Design Influence: France

French inspired design is a mix of city sophisticate and rustic countryside. More elegant furnishings are paired with rural décor. French style is ornate and detailed, while the overall feel is uncluttered. Rich colors of reds, blues, greens, and golds can be incorporated, as can a pastel color scheme in certain settings. You may find decorative items that center around roosters or hunting paraphernalia that make up French country themes, along with whitewashed painting of wooden furniture. Cooper kitchenware is also found in French inspired homes. You are more likely to find curvatures in French tables and chairs over straight lines.

Contemporary French décor angles toward elegant and chic. French style is considered romantic and glamorous. Decorative gold-rimmed mirrors, glass and mirrored accessories, and extravagant collectibles are peppered across walls and tabletops. Both large-scale, masculine and more feminine, light furniture pieces remain popular. Chandeliers and decorative ceilings have roots in French style, as do piping, trimming, fringe, tassels, and polished nail heads accenting furniture.

To host a French themed dinner party, think classy and chic. You can set up a drink station with wine, champagne, or sparkling cider and a collection of glasses and flutes. Keep the menu applicable by preparing both cheese and chocolate fondue and offering bread squares, strawberries, pretzels, and other cubed fruits for dipping. Lay out dessert trays with tarts, truffles, and pastries. Serve a spread of thinly sliced meats and cheeses alongside mini croissants or brie cheese, smoked salmon, and an array of crackers. Stringing lights around a patio deck and hedges can create your own “under the Eiffel tower” atmosphere. Add in the Nancy Meyer’s movie, “Something’s Gotta’ Give” to turn it into a movie night.

French influences can decidedly travel beyond fries here in the states. Add your own glitz and glam in your own personalized way. Whether dressed up or dressed down, a little French style can go a long way. It can even cross an ocean.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star June 26th.

Design Influence: Greece

Greece’s Mediterranean style is classic in nature and is characterized by seaside stucco exteriors and red tile roofs. Warm neutral colors like peaches and yellows make up the exteriors and accent white walls or other shades of cool blues, greens, and grays. Greek style homes have large windows, inner courtyards, columns, and large covered verandas.

Artwork is a distinctive part of Greek design, usually portrayed in large murals and nature paintings. The focus on symmetry and order in its classic interior design calls for mirroring seating arrangements around a central focal point. Cotton and linen fabrics that are both durable and understated cover furnishings. Stone and marble create visually interesting, cool flooring surfaces. Sculptures, statues, textured rugs, rustic pottery, candlesticks, and more formal pieces are common decorative elements. The Greek climate is open to proper, manicured hedges as well as tropical landscaping and palms.

Take a note from the Greek culture when hosting, and serve meze, or appetizers, that fits well with light summer fare, such as olives, hummus, pita bread, grapes, and recipes that call for feta cheese. Lamb, shrimp, skewered meats, and eggplant can comprise main dishes, and traditional desserts like baklava could be a new treat for your company. Or put together an array of cold pasta salads that include olives, feta, and olive oil for a summer gathering. Set up a buffet outdoors highlighted by candlelight or lanterns.

Take advantage of our coastal Valley setting and add in some Greek ingredients to mix things up. You may not be headed to the Mediterranean, but you can bring a new sea vibe straight to your home. No airfare needed.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star June 19th.

Design Influence: England

The English country style of home interiors is characterized by a dark color palette, with wood floors, patterned wallpapered walls, and dark mahogany or cherry wood furniture. Floral patterns of wallpaper, rugs, and upholstery fabrics are common. More antiqued-looking brass hardware prevails over American nickels and chromes. Furniture is comfortable and informal, usually having a large-scale, more filled out look. English homes are accessorized with details: books, picture frames, china pieces, and collectibles. Fabrics are mixed in upholstery, throws, accent pillows, and drapery.

English properties are often known for their gardens. Those with a green thumb and a willingness to capitalize on what plants thrive where they live can turn a plain grass space into a seasonal oasis of color and blooms. Patio spaces decked out in stone and brick work and trellises pick up on English influences.

A staple of English cuisine is breakfast, which creates a prime opportunity for hostesses to share quite the spread with their own “B&B” guests. A traditional breakfast of bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns, toast, and tea makes up a great morning menu. Add in grilled tomatoes and fried mushrooms for some English authenticity.

Tea is also a staple of English tradition. Afternoon tea, or “low tea,” as it’s called, is a light meal between 3 and 5 pm with brewed tea with milk and sugar, along with mini sandwiches of cucumber, egg, ham, or salmon, plus scones and other small cakes or pastries. Your own version of an occasional afternoon tea could be a memorable tradition to start with young children, complete with cloth napkins and a real tea set and special tiered serving platters.

Other British traditions to partake of could be themed dinners of a casual night of “fish and chips” take-away, which is battered fish and slab-cut French fries, or a traditional Sunday meal of pot roast, potatoes, vegetables, and gravy. Any ideas you can take from the English influence and incorporate into your home or dinner table spread provide the opportunity to raise more than a stereotypical pinky; you could raise a glass or even a few cheers.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star June 12th.

Design Influence: Italy

For the month of June, let’s explore ways in which you can add design influences to your home and your hostess repertoire from other countries, namely Italy, England, Greece, and France. Consider it a summer vacation of sorts.

Italian design is earthy and brings the outdoors in. Natural colors like browns, tans, yellows, and terra cotta shades are prevalent. A lot of stone work, thick plasters, and wood make up exteriors, patio areas, and interior walls. Intricate tile and mosaics add decorative touches, along with pottery and ceramics. Natural wood furniture and metal pieces are found. Potted flowers and greenery make proper arrangements around a front entry or back patio slab.

Wine glasses, candelabras, silver and metal trays, and jars and bottles are small decorative pieces that can be incorporated. Think wine bottles, olive oil, and jars of olives and peppers. Copper kitchenware adds an instant Italian touch. Add an herb garden with basil, thyme, and oregano in small terra cotta pots to the kitchen windowsill and use fresh herbs instead of dried ones when cooking. Place an arrangement of glass water bottles on a silver tray on a buffet or hutch. Use a pizza stone in the oven instead of placing pizza directly on the rack for a more authentic crust.

When hosting guests, set out a bread basket and dipping oil plate with garlic with your appetizers. Make homemade gelato or granita for a sweet finish to your meal. Serve espresso or cappuccino with biscotti cookies. On a breezy evening, let the family dine al fresco on the porch. Skip breakfast and instead choose a Saturday brunch with frittata and juice. Chill a bottle of Italian soda for a sultry afternoon thirst quencher. Try different foods like pesto and bruschetta to see if they can be added to the list of family pleasers. Try your hand at homemade alfredo sauce, which is so rich and delicious.

It does not take a passport to explore another culture. If there is something that appeals to you about another location, whether from a trip, an idea, or simply something you see in a movie, see what can be done to add a little touch of that to your living space or your activities. Who knows? You may feel a little trace of vacation after all.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star June 5th.