From Plain to Fabulous A great thing about building a new home is that you are starting fresh. Being a Florida decorator, many of our clients are moving from the Northern or Mid-West states. We advise them to leave their often dark, large pieces of traditional furniture behind and just bring pieces that have value to them whether sentimental or monetary. This dining room was a pleasure because it was a clean slate with large windows letting in the morning sun. The floors are hand-scraped engineered wood in Brazilian walnut which give the entire home a warm feel to counteract the stark white walls. The home owners have a large art collection and specifically chose the white paint so that the paintings can be seen at their best and moved around the home easily. The owners host many dinner parties throughout the year and wanted a table that was virtually indestructible, and that visitors didn’t have to be careful with. This long Mango wood trestle table comfortably seats between eight and ten and has an antique grey, distressed look that is similar to driftwood. We alternated turquoise and light blue dining chairs for some contrast. An outstanding centerpiece for the room is a dazzling grey chandelier with an outstanding display of brilliant graphite crystals. Hundreds of faceted crystals are suspended from ten fluted glass arms. Wall sconces in chrome with grey linen shades were added and all the lighting is on dimmers for a choice of bright or mood lighting depending on the required ambience. To control the harsh Florida sunlight that can leech color out of furnishings within weeks, we installed light grey Silhouette window shades which keep approximately 97% of harmful UV rays out but still let in light even when fully closed. Traversing draperies were installed floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall providing a spectacular color wall of cream, green, purple and turquoise. The hardware is hidden behind the crown moulding for a clean, modern look. The best part of this design story lies in the large-scale artwork. The home owner had been given the painting years ago when she lived in Philadelphia but the colors didn’t suit her Northern palette. The painting was hidden in the attic but during the move was crated and sent to Florida. After not seeing it for sixteen years she had forgotten what it looked like and when she saw the crate about to be off-loaded asked the removal crew to take it away. At the last minute she decided to look in the crate and was surprised and delighted to find the perfect artwork for her dining room! Lastly, hand-torn wallpaper was installed in a custom color in the tray ceiling. As this room is used for dinner parties, games and even casual dining we decided not to install a rug for ease of use and movement around the table. Photographer: Rolando Diaz

Living room - traditional formal and enclosed medium tone wood floor living room idea in Boston with beige walls

When a family living in Singapore decided to purchase a New York City pied-à-terre, they settled on the historic Langham Place, a 60-floor building along 5th Ave which features a mixture of permanent residencies and 5-star hotel suites. Immediately after purchasing the condo, they reached out to Decor Aid, and tasked us with designing a home that would reflect their jet-setting lifestyle and chic sensibility. Book Your Free In-Home Consultation Connecting to the historic Tiffany Building at 404 5th Ave, the exterior of Langham Place is a combination of highly contemporary architecture and 1920’s art deco design. And with this highly unique architecture, came highly angular, outward leaning floor-to-ceiling windows, which would prove to be our biggest design challenge. One of the apartment’s quirks was negotiating an uneven balance of natural light throughout the space. Parts of the apartment, such one of the kids’ bedrooms, feature floor-to-ceiling windows and an abundance of natural light, while other areas, such as one corner of the living room, receive little natural light. By sourcing a combination of contemporary, low-profile furniture pieces and metallic accents, we were able to compensate for apartment’s pockets of darkness. A low-profile beige sectional from Room & Board was an obvious choice, which we complemented with a lucite console and a bronze Riverstone coffee table from Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams. Circular tables were placed throughout the apartment in order to establish a design scheme that would be easy to walk through. A marble tulip table from Sit Down New York provides an opulent dining room space, without crowding the floor plan. The finishing touches include a sumptuous swivel chair from Safavieh, to create a sleek, welcoming vacation home for this international client.

Longshadow limestone planters welcome spring with blue hydrangea, white stock, purple pansies, and english ivy. Hannah Goering Photography
This is an example of a large traditional full sun front yard stone flower bed in Chicago for spring.

photography by Joe Dodd
Inspiration for a contemporary landscaping in San Francisco.

These homeowners recently relocated from California and wanted to make this Lake Forest home their own. We furnished the large Master Bedroom with a striking collection from Lexington Home Brands. I love the faux tufting on the upholstered headboard and the painted gray finish and square brushed nickel hardware on the case pieces. I do not normally like all the pieces to match, but this room is large enough to handle it, and we mixed in other pieces to keep the room interesting. We painted the walls Sherwin Williams’ Anew Gray (SW7030). Since the windows had plantation shutters, we decided not to add window treatments, but achieved warmth with layered bedding and a soft rug underfoot in a geometric pattern. We decked out the cozy reading corner with a gorgeous chair, velvet footstool, mirrored nesting tables and floor lamp. The artwork is bold and beautiful! The unique accessories in silver tones complete the space. This is a Master Bedroom done right. It is a soothing space with lots to keep your interest. Enjoy!

