How to Decorate Your Outdoor Space?

In the Heart of New York City lies one of the most beautiful green havens, Central Park. New Yorkers venture out of their tightly crammed apartments to find peace and solitude with long walks in this manicured garden. What many don’t realize it that this slice of nature can be brought home by decorating your patio or balcony. It doesn’t need to be a penthouse rooftop, it can be as limited as your 3′ x 7 ‘ terrace or the stoop outside your front door to create this organic space. It’s this early spring time weather and my recent walks through Central Park that have inspired this weeks blog.

This modern large outdoor patio is a perfect setting for those hot summer days and nights in NYC. Here, the designer created a shady space by weaving yards of outdoor fabric, like Sunbrella. With colorful accent pillows to finish off the look, this outdoor space is fun, refreshing and easy to clean.

Warm colors are an essential design element when perfecting an outdoor look. The modern straight line of these sofas highlight the vertical stretch of the foliage, which also creates some insulation and privacy. Adding plants bring a natural ambiance to any room and depending on the plants you choose can also add a fresh fragrant smell.

I like to treat these outdoor spaces much like I like to decorate my indoor spaces: Soft cushioned sofas, a accessorized coffee table and a thick rope rug which is resistant to the weather.

This outside seating area is fabulously inviting due considerably to the magnitude of the sofa. With a large collection of pillows and some romantic large candles, this outside space acts like an extension of any living room.

These over the top ceramic pots give this porch a very western quality. Large cactus or warm weathered plants are great ornamental pieces because they do not need much care. With a little water and a lot of light, these plants can live very long lives.

Hip, Chic, Colorful, this contemporary terrace incorporates the new spring trend by adding splashes of neon colors to a soft white palette.

Love this piece and the color palette. Having a space for your guests to rest and enjoy a glass of wine is what entices you to use the outdoor space you have. Here, a cement top steel table gives you room to entertain with hor d’oeuvrves and fresh lemonade.

It may be the end of February, but Spring is here, and what better way to celebrate then to decorate your outdoor space for future enjoyment.

How to Decorate with a Splash of Neon!

While watching the latest fashion walking down the runway its hard to ignore the Spring’s theme is the triumphant comeback of Neon. Bursts of these vibrant colors pour out onto the streets from Bloomingdale’s window. Bright pinks, purples and greens scream from the billboards that cover 34th street. Even Target entertained this neon-happy mood with their newest commercial titled, “Color Changes Everything,” and if you haven’t seen it, you ought to. In fact, here is a link: Target Commercial. It is this colorful neon dance that inspires this weeks blog.

The addition of color into any room gives a sense of optimism, spontaneity and promise. Plain white walls can be converted into exciting and enticing color havens; blank palettes for your creative side. The idea is to incorporate these pop art colors into furnishings and fabrics. Keep it small and simple, balance your tones and narrow down the palette are key with this new trend.

Adding electric pink and green pillows helps spruce up this feminine bedroom. Small objects are important when adding accent colors, and cost-effective! Along with the pillows, the designer added a subtle floral design on the ultra white bed frame. Super simple but created with a professional designers eye.

Here, Johnathan Adler arranges some showstopping neon pieces. Year after year, Mr. Adler uses the pop art theme with a very classic style.

This bathroom accessory was found in ElleDecor’s recent Trend Alert. (Hopefully you have checked out my designers profile at the ElleDecor website! If not, here is a link: ElleDecor!) The Barbie lacquer soap dish, lotion pump, and tumbler are by Jonathan Adler as well. At  jonathanadler.com.

David Sharff, an architect in the Boston area knew these vibrant orange bar stools would complete the look in this eclectic/contemporary kitchen.

One of the tricks to adding bright colors is to keep in mind the complementary color wheel. The mellow blueish green hues of this room set off the yellow dining table chairs.

Energizing your home with brilliant colors can be done by simply adding these shades to pieces you already own. Painting this modern wood cupboard with this neon olive stain enhances the piece and the room as a whole.

Having a balance of neutral colors in the room is what makes neon colors work. The lacquer green bar-top complements the soft toned hard wood floors while the hexagon-tiled column draws vertical attention to the kitchen.

Elegance is not lost with the collection of color to a room. The designers here, Elad Gonen and Zeev Beech, incorporated lustrous yellow fabric on a traditionally formal Bergère chair.

Punchy items should be anchored by neutral walls and complementary fabrics. The idea of sticking to two or three shades is well displayed in this bedroom.

Because neon colors are associated with the 1980′s, it is common for the use of these colors in your home to be cheesy or cheap. That is why its important to use the advice of someone well versed in designing a residence so your colors represent the exact look you want. This fashion forward contemporary kitchen is bold with its use of aqua blue cabinets.

Love this room, great balance of color, patterns and accessories!!!

Neon is a hard color to commit to while decorating. Having an experienced designer is all it takes to making this new trend work in your home.

How to turn your Apartment into Bachelor Pad.

contemporary bedroom design by photographer Elad Gonen & Zeev Beech

Animal prints in this sleek living room area are perfect for the new single man, (maybe not single dad.) These delicate pieces add a sense of adventure to any room! And an common WANT from many recently divorced men.

How to Design with Wall Art

Making your house a comfortable living space is important. All too often we loose sight of this in our busy schedules but redesigning your space to make it more “you” can be fun and easy. Look around the room and notice what sticks out the most. What do you like about the room? What colors pop out? Is there a clear feature wall for you to transform into your personal art collection? By covering a room with art that expresses yourself is a great way to freshen up your home!

Deciding on a theme for your wall art shouldn’t contradict the obvious nature of the room, e.g. kid’s art in the kid’s room or sultry art in the master bath. And your options are endless.  Maybe moving around some furniture will open up the room and bring attention to a wall you may have overlooked.

This flirtatious art is arranged by just resting upon two twin floating wall shelves. The look is easy to achieve once the shelves are installed and the pieces of art can be rearranged as you collect your works.

Take a look at the pieces of art you already have, do you seem a common theme? Here the focus is on whimsical illustrations.  Adding some personality by framing some of the kids art or your favorite children’s book cover will make this room meaningful.

Splitting up with collage wall arrangements can enlarge a room as seen in this simplistic dining room. The use of different color and shape frames is illustrated here nicely without being overwhelming.