Inspiration Photo Friday: It’s a Small World

07 Friday Sep 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Inspiration Photo Friday

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animals, bedroom, characters, connecticut, country, dog, dollhouse, dolls, girl, imagination, lighthouse, museum, orange, rustic, small world, stories, yellow

I have always thought dollhouses were interesting. From the construction and realistic layout to all the tiny pieces of furniture. Then you have the small people who live in these houses. Oh, what stories you could create in this imaginary little world.

This particular doll house was shot in Connecticut at a lighthouse museum. All the little rooms were so quaint and cozy. The one you see below is a bedroom showing exquisite detail and country style. It introduces a girl and her dog possibly starting the day. The lighting hints an early morning feel as if the sun was coming up right through the window. It could also be evening, where the warm tones of yellow and orange light up a room.

Either way, your story is their story. All that happens in the dollhouse is a piece of your imagination. It may be a small world but it gets larger the more stories it holds.

Art Inspired Palette: Bomobob

12 Tuesday Jun 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art Inspired Palette

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antique, autumn, autumn scenery, beauty, bokeh go round, bomobob, carnival, carrousel, childlike, children, clouds, color fantasy, decor, dreamy, etsy, fall, green, hearts, orange, parties, pastels, pink, purple, rides, sky, spring, spring weddings, style, vintage, weddings, yellow

Bomobob’s work is dreamy, whimsy and always seems to bring you back to childhood. I have featured him before but planned on sharing more of his photographs in my palettes. This Canadian artist has a keen eye for beauty and showcases his vision through color, fantasy and unique perspective. Some of the main reasons I love his work.

The photo featured here, Bokeh Go Round, has a vintage feel and childlike charm. Who doesn’t love carnivals? I certainly do! The colors in this piece are soft and feminine with a mature sensibility. The blues and purples provide a backdrop of cloudy pillows and fluttering hearts while the carrousel stands strong adding interest and character. This is one of my favorites for sure.

This palette can be used for any children’s party as well as spring weddings. Even having a fall wedding would work as long as you stick with pastels. The autumn scenery would make a beautiful background as well. These natural toned hues are pretty enough for a girl, yet masculine enough for any groom.

Art Inspired Palette: Aileen Leijten

17 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art Inspired Palette, Color Inspiration

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aileen leigten, blue, books, brooklyn, children, felt forest, fuschia, green, illustrations, neutral, orange, pink, purple, red, yellow

What brought me to Belgium artist Aileen Leijten was her felt creations. Her etsy shop, Felt Forest, is filled with nature inspired felt items that are fun and whimsy. As I looked around her shop I came across her children illustrations and I couldn’t resist using a piece for a palette.

A Waldorf graduate, Aileen also writes and illustrates children’s books. Bella & Bean and Hugging Hour are a few you can find on her website, which is cleverly designed and so much fun. Here is where you can also learn all about her exciting career working with big time companies as well as the many awards her animations have won. Lets just say she has a lot of tricks up her sleeve. Or in this case maybe we should say talents because she clearly represents a wide range of skills.

Now living in Brooklyn with her husband and children she focuses on children’s books while selling her little treasures in her etsy shop. I highly suggest you roam around Aileen’s world of art for there is so much to discover.

The piece I chose for the palette spoke to me in a number of ways. The color scheme is mild and pale with shading and detail to die for and the composition as a whole is genius. Her characters are so unique you just want to see more. Look to her work for neutral palettes with a lot of dimension. They translate well to interior spaces and parties.

Brighten Up Your Space with Spring Inspired Palettes

09 Friday Mar 2012

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

≈ 1 Comment

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beige, better homes and gardens, bright, brown, gray, green, navy blue, olive, orange, pink, purple, reds, spring, yellow

March has finally arrived and with it we have sunny days and cool breezes. It’s time to get ready for Spring and brighten up your space with colors that make you feel alive and happy. This month, Better Homes & Gardens shared a few palettes that are nature inspired and eclectic at heart. These various color schemes will bring warmth, fun and maybe even a little romance to your spaces.

Shades of Purple + Warm Gray
BH&G suggests moody purples with a touch of gray. Since purple can blend with various colors and warm grays tend to calm the purple down, they make a good match. For accents, throw in some citron and berry for a little brightness and fresh feel.

{Misty Lilac: benjaminmoore.com, California Dreaming: acehardware.com, Agreeable Gray: sherwin-williams.com, Tin Lizzie: olympic.com, Glazed Raspberry: behr.com}

Golden Olive + Tobacco Brown
Pairing up tobacco brown and green give a space an earthy warm feel. Choosing an olive works best here. Using yellow, fuchsia and coral as accents add a touch of whimsy and brighten up the dark neutrals. These should be presented in small amounts through accessories or accent furniture.

{La Fonda Spanish Dancer: valspar.com, Straw: acehardware.com, Mona’s Mane: valspar.com, Tropical Smoothie: behr.com, Jekyll Crane Cottage Green: valspar.com}

Deep Navy + Fog Gray
This classic palette includes strong neutrals and high contrast accents. The navy is the perfect backdrop to the bright but muted fuchsia, turquoise and chartreuse. The gray keeps the palette calm and because it has blue tones it works well with the navy.

{Ruby Red: acehardware.com, Jamaican Dream: olympic.com, Savannah Moss: benjaminmoore.com, Hale Navy: benjaminmoore.com, Smoke Embers: benjaminmoore.com}