2014 | A Year of Living Awesomely

 The year of living awesomely... I love it! I've spent time reviewing 2013 and creating intentions for 2014.

The intentions boil down to a few fundamental desires: enjoy life, have fun and adventure, create, run a world-class interior design business. In order to run that world-class interior design business, I intend to make changes for 2014. Beautiful Habitat will be expanding! I've come to realize that I really can't do it all and, more importantly, I don't want to. I want to focus on designing solutions and amazingly beautiful rooms and spending time with my clients. In reality, I also spend a lot of time tracking products and bogged down in administrative work. It's time to add an assistant and expediter -extraordinaire to the Beautiful Habitat team.

 

My entire career has been blessed with wonderful clients, with whom I am able to develop a friendship and deeper relationship than that of client and service provider. I want to continue to build those types of relationships. In the process, I've been able to work on a wide variety of projects. However, a few projects have not crossed my path and I would love to face those new challenges in 2014. In particular, I'd like to work on a loft space, historical property, a modern kitchen and design more custom furniture.

Traditional Living Room by Spring Lake Design-Build Firms Degnan Design Group + Degnan Design Build

Industrial Living Room by Amagansett Interior Designers & Decorators Reiko Feng Shui Interior Design

Modern Kitchen by San Francisco Architects & Designers John Maniscalco Architecture

I also have several intentions for the design of our new house. I've made quite a bit of progress since our move in June, but there is more to be done in 2014. I have some beautiful visions to turn into reality and I'll be sharing those here. Perhaps a blue-lacquered library is in the works...
 

via

My other intentions are things that many of us need: more self-care, even when I feel I am too busy. That means always making time for my health (physical and mental) and time with family and friends. Too often these items are crossed off the list as soon as we become busy with work and responsibility. However, we've got to feed that well of creativity and passion to continue to be productive in this world. Two dates on the calendar that I am particularly bad about canceling:

Modern Kitchen by San Francisco Architects & Designers John Maniscalco Architecture

What are your intentions to make your 2014 awesome?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

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 Drapery | Canopies

Bed Drapery has been around for a long time. It was essential in Northern Europe during the cold winters in drafty homes. Beds were draped in fabrics and woven tapestries to create warmth and privacy. Kings and Queens would receive courtiers at their bed, so the beds were of importance and were lavishly decorated. Just think of the beds in the Palace of Versailles and you'll get the picture. Today, Bed Drapery is a fun way to customize your bedroom design, add more color and pattern, or create a cozy cocoon for yourself and your loved one. And they don't necessarily have to be elaborate or expensive. There are several ways to incorporate bedding treatments into your own dream Master Suite. Today, I'll discuss canopies, both with a four-poster bed and without.

Canopies and Drapery on a Four-poster Bed

The first way to achieve Bed Drapery is with a proper four-poster or canopy bed. Using the bed as the base, drapery can be added in many creative ways.

via Abode Love

via Pinterest

 

via Elle Decor

via The Enchanted Home

via House Beautiful

Faux Canopy

A second way to add Bed Drapery, is to fake a a four-poster bed by adding a drapery at the wall, ceiling, or both. One of the easiest ways to do this is hang drapery rods from the ceiling and drapery at the corners make a convincing look of a four-poster bed.

Via Tobi Fairley

source unknown

A second way to create the look is adding Drapery at the ceiling that falls behind the bed as in these bedrooms featured below.
 

via Splendid Sass

via Design Tripper

via Pinterest

via Pinterest

Next time I'll cover 2 other types of Bed Draperies: Half Tester and Corona. More inspiration for your own beautiful master suite design. Are you inspired to add bed drapery to your bedroom design?

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

Things You Should Know About Architectural Salvage

I am currently working on a very fun and interesting project that involves both Architectural Salvage and Commissioning Custom Furniture. Before embarking on both aspects of this project, I came across two wonderful articles from Colorado Homes and Lifestyles Magazine. Here are 10 Things You Should Know About Architectural Salvage, as printed in Colorado Homes & Lifestyles.

 
10 Things you Should Know About Architectural Salvage: (via Colorado Homes & Lifestyles, with a few additional notes and photos from Beautiful Habitat)

