Rooms with a View

These rooms need little introduction:

Rooms with a view, keeping the furniture clean and simple to enjoy the view.

http://www.momoy.com/

 http://www.freshome.com/

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

http://www.countryliving.com/

http://www.directconsultingandpurchasing.com/

http://www.luxurynewyorkpenthouses.com/

Feminine Friday: Bathing in Elegance

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While the tub is quite pretty with its legs and curves, the carved mirror and tufted chair steal the show in this bathroom.  The gold mirror is quite large above the tub and instantly grabs the eye.  The dainty chair is tufted in a bright blue velvet and has gold trim.  A pale aubusson rug warms up the tile floor and a balloon shade softens a window.  The items in this room have curves and elegant lines making the space fabulously feminine.

A Cottage for Papa

My grandfather, Papa, would've been 88 today.  So I thought I'd design a room for him.  He was always over at our family house - tinkering around in my mom and aunt's yard. 

We have one of those little sheds you put in your yard for storage and Papa wanted to live in it so he could be closer to us.  So,  that got me thinking, how cute would it be to furnish and convert one of those little sheds into a studio? 

This one is for Papa...a cheerful garden cottage. 

I'd put a comfy rocking chair, a vintage chrome dinette, and an antique daybed in the space.  I'd also paint an old small chest in a bright color, like yellow, for his clothes.

Designer Tip: Styled Closets

Your clothes are fabulous but your closet is drab?  Give your closet a makeover.  Add some personality with bold or colorful wallpaper inside your closet.  Or, paint the inside of the door a fun color.  

With a stylish closet, you'll look forward to getting dressed in the morning.

images via:  Domino and Martha Stewart

Manly Monday: Earth Tone Zone

What could be more manly than a mixture of leather, dark wood, and earth tone fabrics?  Designer David Jimenez knocked this one out of the park.  This bedroom in his 1906 Kansas City carriage house is small but has huge style.  The room is warm, but not dark.  Nothing is overly coordinated, there is a nice mix of earth tones and textures.  I feel this is a look that beginners can easily replicate in their own home.

1.  Leather Headboard
2.  Leather Club Chair
3.  Leather bench
4.  Leaner Mirror
5.  Trophy Lamp
6.  Faux Suede Curtains
7.  Hotel linens

Designer Tip: Wall Wonders

Take a look at this adorable yellow bedroom.  Two twin beds dressed in toile ruffled bedspreads makes for a cozy space.  But it's the tufted headboard that is so unique because it is also the wall.  It's a clever way to utilize a very difficult wall with eaves.  Also, the striped wallpaper applied to the walls and eaves gives the illusion of a much higher ceiling.  This is probably one of the most impressive ways to create the most impact in a small room that I've seen.  Adding an upholstered headboard is an instant way to add style to a bedroom.   Designed by:  Dragonfly Interiors.

Feminine Friday: Pink and White Delight

The Room:  Pink and white is a very feminine color combination, whether it's hot pink or pastel, and this room uses both.  The box-shaped pillows on the sofa show off the great large floral print with differing shades of pink and a little green.  The upholstery is all white, with classic and clean lines.  The pair of wing back chairs are outlined in a distressed green painted wood.  Even though the coffee table is clear, it stands out in the center of the room. 

There are so many beautiful details to this room;  look at the hot pink contrast welt on the dining chair.  Also, the mirrored armoire and silver-framed artwook add some glamour to this room, keeping things from being too sweet.  Room designed by:  Pineapple House

Feminine Touches:

Company C pillows in Fairfield Melon, $90:  Anastasia, $115

Design Service Give-away!

Decorica is my blog dedicated to sharing my design projects, tips, and inspirations.  In addition to Decorica, I recently launched Erica LeBlanc Design.  And I'm so excited to announce that ELD is giving away a free Custom Kit design plan to a lucky Decorica reader. 

A Custom Kit by Erica LeBlanc Design is an easy, quick, and affordable way to design a room via the internet. Each kit includes:

1. A detailed floor plan
2. Paint colors
3. Furniture & fabric suggestions
4. Selected area rugs
5. Ideas for window treatments
6. Accessories and final touches

These suggestions are based on the location, budget, style and needs of the individual client. Measurements, prices, and retailers are included for each item. Local shops and online/catalogue retailers are used for the products and fabric/finish samples are included whenever possible.

