Ital Art Designs: True Old World Craftsmanship

It can be challenging to find beautiful, high-quality furniture that will fit the décor of your home. Ital Art Designs is a large international importer of living room, bedroom and dining room furnishings that is both elegant and gorgeous.

Their European-designed traditional furniture will beautify your home and open the door to a extensive assortment of items for those who are style-conscious and seek quality and value.

Their superior craftsman put the 'art' in Ital Art Designs. They don’t compromise on quality - and proudly boast their Old World craftsmanship. Simply put, their fabrics, materials and finishes are among the best in the world.

Many of the items created by Ital Art Designs are crafted from natural elements like beechwood, alder or mahogany and produce exquisite and unique looks. They offer a wide variety of finishes - including the natural clear coating as well as premium finishes.

Just like their wooden finishes, their fabric is also artfully crafted from a variety of designer fabrics and grades that are guaranteed to suit your taste—whatever that may be.

At J. Douglas Design Fine Furniture and Interior Design, we focus only on the best lines and finest brands and we are proud to be able to display Ital Art Designs furniture in our Dallas showroom. Stop by and see what we have to offer.

New Construction Allows New Interior Design

Purchasing a new home can be an overwhelming experience but should be an enjoyable one. A new home brings with it a new neighborhood, new communities and a new opportunity to start fresh – that’s why there’s no better time to enjoy the luxury of a blank canvas inside your home… waiting for you to put a bit of “you” into it.

Recently built homes share little in common with those that were built decades ago. Some are larger; others are smaller but more efficient when considering energy and lighting. All in all, the features of newer, modern homes are something to be celebrated and something to consider when planning your interior design direction.

Large, Open Living Spaces

Most are much more practical for entertaining and enjoying the company of others because they feature wide floor plans and open living spaces.

No more struggling to catch a glimpse of the “big game” on TV. These open living spaces allow for entertaining larger amounts of guest without compromising on the coziness of a comfortable home.

Warm, inviting and durable furniture in an open living room is a great accent to a great atmosphere.

Lighting

The lighting in your home can make a big difference when personalizing your new home. In a new home, you’re able to pick and choose your own light fixtures that fit into your vision of each room.

Some beautiful accents in modern rooms are spotlights and lamps that feature specific locations, such as a focus over a gathering area in a living room.

Ceilings

Ceiling of modern homes are higher than their older counterparts. They provide an open feeling to those inside and give off a sense of sophistication when decorated with colors, artwork and curtains that catch the breeze from an open window.

Seize the opportunity to maximize the benefits of new construction with reference to your home accessories selection and interior design plan. 

Designing Bedrooms with Your Child in Mind

Technology is becoming the playground for our children. They maneuver smart phones, tablets and computers with ease. Parents use to be open to putting computers and televisions into children’s rooms but have recently responded with a firm stance to not.

Remember when kids would set up bedroom tents and play with little more than action figures and their imagination? Does their bedroom allow them to get creative?

Interior design specific for children can be an incredible opportunity to build a creative mind and allow children to entertain themselves into the day without sitting and staring at a glowing screen.

Gender-specific room designs are usually the first addition to be made to a child’s bedroom. People fill boy’s rooms with toy trains, fire trucks and superheroes and girl’s with dress up clothes and costumes, dolls and stuffed animals.

Design with Your Child in Mind

Each child is different and as they grow, they want to express themselves in individual and personal ways. Ask your child what they enjoy and build around them.Does your child like “teaching class” to a group of furry stuffed animal students? Invest in a chalkboard for those lesson plans. What about the die-hard football fan? Grab a green-colored rug and paint some white “ticks” on it to imitate a playing field. Make a room your child will love! 

Limit Tech in the Room

Although that iPad might keep your child busy for hours on end, find ways to absorb their attention in different ways. Lights from glowing screens can throw off rhythmic sleeping patterns for children and recent studies reveal that consistent technology use by growing children contributes to limited attention spans.

Most of all let your child play a role. Make their room their room. Allow them a say in paint colors,  furniture and other room accents so that it truly will represent what they like and who they are.

Maitland-Smith & The Unique Furniture Building Process

La Barge and Maitland-Smith have long been known as luxury furniture brands in the furniture and home furnishing trade.  It is because of their unique approach, and centuries-tested methods of furniture fabrication that they have earned one of the highest and most respected ranks in the industry.

Recently, they created a board on Pinterest, that included photos and detailed information on their trade techniques, and how those fine details are what make the difference in their furniture and home furnishings.

La Barge and Maitland-Smith take craftsmanship very seriously, and - to a new level. To achieve their special look and the best quality, their artisans consistently make use of these ancient and unique techniques - such as:

• Wax Casting
• Materials
• Hammering
• Embossing
• Hand-Painting
  

For more on the Maitland-Smith and La Barge furniture building process, visit this board on Pinterest.

The Color Psychology idea

Why is it so important to have the right colors in your home? Because the colors in your home, no matter what room they are in, affect people in different ways and give people a certain view of who you are as a person. Our reaction to color is immediate and has an unfathomable impact on the choices we make.

What we are talking about here, of course, is Color Psychology, which is the study of color as a factor in human behavior. All humans react to colors in slightly different ways, and that is because we all have different experiences and different outlooks on life. Generally, although the exact emotion associated with the color may be different, colors have the same basic connotative value.

