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

6 Modern Armchairs for Every Style Space

Today we have a guest post from design writer Joanna Crain with 212Concept.com, a terrific online source for high quality yet affordable designer modern furnishings. Joanna brings us six modern armchairs from their collections and gives tips for how to meld them with any decor style. Thanks Joanna! Nothing highlights a space more than a striking, multi-functional modern armchair that speaks of your home’s personality (as well as yours).
Designing your home in whatever style you want or dream of – whether you are going for a chic, shabby, contemporary, romantic or eclectic look – is exciting, fun and inspiring. Finding the right furniture is key in decorating your space, and creating your nest. Of course, you won't want to splurge on any piece that will simply not serve its purpose in your home, or not fulfill your needs. Comfort, style, design and cost are crucial factors you have to consider when designing your space. Thanks to the abundant choices today of modern furniture, getting a sofa, daybed, loveseat or lounge chair is quite easy. But, putting it all together with your existing furniture and decor can be quite challenging; yet rewarding when you manage to achieve the desired look that you’re aiming for. This is when your creativity kicks in – mixing and matching furniture with accent pieces, playing with colors and fabric, and choosing a focal point to make your space truly stand out. Here are some design styles and gorgeous modern armchairs that might just suit your dream decor.  
 Funky Look with Mott Chair
If you are aiming for a funky look whether for your living or dining space, the best décor idea to consider is putting dramatic and neutral colors together. Adding funky accent pieces as well will totally achieve this look. This gorgeous modern armchair by Nuans Design is perfect for that funky and chic look for any space. It comes in eye-catching colors, ensuring that it will stand out against neutral or light colors and will surely bring drama to your space. The Mott Chair is extremely comfortable to sit on with its removable upholstered seat; and its steel base’s simple and clean lines will make a modern home truly appealing.
 Garden Style with O’PERA-K Armchair
Yes, you can put your garden inside your house. Ridiculous? Not really. Designing your space is your prerogative; and creating a garden look inside your home is all about you. Besides, if you have a green thumb and you love the outdoors, why not take your design to the next level by having a garden-inspired space? If you’re already convinced of creating a garden-style home, Plastix/Papatya’s O’PERA-K Armchair is the ideal furniture for this kind of space. This trendy, comfortable and sturdy armchair is perfect for indoor and outdoor use. Made of molded polypropylene with a transparent polycarbonate back, this chair will spruce up your indoor or outdoor space with its intricate design. What’s even better is that the colors are permeated through the material, assuring you that they will still look perfect even after years of hard use.    
Mediterranean Style with Dupont Swivel Chair 
 If you love Europe and its countryside, Mediterranean style is the ideal look to go for. This design style is, simply put, charming. If you want to go for this look, don’t forget to use natural hues to make your space look bigger and brighter. But, most importantly, to make this look really work, you need accent pieces in dark and bright colors such as red. Another stunning collection from Nuans Design, the Dupont Swivel Chair will absolutely complement your space. This dramatic armchair, especially in Red Wool, will serve as a striking contrast to your space’s neutral colors. Its upholstered seat cushions and chrome plated swivel metal base is the best accent piece for your home.
  
 Classic Contemporary Style with Angel Armchair
 This interior design style marries the classic and modern look. If you feel that the simple, contemporary look is too harsh for your taste, go for softer color contrasts that will highlight the art on your walls. When using this style, make sure to avoid using colors that will hold your attention on one piece. Instead, use colors and pieces that complement each other, lending a warm and homey ambiance to your space. Here’s the chair that will complete your home’s classic contemporary look. Designed by Ruud Bos for Kubikoff, the Angel Armchair will suit your space’s modern and classy look. It is suitable for indoor and outdoor use; and is also the perfect accent piece in your living space. This molded polycarbonate chair is designed to cradle the body; and is meant to last even after years of hard use because the colors are permeated through the material.
   
