Tips from the Darkside

24 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, The Home

Tags

bathroom, bedroom, bold, bold colors, color, dark, dark colors, design, dining room, home, hue, interior design, kitchen, painting

Using dark and bold colors in your home doesn’t have to be dark and dreary. In some cases, they can enable a space to really shine. I’m not saying you should paint all the walls in your home this way, but you would be surprised how much a deep hue can transform a room. Here is a little inspiration to help you choose the right color combination for your home, with a little help from the darkside.

This dark earthy brown helps everything in this dining room pop, giving the space a clean and crisp look. Incorporating other tones of this color family, such as taupe and beige, really bring a classic and opulent feel to the room.

Photo Credit: Country Living

All the natural textures in this bedroom truly bring a unique style and sense of history to the space. It all works together nicely because light hues were incorporated as well. You always need a little contrast to create something spectalular.

Photo Credit: 79 Ideas

This modern classic bathroom is engaging thanks to the deep navy blue on the walls. It adds a rich feeling to the room and helps to highlight the soft textures in the space.

Photo Credit: Country Living

Bold and bright, this kitchen is glowing with cheer. Painting everything the same color is surely a courageous move, but the owners totally pulled it off. The accessories and pots help to break up the space, as does the butcher block countertops and door. The neutral stone floor gives the room a lightness it needs while the white on the top of the walls helps to even out the space.

Photo Credit: Kitchen Building

With bold and bright colors used throughout the space, the hunter green backdrop helps to keep it all grounded. The creamy beige on the top half of the wall and light gray rug adds a lightness and airy feeling so you aren’t bombarded with hues that pop.

Photo Credit: Country Living

Yellow and blue will always be two colors that go well together. It’s the contrast that allows these hues to be roommates. The rich navy and golden yellow in this bedroom/bathroom really makes a statement. It helps to incorporate earthy textures, like the hard wood floor, to break up the boldness. This color combo brings spunk and a touch of intellectual charm to any space.

Photo Credit: Donkee House

Choosing the Right Colors for the Rooms of Your Home

06 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Color Inspiration, Everyday Design, Guest Posts, The Home

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bedroom, blue, color advice, colors, cream, design, dining room, earthy tones, exercise room, gray, home, kitchen, living room, neutral, office, orange, red, white, yoga space

When choosing to paint a room in the house it is best to strive for a color you like, but also a color that likes you. Color can have subtle, yet profound, influences on moods and feelings, and recognizing that can help a room to be aesthetically pleasing as well as beneficial. The correct colors in a kitchen or art room can help inspire creativity while the wrong colors in a bedroom can induce irritability when relaxation is being sought. Below are different types of rooms commonly found within a household, and which colors would best compliment them.

Living Rooms
Homeowners use living rooms for a number of different things. Some use the larger rooms for hosting guests and parties, but generally living rooms are used for relaxing. Colors for living rooms should be neutral to help accent furniture, but also light and calming.

Photo Credit: Digs Digs

Orange instills feelings of warmth and stability and manages to tone-down a space, allowing people to relax. Red is good for sociable situations, as it provides energy. Light gray is very popular for living rooms right now as it compliments other colors very well and is not overbearing. A primarily gray room with orange accents could provide the perfect tones for a living room.

Photo Credit: Real Simple

Photo Credit: Color Buzz

Photo Credit: Decoist

Kitchens
Kitchens are difficult to figure out as they are rarely used for one activity. Modern kitchens are used for cooking, eating, meeting, crafts, and many other activities. However, creativity usually happens in the kitchen, whether it’s from cooking, conversation, or something else. Soft earth tones like whites, creams, and blues, cater to a number of needs and puts people at ease, allowing creative juices to flow. Bright elements like red or orange are good accents as well.

Photo Credit: Katy Elliott

Photo Credit: Cottage Modern

Photo Credit: Aponovich

Dining Rooms
Modern dining rooms are rarely used by the average family, and are typically only sat in when guests visit. Therefore, a dining room should encourage energy and liveliness, and red is the best color for this. Too much red can have negative effects though and can promote aggression, so a balance is desired with a softer color.

Photo Credit: Allrakse

Bedrooms
These rooms should ultimately reflect the individual living in them, but some types of colors serve to help promote calming emotions. Light blues are great for this and people generally feel safer and calmer when surrounded by them. Turning to a dark blue can have negative effects, however, as it can produce sadness in individuals.

Photo Credit: Weekend Escapades

Exercise Spaces
Power lifters and those going for hard workouts will want red highlights throughout their room to inspire energy and controlled aggression, but those looking to jog on an elliptical or relax with yoga will want earthy greens and blues to help calm and extend the workout.

