Nina's ideas
Interior designer Charmean Neithart works on a lot of Spanish Colonial homes in Southern California, which are often full of warm wood architectural details and a mix of textures on the walls. “I use Elmira White a lot, especially in Spanish houses. It looks good with smooth and textured walls,” she says. “It has no yellow or pink undertones, so it looks beautiful with neutrals.”
Gray Wisp 1570 by Benjamin Moore “An easy color to live with,” interior designer Jane Haley says of this hue. “It is a great color because it is neutral gray, it’s cool and it will take on greens or blues if put with those colors.” Those properties infused this South Padre Island, Texas, home with subtle coastal color.
This Swedish bedroom with a view features some of our favorite farmhouse details, including buffalo plaid bedding, antique-style furniture, wood-paneled ceilings and a pastoral view. With the connected kitchenette, one could wake up, throw open the windows, brew a cup of coffee and enjoy the morning light.
Simplicity is key in farmhouse design, and this East Coast bedroom mixes that with a little bit of luxury, including an en suite bathroom, wood-burning fireplace and desk with a view. Warm wood floors, white wood-paneled walls and ceiling, along with rustic wood furniture contribute an overall casual, rustic elegance.
This breezy bedroom in the Bay Area feels like a breath of fresh air, with its clean lines, neutral colors and ample natural light. The exposed beams, wood-paneled walls, simple detailing and dark wood flooring bring out some of the best of modern farmhouse style — not to mention that pastoral view right outside.
This vacation home north of San Francisco speaks to the warm, lived-in feeling of farmhouse design. Tan painted wood walls, grain sack-inspired pillows and simple bed linens keep this bedroom design subdued and not over the top, while the French doors to the balcony with a view create a swoon-worthy destination.
Shaker furniture, hand-hewn antique ceiling timber, rough unpainted plaster and salvaged antique oak flooring contribute to this bedroom’s cozy, inviting farmhouse feel. A vibrant geometric hand-hooked rug adds a modern twist with a color palette that ties the room together. The crackling fire, four-poster bed and plush window seat are all the elements we would need to never want to leave.
Verona Fabric Club Chair, Beige
Spacely Frame Futon With Black Metal Finish, Suede Gray
Traditional Soft Linen Classic Sofa Nailhead Trim Accent Living Room, Dark Gray
Classic Velvet Scroll Arm Tufted Button Chesterfield-Style Sofa, Black
Ferrara Velvet Sofa, Navy
Westbury Linen Pillowtop Convertible Sofa, Blue
Eva Tufted Fabric Wingback Love Seat, Natural Beige
Modern Retro-Style Sectional Sofa, Gray
Modern Bonded Leather Sleeper Futon Tufted Button Nailhead Trim Armrest, White
Classic Linen Fabric Scroll Arm Tufted Button Chesterfield Style Sofa
Architect Erika Shern helped them change gears and keep the same footprint but reconfigure their existing space, a choice that in the long run saved them time and money.
In the master bedroom, swing-arm sconces illuminate the couple’s hand-embossed bed from Anthropologie. The palette is soothing whites and neutrals in earthy textures like linen and woven wood. The bench at the foot of the bed came from a local antiques store.
A blue accent scheme emerged after Woodall found an indigo-dyed African tapestry and bought it with the idea that she would find a place for it in the new design. The textile ended up covering an ottoman, not pictured, and inspiring the rest of the blue additions throughout the home.
Most items in the home were purchased locally at antiques shops or home boutiques, including Georgia Brown Home, Stardust Antiques and the Round Top Antiques Fair.
In a hall bath, graduated color on the handmade crackle-glazed tiles provides another ombré effect.
The chaise in front of the fireplace is a favorite spot for bedtime stories.
In the family room, custom casework hides the media equipment — the two large doors disappear into pockets so that the TV can be viewed from around the room. Two armchairs face the stone fireplace, while this perspective is taken from just behind a sofa that faces the TV. The X details on the lower cabinets are a wink to vernacular rural architecture, and the hardware repeats the oil-rubbed bronze Dalrymple used in the kitchen.
she wanted a blue kitchen — “We broke up all that blue by using seeded glass on the upper cabinets.” While the house was a new build, it has touches that make it seem as if it has been around for a century. In the kitchen, reclaimed beams and simple glass pendant lights with Edison bulbs lend a sense of age. So does the hardware.
Modern Glamour Master Bedroom featuring wingback tufted bed, hollywood regency style nightstands, Yves Klein art, Swanky Swell fabrics with a indigo blue and gray color palettes.
My newest Design Crush! Red doors! You don't have to paint the inside red if you don't want to! But what a statement!
Studio S Squared Architecture, Inc.
In the daughter’s long, skinny bathroom, a clever narrow makeup counter makes the most of the space. More custom wainscoting fits in with the original architecture. The wallpaper adds a wavy texture to the walls. It is vinyl and can stand up to steam.
Although the family room has a TV, Laura says that with all her clanging around in the kitchen, it’s not the best place to watch. “This is a room we use more when we have friends over, for after-dinner drinks,” she says. The large coffee table with the tortoise finish and brass details has four ottomans that can pull out to use as extra seating or footrests.
Through the dining room’s French doors and down a step is perhaps the happiest space in the house, a charming little sun porch with arched windows. “I love this little room — it gets so much light,” Laura says. “If I have just one friend over for coffee, we’ll sit and visit out here.” Her kids also enjoy doing their homework on the sun porch. Doses of orange and pink enliven the room with color. The area rug keeps things light and covers original terra-cotta tiles that didn’t work with the color scheme.
Throughout the home, achieving a balance between light and dark, formal and rustic, and traditional and high-tech was key. In the living room, the soft cream walls contrast with the dark walnut floors, the wood resin chandelier has a rustic formality, and the limestone fireplace with its white painted wood mantel is topped with a large round mirror that suits the scale.
The painted pine boards on the floor and standard subway tile saved enough in the master bedroom budget to splurge on a Carrara marble counter. It’s also a nice balance of lake house simplicity and elegance. The windows look out over the bay
A beadboard ceiling, shiplap fireplace detail and a chimney crafted from local stone create a cozy vibe. Ten-inch French oak planks on the floor lend a sense of age.
my favourite place MAINE
A retired couple wanted to build a vacation house that they could share with their four grown children and their families. Located on a gently sloping site near Maine’s Penobscot Bay, the house is inspired by New England’s vernacular forms and traditional materials, but nonetheless provides contemporary spaces for modern living
Dramatic Charcoal A darker color can also be a surprising neutral. Many people might be hesitant to use a dark paint color, thinking it will make the room look smaller or darker. A dark color can, however, add depth on an accent wall. In a dark room it can conceal any shadows and replace an overall dark feeling with a serene and stylish one. Charcoal, a deep gray, is a perfect dark neutral that can raise the style factor in a room as well as add a refreshing cool tone that complements beige and orange wood hues. Adding subdued drama, it works well in light-filled rooms or on an accent wall, especially in smaller rooms or on walls where you want to feature an architectural element.
Coaster Geometric Pattern Accent Chair, Blue and Green
Charlemagne Accent Chair, Oak
Jameson Tall Wingback Leather Club Chair, Teal Blue
Modway Sheer Fabric Accent Chair, Azure
Danica Velvet Hand-Tufted Armchair, Navy Blue by Jennifer Taylor Home
“This is a warm white that mimics sunshine, even on a cloudy day,” says interior designer Lisa Tharp, who is used to the early sunsets during long New England winters. “It cheers the soul while creating an atmospheric backdrop, letting people and furnishings take center stage.”
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