In case you weren’t aware, National Wedding Month is well underway and all the affection has inspired us to put a little romance in this week’s articles. Namely, we’ve put a spin on the age-old tradition: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue. Today, I’ve “borrowed” some design ideas from some great blogs and magazines to help provide inspiration for you to give your home either a little romantic feeling, or a nice refreshed look during the season. So, get nice and relaxed and read on.

Color The White Walls 

Courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Courtesy of Apartment Therapy

While I’ve always been vocal for my love of the sharp contrasts of black on white, shockingly I’ve been warming up to the idea of a strong splash of color. For quite some time I’ve been unable to find an example to share that details the appeal of contrasting colors – but my search has ended with my find of Apartment Therapy’s article, Before & After: Plain Jane Entryway Now Pops with Pattern & Color. Here, a plain and clean entryway was transformed with a strong color of paint and lighter graphic pattern accents.

To accomplish this, the wall was originally painted with the lighter tone of paint. Once dry, strips of painter’s tape was measured, cut, and positioned vertically every 14 inches. Additional tape was added to create the line arrows, and the entire thing was then painted over with darker turquoise. Finally, removing the tape exposed the completed, two-toned masterpiece.

Should blues not be your favorite color, don’t fret! Any two similar colors would make a great accent to a white room – even a deep red with a slight pink accent.

Show Off With Gallery Walls

 

In this ever increasingly digital age, seeing homes with framed photos and artwork are becoming a thing of the past. More uncommon are the bold and unique elements found in gallery walls. Gallery walls are one of my favorite elements that can be incorporated in any modern home. Before you get started, a review of the basics of a good gallery wall is in order – as many people may not be familiar with what goes into designing one.

Perfection and symmetry don’t matter as much as art and feeling. Find a wall that sets the rest of your home apart, or the room that you feel will be the best place to host your gallery wall. The gallery wall is as much a piece of art as any other important piece of decor you could assemble, so knowing where you want it featured will help inspire the design of it. Secondly, take note of the color, furnishings, patterns, and textures of the room. What frames, artwork, photos, and memorabilia you choose to feature will benefit from the consideration of what elements make up your featured room. Lastly, a gallery wall doesn’t need to be a wall of family photos. Incorporate anything that touches your soul. Framed mirrors, vinyl record sleeves, clocks, empty frames, watercolored paintings.  If this is something you might consider doing, think of the gallery wall as a display into your soul and have fun.

For more examples and inspiration of great gallery walls, check out the entire collection by Style Me Pretty.

Lose The Drapes

Courtesy of Remodelista

Throughout my short-lived life, I’ve had many different window decorations in my bedrooms. From aluminum blinds, to plantation shutters, to blackout drapes. However, I’ve longed to accent my windows with the simplicity of net curtains. I remember my first experience of waking up in the guest bedroom of a great aunt in upstate New York who had the first set of net curtains I ever encountered. I instantly fell in love with how the light caught on them and illuminated the whole room as if the curtains themselves were incandescent. Remodelista seems to agree with my childhood memories about the subject in their article, The Sex Appeal of the Net Curtain.

I don’t think a sales pitch on the net curtain needs to be carried on any further than this; do you like waking up with the morning’s light? If so, the net curtain may be the element to carry a smile on your face with every sunrise.

So whether you are set out on remaking your rooms for romance, or wanting to liven things up before spring finally decides to set in, I hope these “borrowed” ideas will give you something to consider during National Wedding Month. Let me know if you have anything to say about these suggestions by commenting below or on our Facebook page.