Color is back. And, standing in the Chaise & Home display kitchen that's home to her Garland District studio, designer Wendy Nolan couldn't be happier.
"I think that color being reintroduced back into our homes is amazing," she says.
While much of HGTV features "neutral or textural" based design — because she says that's "a lot easier to pull off than combining color and pattern and texture" — Nolan is more than ready to assist clients with a fresh perspective to add some pizzazz to their interiors.
"I like color a lot, so I like to try and incorporate it. A lot of my clients will tell you that I'll introduce my first presentation with, 'I'm gonna push you, but that's my job, and you can tell me when to stop.'"
Every surface in the home can — and possibly should — be a candidate for a colorful reinvention. As an example, at her shop, Nolan features a display kitchen with cabinets painted in a dreamy blue-green called "Atlantic."
"This feels neutral enough that it plays well with other color palettes," she says. "You could introduce some oranges or yellows, and it wouldn't feel like it doesn't match. I love those kinds of colors that we can really mesh well in interiors. But I love that it's not white, too."
Nearby is a custom sofa with an alluring lush green and cream floral print on the cushions and a solid green fabric featured on the back.
"It's not something people normally do, but we've had great feedback on it... If you need a beige sofa, you could go to Costco or box stores, so we tried to show what you can do. I love the idea of floating furniture in a space, and so when you can treat the back side differently, you're looking at something really beautiful instead of just the back of a neutral sofa."
Another area of interest is something that's making a comeback: "People are really starting to delve into wallpaper," Nolan says.
At the shop, she shows how effective combining large scale print wallpaper in updated color palettes with dramatic dark-toned trim, instead of the traditional white baseboards and doors, can be.
And for those with lingering trauma related to the Paper Tiger wallpaper removal tools, Nolan says times have changed.
"We all remember peeling off old wallpaper, but now they do such a good job of priming that it releases a lot easier."
In her quest to brighten up the world, Nolan understands it can be intimidating to move away from a beige lifestyle.
"I do think that people are afraid — it's a commitment — and so they're afraid of making the wrong choices. And that's why I have a job."
2nd PLACE: Uptic Studios
3rd PLACE: DS Studio (formerly Design Source)