1. It’s a fun way to go green. When you buy salvaged building materials you’re not only scoring conversation-worthy accents for your home; you’re also diverting materials from the landfill and minimizing the use of raw materials.
2. Don’t expect perfection. “The reason these pieces are charming and interesting is that they’re obviously recycled—meaning they’re not perfect,” says Eron Johnson, owner of Denver’s Eron Johnson Antiques. Tip: Have a furniture restorer coat any pieces of peeling paint with clear paste wax, which maintains the antiquity of the piece but gives it a smooth finish, Johnson says.
3. Beware of “too good to be true.” There are a lot of architectural salvage knockoffs out there, warns Johnson—particularly when it comes to marble fireplaces, stained glass and iron work. If the price is too good to be true (as in, considerably less than every other piece you find), it probably isn’t the real thing.
4. Know what you need. If you’re shopping for pieces that need to serve a function (doors that operate, etc.), bring along a notepad filled with the measurements and quantities you need and pictures of items you want to match, says Tom Sundheim, owner of Queen City Architectural Salvage in Denver.
5. Find new uses for old items. “The beauty of architectural salvage is it frees an antique from its former use,” says Johnson. Iron garden gates can become decorative headboards; wooden window frames act as room dividers; and an old weathervane emerges as the perfect accent for your mantel. (or lamp bases as seen below, BH)
6. 
7. Be open to doors. Shopping for antique doors means having an eye for “quality beneath the paint,” says Sundheim. “Know which woods are heaviest. A pine door will weigh far less than a comparable oak door.” If you need the door to function, pony up for a heavier door. Also, for newer homes, understand that you may have to reframe openings to accommodate taller antique doors, Johnson says.
8. Hit up the hardware section. You might have a hard time finding enough matching knobs and drawer pulls to outfit, say, a whole kitchen. But unearth a few antique pulls (they can even be mismatched) for the right dresser or accent table, and you’ve got a statement piece.
9. Let there be light. If you live in a historic home, says interior designer Beth Armijo of Armijo Design Group, one of the best ways to honor the architecture is to install period-appropriate light fixtures. But, adds Johnson, remember two important safety tips: have an electrician update the wiring and, for pendants, reinforce the ceiling box. (Most antique fixtures are solid brass and heavier than modern fixtures.)
10. Dig around for your garden. A trip to the salvage yard can yield curios perfect for your outdoor living spaces, too. Look for stone statues or pillars, cast-iron park benches, weathered farm tables, or even vintage bathtubs (great for birdbaths).
11. Try DIY salvage. Someone just might love that pale-pink tub you’re tearing out of your master bathroom. Before you haul it off to the landfill, consider selling your relics online, or, even better, donating them to ReSource Yard (resourceyard.org), a nonprofit with salvage yards in Boulder and Fort Collins. Sale proceeds benefit waste-reduction programs and donations are tax deductible.
12. 

My adventures in Architectural Salvage took me to the ReSource Yard in Boulder and Queen City Salvage in Denver. I also perused the Eron Johnson website (which is a great site and user-friendly). Ultimately, I am repurposing some wood that used to be a kitchen floor and I purchased dining chairs on 1stDibs. My adventures continue as I am planning another visit to Queen City for a new art idea I have. Stay tuned for more stories on this interior design project, coming soon.

For additional inspiration in salvage and recycling, check out the post on 23rd Ave Sculpture in Denver. This is scrapyard meets art studio, where old metal is turned into art, furniture and more for your home and garden.

To read the full post, or other "10 Things You Should Know... articles, visit Colorado Homes & Lifestyles.

Do you have treasures that you've salvaged or recycled? Share with us here or on Facebook.

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

Love it or Leave it | Painted Wood Floors

I often see photos of painted floors in blogs, magazines and on Pinterest. However, this is not something that I see often in person and as an Interior Designer. That has a lot to do with the Denver & Boulder Colorado markets in which I work. Many of my clients live in newer homes with new or nearly new wood floors. Painting them seems like blasphemy. Another group of clients lives in older pockets of Denver, with wonderful homes including bungalows, 1930's Tudors, and Mid-Century Modern. In these homes we are working to strike a balance between preserving original detail and modernizing the homes for life in this century. Often the floors are original to the home and again off limits to paint. But I am curious about your thoughts on painting wood floors: do you love it or would you leave it?

 

Cecconi's in London via Studioilse.

 

A simple, solid painted floor, via Bradbourne Farm.

 

A faux mosaic tile design painted on to a floor, via Henry Donovan Motif.

 

This paint pattern looks like a rug in this hallway. Via Curbly.

 

A stencil design over a distressed floor makes a dramatic statement. Via Designspiration.

 

A classic tile pattern painted onto a kitchen floor. Via Hello Tiger. 

I want to know what you think. Would you paint your wood floors? Do you love it or would you leave it? Have you painted wood floors before? Please share your photos with us here or on Facebook.

And please chime in on our other Love it or Leave it discussions:

• Black Walls
• One Pattern Everywhere
• Red Patterned Bedroom
• Animal Inspired Area Rugs
• Exposed Furniture

Or, check out the opposite of this post with Painted Ceilings.

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

Salvaged Driftwood Decor | Guest Post

Hi! I’m Joanna, a writer with Arcadian Lighting, a go-to source for all things lighting, including awesome light fixtures. I love my job, but to be honest it doesn’t seem like work at all. I spend my days searching the web for lovely interiors and terrific decorating ideas to share with blog readers like you. Thank you Tennille for allowing me to share today.

