9 Pointers for Perfectly Styled Pillows

9 Pointers for Perfectly Styled Pillows

We’ve seen the beds covered you could swim in them. Or the couches with all these cushions you can not sit on these. It is time to discuss throw-pillow rules: what the guidelines are for pillow numbers, pillow placement and pillow selection for colour and texture. I certainly empathize with all of you compulsive throw-pillow buyers; it is hard to resist that locate in the discount store that goes perfectly with your living room style. But let us all collectively now step away from the cushions. Less is often more. Your spouse and your visitors will thank you.

Rebekkah Davies Interiors + Design

1. Mix designs and textures. When choosing throw cushions, be certain that you select unique designs and textures to create the kind of depth and interest you would find in a painting. That is what we’re doing when we are decorating — painting a masterpiece.

This sofa has two matching cushions, which create a degree of symmetry. They are shiny and likely silky to the touch, which matches the matte sofa fabric. A furry pillow ramps up the feel, and a pattern amps up the sense of fun.

Loom Decor

Nota bene: This mix of patterns is unexpected, but imagine the room without it. It’d be like a standard sterile canvas. The artfully matched patterns bring that canvas.

COCOCOZY

2. Use odd numbers. Generally speaking, whatever the furniture piece, odd numbers are greatest.

Perfection and symmetry can leave a room looking too-too; take one thing off to please the eye and include a feel of lived-in-ness.

S / Wiley Interior Photography

3. Don’t fit the sofa. A white sofa with white cushions is simply too much (unless you know you are breaking the rules and it looks amazing anyway).

Within this room, the velvety blue paired with an stripey blue along with the soft yellowish throws is a great match. The sofa simply provides the sterile sheet.

This couch’s cushions do break our livability rule. If you like throw pillows as much as I do, then simply change them out with the seasons to enjoy all of them, just not all at the same time.

D Swift

Exception: Once you understand the rules, you can break the rules with intention. These cushions break two rules: They are paired at a much number, and they fit the colours and fabric of the sofa. But wow, what colours and fabrics! The combo is a statement, and it is apparent that the decorator understood what he or she was performing. It simply works.

Sutton Suzuki Architects

4. Do match the room. Utilize throw cushions as a way to pull a room together by selecting up colours utilized everywhere.

A solo orange seat like this one would seem dropped; an orange seat with two orange cushions nearby looks cohesive. The leather pillow also picks up the white of the walls behind the sofa, the artichoke lamp along with the coffee table.

Steven Miller Design Studio, Inc..

Exception: In a neutral room like this, one look-at-me pillow concentrates on the design and the people’ interest.

Becky Berg Design

5. Leave room for living. Take it out of Coco Chanel, who famously stated to take one thing away before leaving the home: Take one pillow off your sofa. It will both avoid overperfection and leave enough room for folks to sit throwing your prized cushions onto the floor.

On a smaller sofa like this one, three cushions are most likely enough.

Margaret Donaldson Interiors

Nota bene:Window seats are easy victims for pillow smothering. But see how this bench’s two cushions actually invite someone to take a seat? That is what we need.

Colors Of Green Landscape Architecture

6. Soften modern spaces. Utilize the softness and cushiness of cushions to round the hard edges of contemporary and modern styles.

Consider outdoor spaces, exposed-brick lofts and new houses with concrete floors. Throws on furniture in these spaces invites people to enter and delight in that modern appearance you adore so much.

Natasha Barrault Design

Nota bene: Make sure your pillows are really comfortable. Yes, even discount pillow inserts are inexpensive, but they also can go flat quickly. I’ve discovered down that inserts from Crate & Barrel, in addition to Michaels, are firm and hold up well. The prices at both stores were about the same when I looked.

Natalie Younger Interior Design, Allied ASID

7. Use bolsters for chairs. Generally speaking, bolsters will help keep side chairs and wingbacks from appearing lonely. But instead of full size throws, they really allow people to sit on the chairs.

Exception:This vignette actually needed the large graphic punch that this throw provides. A bolster in this pattern would still seem good, but this square size also imitates the square-framed artwork. I bet this seat doesn’t get sat on considerably, and if it does get sat on, there is a convenient basket nearby for placing the pillow while putting shoes on to go out the door.

Just Perfect!

8. On beds, much less is more. Two cushions, two sham cushions and one or two accent pillows ought to be the maximum quantity of cushions you permit yourself for your bed. The shams along with the accents maintain it comfy and cozy, and they can readily be arranged for daytime resting or reading. Don’t overdo it the simplicity of this bed is what makes it.

