Thursday, August 21, 2014

Make a Statement!

If you are not sure where to start when designing your space, one trick that designers often use is to pick one statement piece and design the room around that. Your statement could be made with artwork, furniture, a rug or even a wall treatment. Once you find your statement piece, keep the focus on that object by keeping other elements in the room toned down or neutral. Or conversely, you can echo the statement piece in other elements in the room.


Artwork with a Statement

When choosing your statement art, make it bold and use a large scale to really draw the eye to the piece.  Here are some great examples of statement art pieces in their space:

http://www.houzz.com/photos/554399/TriBeCa-loft-modern-living-room-new-york


http://www.houzz.com/photos/1994521/Pacific-Palisades-Residence-contemporary-living-room-los-angeles





http://sketch42blog.com/2013/12/design-artsy-in-paris/


  
http://inoutdesignblog.com/arentpyke-belle-mirvac-life-series-display-apartment/

Furniture with a Statement

Furniture is also a great focal point to base your design upon. A great and unique piece of furniture can make an eye catching statement! Take a look at these great "wow-factor" furniture pieces.



http://www.juliettesinteriors.co.uk/by-collection/modern-glamour-collection-hollywood-regency-furniture-style-mid-century/modern-glamour-black-lacquered-porters-chair.html


http://www.lonny.com/photos/Eclectic/Living+Room/oz58i4fkGGZ


https://www.flickr.com/photos/foohqwah/5368225484/


http://thediversionproject.blogspot.ca/2012/09/how-good.html

Statement Rugs

Sometimes you just need a great, bold rug to "tie your room together". Designing your room around your rug can be a great place to start and can truly inspire your entire space. Here are some great examples of statement making rugs:


http://undecorate.tumblr.com/post/31521884774/geometric-modernism-via-sfgirlbybay


http://www.houzz.com/photos/876031/House-in-Redding-Fairfield-County-CT-contemporary-dining-room


http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/e4/aa/1c/e4aa1cd474fcf503553db0faaf99cf19.jpg


Statement Making Walls

 Another great way to make a statement is to let your walls do the talking. Utilizing your wall space can be a highly effective way of making a statement. Whether you use paint, wallpaper or some other creative method, a great eye catching wall can be a great place to start with your design style. Take a look at these walls with a statement.


https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVpmB4rM3cybcziCJtA7wvSO_nVos3e-dl96vFAp1UJs6VDkEBPxxBhKnNYXmUYajQdl2HFcr-twWacsibecdrenpYT7t0gAgu4Z6kxQDs_cYiC5BhVRz-fzyHqkYXL5xbZ80d1pk-vW9/s1600/5fbfb39b00c1a774d5121a3a1ea88dcc.jpg


http://www.flickr.com/photos/3ccmidwest/5957748181/in/faves-anna_vert/


http://www.babble.com/crafts-activities/top-2013-trends-chic-statement-walls/


http://livingimpressive.com/2013/07/designer-living-rooms-exposed-brick-walls/

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Keep it Simple: Minimal Children's rooms

Many trends in decorating children's rooms come and go, but here is one to keep...minimalism. With the amount of toys, books and gear that inherently come with having kids, paring down your space may not always be easy to achieve. However, creating a calm, uncluttered space for your child to play and sleep in is really worth a bit of effort.


Nurseries

For new parents, creating a minimal and simplified nursery can feel modern and serene. Keeping a simple palette, uncluttered and open space can feel downright zen. A feeling that may help in the early, sleepless nights of parenthood. Here are some examples of minimal nurseries.


http://www.theanimalprintshop.com/blog/baby-alpaca-another-nursery-project/


http://www.homeadore.com/2012/10/18/maison-bessancourt-karawitz-architecture/



http://www.enlasnubes.nl/c-2449847/lookbook/



http://www.houzz.com/photos/134111/Baby-s-Room-contemporary-kids-new-york



Kid's Rooms

As children get older, it still makes good sense to keep things simple and organized. Growing kids need a calm space for homework as well as sleep and play. Modern, minimal rooms can carry them from kindergarten to high school with ease. Here are some examples of great minimal kid's rooms.



http://denofopulence.tumblr.com/post/32260950698/denofopulence



http://www.houzz.com/photos/764190/Modern-Kids-modern-kids-other-metro


http://www.houzz.com/photos/1367653/Mid-North-Residence-industrial-kids-chicago



http://www.houzz.com/photos/9701702/Room---Board-contemporary-kids


As you can see from these examples, even though the rooms are minimal, there is still plenty of room for fun! Incorporating whimsical art work or accessories is a great way to keep your children's room lighthearted and youthful. After all, children need a space to let their imagination go wild.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Vintage Love: Incorporating Vintage Elements in a Modern Way

At Wise Design, we love vintage style. However, sometimes it can be challenging to work with some vintage elements that preexist in our homes. Sometimes unusual tile, quirky cabinetry, wood paneling or dated details can make it hard to bring your design visions to life. If you are in a position where you cannot remodel or change your vintage home (ie. renting, or on a budget) you may have to embrace the unique vintage elements of your home. Many times the real challenge is bringing these details up to date and giving them a fresh modern look. The best solution is to embrace the uniqueness of your vintage home and work with the space and not try to hide it or fight it. Here are some great examples of vintage put to great use in a modern way.


Kitchen

 

http://www.houzz.com/photos/6403138/Seaside-Beach-House-beach-style-kitchen-portland

 

http://www.houzz.com/photos/559152/My-House-spaces




http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chelsea-alexs-mixed-styles-homehouse-tour-175330#gallery/39056/16



http://www.houzz.com/photos/7882922/Portland-Art-Deco-Funk-eclectic-kitchen-portland



Bathrooms

 

 
http://www.houzz.com/photos/362231/Vintage-Tile-Bathroom-traditional-bathroom-los-angeles

 

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/paul-and-tyras-eclectic-charme-109962#_


http://www.houzz.com/photos/127995/City-Chic-eclectic-bathroom-san-francisco



http://www.houzz.com/photos/6693503/A-Charles-Goodman-MidCentury-Design-midcentury-bathroom-dc-metro



Living Rooms

 

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/house-tour-199581#_


http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/marks-original-mid-century-mod-162638#_


http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/mark-macek-house-tour-169926


As you can see, the best way to embrace your vintage home is by keeping a streamlined palette and working with the preexisting details even if turquoise or pink tile wouldn't have been your first choice. Changing out hardware and fixtures in your space will also do wonders to bring it up-to-date. With a fresh modern facelift, your funky vintage space can look modern and best of all, it will be unique!