Do your super powers define your experience?

The easy answer to this questions is yes but there is so much more to the conversation.

At the end of October, I returned from my amazing trip to High Point. I went to find unique treasures, and the universe delivered. The biggest treasure was my unique experience of the Hummer Tour sponsored by HPXD. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was better than I dreamed. Cliff notes version - 12 amazing & friendly designers all met for the first time inside a stretch hummer to spend the day bonding over the newly found vendors but also with each other.

We were treated like royalty by the owners of each showroom, met legends in the design world like Thomas Pheasant who discussed his new collection with Baker. All day, we were guided each stop by the truly magical, Jane Dagmi.

Photography: AV Creatives, courtesy HPxD

Overall market was showing color and leaning into pattern. Gone were the monotone grey and white. There was also a lean into formality that hasn't been seen in quite some time. What I means by this is the use of trims, more substantial soft dressing (pillows, window treatments, bedding) and bespoke lighting. While this didn't surprise me, it also made me very happy. It is a direct response to coming back out into the world after 2 years of sweatpants and take-out.

This leads me into what I wanted to share. I believe that color is my greatest super power. Color has the ability to heal by evoking emotions of comfort, peace or invigoration. It has been documented that different colors actually send specific signals to our brains subconsciously influencing our behavior. Recently I saw a marketing statistic that claims 62-90% of our feeling about a product is determined by color alone. The same holds true in your environment. Color is the most important choice.

Professionally, I have been working with color for over 20 years. I can say for certain, I have never been wrong about color or the undertones of color. There is truly a science and a non-tangible gift that comes to seeing the value and science behind color.

My clients come to me saying things like...

I want my home to feel peaceful

I want my home to feel invigorating

I just want my house to feel happy.

Color and pattern is how we get there, which can feel scary. I find the reason most people shy away from color is that they are afraid of doing it wrong or think it will be too much or too jarring.

As a designer, I am a big-picture thinker. I connect the dots between my client's emotional reactions to design ideas and the emotion they want to feel in their homes. But if you are ready to engage in this process, get curious about what it is you really want & trust in the process, I promise that we cannot make a mistake. We can only make your life and home more enjoyable.

Follow along @styledbystorms or styledbystorms.com