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

Bringing Two Decorating Styles Together | Guest Post

Compromise can be hard, especially when it comes to clashing styles of home décor. I have a very vintage and bold style and would prefer to have my house look like it could be in an episode of Mad Men. Meanwhile my fiancé has more of a modern and simplistic style in mind. We are in the process of putting together our home which at first seemed impossible, but we learned a few things about making the two styles mesh.

Let each other win with the small things.
Make each room decidedly vintage or modern, but with splashes of its opposite thrown in. If your living room has vintage furniture and bolder colors on the walls, hang metal frames for a touch of modern art on the walls. This will make for a smooth transition from room to room as you negotiate each major theme per room.  

Incorporate candles simplistically to add warmth
 Candles easily add class to any interior design project. They can bring a lot of warmth to what I see as the cold modern style that my husband likes. Our dining room is more of the modern style, so we put a cluster of three pillar candles (QuickCandles.com has neat green ones) as a centerpiece to add warmth.
 
If the room you are decorating is primarily vintage, get some metallic modern candle holders to mix the two styles.  

Color the walls according to one style, and get appliances agreeing with the other.
 If you happen to have furniture that is decorative and vintage, keep the walls neutral and modern. This is a very simple way to compromise and make both people happy. The lime green in this kitchen design brings a very vintage look to this otherwise modern kitchen.

©Design Sponge

The biggest piece of advice I have is to relax and keep an open mind. Our styles have slowly started to blend together and look more like close relatives rather than complete strangers. When we first started combining our things into the same home, everything seemed to clash and provoke headaches. Thankfully, that is becoming less and less the case and our separate décor styles are working together in harmony.

About the author: Carmen Denny can’t believe that she’s finally engaged! In between wedding planning she enjoys spending time with her fiancé, bike riding and of course, more wedding planning. She writes while drooling over choices for wedding candle sets and other decorative pieces for QuickCandles.com.

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

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

Make You Home More Functional With Universal Design Principals

Last week I wrote about Aging in Place and Universal Design Principals. Today I have easy suggestions for you to incorporate these principals in your home. No matter the current state of your home - new, older, recently renovated, in need of renovation, or the dream home that you are planning to build - there are easy changes that you can make to increase functionality and longevity.

Handles Instead of Knobs

This applies to doors, cabinets, and faucets. A handle is much easier for users of all ages and abilities, whether it is a toddler just learning to turn on the faucet, or experienced arthritic hands.

Or, if your budget allows, upgrade to "touch" technology. It's a luxurious upgrade for users of all ages and abilities.
 
On that same thought, light switches can be changed out for easier to use versions. The rocker-style switch is easier on hands than the traditional light switch.



Or upgrade to very cool touch technology light switches.

 If you will be building a new home or renovating an existing home, now is the time to make changes you'll appreciate now and later. These changes will not only help you to age more easily in your own home, they are luxurious upgrades before you "need" them.

In the Bathroom

Comfort height toilets and vanities Blocking in the walls to support the addition of grab bars at a later date Zero-threshold showers/Continuous shower floors

 

In the Kitchen:

Rollouts and pan drawers in base cabinets
 

Task lighting onto countertops and work spaces
 

 Drawer-based appliances such as microwaves and dishwashers

Throughout the Home

Wider hallways and doorways Lower thresholds Minimal flooring transitions For more ideas on increasing the functionality and longevity of your home, talk to an Interior Design expert today.

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

Prepare Your Dining Room for Entertaining

The Holidays are coming, the Holidays are coming! That's right. It's Dining Room season in the world of Interior Designers. It's time to think about that new dining room design if you want to have it ready to go for your holiday dinners, parties and lots of entertaining. Whether you are in need of a full blown make-over, or just a little refresh, I've got some tips for you to consider for your Dining Room Design.

via Pinterest

Table

The foundation of your dining room is the table. I prefer a pedestal table to a traditional table with four legs. The pedestal provides more flexibility when entertaining larger parties.

via New England Home

Don't forget to top your table with a fabulous table setting to welcome guests and set the mood.  

