Here at Aston Design Studio we’ve created a home office design plan for a very special person: YOU. 

Maybe its style will be to your liking, maybe it won't. Either way, whether you keep it for yourself or share it with a friend, this is yours to keep. Oh, and it's on the house (aka: FREE ;-)

Just like our E-Design Services, this design plan features some of the same features:

• A floor plan.
• Online furnishings selections.
• Links to where you can buy them.
• And pretty digital boards to show you what it everything will look like.

Using all of the above, you'll be able to shop it and do it yourself! Oh, and did I mention there are no contracts for you to sign? Because there aren't!

Why not charge? Well, because every once in a while we just like to show off what we can do!  ;-)

So, please, indulge us a bit as we show off a glimpse of what our E-Design Services are all about. We have a hunch you're going to like what you see.

Click Here To Access The Full
TRENDY, GLAM HOME OFFICE
DESIGN PLAN!

Not only is the Eames chair going white, the iconic piece of furniture designed by Charles and Ray Eames we thought would forever remain black, but...

Other classic chairs are also coming back around dressed in a lighter tone - one of which is:

The Barcelona,
DESIGNED by Mies Van Der Rohe

Through masterful proportioning and planning, Mies created a rhythmic and entirely unprecedented space, which elevated industrial-age materials to a level of grace never before achieved. Inside, Mies included chairs and stools conceived as a resting place for the King and Queen of Spain. Determined to create a chair worthy of royalty, Mies is thought to have based the designs, with their signature crisscross frames, on the campaign chairs of Ancient Rome. Mies: “I feel that it must be possible to harmonize the old and new in our civilization.”

Although the Barcelona Pavilion only stood for seven months, it is recognized as a defining achievement of modern architecture, as are the accompanying Barcelona Chairs (although the King and Queen reportedly never sat in them).

Via: Knoll.com

When I was in design school, some many years ago, this was sort of the first “classic” in the textbook to learn, because -- well -- it was designed by Mies van der Rohe.

Back then it was popular in black. But these days...

It seems we are lightening up our classics. 

Just imagine it... A single white Barcelona, in a dark room, with a graphic rug, and some big, amazing art.

Mmmm . . . It sits like a sculpture.

I love it! Don't you?

Click for more info ;-)

Left: Check out the black Eames chair in the corner with the white Barcelona in the foreground. Obviously, there must have been an architect in the house!

It’s the end of May, the time of year when many fresh college grads are about to start building their interior design careers. 

Landing a job in design may look a bit dismal, even daunting. This is, after all, the business of design - which involves taking a career path that’s packed with talented competition and recovering from a recession that’s caused even long-time professionals to seek out other ways to make a living. 

Such is the risk you take with any creative business, when you follow your dream, when you follow your heart.

When society feels your craft is not necessary for its survival, you will get knocked down. Your business will hurt during hard times.

Those of us who remain feel a little like “survivors”, and we’re happy to offer advice to the young people who are starting out with big dreams in mind for their future in the interior design field - that is now, thankfully, quickly recovering from some really rough years.

Here on my blog I’ve shared some tips myself about internships, selling ideas, which lessons learned in college will stay with you over the years as a designer, and a great little gem of a book full of advice every creative should read.

I wanted to offer you a little more advice, but not from me, from others - accomplished designers from all around the world who responded to my question on Linkedin. 

Recently, we engaged in a conversation that could prove itself to be very valuable to the design of your future. It was sparked by the question below, and I encourage you to read it in-full. 

Enjoy, & take notes! ;-)

Al Green

"When you think you no longer can be taught (know it all), you are setting yourself up for failure and opening up a window of opportunity for someone else to come in and complete the task at hand."

Rebecca Barton

“Be the very best you can be, every day. It is a saturated market out there, and the only way to stand out is to have passion and love for the subject. See design as a calling, not a career.”

Christopher Barson

“Measure carefully for accurate plans. Scale is everything.”

Jack Solovey

”Set THE EXAMPLE for your profession. Live your projects. Leave no stone unturned. Focus on and be sensitive to your clients' needs.” 

Claire Bloom

“Make sure your skills are always up to date and you have a really professional portfolio (digital and paper). Get professional pictures of your work. Learn Photoshop and InDesign to create and update your portfolio and CV.”

Hector Rivas

“Learn, learn, learn! Be teachable and watch out for your ego. It is the number one hindrance that stops you from reaching the top. Pride will always come before a great fall. After over 25 years of doing this, I am still learning, and I still love what I do.”

