5 Favorite Granites for Gorgeous Kitchen Countertops

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Home improvement can start with something as minor as installing track lighting or unique ceiling fans.
Find curtains and plantation shutters for french doors, or kitchen curtains and curtain rods for your kitchen windows.

The Kitchen of the "Not So Far" Future

 Just for fun here’s a picture gallery of some unique and interesting gizmos and appliances for cooking, cleaning, and cooling.

 Warming Drawers

 

Ever wanted a built in Fryer?

 

A Microwave Drawer perhaps

 

How about a dishwasher drawer unit

 

No room for a cook top, try this handy portable one.

 

Drawers for everything, even your refrigerator

  

Tired of your clothing being wrinkled, dry them while hanging in this closet dryer

Want to conceal your washer and dryer

Hows this for a toaster?

Why not steam and cook at the same time

Dishwasher drawer

 

 

You own unique beverage center



 

 

 

Apples to Apples

    It’s an old saying, and one that still holds true.  In today’s faster and cheaper world, a lot of the most important decisions are based solely on price and how fast we can get it.  Sometimes faster and cheaper is just that.  When you’re comparing remote controls, you might stand there for 20 minutes looking at all of the options before you decide.  You pride yourself on finding the most bang for your buck, and move on.  Maybe later you realize that you should have taken a little more time, and bought that one that was $5 more.  We all do it, and usually end up buying twice.  Value and lowest price aren’t the same thing. 

    Whether you’re building a new home or remodeling your existing, if you’re like most people, you have done your homework.  You’ve looked at all the latest websites, schemed and dreamed, and come armed with a big book of ideas and plans.  Taking all of those pictures and convenience hardware options and integrating them into your exact space isn’t easy. 

Factors to consider when choosing a custom cabinet maker:

Customer Service:    Customer service is probably one of the most important.  If you’re waiting two weeks for a bid from one company, and another has already met you, provided samples and designs, and accurate pricing, then you shouldn’t keep waiting.  The same way you’re waiting for a bid is how you’ll be waiting 6 weeks late on your cabinets, and then waiting again for them to come and do their punchwork if you go with waiting.  There is a serve in customer service.  Find someone that wants your business, takes care of your needs and questions quickly and efficiently.  How you are treated is something to never overlook for the potential “savings”. 

 Quality:    What your cabinets are made out of and how they’re put together is important.  Do you save $1,000 bucks and live with puttied nail holes that don’t match scattered across the face of your $15,000 dream kitchen?  Did you consider asking how they attached their face frames?  Most people don’t.  Are you painting your cabinets?  Are you being quoted “Paint Grade” by one company and “Paint Grade Maple” by another?  Most people don’t know that what’s specified as “Paint Grade” is usually a combination of wood species and man-made pressed board that could never take paint evenly.  “Paint Grade Maple” is just that, solid white maple.  The nebulous combination of “Paint Grade” might save you a little money up front, but what are you going to have to live with?  You’ve put so much time and thought in your dream kitchen, would you want to pinch pennies in quality? 

 Finish:    The most beautiful cabinets in the world can still be ruined by a poor finish, and the ugliest can be made beautiful by a good finish.  The finish is really what you see when you look at cabinets to be honest.  Are you really comparing the same things when you look at pre-finished and job-finished?  The guys that painted your walls might be cheap to throw some stain or paint on your cabinets, but what’s that going to look like in your home that you’ve worked so hard for?  Wouldn’t you rather your project be finished in a dust-free controlled environment by experience professionals using state of the art processes?  You might save $500 having those painters “stain and finish” your cabinets, but who’s going to pay them to put them all back together when they’re through?  How many options and samples do you think the wall painters will have for your unique finish?  What is the finished product going to look like when you’re through, and isn’t it worth $500 to be happy with the finish?

 Installation:    Getting your new dream kitchen installed properly is probably the most crucial step.  You’ve approved your designs and finishes and can’t wait to see what it all is going to REALLY look like.  Are the same people that designed and built your cabinets installing them?  Some cabinet companies “sub out” their installs to other individuals that you’ve never met and have never seen your cabinets before the morning they arrive at your home.  Are you comparing a sub-out install to an employee install?  Will your project manager be there to oversee the crew?  Will the installers even speak your language?  It might be a wash price wise, but you can bet that if your cabinet price has installation as a separate line item, your cabinet install is being subbed-out to the lowest bidder.  Having the people that know your cabinets inside and out install them not only saves you time, it produces a better end result.  Isn’t that what you’re looking for?

