Thursday, December 15, 2011

5 Things To Do 10 Minutes Before You Go To Bed - from Apartment Therapy

Ever wake up in the middle of the night wondering if you put the laundry in the dryer worried you won't have anything to wear to work in the morning? How about laying in bed for a solid hour going through a mental checklist of things you probably should have done but are now to far sunk into bed to get up and do? Apartment Therapy comes out with a lot of useful information but I really loved this article and thought I'd share. Here are 5 things to do 10 minutes before going to bed. Hopefully these will work for you!

1. Do The Dishes - It's a proven fact that we're more likely to eat at home and make dinner ourselves if the area in which food preparation happens is clean. It's easy to cook dinner and leave cleanup for later, but making sure the dishes are done before the morning routine starts makes for a healthier day. Breakfast is a snap, dinner is easy and best of all the dishes are easy to do. Doing them each night eliminates those little bits of crusty stuck on food that can take extra time to scrape off later.

2. Pick Up Outerwear - It's easy to come home, take off your jacket, your shoes, your hat and get comfy! After all, that's what a home is for! But if your home is anything like ours, more than a days worth of shoes on the floor can be a disaster. Literally. Making sure that stray bits of clothing and shoes have been returned to their closets and baskets makes other chores on our list easier throughout the week. No one wants to clean their space before they can clean their space. Knowing you have a few minutes to spare to vacuum is easy when you don't have to tidy before hand!

3. Replace Entertainment - Most often our days are filled with busy stressful things and after our projects, homework or activites are done, there's nothing more we want than to sink into our couch with a snack and a great dvd or video game. The downfall to such habits usually necessitates a little clutter out in the open. Game boxes, dvd cases, controllers, remotes... they can seem simple and harmless, but keeping it in check each night means our main living spaces are ready to go for the next nights fun. Plus it keeps things at bay in case impromptu guests come over.

4. Tie Off Trash - Each morning before we leave the house we take the trash out. It's a great way to keep our space clean and to prevent having to drag more than 1 bag outside at a time. Because if more than 1 bag goes out at a time, that means there was a bag sitting and waiting in your home. And although it's easy to do (we've been there too), the thought of a bag of trash just hanging out is kind of... gross. By tying it off each night, it's ready to grab as we walk out the door to walk the dogs. We don't have any fuss, mess or frustration. We also have smaller bags than most, so if this isn't applicable to you, then adjust it as it works with your home.

5. Make A List - It seems silly, but there's nothing more annoying that having been out all day, only to return to discover you forgot to pick up something important. Shampoo, toilet paper, copies that needed to be made, whatever the case may be, a simple list of things that need to be picked up or done the next day can be quite freeing. We put the list in our pocket on the way out the door and it helps us keep track of the things on our agenda.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Pantone Color of the Year 2012

And the 2012 Pantone Color of the Year? Drumroll plase...
....
Tangerine Tango!



Monday, November 21, 2011

Announcing the Schumacher App!


Schumacher introduces an essential digital resource for discerning interior design professionals and registered To The Trade users. Schumacher for iPhone gives our customers and their clients instant access to the latest offerings, product information, stock, and order status updates. Additionally, this new app allows designers to place memo and product orders; create project lists and tag favorite products; search for nearby showrooms using GPS; view pinch and zoom high resolution photographs; review product details; and learn about new trends, events, and offerings.
Available exclusively on iTunes.

Friday, November 11, 2011

With the temperatures and leaves beginning to fall and with
Thanksgiving right around the corner, consider warming up your home with
autumn-toned pillows or table runners. Create a warm feeling by using fabrics rich
in color with orange, red, gold or olive hues. Here are some favorites
available directly from www.InteriorMall.com.

The use of burnt orange and green adds a great color pop to any room or space.
Waldemere Geranium by Robert Allen

Eggplant and Olive make a non-traditional pairing that works well for fall and winter.
Candy Stripe Eggplant by Kasmir

Velvet flocking adds an interesting textural element and the dark velvet really pops against the lighter silk background.
Isadora Velvet Olive by Robert Allen

Houndstooth checks and woven fabrics are also a great way to make a home seem cozy.
Square Pegs Beige by Robert Allen

Nothing says Fall like a good old fashioned wool and cashmere Tartan Plaid.
McDonnell Tartan Cranberry by Ralph Lauren.

Don't forget to check out all of Interior Mall's fabrics for more cozy inspiration. And for holiday ideas don't forget Interior Mall's large selection of gift items.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Tropical Inspirations

I recently went to the Bahama's for a much needed vacation and found myself in a completely other world. The use of color there is absolutely extraordinary! At one point during my trip, my family and I started calling out random colors and timing ourselves on how long it took us to find a building of that color. I don't think I could have found a white, beige or other neutral colored building if I had tried. Everything there is coated in beautiful colors of pink, purple, orange and yellow hues.


This of course, made me think... why is everything so blah here? Maybe an Alaskan winter wouldn't be so bland if all the building were painted bright orange. Perhaps, a Texas heat would be more bearable if the buildings there were painted a cool blue. Why are we so afraid of color?


Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Patterns: Suzani

As we receive more and more fabric books and samples from various manufacturers we have noticed they all have 1 major pattern in common in at least 1 book and that's suzani inspired patterns. Many of us have seen suzani more and more in interior decorating and even fashion but most don't know what exactly it is or where it came from. Suzani comes from the Persian word for "needle" and the word refers to embroidered hangings or fabric coverings. (Like the image)
However, for most suzani lovers and collectors, the word has a more specific meaning. Suzani is synonymous with the finest old embroideries of Uzbekistan, in Central Asia. In recent years, we have witnessed a remarkable revival of this old traditional art form.

