dwellings and décor

So as I promised here are some beautiful inspiration imagery for your Thanksgiving table settings. I love the natural look of these inspiration imagery and hopefully they will inspire you when you decide to decorate your dining table. I also wanted to let you guys know that on my other blog Design Lovely I will be featuring a place setting design freebie that you can print out and cut to make place settings for your Thanksgiving feast. Happy Decorating!

Clockwise from top left: 1. Omni Arte Design 2. Better Homes & Gardens 3. Inspiration 4 U 4. Pietere Stersohn

Clockwise from top left: 1. Inspiration 4 U 2. Apostrophe 3. Inspiration 4 U 4. Zara Home

If you are having Thanksgiving at your house this year than you probably know how much work is going to go into it. Not only do you cook, clean, host and entertain but you also get to decorate which is my favorite part. My advice would be to try to coordinate your existing colors and decor of your dining room to more of a warmer, autumn, natural feel. For example if you have blue in your existing space warm yellows can really compliment the room. (see first image number 3) Or if you already have a warm tone like a red or an orange than I would use these for accent colors for the table decor. I tried to give a variety of styles below including minimal, country, traditional, contemporary and coastal and I will have more Thanksgiving table decor to show you tomorrow. If you have more inspiration to share please leave a link below. Thanks!

Clockwise from top left: 1. John Paul Urizar 2. Inspiration 4 U 3. Better Homes & Gardens 4. Loyall Sewall Photography

Clockwise from top left: 1. Better Homes & Gardens 2. Amanda Prior 3. Pottery Barn 4. Dubois

I am really loving spaces that are mainly black and white with rich wood tones throughout. The decorator did a really nice job with the design of this house and I really like how they incorporated both modern and traditional elements in a nicely balanced way. For example they placed a mid century modern Wassily chair next to a traditional looking fireplace and built-in. In the bedroom they chose a vintage white iron bed with a Hollywood glamour mirrored console. How fabulous is that? They did a great job in the kitchen and I love that they painted the flooring white in there but kept it in its natural state for the rest of the house. I can really imagine myself living in a space like this because its realistic yet so well put together.

Images from Shoot Factory

One of my favorite looks right now is black and white with rich woods. I think it is so stunning, clean, modern and chic. The black and white give the space a clean minimal look and the rich woods really help to make the space feel warmer. I love how the warm wood tones with the clean black and white give the space such a beautiful balance.

Note: I believe that this Apartment isn’t in the state Alaska, its in Alaska somewhere near London.

Images from Shoot Factory

I have a lot of clients who ask for a warm and bright space which seems to be more common for this time of year. I love incorporating soft pretty golden yellows for these clients and these interior images always provides inspiration. As I may have mentioned before yellow is probably the most difficult color to work with, at least in my book. I don’t know how many times people have come to me for assistance after painting their walls a yellow they thought was subtle enough in the can became too bright on the wall. I think once you find the right yellow for the walls it can work with so many other colors and really does make a room cherry and bright. I think its worth the extra work on finding the right yellow and remember that once yellow is on the wall it will always seem brighter especially if your getting a lot of daylight in that space. As you see below yellow looks beautiful with honey and dark rich woods.

Clockwise from top: 1. One and Only Resorts 2. Winfriend Heinze 3. Tracery Interiors 4. Zara Home

Clockwise from top: 1. Madeline Stuart 2. M Grimm 3. Thomas Treuhaft 4. NY Interior Design

Below are some photos from the wonderful interior inspiration site Shoot Factory. This House in particular is one of my favorites and it is located in Kempe, England. These photos show the beautiful autumn light and I am in awe of the small details throughout the home. Some of my favorite elements of this home is the hand painted shoji screen, the clean and relaxed feel of the linens and upholstery, the hand sketched framed artwork above the sofa and the cute little shoes under the mirrored armoire. Another aspect of this home that I love is that there is such a fluid and smooth transition from one room to the next. Colors, style and the feel of the rooms are consistent throughout the home. Click here to see more images.

Images from Shoot Factory

I love this inspiration image for its color and patterns. The black and white fabrics work great for decor and upholstery. If I were to create this room I would use the black and white stripe fabric for long modern drapery and then the black and white circle fabric for the chair upholstery. I also picked out this modern dining table because it reminded me of the girls pointy shoes in the inspiration image. I like the idea of doing some sort of simple sponging for the wall to create the light and dark gradation of the rich tan color. I would probably complete the look with white painted hardwood floors and a dramatic chandelier.

