…by the tub?
Nothing adds a dash of luxury and glamour to a space quite like an over-sized mirror. Perhaps one of the most unexpected places to place a mirror is behind the tub in the bathroom. I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite examples of this trend below; which one would you try?
via Atlanta Homes Magazine
I could LIVE in this bathroom. Natural daylight, crisp whites, wood floors, and gold accents create a beautiful, understated elegance.
via House Beautiful
If you’re a little more brave, this silver-plated bath has a gorgeous Chanel feel.
via freshome
For the more modern, a contemporary bath circled by recessed floor lights gives this space a boutique hotel atmosphere.
via Country Living
For a romantic bath, add an ornate, gilt mirror above a slipper tub and pair it with a velvet tufted side chair.
via Architectural Digest
This simple mirror frame and black subway tile is in perfect contrast to the silver-plated tub. Top it off with a tree branch towel rack and a lantern chandelier and you have a perfectly restrained eclectic space.
via Google.com
Today’s Google Doodle celebrates the 126th birthday of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. So who exactly is Mies van der Rohe? You’re probably more familiar with this legendary architect and designer than you may think. Mies van der Rohe, along with other contemporary masters such as Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, helped to define and develop the modern architecture of today.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Mies van der Rohe designed with the idea that “less is more” and sought to strip buildings down to their “skin and bones”. The result of these ideas created modern buildings constructed of plate glass and industrial steel.
I’ve pulled together a few of my favorite furniture and architecture designs by Mies van der Rohe. Enjoy!
The MR Lounge Chair
via janmikeuy on Flickr
The Barcelona Chair
Farnsworth House
via janmikeuy on Flickr
S.R. Crown Hall, Chicago, IL
via janmikeuy on Flickr
PS: If you’re like me and just can’t get enough Mies, these amazing posters are for sale and all proceeds go toward restoring Carr Memorial Chapel on Illinois Institute of Technology’s Main Campus.
Spring?! It feels like Summer here in southern North Carolina, and it’s still technically Winter. This string of warm days has me yearning for warm summer evenings on the patio with a cocktail and a good book.
I was at IKEA this week and spotted these fun, bright patio sets that add just the right pop of color to your outdoor space, and are right on the neon trend! Pair these chairs, stools, and tables with some rainbow colored solar lights, patterned pillows, and plant pots for the perfect party space! Bring on Spring!
Clockwise from top left: 1. ROXÖ Chair, yellow- IKEA 2. ROXÖ Stool, yellow, pink- IKEA 3. LÄCKÖ Chair, light green – IKEA 4. LÄCKÖ Table, light green- IKEA 5. HÖSTÖ Bucket/plant pot, assorted colors- IKEA 6. SOLVINDEN Solar-powered light chain, 16 globe, multicolor- IKEA 7. HÄRÖ Folding chair, blue- IKEA 8. GRENÖ Cushion, yellow, gray – IKEA
Just in time for Spring, sorbet colors are popping up everywhere. Sorbet colors and pastels were a big trend in the Spring 2012 fashion collections, and are a great way to freshen up your wardrobe and your home.
These soft colored spaces make me want to throw open the windows and breath in the fresh blooms of Spring. Now if only Spring would hurry up and get here!
via net-a-porter
Color blocking has been a huge trend in fashion this year, and it seems the trend will remain through summer. While the concept of color blocking is simple enough to understand in fashion, translating this trend into your interior can seem a bit tricky. Never fear! I’ve pulled together a few ideas to help you get started.
Start Simple:
The easiest way to add blocks of color to your space is start with what you have. Organize books by color for a subtle, sophisticated take on this trend. This idea works especially well with sold color bookcases in a neutral color, such as white.
via Apartment Therapy
Another simple start is to add small blocks of color in unexpected places. Try painting the back of a bookcase in a color that complements your wall color for instant color blocking.
via Apartment Therapy
Add Furniture:
If you jumped on the high-gloss paint trend last year, try pairing your brightly painted furniture with other bold colored accessories, such as frames, lamps, or vases.
via Little Green Notebook
Take it Outside:
Not ready to take on color blocking in your interior? Try it on the exterior! If you live in a brightly colored home, try painting your front door or shutters in a complementary color.
via Apartment Therapy
If the outside of your home is more neutral or muted, choose an accent color within the same tone. An easy way to do this is to pick pick up a few paint chips from your paint store and choose colors at the same level (ex: third from the top).
Add Solids:
If you’ve already been brave enough to paint your walls a bright color (Bravo!), try adding solid color curtains at the window or a sofa along the wall. The combination of colors is sure to make an impact.
via Apartment Therapy
Be Bold:
If you’re really ready to take the color blocking plunge, try dividing your wall with two colors. The easiest and most traditional way to do this is with a chair rail; paint one color above the rail and one color below. Go one step further and ditch the chair rail for a truly bold statement.
via Mail Online
via Simply Grove and Farrow & Ball
If this idea is still a little too daring for you, try painting your upper and lower kitchen cabinets different colors, or painting adjacent walls in a small room two different colors.
via This Old House
via belle maison
Don’t Over-Think It:
The best advice for adding color blocking into your interior is to not over-think. Color blocking is simple: add bold, solid blocks of color against each other. Whether your using furniture, artwork, walls, or accessories, you can incorporate this trend; just add color!
If you’re like me, you love scarves. Which also probably means you have scarves hanging all over your closet or lying around with no means of organization. I know this was the case for me; I had scarves all over my apartment and could never send to find the one I was looking for.
