Posted by Chelsey – June 27, 2008 1:37 PM
Tags: beach, design
Hopefully, you're reading this from a condo on the beach with only the sound of waves to keep you company. However, if you haven't made it to your nearest ocean yet, check out these beachy designs and ocean-inspired products.
White and blue are usually the two main ingredients for creating an ocean-inspired space, but a few of our Rate My Space members designed chose a slightly different palette to showcase their beachy style.
A sand-like color palette and wicker furnishings are the perfect way to achieve a beach-inspired look. By swichman
We all know Kim Myles is an expert at budget-friendly style, even when it comes to creating a room around a particular theme. On her blog this week, check out her tips for creating a beach-inspired design.
Want to add a little beach style to your space? Check out the Beachy Keen products on HGTV Marketplace.
I love the coral and water throw pillows. What's your favorite beachy find?
Posted by Caren – June 18, 2008 2:07 PM
Tags: angelo surmelis, rate my space
I've had a blast writing this design blog, but it's time for me to move on to a different climate, a new adventure and undoubtedly a new home that I'll get to design all over again. I'm looking forward to channeling the talents of my latest design crush: Mr. Angelo Surmelis. He has a knack for making something out of nothing in the most detailed way.
You've probably seen by now that he's the host of Rate My Space the show, which got its start from our Rate My Space community online.
But what I especially love are his Spacecast's — weekly design critiques of the online community, where he highlights spaces I've never seen and gives out advice for low-rated spaces. Thanks to Rate My Space, your home can be the center of attention at HGTV, and if you keep uploading your spaces it might just land on this TV series!
It's been fun bringing you the latest and greatest from HGTV. But don't you go anywhere! Expect to find more great design in the future from the HGTV team right here on the design blog.
In the words of Angelo Surmelis, "Go forth and design well."
Posted by Caren – June 12, 2008 10:28 AM
Tags: carter oosterhouse, eco-friendly, josh foss, podcast
It's easy to let major lifestyle changes — like being more eco-friendly — turn into a chore.
When I started beefing up my recycling regime, every last plastic yogurt container or clothing price tag took up precious space in my apartment until my biweekly trip to the recycling center. (Tip: I use the SORTERA containers from Ikea.) Then, I'd have to haul the containers up stairs and into my car, which is not so bad when it's sunny and 65 degrees, except it never was.
Small price to pay in order to know that my stuff won't be taking up space someplace much worse: a landfill. But if I thought I was being green with my lifestyle, boy was I wrong after talking with Josh Foss ("Organic Josh" from Design Star 2) and Carter Oosterhouse of Carter Can and the upcoming series Red Hot and Green. In fact, Josh took public transportation to the studio for this interview.
This latest podcast is all about being green — from building to living to decorating — and how to be happy doing it.
Download: The exclusive green podcast featuring Josh Foss and Carter Oosterhouse
Also, catch my Design Star podcast with Josh Foss, where we talk about last season. P.S. How excited are you for Sunday?
Posted by Chelsey – June 5, 2008 2:46 PM
Tags: color, constance ramos
Having trouble finding the right blue for your bedroom? Did you try out a disastrous new color palette and don't know how to fix it? Designer Constance Ramos, host of Color Correction, will answer your questions in her upcoming video series.
Post your color dilemmas here and we'll pick the best ones and send them to Constance. Be sure to include your first name, city and state.
Here's an example to get you started:
Hi Constance,
I've tried four different yellows in my entryway and can't find the right shade. What are your suggestions for picking the perfect hue?
Chelsey from Knoxville, TN
The new video series will appear this July on HGTV.com. Stay tuned!
Posted by Caren – June 4, 2008 12:00 PM
Tags: midcentury modern
So, U.S. postage went up (again) to .42 last month. While you could stick with the Liberty Bell forever stamps, I think I'll head over to the post office on June 17 to pick up the Charles and Ray Eames collection. I mean, why shouldn't my envelope look just as good as the card inside?
Speaking of mid-century, did you catch this episode of Find Your Style? Check out the mid-century style makeover:
Posted by Chelsey – May 30, 2008 10:08 AM
Tags: paint colors
Guest Blogger: Chelsey Bowen, decorating editor, HGTV.com
After a long and relatively painful search for a new home, my husband and I have finally found our first place. For the most part, we're happy with the rooms, but they all need to be painted.
The Home Depot was having its regular Memorial Day paint sale, so my husband, being the budget-minded man that he is, decided Monday would be the perfect time to buy paint. This, of course, sent me into a panic attack. What? No testing the paint on the walls, no trying multiple colors! I work for HGTV; I know the rules.
With a good deal of apprehension, I admitted defeat (let's save a few bucks!), and we sat down to choose our colors. We decided on a warm color palette to grace the walls of our new home, and to be honest, I'm a little fearful of the results.
Kitchen: We're updating the kitchen with stainless steel appliances and gray/brown quartz countertops, so we choose Sweet Georgia Brown to bring out the flecks of brown in the new countertops.
