The Prettiest Shades of Blue

We have this thing for blue. Not all shades of blue, of course, but soft blue, robin's egg blue, gray blue... You know, the kind of blues that don't make you feel blue but soothe your heart and your soul. We like mixing it with white (for a beachy look)and with lots of mirrors (for the Hollywood Regency look). It's quite a winning combination. Check out this picture below from Methome to see an example of what we meant:

And here are a few products in blue that we just adore (all can be found in the home decor section).

Desi Stool

Blue Light Spencer Table




Flamingo Lamp

Blue Chinoiserie Box

Black is so...90's--Decorate with Colors Instead!

Black is so 90s, so claimed Vera Wang in the business section of the New York Times this past Sunday.

We unequivocably agreed. Frankly we're tired of black. Or beige. Or brown for that matter. When it comes to home furnishings we think colors are SO in! Not gaudy, obnoxious colors that hurt your eyes when you look at it, but vibrant, sunny colors that are used cohesively...

Here are few examples that show colors being used widely and successfully:

Note the intensity of the wall colors, and how it is offset with the softer, more neutral colors of the furnishings.

Here is another view of this room:

(Photo courtesy of Met Home)

If you are into colors right now, check out the shop by color section at Inside Avenue. It groups items into color scheme to make it easy to shop by your favorite color theme.

Elle Decor Magazine-The Ultimate Design Magazine

Elle Decor magazine is one of our most favorite design magazines in the world! Its features are always original, whimsical, and totally sophisticated. It also use extensive colors, which is our favorite thing to do when it comes to interior design. Neutral is nice, but color is way hotter!

If you like Elle Decor's style, you'll probably like these...All can be found on the home accessories section at Inside Avenue.

This lamp comes in blue (shown), pink, white and black. We just love the shade.

This pendant is a nice touch of colors for your outdoor room. It is available in pink, orange, white, yellow and black.

This set of print is colorful and fun. It's Asian but not overly so... We love these stools. We've seen them at Mondrian hotel in Scottsdale in white. Shown here in green, they are also available in white, black and blue.


And check out this awesome table! It is also available in a longer version (this one is 30" long, the larger one is 48" long). The table is available in blue, yellow and white.

Cool Wall Decorating

When it comes to wall decorating, the typical solutions are a) paint it with different colors 2) decorate with arts or 3) use wallpaper. Once in a while, though, we find a product that we just love...Check out these wall panels from B& N Industries. They are just way cool!

Typically installed in commercial settings, we find these suitable for residential applications as well. Use them in a bedroom or bathroom and voila, instant chic!

Shown mostly in white, these panels are available in different colors (you can see them on the B & N web site). We love the color options.

Check out this blue one:



We like this white one as well:



This one is quite hip...


To see more of these panels, check out the company web site at www.bnind.com.

Kelly Wearstler-Part Deux

We have to admit, we are totally obsessed with Kelly Wearstler. We think she is a brilliant designer! It's true she gets more press in the interior design world than most, but she deserves it.

If you are a fan of Kelly Wearstler, you probably see her work at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica, Estrella in Palm Springs and others mentioned in her book "Modern Glamour". Here are few products that will help you achieve the look...

All can be found at Inside Avenue home accessories section.

White Temple Vase

White Elephant Table

White Venus Bust

Yellow Hollywood Regency Lamp

Asian Horse

White Greyhound

Kelly Wearstler offers a selected product porfolio include fabrics (available through Decorators Walk), carpet (Stark), Wallpaper (F Schumacher) and various other products. A good discount source for Kelly Wearsler fabric and wallpaper is Discount Fabric Resources.com. Kelly Wearstler fabric is made by F Schumacher.

Decorating a Bedroom

We spend a tremendous amount of time in our beds, why not make it as beautiful as possible?

Here are a few quick ideas on how to decorate your bedroom:

-Buy the best linens you can afford. Nothing beats sleeping on good sheets.

-Buy the best mattress you can afford. A comfortable bed helps you sleep better.

-Have good reading lamps. Eye strain is the most common cause of headache.

-Have some fresh flowers and scented candles on your nightstands. Both are very soothing...

-If you must, have a TV, but keep it hidden if you can.

-Get rid of those god-awful electronic alarm clock. There are many nice clocks out there, and did you know you can use your cell phone as an alarm too?

-If your room is large enough, put a couple of comfortable sitting chairs seperated by a beautiful small table.

-A chaise is a great piece of furniture for the corner. Be sure to have a small table next to it to set down a book or a drink.

Decorating with Neutral Colors

We love colors, but we love neutral colors even more. There is something pleasing about coming home to a nice, quiet palette. It brings peace to the soul and gives your eyes a rest.

Here are a few neutral decorating scheme that are quite nice:




A nice use of black, gray and brown. Very masculine and clean-lined.




We think when it comes to bedding, nothing beats nice, white, high-thread count sheets. This bedroom looks like a beautiful boutique hotel suite.

Here's a good source for excellent bed sheets...

Look at this scene. It's one way you can turn a hardly-used corner space into something gorgeous...



With neutral colors, the key is to mix it up a bit. Use colorful accents such as flowers, artwork or home accessories to brighten up. Mix shades of colors, such as cream, beige and white--otherwise it gets monotonous. Finally, layer different textures together.

Image source: Metropolitan Home