Transforming With Multifunctional Furniture

Furniture doesn’t only have to look good and feel comfortable, but also serve a greater purpose of function. Many homes today face the challenge of small spaces. Here at EWF Modern we offer a unique range of “transforming furniture” to perfectly suit your furniture challenges and needs.

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How To Measure Your Space

Often times when we are in the hunt to furnish our home, we fall in love with a piece before we know if it will fit in our space. Something to ask yourself when shopping is, “how much space do I have to work with?” To avoid any disappointments on delivery day, we have provided you with a checklist for your consideration.

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Holiday Festivities 2017

To celebrate our customers, community, and another great year, we celebrated with a holiday party at EWF Modern!

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West Linn Modern Makeover

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Almost a year in the making, this beautiful home belongs to one of our awesome customers. Slowly pieces were added to create layers and a well balanced design. Our interior designer had a fun time collaborating with the client and is currently working on a few more updates to her home.

Interior Design Spotlight

Erez and Renee, architect and designer at EWF Modern, recently finished a remodel in Vancouver, Washington. The clients contacted EWF Modern because they wanted their 80’s style 5000 square foot home to feel more contemporary and tasked Renee and Erez to create a living space reminiscent of a Pearl District Penthouse. The scope of the job included new outdoor furniture, new kitchen remodel with a dedicated seating area for bridge, a bedroom remodel, a new entry including a new door and stairwell, a new fireplace area and living room furniture, new dining room, new electrical with new chandeliers, sconces and can lighting, new paint schemes for every room and a new powder room. The goal of the project was to open the spaces to allow them to flow together and emphasize the river views while bringing back life to the living and dining rooms, which weren’t often used. In addition, the client wanted the furniture to be modern but comfortable, functional, and unique. Erez and Renee enjoyed redesigning the client’s home so that the space reflected their lifestyle, creating a living room conversation pit that flowed into the dining room and kitchen. Look forward to another EWF Modern post from us when we finish adding the final layers to this amazing project!

Townhouse in the Pearl Residential Project

Renee, EWF Modern owner and Designer, recently worked with a Pearl District couple to furnish their townhouse. The couple adjoined their two townhomes into one home to create an expanded living space and wanted to expand the master bedroom, a teenage junior suite, and a new kitchenette. The space needed to be casual and informal but also accommodating to hosting large parties. Renee worked with these clients in the past so it was fun to expand on their history adapting  their previous purchased EWF Modern furniture to their new environment and larger space. Taking inspiration from the view of the park and bridges near by, they ultimately selected warm woods, steel, and leather interior furnishings.

Patio in the Pearl Residential Project

Oliver and Renee, both EWF Modern Interior Designers, recently worked with some clients in the Pearl District to furnish and design the patio outside their townhouse. As the couple entertain a lot, the goal was to create an outside space that was comfortable and conversational, but with maximum seating. In addition to meeting the form and functional needs of the client, Oliver and Renee also found a way to plan the space of the outdoor dining area that complemented the indoor environment, which was important as the two spaces flow together. The designers enjoyed coming up with a comprehensive design and finishing the project quickly. This provided the clients ample time to enjoy the end of our beautiful Portland summer!

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How To Find Inspiration To Define Your Style

Defining the look and style of your space can be tricky. There are endless ways to find inspiration, whether it be from the architectural style of your home to the infinite number of colors found in nature. The function of a space can greatly impact its design as well, but for now we will be focusing on finding inspiration to define the aesthetic of a room. Here are a few ways to find inspiration by making your space absolutely lovable and livable! Let’s get the gears turning and center in on the living room.

 

CHOOSING A COLOR PALETTE

I love playing with color and how it affects the overall picture of the room. We are highly perceptive to colors and textures as we tend to gravitate towards attractive choices that reflect our personalities. Your home interior is an expressive reflection of your taste and own style whether it be eccentric and dramatic, tranquil and subdued, or sometimes a little bit of both.

Pops of playful colors can brighten the mood and evoke stimulating senses. Warmer tones of yellow, orange and red are invigorating colors while stimulating the eye. Energy flows through color and using it as an accent can be effective on a neutral palette and soft textures. Sofas and accent chairs in a bold color are great statements as they introduce color in a profound way. The luxurious Sofa 4896 shown here covered in a plush, rich velvet in a deep marigold acts as a great eye catcher in the room. This sofa is offered in leather or fabric in a multitude of fun colors and textures which are all available to view at our showroom.

Monochromatic tones and hues within the same color range produce a calming and balanced palette. I like using grays and browns together with a pop of white to add a dramatic contrast. Earthier colors such as taupe, white, black, green, and blue are natural and organic compositions while incorporating wood elements. Warm and soft colors are inviting as they are comfortable to the eye.

 

DEFINE YOUR FOCAL POINT

Start with the biggest and most functional piece of furniture to base your design off of - the sofa. It’s all about looks and comfort, the perfect marriage of great design. A great way to utilize a piece of furniture as the main focal point in a room is highlighting its function. Fall in love with your furniture, let it shine. Your furniture tells a story which speaks volumes of your own creative style.