(This bed does break the odd-number principle, however, the symmetry of the cushions matches the symmetry of the artwork on the walls, making for a tranquil, tranquil space. I bet that only one of these yellow throw pillows would make the bed look too bare, and an additional pillow for the interest of odd numbers would overdo it.)

Jennifer – Rambling Renovators

Nota bene: You may not need as many pillows as you think if you use the stacked-pillow effect. These two cushions placed on top of every other include a layer of depth to the room. That one tossed-on patterned throw pillow is the great last bit.

JayJeffers

9. Don’t karate chop. Whatever you do, don’t karate-chop your cushions. No exceptions. Why do people do that? Nobody knows. Perhaps it’s believed that it leaves the cushions look less contrived, but who actually does this in their house? This is a beautiful, lovely vignette. No demand for arts.

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5 Ways to Make Your First Home Beautiful

5 Ways to Make Your First Home Beautiful

Interior designer Kyle Schuneman’s adventures as a Hollywood production designer finally led him into the world of interior design — the perfect career for a guy who drew floor plans and turned through style magazines as a small boy growing up in Chicago. After building his industry contacts and working together with high-end clients, Schuneman noticed that a good deal of his twenty- and thirtysomething friends were still feeling fulfilled by the design procedure — a realization that planted the seeds for a style book.

“I wanted to put together a guide filled with design information that is useful, fresh, interesting — and also the antithesis of a style manifesto regarding how you need to decorate to fit into a mould,” says Schuneman, 28. He collected his adventures in solving his clients’ real-life style challenges in his very first book, The Initial Apartment Book: Cool Design for Small Spaces (2012).

Here are just five of the hints for anybody setting up a first apartment or house.

Kyle Schuneman | Live Well Designs

1. Take good care of something beautiful, something alive. One of the initial things Schuneman suggests to his clients would be to go out and purchase a plant or fresh flowers. He utilized a collection of glass bubbles from CB2 to house magenta dahlias in this street-level San Francisco apartment.

“When you have something residing in your area, you need to take care of it. You turn into a larger part of your area when you are nurturing something in it,” says Schuneman.

He adores the architectural look and feel of this magenta dahlias and how out the flowers’ placement frees up valuable table space.

Kyle Schuneman | Live Well Designs

2. Your distance ought to have roots. Schuneman designed this bedroom for a young man living in an historic Los Angeles building. “I actually wanted to pay homage to the masculine lines, warm woods and layered textures of this building,” he says. “You just can not deny the larger context of this distance.”

The designer gave a collection of vintage tennis racquets brand new life by turning each slice into a mirror; the collection creates a graphic pattern onto the wall area over the bed. “The racquets are the focal point of this space. They soften the tough, angular edges of the bed frame”

He cautions against damaging your flat or house like it’s a “floating cloud” You can live in the city and elect for a cottage-coastal vibe, however let where you live somehow organically influence your choices.

Kyle Schuneman | Live Well Designs

3. Take design cues from the places you love. The top-shelf mirror design of the retro kitchen repeats the layout of Schuneman’s client’s favorite neighborhood watering hole.

“She just loved the way her beloved pub reflected the hard-to-reach, top-shelf bottles. For her kitchen we moved for the same effect. But rather than spirits bottles, the mirror reflects an assortment of coasters from her travels,” he says.

Kyle Schuneman | Live Well Designs

4. Tell a story with your surroundings and have a definitive perspective. When the designer came to assist this Nashville couple with their first flat together, drum sets and guitar cases overwhelmed the place before the picture window, wasting their opinion of the Cumberland River.

Schuneman freed the guitars from their cases and integrated all the instruments through the loft. “The instruments give the distance an advantage,” he says. They immediately demonstrate the clients’ musical origins, “giving the distance a rock-and-roll vibe”

The designer chose low club-like furniture to make an intimate lounging area within the open expanse of the loft. A set of wicker coconut chairs soften the hard stone appeal of this living space and help bring out the warm wood tones of the flooring planks.

Kyle Schuneman | Live Well Designs

5. Bring home treasures and conversation starters. Without any intention of purchasing an extra armchair for her living space, Schuneman’s customer spotted this midcentury modern seat while strolling through her neighborhood and fell in love with its own layout and $150 cost.

“it is a great lesson on fixing yourself to items when the right moment — and right piece — appears. She’ll always have that love-at-first-sight story to look back on,” says Schuneman.

The designer found the hanging metal piece at a nearby thrift shop. “It’s hard for folks to devote to art, but these vintage metal bits feel sculptural and unique, therefore I think that is why people are gravitating into them,” he says.

Kyle Schuneman | Live Well Designs

Schuneman acknowledges that good design — no matter how big this room — boils down to one’s personal taste.

