outdoors

Collaborating with Nature 

| Design Works International

For inspiration regarding color I often take my cue from nature. This weekend I noticed that our hydrangeas were starting to bloom at our country house and I was inspired by these awesome cool tones of lilac and purple…having just painted our front door lilac last weekend I decided to use the same inspirational color on our outdoor shower…I am never one to match when designing the interior or exterior of our home but I love the connection of color here…and it’s always nice to collaborate with natuređź’ś [even better when your husband agrees to paint your front door and outdoor shower lilac]

Surtex NYC Trend Updated From Color, Chaos and Creativity…Part 3

| Design Works International

Last month in NYC I spoke about print, pattern and color trends at Surtex NYC, representing our design studio, Design Works International, a lifestyle/product design firm specializing in the home, fashion and accessory industries.

Out Of This World…literally..we are talking Galaxy inspired prints, patterns, embroideries with an iridescent sensibility and style. Nocturnal tones of deep purple, indigo and magenta are part of the color plan to heighten the vibe of this celestial superstar.


Even after a year of playful pineapples…we are still craving for more…NEW this season…the use of millennial pink mixed with metallic and textural accents.


Somewhere Over….yes it’s all about iridescent finishes and rainbow colorways in fashion, home and decorative accessories. The more color…the better and these saturated shades are cross generational…NOT only for the millennial crowd.


Boho Style continues to increase as a lifestyle look and we are seeing the resurgence of Folk Florals..[did they ever go away] as wallpaper, clothing, home accessories and garden tools in Americana color combinations that coordinate beautifully with denim…another trend that has cross generational appeal.

This is the last of a 3 part series …so if you missed part 1 and 2 please take a peek either at Color, Chaos and Creativity or at Design Works International’s blog.

All prints and patterns designed by Design Works International are property of our studio until a purchase agreement is signed. If interested in purchasing prints, our website is Designworksintl.com or call our studio at 212-594-0777 ext 112.

Stay tuned for our next series on new color combinations…2018

Collaborating Style with GAF 

| Design Works International

Design Works Intl

Honored to be working along side GAF on the re-launch of their GAF Style Guide on GAF.com Our focus is the lifestyle shift of “bringing the indoors, outdoors”, a trend in home design today!

Founded in 1886, GAF is the largest roofing manufacturer in North America. The company’s products include a comprehensive portfolio of steep-slope and commercial roofing systems, which are supported by an extensive national network of factory-certified contractors.

The new GAF Style Guide is a resource that helps homeowners select shingles that best match their personal style with their exterior home portfolio.

The style guide can be found at http://www.gaf.com/style.

In today’s world, we have seen a major lifestyle shift in “bringing the indoors, outdoors” so a paramount design decision like choosing the color and substrate of your roof is now being influenced by your lifestyle. Color as well as texture are factors to consider while making this…

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Isleboro Maine-Rustic Beauty

| Design Works International

 Spending a week on the idyllic island of Isleboro Maine with 20 of our nearest and dearest was truly a “close encounter of the 3rd kind”…. But only in a positive manner, seriously…we had a blast! 

Isleboro Island is a narrow 14 mile island that is located approximately 3 miles off the coast of Lincolnville in the Penobscot Bay in Maine.  It was incorporated into the United States in the 18th century after being settled by fisherman and farmers. Today 600 residents year round live on the Isleboro while in the summer months that number easily expands to a few thousand! 

Our week was great on so many levels, kayaking, boating, hiking, fire pit fun, tennis, paddle board, great food and friends! When you vacation with many people it’s important to have a common bond and in our case, it was the great outdoors and of course food!

Since Isleboro is a small island and limited to only a couple of food stores we needed to plan ahead and bring food with us in order to be organized and feed 20+ people for 7 days. Meals were planned in advance and each family had their day or meal to cook! Last night Neil and I grilled cedar salmon along with homemade mango chutney, garlic broccoli, orzo salad and a fresh garden salad. All meals were innovative as well as delicious with each family creating some of their favorite foods! 

Loving photography the way I do, I was able to incorporate my art inspired photos into every activity….while posting for Instagram for three different accounts…HGTV HOME, nancy_fire and designworksinternational. Combing the great outdoors and my love of photography was the perfect inspirational blend for me! Inspired by all I see…enjoy my memories! 

 

Sunrise over Isleboro Island, Maine.
  Wooden Hot Tub

Ready for Kayaking

Transportation to the “Boston Whaler Motor Boat!

  Sunset over Isleboro Island, Maine.

Sunset over Isleboro Island

  Island Humor at the local Ice Cream Shoppe

  Retro Dodge Truck-Wish List!  Amazing “retro red” color❤️

  Togetherness-Pastel Palette

 Smooth Sailing before the Storm  Color Inspiration “Green with Envy” Island Shed

  “Free Maps” in Belfast Maine-Fun DIY using recycled letters from license plates!  

 Island Inspiration at The Summer Shop on Isleboro Island.

  Lobster Bake

  “Sitting on the dock of the Bay”  

  “Fire Pit Feast” S’mores 

  Kayaking on the Bay

    Fern Forrest

 Light House Isleboro Ferry

  Stonehenge on Isleboro 

  Mid-Day Lighting

  Sunrise Kayak Adventure

     Outdoor Inspiration Climbing Clematis 
  Lobster Boat Belfast Maine

  Bouy Decor-Fun outdoor DIY decor!

   Words to Live By! ENJOY!!

Naturally Inspiring

| Design Works International

 

The perfect view…while hiking in Bratten Fleming, a small village in North Devon U.K. I stumbled upon the “perfect view”! Perfect you might ask, how can something actually be this perfect….I will tell you….it’s a moment in time that was not staged for a photo shoot, it’s a moment in time that does not appear on a catalog cover (not yet) but a moment in time that one can appreciate if they just stop and enjoy. It has all the right ingredients: perspective, texture, saturated color and natural charm. 
I bet if we started to look at our surroundings a bit more we would learn to appreciate more of these “perfect views”. Take that walk that you have been putting off, enjoy that city block that we were meaning to explore, find that beach during a sunset…because there are so many “perfect views” in our life that do not always come in the form of this photograph…sometimes we just need to create them within ourselves!