Friday, December 30, 2011

2012 Design Trends Cont.

I hope your all having fun gearing up for the New Year's weekend festivities!  I hope you all have a blast and stay safe.  I wanted to pick up where I left off with the 2012 design trends that are sure to give your living space a pick me up for this New Year.

Continuing with color trends, I think greys are becoming the new black.  Grey accessories, wall colors, and patterns are popping up everywhere! Grey is modern, yet soft and cozy at the same time. Not many colors can pull that off.  This room for example, is so chic, yet seems like a great place to curl up with a good book, or a design magazine. I adore the curtains and the furniture. As well as the rug and amazing zebra pillows.  The log end table helps add a natural element and brings in some great texture. 


Here is another great example of this amazing grey.  Love the sunburst mirror.


This is a great example of grey with neutrals. 


Look at how classy this kitchen dining area is. The grey and white stripes make the room look larger and keeps it fluid and sophisticated. I would do this in a heartbeat.
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Try it on the outside of your house!  Is this the year your ready to make the big curb appeal change?  Thinking of tans and beige's?  Why not go grey? With lovely white trim and black accents, your house will be sure to get the neighbors buzzing and stop traffic with it's sophistication!
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Look at this kitchen! Love the white tile and cabinets, and look!  An awesome bench with striped grey fabric. It goes perfectly.
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This color is a great example of a grey blue, that is so chic, and serene. I see it popping up in magazines and design sites.
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I could post a zillion more pictures of beautiful grey rooms, but I must move on to the next style trend.

Stripes!
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Presh!
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Shower curtian
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Unbelievable tile!
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Very bold, but my guess is that these horizontal stripes make this bathroom look much larger than it is. 
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Vertical stripes make the room seem taller and draw the eye up. If you have low ceilings and want to make the space look larger, try vertical stripes.
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Another trend, which I'm sure most of you are well aware of, is animal print!  Animal print has always been popular, but let's just say, it has really taken off.  I don't think a room is complete without some form of animal print.  Just a touch of it here makes this room complete. It's not screaming at you and it's not covering every inch of the walls and floors, but it's just enough to add some sophistication. 
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This is becoming very popular! I work as an interior designer at a design and floor covering store, and I have had more and more customers wanting cheetah on their stairs! How fun and unique! Give this look a try!
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Love this bedding from Ballard Design. I've been eying this up for awhile.  Love that it's a khaki color that is soft and not in your face.
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Remember, key is to not go crazy with the animal print. Just a little touch of it adds a lot of class and sophistication.  This will make your space fun and lively in no time!

I could go on and on with pictures of all of these things, but I think you get the idea.  So try something different in 2012.  Try a little bit of one of these trends, or go crazy and re-decorate an entire room in one of them!


I will be updating you soon on my fun weekend ahead. I can give you a few sparkly hints though. New Year's Eve for me includes these things.
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And about an extra $150,000 worth of jewels. 


And maybe, mayyyybeeee, even this:
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But I will fill you in more later! 


Thursday, December 29, 2011

2012 Design Trends

Are you ready to ring in the New Year? 2012 is days away.  How will you celebrate it?  Maybe you can celebrate by giving your living space a face lift or even a complete makeover!  Trends don't necessarily mean the 70's green shag or yellow appliances.  You can stay current and trendy, yet timeless as well. Don't be afraid to take risks people! Why live in white/beige walls?  Throw some color and texture into you life!  Have you been living with the same decor for a number of years thinking it will be too much time, work and money to change?  Why not switch things up this year and add some unexpected and poppy accessories? Change the color of a focal wall!  And maybe be daring, and even...upholsterer that old chair that's just sitting there, staring you in the face, with a show stopping fabric.  Ring in the New Year right and take a chance on some of these design trends for 2012.

Nature is gorgeous, so why not bring the nature into your home? 
The beautiful, bold and unique peacock feather have some pretty amazing colors, which just so happen to be this new year's color trends.  Vibrant teals, emeralds, and sapphires and purples in either paint color or accessories will keep you on trend and add excitement to your space.  


Here is a great example of this fun teal in paint and wallpaper.  Perfectly paired with a poppy fuchsia rug. Maybe your not ready to wallpaper and paint your walls in this color, but just think about adding a few pillows or pretty glassware in a neutral space to spice it up.
Continuing with nature, I'm currently loving this birch wood wallpaper.  You see it popping up in neat places such as the evil mayor/queen's office in Once Upon A Time.  I think it's still a nice neutral color pallet that you're free to bring in any color you'd like. It adds dimension and texture to a space.  I think it looks great on accessories or wallpapered in an entire room.