While there are great organizational options for sale at places like The Container Store or Bed Bath and Beyond, I wasn’t thrilled about spending ten dollars on a hanger. While scanning through images on Pinterest (my not-so-secret obsession), I came across a few different ideas for DIY scarf hangers. Most of these hangers used a simple clothes hanger and a pack of shower rings. Being that I have several extra clothes hangers, and a pack of cheap shower rings would cost me $1.19, I was sold!
The process is simple: take your hanger and attach the shower rings around the lower bar to create rings for your scarves to hang through. I went one step further and attempted to hot-glue the rings to the hanger. This idea worked great in theory, but once I began added the scarves to the rings, the glue detached. Oh well, it was worth a shot. All in all, I’m very happy with this simple solution. It may not be fancy, but it’s effective, and super cheap!
Here are a few pics of my finished hanger. I’m thinking of making another one for my belts. I definitely recommend this easy DIY to everyone; let me know if you try it for yourself!
Fashion trends and designs often come back into style, although it’s fair to say some styles should never make a comeback. The past few years have seen the resurgence of several trends, for instance the wide leg pant of the seventies or the mod color blocking of the sixties.
I’m going out on a limb and predicting that this year, the glamorous style of the 1920s Art Deco will make a comeback. One major reason is the remake of the iconic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, The Great Gatsby. Let’s be honest, who can resist Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan and the elaborate lifestyle of Mr. Gatsby? We’ve already seen a few hints of this in fashion with sequin, scallop, and metallic details.
Clockwise from left: BCBG Max Azria, Rachel Gilbert, Vero Moda, Milly
So how can you introduce Art Deco into your decor? The most successful interiors are a blend of styles that relate to the personality of the owner. By adding small hints of the Art Deco style, you can adopt the trend without having to redecorate your entire space. Start with simple accents; add Art Deco graphic prints into your accessories, highlight pieces with metallics or mirrors, or hang a classic Art Deco piece of art. I’ve pulled together a few of my favorite pieces to bring the Art Deco into your space, check them out below!
1. F. Scott Fitzgerald Series – Coralie Bickford-Smith 2. Autoportrait, 1925., Tamara de Lempicka – AllPosters.com 3. Deco Table Lamp – Chiasso 4. Knot Mirror – Horchow 5. Deco Pillow – Chiasso 6. Donnabella Chest – Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams 7. The Great Gatsby Handpainted Book Cover – SpaceSays on Etsy
If you’re like me, you can spend hours searching through all of the wonderful items for sale on Etsy. While I was updating my own shop, I stumbled upon these wonderful stencils from OliveLeafStencils.
If you’re hesitant to apply wallpaper to your walls (and after the wallpaper removal experience I had, I don’t blame you), painting your walls with stencils is a great alternative to the mess and fuss of wallpapering with the same great visual impact.
With graphics ranging from modern patterns to classic damasks, and nature inspired stencils like birds, trees, flowers, and oceana, OliveLeafStencils has a stencil for every taste!
Stencils come with detailed instructions and are cut onto 11 mil. plastic. While most of the images shown on the OliveLeafStencils Etsy shop show the stencils used on walls, I imagine you could use these stencils on anything you like! After my experience creating my own stencil and using cardstock to paint my curtains, these plastic stencils are a godsend!
Which stencil is your favorite? Or better yet, what will you paint?
I’m slowly working my way through decorating my apartment, but one room that is largely neglected is my guest bedroom. We don’t often have visitors, and so our spare bedroom has turned into somewhat of a storage/office space. My goal is to eventually have this room be a shared office and guest bedroom, rather than the large closet it currently acts as.
I purchased a simple desk from IKEA a few months back and was bound and determined to start making over this room. I even began hand-painting a set of curtains for a customized look. I largely underestimated the amount of time painting my curtains would take, and after a few days, I finished one panel and have yet to finish the other.
And so for now, my guest bedroom consists of a small full bed (on a cheap frame), one painted curtain panel, a desk, and a mess of items to be organized. So where do I start (again)?
I figure the easiest place to start, and the one that would have the most impact, would be the bed. I had intended to make my own upholstered headboard using one of several DIY tutorials on the internet. This has obviously not happened. While I would still really like to create my own upholstered headboard, I’ve been thinking that maybe purchasing a nice bed frame would be much simpler.
Lately I’ve discovered that I have a great admiration for wrought iron and metal beds. I was a little surprised by this; I always felt that metal beds were dated. Perhaps that’s exactly why I like them. Everything old is new again! I especially like these beds featured in the Sneak Peeks on Design*Sponge.
Sneak Peek: Cassandra Ellis & Ed Prichard via Design*Sponge
Sneak Peek: Emma Jane Noren via Design*Sponge
I’ve pulled together a few of my favorite options, ranging in price from cheap to not so cheap; although I’m thinking the best place to find one at a good price would be at the local thrift store.
IKEA - Lillesand Bed Frame
IKEA - Svelvik Bed Frame
Restoration Hardware - 19th. C. Quatrefoil Iron Bed
What do you think? To Wrought or Not?
Metal accents are common in interiors. Perhaps you use stainless steel, nickel, gold, or the ever popular oil-rubbed bronze, as the predominant metal accent in your space. But what about copper? Copper is often seen in garden and outdoor spaces, but it’s beautiful tone and coloring can be a sophisticated and unexpected addition to your color scheme.
via Apartment Therapy
Do you love these pendants as much as I do? You can purchase them from ABC Home, for $499. If you’re like me, and that price is a little steep, maybe you can find a good alternative in your local thrift shop or flea market and add a coat of copper paint for an easy DIY version!
