Category: eclectic

Fresh and clean – interiors that scream spring

Spring Interior Inspiration

Is it spring yet?!?! I don’t know if I’m ready for 90 degrees and the Maryland summer humidity, but I am soooo ready for that first warm spring air that makes the house smell so good when I open the windows. We still have a little while to go before Spring is officially here, but it is nice to imagine and gather inspiration for how I will decorate once it’s time for a refresh

Never in a million years would I think to paint a ceiling golden yellow, but I think it really works here.

via Pinterest via BHG

Dark wood floors

via Pinterest via Domaine Home

Dark wood floors don’t need to be dreary…counter balance them with light reflecting metallics, like the console table.

via Pinterest via BHG

Cozy Porch

via Pinterest via House of Turquoise

Oh the summer evenings and mornings I could spend on this porch with a tall iced coffee!

via Pinterest via Lovely Life

via Pinterest via domaine home

What do you guys do to get your home ready for spring?

via Pinterest via thedecorista.com

February 15, 2019
Mix furniture styles like a pro

Fearlessly mix furniture styles!

Today I am going to reveal some useful tips on how to mix furniture styles like a pro. I do not go for matchy matchy – it looks too contrived and does not really let the homeowners personality shine through. Even if a room looks “good” if I can tell every piece is from the same catalog, I’m not really impressed. Everyone prefers a space that looks like it came together overtime but also with style, and that allows the character of the people who live their to shine through. This is easier said then done. Furniture is such an important player in a room, so putting together a meaningful collection of furnishings can be daunting to say the least. Below are some useful tips to successfully mix furniture styles:

An easy place to start might be your walls. I love the look of traditional furnishings with modern artShop this look –

(may contain affiliate links)

Rustic Dining table

Mid-century Modern Chair

Work with the bones of your home. If your home is a country style abode, work in a few vintage pieces. Make it easy on yourself when you are starting out by choosing styles that pair well together. Country and Vintage work well. Victorian, a style that celebrates the ornate, pairs well with French and Asian. Arts and crafts works will with midcentury modern and modern.

Eclectic is undoubtedly a style that lends itself to mixing. Make it work with surprising details like travel mementos or memorabilia from your past lives. This gives the illusion that every piece has a story behind it or sentimental value. That way even if the mod couch doesn’t have a story behind it, it will look like it does because many other elements in the room do.

Here, a mix of antique style furniture is kept fresh with a modern table lamp and modern art. Also notice that the furnishings all have a similar visual “weight” to them, which helps keep this space look airy.

Don’t forget your walls. The abstract painting pairs well with the modern chairs, while the gilt mirror pairs well with the coffee table – but they juxtapose one another. Creating relationship like this helps the space feel cohesive.

Mix “like” pieces. By like I mean chairs, or stools, or side tables, etc. Here two side chairs of very different style really stand out and bring attention to themselves because they are two different styles.

Here, the black and gold baroque wallpaper is an unexpected surprise in a room of modern furnishings.
Rue Mag

Shop this look

Eames style lounge chair

Full length leaner floor mirror

Happy decorating!

October 9, 2018
Warm and Eclectic Home Tour

Warm and Eclectic

This house tour is one of the best I’ve come across in a really long time. The home is so warm and eclectic, mixing furniture and decor from different styles and times. I really love a home that seems to be decorated with objects over time from travels and life well lived.

The home belongs to stylist Natalie Nassar (she does a lot of work for Ballard Designs, so you might recognize a lot of their stuff). The textiles through out the home are amazing, and all the rugs are from an antique market in Atlanta. You may recognize the photo below from a post last week, which is when I discovered the tour.

I’ve included some of the Q+A’s from the house tour, which can be read in full at How To Decorate by Ballard Designs.

Ballard Designs: There’s an immediate warmth when we step into your home. How do you create that warm feeling with furniture pieces and accessories?

Natalie Nassar: I really like to mix different styles of furniture and accessories. I have a lot of mid century modern things, antiques, classic pieces and global looking pieces. I have found that I like the mix because it makes my home feel more collected and not so stale.

BD: It seems like there’s no space in your home that’s too small to be styled or given proper attention. What are your strategies for giving mundane or functional areas personality?

NN: As I mentioned before adding plants like cacti and succulents really helps a space. Green life can change everything! Also I use a lot of trays and containers to wrangle accessories or functional things in. For example, I keep my kitchen scrub brushes in a cylindrical vase and my soaps are sitting on a tray so it looks neat. I love to use different decorative bowls for accessories and for functional use.

BD: So many people struggle with making their home both stylish AND functional for their busy families. You seem to have struck that perfect balance! How has your home changed since your 18-month old Noura has joined the family?

NN: I have tried to keep the house in the same state that it was pre-Noura with just some alterations. Of course you have to baby-proof once they start to move about but there are a few little adjustments I have made for organization and ease for her and me. I am naturally a very neat and organized person but once Noura came into our lives a lot of that went out the window! I had to learn to relax and realize that things can’t be perfect all the time in the house. Usually the house is a wreck until we put her to sleep at night and then I straighten up. I find that cleaning up at the end of the day De-clutters my brain and refreshes the space for the next day to begin.

1. Baskets are key! I have 2 large baskets from ikea that look great and hold a lot of toys. Makes for easy clean up to throw toys into baskets at the end of day.

2. If you’re like us, furnishing your home seems like a constant thing so make sure you’re making smart purchasing decisions. When choosing upholstery, go for something not too light in color and that is durable. I know Ballard offers a lot of great outdoor fabric options that don’t even look outdoor. These fabrics hold up well to stains and are great for high traffic areas. Also Scotchgard your new pieces! For picking coffee tables, I recommend choosing things that don’t have sharp corners. Our coffee table is not an upholstered ottoman but there are no sharp edges to it.

3. Choose a pretty throw or blanket to cover up the seat cushions on your couch. We are always on the couch with snacks or crayons or things that can be messy which is just real life- a pretty covering is great because it looks good/can add color and style and protects your couch!

BD: You mentioned in our podcast episode that you typically choose more neutral colors for your large furniture pieces so that they’re more versatile long term. How often do you move things around or switch up accessories?

NN: I personally like to choose my big pieces in neural colors. If you ever want to move pieces around, it makes it easier. I always keep in mind that we might move one day. Of course, I move accessories around all the time. It freshens things up and makes things look new and different. I change the pillows and textiles out on the couches and swap bedding probably once a year. It really can make a difference!

BD: So many people struggle with making their home both stylish AND functional for their busy families. You seem to have struck that perfect balance! How has your home changed since your 18-month old Noura has joined the family?

NN: I have tried to keep the house in the same state that it was pre-Noura with just some alterations. Of course you have to baby-proof once they start to move about but there are a few little adjustments I have made for organization and ease for her and me. I am naturally a very neat and organized person but once Noura came into our lives a lot of that went out the window! I had to learn to relax and realize that things can’t be perfect all the time in the house. Usually the house is a wreck until we put her to sleep at night and then I straighten up. I find that cleaning up at the end of the day De-clutters my brain and refreshes the space for the next day to begin.

April 9, 2018
Elegant bedrooms fit for dreaming

Elegant bedrooms

eclectic and elegant. love the print over the fireplace
via Architectural Digest

pull the sheers around the bed and escape
via Sweet Home Style

small, but perfectly furnished and decorated for unwinding.
via House of Fifty

via House of Fifty

via Interiors Porn

Above and below are the same bedroom. Chic peacock wallpaper on one wall and exposed brick on the other.

2 above via Lonny mag

September 25, 2017
Home makeover by interior designer Thom Filicia!

Home Makeover

This post is an oldie (but a goodie). Being that I’m insanely busy right now I felt a throwback was in order. Real Simple and Chase Blueprint awarded one very lucky winner a $20,000 home makeover by the wonderful Thom Filicia! That lucky winner of the contest, “Blueprint to a Beautiful Home” was Stephanie Gayol Phillipou of Mountainside, NJ.

The Philipou’s moved into their home December 2011 and had to start preparing for new baby, leaving no time to add their personal style to the home.

Check out her home’s amazing transformation!

Before:

What’s amazing to me is how their home looks barely lived in, it was in major need of some character!

After:

The blue paint is so refreshing.

Before:

After:

I’m really loving upholstered dining chairs these days, it makes the space elegant and comfortable.

The bedroom and living room are a great study in how to mix patterns. The rug and comforter are in a neutral gray, which makes it easy to add pattern and color without worrying about clashing. The smoky lavender walls are restful, and the global accents remind the Phillipou’s of their safari honeymoon in South Africa.

As always, Filicia did an amazing job. What do you think of this transformation?

You can see and read more about the transformation in the December 2012 issue of Real Simple.

July 28, 2017
Beautiful Staircases: Inspiration for an overlooked area

Beautiful Staircases

Staircases aren’t usually something one thinks of when thinking “home decorating.” I thought it might be fun to dedicate an entire post to beautiful staircases and the beauty they can add to your home. I’ve even found some inspiration for outdoor stairs, which aren’t as popular in the states as maybe external staircases uk, or Italy, and throughout Europe.

Moreover, considering a lot of staircases open to the foyer or entrance of a home, it is well worth considering the design and aesthetics of your staircase in home decorating projects. While spiral staircases aren’t as popular in the states, I saw a lot of them while living in Spain, an unbeknownst to me you can buy staircases online!

Below I’ve posted some staircase inspiration:

How sweet is this white winding staircase? I love the gray wide paneled floor and entry rug too. This winding staircase also adds some valuable storage space under it, great for adding a small desk or entry console for sorting mail.

Wow. I would love to have built-in bookcases behind this graceful spiral staircase and a comfy seat for reading by the window. I also love the plants and lantern hanging in the center of the staircase.

Spiral staircases don’t need to be antique and old fashioned. There are a lot of modern options for staircases available these days, as well as space-saving solutions. I love the contrast this steel spiral staircase creates against the white room.

A balcony garden with a pretty exterior spiral staircase! This is a clever way to include more greenery in your outdoor space if it is limited.

This winding staircase is truly a work of art. The architectural details and the care that’s been taken in creating a beautiful curve is amazing. Everything about it is so artful. I love the planes of white surface and the interesting windows.

Spiral staircases can really shine in lofts since they’re visible from most areas of the space. I love the eclectic mix in this loft of different furnishings and wood finishes. The exposed beams and wood-paneled ceiling is gorgeous too!

Have you put thought into your staircase? If so how do you have it decorated? Is it an afterthought? Are you lucky enough to have a staircase that had a lot of architectural details added? We don’t have a staircase in our home – so I need to live vicariously through people who do!

*Disclosure: This post brought to you in partnership with Fontanot Shop

May 26, 2017
Glamorous interiors of interior designer Schuyler Samperton

Glamorous Interiors

It is always such a treat when I’m introduced to an interior designer whose work I haven’t seen before. It doesn’t happen very often, which is why I’m really excited to share with you Schuyler Samperton. She’s an LA based designer with a cool modern twist on traditional decorating. If you love glamorous interiors, I’m sure some of you do know her work – and even if you’ve seen it before, I imagine it’s just as beautiful to look at the second…, third…, fourth time around…

Pops of pink and turquoise balance out the visual heaviness of the dark wood beams

I would never think to put together that rug that table, with those curtains and that striped chair. It’s a very unexpected blend, and I like that it looks like the furnishings and decor was collected over time as opposed to items purchased just to match.

The two below images are from the home of model Carolyn Murphy, which was featured in March’s vogue!

Those wood floors are heaven!

Do you like Schuyler’s style? Go to Schuyler Samperton’s site to see more.

May 24, 2017
An eclectic house tour filled with treasures from travels

This eclectic house tour is sure to please

This eclectic house in the UK is brimming with personality. Most of the work, painting, etc., was done by the home owners, and most of the decor has special meaning.

It looks like all of their books, even the ones in the dining room, are arranged by spine color.

Her home office is probably my favorite. Simple, but pretty.

Love the mantle!

via Heart Home Mag

April 5, 2017
Mix furniture styles like a pro

Fearlessly mix furniture styles!

