Welcome to Design Resources

Travel.  Adventure.  An eye for the beauty.  These are the secrets to creating a vibrant global home.  It’s alright if some of the travel and adventure happens in your imagination…  Global design is the stuff of dreamers anyhow, isn’t it?  Today, I’ll give you 5 tips for creating a unique space in your home.  You can get started right away!

1.  Start with an Anchor Piece

This can be something you’ve fallen in love with on your travels, a special gift from a far away friend, or an inspiring textile you’ve discovered.  I have a friend from Turkey who just returned with the most amazing light fixture I’ve ever seen.  She can easily draw from it to design her entire living space.  The red lantern in this photo would certainly play muse for me – I’m already thinking of how I’d work with that rich cranberry color!

Anchor your space around a special find, like this red lantern

2.  Be Bold with Color

Rich natural dyes are often the underpinnings of ethnic fabrics – we use many vegetable dyes in our own Saffron Marigold linens, for instance.  These lend themselves to bold color, and inform how we can use color in our homes.  The room depicted below makes use of one hue, and plays with it in various depths and tones.  Since it’s a particularly unique look, I thought I’d share it with you.  Alternately, you can pile on the color, so that there are points of interest everywhere you turn!

The yellow in this bedroom is stunning and welcoming

3.  Layer Patterns and Textures

Layering pattern has to be the hallmark of global design.  ”Matchy-matchy” need not apply!  The dark walls and opposing open walls create enough neutral space to just go wild within those walls.  And it works, doesn’t it?  You can read more about the principles of layering pattern in global decor here.

Layer bold patterns and textures for warmth and interest

4.  Span the Globe

Here’s the wonderful thing about contemporary global design – ultimately, it’s a wonderful menagerie of pieces from anywhere and everywhere!  Does it work together in your mind’s eye?  Then it will likely work in real life! This room combines clean, modern, Scandinavian lines with busy, bold Indian textiles, and even unassuming traditional pieces play a role.  I like it.  What do you think?

Clean Scandinavian pieces accented with vibrant Indian linens

5.  Shop Fair Trade

Finally, to truly tap into our sense of travel, adventure and beauty, we should shop fair trade as often as we can.  Just as we would be mindful and respectful of people if we were visiting their country, we can be mindful and respectful of then when we buy their handiwork.  This is near and dear to our hearts at Saffron Marigold, as we have a personal relationship with the artisans who own the studios where our textiles are hand printed.

All of our Saffron Marigold artisans are highly valued, and work under fair trade principals

Does your home reflect an all over global style, or do you enjoy highlighting a few pieces?  Tell us how you use global decor in your home!

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It’s Friday!  Yay!  Yahoo!  Along with kicking back and lounging around, lots of us like to “project” a little on the weekends.  To make sure that we’ve got plenty of time for the former activity (the lounging), I’m sharing three easy-peasy (but big impact) weekend projects.  Honestly, a couple of these could be done within an hour.  All use fabric as their medium, and guess what… We’ve got some wonderful globally inspired fabric options for you to choose from!

Which project is your favorite?  Which would you be most likely to do?

1.  Hang a Fabric Headboard (Can it Get Any Easier?!!)

Super simple way to create a great look! from Apartment Therapy

If your bedroom is feeling a bit bare, warm it up with a vibrant fabric headboard!  There are so many possibilities!  Think about one of these choices from Saffron Marigold – all 100% cotton, fair trade and hand printed.  And no, I don’t think this project could get any easier unless we used duct tape.

Saffron Marigold fabric swatches (45"x15" ea.)

Clockwise, l-r:  Pacific Blue, Morning Dew, Memories of Shalimar, Sultan’s Palace

2.  Organize Your Space with Global Fabrics!

Customize your space with fabric covered boards!

(l)  (BHG)  (r) (Country Living)

These fabric covered memo boards add instant flair and customization to your space.  How clever is the Better Homes and Gardens’ board, which has attached a metal sheet for magnets?  Both of these are made by covering artist’s canvas (which you can find pre-made at any JoAnn’s or Michael’s) with fabric.  All you need to attach the fabric is a staple gun, or even simpler, a hammer and nails.  Update your look right away by using some of our unique Moroccan and Indian fabrics.

Saffron Marigold swatch samples

(l) Ocean Breezes, (r) Purple Moon

3.  Make Your Own Wall Art!

Another simple project!

(l) BHG  (r) Canadian House and Home

Finally, choose some fabric – large or small – and frame it!  Instant art, no need to add water.  If you’re interested in a grouping of smaller pieces, consider using some of our swatches.  They are generously sized at 45″ x 15″ and would easily cover a small pre-made canvas.  One idea is to group the fabrics by colors… below is a selection of some of our “blue family” prints.  These would look great together!

Blue print swatches from Saffron Marigold

Clockwise, l-r:  Moonlit Taj, Dance O Peacock, Starry Nights, Midnight Lotus

However you spend your weekend, whether it be relaxing and enjoying your home and family, or using your creative energy to make something new, we wish you the very best!

See you Monday….

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How many of you have neutral bedrooms?  I do.  There is certainly something soothing and easy about this palette.  There’s also something safe (as in, “I’m not sure what else to do here…”).  Today, we’ll explore some simple ways to add a little color to our serene spaces – brightening, but not overwhelming them.  These colorful focal points work wonderfully in white rooms, because they can be easily switched out to create a completely different mood.  It’s simple, inexpensive and quick.  Sounds good to me!

photos: 1. Living with White, 2. Luxe Locations, 3. Marie Claire Maison, 4. Saffron Marigold

1.  Add bright throw pillows or Euro shams

Dance O Peacock Euro Sham

2.  Of course, add flowers…

Ranunculus, Oh Joy Blogs

3.  Warm your toes with a cheery rug

Menagerie Rug, Anthropologie

4.  Paint one piece of furniture in an unexpected color

Kelly green desk, Centsational Girl

5.  Hang bold artwork

Design Portfolio, ABChao

6.  Brighten a wall with an accent color

Green Accent Wall, Houzz

7. Hang a bright, sheer curtain

Paisley Fraiche Sheer Cotton Curtain, Saffron Marigold

Do you have any inclination to use a bit of color in a neutral space?  Let me know your design ideas!

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