Interior Design Ideas: Blending Vintage with Modern Decor

Design by Portland interior designer SBaird Design. Photo via houzz.

We find nothing more charming than a creative marriage of old and new pieces in interior design.  The mixture of modern and vintage high end furniture makes for remarkable and memorable decor.  For instance, we found this alluring Modern Danish dining set carries with it a hint of European nostalgia with its clean, slim profile, and refined curves. 

Photo via Homedit.

The vintage accent chairs in this living area imparts a warmth to the room with its natural wooden tones among the predominately black and white scheme.  This understated color contrast cleverly fuses together the past and present.

Photo via Etsy.

These vintage accent chairs have all the charm of contemporary style with a glint of fondness for eras past.  The bright orange chairs complement the modern artwork, and at the same time provides a playful contrast to the natural wooden floors and stone mantle.

Photo via Yossawat.

Sultry curves, button-tufted cushions and golden accents make this vintage-inspired modern chair a striking piece.  It reflects a romantic elegance of a bygone era - an exquisite design that demands a quiet admiration.

Photo via Shagreene.

Vintage pieces can definitely make an extraordinary impression.  As shown above within the dining area, the stunning modern-style, vintage sideboard gives the space a warmth that's as inviting as is elegant.

Mid-Century Sideboard by Heritage Henredon.

This beautiful vintage Mid-Century Sideboard by Henredon fulfills a modernist's dream.  Gold-accented fixtures and a natural wood-grain finish make for a stylish, handsome piece.

With infinite possibilities to mixing and matching vintage with modern designs into your home, you may be pleasantly surprised at how wonderfully old and new can coexist.  We admire the concept of melding the past together with the present, the unexpected visual combinations, and the graceful design choices in this approach, as it will certainly bring a distinguished charm to any home.

10 Mirror Ideas For Home Décor

1. A mirror reflects available light creating the illusion of more space.  A mirror in a small restaurant is made to seem much more spacious using a large mirrored wall. We use a large mirror in our small dining room to create the illusion of more space.
2. Use a wall mirror to reflect something worth looking at; a painting or the lush plant-filled back yard to bring the outside in.
3. Use long narrow mirrors in dressing rooms either sitting on the floor or leaning against the wall.
4. Balance the fireplace energy with a wall mirror, which is a water element.
5. Welcome visitors with a wall mirror in your home’s entryway.
6. Don’t use a wall mirror in the bedroom that reflects the bed. It brings a third person into the room. If you must have a mirror, try it above the headboard.
7. A backsplash in the kitchen may seem like a good idea to bring in light and spaciousness, however it may require constant cleaning.
8. Ceiling mirrors are a no-no. They can make the design look tacky.
9. Use mirrored furniture, such as a mirrored chest of drawers or mirrored coffee table. Vanessa Deleon, host of "Your Place is a Dealbreaker" on SpacesTV, tells us that “Mirrors trick the eye into thinking the mirror doesn’t exist, If you have a big piece of furniture in the middle of the room, you can make it appear as if it’s disappearing by installing a mirrors on it.”
10. Hang the mirror at the proper height. The average person is five feet six, so adjust your mirror accordingly.
    

Stanley Furniture Talks About Trends and Repurposing

The Elements Collection by Bernhardt

Landfair Furniture + Design is pleased to be able to offer Bernhardt Interiors.

What Color Is Your Bedroom?

Not getting enough sex? It may not be anyone's fault, but the color of your bedroom.

A recent study by Travelodge of 2000 homes in the UK discovered that people who sleep in rooms painted yellow, blue, or green get the best night's sleep. People who sleep in blue rooms got close to eight hours of sleep, according to the Daily Mail. And people who slept in purple bedrooms got the least amount of sleep, clocking in at less than six hours.

The color that promotes more sex? Caramel!

Really, we need two bedrooms; one caramel colored and one in blue for recovery.

Slim Paley

Brigett Otto writes:

I may have just found my new favorite blogspot: Slim Paley. Check out the images she's curated for her take on Mandarin & Midnight, or one of my fav combos: Black & Orange.

We totally agree and her photos featuring orange is fabulous.

