One of the things I love most about my job is visiting the merchandise markets. They are so inspiring as you get to see the latest upcoming trends and products that will soon be hitting the market. I was so inspired by the latest 2011 spring markets as pops of crisp colors emerged from neutrals which have been popular for awhile. It was like a breath of fresh air. Showrooms and booths were lively with excitement about the new enlivened color schemes. We saw lots of turquoise mixed with pops of warm colors like red, yellow, and orange. The two contrasting tones of cool turquoise and hot reds woke you up. It reminded me of a beautiful field of summer poppies.

Summer Garden 2011

As always you can count on me to bring the latest trends right to your front door and I did with our new Summer Garden catalog. The collection features exactly the feel we found at market and I couldn’t have been more pleased with how the mix came together. My favorite piece, our new Birds of a Feather French Bergere chair I designed myself.

I chose the oversized bird fabric because of the fun it brings and the neutral background makes the colorful birds pop. I matched it with a silk plaid for the back and sides of the chair and matched the painted wood finish to the cool turquoise in the fabrics. I added a Robin’s Egg Blue table lamp to the mix because it had such a classic look as well as our Modern Classic sconces in Matte Gold.

I chose gold metallic tones for our collection because the feel I wanted to achieve was warm and cozy, but I think this collection would mix just as well with silver metallics. I added accent furniture and mirrors in glossy white to keep the crisp appeal flowing from wall to floor.

Finally I finished the collection with an indoor/outdoor striped rug with all the trend colors. Our Indoor/Outdoor rug collection is growing because I love the versatility it gives our customers to use a beautiful rug inside or out with no worries. I only choose rugs that are beautiful and cozy enough to go inside for all our indoor/outdoor rugs and the striped rug on our latest cover fits the bill.

I hope our latest Summer Garden collection inspires you to add a little bit of color to your life. Just a little pop of color can refresh your space and give you a whole new perspective.

Summer Garden

-Katrina

Copyright Shades of Light 2011