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Each year as the New Year rolls around, I get intrigued by the purity and clean looks of the all-white interior. Personally, it’s not something I could do in my own house – firstly because I like wood finishes too much, but also because my huge hairy black dog would really put a damper on the pristine look. But there’s something about the spaces shown here that really lends a sense of calm, a feeling of starting fresh.
Sometimes it’s the lack of color (I do realize that white is ALL color, but you know what I mean) that makes a space feel anticipatory, like all possibilities are still open and waiting. In any case, there is certainly something appealing about these white, quiet rooms.
(above) White Wood Floors
White Loft Bedroom + Cascading White Spaces
White Closet + White Dressing Area
Amy wrote this post. She is the designer and owner of FormFire Glassworks, where she creates modern lampwork glass beads and jewelry, and by day designs custom homes for a small firm in Southern California. You can follow her twitter @formfireglass.
Every year around the winter holidays, as the stores begin to put up their decorations, and the Christmas tree lots spring up around town, I struggle with how to keep all of those pieces in line with my modern home decor. Of course, many people just go the traditional route and put up all the pieces that they have collected or been given over the years. I have never been a typical red and green Christmas type of girl, so I wanted to pull together a few looks that give off that holiday vibe without looking like the standard fare.
One of my favorite looks is to bring wintertime nature indoors. Twigs, pinecones and basic pine greenery are a great way to holiday-up your space without going overboard. Add in a little sparkle, either through lights, glass or metallic finishes, and you have a subtle winner. My personal favorite is a green, white, silver color scheme. This a great way to pull in modern and traditional pieces while keeping them visually organized. Or try the simplicity of a Scandinavian look, with wooden and geometric pieces and perhaps a shot of bright color. A mid-century vibe can be another great way to go, marrying a silver tree with shots of chartreuse or aqua decorations. When in doubt, opt for a simpler look, but don’t forget to include at least one of those special pieces, either something from your childhood, or something made by your children – one of those pieces that makes you smile each time you see it. And have a happy holiday!
(above) Bringing Nature Indoors
Simple Color Scheme + Scandinavian Wood
Pine and Flowers + Rustic Charm
Yellow and Silver Color Scheme
Amy wrote this post. She is the designer and owner of FormFire Glassworks, where she creates modern lampwork glass beads and jewelry, and by day designs custom homes for a small firm in Southern California. You can follow her twitter @formfireglass.
When we look at finishes for our interior spaces, most thought goes to paint colors, perhaps wallpaper, maybe a wood finish. Stone is typically reserved for flooring and fireplaces. But a stone wall of any type can be a textural foil for all of our other furnishings. Of course, my preference is for stone walls that are part and parcel of the architecture, meaning that they begin outside and make small or large appearances in the interior spaces. You may luck out and find and older home with an actual stone wall. But remember that even the stone walls created in new homes today are standard framing with a stone veneer over the surface. An actual stone wall is cost-prohibitive to create, especially in larger areas. But you can use this gorgeous material even if you don’t have large stone walls as part of your architectural aesthetic. Just be sure that you spend a bit of time thinking about the termination points for your wall, or where the stone ends. Only end at a window if you can put the stone on the exterior surface as well. Your best bet may be between two perpendicular walls where the end condition disappears. If not, be sure to give some weight to the wall – a skinny 4″ stud wall covered in stone doesn’t look realistic, but one whose ends are thickened to 10-12″ looks right at home.
Stone finishes vary dramatically, from colors across the spectrum, to a wide array of sizes and textures. Thin pieces of dry-stacked stone come across very differently than large, perfectly-cut rectangular pieces. The first reads as a highly textured surface, while the latter can be a smooth background for other pieces. The amount of grout between pieces of stone can make a huge difference as well. Thin grout can make for a more homogeneous surface, while large grout breaks the stone up visually. Whether you add stone to a fireplace, interior dividing wall, or just at the end of a room, stone surfaces add a natural feel to the home environment.
(above) Irregular Stone Bed Wall
Stacked Fireplace + Random Shape Interior Partition
2-sided Fireplace + Skylit Bath Walls
Heavy Grouting with Modern Touches
Amy wrote this post. She is the designer and owner of FormFire Glassworks, where she creates modern lampwork glass beads and jewelry, and by day designs custom homes for a small firm in Southern California. You can follow her twitter @formfireglass.
I’ve always had a thing for white walls. Maybe a touch of color for an accent wall, set off by some nice wood furniture, but always with a background of white. White seems clean and uplifting. But lately, I’ve really been taken by some seriously dark spaces. Rooms where walls and furnishings are black. Black cabinets in the kitchen, black tiles in the bath. It’s a departure for me, but it comes across so calm, so quiet, and so often, elegant.
Although the black often includes an amount of white, in these spaces, the black dominates. Textural qualities differentiate the blacks in these interiors – sometimes glossy, sometimes matte, in leather, paint, tile or wood finish. The black background makes all those little touches like lighting and objects stand out without overtaking the space. I’m not sure I’m truly ready to do this for my home because the impact of black isn’t something that works only for a single room. It needs to be worked into the adjoining spaces as an overall vibe to really work well. But I’m tempted.
