Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Mood Changing Colors: The Boldness of Orange and Teal

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If you've followed me over the years, then you know that orange is pretty much my favorite color and shockingly, pops up on occasion in some of our design projects. We love the bold and dramatic statement it makes and see it as a color that stands strong throughout the year, and not just for Fall. 
So we were thrilled when the folks at Chairish the leading marketplace for beautiful vintage and used furniture and home decor, asked us to share a post on color pairings we love. The request falls in line with their recent post on Color Couples along with a great infographic they created to help readers experiment with the pairing of bold color combos.


We loved the concept of course and decided to pair Orange (beloved for its energetic and happy vibe), with Teal (beloved for it's calming influence). 


The orange and blue hues create a complementary room. The room feels energetic because of the high intensity of the colors.
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The two strike a perfect harmony in this bedroom design where a teal headboard with a nailhead detail creates a dramatic yet calming focal point, and the orange nightstands adds just the punch of fun energy you want to bring to the boudoir no?  

Mixing Patterns: Living room in teal, orange and white
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The living room is a great place to fully embrace the dramatic influence of these two colors via this orange patterned wall, teal pattered ottoman and patterned pillows that infuse both color combos.


Orange and blue are complementary colors because they are directly accross from each other on the colors wheel. So even with brown added to this room, they still compliment each other. Color scheme for laundry room?
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If you're still apprehensive about using orange in your home, then this foyer should change your mind. The dark brown wallpaper and white frames, help to soothe the brightness of the orange matted artwork.  The teal ottomans stand regal with their Greek key trim, tucked below a white foyer table which also serves as a moment of pause between the two contrasting colors. 

Below are some great selections from Chairish that will help on your journey to trying this pairing.  



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**This a partnered post with Charish. However, LiveLaughDecorate received no compensation and the thoughts expressed are our own.**

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

A Vintage Tub + Modern Shower = A Swanky New Bathroom


This little gem of a guest bathroom belongs to my dearest clients Pat and Oscar B, clients whose home we have spent years renovating room by room. This bathroom once looked like this:


Sure it had been functional over the years and offered loads of storage, but after we'd tackled every other room in the house included here and here it was time to finally work some magic on this space. We had noticed issues with this bathroom long before i.e. a leak through the tile into the adjoining master bedroom, which came as no surprise when we opened the wall and discovered that the crew who had built this bathroom had been drinking up a storm on the job. A shocking yet hilarious discovery, though we are thankful they remained sober enough to complete the job. Anywho, as you can see, the challenge with this space is it's a very long bathroom (12 ft) but very narrow (5 ft). You can see peeks of the demolition here and here.

 

Pat had always wanted a vintage styled tub, but Oscar also wanted to maintain a shower so the challenge was merging those two requests. To accommodate both wishes, we would need to take 12" of space from the adjoining master bedroom to widen the bathroom a bit and give the tub a little elbow room.

The wave tile and accent tile, which kinda mimics the movement of bubbles, were the easiest selections made for this project! That stylish grab bar to the left serves as wash cloth holder now, but will prove more functional over the years for added ease in and out of the tub.


The shower and overflow/splashes from the tub would need to share a drain, so we decided to do this with a special integrated drain system that blended well into the tile. Since there would be no shower ledge to separate the shower doors from the rest of the bathroom floor, the floors had to be perfectly pitched so water would never seep into the adjoining space. Translation: the plumber and tile installer must work in harmony to make this a flawless installation.

 
We relocated the toilet to right to gain additional space for the shower, since there was plenty of room to the right to do so. Since this was a guest bathroom, we decided a 36" floating vanity would offer just enough storage for guest essentials.  


Since we replaced the original door with a pocket door (of course I did!) we now have extra room in this cozy corner for a little stool/table or for a basket for guests to toss used towels.  


Psst.  Y'all know how I feel about fake plants and flowers so of course these were removed on day one of demolition!
We also used an integrated medicine cabinet to provide additional storage within the walls, without compromising the contemporary feel of the space.

