Painted Brick - Love it or Leave it?

Bricks in your interiors. Some people consider it an architectural bonus that adds character. Others consider it a nuisance to be designed around or over. Granted, this may be partially determined by whether you have beautiful red Victorian brick, or 1970's brown and tan brick. Or whether your style ventures more modern or traditional. Of many of the Love It or Leave It topics I've raised before, painted brick seems a bit more deeply divided. So I want your opinion. Painted bricks (inside) do you love it or would you leave it?

 

via Pinterest

 

via craftytexasgirls.com

 

via Simply Beautiful Now

 

via ehow.com

via A Perfect Gray

via Pinterest

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

Winter Decorating Ideas | Guest Post

The changing of the seasons offers the perfect opportunity to redecorate your home. As winter sets in, our thoughts turn to getting warm and cozy. Check out these quick decorating tips that will help you turn your home into a welcoming winter den.  

Welcoming From the Outside In
 Set the tone of your home by decorating everything, even your exterior doors. If you’re feeling festive, hang a home-made holly wreath on your front door to spread your cheer to the rest of the world. If you don’t have the time to make your own wreath, consider purchasing a synthetic wreath which you can re-use every year.

 

Via Pinterest

 

via Joanna Fabric

 

via Matt & Becky 

 Relaxing By the Fire
 There’s something special about relaxing in front of an open fire; the look of the flames makes you feel warmer, and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. If you don’t have a fireplace in your living room, why not invest in a wall-hanging, flu less fireplace to brighten up your room.

 

via Pinterest

Metallic Luxury
Natural colors are cozy and comfortable, but it’s easy to go too far with the rustic feel. Add a touch of modern glamor to your home by opting for some shiny, shimmering metallic colors as an accent. Consider painting your oak skirting boards in a sedate silver, and pairing that up with silver trim on your cushions and throws. Or, use subtle accents to bring out the warmth in a more traditional room.

 

via Pinterest

Easy Accents
Redecorating for the winter doesn’t have to mean completely re-doing the look of your living room. If you prefer clean and simple styled rooms, why not add a touch of winter fashion with decals which can easily be removed when it’s time for a change of scenery.

 

via Pinterest

Accessorize 
  During the winter, it’s natural to want to curl up in front of the fireplace with a good book. Why not make that spot as comfortable as possible. This time of year is the perfect time to bring out those stylish blankets, comfy cushions, and plush pillows. Pick the right color scheme, and they’ll be as fashionable as they are cozy.
 One side effect of spending so much time indoors with the heating running full blast and the windows closed, is that the air in your home can get a little musty. You can keep your home smelling fresh by making use of scented candles, or, even better, great home cooking. Mulled wine, cinnamon bread, festive fruitcake, and winter broths will warm your body, and spread beautiful smells around the house!

 

via Pinterest

Clean Up for Christmas
 If there’s one thing that will detract from the atmosphere of your home, it’s clutter. During the festive season, there’s a good chance your home will fill up with stuff. A preemptive decluttering session will make life a lot easier for you. Consider donating old books and clothes to charity, encouraging your kids to take some toys to charity, and spending a weekend cleaning out that stash of paperwork. It won’t take as long as you’d think, and the improvement will be amazing. This post was written by James Harper on behalf of UK Oak Doors who supply a great range of oak products from doors through to skirting boards.

 For more related post by Beautiful Habitat:
 Dreaded Decluttering
 Clearing Clutter in the New Year
 Easy Holiday Decor - Ribbons

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

Trends: Dark Blue Walls

A trend that I am currently loving is that of dramatic dark blue walls, typically paired with white furniture. Sometimes a splash of the light green or yellow is included for a fresh color palette. The blues range from navy, to deep turquoise to dusty denim. The result is always dramatic, yet the rooms can feel crisp and fun or elegant at the same time.

 

House Beautiful

 

The Marion House

 

Lonny Magazine

 

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Lonny Magazine

I admit I am a little biased when it comes to loving this trend because I did it for a client last year. This is the home office/guest room of a beautiful 1930's Bungalow in the Sloane's Lake area west of Denver, Colorado.

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design and Decoration

What do you think of this trend? Would you do dark walls in your home?

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & www.beautifulhabitat.com

Interior Design: Small Details for Big Looks {Guest Post}

It was American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe who once famously said, “God is in the details”, and it is hard to argue with such great logic. In fact, pick up any home décor magazine or surf any interior designer's website and you will notice that it is the smallest of details, and not the superfluous design elements, that make a difference to its surrounding environment. So for that added panache, one needs to shop for suitable and beautiful home accessories like an eye-catching lighting fixture, an exquisite antique photo frame, or a luxury throw cushion. Listed below are some easy decorating tips that will make your home beautiful and be the talk of the neighborhood.

