Luxury Interior Design Journal » Colour Theory

RED Interior Design

Laura Bielecki — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 23:36:30 +0000

Faena Hotel Argentina by Philippe Starck

Happy Valentines’s Day to all my blog readers, I love you all! I hope you all have a romantic and love inspired day. Whether it consists of a romantic dinner for two, a trip to an exotic location, a massage or even just a love note from a friend or client this day is sure to be red, pink, white and gushy!

Here are some great Red color schemes and red interiors to inspire your day. Stop and think… what makes a space romantic? what makes a space luxurious? what makes a space an exciting getaway? what sights, smells, textures, lighting and moods are necessary for a valentines surprise? It can be hard to introduce the color red to a color scheme without overtaking the interior, but if you add it as bold pops in luxurious materials with a white backdrop you are sure to have a winner! The shade of red you choose will also impact the mood you achieve. orange reds appeal more to men and blue reds appeal more to women- is that why Valentines items tend to be more blue-red focused?

Romantic Red Forest

Red and White bedroom from Elle Decor

This room is so beautiful! I think it is another Philippe Starck creation but I don’t remember! It has plenty of old world charm but all done in a new way. The freshness of the white bedding, headboard and walls make the picture frame collage on the wall and the red blanket really stand out and add character to the cleanliness of the bedroom. This is a very feminine but sweet space that I could see a teenage girl, woman or even grandmother loving to spend her time in and store her pearls.

All you need is LOVE!

Nothing like beautiful black and white photography with pops of red!

Red and White bathroom

This red and white color scheme is excellently executed. Not only am I in love with the Red wall paneling and its proportion but the white and red mosaic tiles are the perfect way to ground the space and give it some refined pattern. This space also would not have been as well executed without the natural daylight to brighten up the deepness of the red.

LOVE red

I dont know why I love it so much but the NYC LOVE sculpture is incredible. I have a picture of me standing in it somewhere in my files… I will have to post it as soon as I find it! The Holly Hunt chair to the right of the LOVE is one of my all time fav pieces from the collection the color shape and materials are all so beautiful for both residential and hospitality spaces.

Faeno Hotel Argentina Spa by Philippe Starck

The Faena Hotel in Argentina by Philippe Starck is stunning and looks like it was created just for Valentine’s day. I love at all that beautiful white marble, mirror details and red accents. Very feminine and luxurious.

Valentines in Valentino Red

You cannot even begin to think about Valentine’s day without a touch of Valentino and his iconic Valentino Red… the perfect touch to a romantic day.

Romantic Bedroom - source unkown

This room has a serene quality to it with beautiful well thought out touches. All the low furniture leaves room for this simple and beautifully executed wall mural.

Baxter Italy red chairs

Faena Hotel Argentina Bedroom by Philippe Starck

Let me know how you spent your day and where your inspiration came from! Do you have any romantic red color scheme spaces that inspire you?

White Bathroom Interior Design

Laura Bielecki — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:30:29 +0000

Clean white bathroom via Contemporist

White is a classic color that never goes out of style. The purity and cleanliness of the color aids well in creating a beautiful washroom that feels refreshing to spend time in for your daily routine. Be sure to use texture through the space for both acoustic and visual aesthetic reasons. Towels and drapes can add a soft a luxurious feel while metal and crystal accents add more sparkle and definition. Nothing will better finish off a stunning white bathroom than a beautiful bouquet of fresh cut flowers! Here are some white bathrooms I love to get you inspired for a new fresh look to one of your homes most used spaces!

Consider using white calacatta marble as the base for your bathroom as it is a very crisp and clean white with strong warm veins in a brown/warm grey tone. Add some feminine features like a vanity stool or ottoman, farm white terrycloth robe, crystal drawer knobs or door pulls and flowing feminine curves in your mosaic tile patter, mirror shape or light fixtures.

