Western Contemporary Office Design Scheme

Hello all my lovelies! I have created a new design scheme for your inspiration today that I like to call the “Western Contemporary Office.” I think about designing office spaces a lot because I would really love to have one (if I ever get the extra room). I think they’re a lot of fun to design because you can get away with more since it’s just your personal work space and therefore is really only required to please you.  This is one I’ve been dreaming up since Fall began because I’ve really been digging the burnt orange look against the dark woody browns I see every time I look outside. It has a fairly contemporary “western” style flair to it but I’ve girled it up with hits of purple, some pretty accessories and soft plush lines in the seating. If I do ever get that extra space, my office would used be for interior designing so I like to plan it with that idea in mind by using items like the drafting table you see. For the lighting above the table I took the same three pendants and hung them at different heights for some visual interest and paired it with an unconventional bar stool seating. The cow hide rug works beautifully in this space and is my nod to the western influence. I also doubled up on the same storage system to create the impression of an entire wall of storage. (Designers need tons of space for storage!) I see this unit being broken up with all sort of interesting pieces amongst the scads of designer books and samples etc. Overall I wanted to keep the room simple and functional for everyday use. Hope you like! 

Break Down:

Paint: Benjamin Moore Passion Plum, Racing Orange, Cloud Nine, Saddle Brown

Desks: CSN Office, Direct Mall

Chairs: Wainscott Wing Chair, Jayson Home And Garden, Affordable Portables

Wall Storage: The Headboard Store

Side Table: Crate and Barrel

Rug: Alibab

Lighting: Crystal Light Universe, English China Shop

Accessories: Charming Cards

Computer: iMac

Restful Bedroom Design Scheme

My favorite room in the house has been and always will be the bedroom. It's the room that you escape to when you need a break, the room where you start your day and the room you end your day in. That being said your beautiful boudoir needs to be a place where you can wind down from hectic schedules, bickering children, mountains of dishes and stop to just take a deep breath and relax. For me, that means a restful calming palette, lots of plush soft fabrics... and a big 'ole lock on the door! I've saved you the trouble of hunting for the perfect hideaway decor and done the research as to what places hold the tools to make this sweet sanctuary come to fruition. I found great refuge on life saving sites such as Benjamin Moore and Hickory Chair. These companies offer really high quality products which give you peace of mind when making your purchases. Not only that but the huge variety means you can achieve any look that tickles your fancy and let's be honest, we all like our fancys tickled now and again.

But enough talk, let's take a look at my interpretation of calm and see if you don't feel a little more rested when we're through.

The Inspiration:
This serene Hickory Chair bed looks as though its hugging you with its graceful tall headboard wings and elegant scrolled foot board. I love a plush bed frame because it just screams, "come snuggle up on me!" So here's how it looks paired with friends to complete the look.

I kept everything very simple and clean in neutral colours, using only solid colours for paints rather than busy wallpaper. There's not a whole lot going on to distract the eye, it just carries an overall sense of peace. This particular room is more in keeping with the traditional or country themes which are the styles that feel coziest to me and "cozy" is my go-to word for any bedroom I design no matter the style because it's universally desired. No one (in their right mind anyways) is looking to feel "cold" or "stark" in their bedrooms, it just doesn't happen. The only images that come to my mind with those words involve metal bars and an all too exposed bathroom facility. So, even if super modern is your thing or absolute minimalist decor revs your engines we all have the same basic desire; we all want to feel comfortable when we lay our heads down for the night.

In case you're wondering, here's how I made it happen:
Hickory Chair: bed, chair, night stand
Elte: dresser, sconce, rug, lamps,
Candice Olson Designs: pendant light
Restoration Hardware: mirror, drapes,
Crate & Barrell: pillows
Ikea: pitcher
Benjamin Moore: Wales Gray, Spring In Aspen, White Dove, Sedona Brown

If money were no object, how would you design your bedroom? Do you like to keep your bedroom calm or do you prefer vibrant colours?

Cheerful Living Room Design Scheme

This concept is of a simple and comfortable living room. I wanted to keep it very bright and sunny while conveying the feeling of effortless decor. The goal was to create an uncomplicated and manageable living room that was also inviting. It was important for me to make the room a place anyone could recreate by using the reliable and high quality stores most of us frequent on a regular basis. I also wanted it to appeal to the average everyday family which means kid and pet friendly with very easy upkeep. I like to start every room I do with a point of inspiration which in this case was the charming chrysanthemum rug.

