How to create rooms like JLo’s

Be inspired by Jenifer Lopez’s beautiful home.

A gentle pastel colored serene retreat would best describe this home. It is an unexpected color palette for the vibrate Lopez. Combing soft blues, grey, peach with pure white and touches of dark timber works a treat. I just love this home.

To create this look in the living room select dark timber flooring, pale blue walls and pure white trims. Add a white floor rug and upholstery and dark timber furniture. Create a sense of luxury with a shiny silver lamp base and metal framed tables.

Mood board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Repeat the same colors and shapes of furniture in the dining room. In the bedroom use a soft peach color on the walls and for the curtain fabric, add crisp white linen, a fluffy white carpet and a crystal light fitting.

All the rooms have a cozy welcoming feel due to homey functional built in furniture and personal touches of ornaments and flowers and soft furnishings. The home is classy, elegant and yet has a wonderful warmth.

Mood board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

As usual I have created some mood boards on SampleBoard.com to give you an idea of how you can create the look.

A peek at world’s most livable city’s interior design chic

Last week I spent a wonderful few days in Melbourne with my sister and niece. Melbourne has once again topped the list as the world’s most livable city for 2012. I can understand why.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

South Yarra where we stayed was originally the home of the Wurundjeri tribe before it was settled by Europeans in the 1830s. It is home to some of Melbourne’s most prestigious residential addresses. There are many Heritage listed houses including Como House built in 1847 and Barwon house built in 1881.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

A wonderful range of homes can be found in South Yarra from the richly ornamented Victoria Boom Style terrace houses in Park Street to grand Federation style homes and some fantastic Art Deco homes in Alexander Ave, Lawson Grove and Darling Street. There are also some cutting edge contemporary style buildings; it sure is a city with style.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Barwon house was recently listed for sale and was described as a beautiful renovated stately Victorian home. The front of the home has been restored to its former glory and the family added a wonderful contemporary extension to the back of the property.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

One of my favorite blogs is Annie’s A View On Design I found the images for two homes situated in South Yarra one of them was Barwon house. There is such a variety of interior styles I could not resist spending time creating the concept boards in this blogs. I thought it would give you a glimpse of some of the wonderful homes to be found in one of the most livable suburbs in the most livable city in the world. I have featured some interiors from homes and added images from Pinterest and the SampleBoard.com library. If you click on the boards you will find information on each image used in the concept boards.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Besides the wonderful architecture shopping on the famous trendy up market Chapel Street and Toorkak Road is a delight as is a visit to the cafes and restaurants. We spent a day easily getting to and wandering around Melbourne city which is only a train or tram ride away.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

Be inspired by fascinating Florence Broadhurst to create trendy funky interiors

One of my favorite iconic designers is Florence Broadhurst. Her designs are big, bold, beautifully crisp and funky. Florence was a fascinating character from outback Australia. She led people to believe she was English in Australia yet in London where she had a shop she pretended to be French. She was a chanteuse in Shanghi in the 1920s and in the 30s she was a couturier in Bond Street.

Interior Design Concept Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

During the 1950s Florence was a painter. But it was in the 1960s and early 70s she became famous and shone as a designer of brilliant wallpaper. Florence died as she had lived in mysterious circumstances. Her brutal murder has remained unsolved.

Concept Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Florence’s designs revealed her background in travel to exotic places in stylized patterns of Asian influence. Her bold psychedelic colored prints were very much on trend in the swinging 1960s. She created her famous huge peacock like birds using a gold background and five different silk screens.

Sample Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Broadhurst worked very closely with a number of young designers and interior designers in the city where she created her master pieces; Sydney. Unfortunately her wallpapers went out of fashion for years. The minimalist styles of the 2000s would not accommodate her magnificent bold wallpaper designs.

Concept Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

However Signature Prints an Australian company has been working for a number of years to restore Florence Broadhurst’s prints to their place as hot décor items. In 2003 Florence Broadhurst designs were launched in the USA by John Buscemi the owner of Classic Revivals in Boston.

Mood Board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

I must admit I am so glad Florence’s work has had a continuing revival. Her designs have also been used to create magnificent floor rugs and fabrics. I have created a number of concept boards featuring some of her wonderful designs. Hope you are inspired and enjoy her designs as much as I do.

You may like to check out this cute Youtube fashion video with a Florence Broadhurst wallpaper as a back drop http://youtu.be/gcOK_HH2VkY

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

Trendy grey & yellow interior design & as a wedding color scheme

Grey can create a sophisticated, smart elegant color scheme. However it is a challenging color to use. In this blog I will mention a few things to consider when working with grey. Pure grey is rare in nature. Grey is considered a non or neutral color so it can be used with any color.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Grey ranges from grey white, ash grey, silver, cool bluish grey, cyan (a greenish blue), warm reddish grey, dark grey to charcoal and grey black. One of the keys to working with grey is to realize how different the greys can be. A way of making a grey color scheme work is to use many different shades of grey. In this way you know it is going to work. You need to be very skilled in color selection to be able to combine a few greys successfully but it can be done.

