we love. And this often means holiday guests.
Preparing for out-of-town company can sometimes cause undue stress but it isn't necessary. With a little planning (and this overnight guest checklist), your guest rooms and guests will be perfectly comfy (and may never want to leave) and you can be perpetually prepped to receive just about anyone.

Interior by Mary McDonald photo from veranda.com

First of all, think of the things you look for when you, yourself, are an overnight visitor.  Clean linens, clean towels, and possibly some overnight items you may have forgotten are some things that immediately come to mind. Personally I also like to have reading material, bottled water, and an extra blanket in case of frigid temps. I think the interior shown above by one of my favorite sources for inspirations, designer Mary McDonald, is ideal with a bed so inviting you want to crawl right in.

Here's a thorough checklist to go by:

• clean/fresh bedding - nothing is cozier than a bed made up of fresh sheets, fluffy pillows and comfy bed coverings. A nice fluffy duvet cover is a great way to top off a bed for added comfort.
• clean/fresh bath towels - there is nothing better than thick, fresh bath towels. A good rule of thumb is to reserve a few sets of towels to use exclusively when guests come, this way you always have a like-new set of towels for your visitors.
• powder room linens - the powder room is a room every visitor to your home is likely to use and though possibly the smallest room in the house, use the greatest detail for that all important Wow Factor. Linen hand towels is a good way to achieve this and today you can find beautifully embroidered towels to compliment the decor in your powder room. **as a side note for decorating powder rooms, I like to use beautiful and often elaborate wallcoverings, an interesting piece of furniture to house the sink and an elegant decorative mirror to top it off for a truly exquisite impression in the smallest amount of time and space.**
• scents - intriguing all five senses is important any time you are trying to make an impression and scents are all important in accomplishing this task. Set out candles or other fragrant items in the guest room and complimentary scents in the guest bath but be aware of your guests sensitivity to these. Avoid overpowering scents by using light fragrances.
• extras - make it easy for guests to help themselves and find things easily without having to bother you. Place extra items like pillows, blankets and additional towels in an easy to access closet or even in the top shelf of the guest closet.
• added comfort - other things that make your guests stay more comfortable could be a shelf or basket of books or magazines placed in their room, travel toiletries in the bathroom (which comes in handy if they've forgotten something) and refreshments like small bottles of water placed on the nightstand for late night thirst.

To add a little EXTRA super-elegance to your guest room, check out this article by one of my favorite stylista's, Carolyne Roehm, she is the epitome of all things tasteful, she even leaves sterling silver pens in her guest rooms! All of these items will insure your guests are at their utmost comfort and you will be hostess of the year!

Holiday House

     It's that time of year again, time to pull out the countless bins loaded with every holiday decoration imaginable. And at our house we love to decorate for just about any reason, but none is more fun than Halloween. What other time of year is it acceptable to have cobwebs dangling from your light fixtures, bugs crawling on your tables and scary creatures living in the middle of your living room?

Holiday decorating has become a big business and we contribute willingly to the cause - much to my husband's chagrin. Most of our holiday decorations are a conglomeration of pieces we've collected over the years. And I like to use day to day vignettes in and around the house and mix in a spooky touch here and there to create our own version of a "haunted house". Pumpkins on the patio, spiders in the silk flowers and this year we have our own lifesize Warrior Queen Boudica who lost her head in a bloody battle!

Here's wishing you Happy Haunts and Tricks with better Treats!

My Favorite Rooms

Through out the years I have been working in Interior Design, there are always rooms I have created that are lasting favorites of mine. I thought I would do a weekly post of those rooms - one by one. This first one was a home in Fiddler's Creek located in Naples, Florida. Originally created as a model home, I also worked with the lovely couple who purchased the home just a short while later. This was a great home to work on, spacious and open with beautiful pool and golf course views. My favorite room in this particular house was the master bedroom. To this day I still think the furniture, fabrics and furnishings I used here are some of my all time favorite items. Also, I work with an impeccable workroom. She is a jewel and I am happy to be one of only a handful of designers/clients she works with. Her details and quality are without competition. It goes to show a designer is only as good as the support team they have working for them!