2014 Color Trends for the Home - lush purple, blues and oranges....

The word is out! (Okay- it's been out) 2014's color is Radiant Orchid.  You can go all out with it, or use it as an accent color.  If you are a lover of bright and bold colors, I've provided some inspiration for creating color palettes with Radiant Orchid...


If your not sure how to use these colors for your home, let me show you some great options:

 High Fashion Home

High Fashion Home
It makes a gorgeous accent color


via aparaledabode

Go bold...

via Found Market

Porter House Designs

Porter House Designs

So what other colors look good with Radiant Orchid for those of you who love your bold brights?  Cayenne or another similar orange looks good with purple and really makes a statement.

via House Beautiful

via Live Like You

Cobalt and Radiant Orchid creates a really lush look...

via Edison Avenue

via ZuneTop

Look Back for a Second

Do you remember first learning to drive?  

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I can remember someone explaining to me how to change lanes on the Interstate.  You look back over your right shoulder - but only for a second!  Then eyes back on the road before you commit to the new lane.  Well, that's how I feel about starting a new year.  You can look back at the previous year's events, but only for a second.  Then you have to continue on your journey.  

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This past year brought some very unexpected events for me.  Looking back, even the events that seemed bad (like my Mom's diagnosis of breast cancer) were actually laced with lots and lots of blessings.  (BTW, for those who have continued to ask about my Mom, her recovery is going great.)  That's the benefit of hindsight - or a year in review.

So rather than rehash 2013 (you can go to my archives in the right side bar of my blog if you're in the mood to rehash), it will only get a brief glance today.  I want to focus on what lies ahead, "eye on the prize" as they say or what gets me out of bed and going in the mornings.  For me, the single biggest item is inspiration.  It helps me focus on what lies ahead.  

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Where does inspiration come from?  Well, lots of places for me - color, texture, music, what people say, treasured items in a client's home - it's a random hodge podge of things that swirl into the mix of creativity.  All that, plus one amazing inspirational tool - Pinterest.  Lately, I've noticed resentment towards Pinterest (sort of like the love/hate thing for Martha Stewart).  But not me, I could not do my job without this wonderful tool.  It's so interesting to me that a single idea in an image can spark the direction for an entire design.  Sometimes random pictures from Pinterest will pop into my head during a consult with a client.  The client might show me a piece of furniture they love and want in the space and WHAM - a Pinterest image pops into my brain of a great solution for the piece to work in the space.  

With that in mind, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite "go to's" for inspiration.  Here are my top five favorite inspirational Pinners on Pinterest.  By the way, if you're not sure what I'm talking about and want to have your world totally rock (and a great deal of your free time zapped), click over and see what all the fuss is about.   OK, so now for my top inspirational Pinners.

 Holly Phillips from The English Room.  She just celebrated her second blogiversary (which shocked me, since her blog is so well written it feels like she's been doing this for years and years).

I am always blown away by what Holly pins on her Pinterest boards.  The images are often times traditional but with an edgy something, something thrown in for good measure.  A sure cure for designer's block, no doubt. 

 Sara Kate of Sara Kate Studios is a stylist out of Oklahoma City.  She has such an eye for interiors and her style is incredibly fresh and unique.  

If I'm helping a client with styling their space, I love to go to Sara Kate's Pinterest page for inspiration.  It's total goodness.

Paige Schnell of Tracery Interiors is the owner/lead designer for one amazing interior design company.

What I love about Paige's pins - every single one has this sense of sophistication while still feeling casual and comfortable.  Go to her Pinterest page and see for yourself - she has impeccable taste. 

Laura Trevey of Bright Bold & Beautiful is one of the most successful lifestyle/entertaining/design sites on the web.  

Laura's Pinterest boards are wonderfully organized and chocked full of creative ideas anyone can incorporate into their own homes.  It's my go to for party planning inspiration every single time!

Monica Hart of La Famiglia Design is an Entertaining Stylist who lives in Seattle.  She has the most amazing style and every single pin on her Pinterest page is drool worthy. 