Photo: Sarah Greenman © 2013 Houzz
Elegant kitchen photo in Dallas

These homeowners recently relocated from California and wanted to make this Lake Forest home their own. We furnished the large Master Bedroom with a striking collection from Lexington Home Brands. I love the faux tufting on the upholstered headboard and the painted gray finish and square brushed nickel hardware on the case pieces. I do not normally like all the pieces to match, but this room is large enough to handle it, and we mixed in other pieces to keep the room interesting. We painted the walls Sherwin Williams’ Anew Gray (SW7030). Since the windows had plantation shutters, we decided not to add window treatments, but achieved warmth with layered bedding and a soft rug underfoot in a geometric pattern. We decked out the cozy reading corner with a gorgeous chair, velvet footstool, mirrored nesting tables and floor lamp. The artwork is bold and beautiful! The unique accessories in silver tones complete the space. This is a Master Bedroom done right. It is a soothing space with lots to keep your interest. Enjoy!

Example of a transitional galley light wood floor kitchen design in Toronto with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, gray backsplash, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula and white countertops

Julie Florio Photography
Example of a mid-sized trendy open concept light wood floor and beige floor living room design in New York with white walls, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace and a media wall

These homeowners recently relocated from California and wanted to make this Lake Forest home their own. We furnished the large Master Bedroom with a striking collection from Lexington Home Brands. I love the faux tufting on the upholstered headboard and the painted gray finish and square brushed nickel hardware on the case pieces. I do not normally like all the pieces to match, but this room is large enough to handle it, and we mixed in other pieces to keep the room interesting. We painted the walls Sherwin Williams’ Anew Gray (SW7030). Since the windows had plantation shutters, we decided not to add window treatments, but achieved warmth with layered bedding and a soft rug underfoot in a geometric pattern. We decked out the cozy reading corner with a gorgeous chair, velvet footstool, mirrored nesting tables and floor lamp. The artwork is bold and beautiful! The unique accessories in silver tones complete the space. This is a Master Bedroom done right. It is a soothing space with lots to keep your interest. Enjoy!

Living Room with Dining Room beyond. Photo by Clark Dugger
Living room - small contemporary open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room idea in Los Angeles with white walls, a standard fireplace, a plaster fireplace and no tv

These homeowners recently relocated from California and wanted to make this Lake Forest home their own. We furnished the large Master Bedroom with a striking collection from Lexington Home Brands. I love the faux tufting on the upholstered headboard and the painted gray finish and square brushed nickel hardware on the case pieces. I do not normally like all the pieces to match, but this room is large enough to handle it, and we mixed in other pieces to keep the room interesting. We painted the walls Sherwin Williams’ Anew Gray (SW7030). Since the windows had plantation shutters, we decided not to add window treatments, but achieved warmth with layered bedding and a soft rug underfoot in a geometric pattern. We decked out the cozy reading corner with a gorgeous chair, velvet footstool, mirrored nesting tables and floor lamp. The artwork is bold and beautiful! The unique accessories in silver tones complete the space. This is a Master Bedroom done right. It is a soothing space with lots to keep your interest. Enjoy!

Martin Mann Photography
Mediterranean beige two-story exterior home idea in San Diego

Inspiration for a small contemporary men's medium tone wood floor and brown floor walk-in closet remodel in Boston with flat-panel cabinets and dark wood cabinets

Passion Vine and Cherry Tomatoes grow on the Gracie Modern Arbor creating a work of edible and ornamental living art in the landscape.
Design ideas for a modern landscaping in Los Angeles.

Living room - large modern open concept marble floor living room idea in Miami with white walls

Unlock your backyard's true beauty with waterscaping concepts. For over forty years we have designed and installed customized waterfalls, ponds and fountains for thousands of happy customers. Whether you are starting fresh or are in need of a redesign, give us the chance to create your own tropical or Sonoran paradise. Adding a water feature can be as simple as tucking a decorative fountain near the entrance of your home or as elaborate as creating a massive cascading waterfall similar to what you see in the mountains of Hawaii. Our mission is to bring the natural beauty of exotic places like Japan, Hawaii or the Sonoran desert right to your backyard.

Interior Design: Lucy Interior Design Photography: SPACECRAFTING