Sun Inspired Interiors

Interior design can center around a season, motif or overall feeling.  The sun is one of those symbols that can be used to inspire a room design or seasonal decor.  How can you let the sun shine through your designs?

One way is to accent the shape of the sun in a fabric or wall covering design.  The cornice fabric design above uses Finestra swirl buttons and starburst buttons to accent the motif.  These accents are also great on pillows, drapery headers and headboards.  This draws the eye to the pattern and accentiates it within a room.

Furnishings such as mirrors in the shape of the sun is a more literal way to use the theme within a space.

Using natural sunlight in your design is a less literal way of including the sun motif.  Sunlight creates bright, crisp and clean lines in a room.  Painting a room white is another technique to bounce the light around the room.  Adding skylights to a room or using sheers for the window coverings also enable the flow of light.

The sun can shine all year around in an interior space by choosing the best combination of colors, accents and natural light!

Burlap and Boas

Burlap used on table linens, ottomans, draperies, chairs, and pillows.

Texture and natural fabrics are an important part of today's interior design.  Juxtaposing coarse or deeply textured objects and fabrics with soft, delicate and luxurious ones creates depth and tactile interest within a room.  Two such textures are Burlap and Boas(feather fringe, that is).

Burlap can come from left over upholstery remnants and even recycled coffee bags or feed bags.  If you wanted to create your own motif with burlap, it is easy to print onto its canvas as well.  Pillows, upholstered chairs, ottomans, table linens, and draperies are perfect accessories where burlap can be used.

Feather Fringe

Feather fringe softens the coarse texture of burlap and is available in many color ways and designs.  Burlap becomes sophisticated with accents of peacock feathers and can also create ties into an avian decor theme.  Whimsical features can be evoked with brightly colored or beaded feather fringe.

Burlap, Black Feather Fringe and Aria Metal Hardware by Finestra, Metal grommets by Rowley

Draperies are one of the most dramatic ways to use burlap and often unexpected.  Lining the header of the drapery with black feather fringe as shown above softens the treatment and adds another dimension to the cross-hatched burlap design.  A third layer of matte black drapery hardware brings a sleek metal texture into the picture and coordinates with the metal grommets and fringe.

Trying new textures and combining them in unusual ways can become the inspiration for any space.

Nautical Inspiration

Nautical Treatment by CHF/ Sue Fresconi/Shady Characters

 What a fabulous treatment by Sue Fresconi and the CHF Academy displayed at the recent Vision '11 Expo in Las Vegas!  This creative treatment features Finestra medallions with hand painted nautical flags at the top of the interior awning.  A diagonal striped shade peeks through the rope-lined leading edge as if a sail boat were passing by.  Ahhh...can you feel the salty breeze whisk by and the sound of waves lapping at the shore?!

Nautical Flag Alphabet

Since this display sailed and docked at the Vision Expo, the hand painted flags spell out "V.I.S.I.O.N".  Spelling a name or word out onto a "nautical canvas" is made easy when using the Nautical Alphabet.  Burgees can also be painted to correspond with any yacht club.

Nautical themed product from Finestra

The medallions chosen for the treatment were manufactured with a screw only coming out of the back of the piece 1 1/4" so that it could be screwed directly into the top of the awning.  These are custom features that Finestra can provide to aid creative designers and fabricators like Sue Fresconi.

The textures, patterns, and colors of this treatment and their ability to paint a nautical picture are truly inspirational!