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The Design Inspirationalist

~ Inspiring Ideas | Spectacular Creations

The Design Inspirationalist

Tag Archives: neutrals

Home Sweet Home: Living Room Redesign

09 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, The Home

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blues, brown, gray, home, interior, living room, neutrals, redesign, white

This is the second post for my Home Sweet Home series. If you haven’t checked out the last one, you can read it here. This time I will sharing our final design for the living room of our new home. I love how the space came out and am very excited to show it to you all. Transforming the room took a series of steps and even though it was hard work, it all paid off in the end.

Here is what the living room looked like before. It was dingy, musty and the beautiful characteristics were almost unseen.

Home Sweet Home: Living Room Redesign

Home Sweet Home: Living Room Redesign

Home Sweet Home: Living Room Redesign

The first step was to take the rugs up. Dan gets all the credit for this one. He took up all the rugs in the house by himself! Once they were up, the room was able to finally breathe.

Home Sweet Home: Living Room Redesign

The second step was the painting. The main issue we had was the walls. The previous owners liked to add layer upon layer which was a pattern we saw throughout the whole house. So, underneath the paint was wallpaper. Because of this, the walls were cracking and peeling. Since we didn’t have the funds to replace the walls, I used textured paint and went over the bad spots to make them even. It didn’t come out 100% but it certainly helped.

You can see the worst spot in the room to the right of Danny. What were these people thinking!

Home Sweet Home: Living Room Redesign

After the walls and moulding were painted, the room was starting to look like I had envisioned. I wanted a calm and peaceful space that was a combination of our favorite styles; industrial and country with vintage and crafty touches. First, we placed the furniture and hung up the curtains and blinds.

Home Sweet Home: Living Room Redesign

Home Sweet Home: Living Room Redesign

Then added all the details and brought it to life. Most of the items in the room we already had. We just bought new covers for the couches, a new coffee table, a small recycled jute rug and textured curtains which was a great buy. It’s cool how the stuff you may of had for years looks take on a new life in a new home.

We stuck with a cool palette of blues, grays and whites with a touch of brown here and there. All neutral colors that bring a soothing and airy feel to a space. This is my favorite color scheme of all. It makes the room feel fresh, clean and comfy. With the addition of all the plants, its a haven of the earth.

I must say the living room is my favorite space in the house because it is everything I wanted it to be and more. It’s a room where people can gather to hang out, Dan and I relax and introduces guests when they enter our home. It speaks of comfort and peace and has an inviting feel. We LOVE our new living room!

Home Sweet Home: Living Room Redesign

Home Sweet Home: Living Room Redesign

Home Sweet Home: Living Room Redesign

Home Sweet Home: Living Room Redesign

Art Inspired Palette: Justajar

26 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art Inspired Palette, Color Inspiration

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blue, boat, etsy, gray, green, justajar, letterpress, neutrals, olive, red, river, water, wheel, woodcuts

Justajar is a letterpress design shop in Ohio who’s work is hand cranked the old school way and all wood block prints are set by hand. One has to appreciate this fine craft and I must say Justajar pulls it off perfectly.

The work you will find in this shop is witty, clever and fun. Most have an organic feel and  the overall color scheme is inspired by nature. Lots of neutrals and muted tones. The perfect fit for engraved work. The artists behind all the items are talented, skilled and creative to say the least.

Look to their work for inspiration in the home. This one particular piece, sternwheel, is a favorite of mine. I imagine it hung above a fireplace looking grand and stately. The colors for this palette are mild and bright without being too much. It’s a nice mix of tone and value which allow a perfect scale of emotion to take place.

Check out their Etsy shop and show them some love!

Art Inspired Palette - Justajar

Art Inspired Palette – Norma Andreu

16 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art Inspired Palette, Awesome Shops, Color Inspiration

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Tags

cara carmina, collage, neutrals, norma andreu, painting, photography, sewing, textiles

Canadian artist, Norma Andreu, has a unique sensibility towards her work. Originally from Mexico City, you can clearly see the influence of her birthplace. She paints, illustrates and creates most of her work by hand. I originally fell in love with her dolls and then came to really appreciate her collage work as well.

Norma’s little cloth dolls are made with a combination of hand stitching and her sewing machine. They are all unique in that there is no pattern or stencil she works from. It’s all free motion stitching and the end result is a truly special gift. These little characters she creates take you away to a world where free spirit rules and distant music is always heard. It’s surely a place I’d like to be!

Check out her website as well as her Etsy shop, Cara Carmina, and see for yourself how talented this girl is. Her color schemes revolve around neutrals and play on the pale hues of nature but it’s interesting to see them shown in different forms. From her illustration work to her textiles, the design and palette come together in true harmony.

Cara Carmina - Lovely World Lady

Color in Films: The Lord of the Rings

13 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Color in Films, Color Inspiration

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blue, fantasy, film, greens, lord of the rings, moss, nature, neutrals

Lord of the Rings is a film where color comes to life. This imaginative story by J.R.R. Tolkien is based around  a ring which can rule all rings and give its owner the power to conquer all. With hobbits, princes, wizards, elves and more, the story unfolds into an amazing journey of triumph and exploration. The trilogy of the Lord of the Rings embarks on a nature inspired experience where Mother Earth and fantasy come together to create a cinematic setting that is brilliant.

From cool colors to rich tones, the depth of the films palette is endless. Mossy greens, liquid blues and leafy neutrals set the tone for a playground of possibilities.

Color in Films: Lord of the Rings

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