Flower Vases (via)

Vases by the Fireplace (via)

Nothing brightens up a room than a gorgeous arrangement of flowers. However it is not just the flower arrangement that makes a difference, as the vase is equally important. You can purchase different sized flower vases and then place them strategically on a mantle or next to the unused fireplace.

Art Attack (via)

It doesn’t matter if you prefer modern, pop or classical art. The point is to create a focal point in a room. If buying artwork is not too appealing then make your own wall art décor (like the polka dots/red and white circles pictured above) and unleash the creative genius inside you.

Light Up (via)

When it comes to selecting light fixtures, one is spoiled for choice, as the market is flooded with beautiful pendant lights, table lamps, and desk lamps. A clever alternative to traditional lamps are tea light candleholders since they look charming and have an unique appeal.

Make A Splash (via)

Brighten up any room and inject a touch of vibrancy by experimenting with color. However, subtlety is the key here. For example a room with a monochromatic color palette can be made more appealing by throwing in some colorful and quirky knick-knacks.

Picture Perfect (via)

A home without family photos is incomplete and incorporating them in your décor is always recommended. Wall mounted picture frames or even digital photo frames will add a touch of warmth and make your décor more personal. The black table lamps in the picture above are a nice added touch to this lovely seating area.

Lead A Cushy Life (via)

The simplest way to enhance any space is to buy beautiful and quality throw pillows. The throw pillows can be scattered casually around the house to achieve a casual chic look. To achieve an instant makeover, experiment with different patterns, textures and sizes and group them together in odd numbers.

Content provided by Arcadian Lighting, a site that specializes in top quality lighting fixtures at extremely affordable prices. Come visit us today!

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

Trends in Tile: Large Format, Large Pattern

Continuing on with the Latest and Greatest in Surfacing Trends, today the focus is big, big, big. Both larger format (size) and large pattern tiles are gaining presence in Interior Design markets and showrooms.  It’s no wonder that larger format tiles are gaining popularity, particularly in more contemporary interiors. The larger the tile, the fewer grout lines and a more even, continuous surface. Another trend in tiles is the use of more rectangular and plank shapes in place of traditional square tiles.

For an example of these trends, the best place to look is Italy. Italian manufacturers have long been on the leading edge of stone and porcelain surfacing materials. When it comes to all things getting larger, Italian manufacturers do not disappoint. The examples featured here are from Florin Ceramiche, particularly the Casa dolce Casa porcelain products. The particular tiles featured here are from the Nera line. The Nera tiles meet all three trends of larger sizes (up to a full 4 feet!), a variety of rectangular and plank shapes, and large patterns. The tiles are available in 6″X4′, 1′X4′, 2′X4′, 4′X4′ sizes.

Larger scale patterns are also being seen across the surfacing and Interior Design world.  Pattern is nothing new to tile, but manufacturers and designers are simply blowing up the scale for a much more dramatic impact.

Large Format

 Above we see the 4ft x 4ft tiles across the floor. It creates a beautiful streamlined interior without the distraction of grout lines.


Large Scale Pattern

Above, the simple geometric and monochromatic pattern is dramatic because of the large scale.  I must admit that I just love this floor and would happily add it to my own home.


Large Format and Pattern

Above we see both applications with the floor and wall tiles. This interior is absolutely stunning, with the wall tile extending up two stories with that large and very bold pattern. The Nera images pages will give you a better glimpse.


These products are available in Colorado through Interior Designers and the Decorative Materials showroom.

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

Easy Holiday Decor - Ribbons

One of the easiest and least expensive ways to spruce up standard Christmas decorating is with ribbon or tulle. Both can add texture, shimmer and color to your holiday scheme.

Use it on the tree.

Use it on the mantel.

Use it with the nativity.

Add it to any greenery, wreaths or garland.

And to take it up another notch - use the same ribbon or tulle throughout your home, then use it in your gift wrapping.

It makes a beautiful statement and takes your Christmas decor to a new level. The best part is you can reuse the ribbon for many years before it wears out! The amount of average household trash increase by 25% during the holidays. You'll be doing your part to reduce that, while making your holidays beautiful.

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

Fabulous Fireplaces

I'm freezing! My Colorado readers know just how I feel. For all others, Colorado is experiencing a rather long and unusually cold arctic spell. We're all cold, and on a day like today (or two weeks, as is the case) nothing feels better than curling up in front of the fire. Here are some beautiful fireplaces to help you warm up. Enjoy and stay warm!

From Veranda Magazine, a home by Kathy M Ireland.

From the December 2007 issue of House Beautiful, Aerin Lauder's East Hampton house.
From House Beautiful, Jan 2009, a room by Stephen Shubel

Also from House Beautiful, Newell Turner's fireplace

Also from Veranda Magazine, Barbara Barry's Jackson Hole Home.

The following are from Martha Stewart's Favorite Homes Tour.

Beautiful Habitat: Luxury Interior Design www.beautifulhabitat.com