my head space: October 2014

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Frame It Out

I love looking at pictures of apartments in Paris. I don't know why, but they always have a ton of tall white walls and they mix that with antiques and modern pieces. The style is beautiful and bohemian and classic and very, very, well ... French. The intricate moldings on the walls and ceilings are really what make the rooms so special and old-world. They are almost always painted white. And it's beautiful and classic and clean.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love the look of white trim - set against any paint color it immediately makes the room seem cleaner and brighter and more finished. But what would happen if instead of white trim you picked another color? I know, I know. Scandalous stuff. Hold yourself together 'cause things are going to get a bit crazy as I show you what rooms look like when you add color to the trim.

Ready? ...

First and foremost I'm going to start with black. I mean it is the antithesis of white. It's also oh-so-bold and graphic. But does it not look elegant and amazing?!

This grey trim on the watery blue walls is subtle and divine.

Slate blue trim on creamy white walls makes this beautiful bride's picture evening more sophisticated.

Love that the case moldings, baseboards and built-ins are all in the same elegant grey.

Additional images available on my Houzz Ideabook - see below... So pretty.

If you would like to view these and other examples of painted crown moldings and trims, please visit my Moldings Ideabook on Houzz.

Moldings, Baseboards & Trim

What look is your favorite? Or do you still prefer white on white? Let me know.

xo, CM

See something you like? Let me know. And follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

Thank you for visiting My Head Space!

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Climbing Up the Walls

My current decorating obsession revolves around wallpaper - or wall coverings if you are fancy or Google.

(If you Google wallpaper you get wallpaper for your computer screens. I guess Google is "fancy" too. Maybe they should hang out with Iggy Azalea. Now I can't get that "Fancy" song out of my head.. I digress...)

So wallpaper. It's a big trend making its way back into home design and I love it and I want it on all of my walls in every pattern and color. There are just so many to choose from!

Wall coverings really impact the room in a BIG way, probably more so than any other decorating choice since you're talking about putting a lot of color and pattern all over the room - and spending a lot more than you would on paint. So choosing wallpaper can be tricky - and why you most certainly need someone with a trained eye, like myself, to help you pick it out. :)

OK, so how do I look for wallpaper for my clients?
1. What is the function of the room?
2. How do you want the room to feel?
3. What color pallet do you want for the room?
4. What other elements exist in the room?
5. What is the budget for that room?

Then I go searching through hundreds of books - and online under "wall coverings" for the color first. Next, I think about the style and size of the room and the wall space available and I weed out patterns that won't work. Once I do that, I'm typically left with a handful of patterns and I will usually give my clients a choice of my top 2-3.

To give you some examples of wallpaper, here are some rooms I absolutely love - and some I don't...

I absolutely love this! For a bedroom, this pattern is - well - dreamy. It's beautiful, not overwhelming. As if you are waking up in a small forest. So out of an elegant Disney fairytale...

Traditional Bedroom by London Architects & Building Designers Hill Mitchell Berry Architects

I actually love this wallpaper and it's a bold choice for a small bathroom. I don't like it in this room - with that floor. I think that it competes with the river rock floor tile. Had the flooring been simpler it would've worked. But busy tile and busy walls - too much!

Eclectic Bathroom by Washington Interior Designers & Decorators Margaret Carter Interiors

Also love! Because the space is so bright and open, and there is so much of the white, the very bold pattern works. And on those incredible barreled ceilings too. A-mazing!

Traditional Bathroom by Philadelphia Architects & Building Designers Eberlein Design Consultants

If you have a home with a very long hallway or entryway, the most fabulous thing you can do is cover the walls. Especially if the wallpaper peeks into the other rooms in the home - and those rooms have coordinating color pallets. Gorg!

Contemporary Living Room

Another example of entry/hallway.

Traditional Entry by Dublin Architects & Building Designers Optimise Design

I'm not always a fan of focal walls, but I love it in this case. If you have an odd wall that sticks out, or you don't have an actual focal point in a room, you can make one by using wallpaper. So fun!

Midcentury Living Room by Other Metro Photographers Fotograf Lisbet Spörndly

How adorable is this laundry room? It's small, but oh so cute!

Eclectic Laundry Room by Minneapolis Interior Designers & Decorators Lucy Interior Design

I really want to like this room, I really do. The owners of this room were super brave and really went for it. To me it's a bit overwhelming. The pattern is so strong and there are hardly any breaks for your eye to rest. It's kinda hypnotic - and not in a good way. Maybe if the back wall was also a painted bookcase?

Eclectic Family Room by New York Architects & Building Designers Incorporated

What can I say? Like, like, like.

Transitional Family Room by Minneapolis Interior Designers & Decorators Martha O'Hara Interiors

This is an ideal way to add texture and color - and they carried it into the kitchen area. So beachy!

Traditional Living Room by Larchmont Photographers FISHER HART

Refined elegance in a kitchen? Absolutely. No veggies or chickens in site in this kitchen.

Transitional Kitchen by Brooklyn Photographers Jacob Snavely Photography

These people have a good sense of humor about their dining room. They took a space that is normally so formal and serious and had some fun. Bravo!

Eclectic Dining Room by Los Angeles Media & Bloggers Lisa Borgnes Giramonti

I love the mix of non-traditional pieces with the very traditional wall covering. (I used the "wall covering" here because I happen to know this is exquisitely expensive so wallpaper just doesn't seem to fit it.) It makes the room unexpected and interesting - in a good way.

Contemporary Dining Room by New York Architects & Building Designers Dufner Heighes Inc

I could go on and on, but you have an idea of what I mean about wallpaper. It's transformative of a room in a way that no other single element of decorating really is. Only paint color comes close to that amount of impact - and even then not nearly to the degree as wallpaper.

Like? Don't like? Are you brave enough to cover your walls? Tell me what you're thinking.

xo, CM

See something you like? Let me know. And follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

Thank you for visiting My Head Space!

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Something Wicked This Way Comes... Outside

Have you already decorated for Halloween? My girls won't let me yet - they say it's too early, though I'm itching to put out our decorations - and to do my 2nd annual pumpkin painting.

So in the spirit of Halloween - and if you are still searching for some great Halloween decorating ideas - here are some of my favorites.

If I had a large holiday decorating budget, time, ability and/or a handy husband with the time to help me, and the place to store it after the holiday is over, I would SO do this!