Stay Home & Travel the World

Summer is fast approaching and some of you may have already made great vacation plans.  Maybe local, maybe a short drive or perhaps a long dreamed about vacation out of country.

Unfortunately not all of us can be world travelers.  However, you can bring the feel of another country to your home with some well chosen furnishings and accessories.  It can be

An accent piece of furniture,
A new accessory or artwork for your walls,
Even lighting or fabrics can tell a tale of far away places

So travel a bit even if it means never getting on air plane.  Create the feel of the location you wish to visit in your home and you can mentally go there every day.

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WALLS That Satisfy a Sweet Tooth

Here at S Interior Design we are always on the look out for unique and environmentally friendly options to use in our design projects.  When we were asked to take a look at this product, it got an A+ rating on both counts.  So, we are pleased to share with you, and promote the product for the manufacturer.

That’s right –these are eco friendly 3d-wallpanels made out of Sugarcane bagasse

Eco 3d-wallpanels give an extra dimension to your walls!

WallArt will bring your walls to life with their eco friendly 3d-wallpanels made out of the fibrous residue of sugarcane also called bagasse. This fibres of crushed sugarcane stalks, remaining after raw sugar is extracted from the juice of the sugarcane by shredding it, is now the raw material that forms the base of this easily installed eco friendly interior product. The raw material used for WallArt 3d-wallpanels is 100% recycled, compostable and therefore 100% biodegradable.

WallArt 3d wall panels are all made out of a renewable source which is biodegradable and therefore contribute to sustainability. Bagasse, as a residue of sugarcane, is one of the world’s most renewable sources because sugarcane can be harvested up to 3 times a year. The total harvest worldwide is more than 1.2 billion metric tons yearly and out of each 3 ton of sugarcane there remains 1 ton of bagasse. By using this recycled raw material we can say this 3d-wallpaper is a real eco decor product.

WallArt introduced their 3d-wallcovering in Europe in 2011. They’ve been the first entering the market with this eco friendly home decor and interior product. At this moment there are 12 different models of the WallArt 3d wall panels available, for more information about WallArt and their 3d decorating wall panels please go to their website http://www.mywallart.com and check it out. WallArt 3d decorative wall panels are not only environmentally friendly but the 3d effect give an extra dimension to your walls!

http://www.mywallart.com

Add a Bit of British Cool to Your Home or Apartment on this Side of the Pond!

We love keeping in touch with and learning what’s going on globally with design, be it interiors, architecture, or products. This week’s guest blog brings a bit of the UK to our shores. So much is great design is happening over there now, so why not brighten up a living room, or a bedroom or even your kitchen with some great British inspired, British made products!

The hype around the Royal Wedding last year, the continuing popularity of Downtown Abbey, the Queen’s Jubilee and the Olympics later this year means that once again it is cool to be British and this has been reflected in this years’ hottest interior design trends.

Interior design in 2012 will see a return to traditional British design. We’ve already seen it on the fashion runway with the popularity of Jonathan Saunders and now interior furnishings are favoring British designs with iconic prints, pastel color blocks, floral designs and gingham fabrics being used to complement the clean and sleek furniture trends from 2011.

To achieve this look with the furnishing you already have, add some British flair with oversized pillows in floral prints and pastels or floor length curtains in bold, iconic prints. Liberty offers some great home accessories, like the Edenham Liberty print silk and velvet cushion, as well as some new season fabrics that have been inspired by English nostalgia as well as the upcoming Olympics. The best thing about this trend is that adding a bit of traditional British elegance is as easy as pulling out the sewing machine (think pillowcases!).

British patriotism is also a hot trend continuing on from 2011 with everything from Union Jack pillows to wall decor. The Shoreditch Union Jack Ottoman from The French Bedroom  makes a great statement piece. The ottoman, in vibrant colors, makes a great coffee table with the added benefit of offering a storage space. Alternatively British furniture designer Jennifer Cooper’s Jack Upholstered Storage Box in muted tones is a great British made storage solution at a fraction of the cost.

If lavishing your home in Union Jack’s isn’t your thing try Graham and Brown’s Crown and Coronets wallpaper for a more subtle approach to cool Britannia. Crown and Coronets wallpaper can also be decorated with jewels, perfect for your very own little princess. Recreate the definitive British with Keep Calm and Carry On wall art; variations on the saying can be found everywhere, from Camden market to numerous online outlets.

