2016 Room Makeover Giveaway Design Plan Reveal

We recently met with Gillian and her husband John (our 2016 Room Makeover Giveaway Winners) to reveal our design plan! We showed them two different ways of using the same sofa, accent chairs and media console. What differentiates the two palettes is the rug, ottoman and upholstery selections.

 

THE CLASSIC MOD PALETTE

Light, warm + handsome

EWFmodern_Ottoman_4786_WEB (1).jpg
 

THE STORMY MOD PALETTE

Dark, moody + playful

 

THE CORE FURNISHINGS

As you can see from the floorplans, we changed things around! A sofa and pair of chairs replace their sofa chaise and sentimental chair (which we recommended they move to another space). We pivoted the furnishings 90 degrees counter clockwise. The seating arrangement focuses on a new large media console and central ottoman/coffee table. The sofa, chairs and media console set the aesthetic tone for the room because of their scale. We picked these pieces because of how they compliment Gillian and John's Mid Century Modern home + design taste:

 

ADDITIONAL FURNITURE + GALLERY WALL

To create a welcoming and functional landing zone in their entryway, we suggested a gallery wall of their existing artwork with a new console table, table lamp and pair of stools beneath it. We understood why they're fond of the vertical blinds and suggested they simply update them with a more modern design.

CONSOLE METAL FINISH

CONSOLE METAL FINISH

CONSOLE WOOD FINISH

CONSOLE WOOD FINISH

DARK PALETTE OTTOMAN FABRIC

DARK PALETTE OTTOMAN FABRIC

LIGHT PALETTE OTTOMAN FABRIC

LIGHT PALETTE OTTOMAN FABRIC

BLINDS MATERIAL

BLINDS MATERIAL

modern console table

After our presentation, Gillian shared in an email that “it was great coming in and seeing the design you put together for our front room! There are a lot of good options to think about, and how they work with our lifestyle”. We’ll be hearing from them soon about which direction they want to go and will update you on their final selections!

Do you like our solutions for Gillian + John? If so, let us know by clicking the little heart at the bottom right of this blog post!

2016 Room Makeover Giveaway Initial Home Visit

Meet Gillian, and her adorable pup. She and her husband won our Room Makeover Giveaway and we visited their home this week to measure, take photos and see what we’re working with! In our discussions, we learned what’s working, what isn’t and what their dream vision is for their entry/living room space.

Here are some of the things we learned from our visit!

EWFmodern_Blog_1606-2 (1).jpg

We Have A Raffle Winner!

We have a winner! We raffled off this Pablo Designs Clamp Mini Table Lamp to benefit The Forest Park Conservancy and celebrate our Anniversary. The winner will love the sustainable features of this lamp. If you missed the raffle, you can always donate to The Forest Park Conservancy on their website: forestparkconservancy.org/donate. And you can buy the clamp in white oak or walnut from us anytime! More here: ewfmodern.com/pablo-clamp-mini-table-lamp-567

What is Organic Modern

Modern interiors, with their focus on form, function and organization are derived from modern design’s use of geometric angles, curves and edges. The outcome is sleek, spacious and uncluttered. But despite these attributes, “modern” often comes across as cold and lifeless.

The organic aesthetic is rich with character and warmth that comes from the use of natural materials - think stone, wood, and textural fibers. Color, pattern, shapes and textural inspiration can all be drawn from nature (learn more about that by clicking here). A challenge with this aesthetic is creating a balanced space without clashing like materials or their varying stains and finishes.

Organic modern, which is our aesthetic, harmoniously blends the best of the two design styles. Adding furnishings that clearly come from nature with the uncomplicated lines of modern design breathes life into a space. One of our Room Makeover Entrants said, “Organic modern means clean lines, functional and purposeful design and the warmth of natural colors and materials which combined create a soothing modern space.” We couldn’t agree more! Natural materials provide just the right counterpoint for an enduring, softer, warmer take on modern.

At EWF Modern, organic modern is more than an aesthetic. We give preference to manufacturers that use reclaimed or sustainably harvested woods, water based and low VOC glues and stains, formaldehyde free foams and no added chemicals (like fire retardants).

INSPIRATION: Nature's Color

Inspiration for the color palettes of interior spaces can come from many sources. Our organic modern aesthetic creates an appreciation for natural colors, textures and organic forms. It also points us to a place where it’s easy to find pleasing color solutions. Nature!  Nature just seems to know how to beautifully harmonize hues and values. Our owner, Renee Russo sums it up well: “Nature has always been reflected in my choices for spaces. What you see in nature works so well naturally, you don’t have to come up with other ways to pair colors and textures.”

Whether the visual cue is panoramic or close-up, color palettes of all kinds - vibrant, serene, monochromatic, even surprising - spark our creativity. When you are out and about in natural settings or looking through nature photos, take notice. There’s a really good chance that nature’s combinations will inspire you too.

Rich brown wood tones paired with fresh green hues create a pleasing nature-inspired color combination. The live edge table, wood chairs and other elements composed of natural materials and colors work to evoke the organic beauty of our Pacific Northwest forests.

The Painted Hills, listed as one of the 7 Wonders of Oregon, showcase glowing layers of reds, oranges, yellows and browns. Such a palette brings a warm, welcoming and invigorating energy to interior spaces.

Gray, ranging from warm (taupe) to cool (silver), is the ideal neutral and never seems to go out of style. Gray looks great combined in different shades for a serene effect that can be casual or sophisticated.