Need: Stylish Pet Beds



They're our best friends as well as family - why not give them a special spot so they will feel loved, even when you're not in the room?

cuteness overload...



inspired by Corbusier....

practical addition to the mudroom



who wouldn't love a chaise longue?



a Mission-style crate...



why did it take so long for someone to come up with this?



puppy condo



my favorite design; looks like my Stressless chair



double duty as an ottoman, too



fits right in with an Industrial vibe

Images: Google search

Love: Mixed Metals in the Kitchen

If you want to color outside the lines in baby steps, consider mixing metals in your kitchen - it's also a quick way to elevate builder-grade choices to add your personality in the space. I particularly love how brass contrasts with matte bronze; they were just meant to be together!

Nice mix of rustic and sleek

Minimalist space incorporating a shot of 3 metals

Black pendants and sink add the needed drama here

Copper a great contrast to the dark counters

This has it all; shouldn't work but does...unapologetically!

Without these gorgeous pendants...almost boring

The gold interiors of the pendants picks up the faucet for a subtle shot of glam

The warmth of the brass keeps this from being dreary; check out the brass-trimmed stainless doors

Copper, stainless and iron combine for a personal look

Bronze hardware balances the dark window muntins in this sweet space

Photos: google search

Series: Color and Mood - Orange "Nails/Fails"

Orange acts on both our physical and emotional levels (see aspects of red and yellow in prior posts). Positive aspects focus on issues of physical comfort - food, shelter, warmth and sensuality. Negative aspects veer to deprivation and scarcity. It's a fun color, but too much can tip towards the frivolous and immature.

Positive aspects: Physical comforts, food, warmth, security, abundance, sensuality, fun

Negative aspects: Deprivation, intellectual indifference

 Relaxed and confident; no wolf at the door

...gets stranger the longer you look

Nails fun

 Aiming for sensual...

This would look lots better if the lamps were on; that 'light to make color' thing...

The dreaded accent wall...

Great use for orange- a little goes a long way

Images: google search

Series: Color and Mood - Violet "Nails/Fails"

Violet has the shortest wave-length in the spectrum, often described as purple. As the last visible wave-length before the ultra violet ray, it has been linked with time, space and the cosmos. It takes awareness to a higher level of thought, encouraging meditation. As the color of royalty it has a long association of conveying luxury and quality, but too much or the wrong tone reads cheap and garish faster than any other color.

Violet: Spirituality
Positive Aspects: Awareness, vision, truth, quality, luxury
Negative Aspects: Introversion, decadence, suppression

Just a shot of a complex purple to energize the neutrals

...a little feminine, but works

A tolerable accent wall

....and this is where things go wrong....

Ditto

hmmm....

Hard not to make pastel versions a bit girly

Oh, stop...

Adorable girls bedroom

Great use of space! And check out the painted edges on the roman shade; love it!

Images: google search

Series: Color and Mood - Red "Nails/Fails"

Red has the longest wavelength in the color spectrum, so it is the easiest color to see - hence red stoplights. A classic in dining rooms, red is not for the faint of heart in living rooms and bedrooms. I leave it to you to determine if you have a "fight or flight" response to the following images...

Red: Physical

Positive aspects: Excitement, strength, courage, warmth, energy

Negative aspects: Aggression, defiance, strain

Great techniques run amok (lacquer and nailhead on walls)

...this is why I'm not a fan of the accent wall

Images: google search, AD, Elle Decor,Brian McCarthy

Series: Color and Mood - Green "Nails/Fails"

...or..."Step Away From the Paint Can"...

Who knew green was so hard to get right? Searching for room images only validated how I prefer to use it: in bits so it's not competing with the everchanging greens outside. Realizing this is my own bias, I'll resist snarky captions and let you supply your own...

Green: Balance

Positive aspects - Harmony, rest, peace, restoration, universal love

Negative aspects - Bland, ennui, stagnation, boredom

...okay, this I get...

...nope, not even Martha Stewart

...in the hands of designers

...in the hands of mortals  - yeah, I lied about snarky captions.   :)

Images: google search