Inspirational Room Design: Monet’s Impression, Sunrise

06 Saturday Apr 2013

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

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art, color, color scheme, design, Impression, Inspiration, interior design, monet, mood board, Sunrise

In 1892 Claude Monet gave rise to the Impressionist movement by creating Impression, Sunrise. The paintings used long brush strokes to create a perfect color combination of green, blue, yellow, and orange.

Inspiration comes in many forms. When I am looking to design a room I try to focus on one particular piece and center my inspiration for the room on that element. This could be a piece of art, a tapestry or custom rug, or even a favorite decorative accessory. Not only does decorating with art give you a chance to express your personal style, it also creates a conversation piece for guests.

Inspirational Room Design: Monet's Impression, Sunrise

Here are some tips on how to incorporate a focal piece of art within a room.

First, use the 60-30-10 Rule. When decorating a particular room, divide the colors into percentages:

60% dominant color – i.e. the walls
30% secondary color- i.e. the furniture or upholstery
10% accent color- i.e. accent pieces

After you have chosen your colors, take a picture of your accessory or painting and center it on a mood board. Collect paint samples, pieces of fabric, pictures from magazines, and anything that might catch your eye. Pin all your inspirations on your mood board and see how they come together. You would be surprised how many color and style combinations work. The example mood board below shows how the colors in Impressionist, Sunrise can work together to create a calming and beautifully put together room.

Inspirational Room Design: Monet's Impression, Sunrise

Once you’ve chosen your pieces arrange your furniture so that everyone who sits in the room can appreciate the focal piece. If you want to draw attention to your focal point, minimize the other decorative elements nearby. If on the other hand you would like to minimize the impact of your focal point, carry the same balance of colors as the art throughout the room.

{This article was written by Ariel Dagan, co- founder of MyCustomRug.com. Ariel is a design enthusiast from New York who specializes in creating Custom Rugs for homes and small businesses. He blogs regularly about the history of rugs, how they are made and incorporated into the design of a home. }

Inspiration Photo Friday: Hiatus

05 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Inspiration Photo Friday

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art, career, design, destiny, fate, Inspiration, journey, life, money, path, stress, travel, work

Sometimes in life you have to really take a look at what is making you happy and what isn’t. When stress takes over, it can seriously disrupt all aspects of your life. I am a true example of this. Stress has played a character in my story for way too long. And although it was due to many different reasons, the main cause has been my career and money. I am sure a lot of you can understand that scenario.

My career has been my focus my whole life. It’s impossible for me to be happy unless I have the time and space to be creative and continue to do what I do best. Art and design has been my life since I was a child and the only thing I truly know for sure is I was destined to be in the field. It took me a good 6 years out of school to establish myself as a freelancer and have sufficient client work. It was a long and tiring road for sure but I appreciate the good things that have come my way. I never thought it would become a problem in my life.

Now that I have started Gray Star Design, I feel like I am cut in half. Essentially, I am running two businesses, which has been sadly running me into the ground. Gray Star Design is my heart and soul and I promised myself I would focus on it and give it my all. This is what I eventually want to continue doing, and nothing else. So I am trying to set up my future and of course there has to be issues. Nothing can ever be simple.

My dilemma is just never having enough time to get GSD truly off the ground. There are things that you need to do when starting a business and yes, I have done a good amount, but there is plenty more to do – and I need full focus to get them done the right way. That means no distractions. I have already decided to not take on new clients but I do have a few I continue to do work for on a regular basis. I don’t want to cut these clients off, as I enjoy working for them, but something’s got to give.

So, after months of being stressed and having this issue take its toll on my life, home, and marriage, I have come to a decision. It’s time to take a hiatus. I have chosen to take some time off from all work and make sure Gray Star Design gets all my attention. This will allow me to have the time to get things done as well as have the creative space I need to bring new designs to the table. It’s the worst when you have so many ideas and no time to actually work them out. It’s pretty much torture, if you ask me.

I am happy my husband agrees with this decision as well. We both feel its the best thing to do right now. Not just for my career but for my sanity as well. It’s time to take control of the situation and do what is best for me and my future. Starting next week, I will be on a hiatus from client work till June. I think this will be sufficient time for me to get back on track. You don’t know how excited I am about doing this. It’s a long time coming.

I wanted to share my situation because I know there are more people out there that go through stuff like this. It doesn’t have to be about your career or money, everyone has their own issues. I hope to inspire you all to take control of your life and do the best for you. No one else is going to do it so don’t wait too long to make a move. Feeling like your everyday is a whirlwind is not healthy, mentally or physically. Take a stand and don’t allow it to negatively impact your life anymore. When you do, its the best feeling in the world.

I chose this photo for the post because it illustrates my message. It was taken in PIE on our honeymoon this past September. It may be a long journey down the path you know you need to take, but eventually, when you get there, a new journey awaits. You may not be able to see how it plays out now, but just know it will be inspiring and full of surprises. Get moving!

Inspiration Photo Friday: Hiatus - © Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Office Space Beauty

17 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, The Home

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crafts, Inspiration, interior design, office, organization, work

Whether you work in an office or out of your home, you should be in a space that is inspiring, organized and beautiful. Even cubicles don’t have to be stuffy and boring. Dress them up with things you love like photos of loved ones and trinkets that make you smile and bring in plants to enhance the air. Remember, this is where you are most of your day so why not create a space you love?

Since I work from home, my office is shared with my husband. Even though I take up most of the room, he does have a small space for his desk. My two dogs also have access during the day so you can imagine how hectic it can get with them running around, playing and barking most of the time. It makes me nuts! But I make sure the space itself is organized and designed to help me get stuff done. This is what truly makes a difference.

I created 3 essential zones; my computer desk area where all paperwork and graphics are done, my printing station where I keep all orders as well as files and my craft area where I cut all paper and keep most supplies.

The closet holds all inventory, magazines and other storage we have. Everything is organized into labeled boxes and kept in groups that make sense.

I also developed a system that would make fulfilling orders easy so I can keep track of my progress. I have a board above my desk that lists all current orders with lists of what to do. After each task is done, I check them off the list until the order is finalized. I also have a weekly to do list I update which enables me to see my projects in advance.

As far as design, both my husband and I wanted the office to feel a bit more masculine and by incorporating a darker color palette in the space I think we accomplished that nicely. I wanted it to have a more study feel as apposed to a business feel. So with the navy hue on the walls and darker toned wood pieces, its warm and cozy. We also surrounded ourselves with artwork we love, books and lots of vintage finds that make us happy. I have to say my office is one of my favorite places to be.

Here are some other really great examples of office spaces that are beautiful and organized. They are sure to inspire you to create a room you love too.

Photo Credit: Better Homes & Gardens