Mirror, mirror....everywhere!

No room should be without a mirror! 

Mirrors are a great design accessory that can make a room look brighter and larger. When hung opposite a window they can bring the outside in, enhancing the natural light in the room.Hang a mirror over the table in the foyer so your guests can check their appearance upon entering. Mirrored walls in the bathroom can make a small room open up.

Mirrors have even been showing up applied to light fixtures, on furniture and tile. Check out these ideas to brighten up your home.

This quatrefoil mirror with antiqued glass from Restoration Hardware would look great over a sofa. The quatrefoil motif is generally a symbol of good luck and dates back to celtic times.

I used these oval mirrors recently in the bathroom I designed for the Cashiers Designer Showhouse. I really liked the finish on the reclaimed wood frame 

 

The Gothic Twig mirror from Carvers Guild makes a beautiful powder room mirror. It is available in an antique gold leaf or a  faux bois finish.

These river mirrors created by Caryn Mobelry are in burred elm.The mirror symbolizes the water flowing in the river.Caryn uses the natural undulating shape of the tree to form the river banks, and so no two mirrors are the same.

Mirrors are showing up applied to light fixtures used in shabby chic and retro looks. I like the combination of bronze and antiqued mirror in rustic mountain homes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This chandelier by Currey & Company is another example of iron and venetian mirror combined to add an elegant look. I have a client using this in her bathroom!

This mirrored cabinet would look wonderful beside a dark wood bed with textural fabrics. A piece this special wouldn't need alot of pattern used in the room with it.

I'm getting more requests for transitional fabrics and furnishings.I love the circle motif and mirrored legs- This chest would look great in a funky transitional setting!

This room is so pretty! I love the mirrored chest and grouping of small mirrors.

I found this mirrored bed while googling for mirrored furniture. Love this!!!!!!

 

If your looking for a mirror or have questions about mirror placement feel free to email me- I'll do my best to answer your questions!

2010 Fall Fabrics and Trends

My reps have been making their way through the mountains lately, showing their new fall fabric collections. I absolutely LOVE all the brighter colors, embroideries and fresh transitional fabrics that they are laying out on the table. It seems to me that they have a crisp, preppy vibe and I don't know about you, but I am so ready to use these fun fabrics and wallcoverings! Here are a few of their offerings-

Lee Jofa has some of my favorite new fabrics this fall. I loved their new collection called "Foxwood"

I love the upholstered headboards in this transitional bedroom - (notice the nailheads!)check out the combination of yellow and brown in the contemporary floral. That mustard in the floral really makes it pop!They let the floral fabric be the show by keeping companion fabrics to a minimum. I've had several requests for mustard and yellows lately- it compliments the browns so well. 

 

 

Love these bright funky florals and geometrics! Red/orange and aquas are showing up in many collections. These two pillows are part of the Ty Pennington Collection for Sears.

 

Texture! These look as though they came out of a jewel box! Purple and orange red colors are showing up in lush velvets and prints for fall. I want that purple floral! This look compliments all the hot new IKAT designs that I've been seeing.

 
All this color trending points to the fact that we're ready to transition out of neutrals- sure, they'll always have their place but we've cleared the color palette with them for the past few years and now are ready to bring on the brights and pattern!

Welcome to my Blog!

I am an Interior Designer in the mountains of Western North Carolina. I started English Green Interiors in 1997 with another designer, Traci English. We worked together and were not happy in our place of employment. I'll never forget the day she looked at me said "I'm leaving and if you want to come with me we'll start a business."
We sealed the deal over Chinese and never looked back. So began English Green Interiors (our last names).
At the time, I was 7 months pregnant, we were remodeling our house and my husband was between jobs.Talk about a leap of faith!  I remember driving by the lake on my way to work-(I live in a beautiful place and have a very scenic drive) and praying..... OK God, if you want me to do this, open the doors and I'll walk through them. I never had a moment of doubt. My clients followed me, opportunities came from everywhere and we never missed a beat. Talk about being in the right place at the right time! God put me exactly where I needed to be to succeed and I am truly blessed to have a job I love!

Now 13 years later I can't believe the journey I've been on. I'm still walking through those doors! I continue to own English Green Interiors, and although Traci moved about an hour away 7 years ago and now has her own business, we are still the best of friends. I'm divorced, my 3 girls are 24,21 and 12 and time has flown by!

The downturn of the economy has brought changes to our area- our second home community has been hit hard by the slowdown in real estate sales. I have seen an increase in remodeling and  have several small jobs going on also. I made the decision to close my retail shop and focus entirely on Interior Design. My mother and I recently opened a site on ETSY called The Appointed Home where we sell pillows that I design and she creates. I'm also working on adding a retail store to my website and doing some online Interior Design consultation. I have a wealth of resources, know where to find just about anything wonderful for the home and love to help people achieve just the right look. I feel, in this new market  we need to expand our scope and the internet is a great way to branch out and reach potential clients. It's the way of the future for sure!

I decided to start this blog to give exposure to and promote my ETSY  and English Green Interiors websites, help people connect with all the great resources I find in my research, and give me an outlet to talk about my love of decorating and Interior Design!

I hope you'll follow me as I begin my journey of blogging.  (blogging- seriously....are you sure GOD?????)     I plan to post some before and after articles, portfolio shots, (Maybe that will encourage me to take those pictures!)  fabulous finds and trends that are on my radar. I'd also like to post your design questions so ask and I will answer!

Yours in design,
Debra