 

 

LWi Custom Cabinets Works on Renovations for a San Marcos Historical Restoration Project

The city of San Marcos is restoring the historic home of Ulysses Cephas.

The city purchased the home in 2003 as a historic preservation project. Mr Cephas was a blacksmith and community leader at the turn of the 20th Century, with the goal of making it a focal point in the Dunbar Historic District.

The Cephas House is located at 217 W. Martin Luther King Drive, across the street from the Calaboose African American History Museum. The Dunbar Neighborhood is the birthplace of jazz and swing composer and musician Eddie Durham (1906-1987) and the home of the city’s first African American residents.

The Cephas House renovations will include restoration of the exterior, some repurposing of interior rooms, and accessibility improvements. When all rehabilitation activities are complete, the City's Parks and Recreation Division will offer a variety of leisure and cultural arts classes and programs at the Cephas House. In addition to these programming functions, the Cephas House will provide a venue for the display of materials that detail the history of the Dunbar Neighborhood, its prominent citizens, and the importance of the African-American presence in the growth and development of San Marcos.

The project contractor, Cougar Construction LLC of Nome, Texas, has completed a number of historic renovation projects. Owner Richard Bates is performing much of the work himself.

The kitchen cabinets were completed by LWi Custom Cabinets to match the original color and style, a “Holiday Turquoise”.

Attention To Every Detail Pays Off

Being attentive to details and conscientious rewards you in many ways. One of the jobs we are working on right now came about because the customer recognized that in us.

An architect that we work with owns a very nice bungalow style home and he’s renovated it himself with his own personal style. He understands that the devil is in the details and when he wanted to do his stairs, he chose us.
We went with Long Leaf Pine to match the existing flooring and keep the historical integrity of his home.

Long Leaf Pine is a material that I am very familiar with: I’ve done everything that you can do with wood to it, from market it to miter it. To say I like it would be an understatement. Each piece is a little “living history”, and what you’re holding was probably an established tree when the Pilgrims were landing at Plymouth Rock. It’s a beautiful wood, ranging in color from electric yellows to deep reds and browns, very tight grained, and hard. While there a lot of “Antique Heart Pine” products out there, really only Long Leaf looks like Long Leaf. Loblolly can be nice and even some old Southern Yellow can look really good, but Long Leaf stands above the rest.

It is an expensive product, ranging from about what you’d pay for a nice African Mahogany and up, depending on clarity and sizes. That being said, it is worth every penny.

We just finished his project this week, and I have to say it turned out very well.

As we got into the project, the scope grew, and we added cladding the walls and ceilings of his loft with tongue and groove clear yellow pine, the walls of the stairwell, and even the underside of the stairs, seen from below. We also built and installed a sliding door system at the first floor. The project looks amazing, and the customer is extremely satisfied. Mission accomplished, Team!

Winder grain running correctly, around the corner, it takes more time but it’s worth the effort We had to maintain straight and level lines of the tongue and groove around the room and clad the closet doors as well with an 1/8” clearance

Our customer wanted to be able to separate off his office, so we worked with him to design this sliding door. We had the door and the wall material’s horizontal lines match up, which presented an interesting challenge.

Cabinet Brochure- Full of Ideas

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Modern Rustic Design

The sleek lines and clean understated look of modern design have always appealed to me. But, I also enjoy the rustic look of ceiling beams, wood flooring and worn antiques.

Lets take the challenge of making a modern room look warm and inviting. Modern smooth surfaces, sharp angles, geometric shapes, and crisp lines form the foundation of the look. But it needs some added warmth to look and feel appealing and homey. So how do you get that warmth without sacrificing the bold look you wanted in the first place. With texture and a touch of rustic.

Here are a few rooms that do that well. Building a very modern wall unit, for example out of a rustic knotty pecan wood for example. Notice how in monochromatic rooms, the contrast of woods texture can warm it up and create a unique look.

Shades Of Green

Here are a few suggestions on what you can do to make sure your new cabinets are as green as they come, no matter where you have them installed.
Cost vs. Value and Going Green with Cabinetry
First and foremost, many people are concerned with the budget implications of going green with cabinetry. Many may ask if going green is worth the trouble where cabinets are concerned. Going green with your kitchen, bath, or other cabinetry project isn't about finding the cheapest price. From a green remodeling perspective, greening your cabinets means eliminating common health risks associated with economy cabinetry materials.

