HOW TO DECORATE WITH LIGHTING THAT POPS?

The affects of illumination in a room can either make or break a space. Since this Springs most obvious trend is bright neon colors, it is easy to see how lighting that pops is what’s hot this season as well. Bursts of color on upholstered chandeliers or ultra modern lighting center pieces is what seems to catch the eye of designers and well versed home-owners alike. Here are a few example of lighting that really works.

This type of color effected lighting is perfect in playful rooms around the house. The odd shape of the hanging light in the room stands out and parallels the ingenuity of the bright pinkish hue to the fabric.

Elegance and industrial meet with this iron chandelier. The large Edison light bulbs are seriously in this year and give the room an old New York feel. This one of a kind fixture is easily incorporated with a decorators touch.

We know how much I love metallic and metals so when I saw these amazing hanging stainless steel light fixtures I almost purchased a set for every hallway in my house. The warm light reflects every edge of the metal shade increasing the comfortably of the room and its ambiance.

Add art into the home by adding refined artistic lamps or hanging chandeliers. The room can be decorated with simple furniture and pick a lighting fixture that screams for attention. Talk about beautiful functionality.

Here in this formal dining space with a playful touch is a set of 3 Capiz shell chandeliers. The idea is childlike but sophisticated. They act as an excellent conversation piece in a room focused on good conversation.

Love the base of these hanging lights. They introduce a very masculine feel to the vanity. A spectacular effect from these lamps is the spotlight it leaves on the countertops. Excellent touch

Here are some unique lamp fixtures I installed into my Living Room in Manhattan. Love the soft feel of the draped silk.  When they are on the warm light is soft yet dramatic.

How to make your Dining Room the Most Exciting Room in the House?

Cuisine and conversation is the focal point of the Dining room so it is important to make this space special. Over time, these uncommonly used rooms can lose their luster but now is the time to breath new life into your Dining room.  Although formal can sometimes be mundane or frigid,  I like to keep with tradition and have the dining room be the most polished room in the house. Fill it with your most luxurious furniture and drape with the walls with grand mirrors or paintings. It is this conventional design attitude that inspires this weeks blog!

The patterned area rug guides your eye right to the center of the room with a sleek and simple set up on top of a large circular table. The dark wood side and matching center table stand out against the dark blue colors. Classic black lamp shades address the unique stripe on the upholstered chair set.

The two large upholstered chairs at the end of the table make this design stand out. Love the chandeliers, love the simple but elegant table setting.

Silver, Silver Silver. The designer made metallic work in this dining room by consistently using the same shades of gray and silver throughout. The mono-toned theme goes beautifully with the dark wood floor.

Neutral Colors are successful in contemporary dining rooms. This textured taupe wall really sets the mood with amazing accent chairs. The turquoise keeps up with Springs neon color theme but has a very traditional, sophisticated fabric.

The Dining room should be independent from the rest of the house so that family and friends can get caught up in good conversation. The large Crown lit fixture brings exclusivity to the room.

This thick bold wood table has attitude.  Again, LOVE the wood finish with the dark gray tones. The mirror against the modest dark black wall paper really adds adventure into the room.

This year, like every year, I had the chance to go to the DIFFA Dining by Design at the Architectural Digest Show. Here are a few room designs that I loved.

This one really stood out because of its theme. Love the firewood detailing on the back wall and the western fabric used on the banquet cushion.

Bright colors cascade across this larger dining table. Perfect from a Dinner party for both a younger or older crowd.

Here is a simple table top for everyday or a playful dinner party. The accent colors for the room are on the table therefore can be changed easily with different set ups.

How to Decorate with Spring Inspirations?

Spring is upon us and although this winter paid little attention to the tri-state area, the warm weather still feels good. The other day I was lucky to take a trip to Westport, a beautiful little town off the coast of Connecticut. Driving down the winding suburban roads were bursts of yellow daffodils and purple horse mint. It was refreshing to see these small but plentiful wild gardens and hints of sunny weather.  And it was these enlivening colors that inspired this weeks blog.

One Spring 2012 interior trend is the simplicity of the color palette. The idea is to design the room using hues of grays, creams and blacks and mixing them with citrus colors; ie. lemons, limes and tangerines. This home below includes a magnificent green ottoman that also serves as a coffee table, and its this functionality that brings us to spring tip number 2!

Gray seems to be this Springs new Hot Neutral, ranging from pale to charcoal. Keeping in mind clear is better, adding bursts of yellows completes this ‘contemporary’ style. Tip: Incorporating color to a room shouldn’t include the entire Crayon Box.