“We don’t operate in a wrong-or-right industry. Take for example this man cave I did for a Hollywood writer; many folks reacted to the inclusion of a urinal within the area — and I loved it. I think it’s great that people either loved or hated the urinal, because at least I understand that the customer and I took a stand. At the end of the day, what matters is the way we feel about the distance.”

More:
Create a Chic First Apartment to a Dorm Room Budget
Grow With Intention: 10 Strategies to Maximize a Small Space

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Casual Glam Home for a Family of 8

Casual Glam Home for a Family of 8

The first thing inside designer Melanie Turner did to Susie Stern’s home in Atlanta was paint the walls white and stain the bamboo flooring a brown-black color. The new neutral canvas set the stage for layering in color and pattern. “Susie formerly color coded the rooms,” says Turner. “Her artwork supplies were like little trails that led to different projects throughout the home. None of the rooms had a particular, clearly defined purpose.”

Though Turner let Susie’s artistic side and her blended family of eight ascertain a lot of the design choices, she did not lose touch of her main objective: to create a calm area for Susie so the mom-artist could handle the day’s challenges by a calm and centered home.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Susie Stern, husband Clark Davis and their 6 children
Location: Atlanta
Size: 3,000 square feet
That is interesting: Susie and Clark have a blended family; they all came into the union with 3 children each after their own children introduced them to each other on the football field.

Erica George Dines Photography

Erica George Dines Photography

Grass fabric wallpaper and a sisal rug add a bit of contemporary, organic simplicity to this traditional living space, creating what Turner calls a casual glamorous feel.

An assortment of calligraphy brushes traces in Susie’s artistic spirit.

Erica George Dines Photography

The press space is Clark’s “man den.” Chaises provide plenty of living space.

Turner utilized the negative distance from the recessed walls to keep logs, lending the space a cozy, rustic sensibility.

Erica George Dines Photography

“They are a contemporary Brady Bunch, this family. I made the common areas to be elastic, providing different options for furniture structure. The distance is sophisticated and elegant, but you never once forget that a family lives here,” says Turner.

Erica George Dines Photography

The concrete-top kitchen dining table is surrounded by sloped, slipcovered chairs. Upholstered chairs give adaptive seating options and could be moved around.

Erica George Dines Photography

From the entry, a Versailles dome chair with blanched wood trim and kelly green upholstery clearly sets the color tone for the rest of the home.

Erica George Dines Photography

This chest and sunburst mirror add attention to what was a closet space. Turner eliminated the closet doors in front of this area to create this glamorous, high-shine corner.

Erica George Dines Photography

High-backed, slipcovered and slightly oversize dining chairs match the play of this big light shade.

Erica George Dines Photography

Turner altered the sunroom into Susie’s art studio by painting white a classic kitchen table, a flea market light pendant and antique seats. The children use the surrounding West Elm tables in apple as their homework desks, and cozy armchairs upholstered in luxe Schumacher cloth function as their reading chairs.

“A huge chunk of our funding for this job went into the furniture upholstery and wall therapy cloths. A base of white paint, stained flooring and a shuffling of existing furniture into different parts of the home helped us stay within budget,” says Turner.

Erica George Dines Photography

The designer gave the stairs a punch of color by painting onto a runner — a vibrant, budget-friendly alternate to a carpet runner.

Erica George Dines Photography

“For our huge design reveal, my partner and I shipped Susie and Clark away for supper, and if they returned she just started bawling. I am so happy that I could give her a serene, stabilizing home that felt genuinely hers,” says Turner.

Erica George Dines Photography

The guest bathroom upstairs includes a heating palette of white and blue, breaking in the kelly green theme downstairs.

Turner appreciated how that this family approached their home’s redesign. “They are a real family with a true budget, so that they went about things. They could only afford to redo the bottom floor and a little the next floor — and only now are they prepared to operate on the master bedroom, bath and an additional bedroom,” says Turner.

More:
Colorful, Luxe Designs to the Traditional Home

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A Becomes a Labor of Love

A Becomes a Labor of Love

Katherine Fugit and her husband, Conan, fell in love with their home on first sight — even though the house was formerly bank owned, without heating and teeming with black, liquid-oozing radiators. “My husband chanced upon the house on the way to lunch one afternoon and was drawn in from the sidewalk. He didn’t even wish to mention the house to me because it looked like way too much effort,” says Katherine. A few weeks later, she stumbled upon the house online; the rest is background. “It was just supposed to be,” she states.

