Thursday, April 29, 2010

Decorating With Mirrors

Coastal Living Designer Jill Johnson; Photographer Grey Crawford

Mirrors can be a great way to expand a space, add interest, make a statement, reflect light or a great view and generally add sparkle. Here are some ideas for incorporating mirrors into your space...

Designer Jeffrey Billhuber layered an antique mirror over the window for use with this floating dressing table.

Architectural Digest Photo: Peter Vanderwarker

Stylist and designer Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo of ABCD Design created this huge dramatic wall with black paint and 48 rectangular mirrors (via Canadian House and Home)



Framed mirrors also make a dramatic statement in this bedroom...

Coastal Living Photo: Jean-Philippe Piter


House Beautiful photo credit: Lisa Cregan

Designer Vincent Wolf likes using massive, over-scaled mirrors leaning against walls, as you can see in the bedrooms he designed above and below. This is some of what he told House Beautiful about that. "It's taking an architectural approach to a decorative object — like cutting open a wall onto a space beyond. It's also more casual and interesting to lean something than to hang it. Once a mirror is hung, it's isolated on the wall. But when it leans, the floor runs right into the glass."



I love the idea of layering mirrors like designer Mary McGee did in her living room. You could also just layer a great frame over a mirror and it would work just as well.

House Beautiful Photo: Miguel Flores Vianna

The mirror used in this bedroom designed by Gary McBourne (House Beautiful - Photo: James Merrell) was too small so they added what Gary calls a "sash" to give it scale. I'll admit that, even though this room is beautifully designed, it isn't my style but that doesn't matter. The basic idea can be used in any room from casual to formal and contemporary to traditional and there are a variety of items (fabric, ribbon, rope, etc.) you could use to make your "sash". Just hang the mirror on the wall and then attach the "sash" to the back of the mirror and the hook.


In this Coastal Living idea house they mirrored the doors of this dual vanity which draws your eye to the detail. (Photo: Tria Giovan)


This is much more subtle but these vanity doors and drawers are also mirrored.

Coastal Living Photo Dominique Vorillon

Mirrored night stands are so pretty, aren't they?

BHG.com

The next four images are from Homes and Gardens. You can see the rest of their slideshow, How to Decorate Using Mirrors, on their site. (Photos: Carolyn Barber)

Displaying a variety of mirrors on ledges is a creative and fun idea to punch up your space.

Adding mirrors to an armoire in a bedroom is a great idea, especially if you're short on space to add one anywhere else.



Reflective drum shades could be stunning in the right space!


Using a mercury glass mat for a centerpiece. I've used a framed mirror in the same way in the past, which also works well.

Just for fun... Can you tell what this frame is made from? I'm sure you probably can. Colored plastic spoons! :-) Country Living


Cute tennis racket mirrors from Country Living. Imagine how many different things you could repurpose as mirrors once you start thinking outside the box...


Hmmm... Any ideas on how I can get my mirror to reflect the same view that this mirror is reflecting? :-)

myhomeideas Photo Keith Scott Morton

If you're interested in more inspiration for decorating with mirrors, check out the mirror image post that I did back in August.

Window Backed Kitchen Cabinets

Window Backed Kitchen Cabinets

When I saw Nicole and Andrew Sheehan's kitchen in this month's Traditional Home magazine (photographer: Werner Straube), I was immediately in LOVE with the window backed kitchen cabinets. (The photo in the actual magazine is more of a close up of the cabinets so you can see how amazing they really are.)

Unfortunately, if I did this in my kitchen it would only offer a view into the garage, the mudroom or the foyer, so it's not an option for me. What are your thoughts on the idea? Would it work for you?

You can see the rest of their home on the Traditional Home website.

Creative Decorating for a Tuesday

Use two (or three) tablerunners horizontally across a table. Gives you a different look and they can double as placemats.

marthastewart.com

So let's just say that it's Tuesday (because it is :-) ) and you're looking around your house wondering what little thing you could do today to shake up your decorating a bit. Just a little. Not much. Just something fun or different that you may not have tried before. The list of things you could do is actually unending, but here are some ideas...

If you've never layered art on your fireplace mantel, why not try it for a different look?...

myhomeideas.com

If your artwork is too small, make it bigger by attaching a thin piece of painted wood to the back like Just A Girl did for her spring mantel...


Paint a chalkboard on a door...

Country Living Photo Keith Scott Morton

We've talked about painting the backs of bookshelves and papering the backs of bookshelves, but why not make it a little more interesting by doing a little of both and mixing up the patterns?...

idealhomemagazine.co.uk

Arrange your books by color...

Style At Home

Paint a funky mirror a fabulous color...

marthastewart.com

Add some lace to your favorite pillow...

Style At Home

Mix up your bar stools with different finishes or paint colors...

Style At Home

Update your family photos and make them a focal wall in one of your rooms or hallways...

myhomeideas.com


Think outside the box on a new way to accessorize your dining room walls. This dining room wall would be a great one to use for inspiration!...

Photo by Michael Partenio via House Of Turquoise

Paint your front door a bold or just different color...

houseandhome.com

There was a question in the comments on my decorating with mirrors post on whether I knew how to make a new mirror look old. I actually didn't, but found some sources that do....

e-how article How Do I Faux Antique a Mirror?
marthastewart.com How to Antique a Mirror
HGTV.com How To Distress a Mirror

Have an awesome day!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Beautiful and Calm Modern Triplets Nursery Design

Beautiful and Calm Modern Triplets Nursery Design

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Any family’s life would change if they are having triplets. It would become much more chaotic and in order to make it at least a little bit easier you can create a very well organized nursery. Marsh & Clark Design studio created such room for the San Francisco 2010 Decorator Showcase. The room is located in the attic space of a 1930’s French Normandy-style mansion, and could inspire any modern parents who wants a beautiful and peaceful place for their kids but aren’t into the deluge of duckies. The designers highlighted the main things to consider while designing the nursery: safety, sustainability, washability, storage, flexibility and decor. All these things are considered in the triplets nursery design on pictures below. All materials and furniture there are chosen accordingly these “MUSTS” of the nursery design.

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Sunday, April 25, 2010

Modern Affordable Eco-Friendly Home Designs

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Designed by Case Architects, Columbia City Green is a houses project in a walking distance to Columbia City shops, restaurants, farmer’s markets, schools, library, movie theater Genesee Park, grocery stores, Edmunds Light Rail Station, bus lines, and other things. The price of such home is $699,000 what isn’t so big for 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bath house with garden on private master green roof deck overlooking the Eastern Cascade mountains. Besides that the home includes:
  • Great open room, separate living room + bonus room
  • Floor to ceiling windows capturing 180 degree Mt. view
  • Bamboo and concrete in-floor radiant heat
  • Open tread staircase with metal railings
  • Low toxic paints and finishes
  • Artful siding with high recycled content
  • Energy and water savings of up to 30%
  • Insulated concrete forms with high recycled content
  • Native and edible landscaping
  • 800 gallon underground cistern
  • Organic garden beds
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