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Selasa, 31 Agustus 2010

{6} accessories I'm craving this Fall

{L.A.M.B., fall 2010 runway}This fall I'm so inspired by the grown-up take on rock and roll that so many of the designers (like Gwen Stefani, pictured above) displayed on the Fall 2010 runways. It's all leather, plaid, studs and black, but with a more tailored approach that suits someone about to enter her third decade instead of her second. Sentimentally though, the trend appeals to my

Senin, 30 Agustus 2010

Beautiful Bedrooms 2 – The Comfort Zone


We all need a good nights sleep to be able to function properly the following day. Today's bedroom are seeing the removal of high-tech gadgets and moving back to bedroom as being a place for relaxation and sleep rather than being overloaded with plasma TVs, DVD players and built in sound systems.

Black out curtains or blinds can be your saving grace when it comes to sleeping at night. Outdoor street lights or going to bed early in the summer months can make it difficult to rest. You don't have to sacrifice style when using black out curtains or blinds as they come in a wide range of colours and patterns as you would find with normal window treatments. You may also consider layering your window treatments and combining wooden Venetian blinds with curtains for a more luxurious and finished look.


More and more contemporary bedrooms are seen with floor to ceiling wardrobes on one wall as opposed to lots of separate drawers, wardrobes and shelving. With everything tidily and conveniently in one space, there is more room to manoeuvre around and less clutter to have in sight. Built in bed storage has also proved to be a clever system to keeping your belongings neat and out of the way – the 'no clutter rule' applies if you want a relaxed mind which is conducive to sleep.

Image: Small Space Style

Minggu, 29 Agustus 2010

The Great Outdoors

Martha Stewart LivingLate August always has me dreaming of the cooler fall weather to come. By now I've had my fill of long, lazy, sweltering summer days (and nights) and long for the crispness of fall and the holidays to come. Unlike many areas of the country, Houston's best weather is from October through April, and it's during those months that you can find Houstonians enjoying their patios,

Sabtu, 28 Agustus 2010

Beautiful Bright Bedrooms


If we can be honest for a moment, bright colours in the bedroom can't possibly prevent us from having a good night's sleep, if we are happy and comfortable with our choices. This is why it is important to use the colours that you have a natural attraction to - whether it be hot pink or acid yellow. If you are not convinced, stick with neutral walls to begin with and then bring in a cool colour such as blue, green or lavender to window treatments and duvet covers bedding. The third colour will be used as an accent - bright and contrasting to your other colour.

A good example would be a soft cornflower blue that offers a tranquil atmosphere, then given a fun twist by splashing bold orange to pillow covers and lampshades. In the same way, a zesty yellow will pick up lavender and a shot of red can give green a fresh look. It is all about little surprises!


Hot pink is a winning colour in feminine bedrooms. For a crisp and contemporary look, choose a hot pink floor rug under the bed and a unique piece of pink art on the back wall. You could also get a similar look by choosing a headboard in hot pink - try one with a floral pattern and leave the rest of your bedding in pure white or a subtle cream.

Image: A Life's Design

Kamis, 26 Agustus 2010

Shop Like a Design Blogger: Meditations on Life + Style

Today I'm thrilled to welcome Dayka from Mediations on Life + Style. Dayka is an interior design student in Atlanta and her blog is a wonderful and thoughtful collection of ideas gleaned from the classroom and from her own (seemingly bottomless) creativity. I am particularly fond of Dayka's posts on thirfting and repurposing old, inexpensive items to look like something new, fabulous and much,

Selasa, 24 Agustus 2010

Adding Injections Of Colour In Your Lounge


Want to try something new in your lounge and not sure where to start? There are some wonderful interior design ideas which you can use to inject some playful colour into your lounge and it doesn't have to cost a fortune!

For a lounge that receives a lot of natural light, hot pink can be used as the prevailing colour. Paint your walls with the dazzling colour and define it by using fresh white paint for doors, windows and mouldings. Add hot pink curtains to tie in with the colour scheme. Modern white furniture will give the lounge a more edgier and contemporary feel - try a chunky white coffee table to take centre stage and assemble white furniture around it. To ground a very bright room, dark wood flooring and the use of black in accessories will help.

If hot pink isn't your colour choice lime green teamed with aubergine is still a popular colour scheme for modern and contemporary homes. You can simply replace window dressings with lime green curtains and add a mixture of different textures and complimentary colours by using cushions and throws. Ideas like these are easy to achieve and equally as easy to replace if you decide that hot pink or lime green really isn't for you!

Image: belle maison

Minggu, 22 Agustus 2010

Cool Kame Lounge InteriorDesign Idea

Modern West End Interior Design - White Bathroom Decoration

Modern Bedroom Interior Design Red Viewpoint

Modern Metalic KItchen Design Idean for Your Home

Beatiful a Privat House Interior Design

New Modern Style Interior Decoration

Interior Home DesignContemporary Furniture and Modern Furniture. Order secure now at the best prices, always in stock and fast shipping.

Kamis, 19 Agustus 2010

Busy Busy!!

