I am getting excited for the Holidays!!!

What about you?  Are you in the holiday-decorating spirit yet?  In Denver today or tomorrow?  Here is an idea L'Esprit de Noel Home Tour for some inspiration. 

While I’m dreaming about beautiful baubles, here are a few things I want to share with you:

A brilliant idea for a holiday card: an illustration of your home, all decked out for the season! (Spotted on Design Mom)

Beat the holiday rush and send beautiful Thanksgiving cards.

These gorgeous leather-and-felt bags (made by design wizards in L.A.) would make the perfect holiday gift for your mom, sister, wife, grown-up daughter, or friend.

I love a little mercury glass in holiday décor. Find a few pretty options here, here, and here.

If you live in the Denver metro area and you think your décor needs a little boost this year, please give me a call.  I decorate many clients’ homes for the holidays, and I’d be happy to spread a little cheer at your house too!

-Nadia

Today setting up for.....

L'Esprit de Noël Home Tour & Boutique!!!  

An early idea for this upcoming weekend in Denver.  Visit this website for more information:  L'Esprit de Noël Home Tour & Boutique 

Come on this beautiful home tour and see how this room comes together!

Thursday, November 15, 2012:  Patron Preview Party
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Friday & Saturday, November 16 & 17, 2012: Home Tour
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

And the Winner is.....

I've gotten some great feedback on the blog from people who connected with us from this giveaway, so thanks everyone! The pillow winner is Kate C! Send your mailing address to nadia@nadiawatts.com, and I'll get these pillows sent off right away.

If you didn't win this time, no worries! We'll have more giveaways, so keep reading!

Friday Finds

Cheers to Friday! To ring in the weekend, here's my round-up of beautiful and clever things. (Check back each Friday for new list!)

Mountain Living editor Christine DeOrio launches a blog that will make you say, "ooh!"

I'm in love with artist Michael Carson's paintings. I can think of a hundred places I'd use them--including my living room!

Does your closet look this good? A girl can dream...

If you've ever wondered about the history of paisley, you should read this little goodie.

What do you think of design of the Nobis Hotel Stockholm?

Enjoy your weekend! I'm going to check out The Home and Lifestyle Show at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center. See you back here next week.

-Nadia

GIVEAWAY!

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! 

Pondering Pendants

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?

Denver Designer Show House: Foyer

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!

Kitchen Quickie

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 

An Entry Fit for a Queen

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!

New Look, Same Layout

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!