Victoria Vandamm

“Interior design is a wonderful business, but it is absolutely that: A BUSINESS. Successful businesses are run on NUMBERS. Everything, from keeping track of quotes, deposits, payments for product, and figuring yardage and square footage is about NUMBERS. And spreadsheets: Make them your friends!”

Maggie Poetz

“Interior design is a wonderful profession, but it is hard to do it alone. Respect others, be humble and honest. Work in collaboration with others. Listen to your clients carefully.”

Marya Taylor

“Nothing happens without sharpening your selling skills. Some of the best wrought plans have been lost in the presentation. Enthusiasm speaks volumes in the tone of your presentation - it is contagious. However, keep one ear open and your eyes on your client to see if you have exacted perfection in their minds.” 

I want to send a big THANK YOU to those who participated in the conversation over on LinkedIn.

Not only will your words of wisdom inspire a new generation of designers, but you’ve inspired me too! Your passion and optimistic attitudes prove just how much you love your work and this business of design!

◆

➤ Pretend I just graduated design school... 

What advice do you have for me as I enter the industry? (Comments w/the most Likes will be added to this article ;-)

Click for more info ;-)

Click for more info ;-)

Dress them up. Dress them down. 

With a plain wood table, there’s nothing to fear - not with the design, not with the maintenance. 

This item was born to be used. Loved. 

It gets better with time. And more personal. More YOURS.

You can pound the surface. You can do it no wrong.

Wrap some presents. Do your homework. Roll out the dough. Sip your coffee...

Do whatever you like!

A plain, serviceable, simple wood table is one of the most versatile pieces of furniture, ever.

Used as a desk, dining table, console and more, the plain wood table has been around forever, and will remain a staple in homes for ages to come.

So pass that beautifully patinated table down to your daughter or son. It will help them recall all those memorable moments that were spent with family around this wonderfully worn piece of furniture that will age gracefully.

It’s a piece that only gets better with time, is comfortable in any setting, with any type of accompaniment, and...

It keeps memories alive.

Here's one from Crate & Barrel I'm going to be using on an upcoming project.

It’s one of my faves, because I love a Parson’s style. ANY type of chair or light fixture will go with this.

I can’t wait!

Okay, so I’ve talked a little bit about the trouble with interior e-design.

That "trouble" being how, with all the product that's available online to specify/suggest for clients, you can’t, as a designer, possibly know exactly what each and every finish looks like.

And, most importantly, how it will relate to another product from another vendor. (Although, we’ve more or less fixed that for us :-)

One thing about doing digital boards -- which we now do for E-Design clients and On-Location clients -- that has always bothered me, is that the pictures from one vendor may look totally different from another vendor's offering. The items, such as fabrics, are shot in different light, framed differently somehow, or photographed in a different scale, etc. 

So, while you think something might look good in real life, the moment you begin building your sample board you realize the images might be kind of “off” in comparison to what you saw with your own two eyes. 

And that, right there, is the trouble with viewing everything on a screen.

So, because we have hard samples (fabrics galore here in our studio, wood samples, metal samples, wallcovering samples, tile samples, etc.) what we’ve started doing is assembling all these samples for a project on our conference table and photographing them altogether. Just like we present it to our face-to-face clients, as photographed below and to the right:

Click for more info ;-)

The beauty about this approach is that the client can see the real relationship between each item -- how the blues compare, the whites look, how the tile looks next to the paint, etc. -- all under one kind of light, in the same type of environment.

Above: Here’s an example of a digital board that only contains images captured from online sources:

Above: And here’s our photo that we then uploaded into Microsoft Publisher to label and key for identification:

Big difference, huh?

And the best part... It takes less time! 

And we all know that the LAST thing a client wants to pay for is production.  

They want to pay for creativity and design, not time spent assembling images together.

Here at the studio we are learning new ways, every day, to become more efficient, to give our clients more design, all the while making sure less time is billed for non-design project work.

Don't get me wrong - we still love doing beautiful digital boards. After all, they're absolutely necessary in order to show a client how their space will look overall. 

But for an image of the real relationship between items, this method is working great!

Be sure to check back on Friday.

I’m unveiling a home office design give-away!

In my line of work, I make a lot of design presentations.

Sometimes they're made face-to-face; sometimes in an email; sometimes on the phone; sometimes in a text. Everything from the overall design concept to what type of exhaust fan we should use in the master bath. I’m always trying to convince someone of something.

What have I learned from all these presentations?

That if I’m excited, if I’m energetic, if I’m bursting to share my ideas, clients...