1. Black & White Stripe fabric from Kravet (26277_81)
2. Inspiration Image from Conde Nast Store
3. Louis Chair from Chair Couture
4. Dining Table from Gus Design Group

I think if you were to choose one room to paint dark I would choose the dining room. Painting it a darker color gives you the opportunity to make it look dramatic especially with the right lighting. Dark blue walls can make your space feel cool and calm which can be great for people who work long days and just want to eat dinner and relax. Dark blue dining rooms are especially gorgeous with medium honey toned woods and stark white. Add some glam with a sparkly chandleier and a shiny mirror to complete the look.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Apartment Therapy 2.  Lucyina Moodie 3. Marie Claire Maison 4. Judith Miller Inc.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Belle Home Studio 2. Tom Scheerer 3. Elle Decor 4. Desire to Inspire

I found out about Tori and Dean’s home through the blogoshpere. I actually havent even seen the show but I heard good things and kept seeing comments about the set design of the home.  I love all the color and cohesiveness of the house and whoever designed it has great style. Here are some images I found from the Oxygen website and I made little notes of my fave items from the show.

These pure and beautiful dining room images are a great example of how to design an all white interior. When designing an all white interior it can feel bland and boring but when you add interesting furniture and decor into the space it can feel warmer and more inviting. Its hard to pinpoint a style for these images because they are minimal in color but their furniture and decor have a different style.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Sarah Kaye 2. Roche Bobois 3. Zara Home

Clockwise from top left: 1. Beach Studios 2. Location Works 3. The Rug Company 4. Steven Randazzo

Summer tabletops are all about fun, fresh and casual. For outdoor table décor be inspired by your garden. Bring in colors from the flowers or if you mostly have leafy plants have a simple more natural look to your table décor by adding white linens and wood and grass materials like wicker or bamboo.

Here are some tips from Canadian House & Home:

• Line hurricane vases or lanterns along the middle of the table for simple yet stunning centerpieces.
• Create easy summer centerpieces with fruit, stones or branches displayed in baskets.
• Transform a favorite lightweight scarf, sarong or leftover fabric into a summery table runner.
• Add bursts of color to an all-white table by using different colored chair cushions or tie fabric or inexpensive sarongs around chair backs for an extra splash of color.
• For a more minimalist looking table, opt for no tablecloth at all and place a grouping of chunky white pillar candles in the centre, atop a bamboo runner or placemat.
• Sea-themed tables: White pillar candles set in sand are perfect for clear hurricane vases. Place pretty seashells on the sand around the candle, and sprinkle a few more on the table around the hurricanes for an airy, seaside centerpiece.

Click here for link

From Top (when ther are two left to right) 1. Kemble Interiors 2. Zara Home 3. Western Interiors 4. Refresh Agency 5. Real Simple 6. Pietere Stersohn 7. Judith Miller Inc. 8 & 9. Dubois 10. Cheryl Rowley Design

There is something so magical about these interiors with multiple hanging light fixtures. Lighting is too often an afterthought for people and it can be very difficult to create the right amount of light. You will notice in these interiors that the design has been carefully thought out. The first image has multiple chandeliers that sparkle when sunlight hits from the large glass skylight. The second image down is a retail store and the designer used the same light fixture in different sizes but hung them at different heights to give it a more scattered feel. I love that there are so many and it still feels subtle and it gives the space a nice glow. I think this idea of multiple hanging light fixtures may work best for events and special occasions. It can really give you that drama that your looking for.

From Top (left to right when there are two) 1. Shoot Factory 2. KWID 3. Martyn Lawrence Bullard 4. Little White Dress 5. D Wiseman 6. Event Design Group

When architects make a beautiful old building into a stunning new building you cant help but notice the character, warmth and class that it gives. Below are images from a villa in Positano, Italy. The villa was first built in the eighteenth century and was reconstructed in 2004 by Lazzarini Pickering Architteti. You will notice that the floors, walls, and ceiling are all neutral but there is still so much color and texture in the fabrics and furniture. What is most striking to me is the large ornate wood piece that extends from the living room into the dining room and into the kitchen. It can be rare to see such exquisite architecture and interior design in one place.

Images from Yatzer

I was shopping for new Interior Design Magazines and I wasn’t to thrilled on alot of the American issues but when I came across this french magazine Cote Sud I was ecstatic. This article on a french artists home caught my eye and it is the reason I bought it along with many other fabulous finds. I love how there is spats of vibrant color throughout like on the dining chairs and large canvases. It is almost as if her home is a clean white canvas and so when adding furniture she can go with traditional Louis chairs and crystal chandeliers plus modern Bertoia wireframed chairs and Saarinen tables. Love Love Love this space!

As a designer it can be difficult to decorate a room for all seasons. I always try to avoid designing spaces that are christmas tree green and Santa Claus red and the same goes for the red white and blue flag colors. These interiors have used red white and blue but in more subtle tones and they look absolutely fabulous.

Rachel Mallon
www.roominabook.com

Clockwise from top left:

1. Flores Vianna 2. Glenn Gissler Design 3. Thom Filicia 4. M Design Interiors 5. Domino Mag