When it comes to maximalist design, more is definitely more, and walls are no exception. We’re not going back to the retro chintz of bygone eras, instead, current wallpaper patterns are bold, edgy, fun and available in huge variety.

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This striking mural wallpaper, designed by Anna Jacobs from her original painting in ink on watercolour paper, is imagined as a super large scale art work to give maximum impact in an interior. It can also be hung in repeat, used with picture rails and dado rails and cropped to fit most wall heights, without compromising the image.

Photo courtesy of Anna Jacobs

Designed by Aurélie Mathigot, this blue and green wallpaper displays a soothing design. The wallpaper is entitled “De L’autre Cote le Calme,” which translates to “The Other Side of Calm.”  If you’re in search of escape, wide open spaces, and extensive greenery, this beautiful wallpaper will bring this breath of fresh air.

Photo courtesy of KSL LIVING

In a recent Furniture Choice survey of adults in Great Britain, minimalism has emerged as a favorite summer interior design trend, beating out other decorating styles like maximalism, jungle and tropical.

Rebecca Snowden, Interior Style Advisor at Furniture Choice, shared three tips to achieve the minimalist trend at home.

Designed to be paired with Rogerseller’s signature Natural Elements finishes, each piece incorporates metallic hints, making this stone and metal duo truly unique. The metal finishes drawn from the Natural Elements collection include Chrome, Brushed Chrome, Satin Chrome, Graphite, Brushed Nickel, Bright Nickel, Twilight, Matt Black, Bright Gold and Brushed Gold, creating styles defined by the individual.

Finding inspiration from the Earth’s raw resources and the untouched qualities that come from years of metamorphosis, the Eccentric Stone collection shows the result of a “whole made greater by the sum of its parts,” according to the brand. “While individually, the elements of stone and metals are well-known and loved, brought together they create a new harmony, making for an unstoppable duo.”

Lisa Adams, CEO and lead designer of LA Closet Design, the Los Angeles-based firm that changed the way we look at our closets, is ready to unveil her very own first-ever dream dressing room and closet, and we’d love to offer you a peek inside.  

After a decade of conceiving, designing and building fantasy-inspired spaces for celebrities, billionaires and tastemakers around the world, she finally put her experience to work in meshing form and fashion with high functionality in the creation of her own master closet, dressing room and handbag closet.

As she does with all her clients, her closet flows seamlessly with her home’s prevailing aesthetic as well as reflects her very own personal style. The result is a chic, elegant and soothing place in which to start her day and house her most precious belongings.

Everything in the closets reflect Lisa’s taste for timeless elegance from the pale palate and soft touches to Hermes ceiling wallpaper, custom Portola paint color created just for Lisa (she even got to name it – Closet Cashmere) and the bold but spare geometric LED brass light fixtures.

As the creative force behind LA Closet Design, Lisa’s vision is to create “personalized dressing spaces to calm the chaos of everyday living.” Her inspiration for maximizing and beautifying closet spaces came about while working for a kitchen design firm.

Enjoy the fun of Bohemian details and the comfort of mountain inspiration with the addition of some clean lines and modern finishes to achieve Bohemia Mountain Chic. These perfectly blended concepts will transform any space, whether it’s a penthouse apartment or a vacation ski-home in Colorado. Color, textures, patterns, and more will help bring the colorful ease that can already be found in Residence 501 West in Snowmass Base Village.

This style is undeniable fun and full of surprises, including a mixture of patterns and textures, pops of unexpected color, greenery, and calming tomes. The addition of natural materials, such as the various wooden surfaces have a way or working together rather than competing with other elements in the space.

Start with a simple base that will support your accents.

A neutral wall color may feel like a bland move but it creates a canvas for creativity around the room. A lighter shade on the walls will also give the impression of open space. This will also help if the space begins to feel overcrowded or busy.

Botanicals are a big part of any Bohemian look.

Natural elements, such as greenery are a great way to tie the outdoors and indoors together without flooding the room with oversized plants that are difficult to care for. A few plants displayed in a glass vase bring that little bit of life into the room. If there are large windows in the room the spattering of the outside is highlighted to add the perfect touch.

Get creative with patterns and textures.

It’s okay to mix and match in this situation. This tactic will not take away from the modern feel if it is done properly. Trying new textiles and fabrics offer up and opportunity for creativity. It can be surprising what colors will actually work well together. If the room begins to feel a little disjointed or unorganized, try using a neutral color scheme but in a variety of textures.

Other Tips

— Mix bright colors with metalic accents. Nothing makes color pop like a smooth reflective surface or a shining accent. This sleek nature also adds to the modern feel.

— Natural elements, such as a wooden table and some greenery mesh well with classic Bohemian details.

— Be bold with colors!

— Don’t’ be afraid to layer fabrics and materials.

Photos by Gibeon Photography

After a period of declining popularity, home offices are back. Sort of.

