Brussels in Bloom: Annual Carpet of Flowers

Photo Credit: Bliss

The Art of Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables can create such a beautiful display. The myriad of colors, the vibrancy or those colors, and the beauty of their shape just simply make food look good. That's why garnish is so popular. Now that the warm weather is here, try making colorful veggie and fruit salads or vibrant beverages- I bet you'll enjoy your food so much more.

1 & 4. Deb McClean; 2. PicFor.me; 3. My own pic; 5. Grilled Vegetables.

I Spy...

... An amazing bedroom created by the blogger of Knight Moves. She even breaks down where all of this amazing furniture came from. Her design sense is phenomenal, as you can see below.

I love the color of the walls; and the contrast of traditional, victorian, and contemporary elements. The juxtaposition of patterns and textures works masterfully. Check out more of her home on her blog.

-FYI, I die for that bench. I have something similar in my own home, which I will be revealing soon.

The Art of Blue... At Crate&Barrel

I've already discussed the art of blue here, where I explained that blue is a relaxing, communicative color that aids in suppressing appetite. If you're feeling blue these days, you may want to check out Crate&Barrel to incorporate this color into your home. They have some great pieces and home items that would provide touches of blue to your home marvelously.

$74.95 Bathroom Makeover (Tax not incl.)

My friend Amy was making a Home Goods run (she's a good friend of mine, so of course she knows to go to the mecca for on the cheap finds!) and she asked me come with to help her spruce up her bathroom inexpensively. A quick cosmetic fix is a great idea when you're low on money and/or time, or if you rent.

Her goal: To completely change her bathroom with a few simple items. She hated her shower curtain, her bathmat, and her bathroom mirror and wanted those replaced; and she wanted something decorative to hold her toilet paper in. Easy! Knowing exactly what she wanted made the search fast and simple.

Check out the before:

Here's what we found at Home Goods:

Shaggy bathmat: $16.99. I originally wanted a mat in the blue family to compliment the vase, but we couldn't find one that was the right size and color. The neutral color was actually a perfect runner-up. It ties in the blue vase and the chocolate brown shower curtain with out overpowering either color. The shagginess of the rug is a perfect compliment bringing texture and affect into the bathroom.

Blue/brown vase: $19.99. This will serve as the container for toilet paper. This vase is actually a lot more blue and more eye catching in person, and perfect to hold toilet paper in. This item looks decorative while simultaneously acting as functional a functional piece; and its the perfect pop of color for the space.

You never have to use pieces exactly in the manner they designated for. Changing it up gives a room more interest.

Shower curtain: $12.99. The chocolate brown shower curtain will give the bathroom added sophistication and will provide a more contemporary flare. It's the largest piece in the bathroom and will therefore have the largest impact. The bold color and slight sheen will define the entire space.

Mirror: $19.99. This will go over the sink. It will also give an updated, contemporary look to the bathroom. The simple detail on the frame keeps it modern and clean.

Curtain hooks: $4.99. Silver, shiny and sophisticated. Small details like curtain hooks matter. The contemporary shower curtain needed contemporary accessories to make the look complete.

Can't wait to see the finished product. I'll keep you posted!

Spotted: More Than Adequate Seating

Whoa! What more can I say about the Mademoiselle Chair Missoni by Kartell but, have a seat!

(Click to enlarge image)

The Art of Black: Black with Pop

Black is actually my favorite color. Many present it as the color of darkness and evil, but it can also represent power. In ancient Egypt, it represents life and rebirth.

It absorbs all light in the color spectrum: so its either draining or completely fulfilling. I like to look at it as quite complete, and integrative. Everything goes with black.

I love what About.com has to say about the feng shui of black:

"Black color is full of the feng shui energy of mystery and sophistication; it holds the energy of power and protection. The color of night, deep waters and universal void, feng shui use of color black adds depth, strength and definition to any space.

In Feng Shui, Black belongs to the element of Water, direction North, and it is the color of Yin, or feminine, passive energy in the feng shui Yin-Yang combination."

I love that black is feminine- the Yin of the Yang; and now it makes complete sense why men also love it so much.

I didn't want to appear completely overpowering on this sunny day in August, so here are some black rooms with unexpected pops of color for your viewing pleasure. Happy weekend!

The Soho Hotel

DecorPad

rol.vn

thecolorofblushingapples.blogspot.com

apartmenttherapy.com

Now that's powerful!

The Art of Fusing Blue and Yellow

In my post on The Art of the Blues, I promised I would look into successful blends of blue and yellow. It was an extremely difficult task. It is not that I didn't find decor attempts at commingling the two, I just didn't find many that didn't make me somewhat ill- did I say that?

Emotionally, yellow and blue appear to be conflicting colors except for the fact that it could create one-big-weight loss inducing room (see The Art of the Blues). Yellow can elicit feelings of cheerfulness and warmth, but also frustration and anger. Blue, among several things, is calming and tranquil. But why not feel calm, cheery and frustrated at the same time? We are very complex creatures that way. I just hope it doesn't send you into a psychological tailspin.

Well, here is what I believe are a few successful attempts at fusing the now infamous (at least here at The Art of...) BLUE AND YELLOW.

1. OM Home; 2. Desire to Inspire; 3. DecorPad; 4. From the Right Bank to the Left Coast; 5. Muslim Worker; 6. Persian fireplace rug from ivgStores.com

The Art of the Blues

I have the blues... Blue is such a beautiful color. It resonates as tranquil, calm, relaxing and supposedly it can open the channels for communication.

Back in my post on The Art of Using Yellow, I didn't add the little tidbit that apparently yellow can increase metabolism. I don't know how true this is, but for those of you who are interested, don't go running to change your entire domicile into a hot yellow mess just yet, because apparently there are other options. Supossedly, blue suppresses appetite. But if you like to cook and entertain, I wouldn't suggest blue for your dining area unless you want everyone pushing your hard work around their plates.

Hmm, can yellow and blue come together successfully? I'll have to get back to you on that one.

Well, I just wanted to rub a little of my blues on to you for the weekend. Enjoy!

New York Spaces Magazine

Completly Coastal

Elle Decor

Jonny Valiant