For the home: Bookshelves as room divider

Usually open bookcases are mostly used in spacious rooms to bring division and to display objects and few books as opposed to being overloaded with stuff.  We can see them quite often in the movies from the 60's and today in public spaces.  These bookshelves are more of an art themselves as the objects displayed in them.  Enjoy!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

For the home: Neutral vignettes

We all love neutral assemblages and vignettes.  And I think the reason why we all love it so much, besides the beauty, is because it has a touch of old glamour that makes it classic and timeless.  And as with everything timeless we can never grow old of it.  Enjoy!

Pinterest, tumblr, elle decor, Domino.

For the home: Beautiful walls

Nicky Haslam Design

To many people it may be unthinkable to know that more people than they think forget about dressing the walls.  They either get scared or intimidated by the thought of Gallery or salon walls or they just don't know to fill the space.  I guess a simple rule of thumb is to get rid of the idea of perfection end result and any rule for that matter, and consider the conditions of the walls first of all.  If it's in good condition maybe a good coat of paint or an elegant and simple paint technique before hanging one statement piece would be enough, as in Nicky Haslam Design in the top image, the walls are so beautifully done that a cluster of framed pictures would ruin the whole look.  Beautiful objects such as big mirror, one big painting or an exotic textiles are also simple options.  Of course a gallery wall is always a one step up if you decide to go for it.  Enjoy! 

For the home: Unique wall treatments and textured walls

Few design techniques can transform a room as the enhancement of its walls.  Wall treatments have never been so exiting and unconventional from highly crafty fluted plaster walls to artistic pyramid paneling walls, architectural motifs that were accredited for exterior texture and furniture have been forever moved inside to residential interiors in never-seen-before ways.  Most of the time the effect is so impressive and powerful that little else is needed to complement the already aesthetic walls.  The more traditional methods such as the ones used in the first four rooms, fluted walls, are not an alternative for DIYers. It is a skill to leave only to professional hands.  The more modern texture walls such as wood block stacking, tiling and origami would be an easier choice for very clever, handy home owner. 

Fluted plaster walls are spiced up with paint and finished up in a curvature a few inches off the ceiling.  I love the round endings, top.  Designed by Jean Louis Deniot via AD.

In this living room fluted plaster walls are taken to the edge of the ceiling and softened up with clear and delicate curtains.  Designed by Miles Redd.

A more austere space designed by Stephen Sills with textured stone floors and wood paneling ceiling in the back room and the textured walls enhance the stern space.

This eating area via Architectural Digest has a softer version of the same fluted walls as they are less deep.  The back wall displays a subtle treatment with horizontal ingrained lines. 

In this family room wall treatment raised the standards.  A proof that architectural motifs are not kept for the outside, they are moving inside residential spaces as well.  Kelly designed pyramid paneling and painted them in gray converting this room in a work of art. 

In a bathroom wall antiqued mirror and slabs of marble are applied on a striped pattern.

This veneer paneling is simply amazing.  Lighting is inside each of the veneer cavity reflecting light up and down.  I can only imagine how beautiful this space is at night. 

For a more organic effect cover a wall with wood blocks of different depth.

This Delta Hex tilesfor the bathroom would bring uniqueness and interest to a modern bathroom.

This conventional paneling wall is spruced up by adding a different design to the ceiling.  via Scandinavian Deko.

A more rustic version of a wooden slat wall.  via Archilovers.

Long pieces of flat wood are stacked up in two different ways to create an artistic effect.  This would be from my opinion the easiest technique to mimic in your home.

An origami wall treatment is perhaps the more time consuming if considered for a DIY project.  The walls in this restaurant in Tokyo are covered with folded paper.  via Upon a fold

For the home: Dining Rooms to inspire

 Diane Von Furstenberg dining room

The ease of city life; convenience, fast pace and unlimited access to restaurants has taken a toll on family time at the table.  Seldom, families get home at  the same time to enjoy a warm diner together.  Most likely kids eat in front of the TV while parents eat well probably also in front of the TV if not in front of the computers.  I know this because we're guilty of this due to our lack of a dining table.  Yes, we've been living here for 7 months... I haven't come across anything that blows my mind besides, I normally take this long to find what I want anyway.  We all have our flaws don't we?!  Luckily, we were used to sitting together for dinner like real people while living in the States and I kind of want to have that back soon.   

 Lauren Santo Domingo's Paris apartment.

 Gabriela Perezutti via Harper's Bazaar.  Love the Art Deco chairs.

 Sputnik chandelier hanging above an Eero Saarinen tulip dining table and chairs can't go wrong.

Design by Sloan Mauran via House and Home 

 Designed by Kelie Grosso

 Brooke Shields dining room via Architectural Digest.

 Carolina Irving dining/library room. 

 via this Pinterest account

For the home: Planters

Bronze planters, Rams head terracotta planter, Black faceted planter, Tin and Twine planter, Nickel planter, hand painted metal planter, White square planter, Case study planter, column planters ,

It's Earth day today!  This beautiful and made-to-be-perfect, even though not so much lately, place where we live has a real threat called Global Warming.  To help make a difference to GW, as in every other kind of change we want to see in the world, we should start with ourselves, in this case our homes.  If you have a private yard why not plant a tree?  Plant it on a special date or for a special cause and make it memorable, if you don't have a private backyard then bring a tree inside the house.  Since the choice of the plant is only yours, I hope you can find among this suggestions a few ideas for planters.  Have green Earth day!

Versailles planter, Orange fiberglass planter, Block planter in bronze, Kingham planter, Decal Planter, Vaso planter in orange,  Block planter in black, Yellow tripod planter,  M2 planter, hammered planters, Hanging Planter

For the home: Good design in the hood

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,

Let's hear it for the retail stores who are always creating better and more affordable design for the savvy and smart customers who want only the best in their homes but, perhaps don't want to pay a higher price tag for custom furniture.  A mixture of high and low furniture is ideal to create a more real and lived-in home so leave it to smarter chain stores to offer us better options on mass production.  Here is a list of my latest favorites in home furnishing.  Enjoy!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,

For the home: Side Tables roundup

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,

Our homes will never be really ours unless each piece reflects our taste and lifestyle.  Magazines are great for sources, inspirations and knowledge but if we pick everything in our homes based on the magazines we look at, then our places are going to be nothing else but a recollection of trends.  Of course our choices will depend on our budgets as well, however it's better to build our homes slowly over time and invest on pieces that we truly love and are willing to live with for a long time.  Since long gone are the days when rooms looked like period rooms, small pieces such as side tables are a great way to incorporate interest and individuality in our homes.  Here is great shopping suggestion of an eclectic selection of side tables of all styles for your delight.  Enjoy!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8