• Avoid MDF, Interior Grade Plywood, and Particleboard—Every one of these products is a major ingredient in stock and semi-custom residential cabinetry. They also all contain urea formaldehyde based adhesives, a proven carcinogen that can off-gas into your home for years after installation. If you can, avoid cabinetry made from medium density fiberboard, interior grade plywood, and particleboard.
• Seal MDF, Interior Grade Plywood, and Particleboard—If you do purchase cabinetry made from these materials (most cabinets you can purchase contain these materials to some degree), be sure to paint over any exposed surfaces with several coats of a paint or sealer before installation.
• Choose Custom Cabinetry Made with Formaldehyde-free products—From a health perspective, the greenest cabinetry on the market is custom cabinetry. It also happens to be the most beautiful and functional cabinetry solution, since it's custom built for you, your space, and your needs.
• Use Low- or no-VOC Paints, Stains, and Sealers—Paints, sealers, stains, and other finishes used on cabinetry can off-gas a host of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your indoor environment, including some that have been implicated in skin disorders, respiratory problems, and even cancer. By choosing low- or no-VOC paints, stains, and sealers, you'll reduce your exposure to these potentially harmful chemicals, or eliminate them all together.

Which Shade of Green is Right for You?
While thinking green when it comes to cabinetry is a smart choice for your health and the environment, it's not unusual for homeowners to feel a little overwhelmed when presented with the full scope of green remodeling options. If you're feeling unsure about how green you're willing to go with your new cabinetry installation, there's no need to worry. Going green isn't an all-or-nothing proposition, and any step you take in a green direction is a smart one whether you paint an old set of cabinets with low-VOC paints or spring for a set of custom built cabinetry for your kitchen or bath remodel.

We're having a good time

We’re never bored here at LWi. One of the things that we really enjoy is the diversity of work that we do. Since we not only build custom cabinets, furniture, and specialty woodwork but also restore and refinish antiques, the day may find one of us doing something unusual and the whole shop gets involved. Last Friday as the day was winding down, we all gathered around an antique steamer chest that was being painted and took up a brush. It was fun, and a chance for us to have a laugh after a week of activity. We get some funny requests, like turning a broken old oak table into a bookcase, or making a table out of a bookcase. Either way, you can bet that on a Friday afternoon, there will be a shopful of skilled craftsmen working on it. Cabinets are fun and easy, but it seems like when something funky has to be done, the minds come together and before you know it, problem solved. With a recent customer, we did a complete home’s worth of cabinets, refinished 7 or 8 pieces of furniture, and modified an antique to become a vanity sink cabinet. It was nice to be able to get so much work from one customer, but the thing we like best is the variety of services that we offer. If you’re considering a remodel, and you want to update your furniture as well, let us know, and we’ll help you make it happen

We Put On Green Drawers!

LWi Custom Cabinets now offers two new “Green” choices for drawer boxes. We’re already doing all we can to make sure that our cabinets are constructed in environmentally responsible materials, and our drawer boxes are no different. The first choice is European Sycamore, harvested responsibly from managed forests; this wood is strong and durable with some color variation. The second choice is finger-jointed White Birch. By utilizing scraps destined for a landfill, this is true Lean and Green at its best. Since its White Birch, the color and grade are fairly consistent, and the boxes are durable. Both products are available at the same price as Baltic Birch plywood boxes, but give the “Wow” factor of a solid wood drawer box. We’ve made the full switch to the solid boxes, and enjoy knowing that we are doing our part. We hope you’ll feel the same. Either choice you make, you can rest assured it’ll be a good choice.

LWi Custom Cabinets Expands

We have grown again and have now purchased another enclosed trailer, expanded the drive way at the facility to accommodate many more cars and have added an addition to the building to house the ever growing need for more space. A showroom is in the design phase as well for the coming new year. As soon as it is complete photos will be posted and we will invite you all to come visit. Keep watching our blog for more news.

Happy Holidays

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Company Takes New Direction with Custom Cabinets

While still maintaining a presence in the antique restoration business, Lockhart Woodworks is now focusing more of its resources on Custom Cabinets and Cabinet finishing. In the past months the company has hired an experienced cabinet builder and project manager to add to the already experienced team.

The focus of the company is on both home owners wishing to remodel their kitchen, bath, and entertainment areas as well as work with high end custom home builders for both kitchen design and cabinet constructions and trim out work.

Our new team offers the flexibility of computer designed layouts and extensive design layout work. With the help of a high tech cabinet drawing program we can now offer you design ideas on the spot, showing you how your new kitchen or bath will look with any changes you like.

