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Design Element: Animal Print

January 30, 2012 By creatingyourspace Leave a Comment

“Lions and tigers and bears… oh my.” In the design world this quote is more aptly put “leopards and zebras and cows.”  Animal prints have been longstanding design elements that have become classic patterns. As with any pattern or design, these patterns come in and out of fashion.  Cowhide, zebra and leopard seem to take turns being the “it” pattern when it comes to both fashion and design.

 

What makes these patterns real classics is that when used in small doses, they can work in both traditional and contemporary spaces. A zebra skin rug, the darling of shelter magazines a few years ago, is a much stronger design statement than a needlepoint pillow in a zebra pattern. Playing with size and scale can make these animal prints feel bold or refined. Where they are used also affects the power of their impact.  A pillow or rug in animal print becomes an accent. A sofa or wall covered in animal print is more of a statement. When working with animal prints it is all a matter of scale.

 

This black and white living room is centered by a classic zebra skin rug. Unlike many other African animals, zebras are not endangered. The rug’s bold pattern is the only pattern in the room so the eye is drawn to it. Using only black and white furniture creates a strong graphic look to the room that feels very contemporary. If you paired a zebra rug or cowhide rug with more traditional furnishings you would achieve a very different result.

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Filed Under: Hints & Tips, Inspiration, Interior Finishes Tagged With: animal print decor, decorating, decorating trends, home decor, home decor inspiration, home decorating, home design statement, room decor, using animal print in decor

A Minimalist Look For Your Home

January 4, 2012 By creatingyourspace 1 Comment

Minimalism when it comes to design may be intimidating for many of us. Since we love stuff and stuff leads to clutter, minimalism with its clean lines and lack of stuff can be out of our comfort zone.  This doesn’t have to be the case. Minimalist and contemporary design is about form and function.  Storage and organization is key in a minimalist contemporary style space.  All that stuff and clutter is neatly tucked away and out of sight.

This dining room is a great example of minimalism in contemporary design.  The room has but a few design elements yet feels completely finished and polished.  The table and benches form the seating group; a group of pendant lights create a light fixture; and a collection of vases make for table décor.  The entire design consists of six elements; a table; two benches; two vases; and a lighting fixture.

The lines of the table and benches are clean and sleek yet the dark wood has presence from the thickness of the wood.  Using a wood that is closely related to the dark wood floors anchors the table and benches to the floor.  The dark colors on the floor and table emphasis the height of the room, which is done in crisp white on the walls and ceiling. The white pendant lights blend into the white of the walls and ceiling.

Because of the lack of color and pattern, shape is more important. The tubular shape of the pendants, the rounded vases and rectangles of the table and benches become the design focal points in the minimalist design.

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Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: contemporary, contemporary home decor, flooring, home decorating, minimalistic decor, simple home decor

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