Design Elements: Adding Color
Hi lovelies! Happy Friday! I know I have been telling you my life is crazy busy, and I haven’t been posting as often the past couple weeks, but my blog is super important to me and I want to thank all my followers for your support and sweet comments! It really means a lot to me and I think its important to tell you often, how grateful I am for all of you, I digress!
Today I am excited to talk to you about color! Now that spring is here, a lot of people change out their pillows add flowers to vases, etc. to bring color and life into their home. I wanted to give you 5 helpful and fun tips on how to add color to your home this spring and summer! These tips are inexpensive and super easy!
Enjoy!
Xo,
Rachel Ashley
1. Painting a drab, old dinning room table, your favorite color! Paint is a quick and easy way to add color to furniture.
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2. Add pops of color in unexpected places like the inside of bookcases or cabinets.
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3. Add colored vases and flowers to a kitchen or any room in your home!
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4. Painting curtain rods a bright color is an adorable way to add color to your window!
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5. Paint a wall an accent color. If your not brave enough to paint an entire wall, you could paint a small wall like shown below.
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Design Element: Mirrors
Fashionably Living is excited to have Arcadian Home guest post today! Arcadian Home is contributing to the Design Element Series! Since it has been a while, lets recap the first three Design Elements in the Series. The first in the series was lighting. Lighting can make all the difference in a space. The use of light in interior spaces greatly affects the environment and mood. The second Design Element in the series was Space Evaluation. When it comes to evaluating your space you have to see the space for exactly how it is. Slow down and take a good look at your space and how you use it. The third Design Element in the series is all about details! I once heard, “A room with real flair most likely comes from the heart of a risk taker.” Isn’t that the truth?!?
Now, Mari from Arcadian Home will be sharing with all of you lovely readers the fourth Design Element in the series!
Hello, lovely blog readers! It’s Mari here from Arcadian Home, a beautiful place to find lots of interior design inspirations, including amazing lighting fixtures, table decor ideas and lovely wall art. I’m so excited to be visiting Fashionably Living today to share a guest post about one of my favorite decorative and functional design elements–mirrors.
From foyer to bath, I hope these rooms will inspire you to bring the beautiful reflective qualities of these beauties into your interior (and exterior) spaces. Please enjoy!
A collection of gently aged mirrors in a wonderful mix of sizes and shapes creates the backdrop for this lovely vintage vignette.
Tall and narrow in a wide black frame, this mirror is perfect for the beautifully paneled space it occupies. All in all this is a chic and stylish look with a gorgeous raspberry silk upholstered bench and lovely contemporary foyer lighting.
Mirrors are often used as focal points over fireplaces. A massive sunburst mirror definitely draws the eye and creates excitement above this white-painted brick fireplace in an eclectic living room.
Another fireplace, this one with a classic look, gets the reflective treatment with a complicated gold-brushed framed rectangular mirror. It leans casually against the wall rather than being hung—an interesting choice for such a formal space.
Oval wall mirrors have their own special look. Here, a fancy feminine frame contrasts nicely with the rustic wood of the vanity.
Interior designer Tobi Fairley created this whimsical lilac and black bedroom for her daughter. A massive black-framed floor mirror mounted on the wall reflects filtered sunlight and the stunning canopied daybed across the space.
A light-filled living room has an appealing global vibe. Twin Moroccan mirrors add an exotic look to the space.
Mirrors can look magnificent in outdoor rooms. Here’s one gorgeous example created with round mirrors set in intricately crafted frames. How beautiful they look against the golden-hued wall.
Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
What do you think of these mirrors, and where would you put them in your home? Leave us your comments and be sure to visit us for more home decor, lighting, and interior inspirations!
Design Elements: Its All In The Details
Happy New Year! I realized this is my first post in 2013! Sorry its been a while since I posted last; with the holidays coming to an end and finishing my Christmas vacation, I spent a lot of time relaxing! I’m back in full swing and I am ready to have an amazing 2013! I wanted to take a moment and thank all of you again for supporting me and Fashionably Living! Your comments mean the world to me and I have so much fun meeting new people and creating new friendships in the blog world! Cheers to a fabulous and blessed 2013!
In 2013, I want to continue to share with all of you one of my passions and that is Interior Design. Since it has been a while, lets recap the first two. The first in the series was lighting. Lighting can make all the difference in a space. The use of light in interior spaces greatly affects the environment and mood. There are four basic types of lighting: accent, ambient,task and natural light. Each type of lighting plays a specific role and it is important to know how to use each of them. The second Design Element in the series was Space Evaluation. When it comes to evaluating your space you have to see the space for exactly how it is. Slow down and take a good look at your space and how you use it. Decorating is fairly easy; only worry about two things: what items to put in your space and where to place each item. Functional and emotional needs tell us what items to use and where to place them. Both of these Design Elements are very important, but there is more. “Its All In The Details” is the third post in the Design Elements Series! The word DETAILS can take on many meanings in the design world, anything from the architecture of a building to the to the styling of a coffee table. I think for the majority of us Fashion lovers the details are the most exciting part! I once heard, “A room with real flair most likely comes from the heart of a risk taker.” Isn’t that the truth?!? Details are the added touches a designer uses to make a space stand out. My favorite part of design, comes from the details. Details can be large or small. The best part is they don’t have to be showy, sometimes its the smallest details that make the greatest impact.