Lockhart Woodworks offers complete design, build, finish, and install of cabinets. We can also quote Granite and other countertops including custom made butcher blocks.
In addition Lockhart woodworks now can offer interior doors and trim, crown molding and base molding - also stained, finished and installed, to complete your project.

Check out the many new cabinet installations we have done on our facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/lockhartwoodworks

New listing on Thumbtack

Check out our new custom cabinets and finishing listing on Thumbtack

Custom Cabinets and Cabinet Finishing

Custom Cabinets and Cabinet Finishing

Custom Cabinets and Cabinet Finishing

Deja- New – Where Vintage Meets modern

These two looks are being
married together
in this new and upcoming trend
in home decorating.

Nothing conveys a sense of style like mixing vintage furniture finds with contemporary pieces. Mixing eras — feels unexpected, whimsical, chic, and always gets a second look. The mix creates an exciting, and unexpected element to any room. The best thing about mixing up design eras is that it works so well in so many different contexts. Taking a room that is very traditional, and adding modern elements takes the room to whole different level and feels hip and evolved. A sleek modern space with contemporary pieces as well as a very large antique piece that is worn around the edges, feels funky and cool. In the end, mixing old and new is a great way to create interest in a room. But, it’s not always easy to mix things up. So here are a few tips to help you get started:

1.) Unify eras through color. There’s no reason that a Queen Anne chair can’t work with a sleek contemporary couch or a mid-century modern coffee table. The key is to use color throughout a room on different pieces to give the room a unified feel.

2.) Use abstract and contemporary art to offset straight-lace, traditional furniture pieces. A contemporary painting can instantly transport a traditional room into the here and now, as well as provide an entree into adding more contemporary furniture pieces.

3.) Choose one object that will help link the traditional and modern. For example, if you’ve got very traditional furniture, consider an acrylic chair as a way to add a modern touch. The chair’s traditional silhouette is also a good way to bring in a bit of the past into a modern interior. Other objects that can tie together the traditional and contemporary include lamps, chandeliers and sculpture with either modern or neoclassical lines, depending on your furniture mix.

4.) Make the traditional modern by using colors that pop. Combine modern fabrics and patterns with traditional furniture or vice versa. What about an English settee covered in a pink fabric? Or how about a Danish modern chair covered in a bright, contemporary fabric? How about painting a French classical chair in lime green? An unexpected color instantly makes the traditional feel modern.

5.) Go for an eclectic furniture arrangement that is balanced. When your furniture style varies, a symmetrical furniture arrangement will emphasize the differences.

6.) Pay attention to scale. When mixing furniture styles, look for pieces that are more or less the same proportion to one another. Look for styles that have a common design, for example, Shaker furniture has simple clean lines that could also work with mid-century and contemporary pieces.

7.) Don’t overdo it. when it comes to mixing, a few styles is enough; too many different styles in one space can be chaotic.

8.) Bring traditional pieces into a room in unexpected ways. Carved Indian doors as a headboard or a room divider can be a nice way to bring the richness and patina of antique pieces into a modern interior.

How to tell if your piece is an Antique

Many people wonder if there piece of furniture is an antique. There are several ways you can spot an antique. The first giveaway is the joinery; machine-cut furniture wasn't made until about 1860. If the piece has drawers, remove a drawer and look closely where the front and back of the drawer are fastened to the sides of the drawer. If a joint was dovetailed by hand, it has only a few dovetails, and they aren't exactly even; if it has closely spaced, precisely cut dovetails, it was machine-cut. Handmade dovetails almost always indicate a piece made before 1860.
Now, look carefully at the bottom, sides, and back of the drawer; if the wood shows nicks or cuts, it was probably cut with a plane, or a knife. Straight saw marks also indicate an old piece. If the wood shows circular or arc-shaped marks, it was cut by a circular saw, not in use until about 1860.

Exact symmetry is another sign that the piece was machine-made. On handmade furniture, rungs, slats, spindles, rockers, and other small-diameter components are not uniform. Examine these parts carefully; slight differences in size or shape are not always easy to spot. An original piece is not perfectly cut; a reproduction antique with the same components is, because it was cut by machine.

