Fall 2010 Design Notes

Now that fall is upon us, clients are thinking about their homes again and spending more time inside. Like some of you, we have been sprucing up our guest room for holiday visitors and gathering all the parts and pieces that are crucial to creating a comfortable and private room for our guests.

We first cleaned out the clutter and moved out the old furniture. Next we ordered the sleeper and storage pieces and set up the closet space and measured for window coverings. Finally, we selected the perfect paint color and found an area rug to pull it all together cohesively. Now that the room is painted, we are ready to install the furniture. It will be great to have this extra space for us to enjoy even before our guests arrive. I wish you a joyful holiday season and welcome your questions about how you might create comfortable areas in your home to entertain this holiday. Here are a few tips for choosing fabrics that will weather the hoildays beautifully.

~ Karen

Consignment Corner

Ellentuck Interiors is pleased to announce that due requests by my clients I am now offering a Consignment Corner. I will be offering through my newsletter and website “nearly new” furnishings for sale from my clients to you.  If you are interested in any of the items listed, please contact me and I can arrange for you to contact the seller. Any sales shall be handled directly between you and the seller. I am solely acting as a listing service for your items. 

CLICK HERE to view several items that are ready for you to buy.  I look forward to hearing from you if you are interested. Or if you also have items you want to sell. Let me know.

Family Friendly Fabrics

A number of technological innovations are now available to giving the home owner numerous options for family friendly fabrics so you can create living space for the family without sacrificing aesthetics and comfort.

• The use of Teflon coating on polyester fabrics was the one of the first to be used. Kravetsmart fabrics has numerous color options in soft textures. Kravet Green fabric featured on right >>

• A newer technology first used in the commercial upholstery market is Crypton. It is an engineered textile made with pre-tested and approved fabrics that have specific fiber and construction requirements that deliver consistent performance. The fibers are permanently transformed with stain and microbial protection before they receive an integrated (non-laminated) moisture barrier. It resists stain, moisture, mildew, bacteria and odor-resistant. Edelman leather is now offering some of its products with a Crypton finish. They are Greenguard certified for indoor air quality. Numerous manufacturers offer several types of fabric with this barrier.

• Sunbrella fabrics, which pioneered the original outdoor acrylic fabrics primarily for umbrellas and seat cushions, has led the way to an explosion of in recent years of indoor/outdoor fabrics; the most prominent being Perennials Fabrics, which has been exclusively an acrylic textile manufacturer for many years.
All of these technologies, originally developed for commercial use, are available for use in the residential market. If you are want family friendly products for your living space, we can assist you in selecting the appropriate products along with other items to bring your entire room together. These fabrics all are beautiful, come in all types of styles, will wear well and are easily maintained for a longer lasting look.

WHAT ARE YOUR COLORS?

Clients are always asking “What are latest color trends.” My answer is “What colors do you like?” We can make a color palate from any combination and it will be personalized for your taste. Well, Sherwin -Williams presented a local seminar to the design community recently and has come out with their color forecast for 2011. Their approach supports what I have been saying all along. “Trendy has never been more passé. We know who we are and self-expression now spins the color wheel.

Sherwin-Williams colormix 2011 chronicles the dominant shades of our inward journey and developed several general palettes. Click on the links below (also featured on right):

PURELY REFINED
RESTLESS NOMAD
BOLD INVENTION
GENTLE MEDLEY

If you need any assistance in establishing your color palette, Ellentuck Interiors is here to help you pull it altogether.

CONSUMER ALERT

RISKS OF STRANGULATION PROMPTS RECALL TO REPAIR ROLL-UP BLINDS AND ROMAN SHADES
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of the following products. Consumers are being advised to stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Hazards:
Roman Shades: Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the shade or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck. Strangulation can occur if a child’s neck becomes entangled on the free-standing loop.

Roll-up blinds: Strangulations can occur when a child’s neck becomes entangled on the free-standing loop or if a child places his/her neck between the lifting loop and the roll-up blind material.
CPSC Recommendation: Consumers should stop using the recalled roman shades and roll-up blinds immediately and contact the Window covering Safety Council for a free repair kit at (800) 506-4636 or visit www.windowcoverings.org

ELLENTUCK INTERIORS

Ellentuck Interiors is a full-service interior design firm based in Seattle, Washington.  Karen Ellentuck, its principal interior designer, has been working in the field since 1991. She is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers.  She has work on multitude of projects in residential remodeling and custom furnishings and for her clients who own their own businesses. She has earned several awards for her kitchens at the annual Northwest Design Awards.  She is also a studio designer at the Seattle Design Center.  We welcome your inquiries and look forward to working with you on your next project.

~Karen

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