They’ll usually like them too!

And now you know why this issue of DESIGN REFRESH is headlined: "!!! ! !! !!!!! !!!!" And I bet you're here reading it for that very reason ;-)

DESIGN REFRESH

Here at Aston Design Studio we’ve created a home office design plan for a very special person: YOU ;-)

The Barcelona chair, "one of the most recognized objects of the last century", is redesigning itself in a lighter tone.

Landing a job in design may look a bit dismal, even daunting. This is, after all, the business of design, a career path that’s packed with talented competition.

With a plain wood table, there’s nothing to fear - not with the design, not with the maintenance.

Because clients pay for creativity and design, not time spent assembling images together.

In my line of work, I make a lot of design presentations...

There is a BIG problem with E-Design or, rather, the service of online interior design.

Want to blow people away? Call attention to your taste? Get your style noticed? Make a memory?

Okay. It’s time to summarize here. It’s time to tie the subject of backsplashes up in a neat little bow and let it go.

The first time I saw pecky cypress installed in a home I fell in love.

DESIGN SERVICES

sale

One 20 min. virtual interior design consultation w/ Carla Aston.

There is a BIG problem with E-Design or, rather, the service of online interior design.

In case some of you aren’t aware... Buying and specifying things off the internet can result in receiving items that aren’t always exactly as they seem on screen.

Surprise!

As a matter of fact: As a designer, it can be really hard to put your name / professional endorsement on a design that’s done with product you can’t see, first-hand, with your own two eyes.

We ask our clients to trust us with our selections all the time.

We show our clients drawings, pictures, samples, etc. and tell them it’s going to be beautiful.

Yet even when we do that, there are still some physical comparisons that need to be made to help us put together a good design, to help assure our clients and ourselves that we have made good selections and are giving our clients our best choices for their spaces.

With face to face clients, we have samples; we have showrooms to go sit in furniture; we have fabric swatches and chunks of wood finishes; we have the word of our suppliers and vendors; and we have relationships in place so that if things don’t work out, we have other options we can pursue.

So, even with a custom piece, you can see, touch and lay a hand on some tiny piece of what this piece will be. 

Or at least WE -- the interior designers -- can.  And that’s what a client is paying for - their designer’s expert eye.

If a designer is going to provide this design, this service they attach their name to, she/he takes a risk.

They are risking that you might not like it. That it might not be what we both think it will be. That it might come out all wrong.

And that’s why professionals go as far as they can to look at hard samples, to compare actual products together, to evaluate colors and textures and wood finishes and nailheads, etc., etc., etc.  

Because that risk can be costly if things don’t come out right.

With E-design, or any kind of design online, things can be a bit tricky. We’re specifying things online, things available to the public on the internet. 

We might not have a relationship with that vendor - in fact, we probably won't. We might not have seen that product in person or had any kind of sample to compare it to.

ARTICLE: Everything Is Relative Especially Color

So there is a bit of a risk.

A risk that a “white” dresser online might not be bright white, but might actually be “cream”. And if we’ve specified a paint color that is a bright white, then the cream dresser might look dirty next to the bright white paint. And we all know that, most of all, COLOR is relative, and a color will look one way in one environment and totally different in another that's surrounded by different colors. Right?

And when you sign a contract with us, or any online design company, you assume that risk.  Because you’re getting design cheaper this way, and something’s gotta give if we do things cheaper. 

Unfortunately, there’s just never going to be a way to guarantee everything that we recommend from an online retailer.

However, here at my design studio, we want to sleep at night.

We don’t want to worry if that fabric on that sofa is more taupe-grey or more cool-grey. 

We want to KNOW.

So, we’ve taken some time to prepare. We’ve chosen our preferred vendors based on who can send us samples of fabrics and finishes, or vendors we can actually visit in person where we can actually go to to check things out, if necessary.

BECAUSE... We like to sleep!

Check out just a few of the goodies we get to play with ;-)

Click for more info! ;-)

To find out more about our amazing and affordable E-Design Services, CLICK HERE.

And check back next week. I’ll be sharing some cool home office e-design plans, all for YOU!

Click for more info! ;-)

Want to make a statement?

Want to draw attention away from something else to such a dramatic degree that nothing else matters in the space?

Want to blow people away? Call attention to your taste? Get your style noticed? Make a memory?

Knock their socks off? 

Do some BIG art. 

REALLY. BIG. AMAZING. ART.