Interior Decorating Apps

The following apps are full of small projects and major makeover ideas for your home.

iPhone

Elle Decor Magazine (pay per issue or subscribe annually) — This is the favorite interior design magazine of innovative decorators. Fall in love with each issue's casual and extravagant featured homes. (Score: 97/100)

Dream Home HD ($0.99) — You can explore countless options for your home, choosing by decorating style, room type or color palette. You also can view them offline. (Score: 92/100)

IKEA Catalog (Free)* — IKEA, the retailer for those who like modern, affordable and ready-to-go designs, shares its latest offerings in this app. (Score: 87/100)

HGTV to GO for iPhone or iPad (Free — Home and Garden Television gathers a vast array of design ideas and tips in this helpful app. (Score: 82/100)

Virtual Interior Design (Free) — This interactive app allows you to photograph the room you want to change and virtually decorate it in a variety of ways. (Score: 76/100)

Android

Master-Design Furnish (Free) — Draw your rooms and furnish them with 3,000 different items. This very flexible design app allows you to visualize all of your design plans. (Score: 86/100)

Interior Design Gallery (Free) — A large collection of interior design images for every room and style. (Score: 82/100)

Room Painting Ideas (Free) — This gallery of ideas for your home contains hundreds of room-painting concepts, from antique-paint effects to modern, bold colors. (Score: 82/100)

3D Interior Room Design ($4.79) — This app uses 3-D animated software to create realistic images of your rooms and decorate your virtual walls and floors with moldings, wall textures and textiles. (Score: 78/100)

Houzz Interior Design Ideas (Free)* — Houzz's app features 900,000 high-resolution images of home decor. There's an idea for any size or style of home or room. (Score: 69/100)

* Available on both platforms.

Remodel Or Move

Bridget Otto writes about the costs of remodeling and she quotes Dan Fritschen, founder of RemodelorMove.com He offers four tips on getting answers.

Checking out RemodelorMove.com, I found a lot of discussion about remodeling versus moving. This site really heps answer that dilemma. In our neighborhood, I know one couple who remodeled their house, even taking their house higher by adding a second story. They looked all over this area and concluded that staying put and remodeling was cheaper.

We are seeing other homes that are completely gutted down to the foundation and rebuilt turning a $400,000 house into a bigger house valued at $800,000 to $900,000 house. They really must like this Grant High neighborhood and its nearness to downtown!

We Thank You!

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This is a blog on furniture and interior design. It features designs by various interior designers where they share ideas.

Wow! We are good company

Pantone’s Color for 2013: Emerald Green’s Year to Shine

"Lively. Radiant. Lush… A color of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony...A luminous, magnificent hue, the color of beauty, new life and prosperity." - Pantone on Emerald, Color of the Year for 2013.

Emerald Green is Pantone’s color of the year, and in our research, we have developed a new-found appreciation for this rich and vibrant shade.  We’re taken with how it instantly attracts the eye and demands one’s attention, yet still gives a sense of elegance and calm.

Green is a powerful color, but it can just as easily evoke the serenity of nature found in peaceful pastures or majestic forests.  This brilliant hue has captured our imagination and stirred ideas on how to best utilize within the realm of home decor and interior design.

 Photo via Bird and Branch Redesign.

 The beautiful green curtains shown in the above dining area create an allure that’s unique and unforgettable.  Such an arresting and lively color can be wonderfully matched with more neutral shades such as grey, beige and subtle gold, which can lend a space an instantly balanced ambiance.  The striking accent chair exudes a refined grace with its marbleized upholstery in a radiant emerald green.

 Photo via Savannah Collections.

A stunning Italian marble top table such as the Waterford Coffee Table above enchants with lustrous detail.  It’s a marvelous and subtle way to incorporate this gorgeous color into your home.

 Photo via Baker Furniture.

This luxurious dining room designed by Baker Furniture creates a more tranquil setting using green throughout the walls and dining chairs, but with softer shades of emerald.  A shimmering gold chandelier brightens the room while complimenting the serene greens.

  Photo via Willard & May’s Front Door Pinterest Board.

A cozy living room such as the one above plays with various hues of green, with a rich emerald sofa, green walls and lush accent pieces.  This lively mix stands out with its contrasting textures and charming patterns throughout.  A beautiful and fun way to awaken the senses!

