dwellings and décor

There is something really cozy and elegant about these black, brown, yellow and gold spaces.

via these beautiful blogs:
1. Mandarine - In the mood for some vintage paintings

2. Grayson: a different shade of grey - Quote
“I need contrast- the old and the new, the rough and the soft.
The clash of it all is very sexy”
- Catherine Malandrino, Fashion Designer

3. Made By Girl - Aphro Chic Launches
Check out the new fabulous shop at www.aphrochicshop.com

4. Poppytalk - Inspiration: European Interiors by Joanna Maclennan

5. The Inspired Room - Fall Date Nights
What are your favorite Fall Date Nights?

6. Desire to Inspire - Deco + glamour + wow
New work from Greg Natale (Swoon!)

Have a great weekend!

I have been thinking about adding some more art to my existing wall decor above my sofa. What do you think of these for inspiration?

You can see my existing living room HERE. I don’t want to go too crazy and it seems hard to know when to stop. I think organizing art in this way actually takes more attention and is really similar to making a collage. When I make collages I get lost and enthralled into what I am doing and a part of my brain clicks on that I don’t normally use. When I feel content I step away for a little while and then look back at it in its entirety. I guess decorating an entire space can also feel that way. Just like a puzzle!

image sources:
1. House Beautiful
2. Ellen Silverman
3. Elle Decor
4. Aidlin Darling Design
5. Faucher Artists
6. Judith Miller Inc.
7. Jamo
8. Jeremy Samuelson
9. Rose Hammick
10. Chic Shack

Hello there! I’m thrilled to be a guest blogger here on Dwellings and Décor while Rachel is away. Just a little about me…I’m an interior designer from Southern California and design is my absolute passion! I’m constantly searching for new ideas and resources to share on my blog, belle maison, to inspire people to create a beautiful home that they love. I decided to do today’s post on hanging art in creative and unique ways, making the most of bare walls.

Now, if you’re like me, you tend to hang art in neat and even rows, perfectly spaced apart, or select pieces that are very matchy-matchy…it’s so hard for me to envision a wall full of different sized frames, colors, art, etc! I’ve pulled together some photos of awesome art gallery walls that break outside the box, providing inspiration and ideas for your next art wall!

PHOTO CREDITS:

(1-6) POINTCLICKHOME http://www.pointclickhome.com

(7) COUNTRY LIVING http://www.countryliving.com

(8) MADE BY GIRL http://madebygirl.blogspot.com/2008/04/glimpse-into-my-home.html

Hi! I’m Trudi - I’m from Norway and I’m normally to be found over at The Deco Detective. But today, I’m invited by Rachel to do a guest post here at Dwellings and Decor while she’s away. Congratulations on getting married, Rachel! Hope you’re having a great time in Ireland!

Since I’m a bit of an eco nerd I’ve been checking out a few eco friendly interior decoration sites for this post. Eco friendly used to be a bit beige, but it’s becoming more colourful by the minute! So if you’re looking for something new, eco chic decor is well worth considering!

If you want a look that’s contemporary, but still organic:

The Spaghetti chair would look lovely with a couple of merino applique & silk velvet pillows designed by Kevin O’Brien for VivaTerra. On the wall: Jefdesigns lightbox from 2modern.

At the moment, I’m very fond of red:

The Barcelona storage bench would work well in a hallway or a teenager’s room. Combined with the Coron felt lampshade and the Birdie coathanger you’ll get a a fresh, bold look.

Because the storage bench is multi-coloured I thought it could be fun trying another combo - this time for a smaller girl’s room:

I think the bench would look super cute with the Delight shade by designer Nahoko Koyama and a embroidered pillow. Embriodered accessories are “it” at the moment, so it might be an idea to check what’s hiding in your own home - or at second-hand shops!

As you can see, there are lots of options if you want to shop eco friendly. I actually had problems choosing just a few items for this post…

Links:

www.inmod.com (Spaghetti chair)

www.vivaterra.com (Barcelona storage bench; Kevin O’Brien pillows; embroidered pillow)

2modern.com (Gorgonia lightbox)

www.ecocentric.co.uk (Coron shade; Delight shade; Birdie coathanger)

Guest post from The Deco Detective

I love this old and traditional idea of framing leaves for a natural and simple look to any space. Most of my home is the color green so any of these would work wonderfully and I am debating purchasing one or just making one myself.  If I had a room like the one below dedicated to pressing leaves I would have no excuses. I am so jealous!

