Ourso Designs: 2014

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Trend Alert: Panoramic Wall Murals

Tips on Ceiling Colors

"Adding just a little color to any room in your home can be a small step towards BIG improvements. Color has the ability to create the illusion that a room is either bigger or smaller then it is in reality. What a powerful tool!

Before you add any color to rooms in your home, it’s important to determine what exactly you are trying to achieve and for what audience. You’re going to want to take into account your social experiences, especially if you enjoy hosting many guests at one time on a regular basis. Similarly, it’s important to factor children or teenagers into the equation because these age groups usually call for décor with a bit more durability and vibrancy.

Funny enough, the same rules apply when you are looking to pick paint colors for your ceiling. While it might not be the first paintable space that comes to mind, painting your ceiling can give any room an entirely new dimension and overall feel.

The following are a few things to consider when you’re getting ready to paint high above your head in the home:

White Ceilings

Let's start with the most obvious and common of colors. A basic decorators white is a classic and safe choice that won't have you repainting every couple of years.

White paint makes ceilings appear higher and brighter than they actually are. When the walls are white too, the room is airy and open.

Matching the Walls

One of our favorite new tricks for sprucing up your home? Painting the ceiling the same color as the walls. It's an elegant, cohesive look, and one that's relatively easy to achieve. Painting the ceiling the same color as the rest of the room creates a rich and full atmosphere that feels complete. This paint strategy also creates an endless plane of color that's very soothing to the eye, without the jolt that comes with a color change.

Slight Variation from the Wall Colors

As a twist on the second strategy, alter the ceiling color to be several shades darker or lighter than the walls. You still get the soothing nature from a unified space, with a touch more depth and dimension.

Since ceilings tend to look darker than walls, try a couple of shades lighter to make the room feel airier.

If you want a cozier feel, a slightly darker shade than the walls will make the ceiling feel lower and more intimate. It's perfect for a bedroom or bathroom where you want to relax and linger. Consider going this route if your ceilings are over nine feet tall, so it doesn't feel like the room is closing in on you.

Leaning Towards Light Color Tones

While you’re ultimately free to paint your ceiling any hue or tone you want, it’s beneficial to consider the surrounding room before you actually apply the paint. Going back to the illusion factor, if you are looking to paint a rather large ceiling that covers a room that already has darker walls, then using a light tone can actually make the ceiling appear higher, giving the room a large expansive feel.

Additionally, it can help balance out dark colors that have been used elsewhere and create a calming effect. Guests and family alike might not even be able to place their finger on what exactly brings the room together unless they look up, but they’ll quickly and naturally understand that it’s visually pleasing. If your ceiling is textured, light tones are also a great choice as they have a tendency to compliment the rough patterns without taking away from them.

Daring and Dark Ceiling Colors

On the other side of the decorative coin, rooms that have been done in neutral tones in order to create a wider sense of space are perfect for darker colored ceilings.

Don’t worry—Because of the floor to ceiling distance, a darker ceiling in a light room won’t necessarily take away from the illusion of space, but might become a visual centerpiece that’s bold and beautiful.

That being said, a ceiling painted in a dark or bold color should definitely be applied to ceilings that are higher than 8-feet tall. A dark ceiling that’s also low can be a heavy interior choice that you may want to avoid.

Creating Colorful Ceilings For The Kids

When it comes to fancying up a room for children, it’s easy to get excited in the creative possibilities. When you’re putting that genius to good use, don’t forget that the ceiling is an open canvas for fun ideas with paint. Remember, when you are thinking about getting creative with paint colors, use the architecture as a starting point.

This is an opportunity to have fun painting in a place kids definitely won’t be able to reach or color on—but they’ll absolutely enjoy looking at! Painting a kid’s ceiling is an exercise in dimension and color. Try adding two-toned stripes in pastels to keep the space open, but add a youthful flair.

No matter which direction you decide to go, adding some paint and color to your ceiling is a detail-oriented task that leads to big aesthetic changes.

Friends and family alike will be drawn back time and again. When they ask what it is you changed, they’ll only have to look up to find the answer. Dare to be bold by painting your dining room ceiling a dark hue, or offset those dark walls with a light ceiling color that opens up your space.

