Lovely Lucite

Lucite adds a bit of glitz to any design.  We all know glass is not the most practical material choice for busy (dare I say clumsy) lifestyles.  That is where Lucite becomes the star attraction.  Perfectly practical, Lucite is durable, easily cleaned, and does not take up any visual weight in design.  Keep this in mind if your are designing for tight quarters.  

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A Lucite cocktail table is a wonderful idea for those of you who love to prop your feet up after a long day.  You do not have to worry about staining an upholstered ottoman or about leaving drink rings on a wood surface.  The reflectivity of the table balances the mirror over the sofa for a bright, shiny appearance. 

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This Lucite dining set is dripping glamor.  The forms of the chairs and table seem to disappear into nature.  Combining a crystal chandelier, glass candlesticks, and Lucite furnishings, this design makes a statement as almost wanting to be a shadow of design and not a full expression.

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A tranquil writing space, this Lucite desk effortlessly disappears into the surroundings.  The accessories and drapery become the focal point instead of what traditionally would be a heavy, solid case-good piece.

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By selecting a Lucite cocktail table, this space thoroughly embraces the pink rug.  The vibrant pink becomes a focal point in which all of the furnishings surround and the table recedes into.

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Ladies, this Lucite organizer is the perfect way to know exactly what you have and where you have it.  I cannot tell you how many times I dig through dark wood drawers searching for my jewelry.  This Lucite piece is not only pretty but practical.

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Such a cheerfully elegant space, this living room embraces subtle color and airy accents.  A simple Lucite cocktail table and glass bowl disappear into the blue rug.  You instantly focus on the sofa and decorative pillows without any distractions.

Hello, yellow, so glad you could make an appearance.

Yellow can be stunning, cheerful, mellow, and serene.  With so many options, there is definitely a shade of yellow to perfectly complement your life.  The color evokes an instant warming sensation no matter the tint or shade.  Conjuring up thoughts of warm summer days, blooming daffodils, and tasty lemonade, who would not want a piece of summer year round?  You can use yellow as a bold statement in a bright color selection or use yellow as a tranquil color selection.  Either way, yellow can be a magnificent accent to your home.

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 A splash of bright yellow accessories, artwork, and upholstery trim adds just enough spark for an impact, but does not go overboard.  If you want to interject bright colors into your rooms, keep the accents to a tasteful minimum.

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I would want to walk through this door any time.  Talk about starting your day off on the right foot.  A vibrant pastel yellow door is instantly welcoming.  There is the feeling that any person living behind a yellow door celebrates life.

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Yellow fabric is an easy way to update any space.  I always say select neutral furnishings that will never go out of style.  Accents can easily be changed as your own tastes change over time.  The inspiration room above would look fabulous with any accent color, but the fun use of yellow patterned drapery and accent pillows makes this space modern and hip.

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Pottery displays are practical as well as beautiful.  By grouping a selection of yellow bowls to complement fresh lemons, this kitchen looks cohesive.  Open shelving and glass front cabinetry may scare some of the less organizationally oriented of us, but keeping all of your dishware to clear, white, and a pop of color will never look messy.

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Sliding barn doors have been popular lately, so has a yellow and gray color scheme.  This bedroom and bathroom combination balances the calming effect of warm grays with the brightness of yellows.  I would have some productive days waking up in this bedroom.

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For the more traditional of you, this room elegantly incorporates yellow without seeming garish.  An interesting choice for a traditional mirror, yellow adds an unexpected life to this living room.  This space has a calming effect with the use of tans and creams that seem to beckon you to the space.

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Blue and yellow tend to have either a country or beach undertone when mixed together, but the use of a warm yellow with a slate-blue give unique character to this bedroom. Modern over-scale stripes on the wall complement the more traditional tufted sofa and four poster bed.  This room would be great to recreate by mixing your family heirloom furniture with more present day colors and accessories.

