Friday, May 29, 2009

Brown Sofa, Blue Walls

Have you ever wished your home looked like a designer space? Really, its not that unattainable. Start with something that you absolutely adore. Use the color palette from that piece as your color inspiration. Like I started with this green-blue chair (in the picture above) with chocolate-brown legs. I am in love with this chair- isn't it adorable and yet it has a classy look. And best of all, its not that pricey either.

Once you find your color palette, you're half way to a room of your dreams. But remember do not get distracted, stick to the color palette and you will not be disappointed. Like here, I got my color palette green-blue-chocolate brown from the gorgeous pier1 chair. Single out the colors for your wall and the furniture from the color palette. Get accent pieces in more than 1 hue from the palette. Here, I've picked blue (Benjamin Moore AF-495) for the walls and chocolate brown for the sofa and the coffee table. I could have just picked all my accent pieces in green but won't that be predictable and lil too matchy matchy. So for accents how about blue-green or brown-blue or green-brown or lightblue-darkblue or whatever combination as long as it has hues from the palette. If you check out the accents in the picture : the pillows are in blue and green, rug is brown-blue, decorative vases are in blue with a hint of green. Did you notice the delightful yoga frogs in gold tone - that's my touch of whimsy !! All spaces need a lil bit whimsy, so don't be scared to add lil personal touches.

Still not sure ? Steal the design idea above. But the million dollar question is where to get the same furnishings, the decorative accents and what paint color to use? so here you go...

Resources:
Tip: Click on the picture to get a better view
Sofa - Linden Street Cordovan Sofa at JCPenney.com
Coffee Table - Black Cocktail table at JCPenney.com
Chair - Abacus Chair at Pier1.com
Rug - Mohawk Home Urban Style Abacus Geometric Rug at Kohls.com
Decorative Vases - Pier1.com
Yoga Frogs - Pier1.com
Table Lamp - Polo Wood Table Lamp at Kohls.com
Blue Pillow - Park Avenue Luxury Manhattan Pillow at Kohls.com
Blue,Green Swirl Pillows - Pier1.com
Paint - Benjamin Moore AF-495 (Affinity Collection)

Related Posts:
Beige Sofa Brown Accent
Next Room Design Idea on: Create a Designer Bedroom.
If you'd like me to use any specific color for the designer bedroom please write to me.

Decorating Dilemma: If you have a decorating dilemma, do not hesitate, write to me a quick note or a comment, I will be glad to help.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Decorate with Beige Sofa, Black & White Damask accent

Don't you love the Black&White accents used through-out this room? If everything was just black and white in the room, it would been just that - a black & white room. What really sets this room apart is the black&white theme has been used against the backdrop of neutral colors like beige & taupe. All the big pieces that is the the walls, sofa, bench, floor are all in varying shades shades of beige or taupe. But all the accent pieces like the pillows, throws, lamps, chairs, vase are in Black&White!

The Black&White accent transcends this room to another level. Damask print in Black&White is my all time favourite. Vary the Black&White ratio in the accent pieces, you are going to use. For example put a black&white damask pillow, a black pillow with a touch of white, a beige throw with a black accent. Also, remember if you ever thirst for color in your room, it would be just a matter of changing couple of throw pillows.

Resources: You can find black&white accent pillows & throws at Kohls in the bedding section. Beautiful vases in HomeGoods and TJMAX, Gorgeous Table Lamps at Target, HomeGoods.