Gallery

{ Click each image to enlarge full screen. Click HERE to view their sources. }

Okay. It’s time to summarize here. It’s time to tie the subject of backsplashes up in a neat little bow and let it go.

Because yes, I realize I’ve been beating this poor horse to death. 

But only because it truly is a subject that comes up time and time again when people are thinking of remodeling or designing kitchens and bathrooms.

So, let’s review what we’ve learned about backsplashes these past couple weeks:

Side backsplashes in kitchens are not necessary if there won’t be any water or grease splattered on the wall. Keep the backsplash a “back” splash. Read the full study...

Statement backsplashes give some punch to a space. They are like art for the kitchen. When nothing else visually competes in the room, making a statement with some amazing tile on a backsplash will give your room a real wow factor! Read the full study...

Curvy backsplashes are so graceful and add some movement, softness, and a touch of femininity to a space. Read the full study...

A big don’t for a backsplash is to leave that 4” granite slab splash when you go to add a tile backsplash. Unless you’ve designed the splash that way, and there is a design purpose for it, don’t do it. It looks like you’ve just patched in with tile. I’ve said many times before: Good design is ALWAYS purposeful, never patched. Read the full study...

Oh, look here! I just dug up one more study from the archives to fully complete these backsplash posts - Dealing with outlets and switches on backsplashes can be quite annoying! Read the full study...

Well, that about covers it!

But, before we move on, I can’t help but leave you with a few more beautiful images of backsplashes done right - backsplashes that really exemplify what I was discussing in the posts above.

{ Click each image to enlarge full screen. Click HERE to view their source. }

sale

a. What a beautiful statement backsplash!

b. Another gorgeous statement backsplash! Everything else is plain. The wood cabinetry looks so simple without detail. The plain countertop, and the elevation all together is very simple. It is all about the interesting pattern on that backsplash - which was taken to the ceiling, might I add. And don’t miss noticing how there’s no side backsplash :-)

c. Now that’s a statement backsplash!

d. No short granite splash with tile on top. The tile runs from the counter up the wall.

e. I always love a sexy curve in a backsplash.

Here are some curvy splashes I’ve done in some of my own projects:  

Below - I LOVE the pattern statement with the plain black counters and plain white cabinets.

Below - And how fun is this: Graphic art on the wall!  

Here at Aston Design Studio we’ve created a home office design plan for a very special person: YOU ;-)

Okay, that’s it...

I’m done talking backsplashes - well, I am for now, at least ;-)

Click for more info! ;-)

The first time I saw pecky cypress installed in a home I fell in love.

This wood is really amazing, textural, organic.

It’s full of oblong holes, like a stretched long sponge. It’s truly beautiful.

So YOU don't walk into a showhouse and ignorantly say "what is that?" about the wood paneling (which is a question I asked long ago :-), let's take a look at some gorgeous examples so you can be in the know. 

Gallery

{ Click each image to enlarge full screen. Click HERE to see their sources. }

This, my friends, is beautifully done ;-)

I’m still not finished talking about backsplashes. 

There’s one more tip I’d like to share that really makes a difference in the quality and look of your kitchen:

You know that little 4” slab backsplash that most fabricators or builders put on top of granite countertops?  

That is generic. 

You can buy it at Home Depot. Or Lowe’s.

While you might want a backsplash to match your counter (and there are many custom, lovely ways to do that), don’t be tempted to tile above a 4” granite, or stone, slab backsplash.

Take the 4” slab backsplash off before you tile that area.

Because you typically only have 18” of height there. And if you’re doing a pattern, or some kind of detail, it will appear even more chopped up with that slab-material hanging around at the bottom.

So, don’t do this:

Do this!

If you’re going to tile the 18” of space between your counter and the upper cabinets...

Don’t leave the 4” slab backsplash! ;-)

For MORE info on backsplashes, click on these links below.

Statement Backsplashes

Curvy Backsplashes

Side Backsplashes - Yes or No?

Words aren't necessary when you approach a loved one with a beautiful bouquet in your hands. 

Flowers say it all. 

So here I am, arms extended, gifting my Mother, my Mother-in-law, and every other Mother out there with a beautiful bouquet of digital flowers (check them out below - the colors are ravishing!). And even though they "say it all", I can't help but tell you how I feel about you anyway:

Happy Mother's Day -- I love you and forever appreciate all that makes you special ;-)

Gallery

{ Click each image to enlarge full screen. Click HERE to see their sources. }

I don’t read much about television personalities or keep up with what they’re all up to, so this subject might have been discussed and I just missed it.