Inspirational Designs for the Home Office

Photo via Showcase Kitchens & Baths.

Home offices have recently increased in popularity as more people choose to work from home.  However, we believe that having your own office at home should involve more than just a desk with a computer.  Not only can it provide a relaxed environment for work, but with key design elements, may also serve as a source of inspiration and quiet refuge.  Many also use their home office area as a study, or a quiet place to unwind and read away from the distractions of the rest of the home.

We've collected some ideas of beautifully designed luxury home office spaces ranging from traditional to contemporary to minimalist styles:

Photo via Savannah Collections.

This Princeton Executive Desk by Savannah Collections presents all the refined air of an academic study.  The base is finished in Cherry Mahogany, and the top provides a beautiful contrast with its inlaid black leather desktop.  Gold accents complete the hand-carved design, creating a hint of understated elegance and sophistication.

Photo via Savannah Collections.

To complement the desk is the Princeton Wall Unit/Bookcase.  This awe-inspiring wooden bookcase allows for ample storage for your beloved book collection or keepsakes, and protect them from the elements behind tempered glass doors.

For a different kind of traditional office style, the Henredon vignette below showcases a beautiful study with a slim, oval table and a pair of sleek chairs.  Warm tones of green, burgundy, orange and gold create an effortlessly relaxed atmosphere.  The graceful bookcases on each side of the mantle offer a space for displaying books and treasures.

Photo by Beth Singer.

We simply adore this contemporary office below, with its charmingly paired black desk and wall unit, accented with wonderful shades of green to brighten the space.

Photo via Vanhomy.

Photo via Home My Design.

If you like your office space even brighter, a white desk alongside white walls decorated with vibrant accessories can awaken the senses and may help you tackle that long office task list.

In contrast, if you’d like to create a calming ambiance within your home office, it can be as simple as limiting your decor to the bare essentials.  A minimalist approach can produce a tranquil work space, so that you can focus on important projects.  A clean design can foster a serene state of mind known to increase productivity and even help generate ideas.

We instantly fell in love with this stunningly curved, white desk below, which is both eye-catching and clean in design.  We love the natural wood storage area and its extraordinary rounded ends.  A matching storage component behind it, and simple, minimal decor add warmth to the room, while complimenting the simple design.

Photo via Pampai.

Photo via Architecture Art Designs.

We hope that these home office designs have given you as much inspiration as they have given us.  Ultimately, your office space should provide you a space that corresponds to your work-style and needs.  Serene or stimulating, dark or bright, the most essential ingredient to the perfect home office or study is that you are completely in love with it.

Drexel Heritage

Baker Furniture

Thomasville furniture sale
 

Spring 2013 Look Book Is Out!

Bernhardt Interiors reaches for an ideal – taking the idea of beauty in art to the pursuit of furniture making. Inspired by that artistic passion, this eclectic collection of items features fine craftsmanship, unique materials, a distinctly modern styling and its thoughtful details allow for an effortless sophistication.

The new Spring 2013 Look Book is now online and it's gorgeous! And...check out new introductions.

Vivid Drawings = Expressive Accent Furniture

Trend: Classic Strong Lines
April 20, 2013

Today, Bernhardt introduces a broad range of finely drawn accent pieces which serve to give a new look of refinement and proportion to the home.

"The essence of design is the line," says Ron Fiore, Bernhardt creative director. "The most important piece in your room is going to be one with a strong outline or silhouette. It announces you as confident, and refreshes the things you already have."




















































 
This Spring's fashion runways provide a glimpse into how many people will be dressing their homes – using innovative classic shapes with sharp lines.

Sofa, Couch or What?

S.J.D., of Belleville posed this question to The Answer Man:

Q. Why do we have two very different names for a couch/sofa? When you look on craigslist, they are used interchangeably. Is there a difference?

Interesting article about the history of the name!

I have some further input on the question. My husband used to call the sofa a couch or davano until I corrected him Now he's pretty good at just using sofa for the multiple seat thing in the den or living room, usually taken by the dog.

Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/2013/04/23/2589275/answer-man-have-a-seat-on-the.html#storylink=cpy