But if you feel like a video fix, the good news is that there are a few that stand out from the crowd. Here are my picks – ranging from informative to plain hilarious. Enjoy.

House and Home TV, from Canadian House and Home magazine, has a great selection of videos, most of them showcasing real homes and providing decorating tips along the way. As in the magazine, the interiors are usually tasteful and affordable. This particular one is more upmarket as it’s a showcase home. But it’s a beautiful space that translates pretty well to video. You can see better quality versions of House and Home videos on the magazine web site.

Another good source is to search for entries to Apartment Therapy‘s Smallest Coolest contests on YouTube. I like this one because, not only is the design adorable, but the owner has so obviously focused on making her place truly personal.

Now this next one is entirely different. Have you ever wondered what the house of one of the world’s richest men looks like? Well, if he’s the founder of Microsoft, the answer is it looks pretty amazing! This video is a 3D rendering of Bill Gates’ Seattle home. It focuses on the technology that makes the house respond to its inhabitants’ every needs from heat, to light, to music. But the NorthWest style architecture, with its great expanses of glass and wood, is spectacular while being sympathetic to its environment.

Who says design fanatics only like to look at images? The TEDtalks are tremendously entertaining speeches from inspiring people. You have to check out this one with Philippe Starck. He doesn’t show any visuals but it’s fascinating all the same. Who knew the guy was so funny? Warning: it’s kind of long.

I saved this one until last because, well, just watch it and see! I’ve no idea where this came from or why it was made, but it made me laugh. Probably says more about my appalling sense of humor than anything else. But, anyone who has trailed despondently round those out-of-town furniture megastores in the hope of spotting a tasteful bargain will immediately ‘get’ this.

Have you found any interior design videos that are worth watching? If so, please do share…

This innovative collection is called ‘Bright Woods’ because they’re lit from within by LED lights. That’s right, those white stripes are fabulous, glowing streams of light, set against the most gorgeously smooth and tactile, polished wood. They look like something straight off the set of Avatar. Here’s what they look like without the light.

I think they’re beautiful either way. While they probably wouldn’t work in my Edwardian house (!), I have to say that I find them irresistible. Perhaps that’s because they look like over-sized chocolate swirls! Or maybe I’m drawn to alien life-forms as furniture? Either way, they’re definitely unique.

You’ll recognize many of the shots in this post, I’m sure. But even if they’re new to you, hopefully you’ll enjoy the way he seems to make every space look so glamorous and other-wordly. This dining area’s glossy green walls and dappled light give an underwater feel.

Pink never looked so grown-up.

And the all-white rooms in his portfolio are positively shimmering with metallic and reflective surfaces.

All of which is, of course, helped by sky-high ceilings and over-size windows.

Waldron is definitely a photographer to check out if you feel like a glimpsing dose of the good life!

This is the picture that started it all. A minor obsession with symmetry, that is. There’s something about the symmetry of the exposed rafters, the shutters, matching consoles and round mirrors that speaks to me. It’s cool, calm and collected – an effect that’s further enhanced by the all-white palette. Complete order and I love it.

Symmetry has been used in design for millennia, and it’s still one of the easiest ways to pull a room together. But, as a technique, it’s suffered a bit of bad rap because it can look so formulaic and characterless. So, I decided to look into what makes a successful symmetrical arrangement. How do you apply symmetry without killing the personality and warmth of a space?

This room pretty much sums it up: There’s symmetry in the architecture (paired windows) and in the way the chairs and pillows are arranged. But there are also elements that hint at symmetry but are somehow ‘off’ – like the three irregularly-grouped but similar urn-shaped vases on the mantelpiece. Then the striking rug, blue walls and mock antlers lift the space out of the sphere of the ordinary.

This living room, from Ellen Pompeo’s house as featured in Elle Decor, is much more understated. But the symmetrical arrangement is given a focal point in the form of an oversize moorish-style mirror. A single statement piece at the center of your symmetrical set-up can change the look from predictable to powerful.

Another technique is to use offbeat pieces to create your symmetry. Just one of these cane sofas would be eye-catching enough, but using two against a relatively simple backdrop is truly dramatic.

Here the symmetry of the room’s architecture is subtley drawn out with the use of two unusual red chairs in an otherwise neutral scheme. There’s actually no other symmetry in this room – the chairs are enough to create a sense of order.

Twin beds naturally invite a symmetrical arrangement. Unusual shapes and a strong monochromatic palette keep things interesting.

Sometimes symmetry can be found in the smallest details. These symmetrical shelves are a sweet way to ensure a sense of order in the kitchen without creating a wall of uniform cabinets.

So what do you think of symmetry? Design by numbers or a perfect balance?

