Awe-Inspiring Arches

April 5, 2023 Melissa Parr

DESIGN TRENDS COME AND GO, SO WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT ONE WOULD LAST FOR OVER 4,000 YEARS? FROM AN ARCHITECTURAL STANDPOINT TO ARTISTIC EXPRESSION, ARCHES ARE A HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER DESIGN CHOICE. I CAME ACROSS MY FIRST IN-PERSON ARCH SIGHTING IN BARCELONA IN 2017 and iT WAS BREATHTAKING TO SEE THIS SYMMETRY OF PERFECT CURVATURE IN SUCH A LARGE SCALE. TODAY WE CAN FIND THIS SHAPE IN A VARIETY OF STRUCTURAL CHOICES, FURNITURE, ACCESSORIES, AND EVEN TILE SHAPES.

VIA PATTERNSANDPROSECCO.COM KATE MARKER HOME TOUR

ARCHITECTURAL ARCHES

HALLWAYS, BOOKCASES, STOVE COVES- ARCHES ARE BEING PLACED CREATIVELY THROUGHOUT A HOME. THE CURVES ADD VISUAL INTEREST AND REPLACE THE SHARP LINES WE HAVE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO SEEING THROUGHOUT OUR HOMES. ARCHES HAVE A TENDENCY TO LINK TWO ROOMS TOGETHER INSTEAD OF CREATING SEPARATE SPACES. WHETHER IT’S CREATED BY A LEAFY ARCHWAY AS THE ENTRANCE TO YOUR GARDEN, OR EXPANDING THE CURRENT OPENINGS THROUGHOUT YOUR HOME, THE OPTIONS ARE ENDLESS WHEN IT COMES WHERE AND HOW YOU CAN ADD AN ARCH TO YOUR SPACE.

ARCHED DOORWAYS AND WINDOWS

WITH the general trend of HAVING OPEN AND AIRY SPACES WITHIN YOUR HOME, IT’S BECOMING MORE COMMON TO REPLACE DOORWAYS AND WINDOWS WITH ARCHES. AN ARCHED FRONT DOOR MAKES A STATEMENT IMMEDIATELY WHEN ENTERING THE HOME. IT CAN REALLY SET THE TONE WHILE ELEVATING THE SPACE. HAVING ARCHED WINDOWS GIVES THE overall IMPRESSION OF LENGTH- TALL, CLASSIC, AND UNIQUE. BOTH OPTIONS CREATE A VERY PERSONALIZED LOOK GIVING HOMEOWNERS THE OPTION TO INFUSE THEIR HOME WITH CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY.

STOVE COVEs

ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE DESIGNS I HAVE COME ACROSS HAS BEEN THE INFAMOUS STOVE COVE. IF THIS TERMINOLOGY IS NEW TO YOU, A STOVE COVE IS SIMPLY AN ALCOVE THAT’S CREATED FOR THE STOVE TO BE SET IN. WHEN COVID SWEPT THE WORLD, PEOPLE WERE IMMEDIATELY PROMPTED TO COOK MORE AT HOME. THIS IMPACTED THE MASSES AND HAD EVERYONE WONDERING, “HOW CAN I MAKE MY KITCHEN A MORE FUN PLACE TO SPEND TIME?” WITH KITCHEN APPLIANCES BECOMING MORE AND MORE FASHIONABLE, THE STOVE BECAME AN OBVIOUS CHOICE AS THE FOCAL POINT OF THE KITCHEN. WITH A growing INTEREST IN CUSTOM HOODS, an arched stove cove OFFERS THE HOMEOWNER a CUSTOMIZABLE DESIGN for THEIR KITCHEN. YOU CAN SEE THESE ALCOVES SURROUNDED BY LIMESTONE, HIGHLIGHTED WITH A BOLD TILE BACKSPLASH, AND you can EVEN CREATE a NICHE TO HOLD SPICES AND OILS.

VIA STLMAG.COM JESSIE D. MILLER’S CLAYTON HOME

PAINTED ARCHES

PERHAPS THIS BLOG HAS INSPIRED YOU, BUT YOU MAY NOT BE READY FOR A FULL-ON RENOVATION. NOT TO WORRY, THE PAINTED ARCH IS HERE TO STAY. WITH MANY DIY’ERS POSTING VIDEOS, YOU TOO CAN PAINT YOUR OWN PERFECT ARCH. UNSURE IF YOU WANT TO COMMIT TO PAINT? A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH OF “ARCH PEEL AND STICK DECAL” WILL GIVE YOU AN ARRAY OF REMOVABLE OPTIONS. ETSY, POTTERY BARN, WAYFAIR (JUST TO NAME A FEW)- THEY’RE ALL HAPPY TO SHARE THEIR DESIGN CONCEPTS FOR A BEAUTIFUL ADDITION TO YOUR WALL.

Color Me Coastal

July 22, 2020 Melissa Parr

While I may be a true Colorado girl these days, I still have a love for coastal design after living in Florida for over 20 years. I have a few adventurous and devoted clients who have trusted me enough to bring me along as their traveling designer to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Venice Beach, FL for a few seaside projects that have been a true inspiration.

Easy Breezy

Coastal design, as described in my previous blog, encompasses the breeziness of the beach. This means that the design is light and bright and the overall feel is relaxing. Coastal design is clutter-free with simple, clean lines and a cohesive color palette.