I mentioned back in December via Twitter and Instagram that I was working on a very special project and I was so excited to share it with you! I also Instagrammed or Instagram (not sure which is correct) a picture trying to see if anyone could guess the big Interior Design project I was working on. I am ready for the big reveal, and I thought this would be a great way to show you how details can truly make an impact! I painted this all by hand and it took about three days to finish, I was so pleased with the outcome! I hope you love it as much as I do, and it inspires you to add DETAILS to your space!
XO,
Rachel Ashley
Design Elements: Space Evaluation
Decorating is half know-how and half self-confidence! I hope by the end of the Design Elements Series you will feel more confident in your decorating decisions. The key to decorating = be yourself! You don’t have to be super artistic or extremely stylish, because decorating is simply about creating a space that makes you happy! The second design element of the series is “space evaluation!” Obviously, I am not going in order, because the first design element of the series was “lighting!” But stick with me, and we will put them all together and even in order, when I wrap up the series!
When it comes to evaluating your space you have to see the space for exactly how it is. Slow down and take a good look at your space and how you use it. Don’t clean your space up and then evaluate it, leave the space just how it is. The best way to understand your space is to see exactly how you use it, even though it can be difficult to see how you really live. Take a photo and look and what’s not working. Do you have too much empty space, too many dark corners, is your lighting too bright, is it too hard to have a conversation, do you need window treatments, do you need more counter space, do have enough seating, do you have too much stuff, do you need more storage space, etc.? Obviously, these questions vary depending on the room you’re evaluating, but you need to ask yourself all of these questions. Once you have figured what you need and what you don’t need, it’s now time to tackle all your current items (i.e. décor and furniture) in your space. Many people think when you redecorate you have to ditch everything, but that’s not true at all. You usually have everything you need; you just need to use it differently and more efficiently. What pieces in your room do you use regularly (be honest)? Which pieces are you holding onto, just because?
Don’t spend hours around town trying to find the perfect piece of furniture when you may already have it. But be careful not to keep an item because you feel guilty for getting rid of it or it’s convenient to keep it. Make sure the furniture or other items in the room fit the following criteria: (1) It must be easy to use and comfortable, (2) compatible with your emotional wants (3) functionally necessary. You should make three piles: the goner’s, the keeper’s, and the maybes. The goner’s don’t fit the necessary criteria, the keeper’s fit the criteria, and the maybes fit the criteria but you don’t love it or hate it. Decorating is fairly easy; only worry about two things: what items to put in your space and where to place each item. Next decide your functional an emotional needs of those items. I want to leave you with this statement, be sure to analyze it: “Functional and emotional needs tell us what items to use and where to place them.” If you have further questions and need more directions please message me, I would love to help!
That’s a lot of information to digest, but I hope that helped you get started! There will be more to come, but let’s stop there! Now go evaluate your space, see what you need, what you need to get rid of!
XO,
Rachel Ashley
Design Elements: Lighting
Hello Lovelies! I am going to be starting a new series on the blog called “Design Elements” – a couple times a week I will share with you my favorite design elements and how to incorporate them into your spaces. You will be able to find “Design Elements” series under Fashionably Living Interior Design, if you miss any! I wanted to start the series out with one of my absolute favorite design elements, lighting! Lighting can make all the difference in a space. The use of light in interior spaces greatly affects the environment and mood. There are four basic types of lighting: accent, ambient,task and natural light. Each type of lighting plays a specific role and it is important to know how to use each of them.
Accent Lighting can also be referred to as highlighting, because you are trying to draw attention to particular objects or sections within a space. Many times you will find recessed or tacking lighting used.
Example of Accent Lighting:
Ambient Lighting is known as general lighting. Ambient lighting provides overall illumination for a space. In most cases, when you walk into a room and flip on a light switch, ambient lighting illuminates the space. There are many types of ambient lighting fixtures such as: floor lamps, wall sconces and recessed fixtures.
Example of Ambient Lighting:
Task Lighting can best be known as target lighting. Task lighting is intended to illuminate a specific function within a space. For example a kitchen counter where you prep food requires task lighting. An office desk would also be a great example for task lighting.
Example of Task Lighting:
A fourth type of lighting I want you to also consider is the use of natural light. There are some of us, depending on where we live, that have the ability to use more natural lighting in our spaces than others. To be honest, other than accent lighting and the need for ambient and task lighting, natural light is my favorite! A space (home) filled with natural light is warm, cherry and inviting! Throughout the day, the sun marks time subtly changing the color and shape of rooms. Liberal use of glass is the most obvious way to bring natural light into a space. Balancing light is as important as orienting it properly. If you’re splurging on a wall of windows, make certain sunlight enters from at least one other direction. Light coming from only one side creates glare and casts shadows, darkening the back of the room.
