New York Design Blog | Material Girls | New York Interior Design

So as it turns out, one of the stenciled floors I posted last week (the turquoise bathroom with white medallions) was a stencil created and sold by Sunny Goode.  She designs these stencils to make it fun and easy for you to create a whimsical touch on your walls, your floors, your furniture – wherever your heart desires!  Check out Sunny’s website for more decorative paint ideas and products.  Looks as though she’s come up with some pretty bright ideas!

Looking for a change but don’t want to break the bank on this project?  Why not paint the floor in your powder room or or entry hall or guest bedroom or wherever you’re dying to mix things up.  It’s something you can do yourself if you carve out the time and kick your family out of the house for a few days   Below are some fun examples of what you can do to make a pretty big statement without having to spend a ton of money.

 

Get out your stencils, purchase your paint and give your floors the funk they deserve.  You’ll be amazed at how quickly it will change the room and how easy it is to do a quick and cost efficient make-over.

I’m often looking for artists – photographers, painters, sculptors, etc. for my clients and it can be difficult to find the right style and the right fit for each individual client…But when I find an artist whose work I love and admire, I’m sure to show it to just about everyone I’m working with because I know someone will love it just as much as I do.  I recently met an artist at an event whose work is stunning, therefore, I’m sharing it with you.  Her name is Leah Durner and she lives and works in NYC.   You can view her full portfolio here and contact her for further information.  Below is just a small sample of some of her paintings that I love!

Martha Stewart and Omnimedia hosted a party last night for all the fellow bloggers who are in town for the BlogHer Conference this weekend and what a great party!  There were well over 400 bloggers in Martha Stewart’s office on 26th Street, mingling about, tasting recipes from Martha’s latest issue of Everyday Food, playing with the latest and greatest crafts products, getting fake lashes put on and blogging/tweeting while doing it all!  I myself passed on the fake lashes, but went straight to the crafts table to see what it was all about.

The punch around the page kit had to be my favorite!  How adorable is this hand-crafted stationary that take seconds to make.  It’s fun, cost effective and might even get your kids to write their thank you notes if they can have fun while doing it!

Want to paint your dresser or your wall in a faux bois?  It’s easy to do with Martha Stewart’s painting kits which are expected to hit stores in September.  Keep your eyes peeled and check her website for availability.  There are plenty of painting effects to choose from so whatever your style may be, I’m sure she’ll have the right tool!

Faux Bois

Herringbone

Now to the food..I was only able to sample a few things but can tell you everything looked amazing and well worth the time in the kitchen.  The first thing I tried was the Bistro Slider with pickled onions

Yum!

Grilled S’mores

So easy and fun for kids!

Another great idea for a party/dessert if you’re crunched for time or just want something different and fun – create an oreo cake on a cake stand for all your guests to pick apart.  You’ll of course want to have some milk near by..

Thanks Martha/Omnimedia for a great evening.  I look forward to trying new recipes and craft projects at home!

I went to an event tonight at Pierre Frey hosted by none other than Pierre Frey (grandson to the man who founded the company in 1935), Nicole Gibbons (author of So Haute) as well as Joshua Greene and Alex Kale (founders of Shagreene).  The event had a magnificent panel that included the following four extremely talented designers:

Nate Berkus

Not only is Nate Berkus filled with amazing decorating advice, talent and good looks but he’s also one of the better spoken, easy going and funnier (is that a word?) decorators I’ve come across in awhile.  It’s nice to know that there are people out there who can decorate your home with a sense of style yet still have a great sense of humor about life.  I’d work with Nate any day!

Steven Gambrel

Steven Gambrel established his firm in 1995 and has done wonders ever since.  He spoke a lot about texture and surface materials, something he’s “obsessed” with at the moment.  He’s obviously remarkable at what he does and a true artist/designer who’s looking to create amazing homes for great clients.  Another one I’d work with..

Laura Kirar

Laura is the founder and creative director of Laura Kirar TRU Design which creates elegant, innovative interiors and products for the home.  She has a wonderful presence about her that seems somewhat modest.  Something I admire in talented designers.  Laura has been extremely successful in creating high end products for the home such as furniture, tile, carpets, lighting and much more.  Another one to keep your eye on!

Jessie Carrier and wife Mara Miller

Most recently Carrier and Company was named one of the country’s “Top 20 Young Designers” by Traditional Home and if you browse his portfolio you’ll know why.  Jessie was rather soft spoken and felt very small against a larger panel of great designers but with out a doubt deserved the recognition that Trad Home gave him.

Now for the dirt…

Tips for designing and decorating your home:

1. Keep your interests, favorite colors and surroundings in mind when choosing home furnishings

2. Stay consistent with your project, your vision and stay focused until the project is complete

3. Keep quality in mind when purchasing things and don’t just buy something because it’s less expensive – go for the throw or the side table that’s going to make a statement, last a lot longer and make you happier in the end

4. Focus on a combination of colors that you like instead of just choosing one.  If you like greens and blues, make it your palette

5. Be passionate about your choices and select items and finishes that you’re crazy about!

If I had to choose one of these designers to work with or decorate my home I’m not sure who I’d choose.  They all have their own flare and their own style that would make any home great.  Take a look at some of their work below and see if you can decide who you’d want to hire..