For something with a bit of an edge have a look at Tobyboo’s range of tea towels and cushions with iconic images of London in bright yellows and oranges. Or if you’re on a budget, add a splash of Olympic Blue (also known as Pantone 19-4056) against some clean contemporary lines to get into the Olympic fever.

Roomservice By CORT is a company that specializes in furniture rentals, furniture packages, and has a passion for all things interior design.

About Suzanne Lasky, Allied ASID
Suzanne Lasky, Allied ASID, is the owner and founder of S Interior Design, the exclusive provider of Pawprint Design Services™. Suzanne works with her clients to develop a winning combination of design elements that result in warm, comfortable and functional spaces that reflect each client’s personal style. Suzanne and her team specialize in residential, contract and hospitality interior design, from simple color selections, to office build outs, to restaurant, spa and hotel designs. Suzanne shares her years of expertise through the power of social media. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and at this blog. To speak to Suzanne about your interior design needs, please call 480-220-4659 or visit her website at www.sinteriordesign.com.

DIY On A Dime to Spruce up Your Home for Spring

This guest blog makes us anticipate Spring even more. If you’re like us, Spring recalls fresh and bright colors, open and airy houses, and longer days of sunshine. Now is the time to start planning for your Spring DIY efforts. Give a read to this guest blog and maybe you can incorporate some of their great ideas!

Spring is right around the corner and for many of us, which means time to redecorate the house and breathe some new life into rooms that may seem tired and in need of a good refreshing. I recently took a tour of a few open houses and found some inspiration for budget-friendly DIY home décor projects. Whether you’re looking to add a small touch to a bare wall or looking to transform an entire room, you don’t have to break the bank.

Use Found Objects to Create Visual Interest
One of my favorite touches from the open house tour I recently took was an especially colorful clock. When I walked into the room my eye was immediately drawn to the clock on the wall. Its starburst appearance looked like something chic and modern you might find at Urban Outfitters. When I swooped in for a closer look, I realized that I was actually looking at a regular clock with a variety of paint chips arranged around it. I’m not sure if the homeowner came up with this or not, but I thought it was a brilliant idea. Find a clock that does not have a glass or plastic face on it, and fan the paint chips out from the center of the clock. If you’ve already redecorated a room in your house, you probably already have a tower of paint chips lying around. Why not put them to use?

One of the big trends of 2012 is going to be color.
Play with color as much as possible in your redecorated rooms. A very cheap way of doing this is to go thrifting for fun picture frames, cut construction paper to fit inside the frames and hang them on your wall. Contrast real loud colors like red and green with muted tones like white and grey. If your construction paper is lime green, try painting the picture frame white or black.

Redecorating your home doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming. You can probably poke around in the attic in the boxes you haven’t touched in years and find the perfect raw material for your DIY project.

Author’s Bio: Lisa is a guest blogger who likes to write about everything from interior decorating to real estate.

 

About Suzanne Lasky, Allied ASID
Suzanne Lasky, Allied ASID, is the owner and founder of S Interior Design, the exclusive provider of Pawprint Design Services™. Suzanne works with her clients to develop a winning combination of design elements that result in warm, comfortable and functional spaces that reflect each client’s personal style. Suzanne and her team specialize in residential, contract and hospitality interior design, from simple color selections, to office build outs, to restaurant, spa and hotel designs. Suzanne shares her years of expertise through the power of social media. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and at this blog. To speak to Suzanne about your interior design needs, please call 480-220-4659 or visit her website at www.sinteriordesign.com.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Ask an interior designer about how to best use mirrors in your room designs and you are sure to get a lot of different responses.  S Interior Design always tries to use mirrors when they can reflect a beautiful accessory or piece of artwork.  Below is a guest blog post on the subject of mirrors and how you can use them to your best advantage in your home.  I am certain you will get some great ideas and perhaps be inspired to re-hang your existing mirrors in different places or purchase a new mirror.

If you are looking to give your room a quick facelift without spending a zillion dollars on the same, then I have solution for you. Placing decorative mirrors will add a new dimension and result in more light for your room. When placed appropriately, the mirror can give the room a whole new look.

