Fireplaces

11 Tips to Get Picture-Perfect Mantel Styling All Year

Styling your mantel throughout the holidays can be a piece of cake, given those distinctive decorations you choose out annually. But when those are packed away and you’re left with a vacant mantel, how can you get the focal point of your living room or room looking picture perfect? Here are some approaches for styling your mantel just like a pro year round. 8Foot6 Start with the art. One large part, about two-thirds the size of this mantel itself, will get you almost all the way there. Then layer on further elements in smaller sizes, ideally in complementary colors or themes. sarah & bendrix Follow the rule of three. A trio of objects gathered on the mantel in sizes large, medium and small will look brilliant. Jessica Helgerson Interior Design If you don’t have one impressive large piece to hang, a small gallery wall of 3 similar-size paintings is nice,…

Eclectic Homes

Heighten a Room With Vertical Tongue and Groove Wall Paneling

As the wife of an expert carpenter, I’ve been spoiled by being able to fill my house with rich architectural details for merely the cost of stuff. We have established a space with a coffered ceiling, added crown molding throughout our house and even appointed carriage doors to our garage from scratch. Next on our architectural jazzification list is installing vertical tongue and groove wall paneling in our dining room. Tongue and groove joints allow flat pieces of wood to be combined together to create a single level surface. Famous for their rich texture, stripy pattern and ability to dramatically heighten the interest of a space, vertical tongue and groove walls are spectacular in comparison to the blank canvas of shingles. We are especially excited to include tongue and groove since it’s an efficient method to provide the illusion that a space is larger than it actually is. Our dining…

Decorating Guides

Locate Your Christmas Tree Personality

Every Christmas tree reflects its owner’s individual taste, whether it’s contemporary weathered, bohemian glam, steadfastly traditional or urban micro. Take a peek at these tree designs of our times and see if one matches you. Molly Brandenburg Molly Brandenburg Molly Brandenburg Molly Brandenburg Molly Brandenburg Molly Brandenburg Molly Brandenburg More: 8 Clues You’re a Creative Type ers Deck the Halls See related

Kitchen Guides

Kitchen of the Week: Wood-Loving Luxuriousness at Vancouver

A large curving island which echoes the waves of the sea outside shapes the design and performance of this Vancouver Island kitchen. This couple wanted their next home to have a highly personalized kitchen — one which would permit them to host family dishes where they can all cook and hang out together. Ines Hanl of The Sky is the Limit Design worked with the customers’ want list to design a kitchen which will honor the home’s timber-frame structure, the beautiful surrounding landscape and their personal style. “It’s nothing for the faint of heart, for certain!” Hanl states. Click photos to view larger pictures in a slide show. The Sky is the Limit Design Hanl combined the customers’ design ideas with another organic West Coast design that reflects the surrounding homes and surroundings; she used driftwood, pebbles, different types of timber and flowing shapes that mimic the water outside. “It…

Coastal Style

Regency Style Shows Interiors a Grand Time

England’s prince regent from the early 19th century, who later became King George IV, had a notoriously flamboyant lifestyle, was a leader of fashion and has been an avid collector who spent money on creating densely decorated homes. His reign (1811 to 1830) is currently called the regency period, or period of regency classicism; it followed the Georgian period. The style has its roots in the neoclassicism of the late 18th century, but the colonial holdings of England and France and the developing knowledge of distant civilizations spurred a fascination with exotic themes. The span became a strange mix of classicism and fantasy — an age of extremes from which we take much inspiration today. Woodson & Rummerfield’s House of Design The most spectacular example of the regency period is that the Royal Pavilion at Brighton, U.K. — a home and pleasure palace intended for the prince by John Nash….

Decorating Guides

12 Hallmarks of a Preppy Home

In contrast to popular opinion, preppy style doesn’t discriminate. This timeless, all-American look is steeped in history and timeless style. Whether you’ve opted for pastels and paisley or prefer wood paneling and fitting mallards, adhere to these essentials to get a truly preppy home — even in the event that you don’t have a membership to the local country club. Nina Montenegro Nina Montenegro Nina Montenegro See related

Eclectic Homes

7 Tips for Contractors Your Allies

Often it seems we hear more awful stories than good in regards to client-contractor relations. Miscommunication on either side is a frequent culprit. In my experience it has been simpler to discuss topics and aligning present relationships compared to start over entirely with a new company. Due to mutual respect and an awareness of each other’s expectations, my builders and I’ve build lasting relationships. They believe vested in the project and take a personal interest in helping me look good in the opinion of my clientele. Listed below are a some tips that have helped me get the best from my builders — and from other support professionals as well. Remember that payment is overriding. Pay your builders in a timely manner, in accord with the work completed. This stage cannot be stressed enough. Your payment makes it possible for the builder to cover his or her subcontractors, vendors and…

Eclectic Homes

A Desert Stunner Highlights Nature

“My clients are parents and grandparents that love spending time with family and enjoy life,” says architect Mark Tate. Thus, they proposed their dream retirement home in Desert Mountain, Arizona, to add three guest rooms so everyone could come live with them. This magnificent desert home opens to views that stretch 40 miles, whereas cautious orientation and overhangs protect the insides out of the relentless desert sun. Outdoor living has been a priority also, so there’s a lounging patio an outdoor kitchen, a pool and a hot tub. “I wanted to bring the desert to the house for my clients to appreciate,” says Tate. “We very carefully incorporated the house to the landscape and treated the website as gently as possible.” at a GlanceWho lives here: A retired couple with a major family who loves to visitLocation: Scottsdale, ArizonaSize: 5,600 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 4 1/2 bathrooms, office, workout roomThat’s intriguing:…

Decorating Guides

The New Nostalgia: History With a Kick

Layout is cyclical, but it’s not redundant. We crave nostalgia: It will help root our identity, it reminds us where we all come from and it creates the emotional foundation for our substance histories. However, as far as we adore the past, we are creative beasts who need to impose new ideas into old looks. This careful juxtaposition has generated the “new nostalgia.” Fashion design tendencies in autumn 2012 are leaning toward pretty florals, wrought iron leather, womanly jewels and metals, and lots of vivid, saturated colours. However, the appearance also includes restraint; too much of anything and it starts to look costume-y instead of sexy. Exactly the identical rule applies to insides — building the narrative of a space maximizes the careful pressure between the then and the now. Jamie Laubhan-Oliver Leather and Lucite, concrete and fur, industrial and conventional all come together to replicate this autumn’s fashionable trend…

Fireplaces

City View: Seattle Design Shows Natural Wonders

When I think of Seattle, I Believe of the Space Needle, sleeplessness on a houseboat, Starbucks, Singles, Soundgarden and spitting rain. Recognizing this was likely an extremely weak and stereotypical way to explain one of my favourite cities, I decided to dig deeper and talk with designers and architects at the Pacific Northwest to get an accurate picture of the Seattle layout scene. Seattle designers agree that the region’s unique climate and geography are the strongest influences upon layout. The striking beauty of the environment inspires blurring the lines between indoors and out, arranging rooms “upside down” (more on this later), using rain displays and living in homes that float across the water. Additional priorities in Seattle layout are a deep concern for the environment, comfy and outdoorsy lifestyles, and respect to local materials and craftsmanship. The combination of those influences results in residential designs which are unique to the…