With grey being one of the dominant colors in interiors going into 2012, it’s no wonder we are seeing weathered salvaged woods, like driftwood, popping up in rooms everywhere. From farmhouse to loft, woods are light, rough and unfinished. Tables are perhaps the most popular pieces being made from driftwood, but there are many ways to incorporate it into the home. A driftwood table lamp anyone? Here are a few ideas I found from around the Internet. Which is your favorite?



This seaside cottage features a remarkable driftwood coffee table which goes nicely with the room’s style.



Three starburst framed mirrors are made from small pieces of driftwood. This would make an easy DIY project if you are fortunate to live in close proximity of the beach.



A small end table of driftwood and metal goes well with the rustic elements of this screened porch.



Rustic driftwood shelves make a nice place for showing off a vignette of books, candles and a jar of seashells.



This unexpected lighting fixture, tall driftwood floor lamp, creates a can’t miss focal point in an eclectic living room.



Small pieces of reclaimed wood are joined together to create an unusual flower vase. This would make a lovely centerpiece used in multiples down a long dining table.



A cottage bathroom gets its own touch of driftwood on the framed mirror. The contrast between the patinaed wood and the rich marble below works well.



This isn’t driftwood but you can see the many possibilities of using driftwood and other reclaimed wood around the house. I love that handcrafted hanging lantern. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Accentuate your beautiful driftwood decor with pendant lights and beautiful lamps!
Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Love it or Leave it | Black Walls

Black - the darkest of dark colors. In many cases it's a staple - a stable and safe bet. In other applications it's bold and daring. Would you paint your walls black? Would you dare cover the largest surface in any room in black? Black walls - do you love it or would you leave it?

Let me know your thoughts - love it or leave it?

Maybe black is just too much for you, or not your color. Check out my previous post Interior Design Trends: Dark Blue Walls. It's lovely.

Timeless Floral Decorations for a Modern Home

Choosing the right floral decorations will add the perfect ambiance to a modern home, and can turn any room from ordinary to extraordinary. Bring pictures of each room in your home with you to the florist. The visualization of each room will help a person and the florist order flowers in the shapes and colors that will accentuate a special space and style. While the florist is busy designing a floral masterpiece, a person no longer has to wait around until it is created. Most will choose to have their flowers delivered, a convenience that is very much appreciated in these busy times.

Modern Home Flowers and Design Choices

Elegant flower choices like orchids, gerber daisies, bird of paradise, and calla lilies will beautifully compliment a modern aesthetic. Choose vases and containers with sleek, clean lines. Bold metal containers will add drama and sophistication to a flower creation. Once a person selects the perfect flowers and container, the arrangement should be displayed so that it becomes the focal point of the room. If the interior colors are white or tan, choose florals or containers in bold, dramatic colors. An interior decorated in bold colors would look beautiful accented with light or pastel colored florals.

Floral Decorating Ideas for Modern Interiors

Place a line of bold, square vases across a fireplace mantle or at the center of a long table. Fill each vase with clear marbles and water, then add a single flower to each vase. Calla lilies are a great choice for single flower arrangements. This timeless floral design will add warmth to a modern design, while complimenting the style and decor of the room.



A bird of paradise flower arrangement in a bold metal container will add a dramatic look to an entryway in a modern interior, and it is a great way to welcome guest as they enter the home. If the entryway is large enough, place a bird of paradise floral decoration on each side of the front door for a bolder, eye-catching look.



Beautify a bathroom by placing a small square vase on the sink or at the top, center of the tank. Cut the stems short so that the flower heads hit just above the vase. Tie a bow matching the flowers around the center of the vase. Add a drop of potpourri oil to the arrangement water. This is a natural and unique way to add a lovely aroma to a bathroom.



Fruits mixed with flowers is a floral design that would beautifully compliment a dining room or kitchen in modern home design. Place a flat bowl or basket filled with fruit on a table or counter. Lay flowers on and throughout the fruit for a bold, stunning look. Another design option is to have the flowers placed at the center of the flat container, then frame the florals with the fruit pieces.



Every room has an awkward space or small corner that needs that little something. A tall vase with a dramatic floral arrangement would be the perfect decor choice. Choose vibrant colored flowers placed in a clear vase, or select a colored vase with ivory or soft colored flowers to make the space pop.



A candle centerpiece is another floral decoration that would beautify any room with modern decor. Place some moss inside a large flower pot. Place a trio of pillar candles in the center of the moss, then make a border with roses around the edges of the pot. This floral decoration looks stunning on a fireplace, entertainment center, or a corner in the room that needs a decorative touch.

About the Author

Patricia Hall works part-time for a florist and flower delivery but loves to surround herself with flowers at any given point of time. Even in her free time she loves to involve herself with everything flora and fauna.
'To me there is nothing more beautiful and global as the language of flowers - it is the easiest to understand all around the world in the same way. That is one reason why I truly admire flowers for what they represent in some ways - unity of all mankind!'

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