Photo Credit: A Charmed Yogi

Home Offices
In a room where people need to focus and avoid distraction green is the way to go. This color has been found to promote concentration and productivity and workers. Plus, it is also a soothing color which helps relieves stress.

Choosing the Right Colors for the Rooms of Your Home
Photo Credit: Virtual Vocations

Photo Credit: Studio Rover

Even if a color has great potential to influence moods in a positive manner it may not be worth it if the color is unpleasing to the residence or causes the room to appear small. Whatever the case, it is worth realizing that color choice is much more important than many people realize.

Lisa Henfield is an exterior designer who spent a few years designing outdoor furniture covers for hotels along Las Vegas. She mostly writes about her design experiences, providing tips on outdoor accessories and furniture for both businesses and the average person. When she isn’t practicing her sewing or writing about the right colors for the outdoor seasons she usually works on her paintings.

Elegant Dining

16 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, The Home

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antique, art, classic, comfortable, dining room, eclectic, elegant, fancy, graphic, interior design, modern, monochromatic, neutral, rustic, space, vintage

Having a unique and comfortable dining area is essential for a home. Not only is it the place where your family gathers to eat and share the day’s adventures but its the space where your guests are invited to enjoy your delicious meals. Not to mention, hang out during parties. Like the other rooms in your home, it should reflect your style and be cohesive with the rest of the house.

Not everyone wants the same look and it certainly isn’t expected for you to have a fancy dining room. There are a lot of different ideas for fancy anyway. Having an elegant space is the path you want to go in. When I say elegant, I mean a space that shows you took the time to make it special. There are plenty of things you can do to create this feel. Here are some ideas that will help bring some inspiration your way.

I love how this space is down to earth and nature inspired. It’s not stuffy or too dark and with all the unique elements thrown in the design, its also interesting enough to inspire conversation. The light wood tones and neutrals create a modern setting while the wallpaper adds that perfect touch of elegance to bring it up a notch. The mismatched chairs and small pops of color give the room an eclectic and fun look.

Photo Credit: Ideal Home

This french inspired space is surely elegant. With its antique pieces and neutral color scheme, its a beautiful example of a grand dining room. It’s lush, comfortable and simple as well as light and airy. I love how all the elements blend together, this allows the space to feel more open as well.

Photo Credit: Country Homes & Interiors

For a more casual dining area, keep it simple but cozy. This space showcases a rustic feel through modern aesthetic. Bold lines in the furniture help balance the space while the the textured chairs and floor add interest. To bring a soft touch to the room, the white and creamy color palette play a major role here while the flawy curtains keep the the hard edges of the windows looking a bit more delicate.

Photo Credit: Country Homes & Interiors

Classic and elegant, this room shows off gorgeous pieces and features earthy hues for a more dramatic look. This type of rustic elegance has traditional undertones but is still cozy enough to gather and be comfortable. The dark wood floors help ground the space while the lighter tones in the table and chairs help to bring out their beautiful texture.

Photo Credit: ML Interior Design

For those who don’t have much space for dining or even a room to use as a dining area, getting creative with what you have is key. I love how this small space off the kitchen has both a dining room feel as well as a nook type of style. The built in benches really help to save space and can sit a lot of people, the table is casual but elegant in its own right and the chairs add a vintage touch. The light that pours into this area is gorgeous as well. With the addition of the industrial lighting and large map, the room appears fun and laid back which is something all your guest will surely love.

Photo Credit: Ideal Home

If you love graphic spaces and monochromatic color schemes, than this space is right up your alley. With black and white being the main characters here, the room is highlighted with graphic touches and traditional elements. Playing with contrast is key in a space as bold as this.

Photo Credit: Homes and Gardens

Another way to feature your love for monochromatic palettes but in a more subtle and rich way. Earthy tones and elaborate details bring this space to life. Texture surrounds the room from the wallpaper to the curtains and the chairs show off a beautiful pattern to bring in some more interest.

Photo Credit: Woman and Home

Mixing traditional pieces like this dining table with a casual feel is easy when you surround the main attraction with more laid back and comfortable items. The armchair add a touch of cozy while the bookshelves invite guests to take it down a notch. It’s sort of like combining a living room and dining area in one.

Photo Credit: 25 Beautiful Homes

Show off a gorgeous piece like this farmhouse table by allowing it shine all by itself. Pairing it with chairs that aren’t as heavy keep the room light. The amount of light lets nature be a guest as well. In spaces like this you don’t need much.

