Define YOUR Interior Style!

Do you know your style?

Everyday we are out in the world discovering and learning new things about ourselves. With these experiences we narrow down our loves, likes and dislikes and are able to make decisions about what environment we should surround ourselves with. However, with so many options out there, it can become overwhelming and challenging to define an interior style that works BEST for you.One of the biggest problems clients have is defining their style. Many people know certain things they like but cannot paint the entire picture. This is usually where we come in and help organize your ideas! The interior design of your home should be a reflection of who you are. Start to notice the things you gravitate towards…

1. What kind of music, movies & books do you like?
2. How do you fill up your freetime?
3. Colors? Do you like cool, bright, warm or neutrals?
4. How do you dress or present yourself?

These are all important factors to consider for inspiration while designing your home. Another helpful hint is to do your research! Look through magazines, the internet and books to get an idea of the style you feel represents you and your life the best. Also, get to know what styles are out there! Some of the more popular styles are Mid Century Modern, Contemporary, Coastal, Traditional, Shabby Chic, Art Deco… the list goes on and on! Check out this HGTV  article for accurate pictures and definitions of each interior design style.

One of the last and best ways to help define your style is to decide what materials to use. Each interior design style has specific elements that make it what it is. For example, glass and polished streamlined furniture would typically fall under the category of Modern Design. Consider what you like about certain spaces- is it the reflective furniture? Distressed wood flooring? Sheer linen drapery? Take notice in the details and it will help you decide what to include in your home!!

Check out a few of our favorite styles below!

indulgy.com

Mid Century Modern from Pinterest

Industrial/contemporary
Bloodandchampagne.com

Accessory spruce up – Before and After!!

We all love to see the before and after of a room, so today I’m sharing a few snap shots and tips on some very fun and easy ways to spruce up your home. The saying goes that “The devil is in the details”, but what makes these touches so vital? They are what makes a space personal, unique and turns a house into a home! So here are a few tips on how I used accessories to give some spirit and personality to my clients apartment.

Recently I worked with a client who needed a quick and inexpensive facelift to her simple apartment. Luckily she had some great key furniture pieces that were neutral enough to build upon. Take a look at this quick transformation!

If you are looking to add some life to your living space here are a few simple tips:

1. Add an area rug! Even if you have wall to wall carpet, its still OK to place a rug on top of it. This helps to scale the sitting area and adds color and a bit of personality! This client happened to like a traditional and elegant look, but this tip also applies if you are going for a more contemporary feel.

2. Buy pairs of 2: In this space I took 2 of her existing glass end tables and bought a pair of metallic lamps to flank her sofa. This draws attention to the main wall and creates balance.

3. When you can’t paint, improvise! This is a rental apartment so painting an accent wall wasn’t really in the cards. As a solution, I designed a wall treatment with 2 drapery panels (which added tons of height) and centered a pair of modern black and white paintings behind the sofa! Before this huge wall was blank and out of proportion, and now there is a great balance of artwork and pattern that draws your eye in.

Here are a few more pictures of the space. Notice the difference the sunburst mirror makes above the fireplace!

A sunburst mirror in a gold finish reflected the new room and took up that extra space above the fireplace. Also, by choosing a mirror like this one, it brings personality with its different shape. Candles, a lantern and a reflective tray topped the mantel. To finish the fireplace, two grassy beige storage bins were set on each side for books, movies and throw blankets!

Now, lets take a look at the entry. The entry is the first and last place you see when coming and going into your home. Which also means it needs to be functional and organized! What was once a boring shoe dumping ground is now an inviting and organized space equipped with shoe storage, a place for keys/mail, and decorative accents. The red artwork above really brought life into this small entry.

We had such a great time decorating the space and it never seizes to amaze us how much of difference these few touches will make to a room!!

HGTV announces “Design Wars” to premiere November 21st!!

Tune in to see Shirry on “Design Wars” this November on HGTV!!! We are excited to announce that she will be competing in 2 episodes!! We’ll keep you posted on the actual air dates.

Also check out “Selling LA” on HGTV November 3rd. The show will be featuring our fantastic Malibu design project…and you may catch a glimpse of Shirry touring the house with realtor Aaron Kirman!

So excited for Missoni at Target…ARE YOU?

We are so excited that the fabulous luxury line Missoni has teamed up with Target…. and it looks likes everyone else shares in the excitement. So far Target reports that their website crashed because of all the interest for the Missoni products. Goes to show people crave good design!! GO Target!!!!

Latest project update: Little details which can make a big difference…

I’m sharing some pictures of a project I worked on in which I used a lot of small details to change the atmosphere of an entire space. It wasn’t a complete makeover, but more like a “freshen up” for my client. My challenge was to find ways to update the room with pieces that could keep the traditional atmosphere, while adding a small hint of contemporary detail.

Overall view of the living and dining room.

Above is a picture of the living room, looking towards the dining room. I selected a beautiful pendant light fixture to glow above the dining area as well as added two tall floor lamps with white scrolled bases to flank the large white sofa. This adds balance and height to the sofa area. You may also notice the contemporary blue artwork in the dining area. The colors of these beautiful pieces added to the accents in the living area, but gave it a modern touch.

On the sofa I have decorative cushions to match the color in the rug’s design. This added some more balance to the room as it added another layer off my accent color. I carefully chose dining chairs which matched both the white sofa and the brown chairs. They have lovely linen upholstery with beautiful nail head details and diamond tufting. This accentuated the traditional elements of the space and makes the dining area look more elegant. Lots of flowers and candles throughout the room add a gentle touch, and give the room a fresh feel.

Details of the coffee table and area rug.

One of my favorite pieces was the oval glass coffee table I used in the living area. Not only is it a very fluid shape to move around, but I also love it because of the mirror at the base which reflects light and adds to the glow of the room. I sprinkled it with candles and flowers to give it a casual, natural feeling. I feel that books often make a good selection of table top items, because they can provide guests with something to look at while you might be busy.

View from the dining area

In this picture you can see the small details which I’ve included on the dining room table. I used white plates to set the dining area and then one small blue plate to coordinate the two main colors in the room. I used different flowers for the centerpiece and added a mix of porcelain china to give the table some variety and more natural colors. I used a white runner down the center table to give the table a clean, pristine feel. Above is the gorgeous light fixture which has details of hanging crystal. The drapes are a softer gray with contemporary lines framing each window, adding height to the space, and create the continuity between this elegant living and dining area.