Photo: Subway Tile Outlet

Go Simple With Monochrome From Ceiling to Floor

If you are stuck on choosing a color scheme for your kitchen, go monochrome! Pairing black and white ALWAYS makes a any space look instantly glammed up. You can try this theme in your kitchen by choosing a light countertop, light cupboard doors, light walls, and then bring it all together with super dark flooring. Now that’s what I call sharp decor!

Photo: La Dolce Vita Blog

Roll Out the Wallpaper, Vintage Style!

In 2016, we are rolling out the wallpaper once again. Designers are swaying towards a more vintage vibe, and calling old trends new again! What’s a better way to bring this trend to life at home than to roll out a magnificent wallpaper in your kitchen? Make sure to go vintage only on the walls, if your kitchen is still stuck in the 60’s you are bound for a big mess! Buy quartz countertops, modern faucets, and use a modern color scheme to make sure your kitchen looks updated, not outdated.

Photo: Flickr

Think About Symmetry in Every Space

An easy designer trick to make a room look put together? Make everything symmetrical! If that means putting a chandelier over your kitchen island, then put two beside each other! Try this trick with anything, two vases on either end of your dining table, two end tables with a lamp on either end of a sofa – you’d be surprised at how this can balance out a room!

Photo: La Dolce Vita Blog

Get Creative With Decorative Molding

The kitchen below does look a little suffocated with molding, but you can alter this style at home in no time! Add a cornice molding above your kitchen cabinets, some fancy intricate detailing to your kitchen island, and some trim onto your cabinets and let it work it’s magic! If you are tight on cash, look for styrofoam moldings instead of wood, you can save a lot and it’s much easier to work with. Most of this you can do yourself at home with some basic DIY skills – trust us it’s not as hard as it looks, but the end result is very beautiful!

Photo: d’alessio

Show Off Your Pantry – But Clean it First!

If you are lucky enough to have a built-in pantry in your home, show it off with glass doors! You can make your pantry look high-end with glass French doors, or even glass swinging doors (these are super fun). The only downside is, you need to make sure it’s looking neat at all times!

Photo: Ciao New Port Beach

Don’t Forget About Adding Color with Fruits and Flowers!

You can add color and life into a plain kitchen with fresh flowers, and a big bowl of fruit. A nice bowl of lemons, oranges, or other in-season fruit makes a wonderful decorative piece that is both natural and edible! Yum!

Photo: Bradford Design

Install Roman Shades in a Pretty Fabric

Roman shades are a wonderful window drapery option in the kitchen since they serve as a decorative piece and add privacy to your kitchen. One thing you don’t want to be using for a dream kitchen is those half-window lace blinds – toss them now! If you have basic sewing skills, you can easily sew Roman shades yourself using just about any fabric you like, to perfectly match your kitchen’s decor. The designer below used black and white striped shades which I lOVE! It adds a little cafe-style to the overall look. Don’t you think?

Photo: Massimo Interiors

Bonus Tip: Go Bold With Color!

We couldn’t help ourselves but to include this photo in our dream kitchen feature! Check out Veronica Swanson mixing up a recipe in this bohemian kitchen that reminds us more of a jewelry box more than anything else!

Photo: Harpers Bazzar

Photos By: Tracey Ayton,  Decorated By: Maria Killam

When we think holiday decorating, we usual think of the classic colors like red, green, and gold. Designer’s are taking the holiday color scheme to a whole new level and introducing juicy citrus hues like pink, yellow, and even bright green! This gorgeous home decorated by Maria Killam is just as festive using otherwise spring and summer hues for all of the holiday decorations. Let’s take a look at some of her gorgeous accessories, her amazing decorating sense, and those beautiful floors!

Winter is near, but that doesn’t mean you have to let go of your summer decor! Designer Maria didn’t let go of her summer hues that fast. Instead, she decorated her living room with a Christmas theme in mind, but created it using summery hues. What a way to warm up your winter!

Take advantage of your Christmas gifts and decorate the tops of boxes with pinecones, ribbon, and ornaments. You’d be surprised at how good well-wrapped gifts look under the tree!

