Thursday 10 /27/2011

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Natural light pours through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Revealing clean contemporary lines – this home screams with sophistication!

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Sitting atop a bluff, overlooking Lake Washington, this residence is nothing shy from having extraordinary views.

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images via contemporist

[PET]centric DESIGN:

Solitude 

 TUESDAY 10/25/11

Our pets always seem to add that finishing touch. Enhancing our already fabulous rooms and making them feel like home! Can I curl up too?

A few times in my life I’ve had moments of absolute clarity. When for a few brief seconds the silence drowns out the noise and I can feel rather than think, and things seem so sharp and the world seems so fresh. It’s as though it had all just come into existence. 

I can never make these moments last. I cling to them, but like everything, they fade. I have lived my life on these moments. They pull me back to the present, and I realize that everything is exactly the way it was meant to be.

― Christopher Isherwood

Show off [YOUR] inner Warhol

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Send us your photos: featuring your handsome spaces and that very special  family member. If we like it, we’ll make you famous. Or at least give you kudos!

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Hanging Leaves

[ The familiar scent of autumn winds. The promise of new beginnings. ]

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Mother nature is truly incredible…isn’t she? Here’s another gorgeous way you can to add a pop of seasonal color to your home  [on the cheap!]

When dipped in wax, colorful leaves can be preserved through this season and beyond. I saw over at Martha Stewart they clustered a grouping of leaves and suspend them in a window — perfect for greeting visitors. 

TO DO: 

Gather leaves when they turn and fall

Dip them in wax to hold their colors

Suspend them in front of a window [fishing line]

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[PET]centric DESIGN:

Home Office

 Tuesday 10/17/11

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For some, a  small space for writing letters and paying bills is all they need. For others, a scale replica of the desk at the office, complete with in and out boxes, is essential to getting anything accomplished. What ever your style, you can find space.

While scouring the internet, I came across this post over at Made By Girl . 

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Not only did I fall in love with her stylish floating cabinet concept but my heart melted for both of her four-legged friends.  (Plus, who doesn’t love a good Ikea Hack?) 

Needless to say, I plan to elevate the style in my home office sometime in the near future!

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Show off [YOUR] inner Warhol

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Send us your photos: featuring your handsome spaces and that very special  family member. If we like it, we’ll make you famous. Or at least give you kudos!

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Remember to use your pet as an accent, that enhances the style + beauty of your rooms. Afterall, this is a design blog!

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[Make Knit Sweater Pillows]

I admid it…I’m guilty!!! It’s…mid-August + its another gorgeous 80′s degree day. Yet here I am…sitting inside…Day Dreaming about Knit Sweater Pillows! Can you help explain, what’s wrong with me? Clearly, it doesn’t take a lot of convincing to get me into a sweater + this Fall, I’m excited to see this idea transfer into interiors.

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After all, adding that extra texture + knit quality may be just what your room needs to give it a warm and cozy feeling as the days start to cool off.

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So here’s what you’ll need:

pick up a chunky sweater from a thrift store -$3

uses an existing throw pillow cushion

Sewing Tape Measure

Scissors

Sewing Machine (or needle + thread)

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How To:

 Measure out a cushion cover

Cut the sweater to size

Do a little crafty closing + BOOM --- a good-looking throw pillow!!

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Will you be incorporating some chunky knitted throw pillows, either bought or made, into your home this season?

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Tuesday – 10/11/2011

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As a Seattle-based interior designer, I belive that pets are beloved members of our family and therefore, deserve a special place in our homes. 

I’m embarking on a new adventure, which I’m calling [Pet-centric Posts]! Every Tuesday, I will be featuring a new stylish pet lounging in a high style home.  (Send us your photos)

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[WANT] the Woodhouse headboard. [LOVE] the way our furry four-legged friend worked his way into one of Jonathan Adler’s designs.  

Show off [YOUR] inner Warhol

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Send us your photos: featuring your handsome spaces and that very special  family member. If we like it, we’ll make you famous. Or at least give you kudos!

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Remember to use your pet as an accent, that helps to enhance the style and beauty of your rooms. Afterall, this is a design blog!

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[TREND ALERT] : WALLPAPER

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Go ahead…open any design magazine + you’ll find that wallpaper has emerged as one of todays latest design trends. Over the past several years we’ve seen the ‘painted feature wall’ (that we’ve all grown to love) quickly being replaced by wallpaper coverings of varying colors, textures and designs. 

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However, the trend forecast for the year 2011 is completely different.  Expect to see entire rooms covered in bold, beautiful designs as well as softly textured papers.

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Here are a few wallpaper trends that are expected to rule the year 2011:

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[PRINTABLE WALLPAPERS]

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It’s the perfect hybrid between painting a wall + wallpapering it. The idea allow the home owners customize their own wallpapers according to their taste.

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Fortunately, this trend is here to stay (at least for awhile) + you can rest easy.

As styles change, you can easily impart a new look with a simple coat of primer + a different color scheme.

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 [TONE ON TONE WALLPAPERS] 

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In 2010 we witnessed alot of accent walls decorated in bold print with large-scale patterns, quirky designs + a wide range of colors. Today however:  

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“People are finally moving away from just a feature wall and are once again wallpapering two, three and four walls in a room,” says David Klaus at Graham & Brown wallpaper company.

[METALLIC WALLPAPERS] 

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From rich bronzes + sharp silvers to soft gold…metallic wallpapers are a fantastic way to add instant glamour to any space.

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If you’re looking to add that extra punch of drama to YOUR home… let us know!  Show us what you’re doing to help bring wallpaper ”back-in-style”!!! (post photos here)

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BUILDING SYTLE FROM

THE GROUND UP

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[METAL FLOORS]

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So, you want to do something a little more interesting with your flooring other than carpet + hardwoods throughout?! I can’t blame you. Most floors are on the functional but boring side.  Perhaps you’d like to try some shiny metal tiles?

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For the enthusiastic modernists, metal flooring with industrial style utility is irresistible + has completely revolutionised the luxury floor finishes.

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Adding instantaneous shimmer + sparkle, this is definitely something you don’t see every day! Trust me, once you see these marvelous beauties…you aren’t likely to forget it!

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Metallic finishes create a timeless look of elegance + class setting them apart from other mainstream flooring choices.

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Complimenting + accenting any style…metal floor systems can add a lot of visual interest in your home. Here are a few more statement floors I found that inspired me:

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I don’t want to be interesting. I want to be good. 

~ Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

The Barcelona chair was designed in 1929 by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe + designed specifically for the German Pavilion at the International Exhibition in Barcelona.

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High-quality manufacturing details + the use of superior quality materials give the chair a feel of quality + excellence; the chair features the pure compositional structure, which now epitomizes the modern architecture.

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Bare woods + grain-bearing finishes are making way for the sheen of heavily lacquered pieces in dramatic colors. High gloss lacquer is a wonderful way to add a fun + interesting element to any room.

Look For: 

Bold Black 
Deep Color  
Shine + Sheen  
Strong Hues

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Even your bathroom! This modern black console table + mirror adds an unexpected dose of luxury + elegance.

A rich, inky blue wall paint applied in a lacquer finish creates a backdrop for the traditional fabrics + textured materials creating a comfortable, warm + elegant room.

Add whimsy to your dining room + enjoy the high-style look that a lacquered piece gives a space.

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Or completely change your look, by adding lacquered night stands to your bedroom ensemble.

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What can I say about these hi-gloss William + Sonoma tray tables except, [sleek], [modern] + [chic].

These minimal, yet functional, tables will blend into any modern room. Add a bit of glamour that awakens even the most quiet space of your home.