Nancy Fire & Design Works International were featured this week in Real Simple!
Immediately after the Emmy’s, Real Simple editors checked in with Design Works International to see what trends on the Red Carpet would be showing up in home design this season.
Click on this link for the full article:
Here are 3 out of the 5. Check the article for our other 2 favorites!
Iridescent
In the name of print & pattern,
DW
Happy Friday everyone! Before we head off into the weekend we want to share a little inspiration from our creative director, Nancy Fire, who spent the last week traveling through Paris, Lisbon, and Madrid. Nancy discovered and captured some gorgeous colors and patterns on her adventures and we thought we would share a little bit of her finds with you today! (Aren’t you lucky?) So sit back, relax, and lets go on a little trip to Europe (visually, at least).
From the world traveler herself:
“Inspiration is everywhere in Lisbon, especially if you love Azulejos Tiles. Today these tiles are dominant in every Portuguese city and are embedded in its history and culture. The word “azulejo” means “small polished stone” and although they are not a Portuguese invention, by the 18th century no other European country was producing as many tiles as Portugal. Over the years, azulejo tiles have become an art form used for a variety of design applications both in exterior and interior home design. Spending time in Bairro Atlo and Principe Real, two older areas of Lisbon, I spotted various azulejo tiles on homes in different color combinations and patterns.”
In the name of print & pattern,
DW
What you will learn: 3 Fall 2017 trends you should know about!
How long it will take you to read this post: 1 minute & 37 seconds
Why you should read it: So you can be in the know… duh
3…2…1….GO!
Good morning. As Hurricane Irma is subsiding into a tropical storm and the people of Houston are beginning to recover from Harvey, we can all take a deep breath and continue in our efforts to help the people affected. With the US being hit by two record breaking hurricanes within a two week span, it is hard to talk about color, print, pattern, trend, and everything else we do everyday in the studio. Hopefully these bright, beautiful trends will make us all feel a little bit better as we let ourselves get wrapped up in something pretty, at least for a minute. That “something pretty” today will be yellow ochre!
Now that September is fully upon us and New York Fashion will week soon behind us, we can look towards the 2017 Fall trends with ease. Let us take the guess work out of what you will be seeing:
We are seeing stripes and plaids more and more on the streets & on the runway this fall.
Check out this take on vertical stripes from the Dior Fall 2017 collection along with a few others…
Hello Clueless! From the 90’s grunge inspired plaid blazers of NYFW to the Italian runway of Ferretti, we are seeing it more and more. Do you have any vintage left that you can pull out the the depths of your closet?
Tactile, chunky, fuzzy, oh my! We know people love their DIY and we keep seeing mohair yarn used to make beautiful pieces. We have never tried knitting but this makes us want to test it out! Would you?
Also, we saw this mohair-blend coat by Michael Kors and our heart skipped a beat.
So, food. When thinking of yellow foods, we want to shine a light on something different than bananas and lemons. Turmeric is popping up more and more as an ingredient and these turmeric date balls are anti-inflammatory, lower your risk of heart disease, help treat depression, and help to improve your brain function. Honestly, what is not to love about them?! Plus, they are beautiful, tasty, and easy to make.
@spinachforbreakfast Turmeric Date Balls
It looks like others are seeing the yellow ochre trend too! For more yellow ochre and trend inspiration, check out our Instagram @designworksinternational.
In the name of Print & Pattern,
DW
Yep it’s true, my brother Russ is a die-hard Met fan and last night he got to experience any “New Yorkers” dream…a seat in Citi-Field or what we still call “Shea Stadium” with 90,000 other die-hard fans!
Exciting game to watch both in person and on tv…here are a few pics from our very own “Design Works Internationals” biggest Met fan! Thanks Russ for sharing!