Upholstery

Notice, I said "upholstery", not just "chairs". Dining chairs should be upholstered, whether just the seat, or the whole chair. Dining chairs should be comfortable and invite guest to linger long after dinner has been served.

via House of Turquoise

  

via Pinterest

Lighting

Dining Rooms deserve fabulous lighting and it must be on a dimmer! If you've got a larger dining room or table, don't do a round chandelier in the center or your host and hostess will be in the dark. Take a cue from this Red dining room below - two lights are better than one.

via Colorado Homes & Lifestyles

via aesthetically-thinking

Display/Serving

Do you have a large dining room? Lucky you. This is a great opportunity to beautifully display your pieces, or to set up additional surfaces for meal serving.
 

via Beautiful Habitat

Drapery

If you are fortunate enough to have a window in your dining room, dress it up!

via Pinterest

Wall Treatments

Create a stunning focal point with dramatic wall treatments or artwork.

via Pinterest

via Houzz

 

Don't forget the Ceiling

I love a ceiling with something other than white paint. (see previous posts) Your Dining Room is a great room to add pizazz on the ceiling.

via Marcus Design

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

Enjoy the Comfort of Your Home for Years to Come with Aging-In-Place and Universal Design

Today’s aging-in-place philosophy and universal design practices work together to enable homeowners to stay safely and comfortably in their own homes throughout their lives. When homes are designed for “all-ages, all-abilities,” the need for expensive moves and remodels due to illness or aging is eliminated. Furthermore, adapting these principles in your home can be done can be done elegantly, without looking institutional.

via Homes for Easy Living

Despite the similarities between aging-in-place and universal design, the two are not interchangeable. A National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) article explains, “Universal design is useful to meet the needs of many, from a multigenerational family to first time home owners. It is also becoming more popular among clients of custom and even some production builders as a way of meeting current and future needs.


An additional tenet of universal design is adaptability. While aging-in-place remodeling may call for grab bar installation in bathrooms based on need, universal design would include blocking inside the walls so that a grab bar can be easily added at a future date.” As a designer, I love to educate my clients on the many benefits of aging-in-place and universal design which I believe has a modern elegance to it that is invisible and non-stigmatizing. I also urge clients to think about and incorporate these principal when undertaking any renovation, and well before they "need" these adaptations.

via Kohler

To give you an idea of what’s involved I’ve outlined the principles of universal design below. It may seem like a lot to consider, but having a home design professional who understands and can use these principles effectively in your home will give you the confidence to face the future and be assured the dignity of an aging-in-place lifestyle. The Principles of Universal Design

1. Equitable use: The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.
2. Flexibility in use: The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
3. Simple and intuitive: Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.
4. Perceptible information: The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities.
5. Tolerance for error: The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
6. Low physical effort: The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue.
7. Size and space for approach and use: Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user’s body size, posture, or mobility.

While many baby boomers are embracing both concepts and practices, it is often difficult for younger homeowners to realize the immediate value of designing for the future. However, designers and builders are seeing a shift in willingness to consider incorporating aging-in-place concepts and universal design into the overall home plan.

Via Oakwood Custom Homes

It all comes down to one question. Would you rather spend your golden years in a nursing home or the comfort of your own home? Next week I'll have some practical and easy tips to incorporate into any remodel you may be doing in the future.

 Form more information: http://www.nahb.org/generic.aspx?genericContentID=185465&fromGSA=1 http://www.ncsu.edu/project/design-projects/udi/

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

Designing with Bed Draperies | Half Testers and Coronas

My last post was all about bed drapery, specifically canopies with and without four poster beds. Today is all about 2 other looks - half testers and coronas, with can be achieved through hardware (an actual half tester bed or corona) or "faked" through clever drapery. Are you a bed drapery person? Which look is your favorite?

Half Testers

Half Testers have a similar relationship the the four-poster and canopy relationship in my last post. A half tester is a type of bed which has a low foot board and a canopy that projects from the head of the bed.

via fourposterbeds.com

These half tester beds are not common unless you've got some serious European antiques. However, the "look" is one often created by mounting drapery from the wall or ceiling above a standard bed as in these examples.

via House Beautiful

 

via Meghan-Blum Blog

 

via Veranda

via Centsational Girl

Coronas

Corona is a super beer and reminds me of summer. It's also the Latin word for "Crown" and in bedding and draperies, that is exactly what it means. A Corona is a crown for your bed. Coronas can be wall mounted or ceiling mounted and can be circular, oval, or half circles. Coronas can also be an elaborate pre-made wood or metal piece to which the fabric is attached, or it can be created through fabric as in the House Beautiful example below.

via House Beautiful

 

via ZsaZsaBellagio

via Splendid Sass

via Architectural Digest

Other Creative Bed Drapery

I couldn't help but include this bed project. It's very much like a half tester, but the box and molding are built in to the room and simple fabric panels are installed inside of the box. It's clever and a very dramatic look.
 

via Home Depot

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