Ask designers and architects about home offices and chances are the responses will range from “no one wants them” to “we’re including them in every house.”  When it comes to home design headlines, it’s hard to compete with au pair suites and pet rooms, which tend to generate colorful images. Home offices might be humdrum, but they are gaining their share of the spotlight as more individuals spend some time working at home. And the more substantial the work, the more likely they are to look for a private office or work space.

Not too long ago, designers would have told you that home offices were passe as owners preferred to work in various spots around the house. Today, offices are back as a growing number of homeowners and potential buyers tick off a room to work at home, even a private office, on wish lists. The American Institute of Architects’ most recent home design trends survey shows offices as growing in importance, up to 39 percent from 33 percent a year ago. Interestingly, 58 percent of architects say interest in outdoor living, which tops the list of features growing in popularity, is increasing. Au pair/in law suites grew to 41 percent.

“A few years back we had a lot of homeowners requesting desk space in kitchens. We don’t get that as much anymore as people are looking for more private desk spaces that can be closed off from the rest of the house” says Sean Mullin AIA, director of design at Anthony Wilder Design Build in Cabin John, Maryland.“We’re adding office spaces in almost every house these days. I am working with a lot of empty nesters who are keeping additional bedrooms for future resale but converting one of them into a home office. They often want an isolated location for privacy with pocket doors or some other features to close off the room for privacy, while leaving the space otherwise open as a study or formal sitting room,” says Luke Olson, project manager at GTM Architects in Washington, D.C.  

The 20-Hour Work Day

Today many jobs can’t be crammed into a single 8-hour time slot. Traffic and congestion also mean more individuals work at home at some point during the week. “With new technology making it easier than ever before to be in touch with people at any time of the day or night, it’s hardly surprising that workers are demanding that their increased efficiency is offset by great choice of location,” was a conclusion of a recent report from the International Workplace Group, which drew on insights from 18,000 professionals in 96 countries. And for a growing number of affluent individuals, including those opting to make their second homes a full-time residence, their base for work might be the home.

Tall windows and sunlight make an inviting office in an alcove off a great room.

©IStockphoto.com/KatarzynaBialasiewicz

Among those who are not self-employed, the number of people who regularly work from home has grown by 140 percent since 2005, nearly 10-times faster than the rest of the workforce, according to The American Community Survey and GlobalWorkpalceAnlytics.com. The number of home-based self-employed grew by 7.3 percent from 2015 to 2016, with the number of home-based incorporated businesses increasing by 43 percent since 2005.  The population that telecommutes at least one day a week grew by 11.7 percent from 2015 to 2016, the largest year-over-year growth since 2008.

Even though mega-companies such as Yahoo and Hewlett-Packard have moved away from telecommuting for some employees, approximately 40 percent more U.S. employers offered flexible workplace options than they did five years ago. Still many companies reserve the option for higher-echelon management. Only 7 percent make it available for most of their employees. The globalization of business is an additional catalyst. A number of the Fortune 1000 around the globe are revamping their space requirements, because many of their employees are already mobile. According to Global Workplace Analytics, they are not at their desk 50 percent to 60 percent of the time.

A high percentage of John Burns’ employees work from home, and everyone has the flexibility to work at home if the need arises, Lanz says, pointing to her own experience to illustrate how requirements for office space can change. “When I first started working from home, I had a desk located to the side of my family room. It was miserable. I had no privacy when the family was home, and it was hard to leave work behind for the day. When I bought my house back in 2014, I got a formal office, which made things so much easier. I have a separate formal office just off my foyer with French doors. This allows me to close the doors if needed, but I like the glass since it allows me to be still connected to the world outside if my daughter is home.”

Flex Spaces, Libraries and Niches

Instead of a completely dedicated individual space, many home offices today might start as a flex room or found space in an alcove, or even under a stairway. Home offices also might take the form of a space that can be configured as a workspace but also be repurposed to another function. Michigan architect Wayne Visbeen says he includes flex spaces in many of his designs, which can then be used as an office.

“People need to think about how they are going to use the space over the day and over the course of a lifetime. You want to make sure that space has the ability to morph over time,” shares Ann Thompson, senior vice president of architecture and design at Related Midwest.  

In other instances, architects say they might include a private study that could be a set up as a formal office or a relaxed, but private, refuge. “In many instances we might make the dining room into a library, so it functions as a multiple purpose space,” explains Jim Rill, principal of an eponymous Washington, D.C. architectural firm. Dining rooms converted to a library might showcase a custom table that gives a place to spread out and play games while still available to host that once- or twice-a-year celebration.

A small desk and a daybed ready a secondary bedroom for work or guests.

© Dustin Peck Photography Inc., Courtesy Mary Cook

The size and location of offices in the house may vary by potential use. “It does depend on the stage of life that you are in and it depends on the level of position that you have and the kind of job. But for sure, almost everybody is working from home in some capacity,” says Mary Cook, a principal of Mary Cook Associates, a Chicago-based design firm, noting the appeal spans generations and life stages from busy young moms to empty nesters. “So, I still say that you need a dedicated place, but that place is smaller, and it can now be flexible and adaptable.”