Either way, it’s time to look up to all the ceiling possibilities!

What color would you dare to paint your ceiling?"

History Lesson: French Bergere Chairs

"Other than baguettes, berets, and Brigitte Bardot, few things are more classically French than bergères. Popularized in Louis XV–era salons, these cushy armchairs survived the revolution, adapting easily to the changing fashions of the Directoire and Empire periods. Today they remain as in vogue as ever. And for good reason—with their plush upholstery and regal frames, bergères blend comfort and style seamlessly.

For laymen, what sets them apart from other stately seats are their characteristic closed arms, loose seat cushions, and exposed-wood frames. "They really are masterpieces," says Bruno de Caumont, an interior decorator and furniture designer. Having learned about bergères from the chief upholsterer at Versailles, Caumont is well versed in the different styles. A bergère en gondole has an arched back and sides upholstered as a single panel, while the bergère confessionale features a high back and low arms.

"Bergères were really designed for palaces," notes interior architect Beata Galdi. Still, she finds their elegant form fits into even the most contemporary rooms, whether grouped in a formal seating area or standing alone in a bedroom. "Excellent design is timeless," Galdi says.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Trending: Sconces Above Sofas

I LOVE wall sconces. As a designer, I find them totally under-used. They are an excellent way to flank a piece of art at an entry way and to bring a little ambient warmth to a space or vignette. We spec a lot of wall mount sconces for bathrooms for adequate and flattering lighting. Lately, however, we seeing a trend of sconces used in interesting places. See for yourself...

Take notes from this one! Ever come across the perfect vintage fixture but there is only one--this is a simple, understated but beautiful way to use just one fixture.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Trending: Wood + White

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

2015 Color Trends Forecast

This is the time of the year for designers around the world to go into an anxious frenzy wondering what next year's color forecast will bring. Especially when making daily design decisions you want to feel like you are designing spaces that will remain fresh for many years to come. Unfortunately for us Pantone has not released its official 2015 color of the year. However, Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore have released their 2015 color palettes.

Sherwin Williams 2015 Color Palettes:

Chrysalis

"Like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, we’re poised for change. As modern life and technology rush at us, we seek an oasis where we can find balance, mindful living and tempo giusto (the “right time,” or the steady, regular beat of the heart). We look to earth and sky for inspiration, finding raw beauty in striations and gently blurred hues and patterns. Artisans break the mold, creating objects that aren’t what they seem. Shapes are layered and deconstructed. In this moment, silence is the greatest luxury, and metamorphosis is the mother of invention."

Voyage

‘To boldly go where no man has gone before.’ That phrase was fantasy when it was born during the Sputnik era. Today we’re living it. The sci-fi dreams of the past have become everyday reality— from space tourism to undersea resorts. No longer confined to our earthly plane, we look to the beyond and find colors that are supernatural and magical. Unusual atmospheric events, including a decade-best aurora borealis and a rare sequence of “blood moons,” will keep our focus on the heavens in the months ahead.”

Bouyant

"Happy days are here again! We’ve weathered the recession. Our revived good spirits echo the optimism that followed World War II, when GIs returned home from exotic locales. Like that era, we’re expressing ourselves with bright florals, but today, our fascination with the tropics runs deeper. We’re exploring the secrets of the rainforest, applying the medicinal and cosmetic benefits of its botanical bounty. We’re looking to the natural world in other ways, too, incorporating green spaces into even dense urban environments — trusting in nature to keep our spirits bright."

Unrestrained

"Life is a Carnival, and we’re eager to celebrate: from bold, ethnic-inspired colors, designs and crafts to the Bohemian lifestyle. But today’s wandering nomads aren’t starving artists — they’re fusing the carefree spirit of the gypsy with the sophistication of the jet set. Artisans and purveyors of luxury goods are getting in the spirit, putting an irreverant spin on their work. South Africa and its colorful art scene exert a strong pull, while the 2016 Summer Olympics will rivet the world’s attention on Rio de Janeiro."

Click here to see full PDF on Sherwin Williams Colors