Love it or Leave it | Lacquered Wood Paneling in Bold Hues

I'm seeing lacquered walls and wood paneling everywhere these days. The beauty of lacquered walls is that they fit equally well in modern and traditional room decor. Lacquering a serious library in a not-so-serious color can modernize and relax a space, making it more inviting a family friendly. On the other hand, lacquered rooms can create a traditional and sophisticated design. Lacquered walls are definitley on trend right now and I want to know - do you love it or leave it? While all lacquered spaces are hot right now, I'm seeing these rooms primarily in blue tones. Blue is hot, lacquer is hot... makes perfect sense to meld the two together.

 

via House Beautiful

via HGTV

via Better Homes and Gardens

via Veranda

via Architectural Digest

via

While blue seems to be popular everywhere, and especially in lacquered walls, I am also seeing lacquer in other bold colors with stunning results. Blue is a little more serious. The following rooms, however, and bold, relaxed and FUN.
 

via Pinterest

via

via The Painted Furniture

  And finally a gray tone is a bit more calm, but still equally breathtaking in result.
 

via Twelve Chairs

 What do you think of lacquered paneling in place of stained wood? Do you love it or would you leave it? Do you have wood paneling that you would lacquer? What color would you do?
 I'll admit, I absolutely love this look. We have a library space in our new home and I would love to lacquer the whole room. I'm not sure if I can squeeze that out of my remodel budget... Stay tuned for more on that. 

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Radiant Orchid | Pantone Color of the Year 2014

Radiant Orchid is the Pantone color of the year; the color experts have predicted that we'll see this color in design and fashion throughout 2014.
 

"The color for 2014?  The captivating, magical and enchanting Radiant Orchid. An invitation to innovation, modern and versatile Radiant Orchid encourages creativity and originality. Imbued with a harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid inspires confidence and its rosy undertones emanate great joy, love and health."

See more about the Color of 2014 and previous Colors of the Year at Pantone.

Inspiration for using Radiant Orchid in your Home

Radiant Orchid pairs so well with a number of colors. It can enliven a neutral on its own, or mix with other colors beautifully. On the warmer side, it pairs beautifully with oranges and it's sister-tone pink. On the cooler side, it looks beautiful with blues and teals or even a deep green. I've actually used a touch of this color in my home office recently. Using this beautiful fabric on a valance.
 

via Caitlin Wilson Textiles

via Beautiful Habitat (apologies for the iPhone photography)

This otherwise neutral Living Room is enlivened by the bright pops of Orchid.
 

via Elle Decor

This Library has taken the very bold route with Orchid lacquered bookcases. Wow!

via

Although a fashion example, Radiant Orchid pairs beautifully with a pale green.

 For even more color combinations, look no further than the color experts at Pantone.

What do you think of Pantone's choice for the 2014 color? How will you be using it?

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Beach Bathroom Quick Makeover

Fun beach theme bathroom
 As I mentioned last week in How Do You Spa?, for many years my friend and I would frequent a spa with a coastal/beach theme. In many ways I associate a beach theme with relaxation and pampering. When there was an opportunity to create a beach theme in one of my bathrooms, I did, but I added more fun than spa.
 
This is a bonus 3-piece bathroom in our home. It's a bonus in that we don't need the extra shower on this floor, but we do use it more as a powder room.

 

Beautiful Habitat

The beach theme all started with the things we inherited in the house - a simple vanity and shower tiled in travertine.

 

Beautiful Habitat

The jumping off point for a beach theme came from the Travertine tiles, which reminded me of sand.

The builder-basic mirror and lights were beyond boring and there was nothing beachy, relaxing, or fun in them.

 

My first order of business was to add interest to the lighting. I painted the basic fixture silver with a can of spray paint and creatively engineered the galvanized buckets over the glass. TaDa - Beach lighting! I added colorful accessories which, together with the fun new lighting, take the focus off of the boring, frameless mirror.

 

Beautiful Habitat

The toilet has it's only little nook, which also needed a little something beach-inspired. My vision was to build a mini beach hut in the nook out of corrugated metal. I envisioned the corrugated metal behind the toilet and wrapping around the 2 sides, with a sloped roof and a marine-inspired light. These photos are a bit of the inspiration.