For more information on dating antiques check out this website
http://www.antiqueweb.com/articles/antiquefurnitureageguide.html

For a very in depth guide to dating antique furniture take a look at this web site
http://www.efi-costarica.com/dating-antique-furniture.html

Replicating the "Restoration Hardware" look

Question
I would like to know how to replicate the look of the Saint James furniture and French Casement cabinets displayed on the Restoration Hardware web site. French Casement is described as "a soft weathered finish that has the look of driftwood". Saint James is described as “A weathered, distressed patina

Restoration Hardware’s Answer
The finish is the "look" and we go to great lengths to develop unique and hard to copy techniques to produce a "look" that can't be easily copied. It is accomplished with a multi step process that is very difficult to reproduce....that's by design.......often this type look is created by a blasting treatment using high pressure air with glass beads, walnut husks, garnet sand, etc...which creates the weathered look and feel of the wood, blasting away the softer grain and allowing the harder grain to appear raised. This creates a "weathered" look in a few minutes rather then several years...then a pigmented wash is used, often on top of a stain technique, then glazes and sealer coats are used to enhance the finish, protect it and add durability. These finishes can have upwards of 10+ individual steps, with proprietary products...{they want you to desire their finish enough to make you buy the pieces}....most finishers would have to study this finish in person, to even begin to deduce how it was done.... All this stuff is produced in Taiwan, China, Indonesia, etc.....

Lockhart Woodwork’s Answer
Lockhart Woodworks has unlocked some of these secrets and can produce a very similar look to Restoration Hardware’s “French Casement” and ‘Saint James” style pieces.
The French Casement look can be accomplished on new white Oak pieces or cabinets. The Saint James look can be accomplished on new Pecan or Hickory furniture or cabinets. The process is not easy and requires many more steps than standard finishing, however the results are very very similar to the Restoration Hardware pieces and at substantially less cost. So if you are in the market for a cabinet with either of these looks, consider having Lockhart woodworks build you your piece and apply this finish technique.

A sample of these finishes is available to see at Lockhart Woodworks.

Glazed cabinets- the newest way

Traditional methods of applying glazes involve dry brushing on glaze, and wiping it leaving a haze of glaze on the finished piece with heavier glaze in the recesses adding accenting- although still used, today's popular trend is pin-point glazing or the newest term called inking.

What is Inking ?
Glaze “inking" or pin-point glazing is a very clean glaze look applied to the recesses and profiles of doors, trim and moldings. Inking is different than traditional wipe on glazing because it leaves absolutely no trace of the glaze on the top flat surface. It results in a clean contrast between the cabinets and the glazed areas and is becoming a very popular look on cabinets and furniture. On white or cream cabinets, as in the photo, we use a Van Dyke (dark) brown glaze to create this clean line contrast.

pin-point glazing is difficult, labor intensive and time consuming to achieve, especially when a dark glaze is used on a on light color. Thus there is a cost increase on cabinets finished this way, but the results are well worth the extra cost. Not only is the process difficult but the glazing steps need to be performed after staining or painting and after the seal coat. Then an additional final clear seal coat is used to seal in the glaze, increasing the number of seal coat layers as well.

How to Get the Hollywood Glamour look

Update Your room With Touches of Vintage Luxury

Hollywood, in its heyday, from around the early 1930s to the mid-1950s, was renowned for its glamour and glitz. Men and women dressed to the nines in evening wear and beautiful, flowing gowns. Hollywood style interiors were dramatic, larger-than-life and daring. Yet it was also theatrically romantic. Above all it is daring and definitely makes a statement. Hollywood glamour décor is characterized by rich textures, mirrored tabletops and drawer fronts, impressive chandeliers and glitter. Old Hollywood style focus was on indulgence and luxury.

Hollywood glamour , as you would guess, is all about the glamour. this style has the minimalist details of modern design, infused with ornate and classical details. If you are drawn to the minimal, but love decorative scroll work and shine, then maybe you are Hollywood glamorous!

Incorporating the drama of Old Hollywood Glamour into your room is simple. All it takes is a little bit of sparkle to spice up a tired living space.

Hollywood drama in your room is all about the details. Glamorizing your room can be as simple as an embellished throw pillow or a gilded, Rococo-style mirror. Here is how to inject a few glamorous details into your room:

Colors – Choosing a color scheme is a personal preference, but any color that invokes a sense of glamour – jewel tones, whites, creams, beiges, rich browns, and black and white graphic prints. Try to stay away from earth tones and focus more on other natural resources like diamond, ruby, emerald, amethyst and quartz.
The black and white color palette is the perfect frame for a red chair or turquoise tufted sofa
Hollywood glamour is all about the contrast. The basic color palette is black and white, or cream and dark brown, or all white or cream, or all black. Then punches of color are infused with these backgrounds. Use red, pink, teal, yellow or any other color you choose.

