Colorful Room Styles/Part 1 of 2

Nature offers the ultimate color palette. When designing outdoor spaces, keep colors simple and let the beauty of nature take center stage. In this space, mariaferlo mixed white drapes and cushions and added soft color with pillows.

Keep your furniture, floors and walls neutral if you want to highlight colorful artwork. RMS user shortcar hung bold paintings high on the wall, making them instant focal points.

Set apart indoor-outdoor spaces with bold colors that contrast with the exterior. RMS user Val Moore opted for red and black and gave this space an inviting, Asian feel.

Purple is a perfect complement to gray. Add sleek white furniture, molding and an inspiring wall treatment and you've got one stylish office. Design by smoodgie.

 

 

This foyer by Timdreese pulls you in with colorful artwork that pops against white walls and coordinates with a stunning purple accent wall in the living room. A lovely artistic statement.

Decorative pendants and orange place settings add tasteful pops of color in this kitchen. A large window is uncovered allowing the color of nature to shine through. Design by oregonhouse.

Styles of Lighting

Ambient

Ambient is a hidden source of light that washes a room with a glow. It flattens an interior and creates very little shadow. A wall sconce is an example of ambient lighting, as are paper lanterns. Use of a dimmer can also provide ambient light. Design by Troy Beasley.

Accent

Directional lighting or lighting that adds interest or highlights a certain object or unusual architectural feature in a room. A bulb and some kind of shield to direct the light are all that's needed for this type of lighting. Halogen spotlights and table lamps with opaque shades are good ways to achieve accent lighting. Design by Lori Dennis.

Task

Task lighting is just that; lighting that's used to perform daily activities such as reading, cooking, shaving, putting on makeup, etc. Effective task lighting enhances visual clarity and keeps the eyes from getting tired, so it needs to be glare-free. Design by Alia Meyer.

Aesthetic

Lighting itself can be a work of art. A neon sculpture would be purely decorative and an example of aesthetic lighting. A spotlight illuminating a statue on a pedestal or portrait on the wall is also artistic. This type of lighting also needs to be used along with other lighting types. Design by Andreas Charalambous.

Natural

Sunlight, candlelight and firelight; this is light that moves and is sometimes referred to as kinetic. The quality of natural light, sunlight in particular, depends on many things — time of day, weather, what season it is. Fall has a different light than summer, for instance. The setting sun gives a different kind of light than midday sun. Design by Tracy Morris.

Bedside Lamps

Glass Elegance

This clear glass lamp and white shade are perfect for a soft color palette.

 

Bold Gold

A unique lamp can make a bold statement. This circular gold bedside lamp offsets the black floral wallpaper and dark wood nightstand to expand the pale colors of the headboard and bedding. Design by Erinn Valencich.

Thin and Simple

A simple stick table lamp works perfect with this bedroom's modern decor. Design by Lori Dennis.

Moroccan Beads

A dark wood headboard and colorful Moroccan-inspired pillows in this bedroom call for taupe bedside lamps to neutralize the deep colors of the accent pillows. Design by Daniel Bodenmiller

Minute Makeovers

This is for anyone who doesn't have to have a perfectly symmetrical sofa ensemble. Place two of the same square pillows on one end, and toss a wool throw on the other because it gives the sofa a casual, please-sit-here attitude.



Consider contrast when choosing pillows and throws. These larger chocolate brown velvet pillows allow the smaller cream felt ones to really pop. Put a pair in each corner, and then add a round orange silk pillow on one side to keep the mix from looking matchy-matchy. Fold a throw in thirds, and place it underneath one of the pillow sets.



Fill the prime piece of real estate in front of your sofa with the right building blocks. The key is to use objects of varying heights.
This dark wood table is a study in rectangles. Go with the theme, and arrange a shapely collection of accessories (square plates, tall cylinders, and an oval bowl) on top of it. The final result is like a geometry lesson with style.


A two-tiered glass-and-iron coffee table is a great choice for an elegant look. Warm up its sleek surface with a punch of color. Accessories in red do the trick here.



Instead of a coffee table, choose an upholstered ottoman with a crisp white slipcover for a soft, cottage-inspired look. (This piece can also be used for additional seating when entertaining.) A large, low basket adds a stable surface for display.