Colors & Textures

When I am looking for inspiration for a color palette for seaside homes, I always look to, well, the beach! There you will find blues, greens, whites, creams, yellows and grays. These soft colors paired with lots of different textures become the components that make up the perfect waterfront paradise. In these lakefront or oceanside homes, you will find materials like rattan, wicker, weathered wood, jute and seagrass. I also incorporate white-washed woods, soft patterns and matte finishes. White, being a crisp and clean color, is always a dominate tone in my coastal designs.

Accents

I love to bring in the vibes of the ocean through my smaller accents. I use elements like coral and dried grapewood or other botanicals to bring the feel of the outside in. One important thing to remember while designing your beachfront home is to not get overly ‘themey’. While I love to add in a few elements that have a strong costal feel to them, you don’t want to be too literal. This design style can speak for itself with the various colors and composition of the materials.

Artwork

I think art in a costal home is one of the most important elements to curate. The artwork is the feature that brings in the visual interest and influences the rest of the design. Abstracts are the perfect way to bring in the feeling of the sunset or the ocean. I also love watercolors or paintings of seashells and coral.

The Views

Most oceanfront homes have spectacular views and large windows that let the natural light come in. I like to let my designs center around the view. The interior finishes should reflect and highlight the view, not take away from it. Plus, letting in a lot of natural light is key to the perfect beach home.

The sea is the place where you go to relax and unwind so if you let your interior space be simple and calming, you will successfully achieve coastal design. All of this talk about the sand, sun and water sure makes me ready for my next beach vacation!

What's Your Design Style?

June 17, 2020 Melissa Parr

One of the things I love about interior design is how each individual expresses their taste in their own home. While many of us identify with a certain design style, often times we incorporate aspects of many different types of design in our homes. Sometimes we get hung up on which direction to pursue and I find that establishing a design style helps to start the process. Each of these unique design trends has certain characteristics but these can change over time and we adapt along the way using our own interpretations of these looks.

Coastal

Coastal design encompasses the breeziness of the beach. You will find a lot of neutral tones with pops of soft greens, blues and yellows. Coastal design incorporates a lot of texture using natural elements and wood tones. If you are looking to use pattern in this style, stripes are always a winner. Overall, these spaces tend to have a lot of natural light and should feel soothing and relaxing.

Traditional

Traditional design comes to us from Eighteenth and Nineteenth century European decor. There are many warm colors, deep wood tones, and complex patterns used in these homes. You will find rich fabrics like velvets, silks and brocades on chairs and sofas with wingbacks, tufting and piping. In this style, there is depth in the layers of each room and lots of dimension overall.

Transitional

This is one of the most popular design styles because it is a mix of old and new (traditional and modern). This style is timeless because it is simple yet sophisticated. Here you will find mostly neutral colors with soft pops of color. Transitional homes have the cleaner lines of modern aesthetic without loosing all of the traditional details. In my opinion, this is a great happy-median design style.

Contemporary

Contemporary style homes have a simple yet subtle sophistication. These homes have clean, straight lines and a quiet drama. Less is more here. You will see minimal and serene architectural elements paired with bold scale and sleek furnishings. In contemporary homes there are no unnecessary details.

Scandinavian

Scandinavian design originated in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. This is one of my personal favorite design styles because there are clean, simple lines and these homes incorporate functionality without sacrificing beauty. There is more texture and pattern in this trend than contemporary design. Wide plank wood floors in lighter tones are used in these spaces along with neutral colors and pops of black. Scandinavian homes are cozy with warm, inviting textiles, simple accents and live greenery.

Eclectic

Eclectic design is so much fun because it embraces a variety of periods of design history. These unique spaces are brought together with color, texture, shape and finish. When you have a juxtaposition of textures and contrasting colors, harmony is key. In this design style you can play with lots of different patterns and colors. You will find lots of unique artwork in eclectically designed rooms. There are no rules when it comes to this style but don’t get too busy with your design or your space will become haphazard and you won’t be able to appreciate the design.

Industrial

If you are going for an industrial design style, think of a warehouse or an old factory. Many of these spaces have bare bricks, metals, and raw woods paired with salvaged materials. The whole idea here is to have stripped back architectural details. This style contains mostly neutral colors and you will find lots of leather, distressed wood and exposed ceilings. Industrial spaces are normally wide open with lots of large windows and statement light fixtures.

Mid-Century Modern

Mid-Century Modern has roots in Germany but came to America through Bauhaus style. In this style, form follows function and functionality is key. You will find minimalistic design, free of clutter, with sleek lines and organic forms. Mid-Century Modern homes have limited ornamentation with lots of wood tones paired with metals and glass. There are a variety of fun colors in this style and normally you will see some retro artwork. One of the giveaways of this style is the tapered peg legs on the furniture.

Modern Farmhouse

This design trend became popular when Joanna Gaines appeared on HGTV’s Fixer Upper. This style is a balance of rural and refined. Modern Farmhouse works for people who enjoy casual living, neutral color schemes, and lots of texture. This design style isn’t as rustic as traditional farmhouse design because there are clean lines, open concept kitchens and live greenery. Here you will find exposed wood, shiplap, distressed decor pieces and repurposed materials.

Rustic

Rustic design contains raw, natural wood and unfinished elements. This style aims to bring the outdoors in through rugged, natural beauty and aged richness. Rustic homes tend to have vaulted ceilings with beams, stone or brick elements, and darker tones and finishes. These spaces are warm and inviting and have that ‘lodge’ feel. There are subtle hues in this style with a lot of texture and handmade, reclaimed pieces.