Design Ideas

The Moroccan-inspired greeting room makes a powerful statement and sets the tone for the rest of the home. This home is done in good taste, colors and comfort.



This library is filled with deep chocolate fabrics, leather, dark wood and orange accents. It’s a place to relax, watch TV and read a book. Always remember to have varied light sources in a room that serve many purposes, including lamps for reading, accent lights for art and candles to set the mood.



The wall entering the kitchen is a hand painted cartoon waiter pointing to the dining room that guests can sign as they leave. The tabletop is a French door that pulls out to seat up to six people. The mix of black and white patterns make this room pop with personality!!!



The fireplace wall is designed to be the focal point of the living room. The built-in benches that flank the fireplace allow for additional seating. Two of SPI's signature U Chairs from the SPI Line are perched perfectly in front of the fire. The U Chair is available in rosewood, white, green and black lacquer.

 

Calgon, take me away!!!!!

SPI commissioned this sculptural solid stone, oversized tub in France. Weighing over three tons, the tub had to be lowered into the bathroom with a crane via the skylight since it would not fit through the bathroom door.

Fireside

Like the A6DS Fireplace and Spark Modern’sLinear Burner, Planika's Fire Line presents a whole new way to enjoy the unmatched pastime of dozing away a cozy eve, brandy (or whatever imbibement might tickle your fancy), book, and flickering flames by your side. Like the aforementioned predecessors, Fire Line is a horizontally-oriented burner that (with the help of renowned designers like Arik Levy and Christophe Pillet) is artfully and architecturally integrated into interior or exterior walls—perhaps just the ticket for the cool eves of May.
As regards the behind-the-scenes functionality of the concept(s), however, Planika charts a decidedly greener course than others of its ilk. Touted as the world’s first “smokeless fire,” Fire Line appliances don’t burn fossil fuel, but rather the distinctively named Fanola—“based on ethanol of plant origin, Fanola® is a renewable and green source of energy. While burning it produces no smoke, no smell and leaves no ashes.” Nor does it produce any CO2; thus, it requires neither venting, nor chimney, nor expensive and timely installation. In fact, Planika chucks modesty to the wind in boasting that you can receive your chosen Fire Line model in the mail and be sipping your Hot Toddy fireside within a mere ten minutes.







This last point begs the question, “what variety of Fire Line do you desire?” A question that’s not so simple to answer, given that the appliances’ safety, ease of use, and portability gives rise to multiple incarnations. Enter masters like Levy and Pillet, who respectively contribute Fire High, the millennial answer to the tiki torch; and Jar, the millennial answer to the fire pit.
Beyond the contributions by Levy and Pillet, Planika’s in-house design arm, Planika Studio, offers up some 20 additional styles, from portable affairs like the beguiling L-Shape, to coffee-table numbers like the always comforting Hot Chocolate, to the Architect's Line of customized, permanent installations.

My new red Kitchen designed by Kabnoury

Tropical Bedroom

The warm, balanced exotic style of this bedroom satisfies the client's mixed tropical family background and need for serenity and harmony. The steel tables are made with a natural raw patina and covered with semi-gloss lacquer finish. The Nelson wall sconces offer an architectural element as well as a functional lighting piece, which provides bright or diffuse lighting. The dark coffee-colored walls balance out with the light honey bamboo flooring, light cream rug and vanilla window treatment. The exotic fish tank is visible from the bedroom through a small opening for added enjoyment.



Colorful accents and a fireplace create a very warm atmosphere in this tropical bedroom design. Photography by Francis Augustine.



This guestroom has a seashell motif that is neutralized by a small leopard print fabric that adds a touch of exotic. The 10-foot-high gauzy fabric canopy creates the feeling of a far away island retreat. Photograph by Cynthia MacDonald.



Classic neutral colors and playful details make this bedroom a tropical paradise.



Nineteenth-century furnishings are the centerpiece of this dramatic room. The colonial bed, covered in antique Indian silk, is from a palace in Rajasthan, India; the capiz screen, with pressed and etched glass insets, is from the Philippines.

Romantic Bedroom

Cream and celadon were used interchangeably in this romantic bedroom, anchored by a custom velvet sleigh bed.



Handpainted furniture, luxurious fabrics and a luscious color scheme complete the look of this sensuous bedroom, a romantic retreat that envelopes you as you enter its doors. Photo by Dan Steinberg.



Fabrics and furnishings that are beautiful and timeless make an excellent foundation for flexibility and growth in this little girl's room. The bed with hidden trundle and child-sized table and chairs will make this lucky little girl the perfect host for slumber and tea parties to come.



The French doors open to a secret garden in this room that combines toile fabric, white matelasse and an antique rug.



Sage green walls provide a relaxing back drop to this bedroom. Plush fabrics were used for the custom bedding ensemble. The fabric panels hanging on the bed frame create a romantic cocoon. Designer tip: Paint the wall color up on to a portion of the recessed ceiling to give the illusion of more height.



