Joyeux Noël

Hang a Christmas Wreath

If you haven't yet placed a Christmas wreath on your front door, then these inspiring creations might give you some seasonal ideas.

A simple, yet stylish, natural evergreen wreath adorned with pine cones, cinnamon sticks and red ribbon, perfectly placed on a grey door backdrop….

ingredientsinc.net

This turquoise door looks fresh and vibrant with a contemporary wreath decorated with teal ribbon, stars and a fabric background….  

A letterbox red door looks smart with tartan ribbon, fruit and foliage, apples, key limes, lemon leaves, berries, cypress and thistles…..

An evergreen and eucalyptus backdrop looks sumptuous and rich decorated with silver, gold and blue baubles and a sprinkling of blue subtly blended in….

Christmas messages on brown gift tags and seasonal ribbon are all this wreath needs to shout out its joyous message...

Another personalised idea with a monogrammed Christmas wreath…..

by The Embellished Home on Etsy.

All wreaths from Better Homes unless otherwise stated.

2014 Trends in Interiors - Merry Christmas Deer!

On the second day of Christmas

Contemporary Country Style……

One of the key trends for interiors in 2014 is heavily influenced by nature and forests with a fresh, take as in this print by Orwell and Goode - a design duo who stitch, hand/screen print and create art, lampshades, wallpaper and cushions.  Themes include stags, hares, patterned herringbone fish, forests and woodlands.  Their distinctive patterns have caught the eye of design enthusiasts and I can predict they will remain popular for some time to come. 

Christmas in style….

If you haven't already done so, it's time to get those Christmas decorations out and get in the spirit of the season.  A New Yorker's Christmas style complements a calm, neutral room with an artificial white tree covered in feathers and silver coloured ornaments.  The art installation on the wall ties in the simplicity of the decor and emphasises the less is more approach.

Credit: Robert Wright for The New York Times

Iconic design sale event at Knoll

On Saturday, 23 November 2013 Knoll International will be hosting its annual one day sample sale with the largest collection of Knoll furnishings ever sold at 91 Goswell Road, Clerkenwell, London EC1V 7EX between 10am and 4pm. Iconic design pieces including ex-display and photo shoot items will be sold at 70% off.

Lovers of design will enjoy the purity of line in Knoll’s Saarinen Side Table, available in laminate and marble...

Photographer Michael Cullen, Courtesy of Knoll, Inc

Finnish designer Eero Saarinen (1910-1961) was brought up with design, his father was world famous architect Eliel Saarinen and his mother a textile artist. 

The timeless Barcelona collection...

Image Courtesy of Knoll, Inc

Knoll will also be offering a 15% discount on all orders for new furniture, from Saarinen Tables and pieces from the Jehs + Laub Collection to design classics by Mies van der Rohe, Florence Knoll and Harry Bertoia, extended to all UK showrooms.

Iconic design pieces - the Platner chair and side table....

Photographer Michael Cullen, Courtesy of Knoll, Inc

Kelly Creates Calm

A clear sense of purpose fits every area of this home and is clearly visible from the mezzanine. Kelly Hoppen's calm and orderly approach to interior design works so well, with interesting views and different focal points throughout the space.

First Impressions Count

First impressions always count.  This arrangement would look great in an entrance hallway or simply anywhere that a focal point is needed on a blank wall.  I love the way the mix and match chairs and the blending of styles works.  

design by Meredith Heron

Give Your Interiors Soul with Retro Touches

If you want to go retro with your design then check out Grace & Glory for a selection of vintage-inspired accessories.  I loved this cafe-style Battersea pendant light in clay and this little bird paperweight.  Adding some retro accessories to a contemporary interior can give it character and soul.

 

Not Percy Jackson

With the title Sunrise with Sea Monsters you'd expect this oil painting by Turner c.1845 to be something out of the latest Percy Jackson adventure.  Instead the subtle tones and obscure shapes on the canvas let your imagination run wild.  Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851) painted many beautiful sunsets and sunrises through his career.  

It's been a while since I posted some art so enjoy Turner's unfinished yet stunning painting of the dawn.  If you want to see the original, it's on display at the Tate.

Yoga Spa Cocoon

A converted factory in Melbourne, Australia is now a yoga sanctuary of calm and tranquility reminiscent of a spa.  The architect, Rob Mills, designed One Hot Yoga, a yoga studio in Melbourne, Australia where the interior is kept at a constant, warm temperature of 27 degrees which cocoons and gives a tropical island feel.  

