Advice on interior design is available everywhere—from TV shows and websites to books, magazines and apps. We love seeing people become engaged in design and educated on the wide range of possibilities. But we hope you’ll proceed with caution. It’s not that style errors are a matter of life and death. It’s just that it’s easy to choose designs that aren’t necessarily reflective of your own personality and character. And since you’re typically stuck with your interior design decisions for years, styles that don’t quite fit can tend to grate on you. Interiors that give one person comfort may unleash chaos in someone else. This goes beyond favorite colors or hot trends, right to the heart of interior design, where you find questions of composition, balance, repetition, space and more. The goal is to find that unique combination of design elements that gives you comfort, support and balance. In one home, that perfect balance was struck through the use of symmetry. A pair of comfortable swivel chairs sit beneath matching indigo patterned paintings. Matching bookcases below the paintings contain similar, but not identical, arrangements of books, vases and bowls. Woods and bronzes help warm up the simple white bookcase shelving. Two matching poufs in front of the fireplace provide additional seating. The sofa is accented with a pair of pillows with a blue pattern that echoes the artwork. The effect of the symmetry is to achieve order and simplicity, which I promote at every opportunity. After all, your home interiors should be the setting or the backdrop of your life—not center stage. Antique bronze and blue are complementary colors. Together, they offer a rich palette of richness and depth, which brings out the beauty of wood and stone. In the home office, a unique, whitewash-stained wooden desk rests on metal, Sawhorse-inspired legs for a warm, rustic look. The black leather chair features a contemporary silhouette with an antique brass frame. An adjustable desk lamp has bronze accents. The bookcase combines a sleek, black metal frame with concrete shelves, for another unusual pairing. It’s kept uncluttered for an orderly, peaceful look. Items on the shelves include a bronze-accented lamp and a pair of high gloss-finished wooden bookends. The elegant artwork behind the desk is a simple midnight-blue and bronze with mottled white. Deep blues are again picked up in the rug, which adds a stately vibe with a modern pattern and satisfying texture. Within the framework of symmetry, the living room repeats the blue-and-bronze color scheme. A large midcentury brass clock above the fireplace keeps the natural stone visible, rather than hidden behind a painting or television, while its straight lines and color create a beautiful contrast. The sofa is a soft, neutral blue. The pattern on the round brass side table features echoes the darker blue-patterned rug, as well as the rug in the office, tying the rooms together. Indigo blue books adjacent to bronze vases on the shelves repeat the color scheme. The soapstone-topped coffee table echoes the shape of the fireplace. A pair of tall, matching floor lamps with long wooden bases, brass pulls and simple linen shades combine both the colors and symmetry found throughout the home.

Contemporary backyard. White stucco wall retains slope. Ceramic tile flows from inside out. Concrete steppers and mexican beach pebbles keep it clean and contemporary. Benches to be installed at the firepit and dining area. More photos to come as plants grow in and furniture arrives.

A CNC-cut running figure integrated with an intentional string-art installation at Tucker Gym in Tucker, Georgia. A+V Design Group ATL contributed design development, CNC fabrication and installation. This view highlights front View.

Example of a 1960s kitchen design in Seattle

We built our house 22 years ago. I have been a custom window treatment professional for 16 years. I have fabricated lots of draperies, valance and Roman shades, and, rather considered pillows to be an afterthought. Not anymore! after two decades of kids, dogs and elderly parents our decor was looking a little shabby. We are slowly updated and have started with our family room, which needed new furniture. We purchased vintage pieces ad a Goodwill Super Store and then, with the help of my friend, Lynda Reid, of Lynda Reid Designs, chose fabrics from which I made piilows. Most of the fabrics are Vervain and I just love them/

Kitchen - kitchen idea in New York

Kelly Lawson
Home design - coastal home design idea

Dining room - modern dining room idea

Charming powder / guest room. Beautiful blue porcelain tile on floor and 8x24 ceramic tile on tub surround and behind vanity. Excellent color scheme with blue accents and neutral whites. Polished nickel Kohler Margaux fixtures. Toto toilet.

Scott Horvath
Home design - transitional home design idea in DC Metro