 
Pat is an orchid lover, so we added new matting and re-framed her original orchid prints.  

Yes, that's a television in the bathroom. Our clients love to stay connected so I think there's a television in just about every room of this house. And that's it folks. One of the most technically challenging bathrooms of my career, and one that was even more complicated as we worked through the design and plumbing challenges with my clients while they were on vacation in South Africa. But I think it's safe to say they are happy with the way our final project (well, sort of) for this home has turned out. A huge thanks to Pat and Oscar for being major supporters of NWD and we're eternally grateful for their continuous stream of referrals.  


Source Guide
 

Main Tile  and Accent wall USA Tile and Marble I Faucet, Tub Filler, Hand Held Shower: Ferguson | Tub: Wayfair I Artwork: Clients Original | Medicine Cabinet: Signature Hardware | Floating Vanity: Wayfair; alternative vanity:eFauets.comI Lighting: Lumens

 

































Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Gold, Brass + Brushed Nickel, Chrome = Yes Please!


I'm always surprised to find that clients, and followers who message me on Instagram are still so scared to mix metals! I mix gold and silver all the time in fashion, and apply the same "break them rules" principle in my design. 
The sources in the above "Metals Mashup" were from this powder room reveal. 

Gold stripes were the bold choice in the space, paired with brushed nickel hardware on the vanity and faucet, and a chrome finish on the wall sconces.


The pairing works because the silver notes help balance the boldness of the gold on the walls and the gold of the mirror. 
If you're still scared to mix metals, then start with something simple and inexpensive to "test the waters". Brushed nickel pulls like the ones on this vanity average about $2 and won't break the bank if you change your mind.
The opposite principle also applies. If you had silver tones throughout a space like a powder room, then consider adding a brass faucet to add a wow factor to your very own metal mashup.
The bottom line: take a chance when designing. There's nothing worse than living a life of regrets. Happy mixing! Let us know how/if you've mixed metals and send us a link so we can go check it out. 

Source Guide
Vanity: Bathroom Place | Faucet: Home Depot | Gold Metallic Paint: Martha Stewart Paints for Home Depot | Bathroom Mat: West Elm | Artwork: West Elm | Mirror and Towels: Home Goods | Sconces: Lumens Lighting| 







Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Oh Tray! My Love Affair With These Little Gems




If you've followed me on this blog over the years, then you know I have a love affair with trays, aka there's a 99% chance a space I design will have a tray, or two.

A tray to me is not only functional i.e. a perfect item to hold a dinner plate or some snacks, but they're a great opportunity to add texture, color and layers to any large surface.They're also one of the most budget friendly items you can add to a space. Hint: I've never spent over a $50 on a tray. 


For this project, I used this textured tray from HomeGoods, as the foundation on which to help add depth to the table and draw your eye upward to the mini statue of the diver.  

 
This gem of a reflective gold and white tray from Target didn't need to be messed with. A simple bouquet of flowers is all it needed to showcase it's beauty. 

This collection of coffee table books at this home, needed a great pairing. This gold leafed tray, stacked with simple candle holders, an orchid and coral did the trick. 




Sometimes, simple is best. This client is an avid reader, so I added some of his favorite books to this coffee table tray. Style and function. Don't be afraid to add personal items such as books and little mementos when styling your own tray/vignette.
 
I remember this installation well because I had two trays that I loved equally but couldn't decide which one to use. Then voila, I decided to layer the thinner glass zebra print tray atop on the wooden tray, and just like that, a little symbiotic tray relationship was formed.  


In a nutshell, I've never met a tray I couldn't love or use somehow so stack up on these gems whenever you stumble on em. And don't be afraid of trays that have a little chip here or there. Those can easily be touched up with a little nail polish or Sharpie action or just be left alone. A little dent or scrape just adds character. Do you use trays in your own home designs? What's a favorite place to score a good tray? Holla. 

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