They must work fast, she states: “We had to do lots of cosmetic things before we’d 50 guests in our house for our garden wedding just three months after closure.”

in a Glance
Who lives here: Katherine and Conan Fugit
Location: Wichita, Kansas
Size: 2,500 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 1.5 baths
That’s interesting: The home was once a girls’s lodging house.

Keep Smiling Home

A 1940 census enabled the Fugits to track down the granddaughter of their household that conducted this former women’s accommodation house. “She was able to tell us interesting tidbits about the house,” Katherine says. “For example, she said that her grandparents really slept in the dining area, and the upstairs bedrooms were completely inhabited by the lodgers.”

Keep Smiling Home

The Fugits tore from the old plaster and lath kitchen ceiling to show wood beams.

“We painted everything new white, for instance, previous cabinets,” Katherine says. “We added new hardware, a classic stove and created our very own antique trouble lights. We also tore up several layers of linoleum and refinished the wood floors underneath.”

Cabinet hardware: Martha Stewart for The Home Depot; cage lights parts: Lowe’s; cages: 1000bulbs; Edison bulbs: The Home Depot; saddle blanket: Atwoods Farm Supply

Keep Smiling Home

They painted their old refrigerator with chalkboard paint and used a classic floor joist from the basement as a shelf over the stove to add much more character and background to the room.

The whole price of this kitchen upgrade was a little less than $400. Then see the kitchen before the upgrade.

Before Photo

Keep Smiling Home

BEFORE: Here you find the old cooker and also the plain fridge.

Before Photo

Keep Smiling Home

BEFORE: This shows the cupboard side of this space with old hardware, a pulled-off door, dirty floors and sagging ceiling tiles.

Keep Smiling Home

AFTER: “We kept costs down by not purchasing new appliances, cabinets or countertops. We applied a new coat of paint and hardware and did a tiny dish organizing. At the moment, the kitchen is perfect for us,” Katherine says.

Keep Smiling Home

A reclaimed basement floor joist was repurposed to an above-stove kitchen shelf. “We cut [the joist] in halfan applied one coat of wax and used two brackets for approximately $3.50 each to secure it to the wall,” she states.

Before Photo

Keep Smiling Home

BEFORE: following is a look at the Fugits’ living area before the furniture was reshuffled.

Keep Smiling Home

AFTER: “Conan and I agreed that his Natty G [National Geographic] collection would be a big portion of the living space, because they were such a big part of his life; the shelves have been designed especially with them in mind,” Katherine says. “I kept the wall color very muted because of each of the colorful publications but very warm so it seems comfy by lamplight. I wanted this space to feel like the interior of a tiny boy’s cigar box full of treasures and pretty images.”

Keep Smiling Home

She rearranged the furniture so that a newly purchased sofa today sits in front of the windows and shelving components.

“The wall color picks up the yellow at the National Geographics and little touches of yellow here and there. And that couch was quite a find at $25,” she states.

The couple also reglazed and recorded their double-hung sash windows, which makes them easier to open and shut. “We are now able to open the windows and the rear door and get an amazing cross breeze in the day once the weather is cool.”

Wall paint: Crumb Cookie, Olympic

Before Photo

Keep Smiling Home

BEFORE: Here’s exactly what the mantel and French doors looked like before the renovation.

Keep Smiling Home

AFTER: They painted the mantel and the dining area (background), and also extra crown molding and a new light fixture in the dining area.

“I was curious about painting the French doors a black colour,” Katherine says. “We spent hundreds of hours poring over blogs and scouring the Internet until Conan discovered Door Sixteen. I saw her pocket painted black, and I knew right then what needed to be done.”

Door paint: Black Magic, Olympic

Keep Smiling Home

The Fugits bought this Eden pendant light from CB2. They moved with a “pretty gray wall color,” Katherine says that seems a bit green in this photo. “Some day we will catch the gray shade just right,” she states. The table is from a yard sale, and the seats are a Craigslist score.

Wall paint: Ash Mist, Olympic

Keep Smiling Home

“Our 1917 bathroom had dropped its character somewhere along the way, and after the toilet and bathtub began leaking to the kitchen we knew we needed to start working on it,” Katherine says.

They tore out the plaster and lath, the old tile beneath layers of linoleum and the builder-grade fixtures.

“We re-created the tile pattern, inserted a subway tile shower in which the cabinet was and refinished an antique claw-foot tub. The unusual sink was a Craigslist find, and the toilet came from our downstairs water cupboard,” Katherine says.

Keep Smiling Home

She bought the claw-foot bathtub for $100 and refinished it with black paint. “If you are creative and individual and willing to perform a little slow decorating instead of running out and purchasing a fixed pair, you can do amazing things on a very small budget,” she states.