The wonderful thing about grey is it can work with any color. One of the in vogue color schemes is grey using just a touch of yellow. This works very well as too much grey can be depressing and yellow is such an uplifting and sunny color. The other key is to use at least three different tones of grey; a light grey, mid grey and darker grey. They do not need to vary very much. But a hint of dark grey and black can add impact. Adding shine with silver accessories or mirrors is another way of making the greys in the room sing.

Wedding inspiration mood board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Grey and yellow are also popular colors for weddings at the moment. Having the bridesmaids and the groom dressed in grey works well. Selecting yellow or yellow and white flowers for the bouquet and décor is the only other color needed. An unusual cake and table decoration can be the addition of lemons giving a fresh spring like feel. You will note in the wedding inspiration mood board above the grey curtain appears warmer than the grey ribbon on the cake and the grey vase due to the lighting. It is important to check your color selections in different lights.

Wedding inspiration mood board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

I will leave you with a quote from the fabric designer and master colorist Manuel Canovas he said “There are no ugly colors, there are no ugly sounds there are only unfortunate combinations” Our challenge as designers and wedding planners is to combine colors successful. But don’t you just love color? I do.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

Retro 1940s Interior Design Popular in 2012

What did a 1940s home look like? Flying ducks, old fashioned radios, display cabinets, rich dark timber furniture, light neutral colored soft furnishings were popular in the 1940s.  The destruction caused by the war led to a shortage of materials and a shortage of housing. Money was tight and houses small. But it was also a time when many of the great modern classic furniture designs we enjoy today were created.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Some of the fashionable colors in 1940s; powder blue, mauve, coral, turquoise, beige, rose, light green, dusty rose, plum, gold and honey yellow colors in jewel tones and sunny pastels were popular. Traditional styles were still in vogue. The floors of 1940 homes were usually timber. The resurgence of parquet floors in the 1930s continued into the 1950s. Linoleum in Art Deco and modernist designs also continued to be a popular floor covering.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

 

Bathrooms often had pink baths and vanities and were tiled in pink or pink and mint tiles. Bedrooms had tailored bedspreads and streamlined Art Deco or Jazz Age bedroom suites. Kitchen cabinets were usually timber, white, red or blue. Kitchen bench tops were often rubbery linoleum with trimmed chrome edging.

For the windows lace and sheer curtains of muslin, organza and voile were still in vogue. Stylized plant forms and abstract patterns, stripes, dots, figurative patterns and plain fabrics made up as triple pinch pleated curtains were also used.

Some colors used in 1940s

The use of floral wallpapers was discouraged in modernist interiors. Trendy wallpapers of fine art, pictorial patterns and screen print murals of the great artists Miro, Raphael and Mattisse were created by wallpaper manufacturers. Ivy leaf trellis overall patterns were also very popular in the 1940s.

During the 1930s Europe had led the world of interior design. But in the post war period of the 1940s the USA began to lead the way and Europe followed. Charles and Ray Eames ‘La Chaise’ chair, Isamu Noguchi glass top coffee table (designed in 1939 but produced in 1940s by Herman Millar), George Nelson’s slat bench chair and Eero Saarinen’s Womb chair (for Knoll) have all become icons of this time.

Sample board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Flat pack furniture was produced for the first time. Practicality and economic efficiency was the most important consideration in design after the war. It is interesting to note many people in the 1940s could not afford the new designs of the time and the traditional styles of the past remained popular as well as kitsch like items; flying ducks. I must admit I’m not too fond of three flying ducks on a wall. But maybe it was a sign of the times and people needed funny quirky items to make them smile during this period of recovery.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

SampleBoard joins the V&A celebration party for British Design

It really is a great year for the British. The Victoria and Albert museum is celebrating with an exhibition of British Design 1948 to 2012. With over 300 designs on show I thought I would join the party and do my own little salute to British design in this blog.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Robin Day an industrial and furniture designer is best known for his 1960s Hille Polypropylene chairs which went on to be named a British design classic in 2009. He was married to the award winning British textile designer Lucienne Day. Her fabric designs were bright abstracts. One of her most famous prints was ‘Calyx’

The designer Tom Dixon started experimenting with metal in the 1980s. In 2002 the Tom Dixon British design and manufacturing lighting and Furniture Company was established with the aim of reviving British furniture design. Just love Dixon lights. In the board above I have featured a Robin Day chair, Lucienne Day fabric and Tom Dixon light fittings.

