Here is another sneak peek at the newest items that have been ordered for the showroom. It is truly a fun an exciting time to be expanding the showroom and adding this retail aspect to the design firm. Here is the newest selection that will be arriving soon.
Amethyst bottle vases
Clear glass candleholders
Beautifully classic white ceramic lamp
Iron and granite nesting tables
Silver and white modern table lamp
Art glass
Mercury glass table lamp
Are you getting as excited as we are? What are your favorites from the sneak peeks?
So how about a preview of the artwork that will be available at the showroom? When selecting pieces for the showroom I think about by client base, the area that the showroom is and of course the pieces that I would love to have in my home or office.
Enjoy the sneak peek and share with your friends.
As some of you may know we have decided to expand and add a showroom to the interior design offices of Artful Conceptions. So with this expansion comes the selecting and purchasing of furnishings. So I thought I would give our loyal readers a bit of a sneak peek at some of the items we have selected and ordered for the showroom.
Portuguese ceramic with a reactive green glaze
Portuguese ceramic with a reactive glaze and diamond cut design.
Handmade silver leaf accent table.
Cast aluminum wall sculpture in the design of the exact moment a splash is made in water.
Hand blown glass with gold flecks embedded wall sculpture.
Traditional white tureens
Hand blown glass vases.
Hand blown and sand blasted glass vases.
Hand blown glass with metallic flecks embedded.
Bronze wire hand wrapped to create a beautiful and modern sculpture.
Are you as excited as we are to see the new product? Keep reading and of course share with your friends for more sneak peeks to the new showroom.
The most common reason for renovating a home or office is for ore space, additional rooms. There are many times that the renovation process is simply not possible. This can be for budget reasons, lack of time or not owning the property. So as designers we get creative with creating that extra space without actually adding any space. One way to accomplish this is to divide a large space into two or more spaces. You can do this with drapery or furniture pieces. Here are some images of different ways to divide up a space.
For super small spaces use wood panels to define areas.
Think outside of the box a define space with architectural materials.
Break up an office with double sides bookcase/drawers.
Define space in unique ways with curves.
Fabric can divide a room but keep it soft and welcoming.
A double sided bookcase can be great storage and defines a space.
So the next time you can’t go through the renovation process think outside the box to create additional rooms in you home or office.
It is that time of year when we start talking about resolutions and all the things we would like to do in the upcoming year. This also happens to be a great time to think about updates for your home. This can be a great time to bring color into your home, or to finally create a functional system to eliminate clutter, or to really make that family room truly comfortable for all.
If you are looking to bring color into your home look to complimentary colors for inspiration. These combinations are green and red, yellow and purple, and blue and orange. This does not mean you have to use bright primary colors to use these combinations but using the right hues and values will create a dynamic look. Think about a deep royal purple with a soft pale yellow. Red and green can also be pink or rose with lime just as blue and orange can be a bronzy gold with dark pastel blue. The idea is to use colors in the same hue family. Changing the value of the color can also add drama or calm to the space.
Are you looking to feel organized in the new year? Start it off right. Create systems to get rid of the clutter. One of the biggest complaints is usually paperwork or mail that ends up all over the counters. To eliminate this there are a few tips to design your home for function. Have a space where you walk in that you can hang up bags, coats and put away shoes. In that same place have in boxes for each family member. Make it a policy to immediately sort all mail when you walk through the door. Have each family member check their box everyday and take care of the mail and paperwork in the box. I love cork boards and white boards for notes, schedules, and important papers that cannot be filed away or stuck at the bottom of a pile.
And lastly do you have a family room that is only comfortable for some of your family? Do you have seating for everyone? Are there toys all over the family room? When you have guests are they dragging chairs into the room? If you are dealing with these issues it is time to redesign your family room. To add seating for kids add poufs to the room. They can also be used as ottomans. If toys are everywhere add storage but not too much. I love baskets or storage benches for those toys. Our policy is that if they don’t fit in the basket at the end of the night they have to be put away in the kids rooms. At the new year it is a perfect time to start a new clean up rule. It will make your room feel larger and be less stress to the start of the next day of the toys get picked up (by the kids) at the end of everyday. If you need more seating or storage then these little tips it might me time to call for a consultation. An interior designer can come out and assess your space to create a room plan that will incorporate the right seating and storage for the room to function properly. Sometimes the room will need to be arranged in a completely different direction for the best function. I love to angle a room for the proper flow and that can usually create great spaces for play areas and separate reading areas.
So in the upcoming year go ahead and go for color in your home, get rid of clutter by creating spaces for coats, bags, shoes and mail and make that family room one for everyone to hang out in. It will start your year off right.