(above) Black and Mirror Entry
Dark Office + Mini Mosaic Tiles
Painted-out Paneling + Black Tub and Walls
Amy wrote this post. She is the designer and owner of FormFire Glassworks, where she creates modern lampwork glass beads and jewelry, and by day designs custom homes for a small firm in Southern California. You can follow her twitter @formfireglass.
I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. Combine that with some bizarre weather patterns, and I’m feeling a bit grey. I don’t want the shot of bright color to jar me loose, just the relaxed, simple mellow that grey can bring. Don’t think that this means I want my space to look cold or uninviting. Quite the contrary. Sometimes you need the world around you to fade back a bit to bring the rest of life down to a dull roar.
Greys are temperamental. A blue cast can either make a grey look cheery, or make it appear cold and lifeless. This is best mitigated by using a slightly darker tone, especially if you’re trying to meld with an existing cooler palette. Personally, I’m a fan of the warmer types of grey, those with a slight greenish cast. You can see these differences easily in clothing, where two black pieces don’t match at all. These warmer greys are stunning with natural wood, especially walnut and teak, or any other non-yellow variety. Grey and wood seem to bring out the best in each other. The wood livens up the grey by introducing a natural finish, and the grey keeps the wood in a relaxed vibe. There are options from the lightest grey-white to the deepest charcoal and everything in between. Don’t be afraid to mix different tones and textures – it’s a great way to get visual variety while keeping a monochromatic palette. And if you get in the mood and need a lift, a pop of bright color against this neutral background can change your whole perspective.
(above) Dark Grey Bedding
Cool Grey Wall + Concrete Finish
Faded Flooring + Medium Tone Surfaces
Amy wrote this post. She is the designer and owner of FormFire Glassworks, where she creates modern lampwork glass beads and jewelry, and by day designs custom homes for a small firm in Southern California. You can follow her twitter @formfireglass.
Back in March, Brittni, the owner of papernstitch, brought up her interest in herringbone wood floors. The herringbone pattern is generally made by butting the short end of a rectangular piece of wood or tile to the far end of the long side of another, and continuing in this pattern that creates a zig-zag with a slight offset. Today we’re taking a look at a similar pattern, but one with no offset – the chevron. The chevron created with wood, tile or other materials is made with mitered ends that both butt up to each other on the small side, forming a zigzag with no offset, perfect points and a line running through those points.
But along with the resurgence of herringbone, the chevron pattern is making quite a comeback. With the stunning popularity of the Missoni for Target line, chevron and zigzag is re-entering the home in a big way. Although a simple chevron-set monochromatic floor is a great way to add texture and pattern without overdoing it, many designers are using the chevron in new and different ways. That same distressed wood set on a wall becomes a focal piece, while others are shifting to two-color schemes for flooring, or bringing in the chevron with accessories such as rugs or pillows. And paint is a great and inexpensive way to add this pattern to your home, either with a monochrome or two or more color scheme. Personally, I’m still a fan of those old board floors, but you might even think of repainting a reclaimed piece of furniture – it’s all up to you!
(above) Black Wood Floor
Chevron Rug + Marmoleum Pattern
Stenciled Separate Shapes + ZigZag Monochrome
Amy wrote this post. She is the designer and owner of FormFire Glassworks, where she creates modern lampwork glass beads and jewelry, and by day designs custom homes for a small firm in Southern California. You can follow her twitter @formfireglass.
We often neglect our ceilings when it comes to designing a room. We worry about the color of the walls, the furnishings, the floor, but often the ceiling gets short shrift. Perhaps we figure it has to stay the way it was built in the first place, but even lower drywall ceilings may have a little trick up their sleeve. And if you’re lucky enough to have a higher ceiling, or perhaps one that is sloped, you may have lots of options to dress up the plane above you. Wood beams can make a great addition to any of these spaces, giving our ceilings a little character to coordinate with the rest of the decor.
Perhaps you’ve always wanted a wood beam ceiling. There are two ways to go about it without completely rebuilding your floor or roof. The first is to apply beams to the bottom of the existing ceiling. If your ceiling is on the lower side, you might try beams that are shallow (2-3″) and wider (6-8″.) This gives you the look of a beam without sacrificing the height of your room. And if you space them out a bit, say at around 3-4 feet, you will not feel that the height of the room has changed. Your other option is to open up the ceiling, either in full or in part. This may require a bit of shifting of wiring and lighting, but even a small area over a defined space can look great, either by leaving the exposed joists as is and finishing the lower portion of the floor above or the roof, or perhaps cladding the joists to get a cleaner look. These beams can be finished clear, stained, or painted white for a textural look without a shot of additional color.
(above) Whitewashed Beams and Plank Sheathing
Painted Rafters in Kitchen + White Sloped Ceiling
Beams as Ribs + Beams Become Columns
Amy wrote this post. She is the designer and owner of FormFire Glassworks, where she creates modern lampwork glass beads and jewelry, and by day designs custom homes for a small firm in Southern California. You can follow her twitter @formfireglass.
