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As you might have guessed from my absence the past week or so, baby number two finally arrived! He’s a gorgeous, healthy little boy. We’re back home, getting into a routine and just getting used to being a family of four. In honor of the occasion, I thought I’d show you how the nursery turned out – having got it finished just in time.
If you recall from my earlier post, I really wanted to introduce wallpaper into this room. It had to be appropriate for a baby but last through his toddler years or possibly serve for an adult guest room or office one day (if we switch the rooms around). I settled on this Hick’s Hexagon by Cole and Son, thinking a geometric pattern would serve all those needs. I especially love the color – a really pure, clear, summery blue, which tones well with the paint (Polar Sky by Benjamin Moore).
Because I went with this classic baby boy blue, I felt the other elements in the room didn’t need to be overly childish. The wall decal above the dresser/changing table is child-friendly enough, without being cartoony. The rug is a gray safari pattern from West Elm and, again, will hopefully work for a more grown up room down the line.
Ok, now I know this rocker is pretty hideous. We bought it cheaply when my first son was born and it’s not exactly a style centerpiece. But it’s comfortable, which I know from experience is all that matters in those long, dark, sleepless nights! We looked everywhere for an alternative that we liked but cost less than $1,000. They are few and far between. We decided to keep it for a few months until the baby is sleeping through the night, then we’ll swap it for an ordinary chair, which is likely to be cheaper but infinitely more stylish. Much better than spending a fortune on a replacement rocker.
I’ve coveted this bamboo mobile for a while. You can find it online at various stores like Giggle or Branch. I found one in our local baby boutique. I don’t expect it to work as the main source of entertainment for a newborn – we have a musical mobile for that – but it’s something to look at while he’s feeding.
I also found this wicker ottoman at Pier 1 Imports for $30. I had considered a Moroccan pouf and found some stunning ones in tan leather. But, unfortunately, the smell of goat leather is just too pungent for a small, south-facing room – and way too off-putting considering the time we’ll be spending in here. Amazing the things you have to think of when furnishing a nursery! Who’d have thought smell would be a factor?
The elephant is from Restoration Hardware, the lamp from Lamps Plus and the clock was a gift from my parents.
The bedding is from Target. And no nursery would be complete without the plush toy shot! I know, you’re going to tell me I shouldn’t have anything in the crib. Don’t worry, the quilt and toys live elsewhere when the baby’s in the crib. I just couldn’t resist including them in the photo.
So, now that both kids’ rooms have been done, I’ll be able to get back to grown-up decorating only. Between feeding and tummy time, that is…
After the florals and frills of the last few posts, I’m feeling the need to highlight some rooms with a more edgy aesthetic. (Maybe it’s the nesting instinct that’s drawing me to clean-lined, minimal spaces!?) Luckily, I came across this stunning house by designer Nacho Polo on Vintage + Chic, which fits the bill entirely. Cool, calm, collected and utterly stylish. Not sure I could live in it, but I sure wish I had the discipline to create something this stunning.
This is my favorite room. I love those dining chairs.
Interesting use of contrasting shapes here. It makes the simple color scheme more exciting.
Clever to use the all-white frames as a form of art in itself.
Love that black chandelier and rococo wallpaper in an otherwise modern minimalist bathroom.
Even if you can’t handle black and white in every room, I think it’s perfect for making the most of a small bathroom.
What do you think? Could you live here? And even if not, wouldn’t you love to visit?
I’ve neglected to post here for a while because I’ve been so busy trying to wrap up work and get everything organized before the baby comes. The due date is Sunday and I finally feel like everything is under control. There’s just time to show you one of the decorating projects we’ve been working on at home – the guest room.
As you know, the arrival of baby number two means we needed to convert our top floor office into a multi-function office and guest room. It’s a bit of a squeeze: there’s no actual closet in this room so we needed some clothes storage space for guests. And, given that our families and friends come all the way from England, we wanted a proper bed for them to rest their jetlagged selves! Plus, as we already had a lot of the furniture, we couldn’t go out and buy new mini-sized pieces to fit.
