This week we share some thoughts from Scott Sanders, our guest blogger. A graduate of Parsons School of Design, Scott Sanders began his professional career at Polo Ralph Lauren. He created the company's Interior Design Department and, as design director, transformed the residences of Polo Ralph Lauren clients in California, Florida, New York, Connecticut and Paris. His highly acclaimed renovation of the Beach House Bal Harbour Hotel for the Rubell family in Miami Beach during his last year with Polo Ralph Lauren reflected Sanders now evident signature style and was a driving force in establishing the New York-based Scott Sanders LLC in 2000. Since that time, Scott’s distinguished residential projects have been widely published. Last April marked the debut of his book, “Picture Perfect: Designing the New American Family Home,” published by Pointed Leaf Press, which chronicles the road to his interior design career and a 4-year project to create his dream house.
Scott Sanders
As we are entering the fall season I felt that it would be a great idea to speak about how to decorate a space with rich fall colors, that will also work well in the upcoming seasons. Decorating a home in an area that experiences the weather of all four seasons can be difficult. During a cold winter, warm colors such as reds, oranges and yellows help to brighten a space and make it feel cozy and inviting. However, those same colors during a hot summer may feel too bright and stifling. I will show you some great ideas that would provide you with an open palette to allow you to continue to update the décor of your room throughout the year. It’s all in the details!
This beach house is one of our most recently designed spaces. The tranquil color palette of off-whites and tan hues, is great for the beach (picking up on the color of the sand!) and still offers a cozy look for the fall with the pop of orange found in the accessories. The color and material of the wood coffee table, wood frame floor lamp, and the metal stools also warm up the room. An easy way to change this look for the following seasons is by trading the pillows and throw for ones in a cooler color palette.
Your breakfast room is a great opportunity to introduce fall colors. The floral fabric for the drapery and the chair cushions was carefully chosen in linen so it would feel light enough for a beach house. The area rug picks up on the red in the floral fabric but lightens up the space with its large scaled open pattern and cream background. The area rug also compliments the cream colored walls. While the room is autumnal, one fun tip to transition into another season by changing the centerpiece.
Another area to decorate with fall colors would be the entrance hall to your home or a stair landing. The color palette here consists of browns, blacks, tans and metal finishes. Together, these timeless pieces create a very balanced composition but can easily change with the accessories for something season appropriate. By painting the beard board white, and the walls cream, the space feels light and airy enough for summer, but warm and comfortable for the colder months as well.
The earth tones of this bedroom create a very soothing space that is perfect as a guest bedroom or for anyone that wants a calming room to escape to. The cashmere blanket, which feels warm and cozy for fall and winter, can easily be replaced with a beige matelassé blanket for the warmer months. The neutral color palette used on the walls and the headboard, and the white bedding and botanical prints, allow for accessories, throw pillows and blankets to quickly and inexpensively be switched out each season.
Nothing says fall like the green, tan and terracotta hues in this room, but by using the lighter colors on the area rug and walls, and furniture that is open underneath (not skirted) the room stays light and airy. Linen drapery panels and the striped area rug lend a casual quality to the room that hints at a summer retreat. The orange and red accessories could be replaced with brighter green accessories in the summer.
The console in this entry way has a great arrangement of vases that contrast against the warm red color on the top half of the wall and blends into the white wood paneling below. Swapping out the flowers in the vase keep the space from feeling too ‘Fall’, as can a light-weight linen slipcover for the bench under the console, in a bright and cheerful color. Making these modifications will keep the space feeling inviting all year ‘round.