I have included some links to resources on how to make pressed leaf artwork.

1. eHow
2. DIY Networking
3. Country Living

Clockwise from top left: 1. Steven Sclaroff 2. Wisteria 3. Horchow 4. Rian Rae

Photo from HERE

You know when you come across something so different and unique you aren’t sure if you like it right away? That is how I felt when I came across the furniture from the Mint Shop. I decided that I really do like the furniture and decor from Mint Shop because it is different but also quite aesthetically pleasing and beautiful and most importantly livable. For instance check out that table that has two different legs. It’s like two face from Batman. I just love it! I look at a lot of furniture and lighting and decor and I will often times continue to come across the same thing over and over again and so you can imagine when I came across Mint’s products I was pleasantly surprised! Some of my other favorite pieces is the floral etched mirror (swoon), that chandelier/drum light (how cool!), and that yellow and black upholstered chaise! Their shop is a definite bookmark!

Images from Mint Shop

As I was putting this pink furniture and decor post together my fiance looks over and says “oh god those are awful”. I just laughed and said you just don’t get it, these are actually quite fabulous! Living with a man comes compromise and pink decor doesn’t seem like its in the cards but a girl can look and dream. I call this screen shopping instead of window shopping. :) So are there any lucky girls out there that get to have pink in their home besides the baby girl nursery?

1. Burke Decor 2. CB2 3. Bliss Living Home 4. Delias 5. Designers Guild 6. Bonjour Mon Coussin 7. Edra 8. Delias 9. French Bedroom Company 10. Windsor Smith Home 11. Plasticland 12. Bond and Bowery 13. Lee Industries 14. Joom 15. Burke Decor 16. Artifort 17. Hidden Art Shop 18. Urban Outfitters 19. Maison du Monde 20. Pieces Inc

I get a lot of questions from people regarding which wood finish they should use to coordinate with their exiting flooring, furniture or cabinets. When in doubt choose white! Just like clothing it can work with everything. It may not always be the best choice but at least it’s not going to stand out too much. A lot of homes have white trim so it will flow nicely usually. If your hanging something white like this fabulous clock or mirror it will look best on a wall color for contrast. If you have existing furniture that isn’t quite working but you can’t afford to buy new furniture painting it white or even black can make a huge difference.

From top: 1. Mod Cloth 2. Vivre 3. Impressionen 4. Hickory Chair 5. Table Art 6. Moma Store 7. Tonic Home 8. Bodie and Fou 9. Lazy Susan 10. Pinch Design 11. Maisons du Monde 12. Z Gallerie 13. Neiman Marcus 14. Weego Home 15. Z Gallerie 16. 2B Mod 17. Angela Adams 18. Hidden Art Shop 19. Illu-Stration 20. Baker 21. Ineke Hans 22. Impressionen 23. Burke Decor 24. Shop Plasticland 25. C. Bell Furnishing

I have been noticing a very different and cool trend in the world of architecture and interior design and that is wall protrusions. Designers are playing with the idea that the wall is folding out. Here are some of the most interesting ones that I have found including a fireplace pocket, a molded shelf, a corner wall light and a wall curtain? I am so fascinated with this concept and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Safretti 2. Sintesi 3. Billy May 4. Daniel Arsham

This is a fun post for me because my second favorite color is blue. This elements of color post is a little larger than others because I tend to grab images of interesting interior products with blue in it. There is even a really cool blue bed in there and also a beautiful blue square chandelier. So I hope you find these as fun as I do and have a wonderful New Years Eve!

1. Bride and Wolfe 2. 2 Modern 3. Industreal 4. City Living Home 5. Modern Dose

6. Plasticland 7. ecc 8. Burke Decor 9. Burke Decor 10. Vivre

11. Hunter Kenroy 12. Design Public 13. Burke Decor 14. Steven Sclaroff 15. Cottage and Bungalow

16. Six Inch 17. Modern Dose 18. Neenas Lighting 19. Jett Modern 20. Hudson Boston

21. Urban Outfitters 22. French Bedroom Company 23. Alias 24. ecc 25. Pacific Home