Love the clean and unique look of this Japanese screen staircase and LED floor lighting. The hardwood screen is bold and sleek while the lights add a softness to the room.

The small ‘pebbled” tiles used around the mirror and flowing into the shower give hints of nature to this modern Japanese Bath. The sense of relaxation continues into the vanity with the vessel sink along with the blonde wood plank bench seating and floor. Finish the look with a bonsai tree or orchid, very Feng Shui.

This bedroom indulges in the Feng Shui tradition with the position of the bed against a solid wall which imparts a feeling of safety and security. The large art piece that hangs above the bed is also very Feng Shui as well, bringing in positive energy and enjoyment. Love bubble pendant and the color of the accent wall.

Beautiful earth tones are used in this Asian inspired master bathroom. Adding hints of nature is very popular in oriental cultures and can be recognized in the rock sink and waterfall installation in the back of the bathroom.

This spa bathroom is fitted with an amazing deep stone Japanese bathtub and sauna for a perfect relaxation retreat. You can see the distinct elements associated with Asian decor with the river rock decorative along the wall and the simplicity of accessories.

Here the designer fused the office and the meditation room together. The Meditation room is very important in the Asian culture. The built-in shelving with the contrast of dark and light stains on the wood create an exotic platform to display your Feng Shui accessories and Buddha Statue.

Japanese Cherry Blossoms decorate this tiled bathroom in Connecticut. I hired a gentleman to come paint the mural art after installing the tiles which gave it a very personal touch.

Again with the reference to nature and sleek lines. I see these bamboo plants and think of the Japanese forest.

Symmetry is a strong element in Asian design and is displayed beautifully in this Master Bedroom I designed in Connecticut. The purpose of this feature is to create balance throughout the room.

Chinoiserie is French for “Chinese-esque,” and represents a very popular Oriental style furniture that emerged in France. The vessel sink sits atop this one-of-a-kind piece that is decorated with detailed scenes painted on dark lacquer-like wood.

Through my years of experience designing homes in NYC, it is clear how impossible a traditional wood-burning fireplace can be.  That is why EcoSmart Fireplaces are perfect for adding glamor to you home. They use a Bio-ethanol, a renewable energy source for each of their units. This clean emission allows for their fireplaces to be added anywhere in your home without expensive and invasive rebuilding. Below are a few examples of these EcoSmart projects.

Cement is an excellent material to use to spotlight your fireplace. It has a very natural masculine look and will bring your style to the next level. As mentioned before, this is a bio-ethanol project.

Minimalism can create some of the most spectacular focal points. This contemporary living space is seamless in its design, finished off with twin cushioned ottomans for enjoying the warmth.

Take advantage of a your space by using an irregular shape for your fireplace. Here, the designer built an extra wide fireplace which inevitably amplifies the warmth and eye-catching focal point.

Or here….notice the interesting textured wall that accents the fireplace. The stone finish glows when the fireplace is lit.

Be creative when designing your hearth. Try something a-symmetrical, like you find here in this eclectic living room.

This clean modern fireplace is a beautiful addition to any room whether its your bedroom or the master bath. Don’t bother with a mantel or hearth. Small white stones finish off this sleek look.

Design your fireplace to be three-dimensional so that you can enjoy it from multiple rooms. By installing such a unique fireplace aside these floor to ceiling windows gives the space a bonfire like atmosphere.

Now that we are in the warmer months, a great way to keep your fireplace engaging is to fill it with interesting objects. Organic spheres were added to this rectangle fireplace for contrast.  One could add some free-standing candles for a romantic feel.

Use bright, bold and cheerful colors when designing your space. Here, the style mimics the red brick color in the hanging bed with the clay roof tiles you find in tropical hot-spots.

Spruce up your porch with plants and patio furniture. A wicker set is perfect for outdoors and has a very traditional look. Hanging plants turn your patio space into a garden. Notice the sliding gate, very chic.

You dont need a lot of outdoor space to enjoy the sunlight. This small balcony is a perfect example of how to appreciate the fresh air with just a few signature pieces. A small colorful outdoor rug, an exotic vintage chair, and some waterproof pillows makes this space inviting. Add a sheer neutral toned curtain for some privacy.

With the warmer weather upon us, its a nice touch to change your bed linens to cool light tones for a beach cottage look. This Cape Cod bedroom uses bright whites on the walls and furniture to clean and freshen up the room.  The nightstand holds an old Cape-related book, a fun idea for your home.

Energy, time, and space are all necessities for a summer garden but there are still plenty of easy and beautiful ways to merge plants into your life. This room proves how container gardens revolutionize the room. All you need to do is find large pots or vases and fill them with your favorite fauna.

Seagrass or sisal carpet is a quick way to turn this modern home into a summer beach getaway. The best part of this tip is its practicality for the whole year. Other benefits of sisal is its extreme durability, its ability to absorb sound and although it may seem rough to the touch, it holds a natural warm cozy temperature.

This narrow space was transformed into a modern sophisticated living room by adding simple clean window treatments and standard furniture. By keeping your sofa and bed classic sizes, it is easy to create the similar look in your next rental when you choose to move. Note: the ‘floating’ furniture is smart in diving the room into sections and makes a great floor plan.

Area rugs and art can instantly transform a bland box and give your apartment pleasant atmosphere. Not only do these adjustments add bright colors, they also have mobility. Things that you can take with you once you leave your rental are conducive for renters who tend to move more often.

Typically, property owners do not allow renters to paint their apartments. Even in situation where you are allowed to paint, the room must be painted back which can be daunting. An easy fix is to paint just one accent wall. By painting the wall behind the bed, color is added to this all white room and it also takes the place of a headboard.

Sleek is key with New York rentals. The designer here accented this barren room with a small but effective art installation against the longest wall. Simple sheer curtains finish the look while the clean lines of the coffee table and sofa make for a comfortable sitting area.

Another view of the same room.

Again, small painting projects are the way to go with rentals. This apartment in Greenwich Village brings the small built in shelves to life by painting the interior of the shelves a dark taupe.

Simple clean and neutral curtains accent these large floor to ceiling windows, and can easily be used in many situations after your lease is done.

The wall tile in this Kitchen really brings out the dark navy cabinets and beautiful gold hardware. The detail in the tile repeat is endless while the rest of the room is simple both in color and set up. But, keep in mind the size of the wall you are decorating. The space relationship of this Kitchen is what makes such a crazed wall work.

Here is a  Colonial Home decorated in beautiful Ikat fabrics. The Ikat material is a very ancient dyeing process that produces very iconic patterns. Love the warm lived in feel that comes from the orange palette and the artsy piece that hangs above the bed.

Found this eclectic curated look with the hodge-podge of mixed patterned pillows very interesting. When designing a room with ethnic colors and patterns, be sure to include accessories that match, such as the iron candle holder sitting on the coffee table and the hand woven rug it sits upon.

This black and yellow private outdoor space really makes a statement with its abundance in unique accessories, complimenting colors and bright seasonal flowers and fauna. The bamboo shade is functional in making the space intimate and also keeps with the ethnic-tribal theme.

The tablescape here is supurb. Absolutely include animal prints with your ethnic patterns like the gray zebra book stacked on the bedside table. The warn finish on the mirrors frame fits with the “lived -in” look that ties everything together.

Safari Fusion is a brilliant way to incorporate your tribal quality. The hanging piece here is a Bamileke Feather Headdress, also known as a Juju hat. The fluffy feathered piece adds texture to your design while the bright blue and black beaded vases add authenticity to the room.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.