Eclectic Style with Diamond Rocker Chair
True to its name, if you are into mixing and matching various furniture, colors and other pieces, then this design style is right for you. If you opt for this look, feel free to play with colors, fabric, design and style. While this look may be overwhelming for some, you can pull it off by choosing materials that are not really bulky so as not to make your space look and feel cramped. This classic and beautiful rocker chair by Kubikoff can be used to accent any interior design style. Simply elegant, you can use this for your reading nook or an accent piece in your eclectic-style home. The Diamond Rocker Chair has a polycarbonate shell in clear transparent or white.
  
 Urban Style with Opal M Swivel Chair
Another home design style inspired by a city, the New York style suits any modern space because of its use of neutral paint colors, contrasting furniture accents, as well as space-saving furniture. To match your New York style dining space, Plastix/Papatya’s Opal M Swivel Chair is your best bet. Since you want furniture with dramatic hues, this modern armchair lends an intriguing tone for your space. Available in transparent and solid colors, this molded technopolymer chair will make your dining space brighter and more vivacious. This chair is anti-UV stabilized, making sure that its vibrant colors will last even after years of use. 212Concept No matter whether you’re looking for the chairs above or furniture by leading European designers or simply want a new and exciting piece by the young talents of the current generation of designers, 212Concept wiil help you find it. To browse or shop modern furniture from Kubikoff, sohoConcept, Nuans Design and others visit 212Concept.com.

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

Beautiful Habitat Has Moved | Sneak Peek

We've moved! To a new house, that is. You'll still be able to find Beautiful Habitat right here and on Facebook and Twitter. You may recall my post about the new house and all the photos before renovations began. Well, some renovations are wrapped up, others haven't yet begun, but we are now residing in the new abode. I wish I had photos of the final beautiful rooms to share with you. Alas, we are living like this in more than one room.

Time and hard work will continue to pull this beauty together. And you can rest assured that I'll be sharing with you as soon as it's ready! Until then, here is a sneak peek. Enjoy!

 New Kitchen Cabinets and Hardware

Do I see Open Shelves in the Kitchen??

New Carpet - a custom dyed shade of gray. When they don't have a color you like, custom dye is always an option.

Gold On The Ceiling... Because Gold is staging a comeback and I am embracing it!

New floors - ebony-stained wood with a new graphic rug (and my camera-shy pup/assistant.)

A few finishing touches are in place, but much more work to do. And a coat of new paint - Sherwin Williams "Anew Gray".

To see more about the journey to the new home:

• Designer's Home| Welcome to My New Digs
• Things I Really Love About My House

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

Ideas for Kitchen Lighting | Guest Post

Your kitchen could arguably be called the most important room in your house. It is central to that most important of activities for your daily survival, eating. A well designed and lit kitchen can create a more inviting and harmonious heart for your home. Décor ideas in any room essentially aim for one of two goals, fashion or function. For any design specialist their goals are to achieve a merging of the two goals and hopefully reach the ideal of a room that is both fashionable and functional. With a kitchen you definitely want to choose a lighting scheme that leans towards function, because the last thing you want in the room where all your food is prepared is improper lighting.  

Sunlight
It makes for the cheapest and most environmentally green ways to light a kitchen. Nothing makes light like the sun does. Open up your blinds and let the sun shine. Unfortunately some kitchens are designed with small windows or low levels of exposure that keep sunlight out. There are a few cheats you can do to bring sunlight into a kitchen.


Of course the best way is to just install better windows with a greater amount of exposure. However, this may not be the most cost effective way, as window installation could be a major project and rather expensive. It may also be an option unavailable to you if you are in a rental property. Barring that option, you can try to bring a bit more light in through other ways. Open up windows fully in adjacent rooms, paint walls in light colors, and you can even use large mirrors to try and direct some of that sunlight towards your kitchen.  

Hanging and Overhead Lighting

 The typical kitchen design often includes an overhead light source. These may be overhead light fixtures such as a fluorescent installation, or an arrangement of bulbs. Hanging lamps are another way that offers an attractive design that can offer great functionality in a kitchen.