Photo Credit: 25 Beautiful Homes

Modern, artsy and smart, this museum inspired space is a good example of mid-century elegance with a gallery like flair. Simple and to the point, the clean lines and no fuss pieces allow the room to feel classy, unique and smart. The cool color palette helps to keep its cool vibe.

Photo Credit: Ideal Home

{For more inspiration check out Real Simple’s article}

Home Sweet Home: Dining Room Redesign

30 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, The Home

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Tags

cabinet, country, crates, design, dining room, entertaining, furniture, home, interior design, makeover, modern, rustic, table, wood

I’ve been waiting to post another room in our home and since the dining room is finally done, I had to share. At first, this space was just a room you needed to walk through to get to other rooms in the house. Although it had tons of character, there was nothing really special about it yet. But now that it is all put together I have to say it is one of my favorite rooms in the house!

So here is what the dining room looked like before. The worst part was the rug. Not only was it ugly but it was everywhere in the house. I give credit my husband Dan for pulling up every single one himself. It was tough job for sure. Other than that, we knew the chandelier had to go too. The risers in the corner had to stay so I just figured we would cover them somehow.

The elements of the space we loved were its character and style. The decorative ceiling and rosette around the chandelier were definitely a plus. We both actually love the toile wallpaper so that was a keeper. I knew once I did my magic, this room would look spectacular. Although we didn’t have a big budget, I did my best to find items I loved at great prices and in some cases waited till they were on sale or found them somewhere else for less. Smart shopping is always key.

After the rugs came up there was an astounding difference. Then all I had to do was paint the woodwork and scrub the wallpaper. Not so bad. Then go searching for the perfect items to fill it up. So after about 4 months or so, it finally came together and we couldn’t be happier. I was going for country modern with a rustic touch. I wanted it to be perfect for formal entertaining but comfortable enough so it wasn’t stuffy. With a combination of dark brown, cream and blue, the dining room was transformed into an updated space that has vintage appeal.

The cabinet piece I purchased at Ikea for a great price. You can’t go wrong at $135 for a cabinet. It’s a new item they just started selling and I am very happy with it. I am also happy I waited instead of dishing out more money for something that would be double the price!

The table, oh how I love my dining room table. With buttercream and dark brown cherry wood, it brings that country modern feel I was going for to a new level. I had bookmarked it before we even moved in the house and waited till we had the funds to buy it. It’s a good thing I did because I got it $100 cheaper than the sale price. At $815 with shipping, this was one of the best buys we made. For a 7 piece dining room set, that is really good. Thanks Overstock.com!

The Home Sweet Home picture was a quick thing I made to fill in a vintage frame we had. I think it fits nicely for now. Not bad for 5 minutes of my time. The vase I already had, it used to be my mother’s, and the dried cotton was something we had used in our wedding so I figured I would continue to use it somewhere in the house. It found a perfect home in my mother’s blue vase.

The blue plaid curtains were a great find as well. I knew I wanted plaid because it goes so well with toile so the challenge was to find a pair that worked in the space and were selling for a good price. I found this pair on Overstock.com as well for only $28!

The chandelier brings so much style to the room. I first saw on it on a popular website but after some searching I found it on a random lighting website for a lower price. I wound up paying like $80 or so for it which is awesome. You would never know! I plan to buy small shades for the lights too. I found a nice wicker pair at Pottery Barn I just might have to get. I think they would look so cute.

The framed photograph is one I took while Dan and I visited Maine two years ago. We already had this piece and I pretty much knew it was going in the dining room. The pitcher and bowl were great finds at a local antique shop I couldn’t resist buying. Especially, since the set was only $15.

The cabinet was the second piece of furniture we bought for the room. I found it at Country Door.com for $250 and simply adore it. What a great piece. I switched out the knobs for vintage glass ones the previous owners left behind. They added so much charm and character, as if they were meant to be. I am glad they were left behind and it makes me happy to have a little piece of history remaining in the space.

Love this chair. We found it a few years ago at a garage sale for a few bucks. This is the second in our collection.

I decided to stack the crates we had in front of the risers to hide them, which worked out really well. Not only can we showcase our collections but now this corner adds that rustic element I wanted in the space. The vintage birdcage is what we used for our wedding to hold all the card from guests. It’s nice to have it showcased in our home.

The cotton braided rug is a mixture of gray, blue and brown that go well with the color of the hardwood floors. I think it helps the buttercream stand out as well. I found it on Overstock.com for $112 with a special code. I love it.

All in all, this space proves you can have a beautiful room and not spend thousands to put it together. With a little creativity, some DIY knowledge and research, you can find items you love without going broke. For under $1500, I was able to design a dining room I absolutely love and it makes me even more happy to say I did it all on a budget.