We just got back from High Point Furniture Market where we found AMAZING new inspiration.  COLOR!!!

It's the biggest trend we could see, (and it wasn't difficult as it was eveywhere, in every form)!  Very BOLD, brave, bright color. Lots of pinks, oranges, greens and yellows - think Miami!  But, that said there was also a secondary trend we noticed - white lacquer...

which is about as opposite a vibe as you can imagine EXCEPT, they happen to look great together!

Thirdly there seems to be a very very slight sighting of acrylic which we haven't seen in many years.  It has its place in the design world so it was nice to spot it here and there.

The thing we saw the most of?  LINEN, LINEN, LINE!!!

The Belgian linen craze is still going strong like a song that will not get off the charts - although we do LOVE it, we're sad to say it is taking the route most new inspirations follow - from the high end where the pieces were beautifully designed and made using wonderful "real" materials, they're now popping everywhere in their cheaper and cheaper form.  For a professional buyer, it's easy to decipher the differences between the higher end pieces and the mass produced Chinese and import versions, but we worry that the general public will so easily be confused and possibly duped.  There were virtually aisles and aisles of white washed and bleached oak case pieces and linen sofas and chairs all almost identical to one another.  Sort of made me
sad, but I have grown used to watching the trends come and go - just reinforces it's always best to dabble with the accessories which are less expensive but keep your investment pieces a little closer to classic.  Will save heartache and $ all the way around!

I wanted to show you a classic shot which is a combo of the white lacquer, the belgian linen and yet still not trendy...timeless:

Remember, this is not an interior design shot, this is just a sample display in a furniture showroom, so it's clearly NOT perfect - but it's got the basics to build on.
My suggestion would be to swap out the rug, add colorful accessories and a few pillows and then voila - all bases covered - Belgian linen sofa, with white lacquer, contemporary tables, and colorful current pillows and lamps!

Getting Current...

Okay Okay I know I am way behind the times, but I have been busy! Better late than never as they say....So we have a new toy here at Sunrise Home. Mara, (from the younger generation, I might add), has hipped us up and we now have a facebook page. I am supposed to ask you to please like us!

We add photos every day - things that have come in (the Ups man thinks we are crazy as we stand there ripping into boxes looking for cool new things to take photos of), and events and
great little "stuff" that happens around here. So please check it out and give Mara some feed back!

Meanwhile we are sort of springy happy one minute and then back to fog and frozen the next - not our happiest Spring to date. We are wanting to get with the sandals, shorts and smiley
lazy days of summer....our pedicures are going to waste....and our spring cleaning isn't getting done due to this dang weather!

We are all so excited about Pantones color for 2011 - It is so cheerful that we have now done our entire entrance around it...

Then we added Michael Cutlip's amazing paintings and WOW!

Honeysuckle, when combined with aqua and yellow creates a buzz of energy and we defy anyone who adds this combination to their home to be grumpy - ever!

In Marin we are known for our plethora of talented musicians, of which there certainly are many, BUT we also have an incredible number of talented artists as well. One of our very favorite ways to spend a day off is to jump in the car, (top down), and cruise around to all the different Open Studios..... right about now from Sausalito to Pt. Reyes artists are opening their doors to visiting guests and enthusiasts. One of our new haunts is the Donna Seagar Gallery featuring artists like Carl Dern, Kay Bradner, Brigitte Reynolds...

As designers we feel strongly about the role art plays in a space.

It can completely change the mood of the room and the people who use it!

Spring STUFF!

So many new things are on the horizon in the design world that it's hard not to be jumping up and down with anticipation. Great new removable wall coverings...YES, wall coverings you can put up and enjoy and then take down and store for the next house, or the next time the mood strikes! Cool!

Garden stools that were once actually sitting around the outside in the garden have now come inside to be used everywhere, including, get this, the shower! Yes, one of our clients shred with us that she puts hers in the shower where she can now enjoy sitting to shave her legs, or use it to set her shampoos on. Pretty clever as it will never rust or show any wear and tear from the water and steam, and it adds a shot of color while providing storage and seating....These are inexpensive,come in a gajillion colors and styles and are really easy to find.

Butterflies are back! This classic chair has found its way back into interiors as well as by the pool and on the patio. Polo has introduced one that is way way way out of the usual price range of the "common" butterfly chair which usually runs under $100.....leave it to Ralph to introduce a customized version in leather that retails at close to $4500.Check it out in his newest collection - California Romantic! http://www.ralphlaurenhome.com/

Minimalism may not be dead but it could certainly be waning....The Wall Street Journal ran a wonderful article recently declaring that the new BUZZ in home decor is the "acquired" or lived in look! We celebrated this in hopes that the "I want my house to look like page 52 of the catalog in my mailbox, just like everyone else's is OVER!!!! Long live individuality expressed not lonly by the way you dress but by the way you live!

That's it for now, but watch for more frequent blog postings now that we are getting the hang of it!

CLICK THE SPRING STUFF!
WHAT'S NEW BUTTON!

Console yourself.

I admit that I have been a snob. I always thought t.v. was a waste of precious time. But as life changed television has become part of my calming down in the evenings as I transition from a hectic work day. I hate to admit it but sometimes my husband and I even eat dinner watching t.v. (Even worse some of the things we watch are fairly silly but ridiculously entertaining)....

But, being a design freak, I of course, have to watch tv in an environment where I can focus on the show and not the clutter around the tv. We have now gotten plasma screens, clean, spare and immensely easy to love. Honestly they are downright sexy. Seriously. In response the furnishings industry has gone crazy creating consoles compatible with flat screens and here at Sunrise I have gone equally berserk showing these wonderful new pieces.

I catch myself showing them to clients using ridiculously glowing terms including "wire management, heat escapement, and smart eye"..... When I fell, I guess I fell hard.

Lately there are "things" that have seriously improved my day to day life....and again I am embarrassed to say they actually are "things"..... my kuerig coffee maker, my plasma tv that

I can actually operate by myself, and my new console that is so pretty and hides everything I

don't want to see so I can concentrate on what I do want to watch!

So, if you've come to the "dark side" where watching American Idol and DWS is part of your evening routine - you can at lease console yourself by knowing you are doing it in style.

It all has to start somewhere!

Decorating can sometimes feel a little mysterious, a tad confusing and unfortunately sometimes a little overwhelming.....so to cut through all those potentially intimidating emotions lets just start somewhere - most of us here at Sunrise will always shout out, "Start with the RUG!"....

If you are lucky enough to get to do a room from scratch then we say go from the ground up gals and guys! Simply stare at the room shape, with an idea towards very basic furniture placement.

If the room is rectangular you will most likely want a similarly shaped rug, obviously, NOT a round or square rug! One way to determine the size you need is to decide on how much floor you want showing and then come in from the walls the same amount all the way around the room. If your room is 12 x 15 and you want about a foot of beuatiful wood floor to show you should be shopping for a 10 x 13- ish rug.

Keep in mind that the hand made rugs have varying sizes while most machine made rugs will be truer to size. Basic rug sizes are: 2x3 4 x 6 5 x 7 6 x 9 8 x 10 9 x 12 10 x 14 and so on...

Once you have fallen in love with a rug you can "pull your paint color" out of it and then you are good to go. With a well coordinated rug/wall color you can simplify the process of furniture fabrics immensely.

So - GREAT NEWS! I just returned from one of the very very very best rug buying trips EVER!

We have a wonderful collection of rug "corners" - (the newest and easiest way to try out rugs for your home) - Stop in and see our wide, creative, beautiful collection of rug options for you to choose from.

You have to start your decorating project somewhere - start it at Sunrise!