From the Floors Up

Color Pallet: Zebra Candy – Gray, Lavender, Plumberry, Onyx, Aqua

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We love this look because it accomplishes something that’s quite challenging. It manages to look refined and classy while still being oodles of fun! The trick is balance! With too much of the fun stuff, such as the zebra pattern and the candy colors, the space would feel more like a teenager’s bedroom. With too much of the staid gray and traditional molding, the space would seem stuffy and boring. The lighthearted details would become irrelevant if they there less predominate amidst the gray. 

To help you accomplish this look we are going to break the elements of the room down in sections because it’s often easier to understand them that way. If you happen to be a novice, this approach will make learning our design a breeze! Just read the bullet points for each aspect of the décor and extract what works best for your personal vision.

The color pallet: Lavender, Light Steel Grey, Plumberry, Onyx, Pastel Aqua

What makes the colors work well together?

  • Plumberry and aqua are complimentary because the Plumberry has a red undertone and the aqua has a green under tone (red and green are complimentary.)
  • The lavender also hints at a Triadic color scheme. This is three colors on the color that coordinate nicely because they equally spaced apart on the wheel.
  • The onyx and light steel gray are a perfect base for the candy colors because they are bold and straightforward. Thus they don’t muddy the overall effect.

What makes it classy and refined?

  • Straight lines
  • Geometric shapes
  • Limited use of pattern
  • Simplicity
  • Fresh flowers
  • Traditional molding
  • The light steel gray

What makes the room fun and whimsical?

  • The zebra pattern
  • The spunky floral arrangement
  • The pop of candy colors

What makes the room glamorous?

  • The shiny, onyx furniture
  • The grand gray walls with detailed, traditional molding.

What gives the room some edge?

  • The shiny, onyx furniture with sharp corners

Color Pallet: Ice Pastels – Cool Candy Pink, Lavender, Deep Blue Violet, Light Gray, Icy Iris

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Are you looking to create a room that evokes softness and femininity? Look no further than the photo below. While it’s often tempting to refer to the pages of a magazine or an online website to find an room you like and copy the design, you can often have better luck with decorating if you think outside of those sources.

Using a photo that you find beautiful is a great way to generate creative ideas for décor, even if the photo isn’t of an interior space. It requires a lot more imagination of course, but isn’t that the fun of home design? You don’t have to go it alone though. We make it easy by giving you easy reference points based on this photograph. Read on to learn how this image of winter’s wonderful pastels can be translated to a lovely space.

If you’re a newbie in the world of self-guided home design, this will make learning this inspirational technique a breeze! Just read the bullet points and extract what works best for your personal vision. Or go for it, and follow it all the way!

 

The color pallet: Cool Candy Pink, Lavender, Deep Blue Violet, Light Gray, Icy Iris

 

What makes the color scheme work?

  • All of the tones are light, cool and icy
  • It’s an analogous color scheme, which means that the pink, purple and blue are next to each other on the color wheel. This is the most harmonious color scheme on the color wheel.
  • The only neutral base is the color white, which allows the pastel tones to read crisp and clear.

What is the tone and vibe of a room with this color scheme?

 

  • Soft focus, nothing stark or garish
  • Soothing and peaceful
  • Quiet and reserved
  • Elegant and refined
  • Feminine
  •  

What rooms might be well suited to this color scheme?

  • Nursery
  • Powder room
  • Bedroom
  • Rooms with a shabby chic aesthetic

What sort of furnishings would work well?

  • Distressed wood painted white
  • Mirrored surfaces
  • Metallic surfaces
  • Floral arrangements
  • Sheer curtains
  • Fuzzy rugs
  • Cashmere throws

A Country Kitchen

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When you think about reimagining your kitchen, do you imagine it a place full of warmth and comfort? Is it where you go to cook your meals for your family and it fills up with the smells of cooking and laughter? If you are thinking about redesigning your kitchen and that is how you would describe your vision you may want to consider looking into your options for country kitchen design.

 

The focus for country-styled kitchens is to use natural, hand crafted materials to create a lived-in feel to the room—a place where your guests will feel comfortable pulling up a chair at the table and chatting while you cook dinner or a place where your family comes to gather and share their stories. The focus here is to use uniquely designed wood for your cabinets, chairs and tables to create a rustic look. You might even add paneled glass to the front of some of your cabinets so that your dishware and stemware show through.

 

Speaking of, these utensils, dishware and home appliances are a great way to give your kitchen that lived-in country feel. Mixing and matching different glazes and designs on your plates and bowls can add character to your kitchen. It harkens back to when most people had a mix and match of dinnerware, and can look as though you might buy one here and there at the local farmer’s market. If you used that glass paneling in your cabinets then your efforts will always be on display. Consider using mason jars as glassware as well, as they can also add to the overall design.

 

There are certain design patterns as well as color schemes that are more common in a country kitchen as well. Warmer colors are a must although blue is also commonly found, usually within a pattern or as tiling. Plaid and gingham patterns can be used as dishtowels or tablecloth to add a touch of pattern. If you are unsure about the color or pattern you want to use, imagine if you think it would fit in to a kitchen you would see in a traditional farm setting.

 

One of the most powerful statements in a country kitchen is the floor.  The right choice of flooring material can pull the room together and set a tone of cohesiveness in the space.  Think about the materials that would be used in a farmhouse setting: wide plank hardwood or large stone tiles are great choices. 

