Beth McMillan’s Fashion Essentials for the Home

As a truly fashion-obsessed decorator and designer, I love watching the change of the season and enjoy the long anticipated fall/winter fashions that flood the stores and boutiques. The newly styled window displays become alive with a palette of fabulous new colors, textures, and design. I admit, I am like a kid in a candy store when that coveted September issue of Vogue arrives on the magazine stands. My mind races and my creative juices start flowing. Once I have that issue, I plan my evening around devouring every detail of it. As archaic as it is, I am still one of those magazine readers who enjoys the feel of the paper, turning the pages, and marking my favorite designs with a black sharpie. I rip out the best pages to reference, as I design interiors for my clients. Fashion really does hold the key essential elements in trends, color, fabrics, and texture. As you replenish and update your fall/winter wardrobe, you should do the same for your home. Your personal style is a powerful tool and should be used to express who you are and where you are headed. And just as your style shines through in your wardrobe, it can in your interior design choices, as well. My job as an interior decorator is to understand and apply the latest fashionable trends and bring them into the home in a chic and stylish way.

• •         Leather and hides
• •         Leopard skin (Note: use in small doses)
• •         Metallic and sparkle: mirrors, crystals, embellishments
• •         Fur detail
• •         Darker and deeper colors: charcoal, black, navy, oxblood, plum, persimmon, peacock blue, magenta and chocolate
• •         Heavier textures: wool, cashmere, tweed, herringbone, velvet, mohair and heavy satin

 

LEATHER: A great way to add visual weight, warmth, and structure through upholstery, floor coverings and accessories. Leather and some suedes are durable and easy to care for. I love to mix hides on the floor or layer them on top of grass rugs or low pile rugs. There are many great faux leathers on the market now, if you need a less expensive option or a have project that requires cut yardage.

 

 

LEOPARD SKIN: Very glamorous in small doses. This look can go wrong fast if you use too much. Think of leopard skin or animal print as an accessory in the room. One or two items in a skin is plenty.  And try and stick with one type of skin, otherwise it could resemble Elvis’s “jungle room” at Graceland. Leopard skin used in the right amount and in the right way is very glamorous and reads “high fashion.”

WOW!

 

METALLIC AND SPARKLE: A beautiful to way to add glitz and glimmer to a dull room or a way to reflect light.  Using crystals, mirrors, and metallic fabrics adds a festive sparkle for holiday decorating, too. Mirrors are one of my best decorating tools. Almost every room needs a mirror of some sort . You can age the glass if you do not want to reflect an image. Add candles if a crystal chandelier or sconces are not electrified.

FUR DETAIL:  One of my favorite and most luxurious of detail and design touches. Try fur pillows or a throw across a bed or sofa. A real fur can be very expensive and sometimes controversial, but the fabric mills have mastered the faux fur. You can buy them in cut yardage which is great for bedding and blankets, not to mention the savings in cost. Best faux furs in my professional opinion are Casamance from Ernie Gaspard at ADAC, Atlanta.

DARKER DEEPER COLORS: Paint can breathe new life into a room. It can create different atmospheres and add the perfect detail or finishing touch to a room, piece of furniture, or mirror. It is cost effective and anyone can paint!  For the fall/winter try painting a room, a single wall, or something in the room a dark color such as navy, charcoal, or chocolate. If you need color, try persimmon, oxblood, peacock blue, or deep plum. It is a little scary at first, and brace yourself for change, but you can create a sophisticated, modern, chic space instantly. Remember, it’s just paint. Go for it! Another way to add deep rich fall/winter colors into a room is though fabric: drapery, pillows, a chair, a stool or bench.

HEAVIER TEXTURES: My personal passion, the art of combining beautiful textiles. For fall/winter use fashionable velvets, wools, cashmeres. Reupholster or slipcover furniture, add pillows, have table clothes or slipcovers made for occasional pieces or tables. How beautiful would it be if you slipcovered a dinning table or an oversized  cocktail ottoman in a fabulous velvet, tweed, or wool? It may depend on the region of the country where you live as to how much wool or heavy fabric you use, but throw pillows and cashmere throws will work anywhere. Heavy satins are great, too, for a more glamorous take. It is all about creating that warm, heavy visual interest in a room.

All in a days work!!!!  Live your Life in Style!!!!!   

 “McMillan Interiors Inc. is an interior decorating, design and consulting group that caters to those who admire and command a sophisticated classic look, but want to add a fashionable edge in their interiors. Working primarily in the residential design field, and in smaller commercial projects, Beth McMillan draws inspiration from luxurious looks of the runway and combines it with her knowledge of classic and modern interior design. The results are memorable spaces unique to each individual client created with the utmost respect for fine antiques, glamorous art deco pieces, and beautiful textiles fused together with modern elements of design.”