With the holidays quickly approaching, people are beginning to get our their decorations and seasonal accents. These items are precious not only to your current guests, but to your family’s future generations; which is why storing them properly is so important. Simply throwing everything into a box and putting it into the attic won’t suffice. This year, consider trying a new storage method for your holiday items. Instead of that old cardboard box that has somehow lived over a decade, try a sturdy storage box with handles and labels. The Container Store offers a great variety of storage options, including the Natural Canvas Boxes. These boxes, although soft in appearance, are surprisingly sturdy, providing a great place to store valued holiday items. Their exterior even allows them to be stored in the house, as they have a clean design. The labels further the organization of these storage boxes. Separating seasonal decorations by room, item, or holiday can really save you time in the long run. This season, take time reorganizing your storage when you put everything away, and see how much easier your next holiday season’s set up can be!

The Container Store’s Natural Canvas Boxes

Thanks to all the people who voted on the My Fox LA Hotlist. We won 3rd place this year!

This month we turn our focus to lighting. The Dandelion, designed by Richard Hutton, is a Moooi light fixture that exemplifies modern living. It’s repetative circles create a visually pleasing pattern that draws your eye within the piece entirely. Hutton placed circles not only on the outer sphere, but also on the arms that hold the imaginary sphere together. This allows the pattern to seem more 3 dimensional. It is a mistake to overlook lighting as a key design element. A light fixture can make or break a room. Lighting not only brightens the space, but can have a powerful hold on the attention of observers. It is important to make sure that a light fixture respects and upholds the design of the entire room. When selecting a light fixture, consider the angle of light that is appropriate for the space–should this be a table lamp, floor lamp, chandelier, etc. Once you have decided the right kind of fixture, it is then time to thing about size and shape. A light that is too small will make a room feel dim and unfinished. A light that is too big will overpower and drown out the rest of the design. Style and color are the most superficial, yet necessary, aspects to picking out a light fixture. The Dandelion is a great example of how little color, clean lines, and pattern can create a beautiful modern light fixture that will compliment a contemporary space nicely. The Dandelion deserves to be shown in an area that will allow its multi-dimensional shape to shine through.

It is a common misconception that modern design is not cozy. The clean lines and simplistic design do not have to seem so cold if given the right amount of attention. In modern design, it is the textiles and accessories used that will bring out the warmth in a room. The simplistic design allows for one to pick textiles that are appropriate for their family and home. The textiles used have a huge impact on the “cozy warmth” of a room. For example, when picking a textile for the main sofa, if you are concerned with the room feeling too cold, it might be a good idea to go for a softer, more rich fabric. Making a room feel cozy depends not only on the visual expression, but also the physical; the touch and feel of different pieces in the room can either add or take away from that cozy feeling you’re looking for. Rough, thin textiles can make a room feel very uptight and restrictive, which will in the end make a modern room feel “cold.” When in actuality, modern design can be brought out in a very warm way. The benefit of the clean lines is the wide opportunity for accessorizing–pillows, throws, artwork, pottery, lighting etc. Without any major conflicting edges or lines, modern design can handle a variety of different accent pieces. Picking the right accessories depends largely on color. Warm tones, such as reds, oranges, yellows, and neutrals, can instantly add warmth to any design. Colors can be added in many different ways; through paint, carpets, art, and accessories. When picking a color for a design, it is always important to look at all of the pieces together. It is not necessarily the goal to have every color match, as that would become visually boring, but it is important that the colors compliment each other–whether it be because they are within the same color scheme, or contrast nicely to showcase interesting focal points.

Above design by Shirry of A.S.D. Interiors

Simply put, modern design can be just as cozy as any other style of design. The key is to pay attention to the color and texture of fabric and accessories. We are accustomed to perceive a cozy home as a traditional style, hardwood floor, white molding, brick fireplace kind of design. Today, we have so many different styles of design available to us, it would be a shame to continue these preconceived perceptions of what design is cozy versus another design being cold. The outcome of a room is completely dependant on the designer and homeowner. Every style of design can achieve any kind of feeling.

With winter approaching, deep rich colors are emerging in design. This season blue is dominating the industry. Blues ranging from royal to navy are being seen in a variety of products such as paints, textiles, and accessories. Even with the chilly weather outside, these blues are far from icy. Rich blue tones are both relaxing and, although a “cool color,” can create a very cozy environment. For example,

Crate and Barrel’s Lago Table Lamp is a great way to add quick color to a space. Its rich blue tone is perfect for this month’s color trend.

