White is an ideal color for a small space. The monochromatic palette opens up the room and bounces light throughout, visually expanding the perceived space. In this small nook, the contrast of textures the chenille fabric, airy draperies, and sparkling crystal pleases the eye. The beauty of decorating with white is that it changes shade as the light changes. A sun bleached palette can become a warm and cozy ivory in the evening when lamps are turned on.
Don't be afraid to get out the paintbrush. This Queen Anne-style armoire wore a dark finish until a few layers of paint and a bit of sanding gave it a distressed look that suits this all white bedroom. Layer different shades of white to provide more texture and a sense of age to a room. Even an old metal chandelier found new life thanks to white paint.
Color tastes and trends change, and in a child's room especially, it's nice to have the luxury of a new look fairly often. Opt for an all white scheme for bedding, walls, and furniture. Swap out the coverlet, pillows, or throw on the bed. All are easy enough to change and will make it seem like you have a new room every season. Use a yard of fabric to add a shot of color and pattern to a headboard, as seen in the photo.
Once a chopped up jumble, this kitchen now unifies two spaces with white. Polished slabs of Carrara marble cover countertops and walls in a nod to historical kitchens of the early 20th century. Minimal wall shelving allows natural light from the many windows to flood the room. Ghost stools at the island keep the feeling light.
Keep color to a bare minimum to bring furnishings of all eras and influences together with style. Here, creamy whites and taupe unify the collected furnishings. The canopy is made with white mosquito netting and old bronze lamp base. The subdued palette, texture, and mix of found objects bring a worldly sophistication to this bedroom.
When walls and furniture are all white, accessories take center stage. Have fun with accents and do away with the expected. A collection of compelling objects is so much more interesting as a dining room centerpiece than candlesticks, as this ensemble of colorful ceramics demonstrates. The light fixture gets to shine in a unique way, too. A store bought chandelier goes glam with layers of old and new chandelier drops and old earrings in vivid color. The bright hues link to a rug made from recycled plastic.
Frame an all-white room with doorway curtains that make the space look like a secret destination revealed. Gather a group of similar scale chairs in shades of white around the dining table for a one of-a kind set that's anything but predictable. The massive flea market apothecary cabinet, with its dark back, creates a dramatic display space for the white ironstone collection.
A mosaic tile floor is the only departure from an all white scheme in this bath. Strategically placed mirrors add shine and reflect outdoor views. A window seat with nubby terry cloth pillows and a beaded-board back give the scene some texture.
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A soaring stone fireplace is an impressive and rustic focal point in this living room. To reduce the scale of the stone and add interest, a long mirror is placed above the mantel. Candice also uses the fireplace as a jumping off point for the room's palette, by selecting the hues of sage, stone, taupe and caramel from the fireplace stones.
A sleek stainless steel gas fireplace is installed at the perfect height to enjoy from anywhere in the space. Surrounded by a beautiful stone facade, the fireplace is the perfect combination of contemporary and natural.
Paint the wall over the mantel the same color as the surround to give a fireplace more presence in a room. When a fireplace is flush with the floor, place a beautiful screen in front to provide ambience and safety.
Floor to ceiling glass and marble mosaic tiles in brown, gold, cream and grey tones are a spectacular setting for an elevated gas fireplace. The contemporary focal point adds both visual and physical warmth to the room.
Sophisticated moldings are combined with a marble tiled surround for a traditional fireplace. To allow the space to be a conversational area as well as a space to watch television, Candice hides a television behind a piece of remote-controlled artwork so it's out of sight when not in use.
A simply elegant fireplace surround is painted cream to offset the dark wallpaper in the dining room. Raised off the floor, the visual warmth of the fireplace can be enjoyed from each seat around the table. The fireplace is also flanked with mirrored panels that add depth and dimension, as well as reflect light into the room.
The show stopping feature wall is a modern arrangement that boasts a long, linear gas fireplace and a massive surround of grey and white marble mosaic tiles. Not only is it eye-catching, but it brings much needed warmth into the space. The fireplace is flanked with a custom-built cabinetry unit that holds a big screen television, media equipment, books and some display items.
A true glam centerpiece of the room the fireplace surround is covered with silver dollar sized stainless steel tiles and above the mantel is a glittering ebony quartz.
The fireplace, which features a wood mantel and is clad in a beautiful circular glass tiles, anchors the room. Traditional beadboard panels above the fireplace add texture.
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Richly upholstered settees, footstools, chaise lounges and Bergere chairs can add a touch of bygone beauty, but you should allow plenty of space for more livable pieces such as a traditional sofa. If you can't afford new furniture, consider adding silk or damask throw pillows.
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Elegant, traditional furnishings complement the ornate architecture of this formal living.
This generous family room is filled with places to gather for good conversation or simply relax. The coveted spot is a perch on the window seat spanning the wall of glass with a great view.
The homeowner took inspiration from her wardrobe favorites to outfit her fashion forward living room in muted spice tones with splashes of turquoise. She balanced solids and patterns like she would her attire and used details such as a colorful tassel trim on the curtains to pull the room together like a stylish scarf puts the finishing touch on an outfit.
The space off the kitchen in this active home truly needed to function as a "family" roomâwhere busy kids could romp or pass through from the outdoors, and Mom and Dad could enjoy fuss free living. The answer was deep, dirt disguising colors and wipeable and washable materials, all with a stylish finish.
A whimsical paper lantern light fixture plays up the Asian influence accents that add character to this traditionally furnished sitting room. Orange and red pieces pop against the playful green walls.
Reversing the traditional role of neutral walls with colored furnishings, this living room boasts a soft green backdrop that shows off upholstery pieces in tailored linen color fabrics. A punch of color and pattern on the ottoman coffee table draws the green into the room.
Artful do it yourself projects take this sitting room from plain Jane to personality packed. Wallpaper scraps become graphic pieces of framed art, fabric dresses up a simple lampshade, and a little paint and upholstery elbow grease updates a flea market find footstool.
This cozy cottage living room came together with easy do it yourself projects. Slipcovers breath new life into outdated chairs (one was simply sewn from a canvas drop cloth). Sunny punches of bright yellow energize the classic blue and white scheme and add modern graphic interest fashioned from white paint on yellow fabric.
An oversize ottoman functions as extra seating, a cozy footrest, and a catch all for a variety of small accessories in this stylish living space.
Golden damask draperies add a splash of contrast to the room's cool color palette.
Discreet storage packed into a couple core furniture pieces, such as the coffee table and sofa table, adds great functionality to this family room gathering hub.
A color palette of dusty sky blue and pumpkin orange is accented by a chocolate brown to create a scheme that's classic, yet family oriented.
A modern coffee table and chair slipcovered in lime velvet give this formal living room a youthful energy, while yards of neutral color fabric subtly soften the large windows.
Bold red accents add depth and character to the neutral walls and furniture in this living room.
A variety of patterns and textures blends effortlessly throughout the space since each piece features the same red hue.
Mixing cheery with serious colors creates a sophisticated, playful vibe. The living room's serious side resides within the cool gray walls, sofa, and area rug and the navy club chairs. All the furniture circulates around a striking yellow ottoman, creating an intimate conversation area. Bold pattern accent pillows bring all of the room's colors together, while chrome accessories add subtle sparkle.
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Tiled walls and floors are obvious sources of straight lines for your bathroom decor; linear patterned wallpaper is another. The smaller your wall tiles, the more the lines will be emphasised – small, rectangular ‘metro’ tiles are great for bathrooms and can be finished with a contrasting grout to make the lines stand out: try black grout against white tiles, grey grout against red tiles, white grout against emerald tiles.
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