Credits:

1 – Delight by Design; 2 – House Beautiful;  3 – Elle Decor; 4 – Canadian House and Home; 5 – House Beautiful; 6 – Canadian House and Home; 7 – Canadian House and Home

I was pretty amazed yesterday to see that Google’s home page design was in celebration of Josef Frank’s 125th birthday. It’s not exactly a public holiday or day of global celebration. In fact, I imagine most Americans would be asking ‘who on earth is Josef Frank?’ But the ‘doodle’ created to mark the occasion will still be familiar to anyone interested in design.

Josef Frank, of course, was the Austrian-Swedish architect and designer who created the fantastical designs still seen in textiles today. What’s incredible is that, even though he was born 125 years ago and passed away in 1967, his designs still look so incredibly fresh and modern. To my mind, that’s the mark of true innovation. Feast your eyes on some of these examples of his work.

All from Svenskt Tenn.

And, just to show how wonderful Frank’s designs can look in a contemporary space, check out this image from Apartment Therapy.

Ah, a ray of sunshine for the start of the weekend, don’t you think?

So, which other designers do you think should feature in the Google homepage doodle?

For starters, isn’t this a glorious blue for a kitchen? The color was inspired by Yvonne’s time living in Mexico. I’m into the open shelves, mini pendant lights, tiles and extra-long cabinet hardware.

If you’re going to have open shelves in a kitchen, you’ve got to buy groceries that look like this.

Moroccan tea tray tables always look great, but this one, which happens to be Turkish, looks spectacular under this chandelier. What a great juxtaposition of styles.

Here a vintage champagne bottle holder has been converted into magazine storage/installation art. So cool!

More inspired styling – spring in letter and in spirit!

A great art wall looks even better over a geometric dresser.

Cozy sheepskin rugs on wicker chairs? That’s one way to ensure your home works as well in the winter as the summer.

We’ve all seen oversize maps used in kids’ rooms, but this looks particularly cute against the blue wall and with the patchwork bedding.

So much to love about this bathroom: the smooth modern tub and basin, sloping roof, low windows… It all spells peace and quiet.

I like the way this photo wall meanders up the stairs, with plenty of space for future pics.

These are hand-painted porcelain eggs, suspended to look like a chandelier. So beautiful…

If you like Yvonne’s style (and who wouldn’t?) she also has an Etsy store – check out the stunning bird and butterfly collages. I’m sorely tempted to buy one of the bird ones for our little boy’s nursery…

I’ve just finished reading American Modern by designer, Thomas O’Brien. Unlike many hardback design books which are overly reliant on photos and provide very little real information about the design process, O’Brien’s book is characteristically detailed (although the photos by Laura Resen are spectacular too). One of the things I admire most about O’Brien is the way his rooms look so organic, as if they have evolved over years. Although he’s a decorator, designer, and definitely an innovator, O’Brien is also a collector and curator and he uses items that reflect both his personal interests and those of his clients in his work.

There are many useful lessons to be learned from his particular approach to interior design, so I thought I’d extract a few of the ones I found most enlightening.

1. Pay attention to the background

A collection of objects is only as beautiful as its background. Even though furniture and furnishings are often the stars of the show, O’Brien pays extraordinary attention to detail with the architectural structure, fixtures and finishings that act as backdrop. Whether it’s altering the height of doors and alcoves to ensure they are all aligned,  designing kitchen cabinets to reflect the shape and size of a window, replacing every door handle in a house with vintage sterling silver ones, or lining a bookshelf in a rich eggplant paint to convey formality, he’s guaranteed to have thought every inch of a space through.

The room below, for example, features a series of doors in metal-framed wire glass, inspired by an elevator in a nearby hotel, which provides architectural interest and a vintage look, while letting light into the space.

These kitchen cabinets were designed to line up with the windows and there’s unique detail in the countertops which are marble set inside a concrete edge.

2. Neutral is a color

O’Brien’s spaces are often characterized by apparently simple, calming neutral palettes. But his selection of a neutral palette is as carefully thought-through as any color scheme. He chooses between mid-toned creamy grays:

Warm honey blondes:

And cool milky whites (I know, I know, I’ve posted this picture a million times but I can’t resist – it’s such an amazing room):

He adds interest with metallic, reflective and gilded surfaces, as well as with subtle pattern and lots of texture. And, of course his signature is a lot of contrast between dark and light. But the lesson here is to think about the color of a particular wood, stone, metal or any other apparently neutral material and make deliberate choices in order to bring cohesiveness to any collection of objects.

3. Get out the history books

Although O’Brien’s designs are always fresh and modern, they also pay homage to the past through historical reference. It’s a highly cerebral approach to design and helps to ensure even the most eclectic collection of objects works together. Time and time again you see elements that have been inspired by vintage pieces he’s collected over the years. No item is too small to influence a scheme: take the duvet cover below, based on a 1940s napkin, as an extreme but not unusual example!

