July 01, 2009

Decorative Register Covers

Unattractive vents will no longer take away from good design with decorative register covers. 

In the image below, we used registers in an oil rubbed bronze finish for a client's traditional home. 

Dec cover

This white cover keeps the vibe clean in a modern application. 

Register Covers

Even major retailers like Restoration Hardware are selling register covers.  They come in a variety of styles, finishes, and sizes and are extremely affordable. 

Restoration Hardware - Register Covers (grillwork) $34-$42


June 22, 2009

How to Stage Your Home on a Budget

If you are trying to sell your home, but don't want to invest in staging it, click on the link below for all of Ryan's simple and inexpensive tips for making your home's appearance enticing to potential buyers.   

Click here to read the article. 

June 15, 2009

Bringing Warmth Into Your Home

Accessorizing with flowers, plants or fresh fruit are an effective way to bring warmth and life into your home.  After we finish accessorizing with different objects, we then go back and layer the rooms with plants.  We suggest that you select a nice container or pot from your local nursery, as this will enhance the look of your plants. 

Outpost Living Room   Outpost Kitchen

We also love to incorporate fresh cut flowers. 

Wilshire Detail

If you like fresh cut flowers, but are looking for something that lasts longer, try one of these alternatives.

Orchids may cost more initially, but they typically last 4-6 weeks and can therefore end up being less expensive than your weekly fresh cut flowers. 

Outpost Entry

We also love the use of succulents, as we have talked about previously on our blog.  They are low-maintenance, can be used indoors or out, and add a tremendous amount of interest. 

 6a00e551a6d53b883300e554753f808833-320wi    

You can also try filling a container or bowl with fresh fruit such as kumquats, clementines or lemons. Choose what's in season.  Fruit is a fun alternative, as it will also lend a fresh pop of color to a room. 

Beverlywood Family Room

June 02, 2009

Former Furniture

Do you feel confined by the lack of options available for furnishing a home on a budget?  We have discovered a really unique source that might just expand your options.  Interior Designer, Lindsey Dann has created an online marketplace for buyers and sellers called Former Furniture.  Here you'll find a selection of previously owned designer furniture and accessories at reduced prices.  See below for some of our favorite pieces available on her website now.  To see more, visit www.formerfurniture.com

Sawbuck Trestle Table    Former Furniture - Dining Chairs

Former Furniture - Barstools     

 

       

May 29, 2009

Designing a Pool House

We came across the following images and were instantly drawn to the light, easy vibe in these rooms.  In fact, these photographs became a source of inspiration for a client's pool house. 

Stripedwindowseat

Domino-photo

Our interpretation began with a color palette of whites and grays with bold pops of yellow.  We purchased a white lacquered bed and daybed, both from West Elm. 

 West Elm Chunky Bed Frame

White Daybed - West Elm

We chose a white and gray duvet, sheet set and pillow shams for the bedding and also had several pillows custom made in various fabrics and colors.

Restoration Hardware Bedding  

Other features of the room will include custom roman shades in a light, white linen fabric, a custom canopy for the bed in a gray and white linen stripe and bright custom pillows in the Trina Turk fabrics shown below. 

Trina Turk Pisces Print

Trina Turk Arches Print - Bamboo

 We'll be sure to post the end result soon! 

May 28, 2009

Vintage Accessory Resource

Each week we get an email from Etsy's Blue Bell Bazaar with weekly vintage accessory finds.  Not only do they have really great stuff, but everything is affordable too.  If you visit their site and are interested in their vintage accessories, we recommend signing up for their mailing list so you can stay up on the latest items they have for sale.  Here are some of our favorites from this week's finds. 

Vintage school III     Gifts for dad


May 27, 2009

Accessorizing Tips and Tricks

Whether you are planning to buy new accessories or refresh with the ones you already have at home, follow these simple tips to create vignettes that will make a powerful statement in your home.  If you need to buy new accessories, don't just purchase from your local retailers.  Take the time to shop flea markets.  Accessories are better when they look like they have a little bit of history.

It's best to begin with a blank slate, so begin by removing all small accessories from each room in your home.  Place these small accessories together either on the floor in one room or spread across a large table.  The key here is to get all small items together in one place. 

We completed this exercise in a client's home and wanted to show how we accessorized two areas in the living room; a wall space above a sofa and a fireplace mantel. 

Oupost Living Room

 Outpost Living Room

Once all accessories (old and new) are in one area, organize them by color, keeping any hanging items separate from the rest.  This will help you determine what you have to work with and also makes it easier to begin your groupings.  Brown Design loves to work with color, but it is even more beautiful when you organize your objects by a common shade or texture. 

Outpost Accessorizing

While selecting a grouping for a wall space, lay it out on the floor first.  This will help you create a common theme and visualize the end result.  The grouping below was moved around several times before settling on the optimal formation, so laying it out on the floor first made it easier to move things around. 

Outpost Wall Vignette

With the addition of the accessories and the custom pillows, the room now has a tremendous amount of warmth and depth. 

Outpost Wall Vignette

For the fireplace mantel, we selected accessories in a variety of shapes and heights, but stayed within a similar color tone. 

Outpost Fireplace Mantel

May 15, 2009

Don't Ignore The Ceiling

When designing a room, don't ignore the ceiling.  It's one of the largest surface areas in a room. 

Seen here, we used a classic chinoiserie landscape wallpaper in a Beverly Hills pool room. 

Moroccan Room Shot

With such busy walls and so many patterns, it was best to keep things neutral and simple.  While painting the ceiling would have been an option here, we opted for a brown grasscloth that compliments the walls and adds both depth and warmth. 

Osborne and Little Summer Palace     Nobilis Grasscloth - Moroccan Pool Room

  

May 08, 2009

Ryan's Tips for Designing Kid-Friendly Spaces

In a recent interview published on parentdish.com, Ryan gives readers tips for designing kid-friendly, yet stylish spaces.  If you have kids, but don't want to sacrifice good design, this article is a must read! 

Parent Dish Page 1
Parent Dish Page 2

May 06, 2009

Pick of the Week

Furniture in natural weave materials seem to be cropping up everywhere this summer. 

We love this new Modern Weave chair and ottoman from West Elm.  These pieces of furniture are technically for indoor use only, so we think they would be especially chic in a pool house, but would also work well in a modern application. 

Modern Weave Furniture  

If your looking for something made to weather the outdoors, but with the same vibe, try this sofa and ottoman from Design Within Reach. 

Outdoor Sofa and Ottoman