How To Create a Comfortable Cottage Full of Personal Style

From his tiny beach cottage to his clients’ expansive ocean-side estates, designer Randy Boyd knows how to build a comfortable home full of personal style. Follow his tips to get his signature look:

Pick what pleases your eye
Regardless of the trends or expectations, only things that appeal to your aesthetic will help you create the perfect home.

Always be aware of scale
Don’t force a purchase if it’s not the right size and scale. Even if you love a piece in the store, if it’s not the right fit, chances are you won’t love it at home.

Invest in antiques when you can
Buy antique items when you can and when it’s practical for you. Not only will they last longer than most new furniture, but they will add an unmatched element of warmth and style.

If you can splurge on something, splurge on upholstery
Cutting corners on fabric often leads to having to redo the project sooner. Buy the best upholstery you can afford because it will save you money in the end.

Don’t rely on matching
For fabrics and accessories, blending is much more interesting than matching. Consider a palette to stick with, but don’t get too hung up on matching colors and patterns precisely, which can be boring and predictable.

By Jickie Torres
Photography by Mark Tanner
Styled by Jacqueline deMontravel

Source: Cottages and Bungalows

We Love: Flour Power

Reuse what you have in romantic ways. Pick up home decorating ideas from items you may already have around the house. Today, we shine a little light on vintage flour sifters for many purposes they fulfill. 

Not only do we love vintage flour sifters for their nostalgic and practical appeal, but they also make colorful utensil holders.

You can find them in an array of designs at antique shops and flea markets.

Display them on your kitchen counter or atop the cabinets and fridge for instant country charm. Then place your cooking utensils inside for a look that will serve you a smile as you reach for the spatula.

Photography by Jacqueline deMontravel

How to Get Chic Style in a Country Home

Designer Nancy Toon has lived in palaces, estates and posh townhouses but found a way to make her big style shine in a small country house. She shares her tips for getting chic style no matter where you are.

• I like starting out with large-scale furniture. In a large room, it is substantial and provides a good foundation; in small spaces, it creates warmth and coziness.
• Then I like to add textures in the fabrics. I use a lot of linens and white denim because it’s very practical, and neutral backgrounds allow you to change and update your look. I add patterns in pillows, and textures are found in the woods I use and peeling-paint patinas in accessories.
• Working with today’s much simpler palettes, you have to layer, otherwise the look can easily fall flat and feel cold. Use a variety of textures and subtle patterns.
• If you mix new with old you get comfort of newly designed items with the depth of antiques.
• Accessories are what really pull your look together. I like to use metals with great textures. Antique mercury, hand-blown glass candlesticks, natural corals from the beach— these are elements that add unique style and personality.

Working at Home

Nancy uses her home as a testing ground for her new projects and merchandise.  “I use my house as a workshop,” she says. “It is very important to me that I only offer my customers things that I would want.”

This rotating array of items also helps to keep her design stimulated and evolving. As things make their way in and out, it helps to keep Nancy in touch with how her clients live and what they would want.

“Being based in the Hamptons, our clients come to their weekend homes to relax with friends and family and so our design is based on their requirements for casual but sophisticated rooms for elegant living and entertaining,” she says.

By Jickie Torres
Photography by Jacqueline deMontravel

Top 10: Things to Collect

1. Seltzer bottles

2. Vintage kitchen tools and cookbooks

3. Sewing notions

4. Chintz and Wedgwood china

5. Anything related to entertaining—china, silver, place cards, napkin rings

6. Linens, especially tablecloths, from the 19th century through the 1940s

7. Candy boxes, biscuit boxes

8. Presentation pieces inscribed with names and dates that were given for special occasions, such as anniversaries

9. Silver baby cups

10. All kinds of boxes: i.e., lingerie, hats, handkerchiefs

Photography by Jaimee Itagaki
Styled by Jacqueline deMontravel

Source: Well Styled Home Magazine

Repurpose Dainty Doilies

Reuse what you have in romantic ways.



While perennially charming paper doilies always do a bit to boost the presentation factor for treats on a plate, this Valentine’s Day consider decorating your home with doilies in a fresh new way. Check out a few of our favorite ideas:

1) Wrap glass votive holders in the paper pretties to impart a little extra romance to the table. They add dimension to the setting, and when lit they cast drama on the table with glowing shadows.

2) Use doilies as mats underneath tall candlestick holders in order to draw attention to the romantic touches of your dining table.

3) Create place cards out of a small doily, or cut one in half and fold to prop up at each place setting.

Top Ten: Tricks to Keeping Your Home Bright in Autumn

As the days get shorter, your home craves natural light. Here are some easy ways to trick Mother Nature.

1. Remove the clutter. Bundles of unnecessary odds and ends absorb light.

2. Select brighter linens for the bedroom and bath.

3. Replace worn rugs or give your hardwood floors a spiffy clean and show off their natural splendor.

4. Keep bushy green house plants to a minimum.

5. Employ candles and votives to cast soft, romantic rays.

6. Lighten up your window treatments and select ones    that can be easily drawn open.

7. Swap dark lampshades for warm, creamy varieties in soft tones.

8. Freshen walls with a new coat of paint or refresh trimmings with white paint.

9. Add lamps or candelabras to the corners of a room.

10. Bring in sun-catching accessories, such as mirrors and clear glass.

Photography by Jaimee Itagaki

Styled by Jacqueline deMontravel

Top Ten Timeless Accessories

Want to buy some time and look great forever? While this is not an ad for the latest advancement in cosmetic surgery, these timeless accessories are perfect for every Well Styled Room.

