dwellings and décor

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

Whether your looking for a modern or traditional kitchen a brown kitchen can work. A kitchen with brown can make it timeless and beautiful and I love the warmth of the rich wood cabinets of these interiors. There is such a clean and inviting look to them.

Clockwise from top left: 1. David Dalton Inc. 2. Wish 3. Michael Delpiero 4. Architectural Digest

Clockwise from top left: 1. Habitat 2. Jessica La Grange 3. Rogers Marvel 4. Guillaume de Laubier

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 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.

There is something so beautiful about these soothing blue kitchens. All of these interiors have just the right amount of blue and I absolutely love them with the white color and wood tones. I think if you are going with blue in your kitchen that white or stainless appliances look best to give it that clean feel. I think it is also necessary to warm it up with wood either in the floors, cabinetry or counter tops like in the second image down. Who would have thought that blue cabinetry would look so good?

Clockwise from top left: 1. Boffi 2. Martha Stewart 3. 3rd Uncle 4. Living Etc.

Clockwise from top left: 1. HGTV 2. Beach Studios 3. Greg Natale 4. VK

When I first came across images for this island retreat from Coastal Living Magazine I instantly fell in love. After reading about the owners inspiration for the home I fell more in love. The owners Michael Ward and Rebecca Sawyer actually hand-built the structure on 3 acres. Rebecca who is an artist, took inspiration from the outdoor environment when choosing her colors. The main wall color is the color of the inside of a ripe papaya, and the trim work is inspired by a bougainvillea and alamanda, which is Rebecca’s favorite tropical flowers. The floor represents the shiny blue sea and she says “The transition between indoors and out is almost transparent, allowing the cottage to feel open and airy while maintaining its coziness”. This rental is located on the Caribbean island of Carriacou. See links below for rental information.

Images from Coastal Living Magazine and Belair Garden Cottage

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

Q. I have white appliances which I like, I dont like stainless steel appliances. My walls are cream yellow and I have honey laminate floors, I have santa cecilia granite and oak cabinets. I like the white contrast. I want to stain my cabinets, I want to go darker, but dont know how dark I can go. I like a tuscan look, and have white shaker bar stools. I like the honey woods, but a cherry sounds good too.

A. If you want to go darker than I would pick out the darkest brown color in your santa cecilia granite. See image attached for color.

Rachel Mallon
www.roominabook.com