Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Decorating with Color!


Get Creative with Color: 10 Enviable (and Totally Attainable) Rooms.

This article from Good Housekeeping has great pictures of rooms done by designers to show how you can use color in rooms!

Don't be afraid of color. I think that color is what makes your house your home! Show us how much you love your home by expressing yourself! Be creative, be energetic, be inventive! Don't go for safe...
go BOLD!






These pictures are from www.goodhousekeeping.com.





Read more: Colorful Home Decor - How to Add Color to Your Room - Good Housekeeping
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Visit us at GoodHouseKeeping.com





Tuesday, October 8, 2013

High-Wire Act

I just read the article High-Wire Act by Dana Thomas from Elle Decor Magazine.  This article features the Parisian loft apartment of French Fashion Designer Yvan Mispelaere that was once a school for acrobats.  This loft is 1700 sq ft of luxury and a mixture of  vintage and modern time periods.  He has incorporated pieces and design inspiration anywhere from an Italian 1950s dining table to the guest room's custom-made cabinetry that was inspired by Giorgio de Chirico, a 1970s plaster speaker.   Below you will see the pictures taken from the loft and the great mix of time periods.

It goes without saying, that interior design in the 21st century,  has become an eclectic mix of decades of furniture and accessories that inspire and seduce the senses.

Read more: Yvan Mispelaere Design - Parisian Loft - ELLE DECOR
Follow us: @elledecor on Twitter | ELLEDECORmag on Facebook
Visit us at ELLEDECOR.com

Mispelaere designed the bedcover in the master bedroom, the floor is paved with custom-made painted wood tiles, and a two-way mirror on the back wall offers a view of the dining area below.

www.ELLEDECOR.com
 

The living room of fashion designer Yvan Mispelaere's Paris apartment, which he designed with architect Stéphane Ghestem, the sofas are by Zanotta, the 1970s light fixtures were found in Florence and costomized with brass accents, the Art Deco mirror screen came from a paris flea market, the brass-and-glass cocktail tables are vintage, and the marble sculpture by Venske & Spänle was purchased at the Hong Kong International Art Fair.




The staircase is painted concrete, the glassware collection is vintage, and the brass chair is from the 1960s; Mispelaere designed both the Brancusi-inspired hand-carved stacked stools and the trompe l'oeil "tile" wood-and-cork inspiration board in the office beyond.

www.ELLEDECOR.com

The guest room's custom-made cabinetry was inspired by Giorgio de Chirico, a 1970s plaster speaker adds another Surrealist element, and the wall is painted in a blue by Dulux Valentine.
 

The tilework in the master bath is a mix of standard white squares and Mispelaere's Peep Show tiles.

The kitchen is hidden behind a black-walled, three-sided cube, and Ross Lovegrove Landscape chairs surround an Italian 1950s dining table expanded with Corian; the brass vases were made from unused World War I mortar shells.

www.ELLEDECOR.com

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Article Review of "What's New In HPL."

I recently read the article "What's New in HPL" in the Surface and Panel Q3 2013 Magazine. This was a great review of the new innovative products that the different High Pressure Laminate companies are now making for commerical and some small residential applications.

Here are the different companies and what's new with them:

Arborite Ink at www.arborite.com/us has custom patterns from leading designers

Laminati at www.laminati-usa.com has come up with a laminate for architects and desginers that matches all indoor elemnets in order to save tiem and effort with specifying laminate.

Advanced Technology at www.advtechnology.com has two new NuMetal designs made of a thin metal surface and phenolic paper backing that are both for vertical and light duty horiztontal applications.

Abet Laminati at www.abetlaminati.com has Swarovski Elements and designs infused in their HPL.

Wilsonart at www.wilsonart.com has reshaped the entire supply chain for its paper source, which is 70% of its HPL Product line and is committed to sustainability.

Arpa HPL at www.arpaindustriale.com has a new innovative HPL line that inhibits growth of bacteria across the whole surface.

Greenlam at www.greenlam.com/us offers eco-friendly laminates from India. They use an array of innovative and super flexible veneers on kraft paper for their Veneer Laminate collection.

Lamitech at www.lamitech.com now offers Big Scale Granites in HPL. They are available in sheet size of 5x8, 5x12, and 4x8. All laminates are low VOC emissions and Greenguard certified.

Formica at www.formica.com/en-US was the original inventor of HPL 100 years ago. They have introduced a colorful and graphic Anniversary Collection. These patterns result in the fluidity of overlapping elements that repeat for 500 to 700 sheets, or approximately 1.3 miles.

Chemetal at www.ialaminates.com introduces 4 new HPL's that include textured and high gloss wood looks with exceptional design.


Monday, September 9, 2013

Article Review of "Tips on Lighting a Room Well"

I recently was reading my local newspaper the Muscatine Journal and I came across a great article on September 7 in the Home & Garden section titled "Tips on Lighting a Room Well."  This article was a great how to lesson for anyone looking to add more lighting to their home or a particular room.  It was sectioned out into advice in these catagories: Overhead and Eye-level , Go Retro, Forget Old Rules, Lighting as Art, and Better Bulbs.

Each section gave some great little tidbits of information that are useful in everyday applications.  Some of my favorite tips from the article are:
  • Have overhead lights installed if your room has none
  • Group different styles of lights in a romantic or whimsical setting
  • Use chandeliers in other places than the dining room....like a bathroom
  • Use the right type of bulb for the right room
I encourage you to look up this article online.  Here are a few lights and lamps and sconces that I find particularly great! 

A great use of wall sconces in a small powder room!
 
 

 
A unique lamp and overhead light for an eclectic living room.
 
 

This boys bedroom really has the surf and beachy feel with the orb light that cast shadows that look like sand dollars on the ceiling and walls.
 
 

These gold wall sconces really set the tone of the room as they are emphasized by the mirrored panels behind them.  Very dramatic effect for a small space.
 


 
 

Monday, August 26, 2013

Article Review of The Hush of Lush: Chicago Office Goes Spare

I recently went online to research current trends throughout the interior design world and started off my search at www.interiordesign.net .  I found many interesting articles, however, I've always had an infinity for city spaces, especially in high rise buildings.  I have been to many offices in many large cities throughout America over the last decade.  It seems that the trend of "less is more" has really been key in interior design throughout all venues of spaces in high rise buildings.  Even though the spaces have smaller amounts of furnishings and accessories, they are full of class and exquisiteness, with the specific design of each piece taken into consideration that is present.

This particular space is an investment firm, however, the look and design of this space is that of many offices I have been to, whether it was a design firm, lawyer's office or doctor's office in large metropolitan areas.  I found that most offices are choosing to use basic or neutral color palettes on walls and floors with pops of color in the artwork.  This is especially true in spaces that have views of a large city.  As you will see in this article, this particular office space has a great view of the Chicago skyline and river.  It boasts many expanses of glass walls that let the natural light and scenery into the space. 

I also particularly love the choice of seating used throughout the office.  If you have studied design and art and architecture, you will love the Charles and Ray Eames chairs and the bench in the reception area that reminiscent of Mies van der Rohe.  I truly enjoyed this short article and great office interior design!




Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Opportunity Buys



We have recently updated our website www.featheryournestinteriorsllc.com with an "Opportunity Buys" section.  Under this section you will find great deals going on at our store!  Shop quickly and often as this section will change as things sell.  Happy Shopping!  Alyshea