One of my long-time clients just moved into an amazing home with a master suite some would die for.   However, the Venetian plaster walls with their mirror-like finish cast a plum glow with their existing gold and chocolate bedding.  The room was amazing, but the client wanted the walls to look like chocolate gnoche instead of plum pudding.

Color temperature is key when selecting brown.  There are red browns and blue browns.  When selecting fabrics, rugs and paints, you must consider whether the brown you are working with is a cooler or warmer tone.  In this room, we wanted to use the stunning plaster finish, so I selected a brown that was cooler to complement the tone of the wall.  Since the clients’ existing bedding was a red brown, it exaggerated the blue tone in the wall.  By selecting a warm gray and raisin chenille damask, we were able to make the brown wall look, well, brown.

Since the walls were such a focal point, I used only the large-scale damask on pillows.  All the other fabrics were about soft color and texture.  This allowed the subtle nature of the finish to shine like a star.  I designed swag valances on bronze painted rods to mimic the iron arches of the canopy bed.  The movement of the swag also kept the eye moving around the room and enhanced the architectural features of the room.  To repeat the shimmer of the wall treatment I selected a metallic embossed damask pattern on the sheer.  The subtle pattern and reflectivity look amazing in candlelight and fire-glow, creating a perfect couples retreat.

If you have a room where the color isn’t just quite right, consider the temperature of the colors you’ve placed together.  Getting colors you select to be the same temperature is one ingredient in the recipe for a perfect room.

Some of my clients so graciously agreed to star in a short video talking about their experiences with Eric Ross Interiors over the years. We hope you enjoy this.

Eric Ross Interiors was recently featured in an Associated Press lifestyle article titled “Carpet Makes Bright Comeback with Bold Colors and Textures”.  You can view the article in The Tennessean here.

Here is the full text of the article by Melissa Kossler Dutton:

After years of being ripped out and kicked to the curb, carpet is making a comeback. And not just the neutral-toned carpets of recent years, but ones that are boldly colored or patterned. The softer, cozier feel of wall-to-wall carpet is appealing to homeowners used to treading on tile and wood, said Emily Morrow, director of color, style and design for Shaw Floors, a company in Dalton, Ga., that specializes in carpet, laminate, tile and hard wood flooring. “They’ve experienced those hard surfaces, and they want to surround themselves with the comfort” of carpet, she said. While hardwood or tile can be great for entryways or other high traffic areas, some rooms — bedrooms, play rooms, studies and family rooms — cry out for carpeting, said Eric Ross, an interior designer in Franklin, Tenn. “Carpet is really trending up,” he said. “You’re going to see more and more of it.” Manufacturers have responded by creating carpets with rich colors, patterns and textures designed to be a focal point, rather than just a neutral backdrop. The new choices are available at a variety of price points. “It has gotten exciting again” after years of playing it safe, Morrow said.

A matter of personality

Clients are using carpet to make a statement, agreed Linda Merrill, an interior designer in Duxbury, Mass. “If carpet is the right choice for a specific space, they feel freer to pick something a little more exciting,” she said. “There are a lot of different colors and different options.” More vibrant carpets often create a more customized feel, Merrill said. With the slumping real estate market, homeowners are indulging their personal tastes and worrying less about how their choices will affect the resale value of their home, she said. Some of the over-the-top ideas from television shows also have freed people to experiment more with decorating, she said. And the pervasiveness of patterns and bright colors in house wares and home furnishings in recent years has made people more open to color. “We see so much pattern in so many things,” she says. “We’re just bombarded with it.”

