Great Home Trends for Spring - Part II

{This is part 2 of the Great Home Trends for Spring series. If you'd like to check part 1, click here!}

Spring is here! In these series, we're talking about inspiring home trends for this beautiful season. Our next trend is as cool as can be.

2. Turquoise and White

You know you can't go wrong with The Color of The Year (aka Turquoise) and an all-time favorite, such as white. This combo is a design blast, just check these images. For an easy makeover, try painting just a stripe around the room instead of the whole wall (or room). Then play around with various elements around the place, such as the pillows.

Here's another inspiring picture. This room looks so clean and classic, yet contemporary. I love the pattern on the wall. You could recreate that look with wallpaper or stencil painting.

Turquoise and navy blue seem like a hit to me. Very coastal and soothing. The map wall is so ingenious and the pillows are gorgeous. The chair? Stunning.

Of course I preselected perfect items for this look:

Patchwork prints via Polyvore

Target turquoise dinnerware

Decorative birdcages via Polyvore

Ikea's Spöka night light

Walmart turquoise pillow
(isn't it cute?)

Zara Home's tealight trista

Zara Home's turquoise wine cup

I'm telling you, I can't get enough of this color. It's so fresh and soothing and modern! I really love it.

What about you? Which one is your favorite so far? Of course, one could try and mix both trends into one. Imagine white and turquoise flowers here and there? Fabulous!

If you'd like to read trend number 1, here ya' go!

See you tomorrow!

P.S. Sharing with Melissa at The Inspired Room.

Great Home Trends for Spring - Part I

Now that Spring is right around the corner, it's time to make our home brighter. This doesn't mean doing a major transformation, but using accesories and colors that work for your space and taste.  Along these following days, I'm going to talk about great spring trends for your home for you to choose from.

;)

Let's get started!

Great home trend for spring number 1:

Flower Power

Nothing better than flowers to help Spring into our home. Pair it up with oh so chic French chairs and you've got yourself a winner. I'd love to spend an evening here!

In case you're willing to take a bigger step, try a flower motif wallpaper, like this. Those hydrangeas pop the green on the wallpaper beautifully. And the bed and book are talking to me, guys!

Here are a few items I like for this look
(among hundreds of options).

Country Living for Kmart dinnerware collection

Walmart Flower Pillow (currently on sale)

Anthropology's plucked petals measuring spoons -

amazing!

Zara Home flower candle

Crate and Barrel Dahlia napkin rings

And of course, natural flower arrangements are the best accesory of all!

Stay tuned for our Great Home Trend for Spring number 2 as we get ready for the season.
Get yourself ready for major eye candy!

{images: better homes and gardens, and country living}

Wood Veneers in Interior Design

My most recent graphic design client introduced me to an amazing product. It's recomposed veneers in real wood.

What's so special about it, you ask? This works just as regular wood veneer, but has a much more affordable price. And the possibilities it gives in interior design are wonderful.

This hallway wouldn't be the same without the rich, dark wood wall.

Amazing sharp design in the furniture, given of course by the wood veneer.

The flexible properties of this veneer makes it useful for covering any kind of smooth surface.

I'm so in love with wood veneers as wall treatments. Best of all is there are lots of colors to choose from.

Excellent way to add interest to any surface.

For more info, visit:

verolegno

pacific wood

Dark Chocolate Craving

I would like you to meet my dream living room.

Ain't it lovely? Small, cozy, bright, simply gorgeous. I could go nuts.

However, this is far from reality.

When we bought our sectional a couple years ago (wow, time does fly!) I would drool over white and cream furniture. There's something so sleek and modern about it, yet welcoming. Perhaps too welcoming. This magazine spaces might work for adult-only homes, but not ours. I can perfectly picture our 9-year-old throwing herself into it, shoes on and all. What about when her friends come over? Let alone kids, what about having a small friend reunion? What about dust?! WAY too much stress for me.

So, instead of the cream color we went completely opposite and chose a very rich, dark chocolate faux leather sectional. I love it. It looks great, it's very low-maintenance and kid-friendly (love those words). It definitely works better for us.

Yet, I've been having a hard time making it feel cozy. For one thing, we're using borrowed, dark chocolate tables (both the coffee table and the side table are dark). So it all looks like a huge dark spot.  Not quite right. (Right, Micah? =)

Problem is, most magazines show gorgeous light colored living rooms (such as the one above). They're cool alright, but it's hard for me to translate that into my own space. I researched a little and I found great inspiring pics to share:

A great way to brighten up things is using throws and pillows on the sofa. I could really use a 2 level coffee table like that one.

This is quite an inspiration pic. Dark furniture on dark walls and still looks cozy. Once again, the bright orange pillow and flowers bring the space alive. I love this space. The bookshelves, the use of two tables instead of a large coffee table, the large mirror... sigh!

This is a different, classic look. The beautiful sofa stands out from the white layer. Interesting table there.

This is not quite my style, though it helps visualize the dark sofas with a dark element in the center.

Oooh, this I like! Ok, it's not dark chocolate, but it's dark alright. LOVE the grey/yellow combo! Once again, the little tables are a great alternative to the coffee table (I think those are already in my wish list). I spy a mirrored demi table in the corner!

A softer kinda grey, but still dark sofa. Colored accents all-around... Cute!

Last but not least, a lighter still darkish living room. The inspiration here to me is the combination of different elements in one room. The clear glass coffee table helps brighten things up and once again, the beautiful pillows and throw.

So yes, there's definitely inspiration for dark colored living rooms... which is your favorite?

{images: house beautiful and house to home}

Designer Spotlight - Thom Filicia

I first fell in love with the work and makeovers of this designer a few years ago, when I used to watch him work as the design guru in Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Now I love to follow him in Style Network's Dress my Nest. Even my daughter is a huge fan now (desing lover in training ;). We never miss his makeovers.

However, Thom Filicia's work goes well beyond his TV Shows. Thom Filicia Inc established in New York City in 1998, and since then he has created beautiful interiors for celebrities, and luxury hotels, among many others. I thought you might want to check them out.

Enjoy.

{all images via Thom Filicia}