dwellings and décor

A dark gray color may not be what most people look for in a Bathroom but I couldn’t pass up showing these gorgeous dark gray bathrooms. I especially like the ones that warm it up a bit with rich wood tones. I think the dark gray keeps the bathroom clean and timeless and it’s also a really nice way to bring in a natural feel with the dark gray stone. I also think that dark gray in the bathroom can really work well if you get a lot of sunlight coming in so it doesn’t feel too dark. Hopefully these images will provide some inspiration for people considering going the gray route for their bathroom. Enjoy!

Clockwise from top left: 1. Living Etc. 2. Tripod Agency 3. Wayne Vincent 4. Metropolitan Home

Clockwise from top left: 1. Interior Design Magazine 2. Kenneth Brown Design 3. Tamara Magel 4. Location Works

As you may have noticed this season is all about purple whether it be in fashion or home decor. Below are some wonderful examples of living room spaces with the right amount of deep purple to make it elegant and timeless. From wall color to pillows you can find the right inspiration image to introduce the deep purple into your space. Enjoy!

Clockwise from top left: 1. Amanda Nisbet Design 2. Urban Pad 3. Jezebel 4. Sarah Kaye

Clockwise from top left: 1. Mary McDonald Inc. 2. Irina Graewe 3. Borastapeter 4. Graham Brown

Clockwise from top left: 1. Janne Peters 2. Jessica La Grange 3. SPG Architects 4. Kenneth Brown Design

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

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

I thought that showing some black and white bedroom interiors would fit the mood for the upcoming holiday of Halloween. These rooms aren’t really spooky or scary but they are pretty great and I don’t recommend painting all your walls black for Halloween but an accent wall could look pretty cool if done right like some of the ones below. Some might feel that an all black and white interior can seem cold and uninviting so that’s why I like the idea of adding a little splash of yellow or beige to warm it up a bit. Adding a natural colored rug or rich woods can also do the trick.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Campanas 2. Castel Veciana 3. Elle Decor 4. Mimou

Clockwise from top left:1. SPI Design 2. Melanie Molesworth Blog 3. Nick Bowers 4. Susan Carpinello

Clockwise from top left: 1. Dwell Shop 2. Lisa Cohen Photography 3. Reeves Design 4. SR Gambrel

If your looking for a really clean and timeless bathroom than neutral maybe the way you want to go. When choosing hard materials like tile and cabinetry it is often times best to go neutral because it will stay in style for a really long time and it may become easier to sell the home. Not only will it stay in style longer but adding white and off white colors can it give a bathroom a really clean and modern look.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Splyce 2. Domino Magazine 3. Marie Claire Maison 4. Shoot Factory

Clockwise from top left: 1. Tricia Joyce 2. Bamo Inc. 3. William Hefner 4. Cheryl Rowley Design

Clockwise from top left: 1. B Home Interiors 2. Salon Interior 3. Marie Claire Maison 4. India Mahdavi

Clockwise from top left: 1. Cheryl Rowley Design 2. Kiwi Collection 3. Walker-Warner Architects 4. Kiwi Collection

Below are some beautiful green bedroom interior images from my photo collection. Green will most likely give your space a natural style so if you want to glam it up a little adding shiny metals and white painted furniture is just stunning. Check out Greg Natale’s photo in the last image top left. You will notice that most designers chose to compliment the green with beautiful rich woods and white linens. I just love this look. As you may have read from a previous post one of my favorite colors is green. I am even doing my whole wedding in green and white. I picked out my bridesmaid dresses last week and I matched the color of the dress to a Sherwin Williams paint swatch so I can send the dresses to the girls. The paint sample is called Shamrock which is perfect because we are going to Ireland for our honeymoon. I guess it’s meant to be.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Ellen McDermott 2. Nicole Hollis 3. Maisons du Monde 4. Noah Webb

Clockwise from top left: 1. Dowling Kimm Studios 2. An Indian Summer 3. Bil Huber 4. Adeeni Design Group

Clockwise from top left: 1. Greg Natale 2. Maspar 3. Skonahem 4. Jeremy Samuelson

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

These interiors show great examples of how to use the color red in living rooms. Red is such a lively and vibrant color and its easy to go overboard with it. Red also tends to compete with other colors so I like to tone the red down with neutral colors like browns and beige’s and compliment the red with black and white. If you are considering painting your space a lively red I would suggest only doing an accent wall or add white wainscoting to tone it down. Not quite ready to paint your space red? Add red in accents like pillows drapery and artwork to bring in red tones. A red sofa can also make a huge statement. If you need assistance on designing your space with red please contact me at rachel@roominabook.com.

First Row: 1. Halley Resources 2. Kendall Wilkinson Design

Second Row: 1. Jonathan Adler 2. Tod Hunter Earle

First Row: 1. Ingrao 2. Zanotta

Second Row:1. Faucher Artists 2. Turquoise

First Row: 1. Mark Seelen 2. Coastal Living

Second Row:1. M Design 2. Mark Schomisch Design

Since it is the beginning of September I wanted to share with you Fall Inspired Bedrooms. When I lived in Portland, Oregon I couldn’t wait for Autumn to come. It has got to be one of the most gorgeous places to experience the season. Most of the leaves turned this beautiful rust orange color and it would just light up the hills. Quite frankly I miss this season the most. As you can imagine we don’t have much of a fall season in Hawaii. I think I would rather be warm though, I am not a big fan of the cold. This rust orange color may give you a feeling of warmth for those colder days to come. If you are considering decorating your room in this color then I would suggest using accent colors like soft yellows and sagey greens. I also love this color with rich dark wood tones and hints of brown.

