Artwork in the Kitchen

One of the most pinned rooms for interiors are kitchens.  It should come as no surprise since it is "the heart of the home" and arguably one of the most used areas for living and entertaining.  Because of this, I think the kitchen needs a little extra attention--mostly in the way of artwork.

Many people shy away or don't even think about having artwork on or over the kitchen counters.  "There's no room for it" they say..."It will get messed up when cooking"..."Are you crazy?"

And I combat those statements with "Yes, there is"..."Not it won't"...and "Definitely not."

Artwork is an excellent way to make your kitchen feel like any other designed space in your home.  It makes the room more personal, is a great talking point and makes a huge difference in the space with little effort.

If you're still weary, let me show you some examples. 

Here's a great example of some little pieces via Lacquered Life.  The picture light makes it even better.

Even without a lot of extra wall space, you can still prop up a small framed piece. (via Decorator's Notebook) 

This home was recently featured in Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, and I may have to give it a full post one day because it is that good.  But, in the meantime, let's enjoy this kitchen. 

The wet bar is also a great place to add some art (via Terra Cotta Design).

Lauren Liess has been a design icon for me for awhile, and her previous home's kitchen is a great example why.  Tip: Flea markets and thrift stores are a great place to get vintage oil paintings.

Over the stove is another great place to bring in a framed piece. (via The Paper Mulberry)

This last one doesn't technically have art, but I love how the leaning wood cutting boards act as a great replacement.  It just goes to show, it doesn't have to be fancy to work! (via The Proper Hunt)

Now go add some art to the heart of your home.  

*Designer tip: Stay away from themed items like pictures of utensils and coffee cups and word art for a more high-end look.

For more inspiration, follow us on Pinterest, Instagram or subscribe to our posts in the sidebar (or lower bar on your smart phone).

Before and after: Piano Room

Paint has the ability to really transform a space. Recently, we did a color consultation for a client's piano room. As you can see from the image below, they had a gorgeous piano but all the beige and red in the room did not allow the piano to take center stage like it should.

To balance the red in the piano, we chose grays with green undertones.  Sherwin Williams paint colors Cityscape and Passive were selected for the walls and trey ceiling. We also helped select a few accessories to pull the room together.

The wall color now acts as a dramatic backdrop for the piano to really shine.

If you are having a hard time pulling the look of your room together, drop us a line. We'd love to help!

Creating a Custom Look Without the Custom Price

Let’s face it—custom work doesn’t come cheap.  Whether it’s custom drapes, custom upholstery or custom art, they will more than come with a high price tag.  But there are ways to save and still achieve a custom look in your home.  Below are a few ideas on achieving a designer look without the custom price.

1. Custom drapery

-Don't use the pocket. First and foremost, do not hang drapery with a rod pocket if at all possible.  Instead, use drapery rings or hooks for a more finished look.   

Some retailers sell panels with hooks included.  If that’s the case, use them and attach to the rod with an inexpensive set of rings, removing the clasp for a closer hanging.

-Add trim.  Purchase inexpensive, plain panels from Ikea or a discount retailer and dress them up with custom tape trim.  If you’re not an avid sewer, you can use Stitch Witchery and iron it on.

-Hang them high.  We’ve mentioned this several times on here, but it’s worth repeating.  Purchase curtains all long as you can to fit in your ceiling height and hang the curtain rod as high as possible while still allowing the panels to skim the floor like in the image above.  It will make your room and your panels look even grander. Here's a great before/after illustration showing the difference.

2. Custom furniture.

Custom furniture is a costly venture and can often take a lot of time to receive.  Instead, opt for a piece that you can pick up in store at a furniture retailer or discount décor store (HomeGoods!) and then get a local shop to reupholster the back in a different (perhaps more expensive) fabric for a unique look. You can even add embellishments like nailhead trim.  You're left with a custom-look for a fraction of the price!

3.  Custom art.

Instead of the store-bought, mass produced art options, support small business and shop from Etsy or a local artist. To frame the piece, purchase an inexpensive frame from HomeGoods or a craft store and get a custom mat cut to fit the frame.  Opt for a wider mat or off-centered cut for a more custom look.

Try these three tips to update your home with a designer look!

Get the Look - A Norwegian Kitchen

Typically, I am not drawn to rustic designs but this beautiful kitchen located in Norway is an exception.  Something about this kitchen has me envisioning rolling out dough for home-baked bread, which I have no idea how to do nor would typically enjoy. Perhaps it is the combination of several elements: the natural light that floods the room, the tall ceilings and wooden beams, the fireplace next to the farm table, the juxtaposition of the contemporary white cabinets against the natural woods, the basket pendants, and the global accents. Alluring, no?

The greenery against the muted color palette looks so vibrant and beautifully injects color into the space.

Images Via Vakre Hjem & Interior

Inspired? Well, you can re-create the look with these elements.

leather chair // gray paint // basket pendant // tree // rug // elbow chair // table

Feeling crafty? Here is an easy DIY to create your own basket pendant for a lot less.

Until next time, XOXO.

3A's Three Things

// One //

A fashion designer's seaside retreat.

// two //

Interesting article on the future of the flexible work environment.

// Three //

This beautiful soap bar which contains crushed, natural pearl, would make a great gift for house guests.

Condo Refresh

With summer vacation days coming to a close, condo owners are assessing their rentals and looking to refresh their properties to get more bang for their buck next year.  I don't know about you, but one of the main things I look at when renting a condo (next to location) is the style of the place.  If you're going away, you'd like it to be a place you want to relax, right?  A place you want to spend time.  A place to make you feel like you're on a vacation.  

A few design updates can go a long way when sprucing up a condo.  And thinking outside of the coastal cookie cutter box can make your condo stand out among the rest of the competition. 

Here a condo E-Design we recently completed.  They didn't need a full overhaul-just a little refresh, and we were more than happy to oblige.

With a great neutral backdrop to start, all we had to do was add in a few new pieces to bring this place back to life.  We suggested updating the kitchen with a new backsplash in these coastal blue arabesque tiles and replacing the existing can lights over the bar with these antique nickel pendants.  Finishing off the updated kitchen, we suggested using these modern, easy to clean acrylic bar stools in lieu of the dated wooden ones they had.

In the living area we added in a durable seagrass rug one size larger than their existing one (scale is huge), brought in some new pillows for their existing slipcovered sofa and added some blue lamps.  The blue color and acrylic base of the lamps tie into the tile and barstools in the adjoining kitchen, and the fabric on the pillows (great for camouflaging stains) has a coral inspired look with a slightly unexpected color palette. Update complete!

If you're looking to update your condo or rental, here are a few things to consider giving a "refresh"--

• lighting
• pillows
• wall paint colors
• hardware
• backsplash
• rugs

And if you have no idea where to start, contact us and read more about our E-Design process here.  We'd love to help!