1. Personal memorabilia, such as photos and letters
2. Vintage perfume bottles
3. Silver pieces
4. Anything with animal print
5. Crystal bar accessories
6. Coffee-table books
7. Heavy-stock stationery
8. Wool throws
9. Leather trays
10. A classic chair or chaise upholstered in high-quality fabric

Photography by Jaimee Itagaki

Top 10 Ways to Add Flourish with Fabric

Decorating with fabric need not be designated to your bed and window treatments. Add some color and texture to your home easily by using fabric in these unexpected ways:

1. Wrap a present and finish it with ribbon.
2. Line a basket for baked goods, teas or those odds and ends too pretty for the junk drawer.
3. As a stylish wine tote you can reuse.
4. Frame colorful fabrics and arrange in a grid.
5. Tie a strip of fabric around a throw pillow to add color.
6. Create sachets filled with lavender or rose potpourri.
7. Cover a corkboard with a vintage pattern for a personalized way to post notes.
8. Knot fabric scraps around drinking glasses for a vintage touch to a brunch or lunch party.
9. Decoupage a lampshade.
10. Create a swag over a standard wall mirror for instant drama.

Photography by Jaimee Itagaki

A Colorful and Budget-Friendly Collectible

Abundant as the harvests they advertised, vintage fruit labels are a versatile collectible. Valued for their color, motif and age, original labels not only indicated the contents of a crate being shipped across the country, they also soon served as travel marketing, touting the beauty of each region they originated from, says vintage fruit label expert Dwayne Rogers.

To start a collection of your own, get to know these tips:

• Prices range from a few dollars each for commonly produced and later designs to up to $200 for rare and pristine examples.
• Handling marks, tears, printer flaws, creases and wrinkles all affect value, but since the genre is fairly new, there isn’t a formalized grading system, and the value is often in the eye of the beholder. This works in the collector’s favor, so it’s easier to find great prices or bargain for better deals.
• When storing or displaying vintage labels, be sure to use acid-free paper and mats to prevent damage and decay.
• There’s no right way to collect labels; you can build a set around type of fruit, state or color.  Buy motifs that you love or ones that complement your décor and the value will follow.

DIY - How to Create Eye-Catching Autumn Arrangements

Eric Cortina of Roger’s Gardens shares his tips and tricks for unique centerpieces and tablescapes.

1. Group wicker baskets together and fill with blooms or small potted herbs. Choose herbs without strong fragrances that would interfere with dining or the atmosphere.
2. Use fruit for centerpieces. Try grapes and with figs and gather foliage from your garden in similar colors to add.
3. Instead of a single centerpiece, scatter multiple pewter and copper containers down the table and fill them with autumn-colored roses mixed with fall leaves.
4. Use wire baskets to plant small blooming plants such as chrysanthemums or antique pansies. Add in gourds or fall pumpkins for more interest.
5. Embellish centerpieces with folk art such as seasonal ornaments by Bethany Lowe that will add a traditional homey style.
6. Use oranges instead of pumpkins. Bunch orange roses in places to continue the color theme.
7. Arrange several candles together and place in groups on the table. Along with traditional votive candles, mixing in those of different heights and sizes makes the overall look more interesting and exciting.
8. Be eco-friendly and chic by using potted plants and flowers that you can later add to your garden.

These DIY home décor ideas will give your home a refreshing look and make it a Well Styled Home!

Open a New Door

Our new Bedrooms & Baths website is a wonderful way to get in touch with the best comforts of home. 

Reluctant to take expensive resort trips given the economy, we craft spa luxuries where we can or splurge on a great robe to get us in relaxation mode. When you retire to your chambers at the end of a long day, rest yourself on sheets that ease your tired body and soft blankets in colors that reflect your favorite things. I’ve found that it truly doesn’t matter if it’s a grand master suite or a tiny humble room in an old cottage house; these are the places we carefully dress in the kinds of fineries that simply make us happy.

Bedrooms & Baths

With each post, I hope you find something to add to your rooms of contentment: a new accessory to refresh your décor, a simple solution for a certain quandary and at least one little indulgence. I hope you discover new ideas, such as the shed house. When we were children, they were our favorite places: tiny sheds and backyard shacks that felt like secret hideaways and special rooms. Or, for the lucky kids, real tree houses equipped with diminutive chairs and Mom’s kitchen rag fashioned to cover a window. They were for games and play or places to stir our imaginations.

Thanks to good old ingenuity and the spirit of resourcefulness in times of need, these backyard constructions are being re-imagined into useful and beautiful extra rooms for the home. Whether for a home office or guestroom, craft room or nap room, reclaim those sheds (the tools can go elsewhere). Use them—and this special issue—to re-ignite the thrill of carving out your own special havens.

10 Easy Ways to Infuse Glamour into Your Home

Bring a flourish of style and elegance to every room. Try adding a few of these simple Decor Ideas to bring glamour into your home.

1. Flowers tied with ribbon.
2. Fresh fruit on the table.
3. Scented candles lit during the day.
4. The kind of music that would be heard in a Paris tea salon.
5. Dim lighting.
6. Perfume displayed in vintage bottles.
7. Fairy lights wrapped along a bedpost.
8. Handsome chocolate set in great dishes.
9. Bath salts perched on the rim of an old tub.
10. Soft throws warming up an armrest.

Photography : Jaimee Itagaki

Styled by Jacqueline deMontravel

Source : Home Decorating Ideas