.:[Double Click To][Close]:.

Search This Blog

Beautiful Baths, Creative Storage

Almost every one needs more storage in their bathroom. Perhaps we all need to get a bit more organized, but if you are clutter challenged like me, I wanted to show you some wonderful baths by designer, Molly Frey. You may remember a previous post on a fabulous coastal house by Molly here.
I love the bath above. Let's take a look at some of the elements that make this bath fantastic. First, the overall design with the sink sitting upon an open turquoise glass tiled cabinet - a perfect spot for storing extra towels. The wall mirror is framed out with sconces adding the perfect lighting.
A capiz shell chandelier adds a bit of whimsy to the space. I imagine the french doors lead you outdoors to a secluded hot tub - wishful thinking? I also love symmetry and this bath is a great example.

Of course Molly's marble baths are what generally catch my eye. Here is lovely example that was published in Traditional Home Magazine. The middle cabinet is open - again a nice spot for baskets or extra towel storage. Notice that the cabinets have "feet" to give the sink base the illusion of free standing furniture. I also love the sconce in this bath.

The tub is tucked under the eaves of the home in front of a gorgeous window and next to it we see another area for storage.
Here is a more streamlined, contemporary feeling bath. Two small boxes topped with limestone add the additional storage here. By not putting small doors on these, the look stays very open and contemporary - Interesting!
A more traditional design also shows you some ways to increase storage. Here the cabinets flanking the pedestal sinks sit directly on the counters. Unlike a kitchen, counter space in the bath can be more narrow to support your toiletries. The small ledge behind the sinks also add a space for lotions and creams.
Here we see a shallow medicine cabinet with mirrored doors built into the design. Not only is this cabinet functional, it becomes a wonderful focal point. This bath also has "feet" on the cabinet base.
The final bath has this cute little cabinet on the left side. A great spot for a razor and shaving cream - or perhaps it hides electric outlets and a blow dryer.
Above are several ideas to add a bit storage to your bath. To check out more of Molly Frey's work click here to her website or here to her blog!
(all photos property of Molly Frey)

Window Backed Kitchen Cabinets

When I saw Nicole and Andrew Sheehan's kitchen in this month's Traditional Home magazine (photographer: Werner Straube), I was immediately in LOVE with the window backed kitchen cabinets. (The photo in the actual magazine is more of a close up of the cabinets so you can see how amazing they really are.)

Unfortunately, if I did this in my kitchen it would only offer a view into the garage, the mudroom or the foyer, so it's not an option for me. What are your thoughts on the idea? Would it work for you?

You can see the rest of their home on the Traditional Home website.

Creative Decorating for a Tuesday

Use two (or three) tablerunners horizontally across a table. Gives you a different look and they can double as placemats.

marthastewart.com

So let's just say that it's Tuesday (because it is :-) ) and you're looking around your house wondering what little thing you could do today to shake up your decorating a bit. Just a little. Not much. Just something fun or different that you may not have tried before. The list of things you could do is actually unending, but here are some ideas...

If you've never layered art on your fireplace mantel, why not try it for a different look?...

myhomeideas.com

If your artwork is too small, make it bigger by attaching a thin piece of painted wood to the back like Just A Girl did for her spring mantel...


Paint a chalkboard on a door...

Country Living Photo Keith Scott Morton

We've talked about painting the backs of bookshelves and papering the backs of bookshelves, but why not make it a little more interesting by doing a little of both and mixing up the patterns?...

idealhomemagazine.co.uk

Arrange your books by color...

Style At Home

Paint a funky mirror a fabulous color...

marthastewart.com

Add some lace to your favorite pillow...

Style At Home

Mix up your bar stools with different finishes or paint colors...

Style At Home

Update your family photos and make them a focal wall in one of your rooms or hallways...

myhomeideas.com


Think outside the box on a new way to accessorize your dining room walls. This dining room wall would be a great one to use for inspiration!...

Photo by Michael Partenio via House Of Turquoise

Paint your front door a bold or just different color...

houseandhome.com

There was a question in the comments on my decorating with mirrors post on whether I knew how to make a new mirror look old. I actually didn't, but found some sources that do....

e-how article How Do I Faux Antique a Mirror?
marthastewart.com How to Antique a Mirror
HGTV.com How To Distress a Mirror

Have an awesome day!

Ashley Furniture Showroo|Ashley Furniture Canada

Ashley Furniture Showroo|Ashley Furniture CanadaAshley Furniture Showroom|Ashley Furniture Canada

Ashley Furniture Showroom, Ashley Furniture Canada is a Ashley Furniture Store Canada Location. In addition to the Ashley Furniture Showroom, Ashley is also called Ashley Furniture Store If you want a good collection from Ashley Furniture Showroom please visit the Ashley Furniture Store.

