My Home/Inspiration

Bring Outdoors In

Instead of buying expensive flowers, try decorating with branches. Even bare branches that have fallen from trees can make a design impact and will last a long time.

Add Pillows

Pillows are an easy to way to add a pop of color or a new texture to a living room. Inexpensive options can be found at stores like Homegoods or Target.

Curtain Illusions

Windows look taller when draperies are mounted high on the wall. The eye will follow the line up, creating the illusion of a larger room.

Arrange by Color

Designer Kim Myles is always budget-minded and one element that didn't cost a thing in this family room is the bookshelf decorations.

Accenting your Fall Tablesetting

Delightful Detail

Inscribe your guests' initials on a pretty leaf for an unusual place card. Use a metallic paint pen for a polished look.

Orange You Glad

For another nature-inspired touch on your table, stud oranges with cloves in guests' initials for fragrant placeholders.

Rich Textures

Combine a variety of materials for a sumptuous table. Here, glass, metallic, and iridescent finishes lend festive glimmer.


I loved these creative ideas I found on my homeideas. Adding these small touches can make a fall tablesetting so special and memorable.

Creative Home Decor

Choose Pieces with a Meaning


When Jason and Jill Williams hired a firm to design their home, they clearly stated that the theme was "sparse."

They did not intend to buy things to simply fill the house; they wanted to acquire pieces over time that had meaning, complemented their lifestyle, and reflected their personalities.

While the theme was "sparse," sleek and modern wasn't their design choice. Instead, they mixed furniture styles with rustic, stained, and painted finishes.

Every piece serves a purpose, and each can be used in different ways for years to come.

Design for gathering


Family rooms are gathering places that should exude a relaxed style and communicate warmth and playfulness.

Perhaps the most important consideration for such an active room is how to keep the space's flow while noting its separate areas. Color, furniture placement, and area rugs can help meet this goal.

Here, a U-shaped seating area encourages conversation. Artifacts from family travels reflect the personalities of those who live here, while the fireplace and television anchor the space.

Carry Your Style Outdoors


"Outdoor areas are often the last to receive design attention, but they shouldn't be," says landscape designer Matt Lemos.

"Plan space for your lifestyle by incorporating ample seating, table surfaces, cushions, play areas, eating spots, and sunning areas."

By carrying your design style outdoors, you can turn a patio, deck, or even a balcony into another room of the house.

This sleeping porch, a feature of many Craftsman houses, is updated with contemporary styling and weatherproof drapery and upholstery fabric.


Create Flow

Common colors and materials help connect your living spaces.

Display signature pieces without too much fanfare. Try using one simple but dramatic floral stem or leaf in a chunky modern glass vase.

In transitional areas, brushed nickel or silver works well for frames, accessories, and fixtures.

Find Fabric You Love

 For designer Jennifer Hilgardner, the right fabric is one of the best ways to enhance an interior.

"Find a fabric you love," she says. "Choose a signature fabric with enough design elements so you can pull out colors, coordinate textures and have lots of options for furnishings and accessories."

Here, green and blue accents in the fabric even play off the foliage outside.



Smart Art Display

Include tall and low elements throughout the room to keep your eye moving.

As a general rule, hang framed photos and art at eye level (or a bit higher if the ceilings are high). Keep in mind eye-level may be lower in a room designed for seating.

Here, a lipstick-red wall sets off black-and-white photos and a mix of collected treasures.

Great Things

In February I introduced you to, "Great Things", and the owner. As I mentioned in that article, it is always changing with new items arriving daily. While on a shopping trip I visited the shop to find it with a beautiful uplift arranged in an array of colors, each vignette seems to display one treasure after another and how clever to arrange it in the colors you are looking for, from clothing to furniture and home goods items. Their talents for designing also shows with a flair and manner appealing to..." what women want"... beautiful clothing and home decor items!!!! Not to mention the fantastic prices and quality!!! How fun is this, shopping for a great pair of shoes and to your surprise you find a great piece of art or chandelier!!!!

At Great Things Showplace you will find quality pre-owned furniture/home décor and beautiful designer clothing and accessories. Many items never or barely used. Best of all, nearly 98% of all items brought into the store sell, and quickly. Everyday new items arrive.” It always changes, which is why you need to shop regularly, so you don't miss a "Great Thing".

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.

Full Exposure/Part 4

Glass island

For $13.73 million, a glass and steel home in Son Vida on Mallorca, the Mediterranean island off the coast of Spain, offers much to admire, thanks to its windowlike walls.

Palma-ramic views

Secured in a gated community overlooking the city of Palma, the Bay of Palma and surrounding mountains, this home offers security and unrivaled natural beauty.

Martha's old crash pad

Private homes aren't the only way to get full exposure. Renowned architect Richard Meier designed a number of glass-walled apartment buildings that have attracted celebrity interest. A penthouse duplex in his iconic Perry Street Towers in New York is for sale for $13.9 million. It also happens to be Martha Stewart's old crash pad.