If you're on Pinterest a lot (which I am), you may have had this experience.  You are looking at your feed of pins from the people you're following and you see something you want to repin.  You look down to see who you are pinning from and 9 out of 10 times - it's the same person.  Well, Monica Hart is very often that Pinner!

Now, if you get stuck watching a boring bowl game, you know what to do.  Just grab your laptop and check out these amazing sources of inspiration.  Who knows?  You may have an ah ha moment on the very first day of the new year! 

Happy 2014 to all.  M.

  

The best Zebra print decor ideas for interior designs

Stunning ideas to use zebra print and pattern to decorating interior design, zebra print decor ideas for all home parts, wall, furniture, bedding, accessories, rugs, pictures and all zebra print room ideas

Animal prints are still quite popular in the interior, and use them in a variety of decor elements - and in decorating the walls and furniture, and textiles, and just as a leopard skins, tiger, zebra, spread out on the floor.

Zebra print decor ideas for interior designs

Zebra print decor in the interior :

Fortunately today, to decorate the wall of your living room zebra or giraffe ( zebra wall decor ), or spread it on the floor does not have to kill animals. Modern industry produces ready-made imitation animal skins, which, at first glance, no different from the natural, and to use them much more practical, do not require such meticulous care as natural skins. This article focuses specifically on animal printers such as zebra print decor .

Natural black and white zebra color is very beautiful, especially this zebra print will fit, if the interior of your room is decorated in black and white style. Despite the fact that, first of all zebra print used in the design houses in the African style, it will look great in black and white interior in the style of hi-tech.

Zebra print Decorating ideas:

Industry today released many textile imitation zebra print . In the first place, it certainly rugs and carpets, blankets and bedspreads. And the coloring is not only black and white, which has a zebra print from nature, but also brown and white, brown and beige.

zebra print in the interior can be used in almost any design style, the main thing to choose the right place its application. In addition, frequent such animal print in combination with other color elements, for example, mat or blanket can combine inserts with zebra print or zebra pattern and insert the other colors.

Zebra Linens - zebra sheets, zebra pillowcases, zebra duvet covers, decorated with a zebra print , also are very popular among the inhabitants. And in this case is not necessarily black and white, or brown-beige combination bands. Black combined with red, purple, green, pink, blue. So, pick up a print linens for the bedroom can be made in any colors, not just black and white interior.

zebra bedding can also be combined with other prints, as with animal and geometric. The same pattern can be used for zebra print curtains in the bedroom and other rooms containing features with zebra print. Together, they will harmonize with each other and at the same time complement each other, creating a uniform style in the room.

For zebra print wall also typical, as posters or pictures and zebra canvas , as well as panels.

As a decorative element of the room can become fixtures, decorated zebra, as well as any furniture, and not just soft. Even in a classical style dresser or chest of drawers, coffee table, you can decorate using print - zebra, and he will play an entirely new way and turned into a kind of a design course.

If you can not use as a decorative element patterned zebra something massive - in the form of furniture, curtains or bed linen, leaving the situation may become small and decor items such as kitchen utensils, painted zebra , flower pots and planters , cushions.

Most effectively drawing a zebra print room ideas in the interior will look like, where neutral colors and shades. In addition, this animal print will help create zest, and bring together all the components of the interior in the event that in your room do not have any particular style in the design, either present fresh colors.

There are also styles in the design, in which the zebra pattern print in the interior should not be, or use it with caution. In that case, if the decor of the apartment too many colorful flowers, animal ornament or lost on their background, or it will look too pretentious and ridiculous. This concerns, including the walls and the floor, if they have too pronounced texture, decorative elements with zebra print decor is better not to have near them. Not too successfully combined the zebra print and other fancy ornaments. In addition, there are styles which, when used in the design of the zebra print and pattern will have to forget. This Japanese style Zen-style and Eco friendly style. In other cases, an animal figure you can always find a place in your interior.