FEBRUARY 2012

roll out the red carpet!

7 ways to personalize your place light up your (love) life

roll out the red carpet!

Its easy to fall in love with red carpets around Valentines Day and the Oscars. But this hot-blooded color is a surprisingly good choice in your home all year long. The trick is to pair red with the perfect color partner! Using similiar sofa styles, we created four red-hot color combos that run the gamut from sophisticated to earthy to playful. And we did it with nothing more than a red rug, toss pillows and a lamp! Giving your home the red carpet treatment has never been easier!

Manhattan Rug Martin - Oyster Sofa with Tokyo - Adobe Pillows

red + black

Jenna Lamp

the classic combo, conjuring up boxes of rich chocolate, especially when combined with gold. (Both red and black are dark colors; gold adds a much-needed lighter touch.) But if youre not up for a gilded living room, use a more muted camel or straw instead of gold to create a more casual space.

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red + brown
the exotic combo, recalling far-ung places and hand-crafted artifacts. Since most browns are just a muted version of red or orange, this mix is harmonious and cozy. If you like this look, just be sure to choose reds with warm, orange undertones. Youll pull off a very chic scheme and a designer favorite!

Dahlia Lamp

Percy Lamp Soundwave Rug Zia - Mocha Sofa with Stitch-Salsa Pillows

red + white
the domestic combo, conjuring up gingham curtains and the lining of a picnic basket! But this combo can be sleek and modern, too. White is spare and light, red is gutsy and dark. Together, this dynamic duo can be as chic as black and white if both colors are used as solid blocks of color, and patterns kept geometric and modern.
Radial - Black Rug

Darcy - Stone Sofa with Hodgepodge - Multi Pillows

Hula - Scarlet Rug

red + orange
the unexpected combo, proving once and for all that these two hues dont clash! The key is to keep both of these warm hues similar in value, or grayness. After youve done that, you can go to town with this zesty duo. While youre at it, throw in some pink. Very hot and a favorite color trio trend for 2012!

Garnet Lamp

Zia - Salsa Sofa with Slice - Bollywood Pillows

February 2012 TrendWatch

light up your life!

Fuel your romance and your dcor with these popular lamp styles. Choose your favorite and inspire more light and more love in your home!

ve lo

au naturel
Invite more peace and love into your life with this down-to-earth lamp the perfect choice for cooperative, compassionate types that like to stay on neutral ground. Youll feel inspired to book a quiet massage for two, hug a tree or contemplate life with a favorite friend over a plate of sushi.
Morgan

wine & roses

Express your heart-felt emotions (and your nest etiquette!) with this Victorian-inspired gem the perfect choice for nostalgic, expressive or creative types. Youll feel inspired to dress for dinner, ll crystal vases with oral bouquets, wrap chocolates in foil... maybe even pen a love letter or two!

far out!

Dillian

Show your taste for the exotic with this eastern-inspired lamp the perfect choice for free-spirited, adventurous, types. Youll feel inspired to celebrate your next anniversary in Bangkok, Mumbai or Borneo, cook Indian or Thai recipes for Valentines Day, take in a foreign ick at the cinema or take up the sitar!

Donna

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ritzd up trophy life!

Keep your love nest dressed to the nines with this chic, stylish number the perfect choice for sociable, well-heeled types. Youll feel inspired to haul out the silk sheets and pillows, uncork the Dom Perignon and try out some dance moves to the smooth sounds of Sinatra.

Ondreya

Put your lamp (and your love!) on a pedestal and youll be in a better position to admire its timeless, classical perfection of this pedestal lamp the perfect choice for condent, trustworthy and luxury-loving types. Youll feel inspired to include Beethoven, a white tablecloth and long stem roses at that moonlit dinner.

