Texture and warmer colors are everything right now no matter if your style is Modern Farmhouse, Rustic Country, or Traditional with elegant architectural elements. Add layers of glowing, jewel-like lighting, and nubby fabrics that offer instant coziness to make your rooms cozy and inviting for fall and winter.

By RITA KUEBER

Pat Perrino, president of Perrino Builders and Remodeling has been working on custom homes and developments in the area for 30 years, so he has a pretty good idea of what owners are looking for when it comes to convenience, layout, and interior design. In addition to building, he has Perrino Furniture and a 20,000 square foot showroom in Chesterland packed with furniture, finishes, lighting and accessories.

Aretha Kotz, an interior designer, has been in the industry for 13 years and has been with Perrino Builders and Remodeling for the last five years. Together with designer Chelsea Fowler, she works on all the interiors of the builder’s model homes. Additionally these designers work side-by-side with clients as they make decisions about their custom-made and remodeled homes, and also help visitors at the Design Center located in Chesterland.
Aretha talks about what’s trending in home interiors this fall. “We’re looking for a luxurious, otherworldly feel, an interior that’s like walking into a destination hotel,” she says. “You need lots of light and calming textures for a lush feel. Texture is everywhere,” she adds. “There are patterns in tiles, like windmill and basketweave. There are patterns in wood grains, as well as textured ceilings. Even if the colors are neutral, we’re looking for a richness to these rooms.”

She explains that the monochromatic all white, taupe, or gray on gray interiors are moving on, while earth tones and colors found in nature are having their moment, from blues and greens to gold and burgundy. “In the kitchen this is next – darker countertops. We’re moving away from white and using raisin, light, icy blue, cool taupes and browns and creamy whites.” She points out that most of Northeast Ohio is gray throughout the winter months, so brightening up woodwork and mixing whites with warm woods or blacks, and also highlighting the floor are ways to enliven the kitchen.

Perrino explains that his team has come up with a number of styles more or less pre-determined to help people with the interior design process. While naturally there’s the opportunity to make changes, so far what his designers have pulled together is proving to be very popular. In styles like Country Cottage, Modern Farmhouse, Traditional, Coastal Cottage and more, finishes, colors and textures have been arrayed on mood boards or story boards so clients can pick all or some of that particular combination. “There’s more of a designed, maximalism approach now. Interiors are more curated, even if you’re on a budget. There’s more flexibility that allows us to play with fabrics, materials, and color,” Aretha states.

 

In casual conversations with Aretha and other designers, it’s clear that homeowners have tons of options for making a room more cozy. One insight that can inspire numerous changes is the idea that the furniture in a place doesn’t need to be there 24/7. In other words, fall is a good time to swap out furnishings from one room to another. If a spare bedroom has a chest with natural wood tones or darker upholstered furniture, consider moving these into the living room or great room to create a different feel. While we love open, airy rooms especially in summer, sheers and other light curtains can feel too insubstantial for colder, stormier weather. Change out breezy drapes for something heavier and use darker toned material or touches of autumnal colors in the trim, or tiebacks to emphasize the weight and texture.

If the living room already has carpeting, consider layering smaller carpets using an accent rug or patterned Kilim on top. Lay the carpets at different angles for visual interest. This technique works in bedrooms too. The idea of changing things around in the house can be extended to anything from lamps and shades to artwork, bringing darker, weightier pieces into the family room, den and living/dining rooms. Storing away pastel and summer colored pillows and throws offers the chance to mix and match textures and colors that are warmer and cozier for the next few months.

In their designed spaces from model homes to showrooms, Aretha and Chelsea offer stylish vignettes, maybe the easiest way to bring fall into the home. “Botanicals are huge, so using seasonal mums or greenery on the table or featured on your kitchen island is a great way to bring the season inside,” Aretha says. “You can use a wood cutting board, pumpkins and seasonal colors to change the mood of the room. You can also use a lot of lush throw pillows – try fur or leather accents. You don’t need to overhaul the entire space; little pieces you notice instantly will make the room feel different. Lighting should be jewel-like – glowing and warm, and there are a ton of options for lamps now – everything from marble to ceramic, and wood in so many different sizes and shapes – it’s just great to see.”

Visitors can wander the Chesterland showroom, look online for virtual walk-throughs, or tour the model homes for upcoming communities being built by Perrino, including Magnolia Meadows, a 63-home community for residents 55+ in Sheffield Village, West Pines, a 13-home (ranch-style) community also for 55+ residents, and soon, a development in Mentor.

“These homes have zero stairs, optional walk-in showers and two-foot-wide doors for accessibility, so people can age in place,” Perrino says. Most start at 1,500 square feet but can be built up to 3,000 square feet with prices in the $500,000 and up range. “We’re not a budget builder,” he says. “But these are for people who are thinking about their quality of life. I’m right there with them – I can relate to my clients. Are you going to invest in the stock market or invest in yourself first and have something nice to go home to?” Best of all, he explains, often a house he builds that’s smaller in size feels bigger inside due to his open floor plans, leveraging a triangular shape, and using glass in so many of the exterior walls, bringing t)he outside in no matter what the season. For design inspiration and more information, visit perrinocustomhomes.com