Ashley Bedroom Furniture-Ashlyn Wood Bedroom Furniture

Ashley Bedroom Furniture-Ashlyn Wood Bedroom FurnitureAshley Bedroom Furniture-Ashlyn Wood Bedroom Furniture

Are you looking Ashley Bedroom Furniture?This is the best bedroom designs from ashley furniture. The design of the wooden bed by this Ashey Furniture, smooth curved design, the "Ashlyn" bedroom collection creates a contemporary, relaxed style that must have collection to enhance the beauty of decorating your bedroom.I f want this "ashlyn" bedroom furniture please click here, or if you want to know Ashley bedroom furniture collection please visit ashley furniture Outlet.

Modern Minimalist House Home design

Minimalist House Home Designare you looking for modern minimalist house design is the minimalist home design photos with a swimming pool and a garden near the house that separates the two parts and is the perfect place to bersatai and spending time with family, this is a minimalist house design that is perfect for you . Minimalist house design concept is to create an open and filled with light living space which also has some privacy. The first floor has a glass wall that leads directly to the pool.

Minimalist House Home DesignMinimalist House Home Design
Minimalist House Home DesignMinimalist House Home Design

Minimalist House Home DesignMinimalist House Home Design

Minimalist House Home DesignMinimalist House Home Design

Retro Kitchen Design for Modern and Minimalist Home design

Minimalist Retro Kitchen DesignAre you looking for retro kitchen design or minimalist retro kitchen design for your minimalist home design? This is retro kitchen design photos yet built with modern design concepts to your minimalist home, please look at this kitchen design to add your reference in designing your kitchen with the concept of retro with modern and minimalist style, I hope you like this.

Minimalist Retro Kitchen DesignRetro Kitchen Design with modern concept design

Ashley Alison Hall Bedroom Furniture

Ashley Alison Hall Bedroom FurnitureAshley Alison Hall Bedroom Furniture

Are you looking Ashley Bedroom Furniture?this is Ashley Alison Hall Bedroom Furntirue, Modern  The "Alison Hall" Ashley bedroom furniture collection takes the idea of the country cottage getaway and creates the perfect bedroom furniture to bring that feeling to life.

Oh, JOY!

Yes, I said Oh, JOY!
Thanks to this darling woman, Joy Gabler of the Vintage Rabbit
{whom I met online via blogs} we met up with the Sassy girls of Urban Barn today! 
We are SO glad we made time to head over there.
This fun group of gorgeous, talented, creative gals are stylin' their hearts out in their new Escondido diggs. WHAT a location and oh my, the plans they have...Check out their blog, visit their shop from Wednesdays thru Saturdays every week, and make plans to attend their Grand Opening show July 16 through 18 - we're bringin' Retreat's 'Taj Ma Tent'  for the party and we can't WAIT!
SO...Thursday, we're headin' back up North to get to work!
Gotta' get ready for Petite Retreat, 
then Farm Chicks, 
then Petite Retreat AGAIN, 
then URBAN BARN! 
And then BarnHouse! 

Whoossh.....
{Images: Bob & Deb Kennedy for Urban Barn}

Modern Ashley Bedroom Furnture decorating ideas

Modern Ashley Bedroom Furnture decorating ideasModern Ashley Bedroom Furniture decorating ideas

Are you looking Modern Ashley Bedroom Furniture or Ashley solid wood furniture with Classical Ashley bedroom Furniture? this is a Ashley Bedroom furniture with solid wood Ashley bedroom furniture.

Modern Ashley Bedroom Furnture decorating ideasModern Ashley Bedroom Furnture decorating ideas

Passion for Purple


Can I just state on the record how excited I am that purple is starting to creep it's way back in style (both in fashion and in home decor)? I've long been a fan of purple, in all its many forms (though particularly in its richer, jewel-tones of plum and aubergine), and it's been frustrating trying to incorporate the color into the decor of our new house as there are precious few options in the hue. But, as I see more and more purple popping up in interiors magazines, I feel confident that is in the process of changing and that in a year or so purple will be as prevalent as yellow and turquoise are today.

When I saw this gorgeous guest room designed by Jamie Drake and featured in the most recent Traditional Home (see HERE to check out the entire house) I was instantly in love. I absolutely adore how Jamie so beautifully incorporated several shades of purple. The fact that the purples don't precisely match makes the room all the more appealing to me and works particularly well with the Moroccan touches (that trio of lanterns above the bed and the mirror featured in the reading nook above are particularly eye catching). I also like the lavender grass cloth, which brings so much texture and visual interest in the room. Drake papered the low, slanted ceilings as well, which is a great way to help visually erase those awkward angles.

This bedroom was featured on the cover of Sixx Design's recently published book(which is a great read by the way) and for good reason: it's gorgeous. I love the gorgeous fabric used on both the bed and curtains, especially juxtaposted against that rug.

While purple isn't the dominant color in this room, it's certainly the pop of color needed to really turn up the volume in this otherwise neutral room. Again, there's a vaguely Moroccan feel to this space and I think the color works really well with the rich golds and browns the style often incorporates. Moreover, the intricate patterns and fretwork that are hallmarks of Moroccan style are a natural pairing to purple as purple only serves to heighten the sense of luxury, drama and richness that this look is famous for.

