Marsala Me Crazy: Pantone's 2015 Color of the Year

Nothing says 2015, the year of the sheep (in case you were wondering), like the earthy, reddish-brown hues of Marsala, Pantone's next Color of the Year.

I'm not going to lie - I keep going back and forth with this color. In theory, I love this color. I love wine-red colors, the quintessential blend of reds and purples. Marsala, however, is part red, part purple, and part brown. It's the brown that's not sitting with me. I've never been much a fan of brown. 

Maybe I'm just biased. And one should not be biased, so off I went in search of Marsala-esque things*: 

via Steven Miller Design Studio / Houzz

via Steven Miller Design Studio / Houzz

via Island Architects / Houzz

*I'm going to be honest here... it took me a good chunk of time to find examples that a) more or less featured a Marsala-like color and b) I liked. 

This all being said, the color was just announced yesterday. It will be interesting to do a follow up post, in say six-months to a year, to see what designs and products are sparked into existence because of Marsala. Plus, check out these sample color palettes Pantone offered. I must say, I looooooooove option #7:

via Pantone

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What do you think of Marsala? Yay? Nay? Eh?

- LG

Design-spiration: Why so Grey?

I've been in a pretty grey mood lately. Work has been stressing me out. The weather has taken a turn for the worse. My man has seemingly disappeared into the universe. And because dwelling is what I do, I decided to at least spin it into something useful: talking (writing?) about the use of grey in decor.

So, my friends, let's have a look see:

via de zeen

* #FeltonFeltonFelt. This space was designed for the first flagship store of Viktor & Rolf, which opened last year in Paris, and is comprised of lots and lots of (wait for it) felt. 

via One Kind Design

* Because who doesn't love a giant soaking tub?

via Architectural Digest - 25 Shades of Grey

* In all honesty, I find the carpeting in this room to be a bit much. Because of the texturing of the walls, however, they couldn't have really used grey tile. Perhaps black / dark dark grey tile? Loving the chandelier!

via Createcph

*Normally, I love color, even just pops of color to brighten up an otherwise boring space. But this monochromatic grey color palette is really doing it for me right now. I love how even the rug, which is fairly neutral for an oriental rug, works with the whole color scheme. 

via Interior Design

*Minimalistic. Monochromatic. Great ceilings. 

via Architectural Digest - 25 Shades of Grey

*Oops, some color snuck in with this one. But really, for this space, what got me was the walls. Is that concrete?? Love it! Industrial chic.

(Editor's note: It is, in fact, concrete.  Plank-molded concrete, to be exact.)

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Are you a fan of grey in interior design? Which space do you love the most? 

-LG

Design-spiration: Open Shelves in the Kitchen

When I was 13, my mother picked my brother and I up from school and nonchalantly mentioned, "Today, kids, I bought us a new house." *Insert typical pre-teen temper tantrum here* My world was most definitely ending (mind you, I still was able to go to the SAME exact school).

This house, however, was not a move-in ready home. Oh, no. This house, unlike our previous house, had buckets of characters hidden behind layers of ick. My mother being the visionary that she is (don't tell her I said that) spent months turning this Yellow-on-Yellow-on-Yellow house into a surprisingly not-yellow, elegant home. Because of this, I find that, without a doubt, the two most important rooms in a house are the kitchen (which she updated) and the {master bath} (which she didn't)*.

So today, let's talk kitchens. Last year, Zillow declared open-face cabinetry as the top trend for kitchens in 2014 (one of my fave bloggers, Centsational Girl, did too!). Though I'm not sure they caught on like many hoped, I can't help but love the style (even if i I am bit of a hoarder collector). These kitchen in particular caught my eye:

Via Alice Lane Home Collection

* I love the combination of textures from the exposed beams and the backsplash! Plus, utilizing open shelving in this space kept a light and airy feel in the kitchen which might otherwise have felt boxed in and dark with a second wall of traditional cabinetry.

Via Jane Ellison

* Hello, gorgeous! If there's anything I love most in the world of kitchen design, it's red. As in EVERYTIME I built a new home for my Sims family (which was ALL OF THE TIME), I would have a red kitchen. Red invokes hunger. Red stimulates the mind. Red is all things. Red is also VERY overwhelming at times, and I love how this design makes it not so overwhelming. The rest of the space not included in the photo is on point as well. 

Via Jane Kim Design

* I. Love. Loft. Spaces. The salvaged wood + brick walls + blackened steel canopy just works.

Via NBR Design-Build

* I honestly don't where to start. I just love this kitchen. It's bright and open with the unique pops of color and texture. Love it. 

Via Loop Design

* Color! I love anyone who isn't afraid of using a little lot of color in their kitchen!

Via Increation

* Though the open-faced shelving is limited in this space, I couldn't help but share it. Purple is not often a color one finds in the kitchen, but it works beautifully here, don't you think?

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What does your dream kitchen entail?

* More than ten years later, my mother finally updated her master bath. I have yet to see the final project, but from what I saw last time I was home, it turned out beautifully! Blog of interest: