Do you have projects around the house to complete this summer? I have several projects on my list. One such project is changing a small bedroom into a dressing room. What do you think? Yay or Nay?
Thanks for stopping by.
Images via Pinterest: Jonathan Adler, Net Vibes, Tobi Fairley
Michael Herold is principal designer at Michael Herold Design. His work was featured at the 2012 Junior League of greater Princeton Designer Showhouse. I had the pleasure of meeting Michael at Blogfest2012 in May. I contacted him and he graciously agreed to answer a few questions about his work at the Princeton Showhouse. His chic and glamorous design features bold striped walls, a custom slipcovered William & Mary style sofa, and a biomorphic console table by Tony Duquette for Baker Furniture.
What was your inspiration? The inspiration for the room started with the amazing Biomorphic console by Tony Duquette for Baker. It is an amazing piece. As with all of my designs the space naturally evolved from there. It is filled with a mix of things old and new, interesting sculptural pieces, figural art, and that gorgeous Stark carpet. Everything I love!
Did you face any challenges? The walls! The walls are cinder block and very prison-like. The bold horizontal stripes really helped to disguise the walls. In photographs you cannot even tell the walls are cinder block.
What’s your favorite room to design? I love designing all spaces. At this very moment I am having great fun designing a kitchen for a client in New York. The kitchen really has become the social spot of the home. So many people hate when people gather in their kitchens. I love it. This kitchen I am designing in NY has fully upholstered furniture in it…washable of course! The dining table is so long that it connects that it functions both as a dining table and an over sized island. Really cool!
Are there any color combinations that have caught your attention? Well, I am a huge fan of gray. Warm grays. Gray is a great neutral that can go with anything. I am designing a library and painted the trim and casework gray lacquer and the walls a vibrant ocean teal by Stark Paint. Amazing!
Michael was selected by House Beautiful as The Next Wave designer. Find the story in the June issue of House Beautiful.
I look forward to more amazing designs from Michael Herold Design. Visit the online store for a spectacular collection of furniture and accessories for your home.
Thanks for stopping by.
Images: MICHAEL HEROLD DESIGN
Decorating a room is an investment. You want to get the most bang for your dollar. It makes sense to purchase furniture that has dual function and works hard for you. The ottoman is that piece of furniture. It is a practical piece that can be used for extra seating, a foot rest, a table, or extra storage. Have fun customizing it to your decor. Choose a shape and fabric, add nail heads, trim, or slipcover. You have endless possibilities to customize your ottoman. Practical, affordable and hard working, the ottoman is a winner.
Images: Pinterest, Guilt, Shades of Light, Remodelista, ElleDecor
Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Monday! The graduation parties and pool parties are done for now. It’s back to reality, getting the kids registered for summer camp, scheduling physicals and doing laundry. Oh, the laundry. Laundry is not something I enjoy doing because our laundry room is in the basement. Our basement is unfinished and all the mechanics of the house are visible –the pipes, air conditioner vents, cable wires. Needless to say, it is not the prettiest room in the house. There is not much I could do about it right now since we rent our home. If I had my way, I would move the laundry room to the second floor. Making the laundry pretty and functional would be a fun project.
Wallpaper in the laundry, a marvelous idea. I’m in love with the Gracie wallpaper. The nature scene of painted birds, butterflies, branches and flowers, and high-end details make the everyday task of laundry a pleasure.
Dagny from the Scandinavian Chic blog did a beautiful job of transforming her laundry room with wallpaper from Osborne & Little. Art, flowers, and glass jars are all things that give the room character.
Having the laundry room on the first level of the house would be my second choice. Painted beadboard paneling is in keeping with the style and charm of the house. A pretty runner from Dash and Albert would make this laundry room complete.
Thanks for stopping by.
Ticking is a fabrics that is sometimes forgotten and under appreciated. Rediscover its simple beauty for your next project. Use it in upholstery, window treats and pillows. It comes in a variety of colors and is affordable. My favorite ticking is blue and white. I found two window panels in great condition at the consignment shop. I will repurpose the fabric and use it for decorative pillows.
Dress it up or down in ticking. Total bliss, a gilded settee, upholstered in a ticking stripe.
Ticking is inviting and durable,
perfect for a child’s room,
your favorite chair or table skirt, pillows and more.
Robert Allen’s Ticking Stripe Hydrangea fabric adds a twist on classic ticking.
Thanks for stopping by.
I’ve spent the better part of my morning cleaning out my email folder and reviewing my appointment book. With temperatures reaching 90’s today, the last thing I want to do is go outside. How are you staying cool today? A little day dreaming on a pool never hurts.
This pool house is perfection. It makes a fabulous guest room upstairs and an entertainment area for family and friends on the first floor. I love the simplicity of all white. The charming balcony on the upper level, oval window and copula complete the structure beautifully, giving it charm and sophistication.
For the inside of the pool house, I really like the rattan, all weather furniture. I love the mirror for the focal point. It reflects light from the outside. Relaxing under the cool breeze of a fan… delightful.