The fireplace mantel is definitely the star of the show in this home. Garland draped and overflowing with juicy-hued ornaments, ribbon, lights, and stockings. The painting on the left is absolutely stunning and the fur throw blanket warms up the space making it cozy and welcoming.

This home is actually not that big it just has BIG style! It’s functional, practical, and well designed which makes it look much bigger than it already is. The distressed wood flooring is what really caught my eye and off-sets the uber modern decor. If you are looking for a similar alternative, check out GoHaus as well as their stunning modern vinyl flooring.

This Christmas tree is definite EYE CANDY! I love the mixture of colors and textures as well as how the gifts underneath carry a similar color palette, tying everything together seamlessly.

The dining room is fun, lively, and features a fluffy boa draped over the buffet table – who would think of an wonderful idea like that? It’s full of light and color and really welcomes guests in for a unforgettable holiday dinner party!

Spring flowers may not be your classic Christmas plant – but if you have the opportunity or live in a warm area, we say why not?

Having some general design themes for each room or for the whole space can be a good way to keep from letting your stuff become your theme. Here are some theme ideas to consider when reconsidering your living space:

Greg Natale

1) Rustic chic

A vintage look is popular in all sorts of ways these days, whether it’s for a living room design scheme or a barnyard style wedding. This is also a good theme for just about any room in the house as it lends itself to nice neutral tones, which can be very adaptable to different rooms, and to comforting touches like distressed paint furniture or hand-knit blankets that can make just about any room feel comfier. If you tend to prefer comfort, but you don’t like overpowering color schemes or strong patterns, this would be a good theme for you.

Jessica Buckley Interiors

2) Retro futurism

This design theme recalls visions of the future from the past. Think George Jetson take on modernity. You tend to see lots of products in these kinds of design schemes that feature strong angles and bright (neon green and bright purple) or severe colors (black, white, and gray). This is a great design theme for rooms like the kitchen and bathroom, as modern design products for these areas tend to focus on efficient styling, which can make a room feel very sleek and clean.

James Dawson Interiors

4) Modern-Living

Spice up your apartment or add some fun to your living room. Have a favorite quote or song lyric? Custom custom die cut stickers are the perfect way to express yourself and bring ordinary walls to life. Designing unique custom stickers that are suitable for your room means you don’t need to spend a lot of money or effort to get customized wall decor. The difference between custom die cut stickers and other decal wall stickers is that you can design any shape, color, or appearance according to your apartment theme.

3) Nature-centric

There’s plenty of evidence out there to suggest that people tend to be happier when living in areas with lots of trees and green spaces. You can channel some of this into your indoor living spaces by choosing a design scheme that focuses on nature and natural things. Choose some indoor plants, as well as plants that can live in your window boxes or on your porch to add some nature your whole area. If you have trouble keeping plants alive, consider joining team faux. Don’t worry about the lackluster quality of fake plants from before; high-quality artificial plants that look just like the real thing – without the maintenance are perfect for you. They allow you to get the look while saving time, energy, and money. You can also get some hanging plants for inside or some materials to make your own hanging terrarium.

 Jessica Buckley Interiors

4) Big and bold

If you love bright colors and bold patterns, then you’re definitely in-tune with some of the biggest trends in interior design right now. Designers love a judicious use of really striking colors and patterns, like throw pillows in slightly different shades of a bright burgundy color, or a piece of wall art in a different but similar pattern to the rug.

The key is to focus on bold and bright but not to overdo it. Bold colors can overwhelm a space, so start out small with just a few items to act as highlights for the room. You should also consider exploring the wonderful world of color blocking. You may find that you prefer to stick to “strong” colors rather than “bright” colors. That is, stay away from hot pink and go instead for a dark red wine kind of color. This will still make a room feel full and expressive without making your eyes hurt.

Greg Natale

Designing a room is all about finding a theme that fits you and fits the space. Consider each room one at a time and ask yourself what the room is for, what you like to do there, and what theme will be most conducive to making the room comfortable for your lifestyle!