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The Design Inspirationalist

~ Inspiring Ideas | Spectacular Creations

The Design Inspirationalist

Tag Archives: design

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

28 Monday May 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, The Home

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Tags

balance, color, design, interior design, nature, rugs, small spaces, space, texture

Redefining Space

Here is another collection of ideas that will help you redefine spaces in your home. Sometimes it just takes a few tips to get you started and then you are set to go. There are easy and simple ways of accomplishing successful design. You just have to keep the space in mind and figure out what works best.

Have a stairwell in need of some love? Hanging photos or artwork on the walls will usually do the trick but what about the corner of the stairwell? Don’t think you can’t do anything with them just because it is a small space. Shop around for a corner piece of furniture or place a plant on a plant stand. Two ideas that will solve the problem and look beautiful. You can also dress up the stairs! Get creative and have some fun.

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

Corners in a room are very important. In my previous apartment I had glass bookshelves in the corner which looks great but still seemed a little empty. I happened to have a big branch that I found in my backyard that I felt would be perfect for the spot. I already had it in an oversized vase on the floor but it wasn’t doing much where I originally had it. This corner was the ideal spot. Not only does it fill up the space, it brings a natural and whimsical feel to the room.

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

Bringing natural elements into your home is one idea I always recommend people do. The Earth is such a beautiful place and it gives us so much to work with. This is one thing you can take for granted because most of the time it’s free and best of all, it enhances your everyday life in the process.

For natural elements, look around your local parks or even around your backyard. Remember not to settle with an item just because you want to get the project out of the way. Bringing in plants and flowers will always brighten up a room. Your home is an extension of who you are so allow it to represent your style and personality to the fullest.

Another problem I feel people have with defining space is understanding ways to open it up. If you have a small room, you shouldn’t bring heavy, dark furniture into the space. It will just make it look smaller. That doesn’t mean you can’t use browns and darker colors, it just means you should watch how you combine the elements in the room. It should always feel balanced. Knowing your measurements should help solve that problem.

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

You can have a big, lofty room and still have it feel relaxing, airy and warm. If you want to fill up the space nicely and can use large furniture, then go for it. For big spaces you can choose from many colors that are warm or cool. It’s just a matter of how you want the space to feel. Color plays a big part as well. The warmer the hue (reds, oranges and browns) the space will seem cozier. The cooler the hue (whites, creams, blues and grays) the space will feel more open and airy. But as long you have a nice balance between color, furniture and texture, you can create the space of your dreams.

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

For my living room, I chose a cool blue/gray palette on my walls and included a lot of white. I balanced that out with metal and dark gray furniture. Although its nice to have  a lot of light neutrals in the space, there should be some weight to help balance everything out. This is why I chose darker gray metal pieces with a mix of wood to fill in areas.

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

Textures also play an important role when balancing a space.  Again, if you are stuck with a small room, brighten it up with a high textured rug but don’t hide it with a heavy coffee table. To show the rug off you want to purchase a table that you can see through or has a very light feeling.

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

Try to be creative when it comes to furniture. You don’t always have to buy something already made. Make it yourself! A year ago I purchased several crates from Etsy and stacked them to make shelves. Once I placed some of my vintage accessories on them, it stood out brilliantly. Keeping a collection together is more dramatic than spreading it around so try to pair up pieces by style, form or color.

Redefining Space – Design Ideas for Your Home

For vintage crates and things of that nature, stop by garage sales in your neighborhood. You never know what you will find. There are a lot of things in my home I found at yard sales and for a very good price. Don’t forget about antique shops too! Get creative and work with the space you have. It’s all up to you to make it functional and beautiful.

Hope you all have fun playing around with some of these ideas. Remember, it’s easy to design your space and balance it out. Just keep these tips in mind and DIY your way to brilliance.

Color in Films: Across the Universe

22 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Color in Films, Color Inspiration

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Tags

70s, across the universe, art, color, dance, design, films, hippies, love, lsd, music, painting, the beatles, theater

Across the Universe is a beautiful love story packed with creativity, art & design and fantastic colorful imagery. Directed by Julie Taynor, the film is written to go along with songs composed by The Beatles and is presented through a theater style perspective bringing tons of dramatic flair.

Bringing us back to the wild times of the 70s, Across the Universe takes us through the lives of six young people who try to  find themselves in a world where war surrounds them. Losing loved ones, trying to survive and falling in love are three main topics of the film. The story is mesmerizing and the music is unforgettable. The visual and creative aspect of the film is what lures the viewer in to a place where colors soar and the mind travels through galaxies. The energy and emotion between the characters is like the big cherry on top.

Across the Universe explores every color of the rainbow with a color scheme so vibrant and free, it makes you feel like you’re the one on LSD. You gotta love the 70s! Take a ride back in time and experience young love with all the fixings. You might even want to get up and soar the across the universe yourself.

Color in Films: Across the Universe

Crafty Switch Plates

10 Thursday May 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Crafty Ideas

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

art, crafts, decor, design, home decor, lighting, switch plates

Everyone has switch plates in their home and most of the time they are simple, white and plastic. When I moved into my apartment back a few years ago it came with just that. Boring! To make it worse, a lot of them had paint on them. I said to myself, there has to got to be a way to create a designer look without spending tons of money. Well, the idea bulb burst and today I am sharing it with you.