A stone fountain provides drinking water and textured materials create a natural, soothing environment emphasised by the recycled materials, polished concrete floors, wide benches, table with beautiful wood grain and a pale, neutral colour scheme.

Natural materials create a comforting environment....

The simplicity is inspiring....

Photography: Earl Carter

Style by Adler

Jonathan Adler certainly has his own slant on interior design and display with his eclectic choices perfectly placed to create interesting displays.  He's certainly not afraid of using colour.  Adler says,"Every room could use a bit more luminosity. Reflective surfaces open up a space and are guaranteed to make your chakras tingle." Here are a couple of the latest images of his work from Lonny magazine....

This is from Adlier's new Talitha collection.....

Photography by Lonny magazine

Micro-living Student Pad

A comfortable sleeping-loft, study area, kitchen, and bathroom ingeniously packed into ten square metres! This innovative design by architects Linda Camara and Pontus Aqvist at Tengbom Architects is also stylish, affordable and environmentally friendly. The architects teamed up with wood manufacturer, Martinsons, to meet the needs of students at the University of Lund, Sweden.  They've created an eco-friendly, low carbon footprint unit which is elegant and practical.

"What is “good” living? What materials can we use? To meet the future in a sustainable way we must be innovative in all aspects and have the courage to break new ground," says Linda Camara at Tengbom Architects.

Currently displayed in Virserum Art Museum until 8 December 2013. In 2014, 22 units will be built and ready for university students to move into.

Units are built with a carbon positive cross-laminated wood which was sourced locally, has a reduced ecological impact and low carbon footprint.

Photography: Bertil Hertzberg

Clipped Coastal Paradise

A gorgeous contemporary garden by Australian designer, Peter Fudge which demonstrates how a simple and restrained design can look stunning.  I love the Olive, clipped box, Rosemary, Helichrysum and rich, green hedging alongside the cool, grey blue flagstones.  The garden rooms at the rear house utility sheds and a pond.

London's Treasures

Beautiful trees in London's Hyde Park....

The Unlikely Suspects

In this light, bright, comfy living room the unlikely combination of concrete walls and orange art work provide a natural focus point with balance and symmetry.

Contemporary Beach House

A contemporary beach house which screams with style.  A white backdrop provides the perfect place for the few colourful accessories and artefacts of the owners.

Sprawling sofas and large sideboards provide plenty of storage to keep the place clutter-free.

This simple dining room feels carefree and light.  The casually placed canvas leans simply on the wall and the book spines' colours sing out.

The vintage-style furniture works seamlessly with the modern simplicity and translates beautifully in this children's room...

Images from www.lonny.com

Shades of Grey

Here's a sensuous room which celebrates texture in many forms, with nature's shades of grey highlighted in the different elements throughout the room.  A soft, touch-me throw, gorgeous wooden backdrop, and hanging pendants accentuate the greyness.  The symmetrical layout around the bed and beneath the window give a restful, calm feeling as you gaze through to the treetops and sky beyond.

Jolly Jpeg

Love these simple, stylish Jpegs by Thabto.  A great way for each person to have their own wall peg with a place for notes, letters, pictures or photos.  

Californian Dream

The lighting in this stunning coastal property gives it a real edge.  The flexible and cleverly thought-out lighting scheme has created a home which is impressive at all times of day and night. This is a loft renovation with an open plan theme including a double height stairway.  The expansive frameless, glass windows give an amazing view of the harbour in Corona del Mar, California.  What a beautiful room to relax in!  The textured fireplace wall creates an effective focal point.

The area's layout has made the most of the space available...

Love the double height stairway and variety of textures used throughout.....

 This stylish home feels welcoming, luxurious and homely by night....

and bright and uplifting by day.

Aria Design working with Horst Architects

Symmetry and Comfort

A comforting space cleverly laid out with great use of symmetry and texture.  The fireplace wall brings interest and depth, despite the fireplace being away from the centre of the action.  It still works as it gives an extra dimension, depth and interest to the room.  The neat, regular layout of the sofas is easy on the eye and the symmetry and balance is maintained with the two lamps on the console, the cushions on the sofas and even the twin squares on the coffee table.

From this angle you can see the room offers great views to the similarly-arranged garden area which extends the space.  The sturdy, quality console table serves as a solid room divider and delineates the floor space perfectly.  The only thing I'd change is the lighting.  A more flexible scheme rather than all over spots would bring out the features of the room and add more excitement to the space.

by Scottsdale interior designers and decorators, Ownby Design