The stunning Theater Sofa 2804 is a perfect example of form and function. With a wide selection of beautiful leathers, this sofa brings great versatility in comfort as the adjustable back cushions offer you two seat depths at an upright and stretched out position. What better way to enjoy watching your favorite Netflix show than on a convertible lounger sofa where you can sit back and relax!

 

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER

A cohesive, well balanced room is all brought together with a beautiful rug. Rugs have an  overwhelming possibility of choices as they come in a variety of textures, patterns, and fibers. Think of it as “art on the floor” and what great expression a rug can introduce. Try selecting a look that draws colors from other pieces in the room or elevate the textures surrounding the rug by bringing contrast. On hardwood floors, a rug instantly breaks up the wood look and helps soften the living area. Using a rug grounds all the pieces within the room and adds dimension.

The main thing to keep in mind when formulating your ideas of inspiration is to have fun. The living area of your home should emphasize your own personal taste. Take your time when making decisions and remember that all the perfect pieces will come together if you have a firm sense of direction and inspiration.

Whether you’re defining your style for the first time and need a little direction or want to try a new look and need a spark of creativity, I am happy to assist with getting the gears turning. I’d like to discuss design with you! Stop by the showroom and we can work together on your next project.

 

Area Home Bedding + Linens

As fall transitions to winter, "cozy" is a feeling we seek out more. The textiles in our home, like bedding and throw blankets, add texture, design, character and warmth (visually and literally). It's easy to overlook the significance of these linens, unless you've been introduced to Area Home.

 

Their products are known for their original modern designs that have enduring beauty and comfort and are made of natural fibers. Inspired by Scandinavian, every product is designed to be able to coordinate with any other piece in their collection.

 

We love that Area considers the whole life cycle of their products and continually seek out ways to reduce their environmental impact without compromising quality.

 

There are many more products than shown on our website but we have samples of all of their textiles for you to touch and feel for yourself in our showroom. Additionally, we have 100% cotton blankets covering our Savvy Rest Mattresses and a few throw blankets on hand. Our customers come back telling us how happy they are with their new linens and rave about how well they hold up.

 

American Leather Comfort Sleepers

EWF Modern is now selling American Leather Comfort Sleepers!

 

Modern styles, innovative engineering,  incredible comforT

 

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.

Painted Hills Image: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/whatsnew/travel/the-painted-hills-oregon.html

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.

EWF MODERN SPOTLIGHT: Dovetail Joinery + West Bros Furniture

Thoughtful design and craftsmanship lend beauty, style and durability to home furnishings. Sometimes a method of construction will add to the strength of a piece and also enhance that piece’s appearance. An example of this is joinery, a technique that’s been used for centuries in assembling fine wood furniture. Joinery has stood the test of time and modern technology too. It’s one of the hand-crafted details we love about our new West Bros Furniture bedroom collection.
 

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Many types of joinery are used in furniture production. The English dovetail is featured in the drawers of our West Bros Furniture cabinets, dressers and night stands. It’s a locking method of joinery that sets the standard for strength and stability over time. Other cool benefits? Since the drawer walls are joined at the outside corners, there’s actually more space for your storables. You’ll notice that being able to see the dovetailed joints adds an element of beauty to the finished piece.
 


We are excited to introduce the West Bros Fulton bedroom set into our organic collection of modern furniture with a New Product Sale March 11-20. The furniture is hand-crafted in resawn white oak and available in 2 finishes. All of the casegoods feature soft-close English dovetail-joined drawers. Unique hand-stitched leather drawer pulls enhance the natural beauty of the textured oak. The night stands include magazine shelves and even coin trays!
 


Family owned and operated, this company has been producing meticulously and sustainably crafted solid wood furniture in North America for over two decades. Their promotion of sustainable practices has earned them  “Silver Exemplary Status” from the Sustainable Furnishings Council. We appreciate West Bros Furniture’s dedication to environmental responsibility and quality. We think you will too!

3 Fresh Fixes

It’s still chilly and gray outside but signs of Spring are everywhere. Now is a great time to bring a fresh eye and new life to rooms in your home. For simple yet effective fixes to make a modern space more inviting and functional, we like to look to color, lighting and organic elements.

COLOR is the design tool that best and quite easily brings a sense of comfort and calm or cheer and drama to interior spaces. It’s all about finding colors and combinations that resonate and make you feel good, not just those that are trending. Consider your favorite colors, read design magazine articles, and leaf through sets of paint swatches for help getting to an enduring color combo that works. Accessories, artwork, rugs and throws provide great ways to add color coordination, interest and texture throughout your room.

LIGHTING, along with color, is key to the mood of a space. Think about how you want to feel in a room as well as how you use it. It’s good to also think about how light lands on the surfaces. You’ll find the right vibe by working with uplights, downlights, ambient and task lighting to create a mix of light sources at different levels and locations.

Adding ORGANIC life energy, shape and texture can seem challenging due to the clean lines and simplicity of modern interiors. But including furnishings and elements crafted in natural materials like wood and stone, often makes all the difference between a flat or lively space. Plants are especially great for filling corners and difficult places, framing or echoing design elements and softening hard areas in modern spaces.

 
 

These three fixes to freshen your home will create immediate solutions. Let us know how we can help.