Black, Grey, Blue, & Cream – The Colors of 2015

I’m feeling a color combination trend this year and I can’t wait to decorate the next space with this grouping.  This collection of colors provide a sophisticated style, a palette that can compliment any space, and shades that make you feel at ease and calm.  The combination of black, grey, blue and cream are my chosen color palette for 2015.

Black – the outline, the filler, the creator of depth that grabs your eye making you identify and follow.

Grey – the neutralizer that makes the space softer, more simplistic while adding balance partnering with the darker shades.

Blue – the compliment, the added richness to the space, giving it depth and detail without being too heavy.

Cream – the blank canvas that naturalizes the space and provides the option to add more colors into the space (purples, more hues of blue, greens or yellows).

Secret Wine Cellar?

I love spiral staircases, and my new favorite doubles as a wine cellar in the floor!  This compact space allows the the walls to be dressed with wine. If you are a wine connoisseur this trap door  cellar could be an ideal solution to your kitchen space.  These cellars are close to all the action as well as being designed to keep wine at the perfect temperature.

Go Herringbone

I see so many spaces and still see the same brick and paver styles in tiling.  I would really love to see another detailed pattern emerge – Herringbone.   With Herringbone patterns, the pieces are perpendicular to each other, resulting in a broken zigzag- the rectangles stepping off one another.

You can add additional details to the Herringbone pattern such as a checkers border or pinstripe edge.  You can also place the Herringbone pattern on the floors with wood planking.  It makes the whole space so elegant.  

It’s Veggie Time – ORGANICALLY

Looking to go a bit more organic this summer?  Growing your own vegetables is both fun and rewarding as well as living a bit more organically. All you really need to get started is some decent soil, some wood planking to box a frame and a few plants.  I personally like the raised bed vegetable gardens.  They are easy to plan and design and will provide a good amount of fresh, flavorful and delicious veggies for your family to enjoy.

I love the wooden stump stepping stone detail added to this garden.  It’s a creative, natural design that is perfect in the space.  Visit your nearest garden supply company to find the materials you will need to build a convenient, easy-to-plant and tend raised garden bed today!

Stuck On Color?

Are you stuck with a blank canvas and trying to determine what colors you should go for in your home to compliment you style and spirit?  If you need some help and want to find some inspiration check out Design Seeds. This company have really nailed the visual approach to understanding color palette selection. Here you will find a handful of categories and within each are images that color palettes are pulled from.

This approach – focusing on one image- is the way you should decorate.  Take your favorite painting or photograph showcased in your home and use it as your template.  Visit a local paint shop or a big home DIY chain such as Home Depot and use the color strips in the paint department to pull colors out from your image.  These colors will start your story at home and transform your blank canvas.  You can build on it by taking your color palette to places like HomeGoods and selecting textiles and props to decorate.

Black Magic Windows

If you’re looking at window replacements for your home and want to make a statement that will literally transform your home and give it curb appeal choose black windows. We recently renovated our 1912 colonial and the black windows add that artistic element that defines the glass and add detail against the brick.

If you are not planning to replace your windows but want this look think about painting the window mullions black to create this effect.  Window mullions are the lines between the frame which separates the panes of glass in the window.  There is a reason why from a small age we all drew  our dream homes with windows made of black marker- it looked best.

Make Your Entrance Memorable

One image that is lasting when you approach any house is the entrance welcoming you into the new space.  Entrances should be memorable, appealing, and  give you an idea of how splendid the space you are about to enter is.  I love door decor and last year I went wild over a succulent wreath that lasted all through the summer.  All I had to do was soak it in the sink for a few hours every two weeks and it stayed in perfect condition.

This season I will be investing a bit more more and looking to get one like the image above from a great company called Lila B Design.  They have beautiful succulent displays and I was immediately captivated when I saw this stunning wreath. Gimme!!!

Get door decoration!  It leaves a lasting impression.

Arts and Crafts style homes have become very popular in New England and they fit in beautifully with the style and atmosphere of Boston suburbs. This trend that originated in the 40’s and 50’s has been perfected by a developer I work with, Wellbuilt, and is making the Winchester and Lexington residents fall in love once again.

Some of the key features of a craftsman style home feature wide eaves, beamed ceilings, square stock base boards and trim, front porch square or tapered columns with wood, stone or brick, lower pitched roofs, open plan living with a racetrack floor plan design, 10′ ceilings on the main floor and 9′ ceiling heights on second floor, hardwood floors, painted or un-painted wood trim, custom built ins, square columns in the living and dining rooms, gable over large front porch, wood shingles on gable ends, lots of wood work, exterior stone chimney, stone fireplace, wainscoting, custom moldings with wood trim and so on.

If you want to explore the Craftsman style home, reach out to Wellbuilt.  They have perfected this art!

Can I have an Orangery Please?

An Orangery, similar to a green house or conservatory, is a room/structure that is a stand alone or attachment to an existing home that adds loads of sun through its ceiling windows.  You could find orangeries in the grounds of fashionable residences from the 17th to the 19th centuries across Europe where they would keep citrus trees.

When I lived in London I would see orangeries more frequently, but in the US I never see them and would love to.  They create an environment that feels very connected with the outside and provide a calm, scenic space to relax and enjoy.