Brighten things up

The bold choices signal a shift away from the neutral palette that dominated earlier in the decade, says Annie Elliott, an interior designer in Washington, D.C. “In the past several years, we’ve been moving away from subtle muddy tones to brighter colors and bright patterns,” Elliott said. She has found that homeowners sometimes make bold flooring choices because they are less confident decorating their walls. “People don’t trust themselves” to buy art, she said. “People are realizing an easier way is using a patterned carpet to enliven a space without putting pressure on the walls.” Those who are hesitant to choose a patterned carpet often create an impact with a textured one, said Jennifer Bardsley, an interior designer in Hingham, Mass. Those carpets, created by using yarns of different lengths or densities, can spice up a space and add more interest to a room. Carpets in general make rooms feel warmer, and reduce noise, the designer said. “It makes it feel comfortable and cozy and inviting,” Bardsley said.

Decks are not my favorite.  Many times, they look like an afterthought simply stuck on the back of a house.  So when a friend and client asked me to help her design a new deck, I wasn’t thrilled, but took the challenge to make the deck appear like a natural style progression from the main house.

When designing one’s outside, you must take cues form the architecture of the home.  This client’s home was a colonial red brick structure, so I decided to create a colonial look, which called for a more formal feel.  So the materials we selected were red brick and painted cedar.  With a colonial home, it was essential to paint the wood so it looked more formal and maintained than a stained wood.

In order to achieve a more pleasing and proportioned look I designed the deck on piers constructed partly of brick with limestone caps and painted cedar posts.  We matched the brick on the piers as closely to the house as we could find.  Instead of attaching screening to hide the underside of the deck, I left it opened and planted hedges of boxwood filled with hydrangeas.  By breaking up the mass of a traditional deck structure and softening with shrubs, I gave the deck a lightness that helps it integrate into the garden.

Another trick I used to create this outdoor room was to add a pergola.  This open roof gives a transition point from the tall back wall of the house to the deck, creating a more pleasing effect.  It also gave me the opportunity to hang a gorgeous lantern.  This was the perfect spot for a painted cypress dining table and outdoor chairs.

The lower level of the deck was designed for lounging.  I was able to accommodate two casual areas with outdoor furniture and fabrics that look as if we moved them from the inside.  Even with outdoor fabrics you can use contrasting fabrics and trims to make them feel more custom and “indoor.”

The end result was so beautiful and natural it looks as if the deck has always been there.  Even better, it doesn’t look like a deck, but an outdoor room.

Pink is my favorite color. I know it’s not everyone’s first choice, but I like the carefree spirit it creates.

A pink room says, “Don’t take me so seriously. I know how to have fun.” So, for close, personal friends who wanted me to design their new master bedroom suite I thought it would be the perfect color to match their personalities. Of course, I asked them if they liked pink and both husband and wife said, “yes!”

So, how do we fashion a dramatic yet restful environment for two busy doctors and parents using such a playful color? I started with a deep shade of raspberry. This tone has a more blue base tone, so it’s more relaxing than a yellow or orangey shade of pink. In order to keep it less “girly,” I chose to ground the bright color with a chocolate brown and brown sugar, and included tailored details like goblet pleats with covered buttons on the window treatments. These subtle notes made the room feel more mature and sophisticated. Leaving the walls the existing shade of beige meant more in the budget for later splurges.

It’s so important when designing master suites to carry a connecting thread into the bathroom. So I selected a metallic cherry blossom wallcovering with the softest touches of pink. I repeated a chocolate and raspberry lattice pattern from the bed ensemble at the window of the tub to create continuity. By using sepia toned art, we kept the perfect balance between pink and chocolate.

Knowing this client so well, I knew she would love a designer closet. So I selected a graphic lattice patterned wallcovering in pink and white and styled a fussy window treatment resplendent with 3 rows of rhinestones…resembling a diamond bracelet. We capped the room with a petite empire style chandelier—in pearls! This closet is her new haven when winding down after a busy day and when getting ready to face the world in her designer shoes.

So, who says pink is just for girls. By not allowing old clichés to stand in the way, this power couple freed me to create a bold and dynamic space both he and she can enjoy.

Bold bright colors, unique art and creative accessories blend fun with function in these children’s rooms.