You get all of this information in a convenient kit which you can take with you when shopping when you're ready to decorate!  It's an easy step-by-step guide to help you decorate your home on your own.

Custom Kits are $275 per room - but you can win one for FREE.  Here's what you do to enter:

Comment below with a statement about your room and why you need a makeover via a free Custom Kit.  If you are the winner, you will need to send me photographs and a rough floor plan of your space with measurements.  (I can guide you through this process.)

The winner will be revealed on March 15th...
subscribe so you don't forget to come back! 

Tell your friends - this is a great opportunity.

Due to shipping costs - U.S. only

Hostess with the Mostess

I found this room interesting:  is it a dining room?  library?  bar?  It seems to be a combination, a multifunctional room, and a great space to entertain.  (I imagine the owner of this home being a superb host - pouring glass after glass of wine and serving delicious meals.)  A center island is surrounded by ottomans and wing back chairs - a cozy, yet casual grouping.  A large sideboard adds warmth with a dark wood tone.  And off to the side is a well-lit library, home to shelves filled with books and art.  The violet color is beautiful and looks great with the warmth of the room and sleek design of the table and stools.  And that chandelier is quite impressive but still casual.  I can imagine a group of friends or family drinking wine, nibbling on hors d'oeuvres, and mingling in this cozy space.  Designed by:  Pineapple House

Crazy Cool

These crazy outfits got me thinking - how would this translate into a room?  Well, Lady Gaga's pearl encrusted face (?) could be the sofa with it's nubby fabric.  A white leather bikini, boots, and jacket could turn into a fabulous white aligator ottoman.  Cyndi Lauper's lace-up booties sort of resemble the pair of black tables with chain-link legs.  And of course her zig-zag pants go hand-in-hand with the zebra print chairs. 

Crazy outfit = Cool room

Room designed by:  Michael Partenio

Manly Monday: More is More

More is More - that's the philosophy of 25 year old Zach Motl, who lives in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, NY.  His apartment is a 178 sqaure foot studio which he rents for $944 a month.  After pursuing a career in acting, he decided that his real passion is interior design.  Without a design degree, he landed a job with Robert Courturier & Associates architecture and design firm after showing photographs of his apartment on his interview.

My mother sent me the link to this article.  She never could understand how I crammed so much stuff into my last apartment, a studio.  Like Zach, I had a sleeping area as well as living, office, and dining areas.  Zach's coffee table cranks up to dining height and extends.

Zach has been collecting items since he was a boy, visiting antique stores and frequenting yard sales.  One item in particular he collects, books, which he stacks neatly throughout his home.  Storage is a necessity, so Zach uses a Sultan Alsarp boxspring from Ikea which opens up.

Zach feels that the more stuff you put in a room - the bigger it feels.  I think that putting large pieces in a small space makes the room feel larger.  And I don't think I could live with all of those stacks everywhere...could you?  Read the full article here by Penelope Green at The New York Times.

Valentine by Design

Happy Valentines Day

image source

Rental Tip: Seasonal Storage

If you're like me (and live in New England), you have a warm weather wardrobe and a cold weather wardrobe.  Two separate collections that need to be stored...away...somewhere.  If you rent - closet storage can sometimes be minimal.  You may also not have access to a basement, garage, or attic for additional storage.  

Try this: 

Use old vintage luggage, stacked, as a nightstand.  This enables you to store out of season clothes within your apartment.  If you have room, stacks of luggage on either side of the bed will double your storage... perhaps his & hers.

Top off the luggage with a piece of glass or a tray, and you've got a usuable surface area. 

Prop the trunks on wooden blocks to reach the appropriate height desired to use next to your bed.

Feminine Friday: Calm and Chic

The Room:  Casual elegance at its best with a soothing blue and white color scheme.  Details such as the pleated bed skirt and pleated trim edging the bedspread give this room feminine touches while pinch pleated panels and a pedestal table keep the look clean.  Two boudoir chairs add more softness to the space, one with classic tufting and another with clean swooping arms.  And I always love a luxurious white rug.

Designed by:

Lisa Bartolomei

Women that might like this bedroom:

She has a busy life but adores time alone reading a novel and curled up in a comfy chair.

 

Diane Sawyer, Sally Field, and Oprah Winfrey

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I dream...

14 foot ceilings, a Juliet balcony, and steps from Bryant Park Square and Grand Central.

$4200 a month. Yikes. But I can look and dream...

images via:  New York Post

Look a that nook!