We created this bedroom for a little girl. A lavender and cream toile coverlet coordinates with a gingham silk at the windows. Cream painted furnishings add a neutral touch to the space. A perfect place for a little princess to do her homework, dream and play!



This qualifies as romantic in my book due to the balanced offering of amenities for both of the sexes. Notice the chaise directly to the left for her and the antique flip-top bar with a classic Parisian smoking chair to the right for him. The couple will be drawn to the space in front of the fireplace, lounge on the shag rug and perhaps pull out a game from the round storage ottoman. Regardless of the plan for the evening, this bedroom is fit for romance. Photo by Donovan Swick.



An oversized bedroom wall is filled with custom headboard and an upholstered screen. The fabric colors are kept serene for this master bedroom.



This master bedroom suite is gifted with a great amount of space. The very dark brown, almost-black walls make this lofty room feel more intimate. The fireplace and TV wall was reinforced as a focal point with free form-painted horizontal stripes. The artwork, also in a horizontal format, helps maintain your eyes from perceiving the height of the ceiling. Such a bold combination takes a bit of moxie and faith in your designer's choice.

Headboard Ideas

In this New York City apartment, designers Alan Tanksley and Adrian Gilbey of Alan Tanskley Inc. placed a favorite painting at the head of the bed, above a headboard that was selected to blend into the wall's paint color.

"This was the perfect spot for the painting," Alan says, "because the scale was perfect, the color against the wall was very dramatic and the placement at the far end of the room created a long view, which gave the painting importance."

Hanging a painting above the bed works best in a room with ample footboard space, so that you can really see — and enjoy — the painting. "Look for artwork that's big and bold," Alan says. "Small-scale work or images will be impossible to view over the distance of a bed. And keep both the artwork and the frame very simple," he advises.

Hang the painting high enough so the pillows don't rest against it. Make sure the painting is lighted properly, and it will serve as a beautiful focal point in your room.



If your bed already has a headboard but is putting you right to sleep, embellish the bed with extra fabric.

"This was a boring bed that needed more visual strength," says designer Cindy Rinfret, author of Classic Greenwich Style. "To add drama and make the bed the focal point of the room, we created a cornice of handpainted wood that looks like painted-metal tole. It really dresses up the room."

Cindy selected a print linen from Colefax and Fowler, plaid taffeta from Travers and a trim from Clarence house. The effect is very feminine, but not too fussy.



With wraparound views of New York City, this penthouse apartment in Greenwich Village has plenty of natural light. To bring that sunshine into the apartment's interior and keep the space airy and fresh, designer Clodagh divided the space with partial walls. The effect is the openness of a loft with the coziness of a traditional apartment.

In the master bedroom, a partial wall conceals a walk-in closet. Clodagh upholstered the wall in Lexell Cobblestone leather so the expanse can function as a headboard. "I like headboard materials that can be sponged clean," says Clodagh, author of Total Design. "This leather can be wiped with a barely humid sponge to keep it fresh."

Adjustable Artmetide lights installed right into the headboard allow the bibliophile homeowner to read in bed, and a comforter from Ann Gish and simple pillows keep the look clean, spare and serene.

curtains design ideas

Creative design trends curtain 2011 model with color and interesting shapes. The interior design living room curtains for you. For someone who has good taste and choice of interior color and shade fabric will mean a lot. Choosing the right colors that will highlight a window or a specific part of the room, not much to see what matters here. color trends curtain back to basics, namely cakes are good for small spaces. For larger rooms and formal colors, one can try to contrast well. Most of the formal rooms, the curtains should match the rest of the interior, too, cover a sofa and the rest of the decor. The latest trend is a geometric figure with dramatic effect.

curtains designs ideas

Creative design trends curtain 2011 model with color and interesting shapes. The interior design living room curtains for you. For someone who has good taste and choice of interior color and shade fabric will mean a lot. Choosing the right colors that will highlight a window or a specific part of the room, not much to see what matters here. color trends curtain back to basics, namely cakes are good for small spaces. For larger rooms and formal colors, one can try to contrast well. Most of the formal rooms, the curtains should match the rest of the interior, too, cover a sofa and the rest of the decor. The latest trend is a geometric figure with dramatic effect.

Coordinating Fabrics/Room at a Glance

When designers begin a project to design a room, this is how we start, first of all determine your style and the style of your furniture. Then select a main fabric.....one you LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!! As an example let's say the top fabric in the above picture....then pull in color tones and textures that will compliment the main fabric pulling out variations of colors and shapes. Let's say you use the top fabric for you sofa, the second for a side chair, the third and fourth color for pillows. You are getting the idea. Have fun with the following photos designing your own room.



Guilded Merlot
Coordinating upholstery & drapery fabric. Click sub title to view suite.



Tropical Spa
Coordinating upholstery & drapery fabric. Click sub title to view suite.




Metro Transition
Coordinating upholstery & drapery fabric. Click sub title to view suite.




Jungle Love
Coordinating upholstery & drapery fabric. Click sub title to view suite.


How much fun is this, right!!!!!!!!!!!! This is why we love the challenge of design