Interior Design Minimalist

Are you summering somewhere this summer?  Not us!  We're stuck here at work, trying to make a living.

But indulge in fantasies we must. So let's look at some really, really pretty modern beach houses today...

In case you are wondering, this house is in Alys Beach, Florida.  Don't you just love how simple and neutral it is?

Did you see "Hot In Cleveland" last week?  We didn't either, mainly because we don't even know how to find TV Land on our TV.  If you miss it, you can see the full episode here.

Anyway, the reason we mention it is because reading a LA Times review on the show we saw one funny line-- "To think we spent all that time and effort and money trying to look 10 years younger and 10 pounds lighter," says Malick, a recently unemployed soap star now being offered grandma roles, "and all we had to do was crash-land in Cleveland."

You'll have to be at that age to know what we are talking about!  You know, the age where we look at younger women more than our husbands do?  The age that we keep saying to ourselves, man, if I can only have my old body back with my current brain? 
Which leads us to this point, do you know your house can look 10 years younger too?  Most people don't realize this, but the way we decorate our house is very much like the way we dress, it literally can add or subtract a few years.

Here are five ways you can instantly update your home:

1) Use fresh and happy colors via use of wallpapers, paints and fabrics.

Wallpapers are so in now.  We love, love it.  Not as much to wallpaper every room like they did in the sixties, but by wallpapering just one wall or a small bathroom or dining room, you can instantly freshen things up.

2) Get rid of things that are outdated.

You know how mom's jean just add 10 years to your age and 10 lbs to your butt?  Outdated things like ivy silk plants, sofa arm covers, oak furniture, shabby chic sofas (so 80s!) are the equivalent of mom's jeans. Worse yet, it screams "grandma"!

3) Update your furniture

Furniture is like fashion.  It changes with time.   You probably notice that furniture are not as heavy as they use to be.  The heavy, ornate look for furniture (think Real Housewives of Orange County/New Jersey/Atlanta) are as out as McMansions.  Rather, look for furniture that are modern and clean-lined with fresh designs.  If you have upholtery pieces with good bones (say, a very comfortable sofa), consider re-upholstering it with new fabrics.  The fabric choices nowadays are amazing. 




4) Get small little things that count.

Sometimes things are so tough that shopping is not an option (2008-2009, anyone?). But you know how sometimes a little thing can make us feel much better, say, a tube of pretty lipstick? It's like that for the home too.  We spend so much time in our home, it's ok to treat yourself a little bit.  Little things like dressing your bed with really good sheets, make your bathroom like a spa etc.  goes a long way.  You see this with a good hotel--it's the little details that make all the difference.

So consider buying a new rug, a couple of pretty pillows--it doesn't have to be expensive.  Homegoods is a good store for bargains like this.  Buy lots of books secondhand.  They make you look smart (and  great accessories too).



Note:  A good source for hotel things is American Hotel Registry.  They sell actual hotel sheets, pillows and mattresses and from what we can see, the prices are pretty good and that you can buy directly from them.  (We are not affiliated with this site in anyway)

5) Go contrarian. 

The problem with trend is that after a while everything looks the same.  Remember how Juicy Couture was all the rage just a couple of years back?  What happened now to those velour tracksuits?

Home trends are like that too.  After a while everyone's house look the same.  Enough with the granite counter already.  Enough with one paint color for each room.  And please, do we need 10,000 square feet home?

The best styles are the ones that buck against the trend, stay true to the classic, and retain its integrity.

Go with your personality and your style, unless, of course, you have no style (in that case, consider hiring help).

Just remember that simpler is better, and less is more.

Just a few pretty things in turquoise...

We like this armoire for the TV or to store clothing.  It's so chic in person....

We just love this rug from Candice Olson.  We recently put this on sale.

And to add some colors, we love, love this flower arrangement.  It looks so incredibly real in person.

For bedding, this looks like it would be a great fit...
P.S. All of these items can be found at our home decor store.

We like this armoire for the TV or to store clothing.  It's so chic in person....

We just love this rug from Candice Olson.  We recently put this on sale.

And to add some colors, we love, love this flower arrangement.  It looks so incredibly real in person.

For bedding, this looks like it would be a great fit...
P.S. All of these items can be found at our home decor store.

We were working on a new bedroom project today for a client and we thought we'd share some of the items we are considering with you.   We wanted to do something soft and pretty, with colors and textures that look warm and inviting...

What do you think? 
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This bed is a custom-upholstered bed.  It shows here in a cream fabric but you can  have it upholstered with your own fabric.  It runs about $2800-3200 for a queen/king.  We like the fact that it doesn't require a boxspring.

We like this armoire for the TV or to store clothing.  It's so chic in person....

We just love this rug from Candice Olson.  We recently put this on sale.

And to add some colors, we love, love this flower arrangement.  It looks so incredibly real in person.

For bedding, this looks like it would be a great fit...
P.S. All of these items can be found at our home decor store.