Textures and Fixtures – The decadence of old Hollywood should be reflected in the décor. Textures such as lacquer, gold leaf, fur, and burnout fabric are reminiscent of silver screen drama. The popularity of mirrored furniture evokes the sense of vanity that was glorified in the films and lifestyles of stars and starlets of the 40s and 50s.

Select upholstered furniture with rich fabrics. At the heart of Hollywood Regency is shiny surfaces. This includes fabrics such as silk, satin and velvet that have a sheen to them and are rich and decadent. Upholstered furniture, like sofas and chairs, also need to have a lot of detail such as tufting, nail heads or piping. Piping, the edging around sofas and chairs is usually a contrast color, while tufting buttons are the same material as the sofa. Nail heads are metallic and carry the theme throughout the room.

Start With The Basics – Paint the room in the color of your choice. Choose a focal wall and give it a sheer, metallic color wash to draw attention to that area and add some iridescence for a glam look. For a “strawberries and champagne” look, paint walls a vintage blush pink and use a metallic gold color wash over one wall. Find textured wallpaper with something special: metallic print and raised patterns invite a sense of luxury.

Furniture Selection – Glamorous furniture is a must. Select furniture that is oversized and theatrical. The backs and arms of sofas, couches, occasional chairs and armchairs should be curved, with flowing lines and dramatic profiles. Decorative detail, while elaborate, should not be too busy, but instead restrained in luxuriantly stylized manner. This style is all about the details. Focus on one or two key items – a grand, tufted couch, a gold chaise lounge, an ornate chandelier – or update your existing furniture with touches of glam (crystal knobs, re-upholstery, mirrored panels, refinishing in a metallic or white). Make sure to include table lamps in highly polished silver or richly gilded bronze. Also, don’t overlook that outdated nightstand or bureau at the thrift store, flea market, or on craigslist

Use mirrors - on the walls and on the furniture. Mirrors are an essential part of Hollywood Glamour Design. The bigger and more opulent the frame, the better.
But mirrors not only hanging on walls, but also on furniture. Mirrored furniture is prominent in bedrooms, living rooms and dressing rooms. If this seems a little over the top for you, use one mirrored piece in your room as a feature or accent piece and have the rest in black, white or brown. Use shiny hardware on your other furniture to tie the mirrored piece to them. Hanging mirrors are framed either in wood or with mirror as part of the highly decorative nature of Hollywood Glamour.

Little Things – Little decorative touches really spice up a drab room and demonstrate your sense of style. Dress up surfaces with luxury candles, vintage perfume bottles, vanity sets, and heavy crystal accents. Find dramatic candelabras, votive holders, and decorative plates.

Where You Lay Your Head – If you think about glamour, think Silk, satin, damask, and any fabric with a sheen or dramatic accent. Pillows go a long way in a bedroom. Fringe, rhinestones, or bold prints will dress up any décor.

No matter what room in your home you choose to give a Hollywood glam look to begin with a color scheme that will create a sense of glamour such as luxuriant creams, chocolate shades, whites and jeweled hues including jade, ruby and turquoise. Furniture pieces should be beautiful to look at, with plenty of curves and embellishments. The room should be textured with gold leaf, lacquered surfaces or lacquered hardware, diamond or cut glass accents.

Hot New Color Trends

"Bringing updated color into your decor is all about adding that unexpected 'aha' with an accent wall or cushions, rugs or piece of furniture," says Leatrice Eiseman, director and color forecaster of the Pantone Color Institute, an industry leader in color trends. Inject new life into your living room — and your life.

The hot new style trend is 'Vintage Hollywood Glamour'. Hollywood in the 40's was decedent, with lots of gold, crystal and metallic lacquers. Now, we're adding more contemporary elements, a little glamour goes a long way: a crystal chandelier over the dining room table or an ornate gilded mirror over the fireplace mantel can transform a room. The colors are muted and more restrained; for example, baby blue is out and gray-blue is in. Gray is big, in its thousands of variations, from soft gray to charcoal, to hematite.

Neutrals are now being used for the big-ticket items, from rich gray to camel, We're using trendier colors, like acid green or amethyst, as accent pieces. As well as metallic and pearlescent accents.

Bold accent in black-and-white designs are also popular and being pared with hot accent colors like red and acid green. Look for pink in romantic bedrooms, the living room or even in the kitchen, from cabinetry to appliances.