Cowhide v. Zebra Prints

Photo credit: 1) randomanny.com; 2. Material Girl's Blog; 3. flickr.com; 4. Signature Furniture and Lights; 5. Matter of Style blog; 6. Luxury Modern Interior Decors blog; 7. Living Etc.; 8. Hilltop Contemporary; 9. Elements of Style blog; 10-13. Decor Pad; 14. Archi Expo.

I Spy... Amazing Floating Candlelight

The CB2 Whirly Candle Holders have caught my eye, and I will not rest until I buy them and hang them in my own home. They are a click away at cb2.com, and at $3.95 a piece, they are more than affordable. I can make a fabulous lighting fixture on the cheap. Meanwhile, until that package from CB2 is in my hands, I only have these lovely images to hold me over.

Pinky Brown Re-Design

modernthrifter.com

decor8blog.com

flickr.com via Apartment Therapy

cb2.com

Monday Blues

It's raining and it's Monday. 'Nuff said...



Photo credit: Home&Garden

Buddha Obsession

I LOVE Buddha as a decor element. I have one in almost every room in my house. They make a room so peaceful. The Buddha is a very popular item used in interior design. The seem to set the mood for the entire room.

Photo Credit: 1. Studio decal Buddha at coolil.com; 2. Caryn Grossman via Mocca & Me; 3. michaeldelpiero.com; 4. Source unknown; 5. Elle Decor March 09; 6. West Chin via Desire to Inspire; 7. dehome.co.uk; 8. Burham Designs in Lonny Mag via Mochatini.

Black Out

I've previously written on the Art of Black, and have mentioned that it is my favorite color. It is a great anchor, and can bring drama and aristocracy to a room. Even in small amounts, black makes such a bold statement. I love how black is used subtly as a trim in some of the pictures below. It doesn't take much. Black makes these rooms look so sophisticated.

{Click on any pic to enlarge}

Photo Credit: 1. Roman & Williams via 211- Elizabeth and Wendy Goodman of NY Mag via Remodelista; 2. Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper; 3. Mochatini via Lonny Magazine (Burham Designs); 4. Elle Decor Mag; 5. Elle Decor Mag, September 09; 6. Desire to Inspire; 7. Oh Joy; 8. Achados de Decoracao; 9. Roman & Williams via 211- Elizabeth and Wendy Goodman of NY Mag via Remodelista.

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.

Color Quiz

Apartment Therapy did a post called "What Color Matches Your Personality". They asked if you should decorate with the color that matches your personality. Absolutely. If the color is true to you than it only makes sense that using this color in your home will make your home true to you. Take the True Value color quiz to see what color matches your personality.

My color is black, which just so happens to be my favorite color! I don't know how accurate the description of my personality was, but the color match came out perfectly. I use black as an accent in my home. Picture frames, furniture pieces, and other nick knacks. Check out the post I did on The Art of Black.

Do you use your color match in your home?

Picture Credit: Duvet and Pillow Warehouse

More Bedroom Inspiration

In my last post I expressed how beneficial it is to layer your bedroom with texture, colors and patterns in order to create comfort and warmth. Photographer Deborah McLean does an incredible job capturing this approach superbly.

Do You Love Your Bedroom?

Many of us are existing in aimless, uninspired, neglected bedrooms. It serves its purpose, but it isn't enjoyable. My bedroom is my favorite room in the house. It isn't exactly where I want it to be yet, but it's getting there. I love spending time in there and that's what it's about. It should be a place to get away and escape the world.

Many of us hide behind the fact that not many people will see it. That is no excuse. The bedroom isn't for everyone else, it's for you. You should look forward to spending time in there.

The quickest way to begin a bedroom transformation is to buy new bedding and accent pillows. Changing the look of your bed can change the look of the entire room. An even bigger transformation would be to paint your bedroom. Paint creates mood and drama. Use calm, warm colors like blues and browns and greens with brown undertones. Even purple is calming- maybe a deep aubergine with pops of orange in the bedding or artwork (for the fearless). Gray works well too- especially grays with brown or green undertones.

Just as importantly, it's good to implement layering of different textures, patterns and colors. This is key to creating a warm environment, unless you're going for a more modern, minimalist look; otherwise your room is just boring and under dressed.

Here are some bedroom inspirations to help get you started. It will be so worth the effort, I promise!

Credits: 1. Apartment Therapy 2. Nusa Dua Beach, Perkasa Tour; 3. This is Glamorous via Apartment Therapy; 4. Sarah Dorio via Desire to Inspire; 5. Matter via Remodelista; 6. Paris Hidden Hotel, Remodelista; 7. Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper; 8. Mocca & Me; 9. Eric Kuster via Mocca & Me; 10. House of Turquoise; 11. Michael Penney via House of Turquoise; 12. Helen Green via House of Turquoise; 13. Elle Decor Nov. 2009; 14. Elle Decor November 2007; 15. Coastal Living via Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper; 16. Burham Designs, Lonny Magazine via Mochatini; 17. Guide to Dubai.