Board inspired by English Country Style created by Rosena on SampleBoard

After the war British homes became more open plan and casual; British designers were influenced by Scandinavian furniture designers. Also emerging at that time was a new English country house style influenced by Georgian and Regency styles a forte of interior designer John Fowler. He used luxurious swag and tails curtain designs and modern fabrics based on traditional patterns with a contemporary slant. The Architectural Digest refers to him as ‘Master of sublime comforts of the English country house’.

If you go to the Victoria and Albert Museum website you can download information on the exhibition. It is well worth a visit.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

How 2 create a funky violet bedroom retreat

Violet (purple) tends to be a color people either love or hate. In recent times many young ladies have told me purple is their favorite color. When questioned you quickly find out it is usually the lighter tints of violet they prefer. However in this bedroom design I have developed a funky color scheme using violet, red violet, tawny dark yellow brown, silver and grey with touches of yellow and white.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Deep purple can appear dark and dull however when used with white and yellow (its contrasting color) it comes into its own. Light violet has been a popular color for bedrooms in the past. Perkin’s mauve the first synthetic dye (which became the in color of the Victorian era) was discovered by chance in 1856. William Perkin an assistant at the Royal College of Chemistry was working on synthesizing quinine. He patented and then produced the first synthetic dye a rich purple he called mauveine in 1857. So really purple can be considered the leader of synthetic colors.

Purple is a color synonymous with sensuality making it a great fit for a bedroom. Historically purple was a rare color and considered the color of royalty. Purple is also ecclesiastical expressing the mystery of the Lord’s passion. It was a popular color in the 1930s, 1950s and 1960s. Most of the purples represented in nature are flowers which lend their names to many purple hues; lavender, violet and, lilac. The purple palette consists of light lilac, bluish pinks, deep purple, lavenders, cool blue violets, reddish mauve and shades of bluish rose and red violet magenta.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

A purple color scheme needs to be handled with care. Mishandled they can be unsettling yet handled well they can have a richness, sense of luxury or heavenly delicacy. If a bedroom is also to be used as a study violet could be a problem as it can disturb the eye focus.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

In the schemes I have created for the concept boards in this blog I have selected fabrics and items to create textural variation for example velvet chairs, drape fabric and cushions, fluffy throw rugs and smooth shiny vases. They work well with the shiny mirrored set of drawers. I have created a sample board without the addition of yellow to show how flat and dull the room would be without the addition of this color. However too much yellow is not recommended for a bedroom as it can be over stimulating; therefore making it unsuitable for a place of rest.

The beauty of a bedroom created using deep purples; it is more likely to appeal to both men and women. Delicate violet colored bedrooms can appear too delicate and feminine. The star of the show in the bedroom featured above is the magnificent purple wardrobe which started me on the journey of creating a funky purple bedroom retreat.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

How to create an on trend British style living room

Have you noticed the Union Jack is everywhere? From cushion covers to trunk decoration the British flag is being celebrated. I’m usually not too fond of this sort of décor but there is a warmth and whimsical sentimentally to rooms decorated in this British style. So I thought I would write a blog featuring this hot trend.

It has certainly been a great year for the British, what with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Olympic Games about to start and let’s not forget Andy Murray the first British (although my husband would insist he is Scottish just like he is) tennis player to reach a Wimbledon final since 1936.

Interior design concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Last year here in Aussie land I enjoyed the TV show The Renovators. Once a week the contestants were given mini seminars on how to create different interior design styles. One such style created was for a British Lounge Room. I unfortunately did not see the whole program but I have been checking the style out since.

In essence the rooms decorated in this style have a kind of hunting lodge feel. This is achieved with items such as Deer heads and shield bases with antlers. Leather upholstery, cow hide cushion covers, Chesterfield sofas, old suitcases, English roll top desks, Victorian swivel chairs, brass oil lamps, vintage books and old trunks are some of the items selected. And the star of the rooms is; the union jack flag design.

Interior design concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Some of the colors used with the red, white and blue of the flag are warm beiges, brown, rust and greens. The rooms could be described as masculine with a lived in rustic country vibe. The style would certainly be comfortable and easy to live with. I have created some interior design mood boards inspired by this British style. Once again I have used some pins from Pinterest. A British styled interior could work well as a study, rumpus, den, boy’s room or even a nursery.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

Update on how 2012 is trending according to international trend forecaster?

According to Milou Ket a highly regarded international trend forecaster in a recent furnitureonline.com.au post we are looking for comfort, homeliness, cheer and warmth in our interior spaces. In a previous blog I mentioned interior design and happiness and how the newlyweds Dale and Sophie on the TV series The Block 2012 appear to have captured this in the rooms they have created.