But I think those tv ads that NBC did for the late night shows -- you know, during the "late night wars" a few years ago, when all the hosting transitions were going on -- spelled disaster for both Jay and Conan.

Do you remember them?

Jay was walking.

Conan jogged down the beach.

Then Jimmy, he was running at top speed!

I don’t know about you, but... Based on those ads alone, who would you rather watch?

Don’t you want to watch the one with energy? The one with passion and excitement?

The one who is so freakin’ excited to be there that he’s bolting for the stage?

Jimmy Fallon is excitement, personified!

Don't get me wrong. I really like Conan.

But I LOVE Jimmy Fallon.

He’s just bursting with energy and enthusiasm. And that is exciting. 

That is contagious.

That is FUN. 

In my line of work, I make a lot of design presentations.

Sometimes they're made face-to-face; sometimes in an email; sometimes on the phone; sometimes in a text. Everything from the overall design concept to what type of exhaust fan we should use in the master bath. I’m always trying to convince someone of something.

What have I learned from all these presentations?

That if I’m excited, if I’m energetic, if I’m bursting to share my ideas, clients...

They’ll usually like them too.

◆ Videos -- #1: Jimmy Fallon's SNL Audition / #2: Lip Sync-Off w/Jimmy Fallon & John Krasinski

If my arms are waving, and my eyes are wide and lit up, and I’m genuinely pleased and exuberant and hopeful and a little nervous and sweaty (which I usually am if I’m presenting) then they know I put my love into their project.

And even if they don’t like the idea(s), they’ll at least know, at least FEEL like I tried, like I put my all into it.

That’s what they want. That’s what they’re paying for. Even if it's an idea that's hard for them to swallow. You know, something unexpected, something creative.

Energy, excitement, enthusiasm - they're all contagious. Try putting them to work for you the next time you need to sell an idea.

It works. Just ask Jimmy Fallon.

Click for more info! ;-)

Curvy-shaped backsplashes are my favorite - especially in a bathroom. 

They add such a nice custom touch and bring some nice, thoughtful details to a design.

Think of them as a headboard. You would do an arched headboard, wouldn’t you? Or one with a scallop at the corners?  

Why not on a backsplash?

I especially love when a backsplash has an edge treatment, like an ogee edge. It tapers back to the wall so elegantly.

Let’s see some beautiful examples...

Gallery

{ Click each image to enlarge full screen. Click HERE to see their sources. }

➤ Click here for more design tips & trends!

Click for details! ;-)

Yes, I’ve done this subject before.

HERE, HERE and HERE.

But I’ve got a few more I'd like to share.

A few more great ways to add color to an open plan house without painting ALL the walls.

If you really want some major color and are dying for something even more than window treatments or the backs of tall cabinets, or you really want more than a dab, you’re bound to find some areas around your home that can be selected to logically receive some color or contrast.

I’m a big proponent of transitioning two different paint colors or two different materials, of any kind, in an inside-corner, whenever possible.

It’s just a neater, more thoughtful transition.

If you look around your home you can usually find areas that can be singled out to receive that color that goes from inside-corner to inside-corner.  

-- Below are 9 of those areas -- 

1. An accent wall

2. A fireplace section

One that juts out from the main wall, where you can wrap the color from the inside corner on one side to the other, so that the entire area that juts out is in the color.

3. An inset area
along a wall

4. An enclosed room

One that's set just off your big open space, like a study or a dining room, that is visible to your open area. 

5. A ceiling

6. Your interior
doors

Oh, no! I'm not finished yet!

Here are 3 more spaces color can be added:
( Click images to open articles in new tab )

1. Windows

3. A Dab Here, A Dab There

2. Bookcases & Cabinets

⬇Pin This Post⬇

Yep, there are lots of ways to add color without having it washed all over. I suppose I could’ve done a post on each one!

When you want to make a big, stylish, artistic statement in your kitchen, and you’re not doing special cabinetry or any other unique, really special eye-catching moments...

A statement backsplash is just the thing for you. 

It can bring the “wow” to your space. 

It can be as simple as applying a contrasting color of tile to something as detailed as an intricate, expensive mosaic. 

When all else is plain, simple and lacking visual competition, make a statement with an amazing backsplash! 

It’ll stop them in their tracks.

Let's take a look at some examples...

Gallery

{ Click each image to enlarge full screen. Click HERE to see their sources. }

Can't get enough backsplash pics?
( Me neither ;-)

Click HERE for more!

ART -- This is the basis for it all.

