Design Inspiration | Design Happens

ALL POSTS TAGGED "[Design Inspiration]"

The Brian Patrick Flynn Room You Guys Loved Best

by Kelley Walters March 4, 2011 5 Comments

A couple of days ago, we ran a post on Facebook.com/HGTV, asking you to vote on your favorite room by our pal Brian Patrick Flynn. You picked Stacy Elgin’s gorgeous home office.

As promised, Brian wrote up his design inspiration + tips for recreating the look. I love #5—it makes me feel better about my catalog addiction.

1. Due to time and budget, I needed to use products I could purchase online that included reasonable or gratis shipping costs. The wallpaper is from Graham Brown, console is from Wisteria and flooring came from Lumber Liquidators.

2. Entire build-out and installation took two weeks.

3. When using bold or busy wallpaper, keep furniture simple and graphic or else it will just be clutter.

4. To keep spaces from looking matchy-matchy, pair different styles together that introduce a mix of shapes and finishes.

5. When designing from catalogs, DO NOT buy everything from the same one, it will look flat. Buy several pieces from different catalogs so the overall look seems more evolved.

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Daily Delight: Coat Hooks

by Lili Zarghami January 3, 2011 11 Comments

All the accouterments of colder weather can create visual clutter.

These Hook Boxes from Italian company Bosa do double duty: holding coats and purses while giving you a place to put keys, bills and cell phones. Genius.

Got any fantastic ideas for keeping winter detritus in order?

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Daily Delight: Sleek Fireplace

by Lili Zarghami January 2, 2011 6 Comments

All this snowy, cold weather in the northeast makes me wish I had a fireplace.

Art Gray, Sunset

This free-standing fireplace in a Los Angeles home provides a great focal point without taking away from the fabulous views through the windows beyond it.

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Daily Delight: Pretty Organized

by Lili Zarghami January 1, 2011 6 Comments

Happy New Year! Living in an apartment poses certain challenges, one of the biggest of which is keeping the clutter to a minimum. So for 2011, one of my resolutions is to find a way to become more organized.

supershoppertoo, Flickr

The closet above has been converted into an office and organized to clear the clutter in such a pretty way. Definitely going to keep this in my inspiration file.

Is mastering the art of organization one of your 2011 goals, too? Here are 5 helpful resolution suggestions for your home from HGTV.

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Daily Delight: Champagne Glasses

by Lili Zarghami December 31, 2010 3 Comments

Planning on ringing in the New Year with a champagne toast?

Upgrade those plastic glasses of New Year’s past with a lovely flute like one of these from CB2. As a complete klutz, I lean toward the stemless designs.

Cheers to 2011!

Blog of the Week: oh, hello friend

by Kayla Kitts September 17, 2010 1 Comment

Oh, Hello Friend is an elegant, vintage-inspired blog by Danni, a 24-year-old graphic designer and DIYer.

Check out Danni’s beautiful Save the Date cards for her wedding

Blog of the Week: A Beach Cottage

by Kayla Kitts August 27, 2010 14 Comments

As a star-struck fan of cottage-style decor, A Beach Cottage is my daily (and healthy) dose of eye candy. Sarah, the blog’s author, is a wife, mother, decorator and lover of all things sea-inspired, vintage and unique. She created A Beach Cottage as an outlet for her projects and decorating ideas, as well as inspiration for those trying to achieve their own cozy beach cottage look.

The Joys of Cottage Living

Home Improvement Dos and Don’ts

by Jackie McGilvray October 22, 2009 6 Comments

Lady tiling

Now that the weather is getting cooler, it’s time to take your home improvement projects indoors. The holiday season will be upon us in a few weeks, so you better get started. But before you do, check out our list of costly pitfalls to avoid and the important must-do steps to make your project a success.

After that, take our toolbox quiz to see if you know what tools, trick and tips are needed for several household jobs.

If you’ve just finished a successful home improvement project and you found a secret that made things go easier, add it to our tip jar and share it with other readers.

Good luck and happy home improving!

bInspired: Suzanne Kasler

by Jillian St Charles August 11, 2009 3 Comments

Our next bInspired designer is Atlantan Suzanne Kasler. You can find her lovely book, Suzanne Kasler: Inspired Interiors, if you want an in-depth look at her comfortable, French/Continental style. I particularly appreciate that she rejects over-designed, fussy elements, which allows the architecture of the room and the furniture to take center stage.

suzanne-kassler-lead-photo

Area rug by Antique Oushak, Moattar, Ltd. Finer Rugs/ADAC

Woodward bench by Suzanne Kasler for Hickory Chair

Amsterdam dining chairs by Suzanne Kasler for Hickory Chair

A few of her inspirations:

Paris: “To me, it is the most beautiful and inspiring place in the world.”

Objects That Carry Emotions: “I’m a collector. I find things I love and I buy them, not always knowing exactly what I’m doing to do with them. These collections and pieces set a tone, create a mood, are stylish and personal and timeless.”

Eiffel Tower: “Metal, wire, crystal, paper, silver, porcelain… you name it…”

See pics and find out what inspires Suzanne’s design »

A Tiny Pond

by Marie Hofer August 5, 2009 5 Comments

Water features usually take a lot of planning and, depending how large and complex they are, a fair degree of digging and assembly time. In fact, my husband and I have talked endlessly about creating a waterfall and pond and have yet to dig out more than a 20th of it.