Sample board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

This week the couple won the room reveal for their funky playful design. The child’s bedroom they created for the challenge house achieved a perfect 10 from every judge. I must admit this week I would have given first place to Dan and Dani for their bathroom and courtyard projects. Dale and Sophie’s room would make an ideal room for small children. They have placed synthetic grass and tables and chairs on the ceiling but how long would the novelty last? It could be a real problem when you want to change the design of the room. Dan and Dani’s bathroom and courtyards are up to date and unlikely to date quickly.

Sampleboard created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

We finally watched the last of the block when it was repeated the next day. Wow what a result. It is amazing all the houses sold for such good prices at auction in this property climate. I have heard some homes in Melbourne are selling for less than they were purchased.

To continue some of Milou’s forecasts

Bright

• Almost neon and fluorescent colours particularly in accessories (Example 1st sample board above)
• The trend for recycled, retro and reclaimed will continue
• Ethic design products will continue to be popular with warm colours dominating

Sensual

• Shades of red like: old rose, blush, lilac, raspberry fuchsia, red wine used with white or beige
• Feminine, romantic, refined (Example 2nd Sample Board above)
• Floral and lace
• Classic French
• Vintage, secondhand

Sample board created by Rosena  on SampleBoard.com

Nature

• Botanical images
• Homely products
• Improvise, rethink and recycle (like Dale and Sophie)
• New ways of growing plants in bags, bottles, pillows
• Different shades of green, light lime, light olive, moss green, sea green, peacock, blue green, blue, midnight blue (Example 3rd sample board above)
• Casual look

Light Neutrals

• White, off white, soft yellow, beige, dusty rose, soft grey blue (Example 4th sample board below)
• Small touches of dark brown, grey or black
• Textural variation
• Natural materials bamboo, cork, fur hide, leather

Sample board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Milou Ket has a lot more to share she will be speaking at the International Industry Seminar Series at Decoration + Design in Melbourne on 19^th July 2012. I hope to get there.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

Eco-Friendly Flooring can be Sophisticated and Elegant

Home renovation can be a costly investment. When it comes to floor renovations, ‘going green’ is a brilliant idea as more and more people are becoming responsible enough to shift from yesterday’s flooring options to the present-day green alternatives using environment-friendly materials such as bamboo, cork, wool or recycled carpeting, reclaimed wood, and natural linoleum. It is important for designers to encourage the move toward eco friendly design.

Top 5 eco friendly flooring options

• Bamboo
• Cork
• Sustainable Timber
• Linoleum (not synthetic vinyl)
• Wool Carpets

Sample board featuring bamboo and recycled glass flooring created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Bamboo floors are the ‘green’ replacements for hardwood floors. Bamboo, which grows faster than wood, is a highly renewable material and hence, it can be considered as eco-friendly. The material is not only known for its strength, durability, and resistance to moisture and insects, but it also does wonders for the indoor space by bestowing a sophisticated look. Consider substituting vinyl linoleum with 100 percent biodegradable natural linoleum. This green linoleum comprises of renewable materials such as calcium carbonate, pine resin, solidified linseed oil, cork, and wood dust. Natural linoleum floors last for 25 to 40 years and this implies a lower long-term cost for your client.

Sample board featuring Marmoleum (linoleum) created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Regular carpets or synthetic carpets, made up of PVC, polyester, nylon, and synthetic latex, are toxic. Consider introducing wool carpets, seagrass carpets, and carpets made out of plant fibers. You can give a dynamic look to the floor with the recycled wood flooring option. This might also be an essential part of your effort to reduce waste in the flooring industry! Apart from being environment friendly and highly durable, recycled and reclaimed timber will earn you the opportunity to explore multiple design possibilities.

Sample board featuring Cork and Wool carpet created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Cork floors are made up of a renewable resource – the bark of a cork oak tree! Available in a range of colors, from black, red, chocolate, and green to natural honey tones, cork floors will add a sophisticated look to the interior space. The look of cork flooring has come a long way. I remember renting a home with cork floors. I loved the soft feel, easy clean features of the cork floors but disliked the old fashioned square design and color. There are now some really up to date colors and designs available. I have created a sample board featuring a cork floor. If you click on the board you will find details of all the products featured.

Glass bottles certainly do not deserve to be disposed off or used in a use-and-throw way! Rather, they can create a gorgeous flooring option for the modern bathroom and kitchen. Recycled glass tiles are not only beautiful to step on, but they are economical and durable as well. I have again featured examples of recycled glass floors.

Sample board featuring recycled glass & wool carpets created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Looks do matter! Explaining eco-friendly concepts in words is all very well but a picture can speak a thousand words. One of the best way to sell your design ideas is with sample boards. Carrying boards and samples of flooring is not always viable, but carrying a laptop will definitely help! You can use our online, concept board creator www.sampleboard.com to create professional looking boards for client presentations. Just like I have in this blog you can research eco friendly products, upload images of your selections to your library and then create concept boards to express your eco friendly design ideas.