Editorial
Front Page - Friday, January 29, 2010
Interior designer: Bold colored accents a must for 2010
Stephanie Coward
Turquoise is the current “it” color in interior design. For those who have an aversion to turquoise, don’t worry, bold colors in general are just as posh in the design world, according to Anything Goes owner, Interior Designer Marty Stanley. Charcoal, purples, orange and red are all hot for 2010, so there is an option sure to suit anyone.
“If you want to inject the color in a nice piece art (or) glassware – a pretty vase or something – your eyes will be drawn to that,” Stanley said. And one doesn’t need to go all out purchasing many pieces with bold colors; just a few accent pieces, strategically placed throughout the home, can really finish a look. “Get good pieces and fewer of them.”
Another option for those interested in a quick, economical design change is creating an accent wall in a room. By adding color to just one wall, a homeowner can really change the look of the room and because paint is not just cheap, but also efficient, the color can be easily changed again and again.
“You’re going to see the strong colors coming in but you’re seeing them more in accent,” Stanley said. “Particularly with the economy down, you don’t want to be so bold that if something happened, you couldn’t get rid of it.”
Stanley said she does a lot of tone on tone work with walls, which is a nice way to give a room the illusion of height when needed, such as in a foyer. Tone on tone color generally utilizes two tones of the same color that are put in vertical stripes down a wall. A matte and gloss version of the color work very well and gives a good bang for the buck, according to the designer.
Currently, Chattanooga is in a transitional design phase. Whereas the big trend nationally is toward more contemporary design, Chattanoogans still prefer their homes designed in the traditional realm with a peppering of modern adornments. “People still like to decorate with their stuff here; we are a traditional community,” Stanley said. “People are more afraid of color here in Chattanooga than they are on a national level I think. We’re coming along, and my clients are not afraid of anything.”
Stanley got her start in interior design when she was a child. She used to purchase shoes and then she and her mother would find material that went well with them and design her clothes. “Until I was married, I think everything I wore mother and I had made,” she said.
The knack for combining color and texture may just be something she was born with. Her grandmother was the head alterations lady for a company in Knoxville, and she used to watch her work for hours. “I would watch Granny do all these things with fashion and colors and I was always fascinated by color.”
But when it came time for college, Stanley chose to pursue a career in pharmacy. She was accepted to the UT School of Pharmacy prior to getting married. She left school after her husband, Lloyd, an Air Force lieutenant at the time, was
relocated, and put her schooling to use by teaching at the various bases. In her spare time, she was always looking for that perfect bit of furniture or accent item. During their time in the Air Force, Stanley collected many pieces that are still displayed in her home today.
After staying home for a bit with her two children, Trey and Mary, it was time for Stanley to finish her degree. However, she chose to take the classes necessary to become an interior designer rather than continue down the path of pharmacy. “I was doing interior design on the side anyway, just not as a professional,” Stanley said.
She took a job with a local design firm and then opened her own company, Anything Goes, in 1984. “I decided that I wanted to be on my own because I wanted to spend more time with my clients,” Stanley said. “If you’ve got a storefront, you have to take care of the business that comes in; you cannot give all your time to the person that you’re working with.”
The extra time Stanley spent with her clients worked in her favor, as almost 30 years later, she is still going strong. She works out of her home, where she has converted her entire second floor to offices and a design studio. She is an allied member of American Society of Interior Designers and a member of the Professional International Design Society. Stanley is registered with the state as well.
To learn more about design concepts or to set up an appointment, contact Stanley at (423) 894-6000.
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