Here is the Evil mayor/queen's office from the TV show Once Upon A Time, which is a pretty epic show I might add. Watch it here.  I would add a deep purple velvet chair or pillows in this space.
Another pretty example of this great pattern. Put in an office or even a guest bathroom!
Another fun color trend I think we'll be seeing in 2012 is coral. This is an example of a room painted coral, which is not for the faint of heart, but give it a chance. Add some accessories here and there.  Pair it with black, white, gold, tan, green, yellow, brown, navy, heck you could put it with a lot and it will still look hot.


So you've got tan or brown beige walls and a neutral sofa.  Who's it gonna kill if you throw in an amazing pillow like this? How fun?

Here is another gorgeous example of coral paired with grey and amazing quatrefoil and stripe patterns.  And look! They've even add coral patterned, coral color stools at the foot of the bed! How cute!
I have few more design trends to share with you, but I've just run out of time tonight! I've got to pack and get ready for our trip home for New Year's Eve, where I've been given the opportunity to do something very fun and unique!  I will fill you in this weekend!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Professional Wrapper.

Hello!  So I did this project a couple of months ago, and I'm obsessed with it!  It was so easy!  I have done this project in the past few places that I've lived, (mostly dorms) because it doesn't hurt the walls and can be easily taken down when you move. 

Supplies  you need: 
Cute Wrapping paper (mine is from Walmart-$4 a roll), scissors, and double sided tape

I only did it to the back wall of the kitchen, and it actually makes it look a lot bigger than it is! 

A piece of advice for those of you wanting to do this with a pattern, DON'T do what I did, and start in the middle of the wall! Start at the top and work your way down the wall. It will be easier to match the pattern up that way. Mine is close to matching up but doesn't completely. 




 I love these! They are from T.J. Maxx, and are metal.  I knew I wouldn't  have a real chandelier in this apartment when we moved in, so these are my little alternatives. I think they are pretty unique. 




Makes the kitchen feel cozy



 If you are in a space like a dorm room or an apartment, and you are not allowed to paint, you gotta look for creative alternatives to add some color and interest to your space. I was dying for some visual interest in our space, so this has helped a lot. Even if your in your own home and you can paint whatever or wherever you want, this may still be an option for you. Are you thinking of a bold patterned wallpaper or a bright color on your walls? Try finding a similar pattern or plain color wrapping paper at your local Walmart or Target and tape it to your walls for a week or so to make sure you love it before you make it permanent. 

Well I'm snuggling up with a hot cup of peppermint tea (my fav) before hitting the sack.

Hope next time you walk down the wrapping paper isle, you feel inspired! 

Oh and I hope you noticed the epic picture quality. Love love love my new camera! 

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Impatient Interior

Well I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! We are back from our travels, and all of that traveling left me some time to think. Time to think about the same colors I've been using in my bedroom for a little over 3 years now. Red, Black and White. I have loved these colors forever! So much, that I made them the colors for our wedding! 

Our amazingly attractive bridal party is displaying the colors so near and dear to my heart perfectly in this picture.
John Dolores Photography

But, I've grown a little tired of looking at them everyday now. I wouldn't change my wedding colors for the world, but maybe it's time for a bit of a change in the bedroom.  I love using the staple colors of White and Black, since other colors are easily mixed with them. Here are a few pics of my bedroom now. Keep in mind that we are living in an itty bitty apartment, in which we cannot paint so the accessories do the color popping for me. This news color scheme is also a theme that I want to take with me in the next place we live.  Also, please excuse the beyond horrible quality of these pictures. We are off to purchase a new camera tonight! Can't wait! 

Walking into the bedroom. 


My great-grandmother's old dresser, which I've painted but needs another makeover.



Made this headboard! 



So, I'm thinking teal. I don't know why I'm drawn to this color. Maybe because it's a little different and fun.  It's not my favorite color, but I'm kinda liking it right now.

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And then I'm still drawn to this lovely powder blue, that I'm currently using in my kitchen. This looks so serene and peaceful to retreat to at the end of a long day. I don't know what to do!

The scary thing is, I could change my mind again next week! That's why I've been holding off buying anything new until I nail down the color scheme for sure. My hubby gave me the go ahead to go with any color scheme I want. He said it doesn't have to be all man friendly colors. So that gives me a little more reign if I decide to throw in a fuchsia color or something fun like that! Who knows!