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

Tips to Take a Look from Work to Home

As a shopkeeper for an antiques store, Sally McNellis employs a few tricks of the trade in her own home. Here are a few of her tried-and-true secrets:

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• Start with the simplicity of white furniture and build from there.

• Use lots of fabric with basic white as the background, then bring in
floral prints to add pop to a room.

• Artwork adds personality to a space. Sally pulls anything from originals to antiques to fill her store.

• Be reasonable about how the item fits in with your lifestyle. Your
furniture and accessories should work for you, not against you.

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By Regan-Elyse Elder
Photography by Jaimee Itagaki
Styled by Jacqueline de Montravel

Shared by Cottages and Bunglaows

Halloween Candle

Halloween is a holiday that prompts so many people to decorate their homes, and nothing else provides a spookier glow than candles. Sit Halloween-inspired candles from Root Candles on top of your matnel to complement a roaring fire.

Photo courtesy of Thinkstock.com

With a fragrance reminiscent of crisp fall evenings, the luxurious IllumiNoir Warm Vanilla Hallow’s Eve candle comes in a black matte glass container and is housed in an elegant black box, perfect to give as a gift to fans of Halloween. Root Candles provide a modern twist to the traditional bottle light candle with their Spooky Tree, Autumn Leaves, Halloween’s Eve and Jack-O-Lantern candles scented with mulled cider fragrance. To find the retailer nearest you, visit www.rootcandles.com.

By Jennifer Myers

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!

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

Romantic Living - Have a Parisian Breakfast at Home

Start the day with a French-style breakfast at home!

One of the most delightful experiences of being in France is having your first meal of the day at a sidewalk cafe. There’s no better place to savor your first cup of cappuccino and buttered croissant than at a petit outdoor table with the morning sun gently warming you as you watch the fashionable residents stroll past.

How’s how to recreate the sidewalk cafe feel in your own home:

• A small round table is the foundation of your at-home cafe. If it has an elegant style, like this classic marble tabletop, it does not require a tablecloth.
• Have your cappuccino (or coffee) in a café au lait bowl and pretend you’re in Paris. You can find these bwls in most home-décor and culinary shops.
• Add eye-opening color to the table with an assortment of fruit tarts that will give you a sweet start to the day.
• A pewter-and-glass pitcher makes for an interesting and elegant serving piece.
• A warm loaf of French bead should always be on the menu at your cafe, as should a small vase or pitcher with delicate flowers.

What is a ‘Romantic’ Home?

Every so often we editors gather to discuss what defines a romantic home. Pretty, feminine touches such as pillows, candles and personal mementos? Check. An abundance of vintage details that pull on a nostalgic feeling? Check. Cozy nooks and spaces? Check. Soft hues such as white, pink and celadon? Check.

However, the most romantic homes I visit have less to do with the props than with the leading characters. It’s the people who live there, their stories, passion and warmth that come alive through pieces that were thoughtfully acquired and arranged. They are fully involved in their home’s design and, like any good relationship, it’s a constant process that always needs a bit of work.

Throughout our website, we will show you inspiring places, but if you look closely you will also see the dweller’s personality in every image. Just find our website here.... Home Magazines

Dare To Color - Home Designs

Lacking a little color courage?
Selecting bold colors for your home decor is not as intimidating as it seems. With these tips, you can make a vibrant change to your home color scheme easily.

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1) There’s room for a pop of color in every home decorating style. French provincial, early American, industrial chic. Bright bold color isn’t just a modern motif. Injecting traditional decor with vibrant shades shakes things up in the best way.

2) Rich shades can work in small rooms. While it’s true that lighter colors create an airier feeling, dark colors don’t necessarily make a room feel smaller. Use subdued dark tones to create a soft cozy space. These colors are also great at camouflaging awkward architecture, making the walls recede away and adding warmth.

3) You can mix color intensities. Going bold doesn’t mean having to go all the way. Pair a pastel mint with a zesty lime green in the same room—the colors match, balance each other out and add explosive interest.



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4)  You can have two bold colors in one space. Painting an accent wall or opting for an accent piece of furniture are both great first steps. But try combining the two. As long as both shades compliment each other (think lemon yellow and bright turquoise) and each is used sparingly and equally, the space will feel fresh and dynamic.

5) Daring color and vivid pattern can coexist. Fun patterns don’t always have to be tamed by neutrals. When combined, the color and pattern can serve as a room’s primary artistic statement.