Wainscoting paint: Montpelier Madison White, Valspar; wall paint: White Knight, ACE Hardware; bathtub paint: Black Magic, Olympic; flooring tile: Merola, Home Depot

Keep Smiling Home

The scrappy DIYer initially repainted this TV cupboard a deep forest green with light blue shelving and backs; she quickly changed her mind when she saw the dark color simply didn’t work with the remainder of the bathroom’s neutral theme.

Keep Smiling Home

“We discovered these shutters at a thrift shop for $4. 2 coats of paint and a number of hinges later and they are perfect for our classic bathroom,” she states.

Keep Smiling Home

The Fugits turned a third bedroom that was formerly swathed in bright teal and neon yellow trim to a crisp and collected office space.

They began with glowing white paint from Olympic and added a built-in desk and shelves with pockets for a printer, a scanner and other office materials. Book spines add splashy colour punches and draw the eye up, taking attention away from the smallness of this space.

Keep Smiling Home

The guest area is a nod to Katherine’s thrifty ways: The metal bed frame was a $10 thrift shop find, painted with low-gloss black spray paint; the sheets, the lamp (painted with $10 cherry red spray paint) and also the ship painting were also thrift shop purchases.

Keep Smiling Home

“Almost every bit of furniture at our home was purchased in a thrift shop or garage sale,” she states. “We’re not saying that everything you find in a thrift shop is worth purchasing, but recycling things that still have plenty of life in them and just need a little love is most likely one of the best things you can do to help the environment and your pocketbook.”

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Create Outdoor Magic With String Lighting

Create Outdoor Magic With String Lighting

Summer is in full swing, and outside parties are in their peak. Every night as I descend upon my outside patio, I thank my lucky stars for string lights which whimsically resemble… well, blessed stars. The easy, cost-effective and nonpermanent outdoor lighting method has transformed my garden also can transform yours too! Whether strung in trees, on the exterior of your home, from sticks or on an arbor, they make an ordinary garden look magical. Offered in a variety of shapes, sizes and configurations, they are a fantastic means to scatter a small light onto your outside evening party.

Vivid Design Group

Hung in a grid layout, outdoor string lighting can create the illusion of a courtyard.

Easton Michael Smith

A screened-in porch is an excellent setting for string lights with a paper color, because you don’t have to worry about them getting wet. The Paper Lantern Store offers allure identical to the black shades shown here.

Third Nature Studio

Rows of clear globe string lights are secured onto a modern backyard arbor in Templeton, California, ready to light up a Wine Country night.

kbcdevelopments

Hung directly above an outside dining table, twinkle lighting can light an evening supper.

Chelsea Construction Corporation

These are reminiscent of Ballard Designs’ Cafe String Lights, with every bulb’s light reflected off a petal-shape galvanized colour.

Studio H Landscape Architecture

If your garden is anything like mine (lacking trees), then it is possible to still bedazzle your patio area with rope lighting by installing sticks to attach the strings to. You can even create temporary sticks by installing them in weighted buckets.

Richard Hughes Design, Architect

Take advantage of trees on your house to attach the light strings to. Designer Richard Hughes intelligently utilized both the property’s exterior and a large tree in the yard.

Risinger Homes

The team in Risinger Homes combined outdoor string lights with a color sail to create dramatic overhead patio specifics in Austin, Texas.

Heather ODonovan Interior Design

When paired with modern materials, string lighting takes on a newfangled border. Trina Turk’s Super Paradise Print in Driftwood combines superbly with world string lights.

Natalie Younger Interior Design, Allied ASID

Outdoor string lighting makes sense on Maui, Hawaii, where the weather is hot throughout the year.

Mell Lawrence Architects

Strung above a pool, lights deliver double the twinkle throughout reflection.

HighCraft Builders

String lights are attached right to the arbor’s rafters, though a built-in fire pit offers additional night lighting.

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5 Homes That and you Won't Box In

5 Homes That and you Won't Box In

I usually cringe when someone says, “Think outside the box,” because it is such a cliché. However, there is no better way to describe the way these designers played around with geometry to come up with unexpected architectural forms. Some adopt strong diagonals, while others celebrate curves; those familiar with architectural tools are going to have the ability to imagine how much the some of the designers used their triangles while others gave their own compasses a workout. What all these houses have in common besides their unique forms is a sensitivity and a powerful response to their websites. See if you’d consider trading in a saltbox for a triangle home or a geodesic dome.

Go Glamping

I think of this home as “Bucky goes camping in Scotland.” This geodesic dome provides the ultimate glamping spot. Perched at the edge of the Audio of Lorne, the house enjoys a woodsy setting and water views.