 

While I was getting the toilet-nook-beach-hut design in order, I did install one piece of corrugated metal wall treatment behind the toilet as a place holder, along with a beach print we picked up on a trip to St. Thomas. (Now just envision the metal wrapping around and above - so much fun)

You'll notice that I refer to the toilet plan in past-tense. It "was" because we are now moving. I'm a little sad that my toilet beach hut will never be realized. it was going to be adorable. However, I've enjoyed the beach bathroom for the last 5 years. it was a quick and easy makeover to an otherwise bland space. Have you done anything fun in your space? Share your fun rooms with us here or on Facebook.

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Happy Colors | Pink

Yes, we are still having fun with Happy Colors here at Beautiful Habitat! The Facebook survey revealed the mother of happy colors - pink. Yes, pink was voted most often as the color that just makes you feel happy. This post features several beautifully designed and decorated pink spaces to inspire you to incorporate your happy color into your interiors and your everyday!

That's a whole lotta pink...

Here is a fine collection of spaces that go all out with pink - walls, floors, furniture and more. Do you find your inspiration here?

 

Jonathan Adler

 

And how about Pink Hotel Rooms? This one is the May Fair Hotel in London.

 

Pink Kitchen! Could you do it? via Kitchen Clarity

 

I can hardly feature a pink kitchen without a pink bath. This is a modern update from the pink bathrooms of the early 1990's. Mauve toilets are not a good way to do pink bathrooms... ever. via Grant K Gibson Interior Design

 

I vote Designer Betsey Johnson as the queen of pink. Check out her home!

A little less pink, please

These well-decorated spaces have incorporated a little less pink, but still pack in the glamor and fun that pink provides.

 

If you've visited the Beautiful Habitat blog before, you know that I have a love of painted and papered ceilings. This room is certainly unique with pink ceiling and moldings to accompany white walls. Quite an interior design statement! via Apartment Therapy

 

Here is a great example of punching up a neautral room with color. Adding just a pink rug and pink pouf to an all-white bedroom makes an interesting and fun design. via Ohdeedoh

 

Following the white and pink room is a similar concept of adding pink to gray. This is a beautiful and feminine bedroom design! via Country Living

 

Why confine your happiness to the indoors? Take your decor, and pink, to the great outdoors. via House Beautiful

 

If you're not ready to commit to pink, or it doesn't work with other selections that you've made for your home, you can always get a shot of happiness from some fresh pink flowers.

Let's go all the way!

 

If you truly love pink and want to go well outside of the box, how about a pink Christmas? This room, via Toby Fairly, is not just a pink holiday, but on top of a very bold interior decorating plan of pink, pink, pink.

For more on the Happy Color Series, read on:

• Red
• Yellow
• Purple
• Orange
• Apple and Lime Green

Is your happy color missing? Drop me a line about the color you turn to to brighten your day, wardrobe or interiors, and I'll be happy to include it!

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Happy Colors | Red

The next color up on our list of Happy Colors is Red.

Lots of Red

 

via Etsy

Red lacquered cabinetry would be a very bold move on it's own. Add red lacquer to the appliances, walls and ceiling and you've got a statement-making space.

 

via The Kitchen

Red walls make a great backdrop for lighter colored artwork.

 

Source Unknown

 

via Apartment Therapy

This bold bedroom design uses both a vibrant and more muted red tones along with graphic patterns. See more of this room here: Love it or Leave it: Red Patterned Bedroom

Mary McDonald via Veranda

Black, White and Red

Red is a perfect accent to schemes that are black and white, or to schemes that are gray. Yes, you could place any color in these rooms and it would really stand out as an accent, but there is just something special about red in these rooms...

 

via Decorpad

 

via House to Home

And I couldn't post without including another banquette, this lovey red banquette adds a great pop to a dining nook and overall gray room. I love banquettes and you can read more about them here: An Ode to Banquettes

 

Source Unknown

 

via House Beautiful

Red Accents

While red is stunning with Black & White, or gray, it is also a great accent with other color schemes, in large and small doses.

 

Source Unknown

 

via Domino Magazine

 

via House to Home

 

via Beautiful Habitat

 

via Beautiful Habitat

And what says Red and Happiness as much as a red wagon?

 

Via U Create

For more on the Happy Color Series:

• Orange
• Lime and Apple Green
• Purple
• Yellow

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com