Updates In Minutes

Break Up Dining Chairs

Unless you seat 8 to 10 people at your dining table every week, your chairs probably don’t get much use. Steal two from the dining room, and use them to flank a console table in your entry, a dresser in your bedroom, or the sideboard in your living room.

Update Your Lampshades

Outdated lampshades can make a room feel stale. To give your space a more modern feel, trade your pleated shades for simple drum-shaped ones -- they’re better looking and easier to keep clean. If you really want to make a statement, forgo a white shade in favor of something more dramatic, like gray.

Decorate the Personal Spaces

When decorating, we often spend our time, money, and energy on the rooms that we assume will be appreciated by other people. But if you find that you spend more time in your study (or bathroom, for that matter), it should be decorated with the same zeal and enthusiasm as your living room. Take one object you love -- try a lamp, painting, or pretty book -- and move it to a place where you can appreciate it most.

Change Your Light Fixture

Instead of a standard chandelier, try hanging a lantern over your dining room or breakfast table for a less fussy look.

Ditch the Matching Pillows

Many sofas come with a pair of pillows in a coordinating fabric, but the matchy-matchy look can be a bit obvious. Upgrade to down-filled pillows with removable covers in a fabric you love -- and don’t be afraid to mix it up with different patterns. A graphic floral looks fantastic against a small-scale stripe.

Quick Style Fixes

Group Shot

Rehang your art. Group small pictures together for maximum impact. It can give your room an instant facelift. This is easy to change and fun to arrange! Also, it's much cheaper than buying a large piece of art.

Musical Chairs

Rearrange your furniture. Assess what’s blocking the flow of traffic through your house and move it to a more convenient location. This will make the room appear more organized, and you might just find that long lost remote once you move the couch.

China Cheer

Hang mismatched antique pieces of china on a wall instead of a painting. Buy discarded china plates at any local flea market or thrift store. Pick colors in the china patterns that coordinate well with your room and buy plates in a variety of sizes and styles for more interest.

Eating Nook

Pull up a bench to the dining table. Not only will it create space for extra guests, but it will also add a casual note to your decor. This is an especially great solution when kids are among the guests.

Decorative Napkin Rings

Linen Lessons

A simple, ruffled red ribbon makes a holiday setting even more festive. Roll the napkins, secure them with ribbon, and place them on a simple cake stand so that guests can help themselves.

Natural Sparkle

On a plain linen napkin, tie a bow with sheer metallic ribbon and attach "bells" of milk chocolate kisses. This will give family and friends a sweet treat to remember the gathering.

Bright Bows

Fold your napkin in a square, and tie it like a package with pretty silk ribbon.
Tip: Make the bows really pop by using wire ribbon. It's available at crafts stores and is inexpensive when you buy it by the roll.

Festive Finery

An embellished napkin deserves a refined ribbon.
Tip: Be sure to use extra-sharp scissors so that your cuts are crisp and clean. Save the ribbons and reuse them for all your holiday entertaining.

Stocking Stuff

A miniature stocking filled with sprigs of fresh herbs makes an unexpected napkin ring. Other holiday stocking stuffers include candy canes, cinnamon sticks, or swizzle sticks.

Simple Sprig

Dress up your table with this no-brainer idea: Tie a sprig of a pine branch onto the napkin with a red satin ribbon.

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Fresh Drapery Treatments

Flowery Style

Floral patterns don't have to look outdated. Look for ones with a large print, like the black-and-white Roman shades designer Erinn Valencich uses in this modern bedroom.

Keep It Simple

Simple shades and panels in a modern geometric pattern frame the view of this stylish study. Designer Troy Beasley says, "Keep windows open and light. Don't dress up the windows with jabots, swags or other old-fashioned, fussy treatments."

Creative Treatments

Windows aren't the only place for beautiful draperies. Designer Tracy Morris fills a luxurious bathroom with soft pleated curtains hung along the walls to add warmth and to create different spaces.

Full of Frills

Unique window treatments complete a room. Designer Shelly Riehl David creates custom puff-top silk draperies for this romantic and feminine bedroom.

