I'm excited to give these beautiful Bella pillows to one lucky reader! Aren't they gorgeous? They're 100-percent silk, made in India, with down fills. Ah, luxury!
To enter, leave a comment below. I'll announce the winner (chosen at random) on Monday. Get yourself a second entry by liking Nadia Watts Interior Design on Facebook.
And check back tomorrow for some of my favorite finds, all for design-lovers!
Choosing the right light fixture for a kitchen island is an important step in your kitchen design. You want something beautiful and functional, right? So here are my tips for creating a perfect combination of island size, ceiling height, and pendant size.
In this kitchen....
Island Size: 46" wide by 94" long
Ceiling Height: 8'
Pendant Size: 13 1/2" wide by 21 1/2" high (to the top of were the 3 chains meet).
The family uses this island table as the main eating area. (So we needed something especially beautiful, since they would spend so much time there!) We chose this lighting fixture because it's so unique and adds a focal point to the room. We didn't use pendants over the other island in the kitchen that serves as a work space with a sink because we didn't want anything to compete with these lights. Aren't they gorgeous?
In this kitchen....
Island Size: 48"wide by 118"long
Ceiling Height: 10'
Pendant shade size: 4 3/4" wide at top x 15" slant x 12 3/4" wide at bottom
Because the ceiling is 10 feet high, we could get away with a more dramatic presentation. (Hooray for drama!) We chose three light fixtures to create a presence over the island. Do you love it?
In 2011, I was thrilled to participate in the Denver Designer Show House, a project to support The Children’s Hospital. Twenty-eight Colorado designers pitched in to give this century-old, historic Tudor in Denver’s Country Club neighborhood a fresh look before it went on the market for the first time ever!
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Thank you to: Ann Benson Reidy, Artisan Rug Gallery, Visions West Gallery, William Havu Gallery and Emily Minton Redfield!
I worked with a client on a new home built by Creekside Homes in Greenwood Village. I love how fresh and bright it turned out!
Island Countertops: Caesarstone
Exterior Countertops: Honed natural dark stone
Pendants: Visual Comfort
Stools: French Bistro
Range: Wolf
Hardware: Polished Nickel
This entry had classic good looks but needed a design boost. We started by removing the hunter green runner (which I have seen in more than a few homes over the years. Someone must have made a killing on hunter green carpet!)
We expanded the doorway to the right of the stairs to add airiness and echoed the arches over the doorways to the living and dining rooms. Using similar forms, such as arches, throughout a home gives some design cohesion.
We painted the wood work around the stairs the trim color- the raisers and the molding near the top of the staircase. This gives the space a crisp clean feel.
We found the handsome new runner from Synergy Floor Covering at the Denver Design District, with a lot of beautiful colors, so we could pull from them for other elements in the space, such as that gorgeous rug and the buttery, yellow walls.
And finally, we crowned a demi-lune table (a design classic!) with the clients’ own collection of prints and paints.
The result? A fresh new look to a classic entry!
BEFORE & DURING:
AFTER!
During the renovatio of this home, we decided to update the powder room. We kept the same layout, but the client wanted a new, elegant look.
Where we started: a wonderful Cowtan & Tout black wallpaper with a pink-flowered vine. The vine has green undertones with iridescent gold over the green, which adds such a great depth to the paper. TIP: Often people think they have to choose light colors in small spaces, but don't be shy about choosing a darker color for your small study or powder room. Dark colors (with appropriate light) can make a space feel sophisticated or intimate.
What we added: a small piece of molding 8 inches below the ceiling. Then we painted the ceiling and molding a black base coat and gold wash as a second coat. This trick adds the kind of depth we love in the wallpaper's vine pattern.
What we kept: the mirror and antique sconces, but we added new red shades to the sconces.
BEFORE:
DURING:
AFTER: TA-DA!
Want an easy and inexpensive decorative item? Pick a plant.
I love including plants in a room's plan. They're an integral part of a room's design because they add an organic element you can’t get from furnishings and fabric.
Here's how to add a little greenery to your design:
The plant needs to create a shape and add color to the room the same way a fabric, paint color, or a piece of furniture would. So maybe skip the ferns and go for something a little more…interesting.
I always suggest a plant with a defined shape for the leaf, such as a fig tree or white bird of paradise.
Elle Decor: Hip Houseplants
Look how the colors are used in this room! Also Elle Decor Cover
And I love the look of succulents grouped in a pot on a side table- who doesn't!
This new home needed a fresh look for the master bedroom, and we selected a few beautiful elements to make the space feel grown-up and inviting.
We started with the furniture plan. In this case, we were lucky: There was clearly a wall meant for the bed. Then, to make the scale of the room feel more intimate, we chose a gray-brown for the walls.
My clients had the side tables, which we covered in tone on tone seersucker. We topped the tables with my favorite small gourd lamps from Visual Comfort.
Simple white linen curtains soften the look of the windows and shutters--perfect for a bedroom. And we added a pop of color with the great rug at the foot of the bed.
We're working on adding a few more accessories and a throw. I have a few ideas. What would you choose?
BEFORE:
AFTER:
I love grasscloth! It adds a wonderful warmth to any room. Before selecting, make sure you think about how the room is used. (I would not suggest grasscloth for a powder room or bathroom that is busy with little hands that may splash water on it!)
We used this navy grasscloth in a study to add texture and interest to the room:
Here are a few great photos from Lonny Magazine
Lucky for me, I'm not the only one in love with grasscloth, so there are a lot of beautiful choices out there. A few of my favorites:
KFG-301 Grasscloth Wallcovering in Tea from Kneedler Fauchere
Great earthy colors by Phillip Jeffries Grass House Grass line:
And fabulous, bright colors from Phillip Jeffries' Juicy Jute Grasscloth line. Would you ever dream of putting them in your home? I think they'd be great in a guest bedroom, home office, or powder room (away from the kiddos) to add a pop of color on the walls:
Phillip Jeffries can be found at Town in Denver.
And finally, a handsome Basketweave Grasscloth from Thybony. This would be perfect in a gentleman's study:
You can find Thybony at Kravet Lee Jofa at the Denver Design District.
People often ask me for a few of my favorite sources, when they get tired of looking at the same stuff from the run-of-the-mill stores. Here's a round-up of places I found the elements for this master bath remodel:
Tile: Thassos and Ming Green tile from Decorative Materials at the Denver Design Center.
Fixtures: Rohl
Vanity: Aspen Leaf
Sconces: Visual Comfort
Mirror: Horchow
Rug: Dash and Albert
Stool: Wisteria
And the cool poster over the tub of Jacqueline Kennedy's Dresses. Add a frame and ta-da!
After: Vanity
Before: Shower Area (Beautiful, right?)
After: Shower Area