Adding mirrors to rooms that are small or look congested will make it look roomier and brighter. The trick is to place the mirrors on the wall opposite the window so that the natural light from the outside is reflected inside. The reflection of the room in the mirror causes an illusion of a larger and spacious room.  Also, if your rooms have no windows placing a turned on lamp in front of the mirror will diffuse the light across the room and make it look brighter.

Full-length mirrors with frames when placed against the wall in a room can work as an art piece and be the focal point of the room.  A mirror placed in front of your favorite painting will emphasize it more and make the colors in the painting more vivid.

 
Finally, a mirror in a narrow passageway makes it look broader. I have added a white antique mirror at the eye level in my passageway – it not only makes the passageway look broader, but also lets me get a quick look at myself before I leave for work. 

 The best part is that there are so many shapes and sizes to choose from. You can have one or more mirrors on the same wall, but make sure the size of the mirrors are proportional both to each other and to the wall.

 So what are you waiting for? Let your creative juices flow and add some mirrors to your room and give it a new look without breaking the bank!

 

Renuka is an editor and writer for a shopping blog called Pocket Change which is a part of Become.com’s shopping network and has categories where they write about everything from interior design to men’s and women’s fashion.

 

 

 

Easy Bathroom Decorating Ideas

Below you will find a guest post from Valerie Gravel representing Smart Tiles on the subject of bathroom renovation.  Smart tiles are a fabulous option for  a home owner who is a DIYer!

Before

After Smart Tile Installation

After the kitchen, the bathroom is the room you use the most every day. It’s where you get ready in the morning before you dash off to work and where you take a few minutes to relax in the evening while soaking in a hot bath or a shower. If you’re thinking of giving your bathroom a much-needed makeover, here are a few trendy tips you might want to take into consideration.

Merging one room into one:

People need more and more room to escape the fast paced society in which we live, that’s why the size of bathrooms has increased over the last few years. Merging two rooms into one like a bathroom and bedroom is a trend that has been exported from the hotel to the home and it is catching on quickly in the home renovation world.

Going digital:

Technology is all around us and we rely on it almost 24 hours a day. You can have a television in your refrigerator door now, so why not do the same for your bathroom. Imagine watching your favourite movie or television program in your bathroom while you soak your worries away in a bath. What could be more perfect than that?

Heated floor tiles:

Tiled bathroom floors are cold all year round. Heating them with a radiant floor heater is a good idea because not only will the heat prevent you from getting cold feet; it might actually help you save money in the long run. It’s true that installing a heated floor may raise the cost of your renovations, but once tiles have been heated, they retain their heat for a long time and they continue to warm the room even after the heater has been shut off. Therefore, a heated floor might help you save a couple of dollars from your heating bill.

Multiple mirrors:

Even if the trend dictates that bathrooms are becoming larger, not everybody has the space to double the size of their bathrooms. People who live in smaller houses or in apartments might want to put multiple mirrors in their bathroom to create an illusion of grandeur that will make the room look bigger than it actually is. Also, mirrors come in some many different shapes, sizes, and frames nowadays that they can look great in any type of bathroom decor.

Going green:

Renovating while still being kind to our environment is a trend that has been catching on not only in bathrooms, but in every room of the home as well. Imagine recreating a spa like atmosphere in your own bathroom. With the help of wood furniture and even by encasing your bath tub in a wooden frame, you could relax in spa without ever having to leave your home. It’s also quite eco-friendly to install low flow toilets and energy-efficient lighting while renovating your bathroom.

Painting with neutral colors:

Bathroom colors have always been neutral, and that trend never really went away. While I am not condemning the use of color in the bathroom, neutral colors should be your palette of choice if you plan to add a new coat of paint to your bathroom. It’s better to favour relaxing colors like beige, olives and pale tones. If you’d like to add contrast to your pale room, use dark furniture or colored accessories.

Choosing the right lighting:

A bathroom shouldn’t be too bright. Since the room is used for different reasons throughout the day, different types of lighting should be installed to keep things lit up or tone them down when you need to. Consider installing a dimmer switch to set the proper mood when you want to relax in the bath or the shower and install bright lights where a woman would normally put on makeup.