Today I am going to reveal some useful tips on how to mix furniture styles like a pro. I do not go for matchy matchy – it looks too contrived and does not really let the homeowners personality shine through. Even if a room looks “good” if I can tell every piece is from the same catalog, I’m not really impressed. Everyone prefers a space that looks like it came together overtime but also with style, and that allows the character of the people who live their to shine through. This is easier said then done. Furniture is such an important player in a room, so putting together a meaningful collection of furnishings can be daunting to say the least. Below are some useful tips to successfully mix furniture styles:

Work with the bones of your home. If your home is a country style abode, work in a few vintage pieces. Make it easy on yourself when you are starting out by choosing styles that pair well together. Country and Vintage work well. Victorian, a style that celebrates the ornate, pairs well with French and Asian. Arts and crafts works will with midcentury modern and modern.

Eclectic is undoubtedly a style that lends itself to mixing. Make it work with surprising details like travel mementos or memorabilia from your past lives. This gives the illusion that every piece has a story behind it or sentimental value. That way even if the mod couch doesn’t have a story behind it, it will look like it does because many other elements in the room do.

Here, a mix of antique style furniture is kept fresh with a modern table lamp and modern art. Also notice that the furnishings all have a similar visual “weight” to them, which helps keep this space look airy.

Don’t forget your walls. The abstract painting pairs well with the modern chairs, while the gilt mirror pairs well with the coffee table – but they juxtapose one another. Creating relationship like this helps the space feel cohesive.

Mix “like” pieces. By like I mean chairs, or stools, or side tables, etc. Here two side chairs of very different style really stand out and bring attention to themselves because they are two different styles.

Here, the black and gold baroque wallpaper is an unexpected surprise in a room of modern furnishings.
Rue Mag

March 7, 2017
Turning Your Bedroom into a Sanctuary

In today’s always on world, finding time for yourself to just relax and chill can be difficult. As well as being short of time, most people live with other family members, which can make it hard to get away from everyone and everything.

However, most of us still have the luxury of having our own bedroom. This is important because it is a space that can easily be turned into a proper sanctuary. The fact that a bedroom is still seen as a private space means that it is somewhere you can go to be alone, and do your own thing.

Choose a restful style of decor

You need to resist the temptation to decorate your bedroom in a jazzy style. It is far better to opt for a more muted style of decor, which creates a more calming and relaxing ambience.

via

Add a chair or sofa

If you have the space, invest in a comfortable chair, and footrest, or a small sofa. You will be surprised by just how much you use it.

via The Girl Who Knows

Get a nice headboard

For some reason, headboards went out of fashion, but, for 2017, they are back. Most retailers are once again stocking big, decorative, padded headboards. This is great news for you, because it means that your bed will once again be somewhere you can comfortably sit up and read.

Let the light in

Now I know this is going to sound strange, but you really need to let as much natural light into your bedroom as possible. Being able to see the view will lift your spirits, and help you to rebalance after a frenetic day.

via Matouk

If you enjoy having breakfast in bed, or reading in your room during the day you will be thankful of the natural light. The trick with bedrooms is to install good quality curtains, or blinds, so that you can keep the light out until you want it.

It is also important to install good lighting in your bedroom. You want to be able to see what you are doing when you get dressed, and have enough light to be able to read comfortably. However, at times, you will want to dim the lights to create a more romantic, or relaxing ambience.

via Luxe

Add a touch of luxury

In sanctuary bedrooms, luxury bedspreads are always a good idea. They make the room look fantastic, as well as feel great against your skin.

A place to pamper yourself

The bedroom is the perfect place to enjoy beauty treatments. If you have enough space, set aside a cupboard, or chest of drawers to store everything that you need. Having everything you need readily to hand will encourage you to treat yourself to a foot spa, and face pack on a regular basis.

via

Wire your bedroom for sound

If you find listening to music relaxing, consider investing in a good quality sound system for your bedroom. In a crowded house that may mean buying a set of wireless headphones, which will allow you to listen to the TV or your music system when everyone else is in bed, and sound asleep.

In partnership with JD Williams

January 23, 2017