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Pow, this home has a personality.  The use of bright yellow accent walls and drapery magnify the natural light pouring into the space.  This placement is a good design trick if you lack natural lighting in your own home.  Bright, almost neon colors will never leave your home feeling dim.

Spring Inspired Designs to Devour

Spring is the perfect time of year to freshen up any aspect of your life- new hair color, new clothes, new lip gloss, new furnishings.  The bright colors we all associate with Spring seriously provide a jolt to your surroundings.  This thought does not mean you need to paint every wall in your home a crayon color, but does suggest that you add a bit of personality with a few colorful accessories.  The tried and true pairing of neutrals with a pop of color will never go out of style.  In your home, toss a bright pillow here and a patterned throw there, and Voila! The perfect place to relax and rejuvenate.

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A fun example of pairing neutrals with pops of color can be found in this space.  An easy transformation such as changing the drapery and side chairs will give this whole room a different feel, if you begin to tire of your accent colors.  A punch of raspberry paired with chartreuse oozes modern chic design.  The contrast between these unexpected pops of color with the traditional furniture lines creates instant impact.  If you want a weekend project, I am sure you can find pieces almost exactly like those in this inspiration image at your local estate sales, thrift stores, and flea markets.  Add some fresh upholstery to your finds, maybe a fresh coat of paint, and you will have a Spring Chic space to call your own. 

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The same room as the first inspiration, this living room arrangement is a bit unorthodox.  Pairing two upholstered chairs and ottomans in front of the fireplace with a large circular table may not be the most practical furniture grouping, but the fun use of color was my first focus when viewing this space.  Again we see chartreuse and raspberry elements sporadically placed throughout.  By wisely dispersing your pops of color throughout a space, your eye will easily travel around the room and never be stuck focusing on one single focal point (if you take the time to design a space, you definitely want your guests to absorb all aspects of your room).  I really enjoy how this space has a feeling of elegance but playfulness at the same time.  Adding too many pops of color can become a bit hokey, a few pops can enliven a space.



Check out these other colorful ideas for your spaces:

Click to Enlarge- Fuchsia and Tangerine

Click to Enlarge- Sky Blue and Marigold

Click to Enlarge- Sky Blue and Marigold

Perfect Balance

In today's world, formal dining rooms are beginning to become obsolete.  Be honest, how many formal gatherings do you have where you actually eat in the dining room?  The formality that typically comes to thought when thinking of dining rooms tends to make people feel like they need their pinky in the air with every swig of coffee and the posture of a princess while eating dinner.  

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The dining space above is perfectly adaptable to today's changing view of formal dining rooms.  This space could be created in any nook of your home.  There is a fashionable casualness to the selection of colors and materials.  There are elements paying homage to your traditional dining space, such as the oval back Victorian inspired chairs and the silver tea service, but there are also more casual elements like the upholstered banquette and rustic iron base table.  

Click to Enlarge- Factory Table, CUC3023

  The combination of wood and iron creates instant charm without all of the stuffiness of a matching dining set. With this table, you can create a transitional space or even an industrial space.

Click to Enlarge- Medallion Side Chair, B004 E106 C003

With a nod to history, French and otherwise, this chair adds a feeling of history, but the mid-tone wood stain and neutral fabric exude a modern flair.  Mixing wood finishes adds a casual, collected vibe to any room.

Click to Enlarge- Bombay Bowls, Set of 2, 2498

Large wooden bowls will be the perfect center piece to fill with interesting finds, greenery, candles, or food items.  A collection of interesting accessories on a dining table provides instant dining conversation as well as strays away from the expected center floral arrangement or candle sticks.

Click to Enlarge- Antique Silver Oval Madison Tray, R275

A large silver tray will provide the perfect sparkle to a dining table.  Fill the tray with any collection of items your heart desires.  When you have a sprawling dinner party, you can easily remove the tray to clear up table space, or even re-purpose the tray from holding decorative items to food items.  Do not be afraid of mixing your metal finishes; think of them as neutrals that coordinate with any color scheme.
 