When one hears somebody say “red,” the normal thought may be of caution or love. Red could denote a stop sign, a fire truck, or maybe something red in your past that had some kind of negative feeling with it. Red can also mean love for some, making the person feel loved, excited, or even really happy. Red is inherently exciting and the amount of red is directly related to the level of energy perceived. Red draws attention and an ardent use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element.

The color gray, though, does not have so much passion associated with it. Gray is the color of intellect, knowledge, and wisdom. It is a color that is decorous, conservative, and holds power. Gray is a great neutral, which is why interior designers often use it as a background color.

Blue, on the other hand, is more of a balance between the two. Blue can be both calm and exciting. Blue is seen as dependable and steadfast, and as the collective color of the spirit, it invokes rest and can cause the body to produce chemicals that are calming. Not all blues are serene and sedate, though. Brilliant or radiant blues become vibrant and dramatic and are an engaging color that expresses liveliness, while some shades of blue may come across as cold or callous.

All colors, not only these ones, have different emotions and thoughts associated with them, and all of these things should be taken into account before you go through with decorating any room.

At J. Douglas Design we are happy to help you choose whatever colors you need and we will happily make suggestions for color & textures to maximize use of your space based on your vision.

Effortless Spring Florals For Easter

With Easter coming up this Sunday, you may be wondering how to get your space decorated in the right fashion for all of the friends and family coming over for celebrations for Easter Sunday.

Flowers, which are easily bought at any store, are the quickest way to get that Springtime holiday feel without doing anything too drastic (with regard to time and effort) to your interior design.

Certainly, there are several types of flowers and standard arrangements that are already associated with Easter. Here are some tips and ideas to add that touch of color... and if you're looking for more 'Easter meaning' behind the flowers - with regard to colors and their meanings and symbols during the season's religious holidays - we've covered that too.

White
The color white symbolizes the hope of the resurrection of Christ in the Christian religion, as well as the purity and newness that comes from victory over sin and death. White is purity, cleanliness, and innocence, and like black, white goes well with almost any color. Many kinds of white flowers are out there that can help you incorporate the Easter colors without doing anything too drastic. There are Wood Anemones, Spring Cress’, May Apples, and many more types as well.

Red
The color red is mostly associated with the blood shed during the crucifixion. The color red is extensively used to make designs on Easter eggs, and red spring flowers such as tulips, or red trilliums, are widely used to decorate Easter eggs and can even be included in flower baskets. Red can symbolize many things; from blood, to love, to infatuation. Red is also seen as a color of passion and warmth, so any hue of red can make a room’s interior design feel warm and welcoming.

Yellow
Yellow symbolizes the light of the world brought with Easter, and the resurrection - that 'enlightens the world'. Yellow can also symbolize joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, gold, dishonesty, cowardice, deceit, illness, and hazard. Spring season is the time for the bloom of attractive yellow colored flowers, such as chrysanthemums, gerberas and sunflowers. You can make use of the beautiful blooming flowers in your decorations for Easter in any room.

Purple
Purple is normally the color of royalty, and it is believed to have been the color of the garment that covered Jesus when he was taken to the crucifix. Purple tulips are often used to adorn Easter flower bonnets, and you can make a beautiful bouquet by making use of purple colored spring flowers. Deep or bright purples suggest riches, while lighter purples are more romantic and delicate. You can use redder purples for a warmer color scheme or the bluer purples to cool down.

While flowers are the quick fix to add any color into your house, all of these colors are in any number of pillow designs, baskets, vases, rugs, or even lampshades, and can make your house aesthetically pleasing while adding that “Easter Touch.”

Focus on Furnishings: Marge Carson Sonoma Collection

With the Marge Carson brand, it's all about the details.  And - with the detail oriented clientele of our Dallas Interior Design studio - we are excited about this new collection.  The Sonoma Collection takes it's inspiration from the relaxing and simple California countrysides and restful way of life. Considered  contemporary in style, and smaller in scale than prior collections, the creators of the collection and designers who use it consider it a perfect fit for smaller spaces.

From the Marge Carson Newsroom:  It’s easy living in a contemporary way,” says Director of Design Mike Gohman. “And it’s a bit smaller in scale – perfect for, say, urban loft living.”

This collection represents something new in both scale and style:  “Sonoma, in some ways, takes us back to Marge Carson’s roots,” says owner and CEO Jim LaBarge. “In the early days, our success as a new manufacturer was in the use of textures, stitched leather, stone, metal and soft wood finishes that came to be known as the ‘California Look.’ ” 

The collection was crafted with rich cheery woods and two new finishes - the low-sheen 'Calais' finish - which is a soft brown, inspired by the rural French country, as well as the 'Sonoma' finish, which is lighter. There is also use of beautiful inlays of Makassar ebony and amazing combinations of weathered and textured metals.




 “The unique chiseled surface we developed for much of the metalwork adds a visual, tactile texture to this contemporary collection,” says Gohman. “Light reflecting off this surface has a glinting shimmer, much the same way that light reflects off a stream of water.”


Visit our Dallas showroom today to view pieces from the Marge Carson Sonoma Collection.