Going Further, these rich blues make fantastic wall colors. This season, navy has become a very popular choice.

Midnight Navy by Benjamin Moore

It’s easy to add a touch of color to a space without making drastic or expensive changes. Anything from a new table lamp, a new coat of paint, or a new area rug can create a big difference. These beautiful blues are a fantastic touch to any home, and can live through any season.

It is easy to put in a lot of money when designing a room. Custom furniture and imported artwork can create a beautiful space, but is not entirely necessary. Bargain hunting can be both fun and rewarding. Finding the perfect treasure at a flea market can keep your budget happy while still providing the look and feel you want. In Los Angeles, we are surrounded by great flea markets. The Rose Bowl Flea Market, open the second sunday of every month, is a fantastic place to look for unique finds. Having been open for over 40 years and with over 2,500 vendors, you’re bound to find something!

Bargain hunting is not limited to flea markets. Vintage stores are also a great way to find a good deal on beautiful items. With vintage stores, it may take time to discover which ones are fairly priced, and which are more of a collectors boutique. This just takes time, and getting to know the local stores in your area. Antiques add character to your design, but it can be difficult to find a good vintage store stocked with furniture. To solve this, antiques can often be found at garage sales and swap meets. One of a kind pieces are worth the effort, and saving money is just a bonus.

Rose Bowl Flea Market

This month, we have a stylish sofa for an affordable price. Modern style does not always have to come with a high cost, especially as more companies try to make their products attractive to the budget-conscious buyer. Here, we have a Westwood sofa with clean lines and beautiful button details. Its square shape allows it to fit within many styles of design, including mid-century modern and regency. The button details give the sofa an art deco feel, combining chic pattern with simplistic design. The fabric is stain resistent, making this piece a perfect choice for families seeking durable style for their busy lives. But even with its beautiful structure, the most attractive aspect to this sofa is its low price. All of Westwood’s style, detail, and design for under $1,000.

Westwood 87″ Sofa
$999.00

With winter just around the corner, there’s no better time to create the cozy retreat you’ve always dreamed of. After a long day in the cold, a warm and inviting bedroom is the best place to end your day. When designing a master retreat with the winter in mind, think of using warm tones and plush fabrics. Layers of colors and textures will give the space a comforting depth. Cold winter days leave us wanting a nice warm place to curl up with a book, so a chaise lounge or armchair with a soft fabric and an inviting light above it is a must. A warm area rug will rescue you from any flooring that may get cold in the middle of the night, and an extra blanket folded at the foot of the bed will not only add an accent of color, but be practical for those particularly chilly nights.

This Axis Right Arm Chaise Crate & Barrel is a perfect example of how one item can create the retreat feeling.

With these tips and many stores beginning their fall sales, there has never been a better time to get ready for the winter and create your warm getaway!

Today, we have a newfound interest in recyclable and renewable resources. Society is trying to minimize our “footprint” by using eco-friendly products; this is no different in the world of design. Interior design is an easy way to take the first step to living a green, low energy lifestyle. With many recycled products now available in many mainstream furniture and hardware stores, change is easier than ever. But if replacing your appliances with low-energy equivalents and installing energy efficient windows seems a bit out of reach at the moment, an easy baby step into an eco-friendly design is through accessories. From the coasters on your coffee table, to the artwork over your fire place, there are many green alternatives to our every day accents.

A change you will hardly notice is switching out your tableware for recycled glass tableware. There are many available recycled options out there, one we found interesting were the Recycled Glass Drinkware from West Elm.

For an interesting art piece to start off a conversation, try a recycled glass sculpture. This could range from a piece made of used bottles, sea glass, or manufactured with recycled glass materials. A good example is the Recycled Glass Head from Pier 1 Imports.

Glass is not the only material we see in eco-friendly design, which is clearly shown in this unique Recycled Newspaper Vase from Target.

As you can see, taking steps toward living a green lifestyle do not have to overwhelm or break the bank. There are simple, easy changes we can all make that in the end will show a huge difference. It would be nice to see every home transform into an energy efficient, eco-friendly structure, but any step taken, no matter how minimal, is a good one.