“No Rules” is Latest Decorating Trend
(ARA) - Trendsetters pride themselves on having the latest
and greatest before other people have ever heard of it. They
buy a new wardrobe every season, snapping up hip and of-the-moment
clothes which they just as quickly relegate to the back of
the closet when the fashion winds change.
In the same way, trendsetters are constantly reinventing
their homes, trying out new paint colors, slipcovers for the
furniture and cutting edge accessories. The bad news for these
trend junkies is that the latest decorating trend is no trend
at all. Instead, interior designers are embracing the “no
rules” school of decorating. In other words, trust your
instincts and decorate your home in a way that fits your personality
instead of in a way that looks good on the pages of a magazine.
“The biggest shift we’ve seen in our business is
a move to a more eclectic sensibility,” says Michael
Cassidy, president of Stained Glass Overlay (SGO), a company
specializing in custom art glass pieces. “Our customers
want to make a statement with their designs, to express their
individuality,” he says. Thanks to technological advances,
art glass designs can be used to add a unique, custom touch
in unconventional places.
Cassidy’s company uses a process that is lighter in
weight and more structurally sound than traditional stained
glass, while being indistinguishable in appearance. Homeowners
can add stained glass to their kitchen cabinets, windows,
ceiling light panels, sliding glass doors and more. Cassidy
points out that although customers may use his company’s
product to dress up a shower stall or create privacy, what
they’re really buying is a piece of commissioned original
art.
Every piece of stained glass overlay is personalized according
to the homeowner’s wishes. The designs can be customized
to match the colors of their wallpaper, tile patterns and
other elements in a room’s décor. “Each project
is hand crafted, and the artisans at SGO work closely with
homeowners to achieve the look they desire,” says Cassidy.
The company’s designers have an extensive library of
custom work completed over the years and are trained to offer
suggestions and provide valuable tips on which design and
colors are best suited to various uses.
In order to allow the art to be even more customized, SGO
recently introduced a number of new color choices. Pantone,
a leader in predicting color trends, forecasts that throughout
2004, diversity and individuality will dictate the color direction,
with tones that seek to evoke feelings of beauty, honesty,
familiarity, constancy and balance. Neutrals will be popular
for 2004, but so will deep, primal shades; blues; and bright
colors in fun, ‘60s shades.
“We want to give customers these options and more,”
says Cassidy. The new color palette includes three shades
of blue; neutrals such as pale yellow and stone; and stronger
colors like Alpine Green and Dusty Orange.
“Your home should be an extension of your personality,”
says Cassidy. “It should be a place you look forward
to returning to at the end of the day, a place that relaxes
and rejuvenates you.” So leave the trends behind and
decorate your home with what pleases you.
Stained Glass Overlay serves customers with more than 300
locations in over 30 countries, including 150 studios in North
America. For more information on finding the nearest designer,
or to find out about franchise opportunities, visit www.stainedglassoverlay.com
or call (800) 944-4746.
Courtesy of ARA Content