There is no way to get around this. If you don’t understand the elements of design, and how they can be applied to any artistic endeavor, you cannot play the role of a designer, decorator or artist. 

You must learn how to see things for what they really are...

You must learn how to explain the reasons behind your artistic decisions...

You have to know what you're doing!

Otherwise, if you don't, which label do you truly deserve: "Artist" or "amateur"?

If you ask me, I say you're all artists. Why? Because, as a fan of DESIGNED, I know the type of company you keep ;-)

Enjoy!  -- Carla

DESIGN REFRESH

Cinco de Mayo is almost here. It’s time for a colorful party!

White in one place is not white in another. And so it goes with all colors.

I just love doing mirrors behind bedside lamps in a bedroom.

It bugs me when a lampshade is covering up a piece of art on the wall.

Awkward. That’s what they are. There’s no better word. I’ve mentioned this before.

Tongue and groove paneling, laid horizontally, has such a unique effect.

While I find many of Urban Outfitters' books to be obscene, I usually find something really interesting there. That day I found George Lois' classic, "D*mn Good Advice."

Personally, I believe there are two things that are most important in a design education...

This one is a true rule breaker. It’s just not natural!

This trend is here to stay, and there is no reason for it to ever go away.

subscribe to...

the newsletter

DESIGN
REFRESH

Design Services

sale

One 20 min. virtual interior design consultation w/ Carla Aston.

Cinco de Mayo is almost here. It’s time for a colorful party!

No matter what you’ll be celebrating, these hot colors will entertain all summer long. 

Enjoy your weekend!  May it be bright and colorful!

BTW: I have some party favors for you at the end of the upcoming image gallery. Don't forget to pick them up before you leave! ;-)

Gallery

{ Click each image to enlarge full screen. Click HERE to view their sources. }

Your Cinco de Mayo Shopping List!

-- Hover over each item for product details. --

Seymour Fogel - Black and White Color Flow 1950

Image source: Alaska From Scratch

I had a nice salad for lunch today.

It was good, but a little unusual. It had both dried cranberries and tiny sweet cherry tomatoes in it. 

The problem was that the cranberries were soooo sweet that they made the normally sweet, tiny cherry tomatoes taste rather dull and not that sweet at all. Normally, those cherry tomatoes would’ve been the sweetest thing, but dried cranberries are so full of sugar that they overpowered the tomatoes. It really kind of made me save the tomatoes for last, so they wouldn’t have to compete with the cranberries.

This relativity holds true in interior design too, especially when it comes to color.

RIGHT: You think white is white. But if you take a creamy white and put it next to a bright white, creamy white will look dirty. Yellow. Dull.

LEFT: But look at that same creamy white in a field of darker colors, or neutrals, and that creamy white will look brilliantly white.

The appearance of a color is highly influenced by it’s surroundings. 

I’m working on a project where we are doing a lot of black touches: black doors; a few black bits of hardware; some black tile here and there; a countertop; and a kitchen island - all really black-black touches, like semi-gloss enamel black.

However, in the separate upstairs gameroom/apt., we are doing a “noir”, or brown/black stain on the wood cabinetry, and very dark brown-black tile in the bathroom. So, in this space, we are not using any “black-black”. 

Why?

Because that “noir” stain has become our black.

In that field of light greige that we have up there on the bleached oak floors and light greige walls, our “noir” will appear black, and it will relate to our very “black-black” downstairs. It will hint at the design of the main house with the high contrast, but it will have it’s own look and scheme with a warmer atmosphere.

Which is exactly what we wanted.

If we had kept very black-black doors and very black-black hardware, etc. up there (just to be consistent throughout), the “noir” stained wood would have looked like, well...

We missed. Like we were trying to match, but didn’t, because the stronger of the two would dominate. 

The black-black would command attention, and the lovely stained “noir” cabinetry would not appear as strong and rich and eye-catching.

Want to learn more about color? CLICK HERE ;-)

So, as you can see, color is very relative.

White in one place is not white in another.

And so it goes with all colors.

-- Carla ;-)

I love doing mirrors behind bedside lamps in a bedroom.

It balances the height of the headboard and reflects the light from the lamp into the room.  

I prefer this to hanging art at the bedside table, because I like to actually see the art, not have it hidden behind the lampshade! With a mirror, it doesn’t matter.

Let’s see some examples of this done well...

Gallery

{ Click each image to enlarge full screen. Click HERE to see their sources. }

ARTICLE: Don't Forget To Leave Room For The Lampshade!