Many are more functional than in the past and often occupy less square footage. “They are smaller, usually 10-by-10, or 12-by-12, or they are home management spaces, which are little niches that can be very charming, very functional, outfitted ergonomically with counters around and space for a printer. We do a lot of those in back halls or off the kitchen,” explains Visbeen.

Putting the Home in Home Office

Other owners, say designers, want to make offices welcoming and warm. “Homeowners want the spaces to feel cozy. Incorporating a small gas fireplace or TV in the room will bring out the home in the home offices. Built-ins for books and plenty of windows for views will make it a space in which the homeowner will feel very comfortable working at home,” says Mullin, who explains some owners want a very simple space with just a desk while others might want a full set up with sofas, coffee tables and ottomans.

“Built-ins for books and plenty of windows for views will make it a space in which the homeowner will feel very comfortable working at home.”

Photos courtesy of GTM Architects.

Developers of new towers, whether for condo residences or luxury rentals, also take the desire for home offices into consideration for individual residences and for amenity spaces. Rather than traditional business centers, work areas may be found throughout amenity levels in some new buildings. And depending on the target demographic, they might take the form of community tables, booths, lofts, reading nooks, individual work stations and huddle rooms.

High-end condominium residences might include a library or study near the main gathering spaces as well as one in a secondary bedroom positioned away from distractions. And luxe work spaces such as these in new super towers might even offer panoramic vistas that surpass those in office buildings, giving new meaning to the phrase, view from the corner office.  

Top photo by Steve Henke for Cambria Style.

Cambria, the leading producer of American-made natural stone, is expanding its editorial platform this spring with the release of its first-ever workbook supplement, Kitchen & Bath Design Inspiration: The Ultimate Design Planner. The Planner will be bound within Cambria Style, the brand’s award-winning luxury home and lifestyle magazine, and will also be available to consumers for free download online at CambriaUSA.com.

Photo courtesy of Cambria.

The magazine, along with the removable Planner, will be available on May 7 through Hudson newsstands, select Barnes & Noble stores, in hotels, by subscription and for free download on CambriaUSA.com.

Building on the success of some of its best-selling designs, while crafting soon-to-be favorites, HBF Textiles’s latest introduction of the Spring 2019 Collection is a double-take on its own history as it looks forward.

Featuring six fabrics, including two reissues of popular brand classics, the brand looked to the individual patterns present within fibers to craft a tactile, visual collection. Unique weave constructions are utilized with matelassé, knotted cord floats, waffle weaves, and a well-worn saddle leather, making Spring 2019 a multi-dimensional line that closes the gap between new and old, classic and original.

“Our Spring 2019 collection is a reimagined look at HBF Textiles’ history and where we’re headed,” explains Mary Jo Miller, HBF Textiles VP of Design & Creative Direction. “The line combines some of our most memorable textiles with modern, distinct designs to create something entirely new. Spring 2019 looks boldly ahead while still managing to feel timeless, classic, and thoughtful.”

Two updated classics, Honest and Moving Forward, prove their enduring design with modifications and additions that embrace their roots.

This textile takes the original artwork from Elodie Blanchard’s ‘Moving Blanket’ and propels it into a vibrant, new direction with neon weft yarns peeking through the matelassé pockets. The fabric comes in nine dynamic iridescent hues with a stain resistant finish.

The four new additions to the HBF Textiles family — Grateful Grid, Wild West, Caddy Corner, and Vault Lights — bring liveliness and diversity to the collection through bold grids, distressed leather, small-scale angles, and geometric patterns.

Grateful Grid

Crafted at an intimate mill in Germany where chenille is the dominant fiber type, it’s easy to feel grateful for this bold grid weave comprised of soft chenille yarns.

Grateful Grid is a waffle weave structure which allows air to flow and sound to be captured. The six vibrant shades are named for the first word in a variety of Grateful Dead song titles.

Caddy Corner is the odder spelling and takes it cue from small scale 45-degree angles. The eight multi-hued fabrics all showcase playful colors, while remaining composed of 58.5 percent post-consumer recycled polyester — one of the brand’s most sustainable fabrics.

Vault Lights

Vault Lights was inspired by the geometric refraction of skylights with their bumpy quality and jewel-toned hues. Woven in Germany, the textiles come in eight luminous colors that represent the look and dimension of light prisms through glass.

Images courtesy HBF Textiles.

Being trained originally as an architect in Germany and London and having worked with one of the most iconic architects of the 20th century, Zaha Hadid, designer Timothy Schreiber reached what he calls “the center of the universe” in terms of digital design and technology very early on in his career. Though highly driven by today’s advancements in digital technology, Schreiber discusses how his designs are actually the outcome of a wide assortment of influences, even more traditional practices such as cabinet making and woodworking.

All photos by KeneK Photography, courtesy of Wexler Gallery.