Nyssa

come clean
Forget mind games and tell your love how you really feel with this straight-forward lamp designed for modern love the perfect choice for efcient, no-nonsense city types. Youll feel inspired to pare back the clutter, edit your little black book (or blackberry!) and order in from that new trendy restaurant.
Maisie

animal instincts
Bring out your wild side with a lamp inspired by your last romantic getaway at that remote mountain lodge the perfect choice for outdoorsy, unpretentious types. Youll feel inspired to wrestle a bear or two, go white water rafting, picnic under a waterfall or just take an idyllic walk through the countryside.

Derek

February 2012 TrendWatch

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personalize
your place

ways to

Its the hottest interior design trend: adding decorating touches to your home that are as unique as you are. But if custom furniture isnt in you plan, not to worry. There are plenty of ways to add custom touches to store-bought furniture. Try one or all of these ways to mix things up a little... and make your home the most unique one on the block.

to let ivo R
SW6108 Latte

r -B

n ow
Camille - Chocolate

SW7032 Warm Stone

Camille - Scarlet

let an area rug inspire your decor!

Area rugs do so much more than add comfort or anchor the furniture. (Picking an area rug today is as personal as picking artwork!) They add color, texture and pattern without overpowering a room, and can inspire your entire color scheme or just perfectly complement it. For a warm, memorable interior, use colors in a rug to pull together or inspire a cozy seating area or to highlight a large or dramatic piece of furniture.

Aaron - Mocha Showood Accent Chair

Meckenzie

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2 3 5
Wisteria Side Chair Matrix - Ivory

use a bench!
They may have started their life as utilitarian and humble, but todays benches are comfortable, stylish and the perfect way to add a unique feature to your home. Place one at the foot of your bed, in a front entry hall or in place of a coffee table.

add an accent chair

Skip the loveseat or matching chair. An accent chair is space efcient and easy to move. As importantly, it adds more personality than a matching three-piece living room set. Choose one in a contrasting color, design or shape.
Key Town Bench

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Pillows: Camille - Spice & Sindon Multi Palmer - Walnut Sofa

use an ottoman
Who says a coffee table needs to be a table? Or just for coffee? Use an ottoman insteadone that lets you put up your feet and your drinks (or a tray). A shelf lets your customize your ottoman even more!

mix up the cushions

If your sofa came with matching toss pillows, move some to another chair in the room and add some that dont match exactly. Mix patterns, but just keep them in the same color family and you cant go wrong!
Cody - Brown Ottoman

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Wisteria Arm Chair

mix chairs around the table

Who says chairs at a table have to match? Paint chairs hues inspired by an a rug or picture. Or choose dining chairs with a mix of fabric, leather or patterns.

mix up the picture frames

Hanging pictures in a perfect line or grid may be very chic, but mixing them up is just plain fun and very personal. Create a feature picture wall by hanging pictures (in a variety of sizes and styles) close together.

February 2012 TrendWatch

a bedroom for the family?

ask a designer

Q. A.

Our whole family hangs out in our master bedroom; its almost like a second family room. But we dont have a lot of room for furniture. How can I make it more family friendly?

Carol Kitchener, ON
Dear Carol The good news is that small bedrooms can be just as family-friendly as big ones. But they do require maxing out storage with the minimum amount of furniture. Look for under-bed storage options, a smart closet system that uses every inch and tall narrow chests that use more wall space than oor space. With that done, you can add family-friendly ideas to maximize your comfort such as: 1. A king-sized bed allows extra inches to spread out. 2. A comfortable headboard. with a tufted, padded or sloped design makes it easier to lean back while watching TV. 3. Lots of pillows theyre not just more comfy for sleep. They compel us to spend the day in bed (or start a pillow ght!) 4. A media chest provides a place to put the TV, DVDs, components and games plus theyre high enough to see over the footboard. You could also use your dresser as a TV stand and add a oor mirror. 5. Extra seating at the foot of the bed with a bench, or in the corner of the room with a chair, provides more space for people... or things.
Carlyle Media Chest

Carlyle Upholstered Bed

Carlyle Bench

Got a question youd like answered in this column? Submit it at: DesignQA@AshleyFurniture.com

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