Robin’s Egg Blue is a charming, soft touch to this living area. These accent colors can be easy to add by focusing the color on an accent wall or the entire room. Citrus tones of yellow and greens are added to the neutral couch to finish off the Spring look.

LOVE this Saarinen chair in lime green. Its a fabulous accent color with the neutral gray walls. The built in bookshelf next to the fireplace polishes off the look.

A final Spring tip is keep things casual, but refined. In the color scheme, the furniture, the entire concept is to keep the room simple. Don’t clutter the room with excess color or confuse the fluidity of the room with too much furniture. This it the season to bring bounce back into your home.  Remember to look at nature’s Spring palette for matching colors within your home.

How to Decorate your Kitchen Backspalsh?

The Newest layout for the home features an open floor plan between the Kitchen and the Living Room. With this grand space it is important to decorate so your beautiful home does not look like an empty one. Having little design components throughout the room make these large living spaces more comfortable. The backsplash in your kitchen is one of these elements that can add gusto to your design. It is these small design aspects that inspire this weeks blog.

The purpose of the backsplash is to protect the wall from water, grease, and grime, therefore tile is an excellent material to use. Its easy to clean and has lots of varieties. In this NYC Kitchen I designed, the bright orange tile compliments the space and adds a burst of color into the room.

Here is another project of mine. The color green accommodates the dark wood cabinetry. Larger, artsy tile is used just above the sink to add some fun to the room.

This subtle backsplash adds refinement and elegance. The texture of the tile continues up the wall to finish the look and creates an large accent wall to the kitchen.

Lifting the color tones off the counter tops by using a similar backsplash is an excellent way to design your kitchen. Love the monochromatic soft toned cabinets and counter tops.

Be bold. The ornamental marble design, which is wax coated to keep it from tarnishing,  is effective in making your kitchen look distinctive.

Love the subway tile, and it gives the Kitchen a very industrial atmosphere while keeping a rustic or modern look to the home. Here the tile is layered in a brickwork fashion. Many varieties come with this type of tile.

Simple, Timeless. Using a wide grout with small subway tiles add a authentic look to this Kitchen’s backsplash.

Many projects that I design are new homes which give me endless possibilities. This modern house was designed using windows to make up the backsplash.  This concept brings in light and uses the beautiful, always changing outside scenery into the Kitchen.

How to Finish a Room with Accessories?

One of the final steps when designing a room is picking out accessories to finish off the look. Whether they have functionality or not, these objects should express the home owners disposition. One tips to picking out these final touches is keeping them all the same accent color. Maybe a few here’s and there’s that pop out when you walk into the room. Be sure to keep it simple. Nothing should be too big. Another tip is to create a theme with your items. If you are going for a Bohemian motif, stick to it. Lastly, choose the items wisely and make them personal. Find things that represent a happy time in your life or a fun trip you went on. All these clever tricks have come into mind while designing my recent project in Chicago and have inspired this weeks blog.

The Living room here is from my project in Chicago. The home was build in the 1870′s and has a very art deco style.  This room features some modern silk velvet chairs that pick up the colors in the rug and curtains. By incorporating warm accent-red glass accessories, the room feels finalized and refined.

A great way to personalize your space is adding knick-knacks you pick up on your travels. My trip to Vietnam inspired my eye in design and the archives I brought home from the trip fill my shelves and mantel with great memories.

Make your accessories a cohesive collection by keeping them the same color or theme.  This room is decorated with lots of reflective objects such as the large vases at the base of the fireplace, the circular mirror on the back wall and the shiny silver modern light fixture that hangs above the upholstered coffee table.

Focus your design on the balance between minimalism and clutter. This bedside table has a clean finish that parallels with the crisp clean lines of the headboard and table itself. The designer picked an unconventional curvy lamp which stands out among the straight lines.

The office is an important room to fill with good memories and fun accessories. The black simple framed book shelf is a great piece in this room. The home owner filled it with accent colors and organizational office needs. And the Black and Orange, Love it!

The idea behind this design is color, color, color! The vintage chair and couch with matching coffee table pair well with the youthful paintings and accessories that fill this room.

A very sophisticated feel is brought to this master bath with touches of soft toned vanity objects and towel collection.

I recently took a trip to Tom Roth’s showroom, Montage, in Westport, CT. With plenty of accessories to compliment your home, its important to have a designer’s advice so the room is not overwhelmed with objects.

More accessories from Montage.

Its important to keep a balance when choosing accessories for your home. Objects of the same theme, pieces from your trips around the world and accent colors really finalize your home.