Go Glamping

The bare-looking kitchen is a lavish when one is in a camping mind-set.

Go Glamping

See the rest of this escape home

Fallingwater

Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous private residential layout is a natural masterpiece that has been website driven. The way Fallingwater merges into its surroundings set a precedent, particularly the way it hovers above a stream and a waterfall.

Fallingwater

This rock was among the owner’s favorite places to sit on the house before the home was built, so Wright incorporated it in situ right in the front of the hearth.

Fallingwater

When this glass cover is opened, the space fills with the sounds of the waterfall below.

See the rest of this historical house

Leslie Bentson

Produced by Charles Haertling, this home in Boulder, Colorado, is composed of 16 identical triangles.

Leslie Bentson

The owner’s vibrant accessories and artwork enliven the space.

Leslie Bentson

The fireplace layout takes its cues from the triangles’ sharp angles.

See the rest of this home

Kentaro Kurihara

This suburban Japanese house opens to views of Mount Hongu. The sharply inclined roof permits for glassless windows and solitude.

Kentaro Kurihara

Every floor of the home has an outdoor area that has a feeling that’s distinctive from the others.

Kentaro Kurihara

The big openings give the best patio, in spite of its intensely angled wall, a much bigger sense of scale.

See the rest of this home

DWYER DESIGN

This home is called The Radius House, also Daniel Leibermann, a former Taliesin West student of Frank Lloyd Wright, designed it in 1960. Dwyer Layout finished a current renovation to update the home, which architect Vivian Dwyer dubbed “delicate surgery.”

DWYER DESIGN

The sort of the chief area of the house radiates from this central center, and expansive glass opens the interior to the surrounding forests.

DWYER DESIGN

Have a note from Wright, Leibermann placed a sizable river rock in the hearth.

Inform us : Can you give one of those geometric homes a go, or does your chi flow better through a more conventional residence?

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Art House on the Edge Makes a Statement Around ‘Place’

Taliesin Celebrates 100 Decades

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From the Navy: What's New With This Black Blue

From the Navy:  What's New With This Black Blue

Navy blue is one of those colors that gets a great deal of admiration — even from those who may not always love the colour or want to utilize it in their homes. Navy blue typically conjures up feelings of dependability, power and authority. This colour also makes quite a statement when used inside your home. Navy is a bold choice, but it’s a timeless colour that may also appear new and fresh, and it always gives an area that wow factor.

The blue walls give this entire room a feeling of depth. Don’t be scared to use a dark colour as a backdrop for photography or artwork. The result is intriguing and eye catching here.

Wall paint: Old Navy, Benjamin Moore

Monticello Custom Homes and Remodeling

Navy blue is almost always a great colour for a boy’s room. That is because boys tend to like darker colors blue is usually among their favorites. Navy blue and gray create a wonderful contemporary color scheme for a boy’s room. A blue attic bed in this area gets high marks to be trendy.

Suggested paint pick: Award Blue, Behr

Jessica Bennett Interiors

The combination of navy blue and white is conventional, but it may also be utilised in a casual way. Mixing dark blue and white patterns is also a fun way to add interest to a room.

Valerie interiors + design, inc

With the Fourth of July right around the corner, using red, white and blue only seems fitting for this season. Although this colour trio is certainly patriotic, it looks good all year long.

Mary Wyar Photography

Navy blue orders attention when employed as an accent. Employing navy to make a focal wall is a wonderful way to utilize this colour, particularly in a smaller area, where four darkened walls can create a closed-in feeling.

Suggested paint pick: Morning Glory, Sherwin-Williams

Navy and gold collectively are regal and refined, but this colour scheme doesn’t have to feel nostalgic. A lively patterned wall covering has been used together with vibrant blue throw pillows in this living area. Both bring a little whimsy.

Leonard Grant Architecture

Most people want their kitchen to feel comfortable and inviting, and that may be a challenge when utilizing blue. However, by using deeper, more warm shades of blue you are still able to achieve a look that is relaxed and comfortable.

Suggested paint pick: Indigo, Sherwin-Williams

Muted shades of navy blue work really well in conventional spaces. These milder blues do create a statement but simply don’t yell as loud.

Suggested paint pick: Van Deusen Blue, Benjamin Moore

Watch more guides to using blue

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Cozy Alabama Lake Retreat

Cozy Alabama Lake Retreat

An expansive attached vessel deck, cozy screened-in porch and warm Southern design unite in this lakeside vacation home in Guntersville, Alabama. Interior designer Beverly Farrington along with her late husband wanted a low-key retreat near the water’s edge and open to the gorgeous outdoor environment.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Designer Beverly Farrington
Location: Lake Guntersville, Guntersville, Alabama
Size: 1,600 square feet; two bedrooms; two bathrooms
That is interesting:
A dining room table on the boathouse patio is made of two antique doors from the Civil War period.