From the terrace

This really is life in a fishbowl: The apartment has four terraces and spectacular views of the Hudson River and Manhattan through the 11-foot, triple-glazed and UV-protected glass walls.
The views go both ways. But while neighbors and traffic on the West Side Highway might be able to gaze inside, physical access is restricted by a keyed elevator.

DIY Projects You Will Love (Part 3)

Make glowing goblets

Turn old goblets and trophies into sparkling candle holders. First, clean them well with with metal polish and a clean cloth. Fill with Microwaveable Soy Wax for Containers (by Yaley; $6.99 for 1 lb.; from joann.com).

Add a Pre-Waxed Medium Bleached Wick with Wick Clip (by Yaley; $2.99 for six; from joann.com) to make elegant, long-burning votives.


More:  Get our step-by-step instructions

Hand-printed gift wrap

With simple cookie cutters and paint, you can make your own distinctive wrapping paper.

Just dip the cutting edge of a cookie cutter (we used snowflakes and scalloped circles) into white heavy body acrylic paint (sold at art stores in 4-oz. tubs).

Stamp the cookie cutter onto a sheet of colorful paper, starting at a top corner. Create your own patterns by either joining or overlapping the shapes.

If the paint is too thick or lumpy, add a few drops of water and stir gently until thinned and smooth.

Easy fall decorating: DIY art from autumn leaves

Instant leaf prints

Bring nature's magic indoors with this simple project: Just gather a few of your favorite leaves or flowers, flatten them under a book, then copy them with a color photocopier.

Glue prints to canvas-covered boards (about $2 in art supply stores). Glue a small inexpensive wood frame to the back to act as hanger; it also sets off your print from the wall.

More:  How to make a leaf print

Transform a chair

Turn a drab thrift-store chair into a stylish accent for any room in your home. All it takes is some paint, fabric, basic supplies, and a free weekend. Take advantage of your resale shops, you will
find styles you like even in accessories, paint is not expensive!!

To start, choose a chair with no missing screws or loose legs; it should have interesting features or frame detail.

Or turn 2 or more chairs into an eclectic set. Look for designs that have a wooden frame and an upholstered seat and unify them with the same color and fabric.

More:  How to transform a chair

Etch glass

There is something magical about etching glass ― the process turns plain glass pieces into decorative objects in minutes.

The secret is etching cream. You simply apply it to the glass, and the surface turns into a translucent white. The results are beautiful, subtle, and lasting.

More: How to etch glass

Reinvent thrift store candlesticks

Turn mismatched candlesticks into a fresh new set by painting them an unexpected color (in this case, high-gloss indigo).

1. Remove any wax residue with paint thinner and a clean cloth.

2. Mist one coat of spray paint primer for metal onto the candlesticks, holding the can 10 to 12 inches away. Cover evenly with paint.

3. Once dry, spray two light coats of spray paint for metal. Hold the can at a distance to avoid drips. Cover the detail grooves evenly.

We used: Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch sandable spray primer in white and Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch gloss spray paint in navy blue.

Coastal Carolina Estate

Living Room

Elements such as upholstered walls, an oversized ottoman, and a woodsy fireplace make this large living room feel cozy. Designer Philip Sides used limed oak to surround the fireplace, giving it a look of sun-bleached wood. The symmetrical styling and lounge-like seating add to its peaceful feeling.

Dining Room

Soft colors and objects continue into the dining room, where a stylized teapot pattern engulfs the small space with softness, covering the walls and hanging as draperies. A Chinese pot as a table base and a hand-carved egret further emphasizes the room’s relaxed character.

Kitchen

Stained black cabinets recede into the background of this kitchen that opens to the dining room. A contrasting island with a medium stain looks like a rehabbed antique table. Nail heads on the barstools give them a designer look, and handles on the seatbacks make them easy to move around.

The Master Suite

The curtain’s leaf-print fabric was the inspiration for the bold yet soothing chartreuse and gray color scheme. A four-poster bed gets the royal treatment when nestled in swaths of two different gray fabrics, a color that is present throughout the house.

Watch the video

The Master Bathroom

The glass mosaic tile backsplash and the vanity’s mirror-paneled doors provide touches of sleek sophistication. Tall, slender, curvy proportions of the vanity’s sconces play to the high ceilings.

The Guest Bedroom

Because of the shape of this room, the only space for the bed was underneath a set of bay windows. Swing arm lamps were attached directly to the headboard, upholstered in a bold orange. The low-slung alcove headboard runs the entire length of the window.

The Rec Room

Bocce balls for giants are whimsical accessories for a room dedicated to fun and games. The large room calls for big-scale prints, like the flowery curtains.

The Sleeping Porch

A wall of windows shows that this large room was originally an exterior space. A hanging bed feels like an indoor hammock. Every detail, from the whitewashed floor to the shellacked beaded-board walls, is designed to look like a porch that has been enclosed.

The Screened Porch

Wicker furniture in streamlined silhouettes turns this beach house must-have into sophisticated pieces. Gauzy curtains filter harsh sunlight and add elegance to the casual space.

More About the House

Love this house? From paint colors to furniture, everything you love about the house is listed here in the Coastal Living Idea House Style Guide.