Dreamy bed

Oh, how I love thee.  When other’s might claim to dream of genie, I dream of many things, but of late, it is of this beautiful bed by Edward Ferrel/Lewis Mittman.

It all started with the first image (featured on many blogs before) that started me day dreaming.  I knew immediately……I was in love.  Yes, it was love at first sight….ummm, okay, I admit, it may be odd to some of you that I have this feeling towards a piece of furniture.  But, if you are passionate about something, love comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and you learn to just go with the flow of these things.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interior designer Liz Williams  created this stunning space in a charming home in the Ansley Park area of Atlanta using the bed in a medium finish which contrasts beautifully against the simple elegant fabric.

Image via Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles, photography by Erica George Dines.

 A different angle to the gorgeous bedroom by Liz Williams.

Then……pitter patter, thump, thump, goes my heart when I see this bedroom……..

 

 

by the very talented designer Amy Morris. 

Anyone would be a very happy person drifting off to sleep, perhaps dreaming of delicious white and dark chocolate truffles that are inspired by this dreamy space. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carole Weaks, of C. Weaks Interiors, Inc. created this inviting bedroom at the Inspired Home Design Showcase at the Mart in Atlanta. 

 

Bed by Lewis Mittman, benches by Amy Howard. 

 

 

 

The Lewis Mittman: St. George Bed can be made up in array of finishes, fabrics and custom details.  Here it is shown with intricate tufting in a striking silver finish with a pale grey blue velvet. 

Or, for a richer look, consider using a silver finish contrasted with a dark rich damask pattern.
One can also create a warm sunny feeling when done in a light finish complemented in a glowing golden fabric.  Room scene from Lewis Mittman website.

After seeing this bed I find myself spending countless nights dreaming, fantasizing, craving, wanting…..dreaming those sweet dreams……till some day. 

Wishing you all sweet dreams. 

If you too find yourself wanting a fresh new look, don’t quite know how to identify your personal style, or how to pull it all together Interior View can help create the room of your dreams.

Ceilings: Painted, Papered and Pampered

Go ahead, look up, there it is, the ceiling…….that important component to a room that seems all too often to be neglected, the poor forgotten ceiling.  Ceiling treatments are an element to a room that with a few simple touches, or substantial ones, the room’s overall feel can be impacted in a dramatic way.

When color surrounds you, when it embraces the entire room from top to bottom, it creates a soothing atmosphere especially when done in a calming palette.  Kelley Proxmire of Kelley Interior Design  created this stunning dining room on the Eastern Shore.  The mirror reflects the muted tones and the warmth that the the golden tan ceiling adds to the space.

   

 

 

 

Steven Gambrel  at a seaside retreat in an upstairs getaway, applied texture to the ceiling which wraps the room in softening the space and the angles of the room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Tracy Morris Designs accents a curved ceiling with a beautiful antiqued treatment adding character and depth to an elegant room. 

 

 

 

 

Like an empty canvas,  the ceiling  can become a work of art, creating  a striking design feature that finishes a space. 

Suzanne Kasler demonstrates this brilliantly in a foyer with the subtle damask pattern in tones of persimmon and camel wallpaper used on the ceiling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bedrooms are  great rooms to consider when treating the ceiling.  For while we are horizontal, we naturally tend to spend a good bit of  time looking up. 

Amanda Nisbet Design  applied a golden geometric pattern which adds a dazzling dimension to this colorful bedroom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Camille Saum  creates a soft radiant glow with the warmth from the color on the walls (Orangery by Farrow & Ball) along with the hand-stenciled ceiling and hand-painted squares on the floor. 
    

 

 

 

Sally Steponkus  & Heather Safferstone collaborated on a vibrant sitting room with a crisp, urban look by using a deep taupe-gray (Farrow & Balls: Mouse Back) walls punched with yellow (Farrow & Ball:Dayroom Yellow) ceiling, and white trim (Farrow &Ball:Wimborne White).  This created for a very striking backdrop for the room. 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Elizabeth Hague Interiors  
in this stunning dining room creates a sensuous mood with the restful soft palette and a beautiful choice of color for the ceiling.  One could certainly linger in this room for long periods at a time. 

