Magenta at the Oscars.

Last night the 2011 Oscars were held at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles.  Among the attendees in full glamour mode were Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman wearing magenta gowns.  This is hands down my favorite color!  However, is it as gorgeous in our homes as it is on these women?

Scarlett Johansson was stunning in a magenta lace Dolce & Gabbana dress.

A pregnant Natalie Portman wore a beautiful magenta silk chiffon draped gown.

Interior Designer Hilary White designed this room for a client who had a love affair with pink.  The tufted magenta banquet is ultra-glamorous and complements the more conservative wing chairs.  The glitz factor is heightened with a mirrored console and lustrous chandelier.  The design is pulled together with a custom painted pattern floor.

Doesn't every girl want her room to be pink?  The bold magenta damask is suddenly fresh and modern when used on an accent wall in an otherwise all-white room.  A white duvet, white throw pillows, white rug and white drapes add texture and comfort. 

The bright magenta chair and rug in this lovely bedroom brings with it a fun whimsical quality.  The restrained palette is suddenly turned up a notch making the room bold and current.

An 18th-century magenta and white toile serves as the bedspread in this elegant bedroom.

A spot of bright magenta covers a beautiful hardwood parquet floor, adding color and energy to the black and white color scheme.

What do you think?  Should magenta be left in the closet or pulled out and put in our home decor?

Sliding Barn Doors.

No other architectural structure better exemplifies the spirit of the American pioneers than their barns. Today, many people recognize the beauty of these historic structures as many old barns have been located, dismantled and restored.  Their doors have been reclaimed and salvaged as well. Restoring these relics from the past gives us the opportunity of living with part of history. Integrating them into a home adds an immense amount of character as well as functionality. 

Sliding barn doors add instant charm and appeal to a space!  Unlike their hinged counterparts, slider doors occupy very little space as they are mounted on hardware above the door frame.  Acting as dividers between rooms, these doors come in a variety of styles and colors, such as this robin's egg blue.

These doors can be rustic and earthy or modern and sleek.  They can be left in their natural state with peeling paint, knicks and other signs of wear or refinished and repainted in vibrant colors such as this canary yellow.

 Freshly painted a bright white to match the moldings, this sliding barn door adds beauty and function.  

There's something romantic and rustic about sliding barn doors.  Utilizing them in a design scheme makes homes unique.  This barn door, left unfinished, is reminiscent of days long past.  It's juxtaposed beautifully against the crisp white floor and walls.

Wallpapers that Wow!

In interior design, as with fashion, trends come and go.  Homeowners today rarely wallpaper every wall of every room like they did in the 1980s.  However, wallpapers are evolving.  New styles and textures are available today that are sure to delight. Wallpapers are a way to add texture, color and interest, even if only used in small doses. 

A dramatic design can make a great decorating statement in a small space. The walls seem to disappear, so you don’t feel as if you are enclosed in a small room. This vibrant patterned wallpaper adds a lot of personality and looks current and fresh next to the white moldings.  I love the pop of color that comes from the modern light fixture.

How do you make a child's room cheerful and fun?  Cover the walls in a bright whimsical wallpaper.

The new nature-inspired wallpapers are bringing back the fun side of nature.  Bold and bright patterns have taken the place of more muted wall hues and overwrought floral fabrics.  The nature theme is heightened with wicker baskets and a kilim rug.

How do you make a statement in a room?  Murals are a great design element and can be used to create an accent wall.  Go big, bold and beautiful in a way that's really fresh.  Both of these wallpapers are from Cole & Son.

The red and white floral wallpaper is both modern and cheery.  It adds much needed color and depth.  Restraint was exercised by only covering one wall.  This allows the contemporary art work to remain the focal point and not get swallowed up by an eye-catching pattern.  Photo from Stylizimo.blogspot.com.

The elegant and serene vibe of this bedroom is maintained because the beautiful wallpaper adds pattern and interest without overwhelming the room.  I love the brass nailhead detailing on the headboard.

If you're worried that the wallpaper love affair won't last, then consider creating a wallpaper screen.  I'm currently creating a focal point in my bedroom by placing an overscaled grasscloth wallpaper screen behind it.

Beautiful, Sexy Black Doors!

Color is one of the best, but least expensive, decorating tools.  Black is a striking color choice for interior doors.  It can have an enormous impact and give a sharp, clean feeling to a room.  It's surprising how the eye is drawn to the black highlights in a room.

You’ll know a designer door when you see one. It has an exclusive design rather than a mass-market look. The most gorgeous designer interior doors come from Italy. If you want a door that isn’t trendy and will look as good in 20 years as it does today, the nINETY contemporary black door is available at 27estore.com.  In this almost all-white room it's a focal point and maintains a sculptural presence.

Many light-starved people fear that using black in their homes will create a look that is too dark.  How do you get chic appeal without the gloom factor? For the most lustery sheen, use a high-gloss oil paint as seen here.  It reflects light and bounces it around the room.  Used in combination with glass and light-reflecting metals, it's anything but gloomy.

Because black is carried throughout the room, this door doesn't grab all the attention.  Glass panes allow plenty of light to filter in, keeping the room from becoming too dark.

In designer Steven Gabrel's home, black paned double doors create a dramatic entrance into an inviting patio area.  I love the stone table and klismos chairs.

The double black doors leading into Steven Gambrel's bedroom have been fitted with antique mirrors creating a look that is truly unique.

This handsome black dutch door adds rustic charm and proves that black doors can provide country chic as well as city glam.  I love the texture and color of the brick floor.  It heightens the interest level.

This lustrous black sliding barn door is a perfect example of self-contradiction.  One would expect to see such a door with peeling paint surfaces and other signs of wear and tear rather than high-gloss black paint and new sleek hardware.  However, this particular rendition of an old antique classic is exquisite.

