Black Elegance

 Black is a relaxing, elegant and sexy, it is in everything from frames to photographs. I prefer to use basic black furniture and build around it with color pops...like the basic black dress anything goes with it.

 Using black in your larger and most costly items then allows you to go crazy with accent pieces and color schemes, which you can change as often as you like.

Look at design magazines, furniture catalogues and showroom displays today, and you're likely to see more than just a touch of black. Kelly Wearstler uses basic black to enhance most of her designs like the pictures above.

Natural Christmas Tree Projects

Simple Orange Pomanders

Make natural baubles by evenly scoring orange skins and slowly dehydrating the fruits.

Fruit and Flower Sprigs

For simple, stylish decorations, tie stems of rosehips to dried teazle heads with wire and finish with a loop.

Spiced Fruits

Attach single fruits and dried sliced chilies with colored wire to either end of a decorated orange slice. Even after they have been dried thoroughly, oranges retain enough of an aroma to fill a room with their citrus scent. Get step-by-step instructions for creating dried orange ornaments.

Frosted Christmas Lanterns

Thread a wire through a Chinese lantern and make a knot in the wire below the lantern. Wrap the remaining wire around a few wispy seed heads to give this decoration a frosted effect. Get step-by-step instructions for creating natural Chinese lantern ornaments.

Citrus Slices

Make a hole in the top of a dried orange slice, thread through a length of string, and secure in a knot.

Cinnamon Walnut Bundles

Secure several long cinnamon sticks in a bundle with an elastic band. Attach a walnut at either end of thin rope, wrap the rope around the sticks and glue on a star anise. Get step-by-step instructions for creating cinnamon spice bundle ornaments.


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Cranberry Hearts

Thread thin string through dried cranberries using a needle, secure in a heart shape and finish with a loop.

Snow Clouds

Tie extra quantites of wispy or fluffy seed heads to Chinese lanterns with thin wire and finish with a loop.

Thanksgiving Table Settings

Add a Touch of Glitz

For a sophisticated but not over-the-top look, balance the sparkle of metallics with natural elements, like fall branches or fresh fruit. Erinn's Tip: "Metallics add a great modern touch to a fall tablescape. Deep copper and bright bronze are a lovely additional to a traditional table. I prefer to bring in natural, textured elements like these seed-beaded placemats so the table doesn't get too glitzy."

Contrast Materials

A humble pinecone adds an organic touch to each place setting. Have fun with materials; contrast ceramic with glass, wood and gleaming metal. Forgo the old standby tablecloth and opt for glamorous, polished silver chargers and chocolate-brown linen napkins.

Bountiful Centerpiece

Set the stage for an unforgettable Thanksgiving feast with a centerpiece that exemplifies bounty. A ghost-white pumpkin, chunky pillar candles and metallic-painted gourds add sparkle.

Simple Sophistication

This place setting layers basic elements to achieve an extraordinary effect.A set of white plates is a great standard to have for your year-round table. You don't have to get something special out just for the season. It's all in the presentation — a crisp linen napkin folded into thirds and laid under a bronze glass plate topped with a miniature pear sets each guests' plate off with style for very little money, time or fuss.

 

Gleaming Glass Accents

Golds and ambers pair beautifully with the traditional browns and oranges of fall. Glass vases can be found very inexpensively in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes at your local housewares store. They're fantastic for adding a splash of luminescent color to the room. So go wild! Bring a bunch home, try them out and return what you don't use.

Make your Bedroom Restful

Tone down the colors in your bedroom to create a calming environment before you fall asleep.



Choose artwork for your bedroom that makes you feel calm and peaceful.



Bed placement in your bedroom is crucial to getting a good night's rest.



Nature is always relaxing — try to imitate nature through colors and artwork in your bedroom to create a naturally soothing space.



Don't underestimate the importance of comfortable fabrics in your bedroom.

Accent Throws

Staying Classy

A throw placed over a sofa's armrest allows for a sophisticated, classic look for this living room.

An Elegant Presence

Matching a throw with pillows gives the living room a touch of elegance.

A Pop of Color

Adding a brightly-colored throw adds an unexpected pop to the living room.

Faux Fabulous

Using a faux fur throw adds texture and warmth to the living room.

Neutral Beauty

A neutral-colored throw ties all the colors in a room together.

Design Ideas

Designer's Notes

In the Living Room, the custom triptych from AndreasCharalambous.com is a dramatic backdrop to the B+B Italia sofa and the concrete Cha-Cha cocktail table. The wool and silk area rug is also from ChaChafurniture.com. I love the comfortable, stylish feel of this sofa!!!!!



