It’s been way too long since I last posted.  Things have been busy!  But I thought I would share some design thoughts with you today and a few of my favorite things, many of which I use in a lot of my projects.

1. Favorite paint color = Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White.  White paint colors are so hard to get right!  Sometimes depending on the undertones or the colors they are next to, they can lean ivory, yellow, muddy, gray or even pink.  Decorator’s White is a nice crisp white without being stark.  It looks great with cool colors like grays and blues.  It’s the color I used for the trim and cabinetry in my own house and it’s still my favorite 5 years later.  Here’s a photo of my keeping room where I used it on the trimwork and brick.

 

 

2. Favorite bedroom staple = a white quilt.  Not sure how to get the magazine worthy look when pulling your bedding together?  I love to use a white quilt for layering. Sometimes I use it as a blanket under another quilt or duvet with color and/or pattern at the end of the bed and sometimes I like to use a white quilt at the end of the bed with other pieces layered underneath.  There is just something so clean and crisp about a white quilt in a bedroom!  I like linen/cotton blends the best and you can often find them at big box retailers pretty easily which allows you to spend a little more money on pillows and the rest of your bedding. Here I used a textured white quilt for layering under a patterned gray duvet cover in the Chastain Master Bedroom Project.

 

 

3. Favorite styling accessory = a tall vase.  I am ALWAYS looking for pretty, large vases.  Even if I don’t need one at the time, I’ll pick one up whenever I see a pretty one because I know I will use it on a project down the road.  They are very versatile because you can add real greens or flowers, some cool branches or even leave it empty.  They give really nice height and movement when styling a vignette.  Here in this kitchen I used two vases and added real branches on this center island.

 

 

4.  Favorite “behind the scenes” item = feather down pillow inserts for your decorative pillows.  Seriously, this one is huge for me.  Nine times out of ten, a polyester insert just won’t give you the same high-end look.  For a little bit more money, you can get much better looking pillows with feather down inserts which are about 2 inches bigger than your pillow cover.  If you see a pillow you love but it’s got a polyester insert, most pillow covers have a zipper so just swap it out!  Of course, don’t forget to fluff your feather down pillows every once in a while.  They will look beautiful when you do!  In this guest bedroom, I used feather down inserts in these ready made pillows and they look beautiful!

 

 

5.  Favorite finishing touch = real greenery.  Whether it’s a fiddle leaf fig, fresh flowers, eucalyptus, a succulent, cool sculptural branches or a palm leaf, you can’t go wrong.  It’s amazing how much a pretty plant or stems in an interesting vase can transform a room.  I LOVE how this fiddle leaf fig tree looks in this dining area along with the eucalyptus branches in the milk jug.

 

 

So there you have it!  These are just a few of my favorite things!