The client wanted one room for her five and three year-old little girls to share, and one room for the five year-old, just in case the shared sleeping quarters didn’t work out the way she planned.  This second space also needed to serve as a guest room when grandparents visited.

We chose hot pink and orange for the three year-old, because both girls would love its energy and excitement. However, for the five year-old’s room, I wanted a color scheme an adult could handle when staying as a guest. So, we chose turquoise and chartreuse.

Since sleeping and dressing was the priority in the small, shared bedroom, the mother wanted bunk beds for sleeping. Although they can be difficult to make each morning, children love them, and it allows for a very strong visual effect. I found a bundle of graphic pillows and created a dramatic display. Of course, painting the beds hot pink also made them show-stoppers.

The five year-old bedroom / guest room became another wonderland. I found a great Suzani print matelasse that we used on the client’s existing bed and added some bold floral pillows. I repeated the Moorish pattern on a custom dust skirt and window treatment to match the new chair. The chair can be used for reading with a parent or for a guest to put on shoes or drop an overnight bag.

Hot pink and orange, turquoise and chartreuse — these could be considered daring choices for some. But the combination of bold color choices, specialty bedding, art and accessories, created havens for both children and adults to enjoy.

This modern lake house addition creates a beautiful and intimate destination ready to easily accommodate large groups all year long.

“Eric was able to listen to our wishes for our family lake house project and give us the beautiful, calming and functional space we wanted. His keen eye for color is a gift he brought to our project as well as his talent and integrity. Eric gave us a sophisticated and inspiring interior that we can enjoy with family and friends for years to come.”

This project was an addition and renovation of an existing lake house for a large family.  The clients wanted the interior to be a modern departure from their traditional primary residence.  The clients have a large extended family that enjoys this lake house throughout all four seasons.

Working with an architect, they designed the vast addition to comfortably accommodate the large number of guests.  This created a huge space that is visually stunning, but made it difficult to create intimacy necessary for family gatherings.

By mixing the finishes of paint, wood and stone, the visual texture helped bring the room down and create a cozy environment.  The kitchen cabinets are in three distinct colors - blonde maple, glass green, and dark olive.  We incorporated two dramatic exotic stones for the counters and used contemporary glass tiles for the backsplash.

The lake house has become a destination location for family and friends.  Not only is it playful and beautiful, but it is also comfortable and relaxing – the primary goal at a lake house.

While the crux of my business is whole room design, at the core of this is Window Treatment design and fabrication.  My clients ask me on almost every project, “Do I really need window treatments?”  And my answer is always, “YES!”

I compare the importance of window treatments in completing a room to the landscaping on your house.  Without landscaping, a house looks fine.  But when you put in foundation plantings, grass and ornamental trees, it really showcases the house.  This is the same effect window treatments have on a room.  Without them, the room is fine.  But with window treatments, the room comes to life.

Look at most shelter magazines and the rooms showcased almost always have window treatments.  So, in order to get a truly designer room, one must incorporate window treatments.  In my experience, people don’t have them, because they can be intimidating.  Hiring a design professional to choose which type of window treatment is right for you will demystify window treatments.  Once you see the transformation they can make on one room, you’ll be quick to order more.

When picking paint colors, be sure to select a color at least one shade lighter than the finished color you want.  Color tends to darken as you paint it on all four walls.  Using this technique will go a long way in giving you the results you want.

When I tell clients that Americana is emerging as a HOT new trend I always here, “Oh no, not geese and ducks again!”  Instead of American Country, which was so popular in the 80’s, it is called Americana.  Americana design focuses on primitive woodwork, simple forms and reclaimed woods.  It is an obvious swing from European, Old-World opulence to more natural elements.

As far as new colors we see with this trend, there is the classic: red, white and blue.  Believe it or not we are seeing navy, which is now called ink blue.  It tends to lean toward charcoal, but it’s definitely navy.  They are using the Union Jack (a relic from the American Revolution) and the stars and stripes as a motif on pillows and artwork, as well as calligraphic writings.  Just another example that everything old is new again.