Impeccably framed with thin white molding, this black door has been outfitted with shiny nickel hardware. Finished in a low sheen paint, it creates a more subdued vibe.  It looks perfectly at home in this mid-century modern office.

Both the artwork and bookcase continue the black and white theme.

This gorgeous distinct antique black door appears more prominent having been framed in natural wood beams. 

Symmetry is always beautiful and works especially well in more formal rooms such as these.

Black is a popular color choice, even in the bathroom.  Bathrooms decorated in black are beautiful and classy.  They convey elegance and sophistication.  Given that there are plenty of lights and mirrors combined with an abundance of white, this black door is anything but gloomy.

Let It Snow!

I love it when it snows!  Today in Sammamish, Washington we had five inches.  My son actually measured it on the back patio.  Instead of creating the usual blog featuring glamorous interiors I thought I'd give you a glimpse of the snowy panorama surrounding me.

Luckily the schools are closed due to winter break as school transportation doesn't function well in these conditions.  Yesterday a record low temperature of 27 degrees was set at Seattle-Tacoma airport. 

Sammamish, Washington covered in snow.  It looks like a winter wonderland.

Snow makes everything look pretty. Beyond the snowy landscape, Lake Sammamish is visible in the distance.  To think that we'll be waterskiing (with dry suits, of course) in a few short months.

Home Sweet Home.  The kids are on the back lawn building igloos.  And, yes, my teenage son is still wearing shorts!

Enjoy!  And, I'll be thinking about the next blog......

The Beauty of Wide Plank Flooring.

Hardwood floors are handsome and durable and have stood the test of time.  They've been used beautifully in almost every style of decor.  In my opinion, it's one of the most gorgeous flooring choices you can make.

Part of the reason for the unmatched beauty of wide plank flooring is the fact that they are milled from older trees that have taken years to develop.  Homes that are over 100 years old can still have the original flooring.  I love the traditional architecture in this entryway and shot of unexpected color from the robin's egg blue door.  It is warm and inviting and provides the perfect ambience to welcome guests.

Wide plank flooring comes in enough varieties to match any home's decor.  The visible cracks between these floorboards adds to the rustic charm of the bedroom. I love the addition of the animal skin rug next to the bed.  Laying rugs over hardwood floors cuts the noise and adds warmth.

Wide plank wood flooring offers a broader surface that allows the natural grain to more distinctly stand out, especially when the wood is left a natural tone such as this floor.  The warm wood tones compliment the blue and white color scheme.

Wide plank flooring comes in many types of wood, from oak to pine, and can be stained to match any room’s motif.  In this crisp all-white dining room the light wood tones add a minimal amount of color, which is then punctuated with darker wood tones throughout the space.  The slipcovered chairs are integral in delivering a different texture and relief from the abundance of visible wood surfaces.

Aesthetically, the wide plank wood flooring creates a vibrant atmosphere in this kitchen.  It's rich color adds authenticity, warmth and character.  The red barstools stand on their own rather than blending in with the floor.

 Wide plank flooring symbolizes antiquity and can't be successfully replicated by the modern hardwood flooring industry. It's unrivaled character enhances the charm of this dining area.  I love the mismatched seating that varies in both style and scale.  The chairs appear as though they're dinner guests with varying personalities gathered around the table and awaiting a meal.  It heightens the interest so much more than a matched set.

Wide plank flooring comes in a variety of widths.  The flooring in this entryway appears to be among the widest available.  It adds to the rustic country flair of this space, along with the charming door, wood beams and stone walls.

The visible knots, grain and color variations visible in this wide plank flooring lends undeniably character to the hallway, especially when juxtaposed with the more current lattice patterned wallpaper in vibrant hues.  The traditional architecture and lighting add the perfect counterpoint.

The width of these planks is narrower than most wide plank flooring used.  However, it's still wider than most current flooring options.  I love the barrel vaulted ceiling and succession of period lighting fixtures.  The hood gracefully mimics the lines of the ceiling.

I love the wide plank flooring, along with the backsplash that goes all the way up the wall, in this kitchen.  Along with the period lighting and beautiful molding, it creates a welcoming kitchen space.  I also love the open shelves and visible tools, which makes the room appear as though someone actually cooks here. 

One of the beauties of wide plank flooring is that it can be sanded and restained.  When your style changes, you can change the look of your hardwood floors.  This space could change from traditional to modern by restaining the floors ebony and choosing lighting with a more contemporary vibe.     

More Blue and White....

After my post yesterday, a beautiful ad in the recent issue of Vogue by Ippolita caught my eye.  It featured the most stunning bangles with dazzling blue and white gemstones.  Since interior design often follows fashion, and vice versa, I wondered if such a combination could be so elegantly done in a chandelier.  What do you think?

These bangles feature mother of pearl, quartz and sterling silver and are sold at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Another ad features a similar bracelet designed with gold and turquoise gemstones.

Stark white walls serve as the backdrop for this over the top indigo chandelier.  Reflected in the venetian mirror, the striking light fixture makes an undeniable statement.

 Roast Design created this amazing light fixture. Each glass sphere is hand blown by highly skilled glass blowers who learned their skill in Murano, Italy.  Along with the clean lined bathtub, the chandelier has a sculptural presence and elevates the modern aesthetic of the bathroom. 

This blue and white light fixture is none other than the popular Hicks Pendant Light designed by Thomas O'Brien for Circa Lighting.  It takes center stage in this crisp all-white kitchen.    The nailhead trim on the barstools mimics the brass detailing on the light fixtures.  Espresso stained wood floors keep the space grounded.

Centered over the glossy white table, this teal glass chandelier is a stiking focal point.  In an otherwise neutral space, it adds interest, depth and a bit of whimsy.