Saturday, November 16, 2013

Where do Interior Designer shop for current design trends.....Sklar Furnishings!

Sklar Furnishings hosted an event last week for my design support group, Designing Women.   Sklar is celebrating over 10 years in business.  Their Boca Raton FL showroom is over 24,000 square feet of spectacular furniture, lighting and accessories.  It was a feast for my eyes.  I thought you might enjoy getting to know more about Sklar and current trends in home furnishings.




This colorful setting greeted me in their foyer.

Neutrals with pops of color seems to be the way to go.
Did you notice in both the photos above the arch lamp, a throw back to the sixties has made a come back? They have been redesigned a bit.  One has a bright silver (would you call that mylar?) shade and the other looks very space agey, like a flying saucer.

Which do you think came first the art or the pillows and rug?  The cocktail table is fantastic.
take a closer look and you will see a slice of a large tree trunk!

Gray is seems to be the most popular neutral.   The red flowers and gold vase really stand out.

Gray and white with this furry rug look nice but add a fuscia pillow see how dramatic it looks.
 I would definitely add another fuscia or patterned pillow with other bright colors.  The lone colorful pillow is too distracting to make a cohesive scheme.  What do you think of this cocktail table with a cushion on top. What an interesting way to create a coctail table/ottoman. 


Adding yellow to  gray and white warms up this seating area.  Great rug too!


A dark sectional adds strong contrast.  Look how that one seat is done in a different color.  
I am not sure if the yellow section was added on purpose as a new twist or if it was meant to be used with the ottoman or just to show the sectional comes in other colors.  What do you think?  Would you break up a sectional with a totally different color like that?  Very interesting.
Sklar displays many bedroom groups as well. This one has lots of bling.

I have never seen a "diamond" studded headboard before.

Platform upholstered beds are definitely "in". 
Does this remind anyone of a water bed?  These beds can be used with or without boxsprings, no water necessary.
This beautiful dining group is shown in a what I would call a lacquered driftwood finish

Here is a close up.  
After some thought I am wondering if this finish is just to go along with the popularity of gray or a  nod to a more contemporary driftwood material.

I love this more contemporary version of a classic blue and white color scheme.
The coffee table is made from wood that is stained blue and lacquered.  So pretty.
These chairs remind me of some of the vintage midcentury modern styles I found at J.F. Chen in Los Angeles.
You can check them out in an earlier blog post that I wrote about J.F. Chen.

Can't decide on a color? Use them all!  This reminds me of an artist's pallet.  What do you think?

Simple, neutral and elegant. 


This is a close up of the chandelier in the photo above. It was both whimsical and beautiful.


Some of the lighting was like sculpture, or is it sculpture that was turned into lighting?

I do not use this word lightly but this chandelier was stunning.

It is what I call a WOW feature, a show stopper.  Mesmerizing!
               I just want to say "Beam me up, Scotty".

Chair galleries are a great way to showcase a collection like this.



This was one of my favorites.

Have you even thought of adding a splash of color with an occasional table?


Accessories like this over scaled pear are wonderful.

I would call this sculpture rather than an accessory.
 It also has a mate and stands at least six feet tall.

This glass penquin is part of a collection.


There were several entertainment centers on display.
I like this one because it is simple but functional and creates a  focal point.
The traditional wall unit is now more of a wall system with shelves that float.  They can be designed to the scale of the wall and very customizable.

Floating glass boxes are a new take on a curio cabinet.
 The boxes offer a way to spotlight each individual piece.

There is nothing like cobalt blue glass and it is one of the colors trending this year.

My favorite accessory was this winged shoe.  Isn't it splendid?
When I am researching a project I like to take advantage of local showrooms either retail or to the trade.  I take clients to see furniture in person so they can sit on it to find out what is comfortable for them.  Often I can order the same or similar styles direct from the same manufacturer but this takes time.  Special ordering is the best way to get exactly what my client wants, but sometimes the need is more immediate so I need to shop locally.  Thankfully there are showrooms like Sklar to help me out!

Where do you like to shop for furniture and accessories?  Do you like to go to local stores?  Do you shop on line?  What about consignment shops?  It is fun to just "window shop" the furniture stores to get decorating ideas and see  the current styles and colors.

I hope you enjoyed touring Sklar with me. As always I welcome your ideas, experiences and inspirations in the comment box below. When you write your comment click on "publish". Your comment will come to me and then I will post it. I look forward to hearing from you all.

If you are considering a decorating project and would like some assistance or consultation, please feel free to email me at pictureprettyint@aol.com

4 comments:

  1. Victoria at A Gifted Society commented:
    That chandelier is a work of art!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Victoria. I could not take my eyes off it. It floated like a space ship but had a surprisingly organic shape and texture. It really was a piece of art.

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