Full of Hot Air

Check out this crazy desk featured on Design Sponge. Permanent hot air balloons(!!) are used to support the desk. It's not just a fun concept either; it's actually the reception desk at the Boys and Girls ad adgency in Dublin. It was designed in response to a magazine article calling their reception area "small and routine." Not anymore.

Black and Blue...or maybe Green, too?

The pantry door in our kitchen is something I have disliked since the day we moved into our house. The glass is etched with flowers and the word "pantry" which is just too cutesy/country feeling. I have decided to paint the glass with black chalkboard paint, a simple and inexpensive solution. It will also be fun for our girls to doodle on, and useful for us to jot down notes. I'm settled on that idea, but I think painting the nearby mud room entry door would give this whole area a little face lift.  I haven't decided on the door color yet - see the options below, what do you think?

 

Option 1

All Black, this was my initial thought

Option 2

Bright Green, relates to the laundry room and other nearby colors

Option 3

Navy Blue, I love blue and am liking this option

Option 4

Grey, A little less stark than the all black option

Option 5

Dark Turquoise, another fav color and fun option

Option 6

Dark Blue/Grey, a good middle ground between the black and blue options. 

My favorites right now are Options 3 (Navy Blue) and 1 (All Black).  Which do you like?  I'll post pictures soon of the finished product...

Gallery Walls

Some inspiration for creating a gallery wall. 

This room from Small Posh Studios is gorgeous, and I love the eclectic gallery wall of different frame sizes and shapes.

Beautiful gallery wall along a curved stairway wall. Domino Magazine via All Things Tickled Pink.

A cleaner look with matching frames and a horizontal line organizing the arrangement. Photo from Martha Stewart.

I created my own gallery wall of family photos at the top of my stairs. I used mostly the same style frame, but added a few that were different and spray painted them black. I love the way this turned out, and found lots of other pictures I wanted to use during the process, so my next project is going to be a gallery wall of vacation landscape photos in our kitchen.

Here's how I did it: Layout the frames on the floor to find the arrangement you want, then tape templates to the wall to make sure you like how it's going to look. Hang the pictures on top of the paper to help guide placement.

Gallery walls don't have to be of only photos - this cool wall via The Inspired Home incorporates drawings, mirrors and a silohuette.

 

Untangled Technology

I would love to incorporate some of these cool solutions for hiding cords and all the clutter that comes along with our growing collection of technology into my next project.

A drawer devoted to all your gear completely conceals a techy mess.

This mudroom by Becker Architects Limited gives each family member their own cubby for storing and charging. 

I love this idea--it let's you have your computer nearby when you're in the kitchen, but you can quickly close it away and hide the mess.

This charging station from Think Geek is a fun way to store and charge multiple devices simultaneously.

Pottery Barn's Bedford organizer neatly stores your gadgets and would be great in an office or tucked away on the kitchen counter.

Universally Cool Bathrooms

Have you heard of Universal Design? It's an approach to design that seeks to find a design solution that functions for people universally. This includes older people and people with disabilities, but Universal Design does not mean a space must look institutional. Curbless showers are an example of UD that provide a cool design aesthetic and also functionality. Check out some of these great bathrooms designed using principles of Universal Design. They don't look like your grandmother's bathroom, but they could have been designed for her!

Designer Rules

Love this cool bedroom designed by Charm Home

Although there are no concrete rules to good design, there are principles designers use. In the May 2012 issue of House Beautiful, designers shared their secrets. Here are a few simple ones that can have a big impact. 

Never push furniture up against the walls. By pulling your seating arrangement in (even just a few inches), you instantly warm up a space and create flow. - Betsy Burnham

Where to hang artwork? I've found that 63" on center above the floor is a perfect viewing height for most pieces. - Hunter Kaiser

The perfect amount of space between a mirror and the top of a mantel is 7". - J Randall Powers

Lighting is everything. It creates atmosphere, drama, and intrigue in a room. The easiest way to accomplish this is with a dimmer switch. I always use dimmers, even in the powder room! - Martyn Lawrence Bullard

The minimum break for drapery panels that hang to the floor is 1/2". Anything less is like wearing high-wather pants! -Julie Massucco

The perfect wall color is seldom the prettiest shade on the fan deck. Give that slightly drab stepsister shade a go--it will be far more interesting. -Robin Bell

You never want to match your walls to a color in one of your fabrics. It will be too strong. Find a greyed-out version of the color. -Sallie Giordano

Below are a couple of my own rules for design:
Make sure your things have purpose, and edit out those that don't. Having fewer things with more meaning gives a sense of calmness and order to a space. Restraint is essential to good design.

Do not match your bedroom furniture--your bed frame, dressers, and bedside tables should not be a furniture set! Create a more interesting room by using pieces that relate to each other, but that are different. 

Do something unexpected. Add something fancy to an otherwise plain room or bring rustic elements into a refined space. This is what makes a space unique.

Faux Bois

This is not the same fake wood paneling you had in your basement in the 70s! Faux bois has made a comeback in home design and is a fun way to bring a rustic, or modern, vibe to a space. I'm incorporating this Thom Filicia faux bois fabric into a master bedroom. It's will be on accent pillows and also used to conceal a small portion of the box spring that peeks through the bed fame.

This rug from Zinc Door is a contemporary interpretation of faux bois. It's greyed out, making it a little less rustic feeling, but still very cool.

I love this wallcovering by Kara Mann that was featured in Metropolitan Home. Run horizontally, it's unexpected and makes this master bedroom feel serene and cozy.

Requiring a little less commitment, this cute faux bois pencil cup from Etsy is an inexpensive way to get bring home this trend.