His Long Island house, The Academy, which was originally a schoolhouse, is another great example. Part of the house was built in the 1920s and there are many elements either from that period or inspired by it, such as the tall backsplash, bracketed shelving and enameled pendant lights in the kitchen to the 1920s vanity in the bathroom. It’s inspired me to look at historical references when it comes time to renovate the kitchen in our own house, which was built in 1922.

4. Expect the unexpected

While O’Brien respects and refers to history in his designs, he’s not afraid to break with tradition either. He’s known for his Manhattan apartment which throws convention out of the window and combines a bedroom and living room into one.

On a smaller scale, he introduces unexpected elements such as a table lamp on the kitchen countertop, men’s shirt fabric as bedlinen and a vast library table in the middle of the living room as a way to create that ‘collected’ feel.

5. Repetition, repetition, repetition

Throughout O’Brien’s spaces, you see repetition of colors, textures and shapes. This helps to create a layered effect which ensures both consistency and interest. The palette of the marble fireplace, for example, may be repeated in an ottoman, side table, and a print. A mantelpiece may be given a more unified look with repeated use of spherical objects. It’s all extremely deliberate and yet looks so uncontrived.

Sometimes O’Brien’s spaces are more sparse, sometimes almost cluttered. But they always look welcoming, cohesive and truly personal. It’s a look I’ve yet to master (I have a long way to go) but will certainly be drawing on O’Brien as inspiration in the future.

Photo credits:

1 – via La Dolce Vita

2,3,5,7,10 – Laura Resen

4 and 9 -  William Waldron, from a feature in Elle Decor

How about a glamorous apartment in the heart of Paris?

Or a rustic oceanside house in Greece?

Or a sun-soaked villa with a view in Provence, in the South of France?

Or maybe a farmhouse in Tuscany, Italy?

Perhaps an elegant townhouse in Venice is more your style?

Then again, why not push the boat out and pick this colorful home in Bali?

Well, have you found your dream home to stay in this summer?

Credit: all homes from this site.

The site is fun to browse even if you’re not in the market for furniture, in part because of the edgy product shots.

Prices range from $289 for a bone inlay tray to $2799 for a mother-of-pearl dresser. I happen to think it’s worth it because all the pieces display wonderful craftsmanship and would no doubt be future heirlooms.

Best of all, the collection has pieces in four enticingly-named colors: Opium (black), ember (gray), paneer (white) and lotus (pink). Yes, pink! If only I had space for a pink mother-of-pearl inlay dresser!

Of course the big downside of bone inlay furniture specifically is that it’s, well, bone. But this site only has products with bone from camels that have already died of natural causes. If you still don’t like the idea of it, the mother-of-pearl option might be more palatable. Personally, my preference is for mother-of-pearl anyway – I love its opalescence.

This is Sang and Serena’s first collection, so I’m excited to see what comes next. I’m wishing for benches and stools and maybe a range of products in sky blue…

I’m always drawn to modern white spaces with the simple, uncluttered look. But, at the same time, I know if I lived in one I’d long for a splash of color and a more casual vibe. This house is, to me, the perfect compromise. The combination of white gloss, horizontal lines and low-slung furniture with characterful accessories in fresh pink and green is just stunning. It would feel like summer year-round in this house, wouldn’t it? (From Micasa Revista via Achados de Decoracao).

The key to this space is the styling. The essentials are all neutral but it’s the pillows, blanket and flowers that inject color. The boxy sofas are tastefully restrained but the tropical print cushion and the chartreuse floor pillows just say ‘relax’.

A glimpse of the kitchen shows it’s just as minimal, with glossy white cabinets and a stainless steel hood. The use of drawers instead of traditional cabinets creates more horizontal lines to echo the living area’s low-key, loungy feel.

I love these blue-gray light shades in the kitchen. I bet those bar stools actually live on the other side of the island though and are just placed there for the photo…

This bedroom actually has many of the things I tend to steer clear of: very low beds, multiple pillows, teeny tiny rugs… But the effect here, in the context of the rest of the space, is great. And that color palette again!

Now this is a bathroom to hang out in! Huge limestone tiles and sleek white drawers create yet more of those horizontal lines. And, yet again, it’s balanced with a little bit of handcrafted character in the form of the crochet basket and perfume bottles.

Although it looks effortless and laid back, this space is actually a triumph in attention to detail. The fact that there’s so much continuity from room to room no doubt adds to the relaxed feel. And the fresh colors and abundant light make this place almost as good as being outdoors on a summer’s day. Almost!