The solution was to keep the whole room as uncluttered as possible with just a few pieces of essential furniture and a very calming color scheme of white, green and taupe. I also really wanted to blend the decor with the view outside, since there are four windows in this tiny space. The wallpaper, which is Sweet Bay by Sanderson, is supposed to echo the flowering trees and vines in the gardens visible from this room. It’s much more traditional than I intended, but it does have a beautiful painterly effect. It even seems to make the room bigger. We already had the bedside tables, found in an antiques store in San Francisco, Past Perfect. The mirror is from another SF junk store, sadly closed now. The bed and bedside lamps are IKEA. I considered using task lights to balance the floral wallpaper with a more industrial look. But the angular lines clashed with the pattern, so it was back to my trusty IKEA lamps…
Here’s a close up of the wallpaper. As it’s pretty much the only exciting feature we had space for in this room, I thought I’d better make the most of it!
The other end of the room is the business end, so to speak. As this space has to function as an office, we needed lots of storage space. The dresser is actually a very cheap filing cabinet bought online. The top drawer can be reserved for guests. I used lots of boxes and magazine holders on the shelving to keep it from looking too cluttered or busy. The desk fits here too, along the window, but we decided to take it out for now as we have various family members staying for a while and wanted to give them as much room as possible.
I used light filtering roller blinds to keep the sun out on summer days and for privacy. The thicker roman shades from The Shade Store keep the heat in at night.
What would we do without West Elm for finishing touches like lacquer trays?!
Here’s part of the view from the window. When the desk is here, it’ll be a relaxing place for working and thinking. (By the way, can you spot the photographer??)
The ceiling light fixture is from EQlight. They have fantastically intricate shades in different sizes. When the light is switched on you can really see all the detail – the shape almost mirrors the blooms on the wallpaper.
So, there it is, a little oasis of calm for our guests in the hectic mania that is our home (soon to be even more hectic, no doubt!)
The days are getting longer and warmer and I’m finding myself looking for fresh, bright interiors to usher in the spring. Anita Kaushal is a UK-based interior designer and writer whose aesthetic fits the bill perfectly. These airy spaces, from Anita’s own home, have all the airy appeal of a spring morning. Take a look and get inspired to swap your brights for white, fling open the windows and bring in some fresh flowers…
I love how these spaces are both casual and somehow also pulled-together. This looks like a great place for kids as well as a chilled grown-up hang-out. You can see more at Anita’s web site.
There have been literally thousands of articles written about how to decorate with white. Given that it is the most frequently used – and often deemed safest – color for interiors, why is it so hard to get right? Perhaps it’s precisely because white is so ubiquitous that its risks are under-estimated.
I know that when I use white, it takes several attempts and a lot of tinkering before I’m truly happy with the effect. And yet, most of my favorite interior images are predominantly white. So I decided to tackle the problem head on and devise some easy-to-follow rules for using the interior decorator’s most faithful hue.
White on white
Via This is Glamorous.
I think this is the easiest way to use white – IF you follow the rule to the letter. To work, this look requires a strict palette of different whites (all cool or all warm) and, at most, neutrals like grays or beiges.
Via Peacock Feathers.
Via Decor8.
This look is fantastic with lots of natural textures like grainy woods, leather, stone, rough linens and soft wool.
Via Pure Style Home.
Painted surfaces can be chipped, scuffed or weathered for even more texture.
Via Remodelista.
Alternatively, you can go for high gloss white and glass, metallics and mirrors or sequins.
(Photo by Marc Gerritson via Desire to Inspire)
A combination of both rustic and sparkly looks great too. And don’t forget about shapes – using a combination of curvy, boxy and star-like pieces can keep the interest level up.
Via Bochenko Artdeco.
Photo by Anna Kern via Beauty Comma.
Via Decorology.
White with pastels
Via Peacock Feathers.
This is a really pretty, feminine look and a relatively easy way to use white. Combining white with one pastel, like rose pink or mint green is the safest option. I like to paint walls in a pastel and then use white for all the furniture, fabrics and flooring – again using a variety of textures and styles.
But you can also mix a few different pastels with white, providing they’re all of the same intensity.
Via Simplified Bee.
Or, ensuring that they all have the same amount of gray in them also helps.
Via Bochenko Artdeco.
For a more harmonious look, I would choose pastels that are closer together on the color wheel – blue, gray and green for example, or pink, peach and yellow.