The ideal placement for any hanging arrangement should be one that descends over and directly lights the important areas of your kitchen. Areas like your sink, food prep counters, and your oven range are all proper candidates where you should install a hanging light arrangement. You’ll want them installed above head level but close enough that the benefit of their light is centered exactly where you need it, such as over a serving counter so you can easily see if those steaks are cooked to your perfect medium rare (or any other preferred doneness). Recessed and Under-Cabinet Lighting One of the most popular trends in home and kitchen lighting design is the use of recessed and under-cabinet lighting schemes. These lighting designs are commonly seen in art galleries, helping to illuminate portraits and sculptures. Their use in home design intends to bring home some of the elegance of an art gallery. They can certainly help a kitchen achieve a very streamlined look, bringing home the feel of a professional restaurant’s kitchen. For the do-it-yourself crowd installing these are often to be considered quite easy to do.

Remember the function
 Remember that the placement of any lights in a kitchen should focus on the functionality of the room and do little to impede it. It’s the reason that most lighting designs use hanging or recessed ceiling lights. The last thing you want in a kitchen is a lamp on your counter, you may accidentally tip the lamp and you certainly don’t want to be serving your food with shards of glass. Of course, how you design a lighting scheme in your home is something that should be catered to your tastes as an individual. Energize your kitchen life and bring a little bit more light into your home, by yourself or with the help of a professional.   Ross Donald is a freelance writer and design expert with the home and outdoor lighting specialists at LightingSale.com. Ross loves working with people to design their ideal home and understands how important it is to feel both safe and comfortable in your four walls.

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

Two-Toned Kitchens | Love it or Leave it?

Whether it be different colors for Base cabinets and Wall cabinets or switching up the color for the island, kitchens with multiple colors of cabinetry are all around. Do you love it, or would you leave it?
 

via Better Homes & Gardens

via Beautiful Habitat

via Pinterest

via Home Bunch

via Pinterest

via Southern Living

via The Marion House Book

  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

How do you "Spa"?

I am in the early phases of a bathroom redesign with a long-time client. She has a hard time defining what she likes. Thankfully we've worked together before, so I have a good feel for her style already. This time we are working on the master bathroom.
 In our first meeting, she said she wants a "Spa-like Bathroom". Designers will tell you that is the most common request in all of design. The problem is, when we all say "spa-like bathroom", we each have a different image of that meaning in our head. So now I have assigned homework to my client: define your spa. What does a "Spa" mean to you? And I thought, I'd love to know how my readers define their dream spa. So how do you spa?

 Nature
 For many people, "spa" inspires images of nature. Seems simple, enough. However, images of nature vary so much by your locale, your idea of comfort. Does it mean ocean, does it mean texture? Is that texture wood, stone? Here are nature inspired bathrooms. Do they say "spa" to you?

 

via Rumah Tropika

 

via Houzz

Ocean, Beach, Coastal
 For others, "spa" is a very coastal feeling. For years, my bestie and I would frequent a spa in Boulder Colorado that had a very beachy, Nantucket feel. For a long time, my "spa" meant beach feel, with a blue and sand color palette, weathered wood and marine-inspired light fixtures. I even designed a beach bath in my own home. I'll share soon (can't believe I've never shared it before!)

 

Images via Apartment Therapy

Simplicity, Calm, Zen
And still for others, "spa" means a calm and serenity. It's about simplicity in lines and colors. This is more where my "spa" leans today, although I do still have a soft spot for the beach while we are land-locked in Colorado.

 

via Canadian House & Home

 

via Elle Decor

Meditative
 And for others, "spa" takes on a spiritual element and may include a meditation space.

 

Images via Pinterest

How do you "spa"? What elements define a "Spa-like Bathroom" for you? Want to create a Spa feel, without a complete overhaul of your bathroom? Here are some quick tips to add a Spa atmosphere to your bathroom.
Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design &  Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com