Click to Enlarge- Pinders Rectangular Chandelier, CUC9389

 The light fixture in the original inspiration image is unique in the fact that it does not look like a traditional tiered chandelier.  More of an island light, the fixture adds an instant focal point that grounds the rest of the collected table accessories.

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For a large open wall like the inspiration image, a grouping of multiple framed pictures adds drama without the large price tag of one over-scale art piece. The variety of images will keep any dinner party interesting.  Pick inspired visual topics like images from your travels, antique botanical images, machinery close ups, or still life layouts.




You can find all of the featured products on The Great House Store's website at www.thegreathousestore.com

I Spy Stripes

Striped walls may provide you with memories of Victorian parlor wallpaper, but in today's world painted stripes can add some serious drama to your home.  Whether you enjoy the boldness of sharp color contrast or the tranquility of tonal contrast, there is a style and color scheme perfectly fitting for your style.  You can create vertical stripes to make your spaces feel taller.  You can paint horizontal stripes to make your space feel wider.  Even the width of each individual stripe can visually manipulate your spaces into feeling more cozy or stark.

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The use of narrow, vertical stripes adds instant height to this sitting room.  The muted paint color choices add a vintage feeling without becoming outdated.

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For a more modern aesthetic, over scale stripes are paired with thin horizontal stripes to add interest to the walls of this bedroom.  The graphic pattern definitely has a personality, but not so much that the stripes compete with the quatrefoil headboard and starburst mirror.

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This office creates a subtle striped wall effect by using rectangular elements to form both vertical and horizontal stripes depending on how you look at the walls.  By not having sharp lines delineating each visual stripe, this treatment is more subtle and highly textural.  The subtlety of the walls allows for the mix of a bold striped rug without feeling like you are at the circus.

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Many times we associate blue and white stripes with a nautical theme, and this room fits that description.  I enjoy the unexpected use of horizontal stripes to decorate the underside of a chair rail.  The serene blue and gray stripes allow the rustic wood furniture to pop while the walls seem to recede into the background.

Let There Be Light!

Lighting is one of the easiest design tricks to create any ambiance for any occasion.  Layering levels of light by means of table lamps, sconces, chandeliers, pendants, and recessed fixtures will insure you have ample viewing capability in a task area or romantic, soft lighting for a quaint dinner party.  Lighting in dining rooms is extremely important to consider when creating your dream space.  Do you want understated elegance or do you want a punch of personality?  All of the impressions from conservative to modern can easily be created with the proper selection of a chandelier evoking who you are and what you want to express. 

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Do you embrace nature and clean lines?  This dining room will definitely spark your interest with a play on textures.  The geometric shelving recesses backed with wood planks serve as the perfect backdrop for spot lights to create shadows.  A large drum inspired light fixture hung unusually high in a dining room insures no conversation and view interruption at this table.  You may want to create your own natural escape with the light fixture below.

Click to Enlarge- Mambo 8 Lt Pendant, 135-410-F

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Do you have a flair for Modern Baroque style?  The juxtaposition between historic Baroque moldings and black lacquer furnishings will prove to be a showstopper in any dining room.  Graphic elements such as the black and white Marilyn Monroe art piece and the cluster of cylindrical crystal chandeliers will leave a lasting impression upon your guests.  You may not live in an old Baroque Chateau, but you can start to recreate this room's personality with the light fixture below.

Click to Enlarge- Karel 12 Lt CHNDLR IMP-CH, 632-12-514

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You may be more inclined to embrace classic design in your dining room.  Muted colors and reflective surfaces create a glow in this space that can be recreated at night with the use of a stunning chandelier and buffet lamps.  The chandelier below adds a touch of sparkle without being too ostentatious.

Click to Enlarge- Crystal Lights Chandelier, Large, CUC9891

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If you embrace whimsical design, try staggering a cluster of pendants or chandeliers above your dining table. These chandeliers give the appearance of glass orbs floating in space, an unearthly ambiance for any dinner party.  On a smaller scale, more fitting to most homes, use a cluster of crystal pendants for a similar feeling.

