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

Orange & Blue Decor

Colorado is all abuzz about the Denver Broncos heading to Super Bowl 48. In honor of  the big event and my favorite team, I've got to share Orange and Blue decor ideas. Orange & Blue look great together because they are complimentary colors, or colors that are directly opposite each other on the Color wheel. Other complimentary combinations include Red & Green and Yellow & Violet. The opposite nature of the colors creates a pleasing balance to our eyes. The colors are dynamic together, playing off of each other. For more on this, read about Color Theory 101.
 
 Moving forward with orange and blue, we have two great options from the Pantone 2014 color report: Dazzling Blue and Celosia Orange. Don't these colors look lovely together? Imagine adding just a hint of each to a neutral room to really spice it up.
 

Now let's really see orange and blue in action together. The following rooms feature Blue and Orange at deep, full hues. However, some rooms go full color and others add just a splash of the two colors. Both techniques create interesting and energetic rooms.

via House Beautiful

Contemporary Kitchen by Weston Interior Designers & Decorators Katie Rosenfeld Design

via BHG

via Mary McDonald

As often happens with colors opposite on the color wheel, the full hues can be quite intense. Toning down the blue to a softer turquoise and the orange from tangerine to coral, creates softer rooms. The intensity and energy is lowered, but the resulting combinations are still incredibly pleasing and balanced.

Modern Kids by Atlanta Interior Designers & Decorators Erika Ward - Erika Ward Interiors

I often see rooms with just a neutral and blue combination. Adding just a touch of orange could completely change the mood as in the room below.

Traditional Bedroom by Little Rock Interior Designers & Decorators Tobi Fairley Interior Design

via Quadrille Fabrics

What do you think of orange and blue interiors? Do you love it or would you leave it? Do you live with orange and blue interiors now? Share with us on Facebook.

By the way...

Go Broncos!

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

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

Linoleum's Bad Rap

Poor Linoleum. It's name has been misused and it's been incorrectly categorized for so long. Very often people say "linoleum" when really they are referring to "vinyl". Today I'd like to talk about the differences and show you that proper linoleum is actually a very cool product.

 “Linoleum flooring is made from natural materials like linseed oil, recycled wood flour, cork dust and limestone. Linoleum is naturally anti-bacterial and biodegradable. It is a perfect choice for a “green” floor in one’s home.” (Armstrong)

Vinyl

Vinyl flooring is the sheet material that is often imprinted with a pattern to mimic tile. It comes in 6' and 12' widths on a roll. It is the most economical flooring available and therefore is often viewed as a negative. I don't know why, but every time someone refers to linoleum in a negative, they are actually visualizing or referring to vinyl. So let's talk about the positives of linoleum.

Linoleum

Quick Facts About Linoleum

• Linoleum is one of the oldest ‘natural’ floor types still in use which dates back one and a half centuries to its creation in England.
• Linoleum floors were very popular until just after World War II when the cheaper priced synthetic, flexible vinyl was the new thing
• Today, with the emphasis on eco–friendly, green flooring products, linoleum is staging a comeback.
• Linoleum is made entirely from natural raw materials and is comprised of things like linseed oil, rosin, and wood with jute backing.
• Linoleum is available in a rainbow of colors, patterns and beautiful designs and is even available as a “do it yourself” installation project.
• As flooring, linoleum is durable with an expected lifespan of 40 years.
• Since it is made of natural and renewable materials, it is entirely biodegradable when discarded.

In addition to the above list, linoleum is a fully customizable product. There is no end to the creative designs that can be achieved through linoleum.
 

Elle Decor

Armstrong Flooring

House Beautiful

 

 

Armstrong Flooring

Linoleum (lĬnō´lēəm), resilient floor or wall covering made of burlap, canvas, or felt, surfaced with a composition of wood flour, oxidized linseed oil, gums or other ingredients, and coloring matter. In the manufacture of linoleum, linseed oil is exposed to the air in a succession of thin films until it is of a rubbery consistency, or it is thickened by heating until it becomes a spongy mass, after which it is ground, mixed with pulverized wood and other ingredients, and then applied to the foundation and rolled smooth. The final process is a thorough seasoning in drying rooms. In inlaid linoleum the pattern is built up from the base in the colors of the design and is therefore permanent. Linoleum is made in several thicknesses and in the form of tiles. It is sometimes surfaced with a durable pyroxylin lacquer. Although large amounts of linoleum are still produced, other materials such as vinyl are now more widely used as floor coverings (Linoleum, 2012) "linoleum." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2012. Encyclopedia.com. 2 May. 2013<http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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

Gold Is Making a Comeback | Love It or Leave It?

Gold and brass finishes are creeping back into Interiors. It started with a few small features - a mirror here, a brass knob there, gold leaf inside of a lamp shade. Now the moves are getting bigger and bolder. Gold. Shiny, shiny gold. It's making a comeback in Interior Design and Decor. Will you love it again, or are you going to leave it?

 

Hudson Valley Lighting

 

House Beautiful

 

Source Unknown

 

Cyan Design

 

Veranda

 

Elle Decor

 

Hotel Chic

 

No Place Like Home

Gold. Love it or Leave it?

 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