 

 

 

 

In this salon, Katie Leede-McGloin creates a glamorous yet intimate space using metallic elements with the silver bowl, curvy sculpture, glittery pillows and gold leaf horse heads.  These help wrap and balance the room along with the metallic painted ceiling treatment.

 

 

 

 

I love the bold contrast of the black and white accented with the soft grey blue and muted green tones that Jessica Lagrange Interiors  used in this happy space. 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

A bold statement was created by
McGill Design Group from Toronto, Ontario, when they added moldings and painted the ceiling black.   Design Sponge featured a dramatic before and after of this dining room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barclay Butera used raffia on the ceiling in his family room for a neutral backdrop to allow flexibility if color change is desired down the road.  Infusing texture and interest through out the room by treating the ceiling  adds to and defines this comfortable space.

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Elizabeth Gordon Studio used a strong blue and gold pattern on the ceiling that enlivens as well as adds strength to the space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Ballroom Blue by Farrow & Ball wrapped up onto high ceiling grounds the space and helps to create an intimate feel in this large open family room. (image source Flickr)  The examples shown were done with paper and/or paint, but there are unlimited possibilities of other ways to enhance that long forgotten space up above……let your imagination run wild, or wait patiently for my post on other options :).  If your imagination of what you might create in attempting something like this on your own, Interior View provides service in creating unique individual spaces designed just for you.

Don’t forget to look up, and consider the ceiling, skies the limit, go for it.

Hot Stylish Fires: In The Great Outdoors

It is the chill yourself to the bone type cold weather for most of us during this time, now is a great moment to envision warming yourself up.  So, go ahead, call me crazy, grab your glass of wine, and join me as we go on outside to warm up with a stylish outdoor fireplace underneath the dazzling starry sky.  Can you feel it, the warmth radiating from the glow of the fire?  OK, well maybe in the dead of winter you might want to bring a blanket along too.  Stunning & Sustainable
Spark Fires introduced themselves to the industry with their inventive ribbon fireplace back in 2005.  Nothing can smother this smokin’ hot company and their fabulous innovative flawless designed outdoor fireplace (another day another post for their chic indoor fireplaces).

                                  

Sure to compliment any landscape, adding one of these sleek stylish fireplaces to an outdoor space will certainly make you want to cozy up to it and its warmth.  You just may never want to go back inside.

 Clean & Green SPARK products are energy-efficient and designed to be as clean-burning as
possible, nearly eliminating any carbon monoxide or soot. Proud to be a member of The United States Green Building Council.                          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And just went you didn’t think it could get any hotter………….check out these stunning cast concrete fire pits from Solus Decor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solus Décor is a Vancouver, BC-based design and manufacturing studio committed to designing and crafting the world's finest cast concrete products.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hot….Hot…..Hot….. Sizzling hot….
I say, good bye Mr.Winter, bring on the heat!

A Winter Mantle of Hope

Please welcome (again) my guest blogger, Gloria de Lourdes Blalock.  She tells us a beautiful story of hope, desires and dreams in describing how this had influenced her striking mantle decorations she displayed this winter.   The story is very meaningful and will have you wanting for more, so please grab a big cup of joe or tea to enjoy as Gloria explains in detail her:

A Winter Mantle of Hope

Having been born in Cuba and leaving the island in 1970 at the age of 6, I remember all too well all of the things we had to ‘go with out’. When we arrived in this country, my parents, two brothers and I held hands as we were instructed by my father to kneel and kiss the ground. With this single act, he announced that we were now to pledge allegiance only to this country… for it was the United States that had taken us in and had offered us a chance at a new life. So for the last 40 years, that is what we have proudly done. However, in the last several years, many of my thoughts return to my birthplace and to the way of life that those left behind have led since our departure. Not a single day goes by when I don’t say ‘thank God that we live in America.’ 

