Small Baths with Style

Decluttering Cabinets

Under-sink storage and towel bars create a clutter-free countertop. Design by Peter Sollogub.

Warm, Inviting Colors

Warm colors make a small bath feel larger. Design by Beth Haley.

Floating Storage

A floating vanity takes up less space without compromising style. Design by Joseph Pubillones.

Small Bathroom Glass Illusion

Glass shower enclosures give the illusion of space in a small bathroom by allowing you to see from one end of the room to the other. Design by Andreas Charalambous.

Open and Spacious

Open shelving makes the room appear bigger by allowing you to see all the way to the wall. Design by Joseph Hittinger.

Organize to Maximize

Organize drawers and cabinets to maximize countertop space and minimize clutter.

 

 

Accenting your Fall Tablesetting

Delightful Detail

Inscribe your guests' initials on a pretty leaf for an unusual place card. Use a metallic paint pen for a polished look.

Orange You Glad

For another nature-inspired touch on your table, stud oranges with cloves in guests' initials for fragrant placeholders.

Rich Textures

Combine a variety of materials for a sumptuous table. Here, glass, metallic, and iridescent finishes lend festive glimmer.


I loved these creative ideas I found on my homeideas. Adding these small touches can make a fall tablesetting so special and memorable.

Creative Home Decor

Choose Pieces with a Meaning


When Jason and Jill Williams hired a firm to design their home, they clearly stated that the theme was "sparse."

They did not intend to buy things to simply fill the house; they wanted to acquire pieces over time that had meaning, complemented their lifestyle, and reflected their personalities.

While the theme was "sparse," sleek and modern wasn't their design choice. Instead, they mixed furniture styles with rustic, stained, and painted finishes.

Every piece serves a purpose, and each can be used in different ways for years to come.

Design for gathering


Family rooms are gathering places that should exude a relaxed style and communicate warmth and playfulness.

Perhaps the most important consideration for such an active room is how to keep the space's flow while noting its separate areas. Color, furniture placement, and area rugs can help meet this goal.

Here, a U-shaped seating area encourages conversation. Artifacts from family travels reflect the personalities of those who live here, while the fireplace and television anchor the space.

Carry Your Style Outdoors


"Outdoor areas are often the last to receive design attention, but they shouldn't be," says landscape designer Matt Lemos.

"Plan space for your lifestyle by incorporating ample seating, table surfaces, cushions, play areas, eating spots, and sunning areas."

By carrying your design style outdoors, you can turn a patio, deck, or even a balcony into another room of the house.

This sleeping porch, a feature of many Craftsman houses, is updated with contemporary styling and weatherproof drapery and upholstery fabric.


Create Flow

Common colors and materials help connect your living spaces.

Display signature pieces without too much fanfare. Try using one simple but dramatic floral stem or leaf in a chunky modern glass vase.

In transitional areas, brushed nickel or silver works well for frames, accessories, and fixtures.

Find Fabric You Love

 For designer Jennifer Hilgardner, the right fabric is one of the best ways to enhance an interior.

"Find a fabric you love," she says. "Choose a signature fabric with enough design elements so you can pull out colors, coordinate textures and have lots of options for furnishings and accessories."

Here, green and blue accents in the fabric even play off the foliage outside.



Smart Art Display

Include tall and low elements throughout the room to keep your eye moving.

As a general rule, hang framed photos and art at eye level (or a bit higher if the ceilings are high). Keep in mind eye-level may be lower in a room designed for seating.

Here, a lipstick-red wall sets off black-and-white photos and a mix of collected treasures.

Holiday Tablesettings

Textured Topper

The pattern of this tablecloth gives the table a feeling of depth.

Exquisitely Embroidered

The crisp detail of the tablecloth ties in with the surrounding wall and curtain decor.

Casually Refined

The fluid tablecloth from Saffron Marigold is simple enough to go with any decor while also adding an edge of class.

Tablecloth From the Tropics

Themed for an island party, this tablecloth unites the wood-themed setting and chairs.

Bubbly Tabletop

In an exciting green, this tablecloth is sure to invigorate dinner conversation.

Fall Colors/Part 1 of 2

Elegantly Bronze

RMS user KatieKirby transforms her dining room into an elegant, coastal retreat. By tying in bronze hues from the ceiling, wallpaper and draperies, she emits a calming, yet formal atmosphere. An orange and red floral centerpiece brings in familiar fall colors that pop within the room.

Cultural and Exotic

This formal entryway was given a cultural awakening and a splash of our favorite fall hues. The columns display a copper tone also reflected in the floor-to-ceiling draperies. A warm, red Venetian plaster surrounds the focal point of the room: a framed Indian textile. A soft golden wall color tones down the bold orange sofa and red room accessories.

Bold Additions

A soft, neutral color palette is given a refreshing and fall-inspired burst of color with hues of orange, copper and wine.