White and one other color
Another good option is to use white with a single other color. Blue and white is a traditional example.
By Feldman Architecture via Houzz.
You can combine lots of different patterns small and large, if they stick to this same time-honored palette. Try to use similar blues, though, unless you are very confident in your color skills. Or, if you want variety, go with a very pale blue and a very dark blue like navy, along with the white. That will prevent conflict between the various shades.
Via Desire to Inspire.
Red and white is a good alternative to this recipe. Turquoise, emerald and orange also work well in isolation with white. Whichever you choose, though, try to use the colors in slightly different proportions: a room that has exactly the same quantities of red and white, say, just looks contrived. And you might want to throw in a few elements of black or dark brown to anchor the whole thing and stop it from looking to matchy-matchy.
White and black
Now established as a firm favorite for many of us, this bold combination would have required a bit of courage a couple of years back. That said, it’s relatively easy look to pull off. Again, think about proportion and try not to have each color in equal measure.
Via A Room Somewhere.
Think about texture, pattern and style and mix things up to keep the look interesting.
Via Slipcover Your Life.
Via Casapinka.
If you get the urge for a splash of color, temporary accents like flowers are the best bet or the whole effect will be diluted.
Via Desire to Inspire.
That said, I do like seeing the odd splash of yellow, pink or red in a black and white room – and gray-blue works well as a backdrop for spaces accessorized in only black and white.
White and brights
You’d think this would be easy – a safe white background should allow you to use whatever combination of brights you like, right? Wrong. Of course, you should do what you love and feel right living with. But my point is that it’s hard to feel comfortable with this look unless you get it right. In my experience, the use of several brights can just make the white elements look dull and boring – like a non-choice. The key is in the proportions. Either go for a predominantly white room with a few accents of brights (lime green pillows, a vase of pink peonies and a splash of yellow and turquoise art, for example).
Via Kika Reichart.
Via Coco + Kelley.
Via Ill Seen, Ill Said.
Or, really layer in the brights and use the white for negative space only (which means you probably don’t want any white next to white unless it’s a different texture.
Via Peacock Feathers.
Again, sticking to bright colors close to each other on the color wheel (pinks, purples, reds for example) helps pull it all together.
Via Beauty Comma.
What’s your experience of using white? Do you agree with these guidelines or do you have better suggestions? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I’ve made enough mistakes with white and know plenty of others who’ve done the same so some simple rules would save us all a lot of heartache!
(First image: source unknown)
I know black walls have been a design trend for at least a year. But it still takes courage and conviction to decorate with black. I still can’t get over the fact I chose two black-framed mirrors for our house – I thought I was being so bold!
But I’ve come to realize that there are some lower-commitment ways to decorate with black. If you love the drama of black but don’t want a moody look, check out some of these ideas.
Glossy black wood door and window frames, with lots of white and a bit of glass, keep the space light.
Just a few pieces of black furniture, like this coffee table and bookshelf, allow you to dabble in black decor, without going the whole way.
Even an entire wall in black wallpaper looks light when it is punctuated with an open doorway.
A black armoire sets a classic tone for a white room decorated with black accents.
Just a single piece of black and white fabric injects drama into this muted bedroom.
Black walls are an easier option when you have lots of windows. I also like the cozy effect for an office. I like to think it would aid concentration!
I love black in kitchens against all that marble and chrome.
In bathrooms, it looks so decadent – even when you only use a tiny bit of black.
Talk about making a statement. Black doors and a simple black table make this otherwise all-white entryway fabulous. I love lilac accents (in this case the flowers) too.
A dramatic black and white canvas breathes life into a space.
This room demonstrates solid commitment to black – but the soft textures (drapes, velvet sofa) make it more inviting.
This really pretty pendant looks great against the more austere black wall and stone fireplace.
Or reverse the look with a modern black pendant against a pretty backdrop of traditional white walls and fixtures.
I love the graphic appeal of a striped rug and lots of black picture frames.
If you don’t like the idea of painting a wall black, who could resist the luxe appeal of black wood?
With paneling it’s even more effective.
Or pick out an architectural feature – in this case the staircase – in black.
Or how about switching things up and painting the wainscoting black and the upper walls white? It has the effect of grounding an almost white space.