The kitchen area was opened up to the rest of the house in this open plan. Poliform cabinetry and stainless steel appliances were inserted in the burnt orange wall that becomes the organizing element. The dining room table is attached to the island and becomes an extension of it, with the same silestone top.



The drama of the open tread stair against the burnt orange wall within the two story entry foyer gives the visitor the first taste of the open plan that organizes this Lake Barcroft home.



The large custom Mirror from ChaChafurniture.com hangs above the wenge console table and greets the visitor off the elevator that opens into the apartment. To the left, the game room furniture sits on a wool and silk rug from ChaChaFurniture.com, while the dramatic photograph on the wall is from AndreasCharalambous.com.



The burnt red wall that houses the kitchen cabinetry and appliances is an organizing element within the plan. The stair to the upstairs bedroom is attached to the red wall, around which all the rooms revolve. All extraneous walls have been removed, so this dining area feels like an integral part of a greater whole.



The intimate “Theater” area within the Family room pays homage to the silver screen with a series of movie posters that adorn the right wall. All that’s missing is the neon sign of the theater marquis.

Design Idea's

Display a unique wine cellar by designing it under a stairway. What was previously a coat closet was transformed into a wine cellar with custom wine holders that were created out of solid walnut and stacked in such a way that they create a very architectural feel. Now, the staircase is much more open with glass replacing the drywall, and the entire area went from boring to functional and eye-catching.



From the top of the staircase, the use of tile and wrought iron details balance the curved wall of windows allowing light to brighten this rustic entry. The one-of-a-kind chandelier lantern accentuates the style.

This seemingly simple baluster engages the eye with its intriguing curves and keeps it interesting with its modest detail. Once the eye is focused on this beautiful staircase, it will follow it all the way up, leading to the spectacular surprise at the end, the fabulous ceiling. With its dark walnut beams placed symmetrically on both sides of each of the half moon windows, it is hard not to stare at the exquisite ceiling.

The client is a serious art collector, so we focus on highlighting their pieces and treated our furniture, light and area rug selections as art themselves. All recessed light fixtures are updated to low voltage lamps and art spotlights are installed throughout to accentuate the photography collection.



A soft-toned wall covering provides a neutral backdrop to showcase exquisite art, a beveled mirror and a hand-crafted curved demilune table in the entry of a Minneapolis loft.



A round foyer gets touches of color from the upholstered benches.

Having multiple vases in different sizes and shapes adds much needed height to a console or table.



A curved console is a perfect fit against this curved wall. Adding drama around the curved staircase.



A sweeping, circular glass stairway with a curved mahogany handrail soars through this home's two-story atrium. The distinct, curved glass steps are clear when seen from the side but opaque from above and below to offer a feeling of solidity as you ascend or descend.

Designer Notes

Vibrant hues against backdrops of deep black and bright white add an energetic, futuristic flair to your living room.



Earthy browns and tans, reflecting the colors of rock, stone and soil, will be trendy for some time to come.



The living room is a place to de-stress and unwind, and color can be an important element in bringing together style and a playful sense of whimsy.



A focused color scheme of red, orange, tan and black transforms the space from bland and boring to vibrant and modern.



Add accent colors to a basic color scheme to make the room pop!

Outdoor Spas and Patios

Triple Threat

The triple waterfall in this design by Paul Wrona provides a soothing and relaxing environment. The square shape of the hot tub is an interesting twist on traditional round designs.

All Stacked Up

This stacked design by Scott Cohen incorporates all of the necessary elements for a great outdoor area: fire pit, hot tub and swimming pool. A raised stone wall provides privacy for a hot tub built for two.

Natural Reflections 

Natural elements like boulders and tall grasses provide an organic feeling, as well as privacy to a backyard hot tub. Flame-lit torches are a more romantic form of lighting than electric lights.

Stairway to Heaven

An intimate spa awaits you at the top of the stairs in this backyard paradise from Scott Cohen. Once you're done in the hot tub, cool off in the lounge chairs located in the pool's baja feature.

Roman Retreat

This elegant hot tub has an Old World feel. Picture yourself in a Roman bath as you drift away into bliss. Hanging wisteria adds a romantic touch to the pergola.

Behind (Almost) Closed Doors

If you're lucky enough to have an indoor pool, why not add an indoor hot tub? This room from the Four Seasons is designed to bring the outdoors in.

The patio is being used today during summer and winter......adding fire and water with a little ambiance of back ground music and a glass of merlot, what better way to have that vacation feeling all year round on your own patio.