White master bathroom via Contemporist

Small white powder room via Zulte stone company

Boffi Italian washroom via Boffi Spa

White marble mosaic bathtub via. Eva Designs

Elegant white bathroom

Residential white bathroom spa

Classic White bathroom

Traditional White bathroom

Custom Master Bathroom Vanity

Herringbone Pattern Interior Design

Laura Bielecki — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 06:06:28 +0000

Grey Herringbone Interior

Herringbone, Chevron, ZigZag call it what you want. That fabulous signature pattern of Missoni Home (and even Charlie Browns shirt) is back in a big way. I have always been obsessed with herringbone wood floors for the extra dynamic and luxury touch it can give a room of any style. Herringbone has been used in fabric for ages as a classic mens suit and womens skirt fabric. Pair a grey herringbone with a rich tawny leather and you have a chic style that will fit right in to the Sunday racetrack crowd. The great thing about this fabulous pattern is that you can make many moods with it depending on how much contrast you express the pattern with. For permanent applications such as flooring, backsplashes and millwork details its best to keep the pattern in a one color application where the cut lines, wood grain or grout lines are what forms the pattern. When it comes to accessories go bold and demand contrast between each row of stripes- play with color, tones, varying stripe thicknesses, scale etc to add more texture and visual interest to a room. This look can go from bold and exciting colors in a child’s bedroom to soft and subdued tones for a neutral palette living room. The herringbone pattern is a beloved favorite of the Interior Design profession, use it with creativity!

Charlie Brown and his Zig Zag shirt

Here is what I am showing in the Grey color scheme above :

White marble tile: Ann Sacks Carrara marble tile small herringbone 10 1/8″ x 11″ netted sheet AS2393-10 This beautiful stone would love great as a floor pattern insert, backsplash, washroom floor or wall tile or if you want to do something different you could use it as a bedside table top, a fine for a barrel ceiling or a craft project for trivets, coasters, high end and chic DIY planters etc.
I found this space on Apartment Therapy. This beautiful bedroom could have been ultra drab and boring had it not been for this stunning paint job with a loud and vibrant edge from Farrow and Ball paint in London Clay 244, Railings 31, Hardwick White 5, Mahogany 36 and over Shaded White 201
Pillow: Madeline Weinrib Steel ZigZag. You can find zigzag pillows everywhere these days, this one has a great shade of grey and could be mixed up with any color, texture or pattern in any room.
Mug: Mikasa Grey/Platinum zigzag mug set of 4 for $39.99. These mugs are gorgeous and crisp. I can see them with a pastel or white dainty dinnerware set with silver flatware great for an inspiring shot of coffee in the morning solo or to accompany a great dessert at a dinner party…. can you see it with some bold silver charger plates?!
Stainless Steel Mosaic Tile: You can find these masculine and slick backplash tiles at almost any tile store these days for anywhere from $15-$25/sq.ft. I recommend getting them in a brushed stainless finish to reduce fingerprints and cleaning marks. Great for smaller scale areas like backsplashes, bathroom wall details etc. I woul avoid doing full walls or floors with this as it can be a bit much in larger quantities.
This is a photo of Canadian Interior Designer Emily Walker who works for Canadian House and Home. This is her beautiful and simple kitchen. Her use of the Zigzag pattern is ideal as it shows up in one location and pulls the colors from the room to ground the floor and add texture and pattern to the space.
Fur area rug: Kyle Bunting Basketweave pattern in charcoal color. Im a sucker for anythign in hide and Kyle Bunting is a kind of his domain, his hide art rugs are each so stunning and add volumes of interest, class and value to a space. Need I say more?
Area Rug: Madeline Weinrib Steel ZigZag. Get a rug just like Emily Walkers to spice up your boot room or kitchen!

Traditional and classic Herringbone

Here is a completely different look. Masculine, dark, rich and crisp.

Dark Rough hardwood: LV Wood Floors Antique Oak Herringbone. This is a fabulous floor that I would LOVE to personally use in my whole home, the richness of colors, texture and grain are all fascinating, historic and beautiful. I could easily see this product for retail flooring in a mens store.
Dress: Principles black and White Zig Zag Dress cute, fun and graphic this dress could spice up any cocktail hour.
Wood and Stianless Steel mosaic tile: Mosaico+ DL.0364 Misura op. 3 in Canada you can get this Luxe tile from Julian Tile
Black Marble mosaic tile: Ann Sacks Herringbone Obsidian. This is a gorgeous mosaic great for any wall space or floor detail.
Pouf: Missoni Home in black and white. great as extra seating for company and to add fun pops of color or tecture to any room. All kids love Poufs!
Black leather floor: source unknow but this is one sexy product! Come out reps wherever you are.
Ottoman: Madeline Weinrib Mid Century ottoman

Herringbone Floors

Colorful herringbone rooms

Colorful bold zig zag pattern

Top 10 Interior Design Trends of 2010 – Black walls

Laura Bielecki — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 06:16:59 +0000

One of my favorite Interior Design Trends of 2010 was black painted walls. The dark look came around in 2010 in the form of chalkboard paint, wallcovering, paint, wood and fabric. Black paint is a sexy and sophisticated way to upgrade a space. It is bold, crisp and able to transform a room for ordinary to extrordinary! It can be used as an accent wall to showcase artwork, glassware, dishes, frames, furniture or lighting…. basically anything with texture or visual interest. This color is especially great at showing off delicate textural items in white or bright colors.