Lauren Mikus

Farrington decided to construct a bridge from the main house to the top deck of the recently renovated boathouse for easy access. “Because we are on a hill, we actually had no massive space to flow,” she says. Renovating the boathouse was a big challenge, complicated by a huge storm during construction that forced the group to start over.

Lauren Mikus

Although it was laborious, the completed job has become an invaluable feature of Farrington’s home, allowing for easy entertaining and an wonderful 360-degree view of the lake. Farrington frequently can be found on the deck, greeting friends passing by on their ships.

Lauren Mikus

This opinion from the deck appears back in the home. To the right sits a screened-in porch, and to the far left lies the master bedroom. The first floor of the home remains unfinished and currently serves as storage space.

Custom chevron-stripe cushions from Farrington’s studio accent the outdoor furniture. “Being a designer can be a blessing and a curse when designing your own job,” she says. “However, it’s always great to get additional input and someone else to bounce your thoughts off of.”

Lauren Mikus

Farrington wanted the property’s design to highlight perspectives of the lake, so she included tall French doors with large transom windows throughout the primary living rooms. “This also allows for excellent ventilation, and opening the doors is a simple way to bridge the expansive exterior space with the compact interior space,” she says.

Most of the bits in the cottage are antiques which Farrington has accumulated over time. The ship enclosed in glass behind the sofa came from one of her antiques-buying excursions to France. She found a number of the additional furnishings in one of her favorite antiques markets in Atlanta, Scott Antique Market.

Sofa: Pearson Furniture; lamps: Currey & Company

Lauren Mikus

A massive fireplace with two chimneys anchors the primary rooms. Farrington greets guests in the cooler months with a warm, welcoming fire.

Lauren Mikus

The excellent room opens to this picturesque screened-in patio. Spectacular Fortunata pottery adorns the facade. The bits are reminiscent of those crafted in Deruta, Italy. Farrington is a travel enthusiast and makes it a point to venture to Europe another summer.

Lauren Mikus

Farrington chose timeless antique pine for all the built-in interior shelving. An assortment of geodes from her journeys accents the open shelves.

Lauren Mikus

On the other side in the fantastic area, this built-in minibar makes a handy station to mix cocktails up and promotes conversation at parties.

Lauren Mikus

Farrington wanted the kitchen to exude the rustic, small-town charm of Lake Guntersville. “Guntersville is our escape,” she says. “The people are warm and friendly. It’s cute stores and eateries, along with also the mayor and his spouse are a few of my best buddies.”

Antler lighting fixture: Accents of the South

Lauren Mikus

Farrington loves to host small, intimate dinners on the patio, saving just enough time for a sunset boat cruise. She collected the copper cookware that hangs round the kitchen throughout her journeys to France, Turkey and Egypt.

Lauren Mikus

The master bedroom colour palette blends masculine and feminine tones. A modern painting by Ellen Langford above the bed layers nicely into this original setting. Farrington utilized gingham fabric from Brunschwig & Fils for the valances and chairs. The botanical pattern on the desk chair is from Clarence House.

Lauren Mikus

The buttercream wall colour in the guest bedroom complements the natural sunlight which flows into the space. Farrington designed the custom draperies.

Lauren Mikus

A wall partition separates the kitchen and guest bedroom from the excellent room. This set of paintings from Erwin Fitzhugh, a native of Fairhope, Alabama, is one of Farrington’s most cherished collections.

Lauren Mikus

Farrington’s husband, Jack, passed away in 2006. This film highlights a happy memory of the few during a very long day of water skiing with close pals. Farrington is in the center, along with her late husband is in the far left.

Do you have a lakeside summer home or another striking construction? Share it with us!

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Aquamarine Relaxes Rooms

Aquamarine Relaxes Rooms

Sometimes all it takes is one colour to change the look of your house and put you in a good mood. If your goal is to make a house that will help you feel more relaxed, I suggest using aquamarine. This paler shade of turquoise is obviously refreshing, therefore it’s a superb colour to calm your senses and your own space. Aquamarine will instantly give your house a serene feel — and it could be the beginning of a more serene life.

Niki Papadopoulos

To make a contemporary feel with aquamarine, combine this colour with tones of gray and silver. From the kitchen, do not be scared to paint your kitchen cabinets with aquamarine. Your space will look sleek and serene when combined with stainless steel and chrome.