Related Posts:
Beige Sofa Brown Accent

Decorating Dilemma: If you have a decorating dilemma, do not hesitate, write to me a quick note or a comment, I will be glad to help.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Green Walls, Brown Sofa - Perfect for small spaces

Ever wondered what gives a small space that cohesive, that pulled together look. How do you make that small family room work for you? How do the designers do it? Very Simple! Small room - small furnishings. When you go out hunting for the perfect sofa, remember you don't always have to get a pair i.e sofa and a love seat. If you have a large space - maybe you want to consider getting a sofa, love seat and couple of chairs. But if you have small space - definitely skip the love seat instead get a pair of chairs. Its adds an interest to the room and takes it to a whole new dimension.
It all sounds good and its OK for the designers to do mix and match. But you are thinking, that chair and the sofa don't match - how will it ever look good :(. So sweeties, you just need to add some throw pillows with the chair color on the sofa. By adding a green-ivory color pillows on the sofa, not only has the decorator added the chair color but also added the wall color.
Don't forget the black - (or deep brown) - Every room needs a little bit of black. Black highlights the space and gives it a focus. Here the deep brown coffee table draws your attention to the sofa.
And dress up those walls. Hang pictures with similar color palette. Voila! you've just created a perfect room to welcome your friends and for that matter, a perfect place to chill.
Resources:
You can find similar pillows as shown in this picture at Bed Bath and Beyond and if you want get lil funky try my favourite Pier1. Accessories, Lighting and Pictures at TJ MAX, HomeGoods.

Decorating Dilemma: If you have a decorating dilemma, do not hesitate, write to me a quick note or a comment, I will be glad to help.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Ivory Sofa, red pillows - Room with a splash of red

What a soothing , calming, relaxing room! It feels like home to me. Beige, Beige, everywhere! but surprisingly it works. You can achieve the same look in your room too, provided you keep the following details in mind:

  1. Vary the texture. Sofa chair has different texture than the sofa. Do not get the love- seat and the sofa in the same print and texture. Get the love-seat in coordinating print instead.
  2. Vary the color intensity - drapes are slightly darker. Don't get an exact match, as it would blend in with the walls. Our eyes like the subtle changes in color.
  3. Ground the space by adding dark furniture like the coffee table and the end tables. Our eyes are always drawn towards a dark object. Any dark object highlights the area around it, it acts like an "underline". The coffee table here, draws our attention towards the sofa with beautiful pillows.
  4. Add an interesting accent color like the red toss pillows, painting with the red flamingo and the book with the red cover.

Also, if you are going to copy this look but do not have the windows in your living room like room above. Add some interest by hanging some nice pictures on the wall behind the sofa. And don't forget to have fun while you are at it :).

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Pink, Grey and White color Scheme

Could you ever imagine liking a pink Living Room? Me neither. But here, in spite of the pink walls, pink drapes and pillows - this room looks fabulous. The trick is to pair it with a masculine color like grey or brown and throw in a little bit of white or ivory. Pink-Grey-White [BenjaminMoore:Pink 2005-50], or Pink-Brown-Ivory is a classic color scheme. This color scheme will look gorgeous in your little girl's bedroom too. No color is bad - it just needs to be paired with the right color accessories.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Green Walls with Black and White accent

Striking ! Isn't it. Can you take your eyes off the picture? If you love bright colors, this is the way to go. Let the walls do the talking, build everything around it. I mean, keep everything else in neutral hues i.e stick to whites, beige, black, taupe, browns. To give your room an extra punch, add something in zebra print or for that matter any interesting black&white print. If you have to, and I mean, absolutely have to add another color, add it in small doses. Like the small pink flowers on the side table in the picture.
This is a very common technique the designers use to satisfy their client requests for bright colors. And don't forget to add the black & white pictures to your walls to complete the look. Don't know where to get them ? Try HomeGoods, they've got loads of them in all sizes.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Neutral Color Scheme, with splash of Orange

What do you think of the orange chair in the living room picture above? Doesn't it make a statement ! Doesn't it have an unforgettable quality about it ? Now remove the orange chair and the pillow in your mind, and you are left with white walls, white sofa, white coffee table. Just by the addition of orange chair and accent pillows this living room transcended from boring to Wow. Sometimes that's all a room needs - a punch of color!

