DIY Spring Inspiration
The promise of spring and the color of the season is beginning to poke through the remaining blanket of snow. The vibrant tulip fields are a welcome image and inspiration, reminding me to bring color and texture indoors as well. This interior artwork is a great example of positioning a colorful display as the primary focus in a room. Demanding attention, and filing the space with energy, I love the the way this room reads. The furniture remains neutral, allowing the walls to change, creating a dramatic impact on the design. This composition could be easily created with painted cardboard boxes, mounted on a series of panels. Easy to install and remove on a whim with the change of seasons.
Tags: change of season design, color blocking, colorful interiors, diy, DIY artwork, interior design, spring inspiration, tulip fields
March 29, 2013A Pantone Colored Easter
Ok, a little Easter decoration treat for you design focused folks. Pantone colored eggs are just the thing for an exquisite, modern holiday brunch. Perfectly matched to Pantone Chips, these colors are true, and a lovely display for spring. Prop the eggs up vertically in a cup with just enough dye to cover two thirds of the egg. If you want to label your eggs with their Pantone color ID, try printing on Tatoo paper, but remember to add text backwards, so it will read correctly when applied to the egg. A fun twist on a longstanding colorful Easter tradition.
DIY project sourced at How About Orange
Tags: Easter Brunch, Easter Egg Ideas, Easter Eggs, interior design, pantone, spring decor
March 28, 2013Giving new life to the living room
Soooo…a funny thing happened a couple of months ago. I got the Spring FLOR catalog and fell in love HARD with the newest designs. The timing couldn’t have been better. A few months prior, when we took down our Christmas tree, I looked at our living room and was shocked by how much room there seemed to be now that the tree was gone. The picture below is a few years old and if you can imagine, the tree we had this year was about double the size(!) – it is no wonder that the normally small-ish feeling room felt so much bigger once the gigantic tree was gone.
Now, for your reference, below is more accurate picture of what our living room looked like around the time the FLOR Spring catalog came out. As you can see, there was no floor covering in there – and with a rambunctious 3.5 year old and a 17 month old traipsing around it was starting to become more and more obvious that a rug had the potential to make our lives much, much better…or at least it would help our aching knees out.
Of course, with so many options to choose from, I had a really hard time deciding what we should do. I was so smitten with some of the large, graphic patterns FLOR has, but I was worried about not loving the bold, graphic patterns as much further off in the future. In the end, I decided to go pseudo-neutral. I love the look of a textured rug and the idea of a contrasting border was really appealing to me. But I needed something that had enough variation in it (even though the FLOR can be cleaned) that it wouldn’t show everyday, living-with-kids dirt and smudges. Enter FLOR’s amazing selection of texturally patterned rugs – three of which I have highlighted below:
(Coming Along, Roadside Attraction & Sweater Weather)
Each one is gorgeous and it was so difficult to choose, but after ordering some samples, I was able to narrow it down. So…without further ado, I present to you our newly rearranged, totally comfy living room.
The only thing new is the FLOR rug made from Roadside Attraction tiles laid in a parquet pattern with a border of 1/4 cut tiles of Sweater Weather. I can’t get over how amazing the pattern looks. It is all at once classic (with a breezy, beach-like appeal) with a modern kick (the large scale pattern is fresh). And the color is gorgeous.
While I originally wanted bold color, I am thinking that adding and then changing out accessories is probably the best way to go in this small space. It is still a work in progress, but I do have to say that 6 years after moving in, our living room finally feels like it has come home.
(All photos by Miriam Z. Bradford except for product photos as linked)
March 28, 2013
3 New Ways To Display Your Photos
I’ve never been one to display photos in a traditional manner – picture frames scattered throughout my home often feel disorganized – so I’m always looking for ways to hang my favorite memories in a unique fashion. Today alone, I’ve stumbled upon three ideas that I can’t wait to try in my own space. Looks like I’ll be very busy this weekend!…
Tags: art-display, photo display, wall decor
March 27, 2013Sophie Delaporte for Comme Des Garçons’ Idomenee Book
The artful and sculptural collection of Comme des Garçons, has been captured by Parisian photographer Sophie Delaporte for the new Comme Des Garcon’s Idomenee Book. The graphic presentation of this collections color and contrast is perfectly styled by Kanako B.Koga. Appropriately, this fashion brand has been exhibited in museums through the years, as the attention to detail, form, and texture is dramatic and oh-so beautiful. While living in New York, I often visited the store in Soho to view new lines, as it offered an up close study in design and materiality, and frankly some fabulous and beautiful people watching. Always anticipated at Fashion Week, and of course, not one to disappoint. The modernity and simplicity of model, costume and backdrop, paired with deliberate lighting and exacting color, create a dramatic image filled with intensity and purpose. Enjoy.
Image and excerpt sources.
Tags: Avant Garde Design, Comme Des Garcons, Fashion Design, Fashion Photography, Idomenee Book, interior design, Sculpture, Sophie Delaporte