As the holiday season continues in full swing this is the time of year that candles tend to come out for decorating. I strongly feel that candles are great to use all year round for decorating in your home. I love to use them on dining tables, on bathroom vanities, floor candles for corners of rooms that need a little something extra, and on cocktail tables. So I thought I would post a few pictures of different ways to use candles in your home for the holidays and all year round.
Winter candles
Floating candles with orchids and river rocks
Asian inspired dining table
Repurposing glass bottles
Holiday Candles
Living room elegantly finished with candles as an accessory
Holiday table fruit mixed with candles
So have fun and remember candles are for all year round and great accessories!
A well designed space includes function and design. As the home chef becomes more of an everyday reality there are a few things that we are finding need to be incorporated into the home kitchen. The number one thing has been a place for fresh herbs. I recently talked about living walls. These are great if you are ready for the big commitment especially if you build it into your cabinetry. There are some smaller ways to start. These smaller ways allow the home chef to dip their toes into the home garden without major changes to their homes. Here are some great ways to start.
Clean and simple white containers that can hang in groupings or by themselves.
A modern contemporary design.
Great hanging boxes for added texture.
A throw back design for the French country kitchen.
A great starter kit
Perfect for counters
So as you are watching your cooking shows realize you too can have fresh herbs that look great in the kitchen.
Thanksgiving is coming up and like all holidays it is about family. One very large part of our family are our kids. As holidays are meant to celebrate together I love to find ways to incorporate the kids in the holiday preparations.
The first way to get the kids involved is to have them make some of the decorations. Remember keep it kid friendly and age appropriate. Here are some different ideas to use and adapt to your family.
Mini pumpkin turkeys
Pinecone turkeys
These can be easily mixed into the earlier fall decorations that we talked about in a previous post. They are fun to do with the kids, gets them excited about the holiday and makes them feel special for contributing.
During the meal the kids and get a bit restless. This makes for a tough experience for the adults especially of there are adults that don’t have kids. So here are some great ideas for table settings for the kids that will also entertain.
Mazes are great for older kids.
Little kids will love to color.
And last but not least have the kids get involved in the desserts. Make something fun and they will add to your decorations for the holiday.
Decorate sugar cookies
Turkey muffins
Have fun for the Thanksgiving holiday and remember what the holiday is really about. Take the above ideas, adapt them for your family and enjoy!
One of the best ways to make a house a home is to properly accessorize it. This sounds simple and it can be but there are a few rules that I feel should always be followed when accessorizing.
First, keep it simple. Accessorizing is not about using every item that you have ever owned all at one time. You don’t ever want the space to feel cluttered. You want to highlight the space not overwhelm it.
Second, work in groups of three. A space needs balance and weight. When you have only one accessory in a space it can feel like it is floating and too small for the space. However when you group accessories together you give them weight and balance.
Third, use combinations of different accessories together to create your grouping. Groupings should be made up of things like vases, candles, paintings, mirrors, and floral arrangements. Make sure each grouping has at least two of the categories represented.
Fourth, use your imagination. Just because a certain painting has always hung over a certain table doesn’t mean there isn’t a better space for it. Paintings and mirrors do not have to hang on walls, they can be set on a ledge or leaned against a wall. Vases do not have to only hold flowers and plant shelves don’t need to only hold plants. Have fun!
Here are some accessory arrangements for you to use and make your own.
Still not sure how to make the rules work for you? Let us come and help. We can bring out a truck load of accessories and artwork and create the space of your dreams.
As it gets colder those fireplaces start to get turned on. There are so many innovative fireplaces that I thought I would post a few pictures of some of my favorite ones.
As you can see the fireplace is no longer just the traditional one sided fireplace with a mantel. So when you are contemplating a fireplace think outside of the box and go for something unique.
One of my new favorite obsessions are living walls. These are some of the coolest ways to design and are eco-friendly. Living walls can be incorporated into kitchen – how fantastic is it to cook with fresh herbs. How much better is it to grow your own and have them at your fingertips. Living walls can also be incorporated into eating spaces and living rooms. It is a great way to bring the outside in and have a feeling of growth and renewal all year round.
Here are some ways that I have seen living walls incorporated that I love.
Living room living wall
Kitchen living wall
Dining living wall
Living walls help to keep the air clean in your home and they are a true conversation piece. So have some fun and add the beauty of nature to your home.
The holidays are fast approaching and that means lots of food, family and friends. Here are some ideas for your holiday table. Whether you are super traditional or laidback casual here are some ideas to make your own for this season.
A coastal inspired holiday table
Casual and contemporary holiday table
Glam holiday table
Traditional holiday table
Modern and eco-friendly holiday table
So have some fun this holiday season. Try not to stress. Take these ideas and make them your own. Remember the holidays are more about good times, family and friends than if your table is perfectly set or if your home is the best on the block. And if you really don’t want to do it yourself call for an appointment and we will get your home ready for the holiday.
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