Blessed to be working along side the talented group at GAF, North Americas largest roofing manufacturer, collaborating on trend, lifestyle and color…as I head into their color lab next week to work on shingle color and texture updates, I am excited to share my trend knowledge and 27 years of experience with GAF on our newest collaboration-Nancy
PARSIPPANY, NJ (9/9/15) – Furthering its focus on connecting style and design elements with quality roofing materials, GAF, North America’s largest roofing manufacturer, has partnered with Nancy Fire, HGTV HOME design director, and creative director and founder of Design Works International.
As HGTV HOME Design Director, Nancy provides industry insight into design, style, and emerging trends. Her ability to apply “high fashion” to products for the home is second to none, having worked with giants including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Crate & Barrel®, as well as serving on the Advisory Board for the Fashion Institute of Technology.
The partnership with Nancy will allow the GAF internal innovation team to leverage her extensive background in design and emerging trends, ensuring that GAF continues to create products that excite homeowners and help them express their genuine style. GAF customers will also have the opportunity to garner insight from Nancy on design and color trends on the GAF Style Guide at gaf.com starting in the fall of 2015.
“Nancy’s keen sense of style and extensive experience working with international brands and products, paired with her experience leading the helm for design at HGTV HOME, make her a perfect partner for GAF,” stated Emily Videtto, vice president of residential products at GAF. “The roof makes up a significant portion of a home’s curb appeal and our customers are looking for “on-trend” colors and styles to personalize their homes’ exteriors. Our partnership with Nancy Fire ensures that our customers are getting the most stylish roof on the market.”
Nancy Fire herself stated, “In today’s world we have seen a major lifestyle shift in “bringing the indoors, outdoors” so a paramount design decision like choosing the color and substrate of your roof is now being influenced by your lifestyle. Color as well as texture are two factors to consider while making this important decision and I am thrilled to be working with such an innovative company as GAF.”
Design Works International is a lifestyle design studio, leading the industry for over two decades in trend and color forecasting, design, and product development.
About GAF
Founded in 1886, GAF is the largest roofing manufacturer in North America. The company’s products include a comprehensive portfolio of steep-slope and commercial roofing systems, which are supported by an extensive national network of factory-certified contractors. Its success is driven by its commitment to Advanced Quality, Industry Expertise, and Solutions Made Simple. GAF was the first roofing manufacturer to offer a Lifetime limited warranty on all of its laminated shingles, which then evolved with the introduction of the GAF Lifetime Roofing System by extending the Lifetime coverage beyond just the roofing shingles.
With a focus on social responsibility, GAF has developed Advanced Protection® Shingle Technology, which provides excellent durability and wind resistance while reducing the use of scarce natural resources. The company has also developed single-ply and asphaltic membranes with excellent durability and high reflectivity to meet the most rigorous industry standards while helping commercial property owners and designers reduce energy consumption.
GAF also supports the roofing industry through CARE, the Center for the Advancement of Roofing Excellence, which has provided education to over 125,000 professionals. CARE’s mission is to help professional contractors and distributors build their businesses through sales and management education, and to provide product and installation training to contractors, distributors, architects, property owners, and related industry personnel. For more information about GAF, visit gaf.com.
How many years can one person attend a show and still get inspired…the answer is 20! Yep I have been coming to Maison Objet for the past 20 years and I still get excited spotting fresh and fun products. Sometimes it’s just an updated color or a new texture or technique that inspires me but you guested it…key word is INSPIRED!
So many people today say that retail is flat and that products are not interesting, but I beg to differ because products today “have to be exciting in order to survive because the competition is so vast” so let’s start looking in the right place….shows like Maison that inspire us to be “our best self” in the product world of course…
It’s true that the show is large and getting larger each year…why because this is where you come to be in inspired…sorry had to throw that in…but it’s true…that is why we schlep through millions…or it seems like millions of aisles to find those inspiring products and ideas that make us smile…
Here are a few of mine…..
Lalie Design
Trend Hall
Flamant
Mero Wing
Vent de Boheme
Twoolies
Sebra
Rina Menardi
Toulemonde Bochart 
Vitra
Check out my other blog colorchaosandcreativity.com tomorrow for an overview of Kind + Jugend, an International trade show for kids products in Cologne Germany.
