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Craving: Warm Weather!

Feb 10, 2010

Here's a little mid-winter treat for my Northern readers. If you're craving sunshine and warm breezes, live vicariously for a moment through these particularly inspiring tropical retreats. See more at Coastal Living's website. —Diane

A casual lounging space in a stone cottage on the island of Bequia in the southwestern Caribbean. Photo: B. Hemming.

An eclectic dining space and simple, open bedroom from a home in Carriacou, The Grenadines. Photo: W. Llewellyn.

Open rafters vent the heat from this breezy kitchen in Jamaica. Photo: S. Munro.

Bamboo screens an open-air shower in Virgin Gorda. Photo: W. Llewellyn.

A luxurious bath is outfitted with stone and tropical hardwoods in St. Barths. Post-shower, relax in the sitting space, below. Photo: B. Vandenbrink.

TAGS: tropical caribbean escape vacation home villa cottage room bathroom open-air shower beach inspired decorating design

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Look for Less: Sophisticated Princess Bedroom

Feb 08, 2010

Last week I posted some inspiring images of little girls' princess-themed bedrooms that Mom and Dad can live with. While it's cheap enough to go buy a gallon of Pepto-pink paint and an Ariel bed-in-a-bag, you'll be re-doing the room in a couple of years when your daughter's interests start to mature. Instead, how about doing some creative bargain shopping and DIY projects that will satisfy Her Royal Highness now, and easily adapt to a more mature look later?

I've chosen my favorite from the rooms I posted last Wednesday and scoured the net for stuff to give you a similar look for less. Here's the inspiration room:

PHOTOS: decorpad.com

And here's how to do it for real, with a little bargain-hunting and some DIY ingenuity. Plan on buying the bed and bureau/side table from thrift stores. This white painted look couldn't be easier to create from found pieces. The rest, find here:

The SHOPPING LIST

PAINT: Cover walls and trim in Sherwin-Williams Snowbound, a pure white with a very subtle pink undertone.

VOILE DRAPES FOR THE CANOPY: These simple tab-tops in white are only $8 each from Brylane home.

BEDSIDE LAMPS: Find a pair of figural lamps at a thrift store, like the one shown above. The gaudier, the better! They don't need to match, but the scale should be similar. Don't worry about color— just cover them in a few light coats of white spray paint. For the shades (DIY below), Rose Damask by Ava Rose from Sew, Mama Sew. On sale for $6.65 a yard. One yard should be plenty to cover two lamp shades.

SUNBURST MIRROR: This gilded accent piece is a steal at $25!

BENCH: The Ikea Bjursta has the simple lines of the bench in the photo for $90.

FLOOR LAMP: This satin-nickel lamp adds a touch of glam. At $143, it's not cheap, but it's an investment piece that will work well in any room of the house.

RUG: How about this princess-worthy 7x9 wool scalloped rug for $250? Or place the smaller version bedside for only $75. Wool is worth the investment. Here's why.

SOFA: In the realm of affordability, it's hard to beat Ikea sofas. Pick up a Karlstad in white for $379, then add a dusty rose Panama cotton slipcover from Bemz.

MONOGRAM DECAL: I like the simlicity and power of a single letter. Try this one from Etsy seller circlelinestudio, available in many colors for $24.

The DIY Projects

CANOPY: Using PVC piping and elbows, make a rectangular frame that's just a bit smaller than the bed. Buy flat black or bronze-look metallic spray paint for plastic and paint the frame. Slide the drapery on to cover the corner elbows, and suspend it from the ceiling with durable fishing line or decorative chain found in a lighting store.

BEDSIDE LAMP SHADES: Purchase two inexpensive lamp shades that are the same size and shape. Using a fusible tacky backing (such as Wonder Under) apply pink-and-white fabric to the lamp shades. Finish edges with grosgrain ribbon.

BEDDING: If you can't afford hotel-style embroidered bedding, do what I did several years ago when I wanted this look in my guest room. Buy a plain white duvet set (like this one from Overstock.com for $30) and attach grosgrain ribbon with fabric glue. Most duvets have two vertical seams at the perfect placement for the ribbon, so you have a built-in guideline.

BUREAU/SIDE TABLE: Brush white paint onto a curvy bureau, table, or sideboard. Cover the surface with fabric according to instructions here. Apply fancy monogram decal (above) or, if you're good at lettering, freehand it. Make it large enough to have an impact from a distance.

Getting the Royal Look on a Budget

• Shop secondhand and forget about finishes. It's all about curvy lines and ornate detailing. Paint is cheap.
• Establish a flexible color scheme. This increases your options for bedding and accessories.
• Avoid children's furniture if possible. Invest in solid adult-sized pieces that won't need to be replaced in a few years.
• Large-scaled, antique-looking art like the framed floral in the inspiration photo is unexpected in a child's room and instantly gives it importance.
• Invest in storage so the room isn't constantly littered with toys.
• A few glam touches go a long way, so there's no need to buy a lot of fancy accessories.

Want a complete design plan for your kid's room? I can show you exactly what to buy, give you hints for saving money with DIY projects, and help you turn your child's favorite interests into the room of his or her dreams. eDecor Plans for kids' rooms are $500 and include a space plan, 3D Views so you can visualize the finished room, an Inspiration Board with all of the furniture and accessories and links for buying them online, a To-Do List that takes you step by step through the process, and 14 days of unlimited consultation after delivery. Just email me, I can help! —Diane

TAGS: interior design decorating princess room little girl's bedroom sophisticated upscale on a budget diy pink white canopy fantasy room design plan moodboard

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Style Steal: Industrial Chic Accent Table

Feb 05, 2010

{Short & Sweet Friday}

I love an industrial element or two in an otherwise refined room. And at this price, I'm having a hard time resisting this accent table from Urban Outfitters. I can think of dozens of uses and places for it: holding drinks on the porch in the summer, alongside the tub with a book and a mug in winter, set up next to the guest bed on weekends… Because the beauty of it is, it folds down to stow in a closet when it's not needed.