Black is about high contrast and making a statement. Ultra glossy paint, matte paint and textural wallpaper are great options but they play up very different feels. Remember they are just walls and you can always repaint or recover the walls if you get tired or overwhelmed with a color.

Dining rooms and bathrooms do very well with darker colors as deeper tones can provide a far more cozy and sensual experience, particularily in candlelight. Consider mixing the noir walls with warm gold, orange or red tones for a warm intimate feel.

Black and white are the perfect pairing. White trim can define a space and add the contrast required to freshen the intensity of black. Large scale white furniture, lighting, picture frames or mirrors can be used instead of trim to achieve the same balance of dark and light in a space and can make the room feel bright and clean.

Versace fashioned a fabulous set of residences at the Park Plaza in New York with dramatic black and white interiors. This photo is what sold me on black walls for good. Very clean and chic for a contemporary twist to traditional moldings and trim work.

Bathrooms and powder rooms can have a higher class feel, sense of mystery and refinement simply by adding black to the walls and/or tiles. This bathroom I found on Contemporist from the Vine Hotel in Madeira Portugal. Consider using high gloss finishes like Thermofoil, glass mosaics, ceramics or waxed or foil wall coverings to achieve a reflective and super glossy shine for your high profile space.

10.

I think we will still see more dark walls in Interior Design trends of 2011 but they may be more deeper shades of color rather than black. Personally I am going to keep both black and grey walls in my repertoire of paint colors for the next few years as both shades offer so much potential in a variety of styles.

Colorful Interiors

Laura Bielecki — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 23:14:34 +0000

Color in Fashion and Interiors

Fresh and fun Color Scheme

Fresh and colorful fashion and design inspiration

Crosby Street Hotel Lounge

Bold & Colorful Interior

Bright Bedroom

Colorful Tea party

Colorful Bohemian Backyard

Fun with Color

Bright bold colors can have a youthful and exciting effect on the mind letting the imagination run free and creativity soar. If you are stuck on a color just pick one that has a childhood memory attached to it and see where it takes you. Forget about being “matchy-matchy” and dig in to your creativity. Do you have many old mismatched frames around the house that you don’t want to put on display? Paint over them each in a different fun color and them show them off on your walls. Re-upholster your furniture and paint the legs in a striking color. Paint your ceiling sky blue. Tie dye your drapes… take life less seriously!

The point is that its your home and anything goes. If you want to inspire creativity in your children or your work then show them the way.

I hope you are having a lovely and creative long weekend!

Kylie Minogue at Home – Luxury Bedding

Laura Bielecki — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 04:33:43 +0000

Most multi-faceted singers enter into a world of fashion and film but every now and then a gem comes out with something stunning for the interior design world. Kylie Minogue has come out with an astonishing collections of glitz and glam feminine bedding. For every rocker princess and grown up glamorous woman. Her bedding collection goes from bold to dainty and always has a spice of drama. Plush Duvets and luxury linens are not your every day bed in a bag! This fashion bedding can make any bedroom pop. Consider pairing these sheets with a mirrored makeup table, glass table lamps and shimmery chandelier.

See more at Ashley Wilde

Kylie Minogue Bedding in a dramatic late night charcoal

Kylie Minogue Bedding in a feathery white

Kylie Minogue Bedding in soft pastels

Kylie Minogue Bedding in a rich and lavish Eggplant Purple

Kylie Minogue at Home

Teal Interior Decor

Laura Bielecki — Sat, 15 May 2010 01:54:15 +0000

Every woman wants a beautiful home that captures their spirit and personality. In a teal and white scheme like this you can picture a well poised young woman who irons her sheets, bakes cupcakes and whistles while she vacuums. She has a bounce in her step and loves all the flowers of spring. I like to call this Interior Design for her!