I found more eye candy via interior designer Alessandra Branca. Red, white and blue decor is a favorite for the outdoors. Entertaining by the pool with a few friends would be enjoyable with a summer inspired table…very patriotic.
Hope you find a cool spot to relax on this hot day.
Thanks for stopping by.
The warm weather is here. It is a great day for a picnic. Find a great location at the lake, beach, or your favorite park. The most important ingredient is excellent company. With advance planning, a picnic is a great opportunity to get back to basics and enjoy the outdoors with the special person in your life.
Start your picnic of right with a beautifully willow basket from Everything Picnic. It has everything you need for a romantic picnic for two: ceramic plate- glass wine glasses – stainless flatware – cotton napkins – food cooler – insulated wine pouch – hardwood cutting board – spill proof salt & pepper shakers -wood handle cheese knife – stainless waiters corkscrew – 50″ x 60″ fleece blanket. They thought of everything, so you don’t have to.
Here are some helpful tips:
Enjoy the feeling of the warm sun on your skin, good food, good company and fresh air.
Thanks for stopping by.
Keep your eyes open for silver bowls the next time you are at a garage sale or a flea market. Snatch up silver plated bowls for a few dollars. A quick and Real Simple easy tip to clean your silver bowl is to use baking soda. I found a little tooth paste works well on silver plated bowls (use plain tooth paste without crystals or it will scratch).
Start a collection. They don’t all have to match. This collection of silver and silver plated bowls makes a lovely focal point. I like it when some of the silver is polished and a few pieces have a little patina.
Gather flowers from the garden and make a pretty arrangement. Here I used cuttings from a fern, hosta and blue hydrangea.
Bring your bowl into the kitchen. Add instant glamour to your counter with your favorite fruit served from a silver bowl.
A silver bowl is the perfect base for a flower arrangement for your next dinner party. Happy hunting.
Thanks for stopping by.
Today’s guest post is from Susi, a writer for Arcadian Lighting. Founded in 2002, Arcadian Lighting started selling decorative home lighting fixtures and lamps online, and has become one of the top Internet retailers for home lighting products. Visit their website and cool blog for more information.
One of the popular trends in design right now is mixing antiques with contemporary furnishings. Gone are the rules that say we must decorate within only one style. Mixing antiques and contemporary furnishings gives a room a personal and unique decor that is current and stylish.
A contemporary style Barcelona daybed fits into this antique filled space by continuing the same colorway as the rest of the furnishings. White unifies the more contemporary pieces with the antique and traditional furnishings.
This contemporary style bedroom gets a touch of elegance with an antique gold ballroom chair and blue painted writing desk. The ornate lines of the chair soften the straight lines of the contemporary style.
A bedroom mixes a French antique giltwood bed with sleek contemporary glass and Lucite. The glass bedside lamps, mirrored chests of drawers and Lucite bench add sparkle to the room.
The yellow painted antique chest of drawers stands out against the complementary lavender of the walls and curtains. A pair of zebra benches adds a nice contemporary touch.
An ornate antique mirror in a contemporary bathroom adds a touch of elegance and glamour to the sleek space. Mixing styles creates an eclectic look. And check out those adorable antique wall sconces to complement the mirror.
A contemporary style desk chair, the Executive chair designed by Eames, is paired with an antique desk in this home office. Love the combination of the masculine chair and the feminine lines of the desk, along with the drum pendant light above.
This room mixes antique furnishings with contemporary art. The juxtaposition of the colorful contemporary print adds color and energy to the antique table and traditional style chair.
Antiques add a touch of glamour to inexpensive contemporary furnishings from Ikea. The giltwood starburst mirror is the focal point in this clean, white contemporary space.
Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
Arcadian Lighting specializes in affordable lighting solutions for your home. If you liked this guest post, drop by Arcadian Lighting Blog to say hello.
Thanks for stopping by.
Today we’re taking a peek into a magnificent dining room decorated by prominent, local designer Judy King of Judy King Interiors. The dining room was showcased in the Junior League of Greater Princeton Showhouse.
King lightens the room with beautiful fabric so we can appreciate the dark paneling. The room’s light neutral palette has a mix of luxury and history. Her use of window treatments envelopes the room into a cozy space to spend countless hours entertaining friends or simply relaxing with a good book.
Did you notice the beautiful medallion design on the wall? I love the idea of layering and displaying books and accessories on the dining room table when is not being used. She carefully balances the hard heavy materials found in the room with a touch of pretty.
King’s gorgeous decor has elevated the dining room into the present for a family to enjoy.
Judy King has a store on Spring Street in Princeton, NJ. The shop houses an eclectic mix of French & English 19th Century antiques and reproductions along with eclectic home accessories and classic custom-made pieces.
Thank you for stopping by.
I am a wife, mother and decorator. Welcome to my blog, where I share my projects and design inspiration. I love finding vintage pieces to add character and sense of history to my designs. My other passions are family, cooking, gardening and traveling. Feel free to drop me a line or just say hello!
 |