Our Sponsor:

Find luxury bedding for your dreamy bedroom

Decorating living / family rooms.
The living room is the first place guest’s initially see and form a lasting impression about the home and/or occupants. Impressive living room should be well festooned and giving an inviting aura. It should create a homey and comfortable image. Create space and depth for living room by positioning a mirror on a wall. Choose lighter and neutral colors for it should be used as any other room in the house.

Decorating Dining rooms.
Today’s dining room is often much more than that place traditionally known for meals and entertaining guest(s) hence Elegance is important for formal dining, but a casual air is inviting. Ensure that you have the right rugs and plants to match the mood. Use more colorful table cloth as table clothing, try area rugs, greenery baskets or trees in the dining room to soften and warm the room.

Decorating Kitchens.
Kitchen is one of the most significant rooms in house/household. To add depth to the room, mix and match finishes and different textures in counter tops. Consider having glass cabinets to show off your best china while the wooden panels hide the rest. It’s also of paramount importance to allow flooring material be consistent with the rest of the house.

Decorating Bedrooms.
A bedroom is a place to relax and recharge. It’s a sanctuary for resting. Make it pop up with color, decor and fabric. Basically decorate a bedroom with something you love. Whether neutral, soft pastels, calming blues or restful greens, should reflect the things that make you happy.

The New York Times Magazine has a great article about staging a home today. Eventhough the article is about staging for selling purpose, there are some great tips that you can pick up for your daily life as well...

For example:

1) Start with a white sofa and go from there, as you can change the look quickly by changing the pillows.

2) Have a story, or a theme, and build from there.

3) Do and reedo until it's right.

4) Avoid matchy matchy.

5) Build characters and personality by adding pieces that reflect your lifestyles.

To read this article and watch the video, click here.



Image source: NY Times

The New York Times Magazine has a great article about staging a home today. Eventhough the article is about staging for selling purpose, there are some great tips that you can pick up for your daily life as well...

For example:

1) Start with a white sofa and go from there, as you can change the look quickly by changing the pillows.

2) Have a story, or a theme, and build from there.

3) Do and reedo until it's right.

4) Avoid matchy matchy.

5) Build characters and personality by adding pieces that reflect your lifestyles.

To read this article and watch the video, click here.



Image source: NY Times

Our taste has evolved over the year. As we watch decorating trends come and go, we've concluded that certain styles just stand the test of time better than others--especially if they are updated.

Recently we have gradually gravitated toward softer, prettier decorating scheme. We find it more relaxing; and not so trendy that you have to change out your stuff every three to five years.

Here are some of our latest favorite things:


SOURCES:

Flowers by NDI
Rug by Surya
Lamp by Jamie Young
Chair by Nathan Anthony
Artwork by New Century
Chandelier by Arteriors

There has been news lately regarding organic food--as to whether it actually makes you healthier. A major study by the London School of Hygiene and & Tropical Medicine concluded that consumers were paying more for the "perceived" health benefits. To read more about the study, click here.

But this blog is about decorating, not eating, so let's focus on organic decorating instead. By organic decorating, we are talking about products that use natural materials vs synthetic, and styles that are hand-made vs manufactured.

But we're not the DYI kind of people, we're more like do-it-for-me kinda people, so we rather buy the "perceived" hand-made part.

Here are some that we really like from DK Living:

This is a fantastic rockstone bowl that's great for display fruit and can be used indoor/outdoor. It' retails for $200.

This is a pedestal, but we think it can be used as a side table as well. It's about $150.

This is sold per piece at $25 per piece. It's fantastic as a ground cover for your garden. We love this rock bowl . It's about $300.

This ball looks fantastic in person. It comes in different sizes and we like to display them in group. This one is 12" and it's about $75.
Here's some more rock mats...


We'll be putting these up on our site soon, but in the mean time please contact us if you need any info...

Our taste leans toward modern decor, mostly. However, once in a while we really like vintage decor as well. It's kinda like anti-hip, anti-cool, and we like it.

Honestly, we're a little bit tired of hipness--why such a need to be cool and hip all the time? What's wrong with letting our stomach hangs out in an old t-shirt and chugging a beer once in a while?

(Okay, we have to admit we only do this in private--never in public. We live in LA, for God's sake.)

Vintage decorating is like wearing an old t-shirt, actually. It's comforting and nolstagic. We found a bunch of products from Barraveld that we really like.

Here are some of them:

This couch is cored in soft beige linen. It's about $2000.

This antique book is about $30.
We love this door knob, dont' you? It runs about $25/each. We adore this settee. It's about $1900.
This cream/sugar set runs about $125 for the set.

We don't know if this actually works or not, but this antique telescope runs about $400 or so...

This adorable horse retails at $150.
We love this light fixture, either for outside or inside. It retails for $300. This garden conservatory is $4000-it's a real one though! We have no idea how much it costs to ship!

Most of these products can be used in a very modern way. If you want to see an example of this, go to Gjelina restaurant on Abbott Kinney in Venice when you have a chance. They have a fabulous way of using vintage decor in a very chic way. The food is fabulous too...

We'll be loading this up soon in our vintage decor section. In the mean time, if you want to see more or have questions about any of the products seen here, please contact us.