In this graceful color scheme:

A beautiful Manhattan front door. Add your favorite color to your front door in high gloss so that your guests always get a very personal first impression.
muranohouse.com Murano House watch drain. This is such a beautiful jewel for any home. Count the minutes to wash your teeth or ensure you stay fashionably late for the evening with this watch drain.
zgallerie.com Wall decor panel in “french blue”
downtown20.net custom upholstered bench with elegant lines
instyle-decor.com drum stool $495.00
insideavenue.com the sleek and graceful guard dog
zgallerie.com Oh so pretty and elegant dinnerware
zgallerie.com Puccini silver glassware
mosaicopiu.it Italian glass tile
instyle-decor.com geometric pillow $265.00
bobbyberkehome.com fun and ornate pillow
kushcarpets.com gorgeous lush residential area rug
Teal bedroom design. A room like this is successful because of how clean the details and lines are and yet their are still many details and intricate patterns keeping interest in the vignette. Mixing solid color with dense pattern and and accent of white texture is a great way to play with depth and tactile qualities. Bedrooms should be soft and soothing so blue and teal colors are the perfect choice to feel refreshed when you wake in the morning.
lightingforum.com

Interior Design Bold Stripes

Laura Bielecki — Tue, 11 May 2010 05:29:22 +0000

There are a million ways to fake the shape, size, form and flaws in a room. One of the best visual distractions is using stripes. As today was a pretty grey day in Edmonton I thought it would be lovely to bring in some color. Candy cane stripes are a bold statement that can add a lot of visual texture without necessarily adding cost or the need for many accessories. The stripe can weave you through a room or tell you where to look. It can make fat look thin and short look tall and can even throw off your depth perception. Stripes can be achieved with Paint, wall covering, fabric and a collage of other materials for any kind of DIY project.

Show your stripes with finishes and furnishings

Have fun with your furniture!

Furniture with an impact

cappellini.it
Paul Smith fabric from Maharam on an Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair
Philippe Stark mademoiselle chair from Kartell
Paul Smith fabric from Maharam
cappellini.it
creativando.nu

Add drama!

Design with Stripes

Eclectic Interior Home Decor

Laura Bielecki — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 20:44:29 +0000

Eclectic decor with texture

Eclectic home decor is about showcasing ones unique experiences, travels and individual tastes. Home accessories, lighting and furniture tell the story of ones character. Utilizing personal experiences can create emotional and physical reactions to ones surroundings by stimulating the senses with smells, textures and images of past experiences. Eclectic accessories bring color, texture and form to a space and create visual interest. Eclectic decor in a home is often as complex as a couples marriage- tying two distinctively different peoples favorite styles and experiences into a seamless expression. Art can be a great way to showcase a family’s individuality while adding texture and color. Often it is great to keep a storage room with extra items so the home can have items and paintings circulated through the seasons to keep the house alive and ever changing. This is also a great way to keep ones self from becoming bored with their interior and personal effects. Keep a tickle trunk with throws, pillows, vases and candles to make quick scenery changes in any room to upgrade or simplify your space for guests or downtime.

In the eclectic collection above:

Wood wall decor: zgallerie.com Small Sanctuary Panel $195.00US
Colored glass: teslamall.com-underplate red
Twigs: homerdesign.com-branches screen
Coral flowers: insideavenue.com
Table lamp: insideavenue.com
Pillow: bobbyberkehome.com -14983
Stool: instyle-decor.com -245.00
Pillow: insideavenue.com -rs-super-paradise-punch
Cowhide Rug: kylebunting.com
Dresser: inhabitat.com -wis design decade-decades-wis-satellite
Lamp: insideavenue.com-627002
Wallcovering: mayaromanoff.com

Grey and Yellow Living Room Design

Laura Bielecki — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 15:59:04 +0000

Grey and yellow fun interior decor scheme

In this scheme:

pillow: insideavenue.com-french decorative- $380.00
drape and tassel: osborneandlittle.com-Kediri large
area rug: csnlighting.com-delos rug 81506
chair: kartell.it-mademoiselle armchair
carpet: stepevi.com-modern gorgeous-sexy-3
tilted lamp: roche-bobois.com -bomba lamp
lantern: zgallerie.com
flowers: Mini Calla Lillies

Yellow is one of my favorite colors. By pairing it with different colors, it can take on a thousand lives. It can be combined with orange, pink or turquoise to become a loud and vibrant palate! Linked with black & white you can make a strong and crisp statement. Cuddled between sky blue and pale green, it is the ideal palette for a baby shower. This season I am seeing a lot of yellow and grey mixed together. It’s somewhat of an unlikely pairing, but is really attractive and especially beautiful for residential applications. Grey is a great neutral backdrop that gives you the opportunity to change up your pop colors seasonally.

Yellow and Grey interior design inspiration