This project is so easy and it comes out gorgeous. It costs under $10 to make enough to cover most of your home. You may even have all the materials needed to do it so that will save you time and money as well. You really can’t go wrong with this one. Lets get started!

{Materials}

  • plastic switch plate
  • contact paper or clear label paper
  • X-acto knife
  • double sided tape or craft glue
  • image of your choice

Crafty Switch Plates

First, you want to decide on the image or design you want to use. Depending on the room it goes in, try to have it blend in with the decor. The one below was for our dining room which had rich browns and light blues so I chose a design that is a modern but classic pattern that includes those colors.

Crafty Switch Plates

The best place to find images and inspiration are magazines. They also have a nice quality that will be noticed so keep that in mind. I recommend design magazines, like Elle Decor, because there is so much to choose from. You will find something for each room in just one magazine. However, there are tons of cool choices out there so whatever you have lying around the house will work too.

Now that you have your image, take some double sided tape or craft glue if you have it and adhere it to the front of the plate. Next, place the plate front side down on the paper. To make sure you cover the whole plate you will have to place it in the middle of the image to give it some extra room. You can draw a line or just use a ruler and cut around it. If you are a perfectionist like me than do the math and measure. It doesn’t have to be perfect though.

Crafty Switch Plates

You can use any kind of cutter for this but I recommend an X-acto. You will want to cover the paper so its protected. Contact paper is great for this. All you have to do is cover the plate with it and cut around it like you did with the image. Don’t forget to cut where the switch comes through. Puncturing a small hole for the screws should be fine.  You don’t have to cut a whole circle.

If you are good at decoupage this would be a good project to show your skills. Just get some Mod Podge and get creative.

Crafty Switch Plates

Put it up and bask in sweet design bliss! I promise if you choose a really cool image this switch plate will look fabulous. This is a great idea for a kids room too. You can really have fun with it. So good luck, even though you won’t need it, and happy decorating!

Everyday Tablescapes

14 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, The Home

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

art, decorating, design, interior, parties, tablescapes

Everyday Tablescapes

Setting your table doesn’t have to be boring.

Having dinner guests?  There’s no better way to make them feel welcome than with a great tablescape. Of course, a yummy dinner should follow! What if you’re having some people over? You want to wow your guests so they come back, right? Well, here are some great ideas that you all can do, DIY style.

You can create a great tablescape with what you already own. Just collect some of your best looking dinnerware and try to create a theme. You can choose a color scheme, an event or even certain objects. Just be creative and remember it should be fun.

All my ideas are simple and easy. I find that when people put too much on a table, it ends up being overkill. You don’t want people distracted by the tablescape, but appreciate what you’ve done and enjoy the evening.

So, let’s say you’re having another couple over for dinner. An easy addition is to put some flowers on the table. Not a huge bouquet, but a small, quaint one for that whimsical feel. Also, think outside of the box when choosing a vase. To make it less formal, try using an old jar, a piece of pottery or even a decorative cup.

Everyday Tablescapes

Cute place mats and cloth napkins will dress up a table a little without going overboard. Try to stick with the same color scheme so it all looks put together. Simple and functional, yet beautiful at the same time.

Having a romantic dinner for two?  Make it casual and comfortable and go with the same idea. A small bouquet of flowers and a simple setting. You can even ditch the place mats!  The more natural the better. The cloth or linen napkins are enough to dress it up. Clean and simple is the way to go.

Everyday Tablescapes

If you want something a little more formal, then use a table cloth. They have some really cool patterns these days, so finding something unique shouldn’t be hard. Not into a lot of graphics? Then go for one that is a solid color, but matches your theme of the night.

When having a small get together, you want to hang out with your guests, not get stuck in the kitchen. I’ve found that the best way to accomplish this is to set it up a buffet. Have one table for all the dinnerware and another for the food. Or just set up a big table where food is on one side and the dinnerware is on the other.

A simple and stylish way to dress up the table is to use a table runner. This is the one time when I think it’s most appropriate. Set the runner down and place all the dinnerware in a row. Using a mason jar to hold the silverware sets a nice tone. Sometimes you can find these super cheap at garage sales.

Everyday Tablescapes

Now, you want to include that one element of design that makes a statement. Yes, you can place flowers on the table, but try using items you normally don’t use. I took some onions and garlic and placed them in a glass bowl and it looked awesome. It’s natural and the subtle tones of the veggies brought a nice vibe to the table. Try showcasing wine corks in a jar or vase.

Everyday Tablescapes

You can also go naked. Who says you need to put down a table cloth or runner? Not me! Express your love for clean and simple and showcase your table. If you want to dress it up a bit, use a tray to place all the cups on. Add some flowers or even a small bunch of branches tied with a ribbon and you’re done.

Everyday Tablescapes

For dessert, the same rules apply. Invest in a cute cake stand and some serving plates and all your yummy treats will look even better. I have a lot of little plates that come in handy for times like these. I suggest you stock up as well.  They are great for desserts, appetizers or even a simple snack. Plus, they look so cute!

Everyday Tablescapes

So try these ideas the next time you have guests and I promise they’ll be a success. Just because something is well designed doesn’t mean it took all day to do. I say, clean lines, natural tones and creative thinking is the key to all kinds of design. Dinner guests beware! You might just get blown away from my DIY tablescape.

{For more inspiration check out my Pinterest board}

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