Color of the Year 2015

~By Susan Rayner, Design Editor~ It’s a new year so it’s time for Pantone to announce their new color and for 2015 it’s . . . . MARSALA. And my reaction is . . . I’m not lovin’ it, to tell you the truth. Which may be a surprise to my friends who are familiar…

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For the Love of Lamps

~ By Susan Rayner, Design Editor ~ I have a little thing for lamps. Almost as bad as my thing for side tables, but at least lamps take up less space. The right lamp can totally elevate a room, just as the wrong one can look oddly out of place. So how do you choose the…

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Chicago Botanic Garden Annual Antiques & Garden Fair

~By Susan Rayner, Design Editor ~ I trekked up to Chicago’s North Shore last weekend to visit one of my favorite places – the Chicago Botanic Garden.  Although I am a gardener and can’t wait until my tulips bloom (any second now!), this time I was there primarily to visit the annual Antiques Fair.  Which…

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Is it Houndstooth or Herringbone?

~By Susan Rayner, Design Editor~ I love menswear fabrics, especially when used in unexpected ways.  Right now these patterns are all over women’s fashion.  And where fashion goes, interior design is sure to follow.       So how do you tell your houndstooth from your herringbone? Houndstooth is a two-toned textile consisting of jagged…

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What do Hugh Hefner, Frank Sinatra  & Dustin Hoffman have in common?

~ By Susan Rayner, Design Editor ~  Wandering through the booths at Chicago’s International Antique Fair earlier this year I came across this amazing item.   Even though I’m a long-time fan of mid-century furnishings I had somehow never discovered the Clairtone Project G stereo. I totally fell in love with its swinging 60’s cool…

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The White Stuff

~ By Susan Rayner, Design Editor~ Just got back in the house after yet another round of shoveling. Looking at all that snow made me think of how we use white space in design – whether it’s graphic, website, product or interior design.  Hopefully Mother Nature will get the message that she’s given us enough…

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2014 Residential Interior Design Trends

Host Kelly Galea interviews interior designer Susan Rayner for this episode of Power Up Living. We’re taking a look at what interior design styles and trends will continue on and what’s new for 2014. Susan  also shares what she’d like to see more of … and what she wishes would just go away already!  …

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Design Insights Courtesy of Candice

Enjoy today’s post from our Design Editor, Susan Rayner. Susan is our guest on the next episode of the Power Up Living radio show, and we’re talking residential interior design trends! Join us to listen in, or subscribe on iTunes to catch the replay. ~KG ~ By Susan Rayner ~ If you’re an HGTV fan (Home and Garden…

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