Still afraid of color? Start out in small steps. First, try completely neutral color scheme like the one suggested in the previous blog. Then, experiment by adding couple of accents like a pillow, or a throw in a brighter color like orange or blue or green. By adding a bright color to your neutral color scheme - you're adding an unexpected twist, an interest, surprising depth to your room. Try it, if it doesn't work - remember you can always return ;)
Free Give Away by JoyOfDecor store: ryzal Pillow cover your choice

Next Room Design Idea on: What if the wall-color is bright and accent color is neutral...

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Beige, Brown & Taupe Color Scheme Living Room

Have you always played safe with colors? Here is a cool idea for bringing interest to your neutral living room and this will work with any white, beige, taupe, brown color scheme. Paint the wall in a similar hue as your sofa. Create interest by adding contrasting neutral color drapes and accent pillows on your sofa. In picture above, the decorator has added taupe color drapes and accent pillows in brown, taupe and camel color. This color pallet of White-Taupe-Camel-DeepBrown is fail proof and gives a designer-look to a room. And of course no neutral color scheme is complete without a neutral picture so don't forget to add a picture in black&white :) .

Next Room Design Idea on: Add a punch of color to your neutral Living Room !

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Yellow Walls, Red & White accent - Deck up those walls

Have you ever been in dilemma that you need to get a big picture for a empty wall but do not want to spend the big bucks. Here is a perfect decorating solution - put multiple small picture frames of same size and same frame style. To achieve a designer look, stick to black and white pictures with black clean lined frames. Use your own pictures in black and white to make the art more meaningful and personal.

How to achieve this look: Use black picture frame of size 11x14 or 10x11. Easily available at any local retailer Walmart, Target, Kohls. Take close-up pictures of your family members, your home, interesting art objects at unusual angles in black & white, and frame them. Voila ! you've created your very own master piece.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Decorate around Beige Sofa, Green Walls

Hi there. Don't you love the living room above!! Me too! I am always looking for decorating tricks for small spaces. And here the decorators have used beige sofa which is even better. As most of us end up getting beige sofas 'coz we like to play safe with colors - so this blog even answers all your questions on "What do I do with my beige sofa ?"

Check out the living room picture above (courtesy HGTV) - the living room is actually quite small no more than 7 x 10. The trick with any small space is to keep the color scheme simple. Paint the walls in nice green [Benjamin Moore: 2145-30] or blue [Benjamin Moore: 2136-60] or yellow[Benjamin Moore: 2022-50] color. Keep the furniture, drapes and pictures in the room in neutral shades (beige, brown, black, white etc) . To spice up the sofas, add nice accent pillows in the hues of the wall color (so green pillows if green walls) and spice up the coffee table with something green, even a book with green cover would do. For pictures stick to black and white - black & white always adds drama and class to any living room. If you are wondering about where to get the pictures from, well I am a huge fan of HomeGoods - or try any home retailer that sells brands at lower prices. For pillows, I generally find my pillows at Pier1.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Decorate around Brown Sofa with Peach and Beige accent

The Brown Sofa that looked absolutely gorgeous in the showroom, does not look that great in your living room. Darling, Its all got to do with accessories !! Any sofa can look good with the right decor. Check out the brown sofa above, its just plain brown - if you were to remove the accent pillows and the pictures above it - you won't give it a second look.

The decorators have used beige, peach with hint of green accent pillows to pair with the brown sofa. And the same colors are repeated above with the pictures on the wall. Since the accent colors are repeated vertically i.e above and below - it gives it a "finished classy look". But even if you were to get nice pillows how do u get coordinating pictures. Well !! I have used this decorating trick over and over. If I can't find the pictures with the right colors, I just get scrapbook papers with the color scheme I need, from the local crafts store like Michael's. Second, get nice clean lined frames from retail stores (generally black, dark brown work quite well) with dimensions greater than 10 x 11. Either I just frame the scrapbook paper or use it as a matt for a black and white picture which I download from the Web. Voila !! Accent Pillows from Pier1 and Picture Frames from Walmart and I achieve the designer look in less than $100. Decorating can be lot of fun just pay attention to the little details like accessories that all the well decorated rooms need.