Fresh Drapery Treatments

Modern Stripes

Simple panels are one of the easiest and most popular window-treatment options. To spice up the living room's neutral palette, designer Troy Beasley selects white-and-green-striped curtains. Choose wider stripes and contrasting hues for a more modern look.

Elegant Yet Simple

To match the scale of the formal dining room, designer Lori Dennis hangs heavy brocade curtains right below the tray ceiling. A simple ring heading is used to balance the luxurious fabric, while silk ties hold the draperies back to allow natural light into the space.

Curtain Combos

Valances provide a streamlined look by hiding drapery hardware. Designer Troy Beasley pairs a valance with cream panels trimmed in brown to add warmth to the bedroom while still letting in a little natural light.

Sleek and Blue

Designer Lori Dennis maintains the contemporary look of the living room with sleek panels hung close to the wall. Hidden hardware gives the window treatments a streamlined look.

Oscar de la Renta Dress for Success

To celebrate the launch of his home fabric collection with Lee Jofa,
Oscar de la Renta created custom ball skirts using fabrics from his collection. The skirts, which were used in advertisements for Lee Jofa announcing the launch of the collection, will be auctioned off for charity. The fabric on the skirts is backed in organza and lined in silk, giving the skirts the weight and tactile quality of a timeless Oscar de la Renta piece.

All skirts are a women’s designer size four. There are nine skirts and one caftan, size small, made from various patterns from the collection, including exclusive designs on linen and silk, delicate beading and embroidery, and a luxurious velvet and linen stripe. Each item is exquisite and a one of a kind collector’s item. The Lee Jofa website has images and detailed information for each piece, as does the site where the auction is hosted, Bidding for Good. Bidding will be hosted online through November 30, 2010.

With Oscar’s home fabrics priced by the yard at several hundred dollars retail, the opening bid of $750 for each skirt means they will mostly receive tons of bids from designers and Oscar de la Renta collectors.

Proceeds of the auction will go to Casa del Niño, which is regarded as the most complete project of child assistance in the Dominican Republic. Each day at Casa del Niño, every child receives food, full dental and medical care, and vocational training for the age appropriate – all in hope of a better tomorrow for the youth of the community. Casa del Niño is considered to be a model in efficiency and quality care.

The collection itself, which is now available in Lee Jofa showrooms throughout the country, includes 25 designs in silk, linen, velvet and cotton. The tailoring and attention to detail that makes his clothing so special is evident in these rich saturated hues, ethnic-inspired prints and hand-knotted embroideries.

Design Products/M Pillow

If you’re at this month’s 100% Design London and happen by the product launch of an Argentinean company called Grupo Bondi, be tempted neither by the ostensibly plush texture of the M Bench, nor the seemingly soft surface of the M Pillow, however inviting the surroundings, whatever the degree of bodily comfort promised.
For in spite of the Capitonné style, the exquisite embroidered embellishments, M is as hard as any hillside rock. Bondi explains, “bored out of its aristocratic life it turned into stone in order to endure the unmerciful weather, live outside, sleep under the stars and be connected to life.”

M is not constructed of foam or cotton batting, of touchable-textiles, but rather of concrete, pvc, and aluminum. Bondi makes the piece by forming it in their patented flexible moulds: “this technique allows us to achieve great finished surfaces, fluid shapes and back-flows, successfully enabled by going beyond traditional rigid-mould systems.” The technology is impressive but the particular attraction for me is the invented narrative, especially since the story smacks of great fables, compelling mythologies of castings-out and wanderings-hence.
In fact, I’m tempted to align M with grand tales of exile—Shakespeare’s Lear or Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. Of course, these stories are sublimely tragic, rife with greater woes than pillows of rock or beds of scratchy straw. Perhaps more in the spirit are the Master’s lighter romps, epiphanic pastorals like A Midsummer Night’s Dream or As You Like It. These so called “Green Plays” parallel the journey forecast for M, as courtly types must endure life among the frivolous and fickle bounty of nature.

 But whereas Shakespeare’s characters typically return to their creature comforts, M’s alteration is permanent and irreversible, and that’s the coolest thing about it. Bondi has taken the complementary notions of relaxation, bodily ease, and the constructed environment and turned it out-of-doors, in the process creating an au natural adornment that not only challenges the senses but also parallels the permanence of the trees, the sun, the stars.