* Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™: West Coast Homes & Design

* Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™: West Coast Homes & Design: This is an article that was just published in West Coast Homes & Design. PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning international ...

Chevron aka Zig Zag II

These are some of the wonderful works of Mary McDonald. If you're not
this adventurous, I found a few Zig Zag Area Rugs at West Elm that are very
reasonable and give the room a shot of pazazz!

Chevron aka Zig Zag

Here's one of my favorite's from Mary McDonald! She takes the chevron
pattern to a new level!

My new love for the Chevron pattern

I remember back when I first started working with textiles. No,forget working, it was more like thrown in!I had a girlfriend in San Francisco who had a hot little commercial upholsterey company but hated making sales calls! So of course I jumped on the opportunity to make some extra mad money and told her I could sell her stuff! She was thrilled!It was so funny to me that she had such anxiety over this because she had the personality of Bette Midler and looked like Cybil Shepard! Anyway, I'll never forget my first customer, she asked me to bring some Chevron fabrics with me! I had no idea what she was talking about, but thought I'd wing it! Luckily my hunch was right! It was the zig zag pattern like the logo at the Chevron Gas Station!Ha! And, for my friend, she got out of the upholstry biz and caught the wave in the morgage business, made millions and retired at forty four to Lake Tahoe!What a lucky dog! Or maybe she just found her niche'?

Chevron Pattern aka Zig Zag

Chevron Rugs, also known as Zig Zag

One of my favorite things about Mary McDonald is that not only does she love color like I do but she takes painted floors to a new level!
Which I think is Brillant!

Take a look at how she tranferred the chevron pattern typically used on fabric and wallpaper to the floor! What a great idea! Gosh, you could easily redo those concrete floors we all did ten years ago!Painting a pattern seems a lot cheaper then doing a major overhall!

decoratingdallas-susiesroadshows: Lighten up your Old World

decoratingdallas-susiesroadshows: Lighten up your Old World

decoratingdallas-susiesroadshows: Lighten up your Old World

decoratingdallas-susiesroadshows: Lighten up your Old World

decoratingdallas-susiesroadshows: Lighten up your Old World

decoratingdallas-susiesroadshows: Lighten up your Old World

Everything Old is New and Blue

Old World Living Room

New Lighter and Freshened Up Living Room

Old World Dining Room

New Lighter and Brighter Dining Room

Lighten up your Old World

Ten years ago I moved to Texas from California. One of my first discoveries in Dallas was Horchow's Clearance Store! It was my addiction, who needs a "Happy Pill" when you can buy furniture and accessories from Neiman Marcus for half or even less!?! I bought everything that looked regal and elegant! Anything in red, gold or black was my candy! After all, I was in Texas I had to go for the" Big look"!
Then about two years ago, I got offered a design position at Armoire's and More in Dallas. It's a yummy and beautiful little store that Nancy Myer's set designer's would shop from for her next movie!
 It has totally inspired me! I think I was going through that "seven year itch" with my decorating anyway. It was exactly what I needed!
Here's a couple of things that you can do to transform the heaviness of Old World to a lighter, fresher feel
without spending a lot of money again!
By switching out everything in your room that is in jeweled tone fabrics to icy blues, aquas, or spa tones will do the trick! Keep all your Mom and Grandma's antiques! They're very hot! Paint them, lacquer them for a "Shabby Chic goes Mod" look! It's the cool thing to do!
Pull out all of your fake silk flower arrangements and replace them with real dried flowers (Hydrangea's) are
hot right now and you can easily dry your own from the grocery store!Just flip them upside down in dry place in your Garage. It only takes a couple of weeks!
Replace your heavy dark color oriental rugs with light sisal rugs. Then for a little sexiness through a faux zebra or dyed cowhide on top! They even come in fabulous colors now! The splashed painted metallic are great! Costco is even carrying them now!
Speaking of metallic, the "new look" right now shimmer!!! Add a little sparkle to your rooms!
Antiqued mirrors, mercury glass candle votives, mirrored, glass or Lucite coffee tables can transform your room quickly! 
Here's some of the before and afters!