Thanks for following….
Nancy Fire
Excited to announce our newest HOME Collection for bedding, wallpaper, upholstery and fabric for Design Works International! It’s our newest design collaboration showcasing traditional, global, floral and geometric offerings. Beautiful techniques with a focus on watercolor, ikat, shibori and block prints in updated and fresh color combinations.
Call us at 212-594-0777 to set up an appointment to view our latest HOME Collections.
Just returning from a magical adventure from the English Countryside of North Devon in the U.K. for the past week. After spending a full day in London prior to our 4 hour drive to Devon, the slower pace of the countryside was a perfect welcome for two New Yorkers that are constantly on the go!
Neil, my husband and business partner for our company Design Works International and I rarely travel together because I travel solo on my most of my business trips while he stays at Design Works International managing our day to day business…so this trip was extra special on so many levels….after starting our design business 26 years ago, raising two kids in NYC who are currently in college, one just graduated and the other will be in his junior year… We are now able to travel as the team we were prior to starting a family!
This adventure was enjoyable because we rented a car and drove through the countryside stopping in towns like Dunster, Lynton, Parracombe and Braunton just naming a few… Each small town has their own charming personality….for example Dunster is a medieval town with an incredible castle and gardens that dates back over 1000 years. The town of Dunster is filled with charming resturants serving the traditional “pasty” prepared either Cornish Style with meat and potatoes or a vegetarian option of onion and potatoe…Most shops are geared toward tourists except for a unique shop called “Horse and Crook” where store owner and curator Abigail finds local treasures and reclaims them in various ways. See below image of her succulent pots in a textured ceramic pot….
The town of Lynton was our next stop perched on the top of a hill reachable by cable car with a view that is spectacular! Here is where I finally had my scone with clotted cream and jam with a pot of perfectly brewed earl grey teal! Next stop was Arbon Textiles where we purchased traditionsl British-made socks from local wool…..Lynmouth is the town directly below Lynton which is known for its seaside village as well as famous fish and chips restaurants!
Thanks to our Art Director Selina at Design Works International for inviting us to her wedding in Braunton because without her invite I am not sure we would of ventured to this magical part of the U.K.! Selina and Pete planned the most fairytale wedding at the Ash Barton Estate which sits on top of the highest hill in Braunton, a well seasoned surfer town…think Montauk LI but with the “best” fish and chips….The Ash Barton Estate is best illustrated by my photographs because it’s hard to find words to describe its visual magic! Selina and Pete’s wedding was an amazing mix of family and friends with a DIY sensibility! From paper flower bouquets, a sign in vintage globe, hand printed invites, seating cards and DIY mason jar beer mugs….no DIY project was left undone! See pics below of the beautiful bride and groom!
Last but NOT least….”The Cottage Gardens”……being an avid gardener I have to confess my skills are now sharpened and all my gardens will be having a “makeover” in the next few weeks…. So many new plans for new garden beds and the restructuring of old ones….see below my newest Devon inspiration and please head to my blog colorchoasandcreativity.com and my Instagram nancy_fire to view more photos of this amazing adventure!
Kudos to my husband Neil who drove over 500 miles on the wrong side of the road so his designer wife could photograph rooftops for an upcoming project, gardens for our HGTV HOME Plant partners and for my personal reference….
Planning a trip to this part of the U.K.? Feel free to reach out regarding tips on where to go….I will be posting tips this week on some local restaurants, lodging and general info.
For more pics from North Devon check out my blog at : colorchaosandcreativity.com On Instagram @nancy_fire and hgtvhome
Cheers,
Nancy
PS our trip to Stonehenge was incredible….to see this ancient temple aligned on the movement of the sun….over 4500 plus years of history!
Neil and Nancy “photo bombed” by Stonehenge!
Design Works Intl 