I love this office designed by LA designer Kishani Perera. Again, lavender walls act almost as a neutral with bolder iterations of purple working as accents. The chartreuse is a nice balance to the purple. As yellow-green is the opposite of purple (or red-blue) on the color wheel, the pairing is particularly attractive and a fresh, modern take on the traditional purple-yellow.


Just a pretty, pretty room. The modern art helps take the sweetness off while the giant arrangement of cherry blossoms lends a less structured, more organic feel to the traditional room.

Again with the Moroccan vibe and chartreuse pairing (okay so the headboard reads as a little more of an apple green, but still!). I love the deep, rich aubergine of the walls; the cocooning effect of dark walls in a bedroom can be incredibly calming and it's a great backdrop for the brighter headboard (and it's incredible shape!).


Chartreuse and purple strike again, this time in the very capable hands of Amanda Nisbet. My favorite feature in the room is the bolder plum band right underneath the crown molding. Nisbet repeats the crispness of this trim in the trim on the white linens. Such a great accent on the space and a great alternative if you don't want to wash the walls in a dark color. I also like how Amanda has hung the art straight up to the ceiling and around the headboard, which is incorporated into the arrangement as art in and of itself.

The wall colors in this bedroom are masterful -- and easily replicated by painting the same color in three different shades. To maximize ceiling heights, paint the darkest color on bottom and the lightest on the ceiling. Since the walls should be the stars here, Kishani rightly kept the rest of the room relatively neutral, with fresh white bedding and white furniture and accessories. The pale lavender rug echoes the pale lavender on the ceiling and helps create a pleasing symmetry. 

Again, a predominately neutral space with purple accents. In reality, the only purple items are the modified wing back chair and the lamp shade, with the rest of the room awash in whites, gray and beiges.

Love, love, love this office. The walls are so gorgeous and, while I usually prefer white molding, the nearly tone-on-tone lilacs are spot-on as a greater contrast would have made this way too busy. The zebra rug is a great addition here, too, as it ups the glam factor and adds a jolt of pattern that's a nice contrast to the grid created by the molding.

So what about you? Do you have purple in your home? If not, would you consider incorporating some into your design?

Family Room Update

Progress on decorating the once-empty family room has sped up in recent weeks. After much internal (and external) debate on ottomans and throw pillows I feel like the room is finally starting to take shape. Sure, I'd like a smaller swivel chair close to the fireplace (I'm thinking something with a skirt to counteract all the leggy pieces in the room already), curtains and dramatic built-ins on either side of the fireplace, but I feel like I'm finally starting to get somewhere with this room.


The biggest deviation from my original design (shown above) has definitely been the decision to go with a coffee table in lieu of an ottoman. Dave had initially wanted an ottoman for comfort's sake (he loves nothing more than a spot to put his feet up), but I had a lot of trouble finding an ottoman that I liked and that didn't feel too heavy or large for this rather narrow space. You probably don't want to know the amount of time I spent (okay, wasted) scouring my favorite online sources for ottomans or coffee tables that fit the bill. After all but giving up, the perfect coffee table managed to find me, on super sale at One King's Lane (which is increasingly becoming my go-to resource for decorating my new home). I need to get a piece of glass cut for the top (the table even came with a handy template I can take in to the glass cutter's!), but otherwise I'm loving it as its longer length and narrower width fits the space perfectly.



As the name suggests, the Raj cocktail table has an Anglo-Indian flair with its woven top, java finish, turned legs, and I think the British Colonial style plays nicely with the chinoiserie style of the other tables in the room (the silver leaf five-leg table and the collector's classics console table, both from Ethan Allen) without making the room feel either too eclectic or too theme-y.


And of course I can't resist a close-up of these gorgeous throw pillows (see HERE for the first half of the story). The three pillows I had made out of KWID's Imperial Trellis II really pull the room together for me -- the trellis pattern is the perfect compliment to the Chiang Mai fabric on the other pillows and the Madelaine Weinrib rug. I must thank Melanie over at Plum Cushion for making them so beautifully (and quickly!) and for even sending me back all my leftover fabric. If you're looking to get some custom pillows made, I can't recommend Melanie enough.


I didn't have a lot of time to really style the room, but I added a few of my favorite design books and candles to the coffee table to make it a little less stark. I also added the white orchid that Dave bought me after I returned from a business trip to the side table (it was living in our master bath).



As a final touch, I pulled out my Jonathan Adler hippo (scored last year off eBay), which had been sitting in our pantry since our move last August, awaiting his new home. Doesn't he look darling behind the sofa?

To illustrate the progress that has been made since August of last year (when we had absolutely zero furniture to go into this room):



On an only marginally-related note, Friday also marked the arrival of three rolls of this:



Osborne & Little's Summer Palace! Many thanks to Susie of Maddie G Designs for hooking me up with this wallpaper; it's even more fantastic in person. If you're not a design professional but are interested in getting direct access to trade-only products, Susie is a wonderful resource. Not only did she help me locate the product(s) and get a good price, but she was responsive and easy to work with as well. Thanks, Susie! Now the only task is to find someone to hang this for me -- anyone have any recommendations for good wallpaper hangers in Houston?
 
Coompax-digital magazine