From Left to Right.
First Row: 1. Rebecca Duke 2. Loyall Sewall Photography
Second Row: 1. Rate My Space on HGTV 2. Greg Natale

Third Row: 1. Halley Resources 2. Agnes Bourne
Fourth Row: 1. Adeeni Design Group 2. Madeline Stuart

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

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

Purple is associated with royalty, drama, opulence, mystery, and dignity and it works lovely with blues and fuchsia pinks. If you are looking for a regal and dignified bedroom purple may be a good choice for you. Having a purple bedroom will definitely feel more feminine and if you share your bedroom with a man he may disapprove. If you are a woman and are wanting to have a purple bedroom than you may want to compromise with your hubby and only put in purple accents and offset them with blue or chocolate brown. Even if your not looking to design your room in purple these are really fun to look at. I think there just gorgeous!

Clockwise from Top Left: 1. NY Times 2. Domino 3. Amanda Nisbet Design 4. House and Home

Clockwise from Top Left: 1. Real World Houses 2. Janne Peters 3. Sarah Kaye 4. Trine Thorsen

There has been many posts about yellow interiors in the blogosphere lately so I thought hey why not do one too. Yellow usually reminds us of sunshine and brings a sense of warmth to a room. It can remind us of being at the beach so I think it works perfectly well for a wet location such as the bathroom. When designing yellow in a bathroom I think it should be your main and possibly your only color. It works beautifully with white toilets, tubs and sinks and I would definetly go with stainless or chrome fixtures and not gold. If you are thinking about using yellow in your bathroom consider how much yellow you want to use. These interiors show the many ways of implementing yellow into your bathroom whether you want to tile all four walls or just add yellow decorative towels. Enjoy!

Clockwise from top: 1. Anyway Artists 2. Pierce Allen 3. India Mahdavi 4. Living etc.

Clockwise from top: 1. Phoebe Howard 2. Robert Kaner ID 3. Eric Roth Photo 4. Pietere Stersohn

I recently came across this first tropical living room image from EKB Interiors and it made me want to go through my large library and find other blue and green spaces. Blue and green are my favorite colors so naturally I am very drawn to these dwellings. I especially like when blue and green are with white; it gives the room such a clean and fresh look. You will notice many of these interiors have a tropical style to them but not all of them. Blue and green can work beautifully in traditional settings as well. In fact I think when you add blue and green in traditional style interiors it gives it more of a playful feel instead of feeling too stuffy or pretentious.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Scott Sanders 2. EKB Interiors 3. Anyway Artists -Paul Whicheloe 4. Domino Mag

Clockwise from top left: 1. Keith Scott Morton 2. Megg Braff 3. David Hicks 1970 4. Light Locations

Clockwise from top left: 1. Frank Roop 2. Wish.ca 3. DPS Interiors 4. Timothy Kolk

Most of us are spending a lot more time outside lately because of the warmer weather. When decorating your outdoor area it can be quite lovely to choose neutral colors and natural looking furniture and decor. If you have a view of the country hillside or the ocean keeping it neutral near the home can enhance your view because your eye will be more drawn to the vibrant greens and blues of nature. Neutral fabric also wont fade as easily from sun and rain. I hope these images will inspire you to do something beautiful with your outdoor space.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Tom Scheerer 2. Maison Cote Sud 3. Caroline Vesey

Top: William Hefner Bottom: Matheus Phototography

Today I wanted to post interiors that are summery and fresh looking so I decided that green and coral interiors would be a good choice. I love the feeling of the two colors together because they create a nice balance for the space. The serene and peaceful green with the vibrant and lively coral red makes these spaces feel balanced emotionally. You will notice that in all of these interiors that green is the main color for the room and the coral is an accent color. The designers of these spaces did this intentionally because when using coral or red tones in abundance it can make for an unpleasant environment. So when decorating with red tones make sure to use them as accent colors like in pillows, artwork and rugs. When people are looking for paint color advice and they want to use red on the walls I always recommend to only use it as an accent color. A lot of Red in a space can make your heart beat faster and cause other emotional feelings like anger and rage but adding red in small amounts can be great for a space because it can uplift your mood and bring energy and cheeriness.

What I like most about the selections of these interiors is that they all bring a different style. The first image on the top left hand corner has this funky tropical country feel to whereas the one next to it on the right is more clean and minimal. (Check out the filled in fireplace behind the bed.) The image in the middle is much more contemporary because of the stripes in the rug and bedding. I am enjoying the playfulness of the interior and it is a perfect bedroom for that active teenager. The image on the very bottom is more modern because of the clean lines in the bed and abstract artwork. I hope you enjoy these great images and please comment below and tell us what you think.

Rachel Mallon
www.roominabook.com

Clockwise from top left: 1. Scott Sanders 2. Civility Design 3. Real World Houses 4. Timothy Kolk

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

A dark blue Living room can be a great place for relaxing and meditating and it can also enhance the same feeling that you get from the ocean and looking up at the sky. Cooling and calm blue can balance beautifully with rich wood tones like mahogany and cherry and work great with reddish leather. When applying blue to the walls you want to make sure you are getting enough sunlight into the space because it can feel depressing if not used properly. More than any other color blue is affected by the materials it surrounds. For instance reflective materials like glass can intensify blue and shiny materials can make blue look frosty. Blue is also a very mature and timeless color so it works with traditional to modern styles. It is especially used in coastal homes because it helps bring that calming feeling from the ocean into the home.

Rachel Mallon
www.roominabook.com

Clockwise from top left: 1.House to Home 2.Domino 3.Metropolitan Home 4.Preston Lee Design