I have been very busy lately with all sorts of projects and I wanted to share my latest with you.  As you may remember I posted this project a couple of weeks ago and I now have the chairs reupholstered.  I think they turned out great!  Once the room is completed I will post more pictures.BEFOREAFTER

Shop Like a Design Blogger: i m a g i n e

This week I'm thrilled to have the amazingly talented Jami Goldsmith from i m a g i n e guest posting today. Jami is a talented designer in Southern California who offers both local and online design services and you can view some of Jami's amazing projects HERE.* * *Okay, so here you go - I'm giving you my biggest secrets in shopping for design "stuff". Over at i m a g i n e, I hand out tidbits

The Art Of Layering


Want to add a luxury look to your living room without breaking the bank? I've a few easy tips and interior design ideas which could turn your dreams into reality using the simple technique of layering and collecting!

You can layer with fabrics or have a collection of vases - it is just about having more than one piece. Just remember there is a fine line between layering, building up a collection and looking over-cluttered. Remember to choose similarities in you layering or collections.

Adding layers to the traditional living room will also presume a self-indulgent and stately home. It's right on-trend and can be used effectively in all styles of home.

You can layer different curtain types, a silk curtain fabric could be used with a rich velvet to create an opulent look or use both ready made curtains and ready made blinds in contrasting colours or textures to give beautiful diffused lighting effects.

A collection of fine vases on the mantelpiece should be in the same colour or colour range. A sofa with ample cushions and throws should be tied together with pattern or colour to stop it looking to chaotic.

Image: Belle Maison

Jumat, 13 Agustus 2010

Choose An Interior Design Theme!


Having a theme is a great way to get the interior design look you want, whether it's whimsical, sexy or just different here's a few tips to the latest interior design ideas which are making it 'big' this year.

A Touch Of The Orient - Give dining rooms a sophisticated update with lacquered accessories and oriental inspired furniture. Dark polished woods give way to glossy red tableware and gold accents. To stop everything looking to heavy you should go for white walls, flooring and light voile curtain fabric at the window for maximum light.

Alice In Wonderland - Thanks to the Tim Burton remake of this classic family movie, a very playful and fantasy filled dining room has been making a huge scene on the design front. Yes - think of the Mad Hatter's tea party and you're on to the right path! Surreal shapes or oversized furniture are at the forefront of this theme - you could always go for a subtler approach with a marvellous cake-stand on the dining table, ornate teapots, candle-holders and mixed up cushions on dining chairs.

Flaunt Those Curves - The latest kitchen designs have proved that kitchens are becoming smoother and less 'square'! Great news for the clumsy amongst us who consistently bump into sharp edges when tackling a Sunday roast! Rounded edges could be brought in with a new round sink, curved faucets or a curved island unit for the ultimate in contemporary styling, use hot pink curtains to compliment the look.

Animal Motifs: From the catwalk into interiors, the animal motif inclusive of all furry, feathered and scaled friends is all over the place! I love it though, as it has a fun element to perk up our interiors. Retro style prints are our favourite and they tie in well with our love of folk-themed interiors this year. There is another side to the animal motif too with bright coloured prints adorning everything from upholstered chairs to funky tableware.

Image: Belle Maison

Kamis, 12 Agustus 2010

Shop Like a Design Blogger: Decorica

After last week's brief hiatus, I'm back this week with yet another installment of the "Shop Like a Design Blogger" guest post series. This week, I'd like to welcome Erica from Decorica. Erica, who launched Decorica nearly a year ago, is the talented interior decorator behind Erica LeBlanc Designs. Erica has a wonderful knack for bringing great style and color to just about any decorating budget

Selasa, 10 Agustus 2010

Tropical Oceanfront Villa Offers A Vacation Retreat

Nestled in the richest coastal region of Phuket Thailand, stands a four story luxury villa waiting to be occupied by the most fortunate dreamers. Thailand’s own architect Charupan Wiriyawiwatt created a heavenly retreat hosting a bedroom suite on every floor that boasts it’s own seascape deck with front row seats to the Andaman Sea. With a gorgeous open plan kitchen, living and dining area

Unique And Elegant Living Room Styles 2010 by Natuzzi

Styles that possess polar elements like natural and faux, traditional and modern, warm and cool colors, glossy and rugged textures usually create a harmonious ambiance. This always evokes a sense of comfort and interest within a space. These living rooms from Natuzzi’s 2010 collection are all unique in their own right but do share a common thread- opposing trends. This Italian furniture

Pretty Inspiring Of Bathroom Designs by Neutra

These bathroom designs by Neutra are pretty inspiring as they give us a stylish perspective on the fusion of traditional and modern materials. This take on modern bath design seems too good to be true with scenic views that any sceptic would confuse for wallpaper! If only all bathrooms were this massive… The rich textures enveloping this bath lend an exotic experience to a modern space. Wood

Nice Design Of Office Space With Yellow Color

Creative office spaces with red color | NATURAL INTERIOR DESIGN 2010

It’s official- the wall decal is the new mural! These popular graphics are fun, witty, and technically “green” because they are easily applicable and transferable. In our search for creative office spaces, we found the offices of Third Frame Studios to demonstrate just how clever these décor concepts can be. Slovenian firm Zek designed the graphics which are slightly geeky in nature to