Suggested paint pick: Waterscape, Sherwin-Williams

Dillard Pierce Design Associates

Aquamarine functions great as an accent colour in a neutral area. Only a small dose of aquamarine upholstery provides this dining area a refreshing feel.

Aquamarine is particularly refreshing during the hot summer months. Make the most of this cooling color by using it in an outdoor area, like your rear patio.

Suggested paint pick: Aquatint, Sherwin-Williams

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

Another great outdoor application for aquamarine is to the front porch. Use this colour to paint a set of rockers. It is a wonderful way to welcome visitors.

Suggested paint pick: Sea Life, Behr

Avenue B Development

To get a truly light and airy feel in your home, combine aquamarine with white decor. This may give your room a beachy feel which will never look dated.

Suggested paint pick: Aqua Smoke, Behr

Glass Tile Warehouse

To get a dreamy bathroom, go for the glass. Start looking for glass tiles and tinted glass countertops in colors of aquamarine.

Honey wood tones work very well with aquamarine. This blend lends a casual, comfy feel to any area.

Suggested paint pick: Arctic Blue, Benjamin Moore

Adrienne Chinn Design

An aquamarine accent wall will turn your dining area to a calm spot in which to end up with a good meal.

Suggested paint pick: Waterfall, Benjamin Moore

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Art Deco–Contemporary Mix at Los Angeles

Art Deco–Contemporary Mix at Los Angeles

Midcentury-inspired furniture, vibrant accents and a contemporary color palette helped this couple turn their 1920s apartment into a place that felt just like home. A designer bunch using a contemporary aesthetic, Shawn Smith and Leah Russell were contested by their 1926 apartment’s vintage bones and art deco charm. Bold fabrics, neutral walls and traditional furniture helped them pay tribute to the building’s history while still producing a more modern appearance of their own.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Shawn Smith, Leah Russell and their puppy, Winston
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 750 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
That’s intriguing: Their building was once home to former president Ronald Reagan

Madison Modern Home

“Our decorating philosophy is’in using the old and brand new,'” says Smith. “We’ve attempted to show modern bits in conversation with the 1920s design, and how it can make a home an eclectic mix of styles.”

Madison Modern Home

The spacious, naturally decorated bedroom comes with a custom-built bed complete with built-in nightstands and underbed storage. Folded clothes are tucked off, eliminating the need for a dresser.

Wall paint: Mushroom, Martha Stewart

More underbed storage thoughts

Madison Modern Home

Original art by Smith and Russell with easy mats and frames hangs above the glossy white desk in the bedroom. “If money was no object, I’d splurge on an original Andy Warhol,” Russell says.

Desk: Ikea; orange seat: Globus, Design Within Reach

Madison Modern Home

An Ikea storage method fits snugly between the moldings of 2 closets to home incidentals and gives a perch for framed photographs.

Madison Modern Home

Three-dimensional wall tiles in the entry add an element of surprise for people. Smith chose a deep plum shade to match the beautiful view outside the living room windows. A cowhide rug helps define the foyer.

Wall tiles: Mio Culture

Madison Modern Home

Smith and Russell scored big at a garage sale for this original mustard-color Eames molded plastic seat. “The seller had no idea what they were getting rid of. We got a fantastic deal!” says Smith.

Madison Modern Home

A gallery transforms an embarrassing part of wall with electrical wiring down the center. Instead of camouflaging the wiring, then the few worked it into the design, layering the frames for a 3-D effect.

Painted concrete floors lend an industrial component to the hot neutrals on the walls and furniture. An area rug placed perpendicularly adds visual attention.

Madison Modern Home

A vintage cocktail table from Russell’s native Alabama displays a handmade box, a small sculpture and some favourite artwork books.

The press unit is a small bedside block table paired with a leftover cupboard base turned on its side. The clever combination resembles a contemporary piece of furniture and can be just right for saving books and DVDs.

Madison Modern Home

From the dining area a classic black and white checkerboard floor and chalkboard wall give a daring punch to the sunny room. The couple switches up the picture or message .

Madison Modern Home

Finding a dining table acceptable for their tight dining room was the couple’s biggest design dilemma. They ended up choosing a round table paired with bright white Bellini-style seats.

Table: Room & Board; seats: Design Within Reach

Madison Modern Home

A stylish dish drainer by the couple’s favourite designer, Marc Newson, adds a citrus-colored punch to the black and and white tile countertop. “We adore his forward-thinking ideas and extreme versatility,” Smith states.

Madison Modern Home

From the bathroom Russell made the unisex shower artwork to match the CB2 wall vase. The color palette is contemporary gray and yellowish.

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