This past Halloween, my mantle offered a sense of decay. As with most decorations made for this specific holiday, they were dark, brooding and ‘spooky’. I tried to correlate this feeling to what I imagine the mood to be throughout this Caribbean island. For many years, the architecture throughout the land appears to wear the vestiges of time. Rot, decay, and negligence has left what used to be a beautiful landscape… tainted with a sadness that has been well publicized since the onset of socialism.

So while during the fall season I tried to capture the mood there today, during this winter season I want to elevate the vignette under my map of Cuba into something that represents the potential and hope that I hold in my heart for Cuba’s future. 

Within the plateau of decorations, I have added coral and shells as representational items that can be found there. Beyond that I peppered the branches of both white orchids and Manzanita trees with red and green Christmas balls hanging from cream silk ribbon. A garland graces the top of the framed poster and also runs the length of the mantle, falling to the ground on either side. Small white lights remind me of the same ones used in the trees of the Intercontinental Hotel where my parents honeymooned in Havana.  And upon close observation, the starfish appear to be dancing salsa if you could hear the music playing while viewing the mantle. 

A single coral Christmas tree with a small starfish topper proudly holds center stage. This was a gift, to me, by none other than your blogger, Laura Jens. Knowing my love for all things inspired by and from the ocean, she knew this would make a wonderful Christmas gift for me. 
 

 

Below the mantle, hangs a single ornament depicting the ‘Real Reason for the Season’. It is a glass-enclosed painting of the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus.

 

 

One of the things taken from the Cuban people, was their freedom of religion. Over the last several years, there has been some resurgence, but it is not to the extent that it was before. So again, it is my hope that Cuba’s future, encompass all of the magic that I tried to create. 

Epiphany is on January 6^th, and it is the date in most Latin American countries that Jesus’ birth is celebrated. As children, our gifts were brought to us by the ‘Three Wise Men’ and placed under our beds. From what I’ve been told, this tradition only takes place now in some homes, but not in all. It is not only financially impossible, but something that is government restricted. So here again, lies an example of why I carry only the best wishes in my heart for its future freedom. This wish, incidentally, is not only for Cuba, but for all places worldwide where oppression limits dreams and government restrictions hold back hope. 

 

  

May the shores that lie so close to the U.S. be blessed with not only the beauty of its white sands, coral reefs and amazing shells… but the magic that it deserves at the start of 2010 and always……

Repurpose, Reuse, Recycle…. a new Life for reclaimed objects

While thinking about the New Year that lies ahead and considering what some of the objectives will be, I also ponder what from the past worked well that might be used again.  There seems to be some things in life that work just as they were, and others enhance when given a new role.

Vintage objects used in diverse ways create interesting ideas that breathes new life for a fresh inventive look.

This stunning butler's Flatware display is by artist Adam Smith.  Made from antique, solid sterling flatware, handmade bronze frame, and antique tintypes, presented in a wood case with magnets on back of pieces. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vintage drawer pulls  from dressers attached to the wall make  perfect ornate hooks for keys and reading glasses. Adding curtain clips works great to attach papers or business cards. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old ornate metal heating vents are too pretty not to be repurposed. Hang one on the wall for a great way to display your favorite magazines.

 

 

There were so many great recycled items at the Greenhouse Charity Works House in Mclean Virginia. One of those were the lovely recycled glass bottle pendants that were used in the mudroom.   Custom Design Concepts Architecture + Interiors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An old knife caddy is transformed into a pretty stash for bathroom supplies Better Homes and Gardens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Photographer Jim Westphalen for Country Gardens.
Karin over at Your Cozy Home  fascinated by oil lamps at the flea market found a creative way to use them without having to bother with the oil and lighting them. 

 

 

Turn of the century spool or tool chests are great ways to store silverware, placemats, coasters, or retrofitted for jewelry. 

We all have seen them (maybe even owned them), those hideous light fixtures from the 80’s & 90’sthat once hung not so proudly in homes.  Breathe new life into them but transforming them into terrariums.  

May we all find the resources we need to make 2010 a blissful year.