Modern House Boat with Rooftop Garden | NATURAL INTERIOR DESIGN 2010

House boats have traditionally been an alternative lifestyle for those irresistably drawn to a water bound lifestyle. This subculture of boat dwellers either work in the fishing industry or living on a budget have simply have made their humble boat a home. In fact more recently we are seeing custom designed boats becoming a permanent place for luxury living. This completely original boat

A collection of Workspace Design | NATURAL INTERIOR DESIGN 2010

A collection of cool frames adorns the wall above this desk on a few simple shelves that collectively create a sweet focal point! Storage can pose an issue when you have a workstation exposed to the rest of the home, but these guys did a great job making it sparkle. This energetic corner is prepped and ready to work for the love of arts & crafts.

Some inspiring home offices | NATURAL INTERIOR DESIGN 2010

With the insurgence of folks starting their own businesses or simply working out of their homes, HD decided it is only appropriate that we feature some inspiring home offices to get your entrepreneurial spirits going. And since some of our homes are smaller than average, creating workstations that work seamlessly in a room can be a creative task in itself. Here are a few workstations that

Exclusive And Luxury Swimming Pool With Glass Walls

Building a big home on a small lot always presents the conundrum of getting the most bang for your buck while keeping the essence of luxury living intact. The home we feature today is a residential structure that was built for a young family located in an urban city of Argentina. This project was a collaboration between architects and client that challenged them to come up with well designed

New Karim Rashid Apartment Interiors | NATURAL INTERIOR DESIGN 2010

Karim Rashid is one of the most creative and diverse designers of our generation. His loud style has called him an audience from every corner of the globe. Karim is an architect, interior designer, writer and product designer who has dynamically touched every facet of design from eye wear and furniture to children toys- and still manages to hold a few hobbies. Talk about stamina! Today we’

Emersonmade

If you haven't already visited Emersonmade then you need to check it out!  Known for hancrafted fabric flowers and accessories the company has now launched a new clothing line.  These are some of my favourite things. 

Beautiful Black Dining Rooms Designs


If you keep your dining space for special occasions - a colour scheme of black, red and white is very festive and special. Use a panel of black and white wallpaper on a feature wall. Wallpaper is right on trend and there are some great floral and patterned wallpapers that use black as a main colour. A sheer finish adds further glamour and sparkle to the party room. Red can come with accents such as neat ready made roller blinds or table décor.


It is risky to paint all four walls black in a smaller dining room, so the way around this is to just paint one wall in a gloss black - the gloss cleverly bouncing more light around the space. This can also be achieved with patterned wallpaper - dress the wall of the fireplace, behind your dining table or the outer wall if you have a beautiful window. If you want to incorporate the latest interior design trends then a blackboard wall will fit into a black dining room superbly!


Another idea for lessening black on walls is to use wainscoting with black below and cream or taupe above. Despite wainscoting being a period feature, you can get away with it if the rest of the room uses modern furniture and clean lines.

Image: Small Place Style

Senin, 09 Agustus 2010

Before & After: Hamptons Home

I'm baaaack. After a much needed week off from blogging, I'm back and feeling much more inspired -- and much more rested. Many thanks for all your sweet comments and e-mails. I can assure you that I'm doing well and there's absolutely nothing to worry about. The past month or so has just been incredibly busy at work and that busyness translated into far less time (and inclination) for blogging.

Sabtu, 07 Agustus 2010

I'm in love (again)

These rugs are so beautiful.  I can't decide which one I like the best.  If I had to choose I'm pretty fond of the first one.  All from Calypso St. Barth

Kamis, 05 Agustus 2010

Love my new placemats

I was in deperate need of some new placemats for my dining room and found these great little houndstooth printed mats at Pier 1 the other day.  Aren't they cute?

Rabu, 04 Agustus 2010

Children's Bedroom Interior Design Ideas


We always arrive at a problem when decorating a child's bedroom in the first place. This being that we want to inspire their creativity with lots of colour and things to play with - but at the same time we want to help them get a good night's rest with soothing colours and less clutter.

When bedrooms have multi purposes it is good to try and divide areas up. A simple divide placed between the sleeping and playing areas should do the trick - then you can tone down colours and eliminate clutter in the sleeping quarters!

Sleep time should be calm and quiet, no TVs, computers or games consoles otherwise they'll be up half the night! Try and get into a regular routine from an early age – (easier said than done sometimes!) Use colour to help create a calm environment, paler shades of blues and greens are child friendly, leave the lime green curtains or hot pink curtains until they're a bit older otherwise the intensive colours could have a detrimental affect – rather like sugary drinks they're too much when the time should be peaceful and relaxing!

Image: A Life's Design

Senin, 02 Agustus 2010

Knackered.

It may just be the beginning of August, but it's already been one helluva summer. My day job continues to get busier (made all the worse by several coworkers' recent resignations and an increase in my travel) and I suddenly find myself with a fully-booked social calendar. Oh yeah, and the recent "distractions" that I alluded to last week continue to, well, distract me (but more on that in a few