Changing without spending a lot

If you’re not considering to have your whole bathroom made over, you could just change a few existing elements to refresh your existing decor. Custom sinks and counter tops are all the rage and self adhesive tiles  used as a frame for your mirror or as a backsplash will add diversity to your bathroom without the need of contractors invading your home for weeks to come.

 

 

Mirror Mirror on The Wall

There is no shortage of articles and blog posts written about mirrors.

Conventional design wisdom states that mirrors can help to add ‘light’ to dim spaces, and make a small space feel larger.
S Interior Design subscribes to the additional notion that a mirror should REFLECT SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL.

I am struck by the amazing selection of styles of decorative mirrors available and wanted to share some of my recent finds with you. Of note:  the use of gold tones in the first two mirrors supporting the fact that gold, bronze and even brass is making a comeback.  I think after looking at these photos, you will agree, a mirror is not just for checking your hair on the way out the door in the morning. These are true art !

 

Alexander Sinclair Showroom

Alexander Sinclair Showroom

 

 

 

Alexander Sinclair Showroom

Collection of Venetian Mirrors

Global Views

Grey/Aged Metal Work

 

 

Artwork Inspired By Nature

Sometimes the most fabulous ‘artwork’  isn’t found in an art gallery, but in our own yards and public spaces.  Nature serves up an amazing mix of colors, patterns and textures for us to use in creating personalized artwork for our homes and offices.

Over the summer I went to Cannon Beach, Oregon.  While walking back to the car, I passed a beautiful bed of flowers, took some pictures and then turned it into original artwork for my family room.

A digital camera picture was transformed by a local art and framing vendor into a tryptich measuring 36″ x 51″.  I decided on the dimensions to fit the wall space I wanted to display it on.  It is gallery wrapped canvas giclee art that is indeed a one-of-a kind.

One of the best things about using personal photos to inspire your artwork is the memories that this type of artwork will evoke.  Every time my family looks at this we will remember our fun day at Cannon Beach!

Earlier this week a cactus outside my son’s bedroom window bloomed.  Who knows what this picture taken at 6:00 am on a weekday morning will transform into!

So keep your eyes and mind open to the possibilities.   If nature isn’t your thing, the same process can apply to buildings, cars, animals, really anything that makes you smile and catches your interest.

Interior Design A-Z: ‘Q’ is for Quatrefoil

Are you curious? What is a Quatrefoil?

In architecture and traditional Christian symbolism, a quatrefoil is a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially-overlapping circles of the same diameter.  Many of you have probably seen these shaped windows on churches, perhaps homes.

A quatrefoil window is a round window that is composed of four equal lobes, like a four-petaled flower.  The quatrefoil pattern is common in Moorish and Gothic architecture.  Also, many mission style homes have quatrefoil windows.

I had learned about the architectural element, the quatrefoil, while in design school.

I found it very interesting how the shape is being used in today’s modern interior design world.  Chair backs, area rugs, fabrics, wallpapers, shower curtains…..the quatrefoil geometry is everywhere.

Proof once again that timeless geometric forms will continue to reappear and reinvent to remain with us.

Interior Design A-Z: ‘G’ is for Giclee

I asked, and one of you answered when asked if there was a preference for the letter ‘G’.  Giclee it is!  A mysterious sounding word?  French?  Below our friend and colleague Donna Symanski from Art and Framing Design, LLC lends us a blog hand again by sharing her knowledge of Giclees.  You will find it is not so mysterious after all.

About Giclée Printing Giclée (jhee-clay) – Derived from the French verb gicler meaning to squirt.  The term giclée print typically connotes a certain elevation in printmaking technology. Images are high resolution digital scans printed with archival quality inks onto various substrates. The giclée process provides better color accuracy than other means of reproduction. Once an image is archived, additional reproductions can be made with minimal effort and cost.  Thus the up-front cost of limited editions is eliminated and printing is done on demand. Another tremendous advantage to Giclée printing is that artwork can be reproduced to almost any size and on various media, giving the artist/interior designer the ability to customize prints for a specific client. Image permanence is a concern to artists and collectors.  At Art & Framing Designs we use Ultrachrome ink  which is very stable, giving fade & color shift resistance of 75 years on watercolor paper under average indoor light conditions. Visit www.Wilhelm-Research.com for more information.