Living Room: This room will be painted a combination of Clair de Lune and Sweet Georgia Brown, since it opens up to the kitchen.
Dining Room: We decided on Mountain Ridge for the dining room to contrast with the white wainscoting.
Bedroom: I'm dreaming of a gray-blue, white and black palette to create a restful retreat, so I picked up Gray Area for the bedroom.
Home Office: Ashwood is our pick for the home office off the entryway, which is being painted Clair de Lune.
So, what do you think? Are they too dark? Did I make some good choices or have I failed at my first attempt to paint a house?
Posted by Caren – May 27, 2008 11:03 AM
Tags: coffee table, design, kitchen
Although I don't have nearly enough time to reply to the kind e-mails you send me, I do read every single one. And let me tell you: Many of you comment that you just don't have style in your DNA.
I feel your pain. Decorating is hard enough when you lack time or resources, but I'm a big believer that everyone has an inner style voice: You just have to know how to get it to speak up! This is why I love HGTV. There are so many ways to get inspired and find your voice. Here's some help for a few of you with common design questions.
"i have a round glass top coffee table/40" round, and i just don't what to put on top of it. do you have any ideas of what i could use to decorate the top?" — Jan
Round coffee tables are great because they usually have more surface area for showcasing accessories. The trick with a round — or any shape — coffee table is to make sure the arrangement you choose looks exciting from every perspective: from the top and 360 degrees around.
As to what to put on top, it all depends on your personal style. Do you have a collection? Do you like flowers? Do you enjoy reading books or magazines in the living room? See what fellow readers put on top of their coffee tables.
"does the backsplash have to match the counter top? We are doing a vanilla bean cabinet with a glaze and our counter top is in the earthtone shades, I saw a subway tile that was so beautiful but the color is pale green or pale blue (I love them both) but im afraid this would look odd since their isn't any of those colors in the counter." — Sandy
Sandy, don't worry about the design police! Go with your gut. In my opinion, matchy-matchy is boring, and your combination sounds lovely and interesting. I'm a big fan of subway tile (so sleek!) especially in the mottled robin's egg blue color. Take a cue from Candice Olson, who always comes up with interesting backsplashes that vary in material, or this beautiful kitchen from Rate My Space.
"I have no idea why my boyfriend and I thought it would be a good idea to sand kitchen cabinets and stain them a sangria color. I guess its because I love red and we thought it would look beautiful.But then, I painted the walls orange and green and now the kitchen looks like a Mexican restaurant. Nothing against that - I'm from Puerto Rico myself and love all the bright colors, but it just looks terrible. Since we don't want to sand and stain the cabinets again (it was hard enough the first time), we want to just change the wall colors." — Bethsabet
Sounds like a very festive kitchen! Red is a very competitive color when it comes to attention, and right now all the colors in your kitchen are so bold they probably make you feel uneasy. Paint the walls in your kitchen the same color to unify the space and give your eye a breather. I suggest light cream colors (like the above photo), off-white, gray or even a pale green to invoke a traditional/farmhouse style.
If the red is still overwhelming, try antiquing with a dark brown/black glaze. Be sure to test out your technique on a scrap piece of wood before you go to town on the real deal. Or if you want to commit to modern, slap some lacquer on those bad boys IKEA-style and paint your walls stark white.
Posted by Caren – May 23, 2008 6:11 PM
Tags: inspiration, rate my space
I loved reading the Choose Your Own Adventure books growing up, so when we were talking about them in the office yesterday I thought, "How appropriate when applied to decorating!" and knew I had to write some of my own.
If you're tackling home improvement projects this Memorial Day weekend, like my friends are, pick from the following scenarios to get started. The end result is up to you, preferably involving less office (by Lori Dennis) and more pool (by Kerry Burt) though both spaces are stunning. Good luck!
If you're terrified of color you can:
If you don't have a big budget to spend you can:
If you need some design inspiration right now you can:
Posted by Caren – May 20, 2008 9:50 AM
Tags: trend
While designers like Shelly Riehl David are no stranger to designing with zebra, it seems like the rest of the design world is hopping on the safari bandwagon. I've seen spreads in recent design magazines devoted to the stripes and for good reason: zebra print is fun, unexpected and a conversation piece.
The best part is, any style is eligible. Check out how these contemporary, modern and even traditional rooms use the black and white to their advantage — and how you can, too!
Posted by Caren – May 12, 2008 11:36 AM
Tags: design on a dime
Why sacrifice style just because your piggy bank is starved for cash? Last night Design on a Dime revealed their Top 35 Budget Decorating Secrets. If you missed it, catch the rerun May 18 at 5pm e/p. Here are three of my favorite tips.
Secret #16: I love the idea of moving the curtains to one side of a window in order to create height and dimension.
Secret #15: Maybe it's the minimalist in me, but less is definitely always more!
Secret #1: This speaks directly to renters and small-space dwellers: Make your room easily interchangeable with modular furniture that serves multiple purposes. Less cost for fewer pieces, more money to add stylish accessories.
What are your favorite tips from the show?
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