 

A country inspired kitchen is a place where your family and guests can congregate and spend quality time together in a space where you have intentionally created an ambience of warmth and invitation. It is a great way to add life into your kitchen!

2015 Decorating Trend Examples

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If you’ve recently caught up on all of the design and decorating themes for 2015 you might now find yourself at a loss for examples. Themes are useful as overarching guidelines, but executing them stylishly is another thing entirely. So, if you’re ready to dive in, just refer to our newest list regarding trends: Decorating Trend Examples! Enjoy!

Translation of 2015 design themes

  • 3D based pattern – raised, geometric tiles painted in a contrast color; repetitive use of a figurine
  • “Nature meets science” – furniture such as an end table made of both dark wood and metal; full saturation latex paint on raw wood blocks as a accessory decoration; Nambe bowl filled with wood chips; crystal decanter transformed into pendant lighting with raw and apparent wiring
  • Futuristic – acrylic and plastic high gloss furniture such as a coffee table in trend color white
  • Geometric shapes – hexagram shaped accessories such a pendant light fixture
  • tilted or lopsided – floating end tables that appear to be off balance
  • Suspension – pendant lamps, plant life/terraria, modern chandeliers
  • Contrast – bold, form-based, sculptural texture, combined with sleek modern lines; natural surfaces such as wood combined with synthetic acrylic paint
  • Mixed metals – breaking the old adage that only one metal source looks smart – instead, use several such as gold, silver, brass, copper
  • Bleeding, blotting – dip dyed textiles such as pillows and throws; an area rug that mimics a geologic earth feature such as striated rock; oxidized metals
  • Minimalism – clean horizontal lines in furniture and artwork; large scale, unfussy patterns

Plant and animal life

  • Kelly green plant life – ferns, etc.
  • If you’re considering caring for a new pet – tortoise in a well designed glass enclosure that includes real plant life
  • Terraria – macro plant environment in glass, suspended from the ceiling or sitting on table
  • Flowers – orchids, carnations

Color

  • Pantone color of the year – Marsala 18-1438 – earthy and sophisticated wine hue
    • Rooms really well suited to this color  – kitchen, dining room, family/living room
    • Best colors to coordinate with Marsala – deep navy, midnight blue, raspberry red, light plum, soft lavender, powdery pink, flesh tone neutrals, soft aqua
    • Tone and vibe of a room  with Marsala – natural, grounded, earthy, robust, rich, sophisticated, stylish, hearty, glamorous, warm, inviting
  • Pop color – Use something offbeat such as yellow or aqua, and rather than use it on just anything you find, use it emphasize something in the room that you feel is a stand out piece, give it purpose 

How To Care For a Potted Orchid Gift

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So, you’re the recipient of an exotic new gift – the orchid flower. Congrats! They’re quite special. They also appear a bit daunting if you’re not used to caring for plants. Rather than hope to get a few weeks out of it, consider these easy to follow guidelines for making it a more long term part of your life. After all, it’s so pretty!

Begin by determining if it’s potted properly for long term maintenance. It may have come in a plastic pot wherein the roots were wrapped in moss. It’s important to rearrange this at some point. In nature orchids are found growing on trees. They thus have very thirsty roots that require air flow. You can easily imagine how they’d quickly rot when wrapped too tightly in moss at the bottom of a plastic pot. However, don’t go buy a new pot just yet. If your orchid is in bloom, do not repot it. It won’t tolerate the stress and those lovely blooms will sadly fall away.

In the meantime you get to simply enjoy it so long as you take proper care of it. How, you ask? Well, for starters, resist the strong urge to fuss over it. Especially where watering is concerned. Orchids in pots don’t need much water. To water it you can briefly submerge it in water and then allow that water supply to serve it for awhile. Or, you can use the nifty ice cube trick. Place a couple of ice cubes near the outskirts of the moss or bark it’s planted in and the ice will melt over time and water the plant more seamlessly than a watering can would. With either method you’re set for awhile so leave it at that until it’s truly time to water again. You can check every five days or so. You orchid will also appreciate a wee bit of orchid fertilizer once or twice a month so don’t forget to feed it.

As far as the indoor elements are concerned be careful of extreme temperatures and drafts. The orchid is not fond of cold drifts of air or close proximity to heating vents. It turns its nose up at a chill and it loathes feeling dry. It will definitely wish to stay in your life longer if you provide humidity and warmth. Hint – its favorite room in the house is usually the bathroom! If your orchid is not in an ideally humid area, be sure to mist it with water a couple of times per week.  

Light is of course another important consideration. The orchid is rather even and steady about its light requirements. Plenty of natural light from a window is wonderful, but never ever direct sunlight. If you don’t have the luxury of the perfect place for it, you may have to move it around the house a bit in pursuit of the best light situation depending on the time of day. The way to know if you’re getting it right is by the color of the leaves. If they are dark green, you’re good. But if they’re yellowing, they’re getting too much direct light. If so you can try hanging a sheer curtain in front of a window to diffuse the intense early morning and late afternoon ligt.

If you do these things you’ll be so proud of your ability to tend to such an exotic creature that you might find yourself on the way to the store to buy another one!

From the Floors Up

From the Floors Up blog was created with the goal of providing a destination for consumers, designers and those interested in the flooring, design, and kitchen and bath industries. Here you’ll find, current, accurate and informative information that is always just a click away!

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