The birthplace of suzanis is in what is now Uzbekistan, the area along the Silk Roads that interconnected the cultures of Europe, Turkey and China with the Muslim world. With the establishment of the Silk Road, the Suzani art flourished. In the 19th century, Uzbek women produced excellent embroidered hangings, table covers, bed covers, wrapping cloths, and prayer mats for their households and their daughters' dowries.  In the 20th century, Communist rulers in Uzbekistan forbade hand crafts, including Suzani. With the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Uzbek artisans have begun the long process of reviving their centuries old craft traditions and techniques.

Because hand-made, traditional Suzani can be quite expensive many fabric manufacturers have begun to make it easier to get the suzani look but without the costs by printing and mass producing suzani inspired fabrics like the fabrics below.   


Feel free to stop by check out all the other suzani inspired fabrics that Interior Mall has to offer.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Get Organized for the School Year

Back to school time has come for many of us and is quickly approaching for the rest. Even if school has already started there's still time to get your house organized and ready for the new school year. Life Made Better has a few quick and easy tips for getting an "A" on your organization this year.

Paperwork
Put your walls to work by organizing papers in wall-mount filing racks outfitted with folders.

Office Organization
Optimize efficiency by installing a corkboard, a dry-erase board, and a magnetic calendar above the work surface.

Office Supplies
Insert a divided tray or drawer organizer into a desk drawer to sort fasteners and other office supplies. You'll need to choose an organizer that has a bottom (as opposed to the type of bottomless drawer divider used for socks) to keep small items from slipping underneath.

Clips and Fasteners
Tiny little tools benefit from tiny little vessels to keep them organized. Transform colorful plastic ice-cube trays into divided storage containers for paper clips, push pins, and more.

Art Supplies
Use short mailing tubes or potato-chip cans to keep paintbrushes, pencils, and other art supplies organized. Cover the mailing tubes with decorative paper to fit your decor. Stack them and attach them to one another with crafts glue or double-sided tape to keep them stable.

Batteries
Eliminate the need to run through the house looking for batteries ever again. Use a plastic tackle box with multiple sizes of openings to hold your batteries, grouped by size.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

A Match Made in Tropical Heaven!


(Picture from KravetNews.com)

The preppy prints of Lilly Pulitzer have been racing out of the closet and into the home. First, bedding and bath goods last year, then a line of furniture earlier this year, and now the Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa collection of interior fabrics and trimmings. Expect the brand’s signature prints—and some new patterns, too—in Pulitzer’s classic pink and green combinations, and other bright and clean colors. Available in cotton, linen, silk, chintz, and jacquard, the line carries 15 prints.
(Source: Elle Decor)

Let me just say... this excites me! Aside from the fact that I've already downed my first cup of coffeee, I have been running around like a mad woman telling everyone in the office of the expected arrival of the Lilly Pulitzer fabrics at Lee Jofa this month. After visiting the Dallas store for years I fell in love with Lilly's bright colors and perfect pattern combinations. I am so excited to see this same thing available in the home decor industry now!

Keep an eye out on www.InteriorMall.com for all these fabulous new fabrics (I know I will be)!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Drapery Hardware Terms Made Easy

Bracket
A solid piece of material used to mount or attach curtain rods to the wall, molding, window trim, or ceiling.

Center Bracket
A single or double bracket made to mount over the top of a window to support additional weight in the center of the rod.
Clearance
The distance from the mounting surface to the back of the curtain rod. Important consideration if an under treatment is to be used.

Diameter
The length of a straight line that runs through the center of a circle, cutting it into two symmetrical halves. Commonly used to describe the size of a pole or finial.
Finial
A decorative element attached to one or both ends of a rod that also prevents rings and panels from sliding off the end of the rod.

Pin-on Hook (Drapery Pin)
A metal pin designed to slide into draperies, and then to attach (hook) to a ring or slide.

Projection
Distance from wall to the front of the rod.

Return
The drapery fabric that covers the area from the end of the curtain back to the wall. In shirr-on curtains, the fabric is eased around the corner of the curtain rod. In pin-on draperies, an additional pin is used at the outside top corners of the drapery and hooked into the rod bracket hole.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Home Bar Essentials

If you love to entertain we have some of the coolest bar and glassware essentials. Stock your bar with these 5 chic and functional home bar accessories available at www.InteriorMall.com

A durable and elegant wine chiller bucket is a must have! This double-wall insulated bucket is made of brushed stainless steel and is perfect for gifts or for your own house party.

This black-finished wooden wine tool box is a lovely way to store your wine tools. The box is lined with foam velvet and its contents include two wine bottle stoppers, a stainless steel drip ring, a retractable multi-tooled wine opener, and a thermometer which keeps your wine at a perfect temperature.

Personalize your experience with monogram shot glass embellished with your initial and a silver medallion. This set of 4 shot glasses will have you toasting in style.


A wine bottle carrier is a necessity! This faux leather carrier holds a standard size bottle of wine and collapses for easy storage when not in use. Wine carriers make great housewarming or wedding gifts and while you're at it, buy one for yourself so that you can take the party on the road.