The Inspiration:

Here is a break down of how the room came together:

Benjamin Moore Paint: Clockwise from top-Pear Green, Bavarian Cream, Waterbury Cream, Straw

Rug: Sachi Wasabi, CompanyC

Throw and Pillows: Dash & Albert, Pottery Barn, Ikea

Lighting: Restoration Hardware

Coffee Table: Ikea

Couch, Chair, Console Table, Mirror, Armoire, Side Table, Tray, Drapes, Vase, Baskets: Pottery Barn

Traditional Contemporary Living Room Design Scheme

I love something about every style of design and that doesn't end at contemporary. This style when done correctly has a refined class to it without being stuffy or froo froo. This is my interpretation of a contemporary living space. The furnishings are from crate & barrel, restoration hardware, pottery barn, stacaro, ikea and west elm and the paint is all benjamin moore. If you would like any specifics comment on this post and I will respond via commenting.

What's your favorite design style? Contemporary, modern, traditional, eclectic? Please share!

Modern Family *Update* All New Pictures and Paint Colour Schemes Of The Three Family Homes!

 Please Click This Link For A Compilation Of Up To Date Modern Family Decor Information: http://recklessbliss.blogspot.com/p/modern-family-homes.html
  

The post I previously did on the hilarious show “Modern Family” homes got the biggest response yet so I decided to do an update on some pictures for you fellow fans and try to hunt down some answers to the questions. I was thrilled to see so many people loved the houses (especially the Dunphy home) as much as I did. I tracked down some new shots of the homes and much more shots of Cameron and Mitchell’s Mediterranean casa (which I was seriously lacking). Please excuse a few of the scratchier ones, I couldn’t find clear pictures of some of the best rooms so I had to improvise for the greater good! I did some colour schemes to give everyone some ideas on paint for their home inspired by the show. I am currently on wait to hear back on specific paint colours from the set so I will do another update when/if that happens. I stuck to Benjamin Moore paints because they are most commonly used and affordable to the average budget.

 Please Click This Link For A Compilation Of Up To Date Modern Family Decor Information: http://recklessbliss.blogspot.com/p/modern-family-homes.html
 

We’ll kick things off with a breakdown of the Dunphy home colours. Clearly the most coveted colours to paint, these are some of the key traditional (and somewhat beach themed) colours found in the home. The blue is Labrador Blue which can be found on the entry way walls. The punches of red throughout the house can be found mostly on the drapes so to match that colour I went with Merlot Red. The light beige found in the living room is a close match to the third colour Rainforest Dew. Lastly, the hits of green show up as an accessory colour to objects like the plates in the kitchen, apples on the kitchen table and various flowers. This colour best matched Spring Moss.
 

A shot of the Dunphy staircase with the soft blue colour everyone seems to mutually love.

  

I included this shot to showcase some of the art work the Dunphy’s have in their home.
 

Here is a shot of the family room which is open to the kitchen and dining room. The couch colour is almost an exact match to the kitchen cupboard paint colour. I’m a big fan of the cute pillows on the couch. 
 Please Click This Link For A Compilation Of Up To Date Modern Family Decor Information: http://recklessbliss.blogspot.com/p/modern-family-homes.html 
 

Standing in the dining room looking into the family room. I love the basket beside the couch in place of the side table. The glass cabinet is an awesome way to display vases and blankets etc.
 

I had a big request for shots of the dining room and now I see why people were having a hard time finding it. It was really difficult to find a clear picture of the dining room so I improvised with some shots taken while the show was in progress. They have gray/ivory padded chairs which were a close match to Vintage French Round Side Chair chairs found at Restoration Hardware. They also have a classic farmhouse looking wooden dining table that seats six. Also seen here are some of the deep red drapes I talked about in my colour scheme breakdown. 
 

The random hodge podge of plates and pictures on the wall makes you really feel like a family has lived there for years rather than a decorated set.
 

Classic shot from the show during an interview.
 

A shot of Claire and her dad Jay. Love the double wall ovens.
 

Another shot of the kitchen. I wish I had a little spot for all my cookbooks in the kitchen. Green plates were the inspiration for the Spring Moss colour in the colour scheme.
 

A rarely seen shot of one of the kid’s rooms. Haley’s is the Dunphy teenager with a room to match her age.

Moving on to Jay and Gloria’s beautiful modern home. I went with some classic neutral tones to match the feel of this earthy architectural home. The mocha colour seen in the dining room came very close to a shade called Ferret Brown. The dominant colour on the walls is soft stone gray best matched to Horizon Gray. Throughout the house you can find several hits of an accented golden brown colour that I think is very close to the colour Yellow Marigold. The last colour I found that stood out was the hits of wild red around the house that I later read to be symbolic to Gloria's fiery personality. For this colour, I went with Currant Red which corresponds very nicely to it’s three other paint buddies to make for a modern yet still feisty palette.
 

I’m in love with the door for this home. The foyer has a classic pedestal table which proves not all modern furniture has to look super weird!
 

The other post I did about the Modern Family homes I included a shot of Jay and Gloria’s family room but this shot shows the fireplace and TV. I have to say I expected a much bigger TV on the wall for the wealthy architect. You can see there is a mini bar off to the left in the family room as well.
 