Metal Accordion Side Table, $60

Every room can use a little touch of raw iron, right? Get it while it lasts. —Diane

Need some help finding stuff you love for less? Unlike a lot of interior decorators, I understand what it means to work with a tight budget. Invest in one of my eDecor Plans and you could save just as much or more by buying the right pieces at the right prices. Email me for more details or check my Quick Price List. —Diane

TAGS: urban outfitters accordion side table industrial accents steampunk furniture bargains

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Inspired Rooms: Princess Rooms You Can Live With

Feb 03, 2010

It seems that Disney's unstoppable marketing forces have convinced every little girl in America that she needs a room like this:

And every parent in America wants to kill them for it, right? Of course, moms and dads want to make their kids happy, but there's a way to do a princess room without the ubiquitous fuchsia/purple color scheme and licensed characters on everything. (After all, would a real princess have a room filled with other princesses? I think not.) Here are some royalty-inspired, girly bedrooms that are sure to make everyone happy for years to come.

Read the blog on Monday, February 8

to see one of these rooms replicated on a realistic budget!

A simplified palette of soft pink and white is just enough. Furniture like this can be found at any thrift store… a couple of coats of white paint, and you're set.

Just a couple of glam touches in a lavender room make it luxe: a Venetian mirror layered over a standard dresser mirror, floor-length drapes, a fancy chair and a fluffy rug.

Enveloping the room in the palest of pinks casts a comfy glow. Try a warm, peachy pink like Abalone Shell or White Dogwood from Sherwin-Williams. Consider adding adult elements like an upholstered chair and a botanical print.

Again with the pale, pale pink… it's so much more relaxing and sleepy than fuchsia! The gorgeous rug sets the palette for this pink-and-olive room. This scheme works beautifully with wood floors. Note the feedsack upholstery on the chairs. It gives a well-worn sophistication to the room, and because it's tough and cheap you won't have to worry about stains or wear-and-tear.

Jonathan Adler does a bolder take on the princess look, pairing sweet gingham with a colorful Bohemian print wallpaper. Navy blue carpeting wears well and counters the girly vibe just enough. An unconventional bed placement leaves a lot of open play space.

A cornice like this can be cut from foam core board with a simple utility knife, then covered in fabric. A daybed works as a sofa during the day and gives the room a very glam feel that teenagers love. Touches of lucite, patent leather, faux fur, and mirrors take the look over the top.

It's a pink room, right? But the walls are white! Proof that you don't necessarily have to use the walls as the anchor of your color palette. Touches of brown keep this room from looking too sweet. Luxe touches here are the sunburst mirror, monogrammed bureau as side table, footboard bench, and hotel-style bedding.

Which room will it be? Find out how to create one of these rooms on a realistic budget on Monday, February 8. —Diane

TAGS: decorating designing little girl's room bedroom princess room decorating sophisticated adaptable pink white lavender green disney alternatives

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Design Critique: Warm Contrasts Living Room

Feb 01, 2010

You know how sometimes you flip through a home magazine and see the perfect room? It's exactly what you'd do in your own house, if you only knew how? I found a room that instantly appealed to me in a back issue of Sunset Magazine, part of its Menlo Park Idea House. I broke it down element by element, so you can understand why it all works and how to apply the same principles in your own house.

Here's the gorgeous room:

Why it works:

Contrast

The obvious source of contrast is the wall color: steely blue plus its complement, orange, next to a warm linen color with soft white trim. The furniture and fireplace are pale and neutral, contrasting with the darker, saturated walls. Style-wise, the crisp and heavy lines of the fireplace, bureau, and coffee table contrast with the softer-shaped chairs and the delicate accent table. Amongst all the right angle and squares, the curvy chairs and table stand out as something special.

Repetition

Repetition done in a subtle, elemental way helps a room "stick together." In this space, metal is repeated in the accent table, the nailhead trim on the chairs, and in some of the accessories. Rectangles are repeated in a big way, from the gallery wall to the shapes in the fireplace and mantel.

Cross-Pollination

Cross-pollination is bringing a major element from one space into the next space as a minor element. Above, you can see that some of the blue shades are brought into the next room in the artwork. Below, notice how the drapes pick up on the wall color of the dining room. (The drapes are the one element I'm not very fond of… I think the space calls for more tailored drapes or none at all.)

PHOTOS: E. Spencer-Toy.

Scale

These rooms have a nice human scale. Just big enough for a small gathering, with a hint of separation between the spaces due to the wide opening in the wall. Furniture is grouped closely, and it's an appropriate size that keeps the smaller rooms feeling spacious.

Surprise

It's nice for a space to feel natural and comfortable, but it shouldn't be boring. A little design surprise here and there keeps it lively. The orange wall above the fireplace is unexpected, as is the floor-to-ceiling arrangement of art on the gallery wall.

See the rest of the house here.

Do you have a file of favorite room photos? Want some help understanding what makes them work? Send me one and I'll dissect it here on Room for Inspiration. Or, order an eDecor Plan and I'll take care of every detail to make your room feel like your inspiration room on your own budget! Just email me. —Diane

TAGS: sunset magazine menlo park idea house living dining room interpreting interior design principles

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