Example of Natural Lighting:
Please Note: Pictures are NOT property of Fashionably Living’s
I hope you enjoyed the first post of the “Design Elements” series! Have a fabulous Tuesday!
XO,
Rachel Ashley
Magazine Overload
Do you ever want to just escape from the world, sometimes, to have a little quite time? On too many occasions my life is bombarded with T.V., the Internet, social events, work, cleaning my house, and running everyday errands, that I never really get a chance to sit and be with my thoughts. And it’s crazy (or silly) when I realize I am at this point, is when I have too many magazines to read and never time to actually sit down and read them! I have months of issues I am behind on (sad face)! The only time I get to spend time with my thoughts is when I crawl into bed at night to rest my head, but I fall asleep so quickly that there isn’t much time to think about anything! I know that for the most part, it is my own fault! When I was in high school and even college I felt like I used my time so wisely, because my schedule was so chaotic and I got a lot done in a day! Then sometimes I ask myself, did my life seem organized, because I had back to back activities that had timelines, i.e. dance, cheer, school, etc. Then there are times when I wonder where I dropped the ball! I’ve come to realize that priorities change and it’s another stage in my life that I have to get used to. When you’re young and you don’t have to think about work, life is more relaxed and you have more free time, but as soon as you hit corporate America, your life goes on hold and you run on their time table and when you get to be on yours, your almost too exhausted for activities and fun! By no means are my magazines priority, but I love them and they allow me to escape and enjoy creative and pretty things! One of my goals in the coming year, will be to spend more time with God, worry less and take time to enjoy the little things (magazines and books) and big things (family and friends) in my life! I hope you all have a fabulous hump day!
XO,
Rachel Ashley
Thanksgiving Tablescapes
I love the simplicity of this table! Vegetables painted in bronze and silver are a fun way to accentuate the simplicity of the white tablescape.
I love lanterns! I have several lanterns in my home and I love using them in different ways to decorate throughout the year! I love the over dramatic feel the lanterns bring to the table. Giant pine cones spray painted in silver or gold, depending on your silverware/dinnerware are a great addition to place between the lanterns!
This is a simple monochromatic tablescape. As a result, the energy is more subtle and peaceful due to a lack of contrast of hues. There is also something special about eating at a candlelit table. Plus, if you want to have a budget friendly tablescape a row of candles is a great and inexpensive way to decorate your Thanksgiving table. Another great way to incorporate candles down your Thanksgiving table, would be to line different size mason jars down the center and place candles inside!
I hope you get a few ideas from these three pretty tablescapes for your Thanksgiving table!
XO,
Rachel Ashley
Dreams of a Fabulous Closet
{my old closet}
Good Morning Everyone! Happy Monday to you! I had a bad head cold last week, but I’m finally feeling better. Its nice to be back on my feet, resting was necessary, but I hate being sick, because it slows me down. I have so much to do, currently working on several design projects! There are always so many things to do and so little time to do them. This week I am working on designing my new closet. Turing my old room into my sanctuary/closet is on my design to do list. I am so excited to show you all the before and after pictures, once I am finished. I will keep you updated on the progress!
XO,
Rachel Ashley
Restaurant Decor
Good Morning, and Happy Friday! I haven’t done an Interior Design post in a long time! I wanted to do a post on something I love, great styled restaurants! I love boutique style restaurants. I am not a fan of chain restaurants at all. One of my favorite aspects of non-chain restaurants is that most of the time they have amazing interior and aesthetic aspects! Nothing is better than going to a very well dressed (decorated) restaurant. When the atmosphere is good, that usually makes the food and experience that much better. The icing on the cake, is when the food is as amazing as the interior design! There are so many restaurants that I love, and if you follow me on Instagram, I always take pictures of all the amazing aspects of different restaurants I go to! I know as soon as I walk into a restaurant, whether I am going to like it or not. For me atmosphere is priority and then the food, because if the food is mediocre a resturant can’t screw up the drink and wine menu, so at least you have a great place to sit back with friends and sip cocktails…lol! Well, it is Friday, so pop some bubbly and have a fabulous weekend!
XO,
Rachel Ashley
Please Note: Pictures are NOT Property of Fashionably Living’s
Modern Design: Organic In Nature
Modern design tends to be organic. It offers a sense of simplicity, by using clean lines, functional pieces and exhibits effortless style. Modern design tends to be orthodox in nature. Personally, I prefer a dollop of unconventionality. I don’t feel comfortable in a purely functional home, but I do appreciate it! I was inspired by these modern spaces and I thought you would appreciate them too. Just like fashion, the interior design world is constantly changing and recycling designs from 30 years ago. I love seeing designs from 30 years ago being used again today in their original form or reincarnated. My favorite style, would definitely be a mixture of old and new! I love seeing a modern chair thrown into a traditional room; its witty things like that, which turns a basic room into a fabulous room. I hope you enjoy these modern spaces and feel free to share your view points on modern vs. traditional design.
XO,
Rachel Ashley
Please Note: Pictures are NOT property of Fashionably Living’s
Editor – Rachel Ashley
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