Jay and Gloria’s kitchen has a deep wine red colour to match the modern sleek design. It’s a nice punch of colour without being over the top.
 

What’s interesting here is that the same wine red colour from the picture above is gone. I don’t know if the crew decided to add or subtract it from the kitchen but I’ll be keeping a watch for it during the new episode next Wednesday. I love the light fixture focal point in this room. 
 

Of course when I say forgive some of the scratchier shots, these are included in that. I was at a loss to find pictures of Jay and Gloria’s bedroom. I saw it briefly in an episode and I was instantly gaga for the room. The bed looks like it’s floating and the neutral colour of the walls looks fabulous with the contrast of orange beachy pillows.
 

I posted this picture just to show the adorable little table with the flowers and picture frame. Imagine having a room big enough for all this furniture and then some.
 

Opposite corner of the bedroom.
 

Chair beside the bed. 
 

This shot is when you first walk into Jay and Gloria’s bedroom. You can see there is a small couch to the right and a chest of drawers.
 

Last but not least, we have the hysterical couple Cameron and Mitchell’s calming Mediterranean home. The main colour of the walls is one of my favorite paints used on rooms because it pretty much always turns out fabulous. I found that it most closely matched a paint colour called Olive Moss. Secondly, I found that the tweed coloured furniture such as, the bench and couch, stood out against the gorgeous olive walls quite nicely. For this colour I choose Timothy Straw. The accent colour most often found around the house is a bright punch of orange which matched the paint colour Citrus Orange. For the bright and sunny kitchen colour, a creamy and subdued yellow like American Cheese does a great job of mimicking the room. Most of these paint colour names had me hankering for a sandwich! After some more research I found out that the green colour used on the walls is called Louisberg Green by Benjamin Moore paints and can be found with more detail in the post found here.
 

I finally found some good shots of Cameron and Mitchell’s home. This is a shot of the entry. I’m nuts for the wispy neutral curtains on the muted green walls.
 

Another shot of the entry. 
 

I’m in love with the Dunphy family wall colours and fabrics like most of you but I really love the colour scheme used for decorating this house too. It’s very sophisticated and calm.
 

A shot of some more of the artwork in the home as well as a great shot of the built in bookcases.
 

A small wall cutout looking into Cameron and Mitchell’s kitchen from the living room.

I hope you found this updated post helpful and entertaining. Please keep in mind that my colour schemes are not an exact match but rather a rendering of what I think they best match to from the Benjamin Moore paint collection. As I said, I am on wait to hear back from some people who may have access to the information of exact colours so, should that come through I will of course bring everyone up to speed. Thanks for all the support and like always, I want to hear your thoughts!
 

All shots are courtesy of ABC and all paint colours are courtesy of Benjamin Moore.

 

Please Click This Link For A Compilation Of Up To Date Modern Family Decor Information: http://recklessbliss.blogspot.com/p/modern-family-homes.html

  

Masculine Office Design

My husband is a Civil Engineer so he is very attracted to streamline and structural looking design. When we finally buy our first house I have an office already in mind to do all his hard work in. I worked up this mock version of the type of work space I'm envisioning for him. I would like to create something in a leather and cognac theme with hits of deep red and grey because it looks very sophisticated much like him. He loves bridges like I love interior design so the blue print art of bridges at Restoration Hardware are perfect for him. He needs a drafting table which I've provided here also from RH, as well as some comfy places to flop down. Some accessories, storage and lighting tie everything together to make this a place for deep thought and hard work. All the images below can be found at: Restoration Hardware, Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, Bombay, Benjamin Moore. If you have any questions or comments please let me know. I love reading your thoughts!

Traditional Bedroom Design Scheme

This is a board I put together for a traditional bedroom design. I wanted to create something you would see in a family home with kids and a dog that all crawl into bed with mom and dad on Sunday mornings. It's very warm and classic but still functional. You can find these various items at Benjamin Moore Paints, Sarah Richardson, Candice Olson Design, Restoration Hardware, etc. Let me know what you think!

Chic and Professional Office Design Scheme

This is my take on one possible dream office mock-up (I can think of so many ways I'd love to decorate a home office!). I love the look of a classy black and white pallet because it looks clean and sophisticated. A woman's office is a spot that can be solely hers so it should reflect herself and make her comfortable. What independent working woman wouldn't love walking into this little piece of luxury? Work suddenly isn't such a chore anymore!

You can find these various things from Sarah Richardson Design, Mac, Ikea, Restoration Hardware etc. A little hunting and you'll be amazed at what you can find.

Unisex Nursery Design Scheme

This is my idea for a nursery make over. I don't have kids so I can't put it into action just yet but I like to think up ways to decorate one! It's a Beige and Red design colour combo. The furniture is a range from Restoration Hardware, Candace Olson, Benjamin Moore paint, Babies 'r Us, Let me know what you think.