Click to Enlarge- Wanderlust Chandelier, CUC9001

Click to Enlarge- Moonlight Pendant, CUC9067

Click to Enlarge- Roundabout Pendant, CUC905

All of these light fixtures can be found on our website at www.thegreathousestore.com

Showcase

If you all have noticed, The Great House Store has been constantly changing over the past few months.  We have been tirelessly working to add fabulous new lines of products for you all to enjoy.  As you bear with our "construction" phase, I wanted to showcase some of our newest lines as well as express our excitement for new lines to come.  Over the past week, The Atlanta Market has been going on full force.  Several of our design personnel were truly inspired by multiple lines showcased at this event.  Keep your eyes peeled over the next few months as we constantly add new products.


The Great House Store would like to showcase Port 68 and Regina Andrew.  Both of these companies strive to provide unique pieces varying from vintage inspired to nautical.  These pieces will be the highlight of your home.  Not meant to blend in with the surroundings, unique pieces will instantly add drama and whimsey to any space.


Port 68: There is a focus on accent tables, lamps, ottomans, and small pieces that will add a pop of color or a geometric flair to your home.

Click to Enlarge- Crossings Accent Table, P68AFDS-165-02

Click to Enlarge- Algiers Table Sky, P68AFDS-148-01

Click to Enlarge- Ivory Katherine Lamp, P68LPAS-151-02

Regina Andrew: With more of a modern twist on classic design, this line focuses on lighting and table top accessories that will add texture to your home.

Click to Enlarge- Gesso Spindle Chandelier, RA405-184

Click to Enlarge- Mother of Pearl Panel Sconce, RA505-1010

Click to Enlarge- Antique Mercury Glass Ripple Lamp, RA505-1006-AM

You can find all of these beautiful products at www.thegreathousestore.com

A Gorgeous Living Room as Easy as 1-2-3!

We all look through design magazines to pull inspiration for our own homes.  Whether you are looking for an inspirational color palette or a furniture layout, inspirational images are a fabulous way to keep you on track while designing your own spaces.  Living room spaces can be one of the most daunting rooms to design in your home.  The typically large space beckons to be filled with all sorts of elements, but where do you start?  That is where inspirational images will guide you on your design path.  For instance, the image below is an understated, elegant living room.  I took this image, and utilized my easiest resource, The Great House Store website, to pull together furnishings that are not identical to the inspirational image, but will still give the same appearance.  You can take the same idea of pulling an image you want to recreate in your home, and drive to or surf the web for the most convenient home furnishings location.  With your image in hand, you will easily know the shapes, colors, and textures you are looking for.  This process cuts out a lot of wasted time you would be spending mindlessly wandering through a store not knowing what you want.

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I began by selecting the large seating pieces- sofa, occasional chair, wing back chairs.  The next step was selecting the tables- cocktail table, side table. Finally, I chose my accessories- mirror and candelabra.  Easy as 1-2-3.  Always begin with your largest pieces first.  They will be the most visually noticed because they take up the most floor surface area.  Keep this fact in mind if you are selecting large pieces of furniture with patterned upholstery.  Be advised, you may get tired of a large pattern and prefer having large neutral pieces with accents of pattern in the form of pillows and throws.




Step 1...

Click to Enlarge- Genivieve Sofa, LI-S10-21-61

Click to Enlarge- Sutter Salon Chair, CH97

Click to Enlarge- Leon Club Chair, CFH186 E255 A003/JUTE

Step 2...

Click to Enlarge- Silver Leafed Rectangular Coffee Table with Clear Glass Top, PIERRE S

Click to Enlarge- Ashland Metal Accent Table- Removable Tray, 2493

Step 3...

Click to Enlarge- Florentine Mirror, 109013

Click to Enlarge- Laney 3 Lite Candelabra, 6444