Design Inspiration, Tricia Guild

Tricia Guild is a legend in the interior design business, and is one of my inspirations.  Guild is a British designer and founder of Designers Guild an international home and lifestyle company.   She is known for her bold and original fabric and wallpaper collections and her extraordinary ability to use color and pattern, in decoration.  She founded Designers Guild in London in 1970, and is one of the most influential and creative forces in the world of industrial design.

Color can influence our mood and our thoughts.  Guilds designs inspire me and are ideal if you love living with color, like I do.  Each of her designs are artfully planned and vibrantly decorated.  What I love most about her designs is that they help one to get over their fear of color and show you that you can incorporate beautiful floral prints into a home without being tacky and dated.  She makes a statement, and her designs scream I am woman!  

 All of these images are from her website Endless Eyecandy!

Love the bold wallpaper!

Beautiful and elegant.

Colors Comeback

It is an unwritten decorating rule that dark walls make rooms smaller.  All I can say to that is WRONG!  When done well, color can not only open a room, but provide such increadible impact that it lifts the spirit and makes you smile.  As soothing tranquil as a soft neutral palette can be, a vibrant one can do wonders for a home.
Keeping my Green Promise I would like to introduce "Green Paint" from Benjamin Moore.  So when you want to add a little color to your home, please take a second and look into green paints that are low in VOC. It s simple way to give back to earth.

 VOC= Volatile Organic Compounds.  (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors.Organic chemicals are widely used as ingredients in household products. Paints, varnishes, and wax all contain organic solvents, as do many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing, and hobby products. Fuels are made up of organic chemicals. All of these products can release organic compounds while you are using them, and, to some degree, when they are stored.

10 Decorating Secrets!

Pile on the Pillows
One pair of pillows always looks skimpy.  Use two or more pairs, in contrasting patterns, colors and textures.

Leave Cabinets Open

An open armoire is far more interesting than a closed one.  Let people into your secret world.

Go Dark

Dark walls do the opposite of what you'd expect.  They make a small room feel bigger.

Wallpaper is easy

The fastest way to make over sliding closet doors is to wallpaper them.  You can turn a bedroom into an office.

It's okay to skip the sofa

There's no rule that a living room has to have a sofa!

White Works!

You'll never get tired of a white room.

Tuck in your throws

Keeps throws under control.  Fold them lengthwise, then in half, then tuck them into cushions.

Kick your traditional coffee table to the curb.

The most versatile coffee table you'll ever own is an ottoman topped with a tray.

Plants cheer up a lovely corner.

Nothing softens a lovely corner in a big room like a potted tree.

Switch up you're seating

Mix up the seating at you're dining table.  You wouldn't have eight identical chairs in you're living area.

Decorating Tip!

Most of us collect something whether the collections are mirrors, photos, plates, fabric, bowls, frames, and objects. Instead of having your collectables collect dust why not add them to your walls and make a statement.  Here are some examples of ways you can jazz up a room and make a statement!

 

 

The Miami

For those of you that don't already know, my full time job is working as a showroom manager for Murray's Iron Works. Murray’s is at the San Francisco Design Center, and is a blacksmith company.  They specialize in custom indoor and outdoor lighting, furniture, and accessories.  

My passion is interior design and my dream is for my business to one day pick up and take off. I would love to be able to work full time as an Interior Designer.  Until then I would like to show off one of my favorite light fixtures the "Miami” This light is a piece of art, and is absolutely breath taking.  Below is an image from one of my client’s projects.

(Designer:Lauren Shelby from Spaces Within)

There will be more images of the Miami to follow for another designer.  For her project I created a custom Miami Wall Sconce.  

Living Room, Palo Alto, California

This living room in Palo Alto, California was in need of a transformation! We wanted to create a space that would be comfortable, contemporary, affordable and achieve the feeling of a sense of calm.  Here is the before shot.

Throughout the living room we chose a calming light blue, for the walls and added a dark chocolate as an accent wall.  The only items that we kept the same in this living room was the fireplace, coffee table and bookshelf.  To add softness to the room and to balance out the contrasting wall we incorporated dark chocolate curtains, with white sheers.  Overall, we wanted to have fun with this room since it is the main living space for this family.  We played with geometric shapes, animal prints, and natural elements found in the accessories.

Transformed living room!