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The Design Inspirationalist

~ Inspiring Ideas | Spectacular Creations

The Design Inspirationalist

Tag Archives: stairwell

For Art’s Sake Minted Challenge

21 Tuesday Jul 2015

Posted by melissaoconnor in Minted

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Tags

above the clouds, Alcatraz, antique birdhouse, architecture, art prints, avonlea, bayard, birch tree, blackbird, boats of summer, carnival, carnival collage, clouds, earthy roots, fire fly, fluffy wildflowers, for arts sake, gray star design, house by the water, in the shade, landscape, light house, light house on the water, Maine, minted, minted challenge, mystic, nature, nautical, nautical scale, new england, ocean, orchids, palm trees, palms, parallel universe, photography, red barn, rock wall, roof study, roots, sky, stairwell, The Calm Sea, the road home, trees, tropical, tropics, vintage carnival, vintage carousel, water penny, wildflowers

And the challenges never end. Minted’s For Art’s Sake challenge just wrapped up and voting is now open! I submitted some oldies and a lot of new entries to this one. You can view them all below and if you feel like voting, just click on each one to go to its entry page. There are tons of great art in this challenge so definitely check as much out as possible. Enjoy!

House by the Water - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

The Road Home - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Fire Fly - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Boats of Summer - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Vintage Carousel - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Vintage Carnival Collage - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Fuzzy Wildflowers - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Bayard Roof Study - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Alcatraz - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

New England Sky - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Above the Clouds - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Black Bird - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Dancing Palms - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Waves of Summer - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

In the Shade - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

The Calm Sea - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Parallel Universe - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Avonlea - Photo by Melissa O'Conno-Arena

Earthy Roots - Photo by Melissa O'Conno-Arena

Lighthouse on the Water - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Antique Birdhouse - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Birch - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Pink - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Red Barn in Autumn - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Rock Wall - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Nautical Scale - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Water Penny - Photo by Melissa O'Connor-Arena

Make an Entrance

27 Wednesday Feb 2013

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

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Tags

accessories, color, entryway, interior design, mirrors, painting, painting stairs, stairwell, wallpaper

Many people invest large amounts of time, energy, and money into decorating the various rooms of their home. The process of decorating allows you to express your creativity, to claim a space as your own, and to show off your personal tastes and style to friends and family. Unfortunately, there is one area of the home that is often overlooked during the decorating process: the entryway.

There are a couple of reasons that entryways tend to be passed over. One, an entryway isn’t really a living space; its just an area people pass through to get to the other rooms of the house. Two, often an entryway is a space that is small, dimly lit, or awkward making it a real challenge for an inexperienced DIY-er or decorator. However, these challenges should not keep you from extending your personal touches to this part of your home. This area serves to introduce your guests to the rest of your home; other than the exterior of the house, the entryway makes the first impression. You don’t want guests to be put off as soon as they enter your home. Here are some budget friendly tips for making an entrance.

Step It Up
If your entryway has stairs, consider adding a pop of color to draw the eye further into the home and to set the stage for the colors used in adjoining rooms. Unfortunately, stair runners can be pricy, so here are some more affordable ideas:

  • Wallpaper the risers. Since you shouldn’t need a lot of wallpaper you can probably find a discontinued or marked down pattern to use. Since the area being covered is relatively small don’t be afraid of bold designs.
  • Paint the risers. If you head to the clearance section of your local hardware store, you can probably find marked down paint. There’s nothing wrong with this paint – it simply wasn’t properly mixed to the customer’s color specifications. Again, don’t automatically shy away from bright, bold colors.
  • Add a stripe of color. As a standalone or in addition to painting the risers, you can paint a stripe that runs parallel to the stairs.

Guest Post: Make an Entrance
Photo Credit: Design Amour

Guest Post: Make an Entrance
Photo Credit: Apartment Therapy

Open Your Home
If your entryway is small or not well lit, there are some easy, inexpensive things you can do to open the space up.

  • Take advantage of any and all natural light. If your entryway has any windows (for example, by the front door), put that natural light to good use. Regularly wash the windows inside and out and keep them unobstructed by furniture and hedges.
  • Use smoke and mirrors…err, okay, just mirrors. Hang an inexpensive mirror or two to reflect light and make the space appear both larger and lighter. Check secondhand stores, yard sales, and inexpensive stores such as Target and Walmart for fun mirrors with decorative shapes and frames.
  • If possible, eliminate clutter and get organized. If your entryway is small, clear out anything that isn’t actively being used such as a bench. Make sure that there is a place for everything. For instance, if you require people to remove their shoes when they come in have a little shoe rack for them to pile their shoes on rather than just leaving footwear scattered on the floor.

Guest Post: Make an Entrance
Photo Credit: Martha Stewart

Guest Post: Make an Entrance
Photo Credit: My Design Secrets

Color Outside The Lines
As previously mentioned, if you visit your local hardware store you can probably find clearance paint. You can use that paint to brighten up your entryway and make it look less stark and boring. You can also try painting:

  • An accent wall
  • A coat rack
  • An entryway table
  • Picture frames

Another way to add color and interest is with art. Thrift stores and garage sales are great places to pick up cheap frames that can be cleaned up or painted to look like new. For inexpensive art you can frame:

  • Family photographs
  • Scenic photographs you took
  • Pictures your children drew
  • Discontinued wallpaper samples
  • Shelf lining paper
  • Scrap fabric pieces
  • Pieces of gift wrap paper

Guest Post: Make an Entrance
Photo Credit: An Enchanted Cottage

First impressions are important, and your entryway is the first impression visitors get of the interior of your home. Make an entrance. Don’t neglect this area of your home. If your on a budget, get creative. Think outside the box and don’t be afraid to experiment. Prowl secondhand stores, yard sales, and clearance bins to find those perfect touches.

{Written by Janet Majors}

Inspiration Photo Friday: Hideaway

05 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Historic Places, Inspiration Photo Friday

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Tags

abandoned, basement, black and white, buildings, horror, new jersey, park, photography, Skillman, skillman village, somerset county, stairs, stairwell, State Village for Epileptics

I took this photo back in 2006 when I lived in Jersey. It’s a place in Skillman called Skillman Village, a little town filled with a school, living quarters, playgrounds and even a small hospital and fire department. Founded in 1898, it was once the State Village for Epileptics but has been abandoned since 1998. Last year, the town started its $15 million dollar demolition to turn it into the new Somerset County Park. I am happy I got to visit twice before this because it is an interesting place to explore.

There are many photos I took this day which I will eventually share in a post but I chose this one for inspiration photo friday for a reason. It is the last building I went in before I was caught and escorted out of the village. This was the first photo I took going into the basement and only two more followed.

I found the stairwell intriguing even though it looked like a scene in a horror film. It was dark, dreary and dirty and the basement was the same. From looking at this image I imagine a whole world of possibilities of where it could lead to. It really does get you thinking and that is what inspiration is all about. Although it may not be the happiest of photographs, it surely lures you in and forces your imagination to run wild. This is exactly why I captured it.

Inspiration Photo Friday: Hideaway - © Melissa O'Connor

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