Trends:
This fall, look out for a unique palette of colors for the home. The trend toward darker woods, even stained in espresso or chocolate brown, continues to win popularity. We now find these dark woods combined with a very clean palette. Some of the most popular hues are:

1. Turquoise and teal with a primary color character to it. We see them bold and simple, not played in tints or shades. I personally like to use turquoise in a range of value. It combines well when used with its strongest and lightest companion in a somewhat monochromatic way.
2. Coral has become a new favorite. Once popular, but long forgotten, this vibrant color can now be found in all sorts of variations. On my shopping sprees, I have seen pale salmon pastel hues, as well as bright coral accents, or even the earthier companion, rusty orange. Coral can be pushed to a warm hue, when combined with sunset colors, or serve as a neutral companion to cooler colors. After a summer of pinks and peaches, coral is the choice for fall.
3. Ochre and golden yellow are great complements to both teal and coral. When combined with the rich dark woods of furniture, they play more of an earthy role. However, ochre works beautifully with a cool turquoise , as it is an indirect complement color. When playing with a palette eminiscent of a sunset, golden yellow works well with its stronger brother, light coral red.
4. Mocha will be seen quite a bit. In the past couple of years, chocolate brown has truly been reinvented. We have learned to love chocolate brown again, after the big grudge most people held against it in the '70s. Today, you'll find a more refined version of chocolate — a warm earthy brown, which looks a bit milk infused. It will take on a more sophisticated role than chocolate, as it combines well with both black and bright colors.

This unique palette very much reflects our zeitgeist — we have become more expressive when decorating and designing our living space. It is an expression of individualism that goes hand in hand with our "fashion forward" sense for the home.

When working with color, keep the main furnishings in your home neutral — it's easy to buy all new pillows in the latest trend colors. Not a problem to paint an accent wall coral ... and, if you don't like it next summer, you can paint it again. Reupholstering a teal leather couch, on the other hand, may be a bit more costly and complicated. You're best off keeping your base furnishings simple and clean, then accessorize with the color of the moment!

Lighting Tricks:

1. Lighting is a powerful tool. If you're looking to make a room more comfortable, as well as practical, you'll have to use several different types of lighting. This will give you the option to use your room in a variety of ways.
2. For a myriad of lighting options, combine directional lamps, indirect lighting, diffusers and spots all at once. Each will enhance your room in its very own way.
3. Make sure to mix overhead lighting in the ceiling or from pendants and chandeliers with side lamps, floor lamps and accent spots.
4. Combine direct lighting, such as spotlights, and indirect, or ambient, lighting. The former serves a purpose by lighting a specific area; the latter brings out a mood or feeling in a room.
5. Dimmers are a great tool to vary the amount of lighting in a room.

General Tips:

• Be realistic and know the scope of a project before you begin.
• Sound design generally is created from a strong concept. Stick with that concept and use it as the guideline for your decision-making process.
• Appreciate each piece of furniture for its uniqueness. When putting together a room, you don't necessarily need to use pieces all from the same line. Don't be afraid to mix contrasting styles, such as ultra modern and antiques, as long as they follow the guiding concept.

Tips For Major Home Improvement Projects:

1. When planning a space, create a keynote, i.e., select one thing in the room to be a focal point or point of interest. This will set the tone for the room and set a rhythm for the viewer's eye.
2. When I design for a major home improvement project, I like to take three things into account. First, I like to create a space that is a visual equivalent of the homeowner's lifestyle. Second, I let the space dictate the relationship of furniture, colors, lighting and spatial organization. Last, I combine the above with my own creativity, my personal sense for the space and my vocabulary of style.
3. Life is a process of continuous change and discovery. A home should reflect that! As life evolves, a home's design has the right to follow this mobility. Always add and replace soft goods, accessories, artwork and so forth, as they become relevant in your life. Otherwise, you will find yourself in a very outdated, meaningless space one day.
4. When starting a major home improvement or redecorating project, I think of the structure of the space and the basic pieces of furniture as the backbone of the project. Once the backbone of the project is established, I add colors, textures, art, lighting and accessories, which I like to view as the soul of the space — much like in painting, where you start with the broad strokes first, and then fill in the remaining spaces.