Nate Berkus apartment

Nate Berkus Bedroom

Nate Berkus Kitchen

Steven Gambrel Living Room

Steven Gambrel Bedroom

Steven Gambrel Bedroom

Laura Kirar Living Room

Laura Kirar custom designed carpet

Laura Kirar barrel lounge chairs designed for McGuire and used by a good friend of mine who decorated this living room in the hamptons

Jessie Carrier Living Room

Jessie Carrier Bedroom

Jessie Carrier barn conversion

Thank you Pierre, Nicole, Josh and Alex for a great night!

I’ve been admiring this Oomph collection for quite sometime now and I was just looking at their website in search of a great, fun, casual lacquered game table.  Although they didn’t have what I was looking for I thought I’d share the site with those who haven’t come across it yet or are in need of something bright and funky to spice up a room!  I can’t say there’s anything in their collection that I don’t like.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do and find a spot to add a little Oomph in your life.

In case you missed it above you can shop online at Oomph to find just the right piece and just right the color for your home!

Architectural Digest published a fantastic article in their August 2010 issue entitled “Inspired by You”.  They asked their readers what they wanted to know specifically about interior design and then had top designers weigh in with their simple advice.  Some of the questions asked were as follows:

Q: What colors tend to work better for large rooms? small rooms?

Q: What items should you splurge on?  Where can you cut corners?

Q: Are there any interior paint colors you feel should be avoided?

To get the answers to these questions and more, go to the article on AD’s website and see what other useful tips they have to offer online.

The 4th of July is around the corner and it’s time to throw together a quick, inexpensive yet chic table setting(s) and party decor for all of those guests that are coming over this weekend.  Don’t stress, stay calm and browse through some of these great and easy ideas to make your table stand out this holiday!  All it takes is a few arts and crafts, a quick trip to your local party store and a little baking..

These paper lanterns were made by the ever so creative Martha Stewart

Use red, white and blue tissue paper or wrapping paper to create whimsicle designs.  You can also cut out and make your own placemats using the same paper!

You can never go wrong with BIG, round paper lanterns from your local party store

Get out your white mugs and plates and splash the table with patriotic flags which can also be found at your local party store

Mix and match your napkins and placemats with your generic white china

Sometimes all it takes is a simple red napkin.  You could add a thick blue ribbon down the center of the table runner and voila…red, white and blue!

Look how gorgeous these carnation balls are!  Im sure you could find dyed blue ones as well and if not, you can dye them yourself!  Thoroughly saturate a 3″ sphere of floral foam with cool water and insert your short carnation stems until the entire sphere is covered.  How easy does that sound?

Dessert!  This is a sure way to decorate your table and get your guests to stay until the end.  Try the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe for flag cake.

Use blueberries and raspberries on white frosted cupcakes

Martha Stewart’s Red, White and Blue Desserts

People often think of the color grey as boring and dull and lump it in the same category as black and white (which is also by no means boring and dull).  In decorating, grey can add an element to a room that you never knew existed.  Just because you’re not adding bright reds or oranges doesn’t mean your room will be any less exciting…and if you’re dying to add that bright punch, grey is the perfect color to play off of and accessorize with.  Take a look at some of these beautiful designs done with the color grey:

This beautiful bookshelf was “grey-washed” and has the perfect balance of rustic and elegance

All the greys and natural materials (wood, glass and metal) play off of each other to create this romantic Living Room

The grey tufted headboard paired with calming whites keeps this bedroom very serene

The grey floral wallpaper and crushed grey velvet tufted ottoman make this otherwise dull room shine!

Ahhh…grey (possibly velvet cut?) damask against stark white contrast trim

A Design Star duo from HGTV created this innovative Dining Room with this geometric pattern on the walls and floor.  Talk about making a statement!

The men from this season’s Design Star on HGTV created this space using grey on the walls and added a focus wall of bright colored stripes

Definitely don’t be afraid of charcoal lacquered walls

It’s all about the contrast in this entry hall

Outside of blue being my favorite color I’ve noticed that it’s made a comeback in decorating in a big way.  Not only are people leaning towards more blues, they’re leaning towards the brighter more electric blues that add a huge POP to any color scheme.  Blue is probably the most calming color because we associate it with water and sky — that’s not to say a brighter more electric blue will keep you calm and resting in your seat.  Take a look at the mix of blues I found and see which one works best for you.

A calming, more elegant living room with subtle and soft blues

A baby blue sofa with a bolder bamboo wallpaper adds an edge to the room and makes it less traditional

Bolder fabrics from Quadrille create a nice splash in this LR

A turquoise painted floor changes this kitchen from drab to fab very quickly

Ashley Whittaker painted her bookcase in an aqua high gloss which adds just enough punch without going overboard

A beautiful navy blue den.  Simple yet divine

A real simple baby blue wall and navy blue stripe on the floor gives this otherwise dull off white furniture a little lift

Another blue walled room that’s filled with fun, trendy fabrics and a zebra rug that’s calling for entertainment

This dining room is definitely for the daring, pop art loving, strong contrast kind of person.  If you’re going to use an electric blue on the walls…black and white are just enough to complete the room

Have fun with your wallpaper and floors by choosing geometric or tropical prints in blue

These blue throw cushions will add a ton of flavor to your furniture and may even hide the fact that it’s outdated and needs a facelift!