Have you tried decorating with black? Do you still love it?
Credits:
1 & 2 – Decorpad, 3 – Apartment Therapy, 4 – source unknown, 5 – Apartment Therapy, 6 – Peacock Feathers, 7 & 8 – Pink Wallpaper, 9 – Simplified Bee, 10 – Peacock Feathers, 11 – This is Glamorous, 12 & 13 – Graham Atkins Hughes via Desire to Inspire, 14 – The City Sage, 15 – Apartment Therapy, 16 – The Rug Company, 17 – Door Sixteen, 18 – A Life More Fabulous.
The portfolio of Australian interiors photographer, Sharyn Cairns, is a study in contrasts. Charcoal against white. Juicy red against deep blue. Fresh flowers against dilapidated walls. The result is quite stunning.
The first few shots below are a little moodier. I’ve never seen red, white and blue look quite so un-4th of July! That’s because the blue is more gray. I’d like to try this combination somewhere in the house but am not sure I could live with it every day.
The next few images are much brighter and lighter. I’d definitely find this much easier to live with. Just look at these cathedral ceilings with the chandelier.
I absolutely love this bedroom. That bedside cabinet is so stunning…
There’s nothing better than a chunky, grainy wooden dining table with white Eames chairs. The next dining room we have – this is what it should look like.
Check out Sharyn‘s portfolio for more.
There’s something magical about the combination of white, silver, wood and glass in an interior. The effect is both ethereal and grounded. I think it’s one of my favorite looks. So I was excited to discover British photographer Mark Scott‘s portfolio online, which captures this mix beautifully.
I also love his lifestyle photos, which have a very different vibe. They include some gorgeous outdoor dining tables (and you know I’m partial to garden dining rooms!), fit for an idyllic summer party.
All photos via Mark Scott’s web site.
The July issue of Elle Decoration UK features the home of Danish photographer, Ditte Isager. The apartment may be in New York, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it was in Denmark because the place is so light and fresh. What I loved about her place is the way it looks as though it has evolved over years.
Of course, since I can’t link to the magazine as it has no website (what is that??) I went off in search of Ditte’s portfolio. And I wasn’t disappointed.
Ditte has a way of capturing texture. The colors in her photos are very subtle, but the textures are the real stars. There’s an interior design lesson in there somewhere…
Elegant but unpredictable.
Who knew a pile of wood, some sticks and some leaves could look so great?
She also does beautiful travel photos – Alek this would be right up your street!
All photos by Ditte Isager, via Edge Reps.
I’ve started to become a fan of black and white patterns in interiors. There’s nothing quite like the drama and contrast of a black and white scheme to energize a room. In particular, I’ve been eyeing up some of the fabulous wallpapers out there in this popular color combination. There are literally thousands to choose from. It’s quite bewildering. At some point I may pick one for the bedroom wall that has been naked for so long. (Although I’m actually enjoying browsing the options still, so don’t count on a decision any time soon!)
Here are a few of my all-time favorite black and white wallpapers, as well as some stunning new finds. There are some pretty wild patterns in here but, I figure if you’re going to go for the graphic appeal of black and white, you may as well go all the way and pick something that stands out.
And here are the deets:
1 – Random Geometry by Nama Rococo (I only just discovered this fabulous source of wallpaper); 2 – Sixty-Eight by Nama Rococo; 3 – Serious Bokay by Nama Rococo; 4 – Butterfly Valley by Elli Popp; 5 – Bindweed by Ferm Living; 6 – Butterfly by Timorous Beasties; 7 – Leaf by Timorous Beasties; 8 – Mediterranea by Cole & Son; 9 – Elise by Monsoon; 10 – Unknown; 11 – Modern Scroll by Nono; 12 – Horses Stampede by Florence Broadhurst; 13 – Pretty in print – peacock by Judit Gueth; 14 – Grove Garden by Osborne and Little; 15 – Unknown, via the Glam Lamb; 16 – Colada by Umbra; 17 -Walk in the Park by Osborne and Little;18 – Bittern Feather by Graham and Brown; 19 – Exotic by Julien MacDonald; 20 – Butterflies by Kate Larsen; 21 – Solitude by Superfresco Soraya; 22 – Cow Parsley by Cole & Son
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