Cool off Blues

Robert Stilin put a beautiful abstract painting over this table with different blues. Clearly a focal point.

Summer can get pretty steamy, especially here in NYC. In August the heat can be almost unbearable! Coming home and sitting directly in front of the air conditioner is one way to solve the overheating that comes with summer, but another way is to visually cool off your home! Adding cool colors to your home in the summer can be a way to take the heat down a notch and add some freshness too.

A blue geometric rug sets the tone subtly for this room by Thad Hayes. Also different blues are all around the room in throw pillows, a blanket and the drapery.

Simply adding blue accessories is also a fun and less expensive option. Massucco Warner Miller used different blue glass vessels in these cabinets.

Blue and white cachepots for the plants around your room also catch your attention. Wouldn't this be a nice place to sip lemonade after being outside for a bit? By Joann Barwick from Traditional Home.

My favorite idea, which is temporary for the change in season, is to switch up the throw pillows and lampshades. It's an easy way to freshen up the room and you can change the pillows back to orange in fall or tartan in the winter! By Frank Roop.

Pastels and different blues are nearly everywhere throughout this large living room by Diamond Baratta. Blue lampshades and lanterns are molto fun!



Don't want to repaint your walls or buy new lampshades? Want a project? A fun idea is to paint your bookcase blue, or even just the back wall of it for a pop of blue when you're admiring your books/bookcase display. From Remodelista via HERE.

Painting the walls blue is also a fun and inexpensive option. I love how this dining room is painted above the very high chair rail. Draws your eye up to the amazing ceiling too. By Marshall Watson.

When I started this and was thinking of cool fresh blues, I immediately thought of Bunny Williams summery room for the Kips Bay 2009 Showhouse. It's more of a turquoise blue but bright and lively. From Habitually Chic.

Do y'all ever change a room based on the season? Slip covers are also a good idea for an inexpensive seasonal change if they are done in a very tailored way though. My living room has yellow walls and a brown plaid love seat so I'd probably change (sew my own!) the throw pillows before I did anything else.


Alicia B.

Nautical Living

From Country living Mag, this refurbished beach house in NC uses lots of browns and blues in the living room. I love the storage chest used as a coffee table here.

Okay, so I guess I rallied and got it together to do a blog even though my life is consumed with packing slash moving slash painting. I don't know if you can tell but I've become obsessed by this water/yacht theme of late. Every now and then I see houses with many nautical motifs and I just love them! I think some of them are over-done and in bad taste but I love the theme and find it charming, nonetheless.

The banister here may be slightly over the top but a creative idea by designer Suzanne Kasler, anyway. The mirrors on the wall are really what drew me to this room, all round and chunky.

I found this adorable old world nautical map wallpaper from Stark. This would be so cute in a powder room or a small cozy den.

By Savoie Architects, this kid's bedroom looks like bunk beds on a ship. As my friend, Sarah, who basically grew up on a boat said to me, in terms of space and storage, there is not one place on a boat that is not used. You need to use the space efficiently and as you can see here, it definitely is: bunk beds, and storage underneath is those cute baskets.

In the same house, Savoie takes the nautical theme into the master bedroom; but in a different direction. Clearly inspired by the idea of sea glass, the color palette is centered around the sea glass mural behind the bed, then taken to the lamps, shades, and pillows on the bed. How beautiful is that? LOVE IT.

Photographer, Matt Albiani designed his entire city apartment around this nautical theme. The wall paper is actually old maps. I love the case on the dresser with a rope handle. His entire place is in Domino mag HERE. His style is a little more DIY than your typical beach house with lots of space, which I appreciate.

Boston based designer Gary McBournie designed this house on Nantucket. I love the chest flanked by the two antique chairs, but the ship's wheel over the bench (with a storage drawer!) is a little too obvious for me. Sorry. I still love you though Gary McBournie!

I SUPER love this kitchen! I love the white cupboards with holes and the unfinished ceiling is KILLING me. Nice touch with the patriotic American flag, too. Ahhh.

One of my favorite things about going to the shore is the shells. The starfish and coral in this bedroom are so cute!

This house on Cape Cod designed by Foley and Cox is also very beautiful, and perhaps that dog is what made me choose this one. Anyway, as a lighting lover, I couldn't look away from those two ship's lanterns above the sofa.

Which was your favorite? I like elements of each one; the glass balls in the knots above, the coral, the colors of blue, white, and mahogany, etc . It might be a few days before I post again so enjoy this one; savor it. I'll be really busy and stressed SO BACK OFF. Just kidding, love me!


Alicia B.

Go Blue?

Ultra modern tub found at Trendir.

If you haven't heard yet, being "green" is out and being "blue" is in. Blue is the new green. Being BLUE is about water conservation. Apparently along with the world having bad air, we're losing water. HERE is the article. While you're busy feeling bad about the world, I have collected some pics of BLUE bathrooms to perk up the mood! What better place to have a lot of blue but the bathroom? A room that is centered around water and cleanliness and recharging yourself (take a bath) might as well be blue.

Kenneth Albert designed this amazing over the top blue tiled bathroom complete with mosaics of a fish and people! All that blue tile gives off the feeling of water.

One more reason to love Katie Ridder. This bathroom. And that light fixture. And the bouquet of contrasting orange flowers.

Drake Designs proves that you don't always have to use tiles for the blue. Jamie Drake chose dark blue Madagascar cloth on the walls which is so beautiful; picks up so much light and accentuates shadows too.

Another pic of the Drake Designs bathroom.

Patrick Gallagher designed this blue beauty (yeah I said it). I love the tiles that he chose and that they continue up into the shower.

This is pretty with simple blue accents; blue Moravian star and blue hand towel. I especially love the glass jug in the back.

Frank Roop designed this incredible little bathroom. He even used CAD to custom design this tiled mat below the tub. Impressive! The soft blue on the walls is called Borrowed Light by Farrow and Ball.

This tub looks uncomfortable but there is something about those unfinished wide planked floorboards that is so appealing. The pretty blue wall is gingham blue by Pratt & Lambert. I love the ladder as a towel rack too--so rustic.

I love how the blue frames out the rest of the space. The star lantern picks up some blue as well! I do not care for that rug however. From Domino.

I know this isn't all blue but I thought this shower curtain was so adorable/delicate/perfect that I couldn't resist. From Country Living.

Also from Country Living, isn't that a fabulous vintage claw foot tub? This whole bathroom is a tad bit forced vintage though. Sorry.

I think designing a bathroom would be so fun. It can be such a small space and you can really have some fun with it as it isn't a main space and wouldn't have too much effect on the whole of the house.

Alicia B.

Feeling Blue? GREAT!

Benjamin Moore's Paddington Blue # 791

A friend of mine just moved into a new apartment and was asking me for advice! Yay! She has lots of dark wood furniture and doesn't want pink to be involved in the color scheme (I know, crazy right?). I suggested blue to her and she loved the idea of the rich dark browns and contrasting blues. Also add in some sandy browns or pale golds for accents! Here are some fun blue interiors that I found.

A tranquil bedroom from Dominio Mag.

I love this facade. LOVE.

A blue color scheme with a pale yellow wall from Domino Mag.

A Markham Roberts Dining room. Beautiful.

Blue hallway.

From Domino, Nick Olson designed this living room with bold blues and yellows.

Alicia B.