Comfortable and Chic

RMS user Delltoid opts for a comfortable, lounge living room with a warm, inviting color palette. Chocolate-brown furniture and accessories complement the large pumpkin-orange sofa and surrounding beige walls. An animal-print area rug pulls in the entire palette for a unique and funky twist.

Orange Tones

A fall-inspired orange accent color adds vibrancy to the tan walls and gray fireplace surround. Exotic patterns, colorful fabrics and sheer chocolate-brown draperies make this space elegant and visually appealing.

Design Cures

Home Rehab

Designer Phoebe Howard of Mrs. Howard and Max & Company worked her magic on this coastal space -- to rid the condo of light-barring walls and cramped, cheerless spaces.

The Quick Fix: Infuse life into a small room by combining a variety of textile patterns in similar tones -- like the polka-dot, honeycomb, and geometric fabrics shown here.

Custom Kitchen Island

The designer installed oak floors stained dark to resemble old European hardwoods, then she enlisted help to design a kitchen island and bath vanities to distinguish the condo from the run-of-the-mill builder's special.

The Quick Fix: Craft your own kitchen island using a favorite antique piece as inspiration. This one was made with a wooden shiplap back and bracket feet.

Looks Built-In

The Quick Fix: Customize a kitchen corner with a tailored piece like this banquette that looks built in and saves space.

Versatile Palette

For the homeowner's requested palette (Brown, yes; wicker, no), Phoebe took a cue from the faux wood screens and incorporated natural-tone furnishings spanning from bleached driftwood to stained teak. "It's amazing how warm and cool brown can be, " Phoebe says of the anchoring color. "That's perfect for a family who uses a space year-round."

The Quick Fix: Enliven a plain-Jane drywall surface with a textural faux-bois wallcovering. Its vertical lines create the illusion of height within the 8-foot-high space.

Slimming Shutters

"In Condos like these, you have to work a little magic to make the space seem wider and taller. Sort of like when you want to look thinner -- you put on stripes that are going the right way." -Phoebe Howard .

Graphic Print

Beef up plain drywall with heavy trim, and let a bold geometric print be the starting point for a room's entire color scheme.

Mirror Magic

In this all-white master bathroom, the cabinets get a special treat with glued-on mirrors which reflect light in a windowless room.

I love these rooms and the palette used is calming. via

Fall Colors/Part 2 of 2

A Taste of Wine

Designer Shelly Riehl David uses a vibrant color palette in this hideaway bar tucked under an elaborate staircase. Yellow-green walls soften the deep brown cabinetry and pink-striped barstools. Hues of forest green and wine in the barstool fabric display a warm, seasonal flair.

Rich Browns

The chocolate-brown wall color adds a gorgeous contrast against the light-wood bookshelves and fireplace surround. Deep-red draperies and coordinating accessories of bright red add a playful pop of color to this traditional living room. Design by Judith Balis.

Rusted Walls

A sheer gold curtain adds instant warmth and privacy to the separated living and dining rooms. A traditional fall color palette of rust, gold, brown and tan make this Asian-inspired space comfortable and soothing. Design by Vanessa DeLeon.

Pumpkin and Asparagus

Designer Christopher Grubb uses an asparagus-green wall color to add to the eclectic feel of this grand living room. A separate, and warmer, conversation area uses hues of pumpkin orange and brown for a more comfortable and cozy color palette. Orange paisley pillows deliver a touch of contrasting color to the all-white sofas.

The Art of Displaying Art

Buy What You Love

The key to displaying art is buying what you love and surround yourself with it. It doesn't have to be expensive or valuable to provide you with great pleasure on a daily basis.

Hang at the Right Height

Prints or portraits should be hung at approximately the eye level of a person standing between 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall. The goal is to be able to enjoy the artwork at a natural level, not to have to be looking up at it.

Create a Grouping

When creating a display on a large wall, hang artwork close together rather than scattered across the space. Even if hanging pictures over a couch or buffet, don't feel they have to be spaced out over the entire furniture piece. Try to have the pieces equidistant from each other, but centered over the middle third or half of the focal point.

Going for the Grid

When hanging a collage of themed photography, rely on the style standby of matte black picture frames. They don't compete with the artwork and provide an elegant boundary. In this display, the repetition of black and white photography is what provides the excitement. The punctuation pop of the red lampshade doesn't hurt, either.

Mix Frame Styles

Almost any frame style and finish can coexist beautifully, including antique brass, forged and tooled iron, painted ceramic and mosaic glass frames. Display a riot of different picture frames and finishes all on one surface to create a one-of-a-kind mix.

High-Ceiling Solutions

When a room's ceiling seems a bit uncomfortably high, consider hanging artwork above the doors. That's what we did in this kitchen with 9-foot ceilings. We purposely created a step effect with the framed pictures in an attempt to bring your eye down into the slightly cavernous kitchen.