Invest in Your Nest with Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams

This week marks the release of Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams' new book Comfortable Home How to Invest in your Nest and Live Well for Less. A timely book that is sure to add value to your home and decor with photos and step by step instructions to help you enhance your home.

Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams believe that, in any economy, your home is an incredibly smart investment. Its value goes well beyond what current real estate prices may say. A beautiful, serene, and organized house truly has the power to change your life. And investments can be made on any budget. The table of contents give you a good peek into what looks like an interesting mix of styles applicable to many different decors. Throughout the book, fabulous original photography provides stimulating tours of real homes, including Mitchell and Bob’s New York City apartment, a country cottage, a revitalized ranch, and a Federal-style home in the city.

Using Mitchell and Bob’s great ideas for working with color, you'll learn the art of furnishing small spaces, creating room to-room flow, and more. The book gives step by step instructions - wonderfully staged so anyone achieve their classic looks.
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Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams were kind enough to provide a copy of their new book to Willow Decor for a giveaway. If you are interested in winning this fabulous new design book just leave a comment. As always, followers and subscribers of Willow Decor are automatically entered. Special thanks to Mindy Drucker co writer of the book!

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You can purchase the Comfortable Home How to Invest in your Nest and Live Well for Less here and learn more about Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams here. Winner will be announced Friday, November 6th.

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Happy Halloween!!!

xx- Gina

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(BTW, Willow Decor is just a fan of Mitchell Gold, their products and design philosophy.

No services or compensation have been received in exchange for this post.)

Valorie's Room in the Semi Finals!

Remember my trip to New Orleans and my great blogging friend, Valorie from Visual Vamp ? She shares my love of antique oyster plates!

Well the very talented Valorie has made it into the semi final round of the Apartment Therapy Room for Color Contest.

Valorie's office is fabulous. We only have 24 hours to vote for her. Please give her room a look - I am sure you will agree it should get the top honors. To vote click here.

Moroccan Interior Design Ideas

If you are looking to decorate your home in bold and vibrant colors, consider Moroccan Interior Design ideas. We have been turned to Spanish, Mediterranean, Tuscan inspirations for unique home interior design ideas. But the Moroccan interior design is fast gaining popularity in interior design. Please scroll down to view Moroccan Interior Design ideas and see why this is so.

Moroccan interior design makes use of vibrant oranges and reds paired with refreshing cool colors such as deep blues and sparkling greens of the sea. It is not uncommon to see deep blue painted walls in Morocco.


A Typical House in Morocco
Brilliant Blue Walls

Moroccan Home Decorating Ideas

Tired of looking at the same bedroom, same dining room and same living room again and again? Then it’s time for a change. This time to not just change the furniture or the color of your home, rather go for a completely different look. Decorating your home in Moroccan style is the latest trend these days. Morocco is like a melting pot of different cultures and styles and so the Moroccan style décor will have some of the features of every culture and style. One can even see hints of Arabic style in it.

Moroccan home décor can be classified into two types – urban Moroccan decor and rural Moroccan decor. The urban décor involves the use of ceramics, metal, wood and leather. On the other hand, the rural décor has more of the Middle Eastern influence, with an emphasis on the use of rugs, fabrics and embroideries. The best feature of having a Moroccan style decoration is that the objects used in it are usually those that have use in practical life too. Given below are some tips that will help you in decorating your home in the Moroccan style.

Moroccan Style Decorating Ideas

Use of Bright Colors

When decorating your home Moroccan style, make sure to use bright natural colors. The colors like green and blue, found in the sea of the area, and the ones like gold and yellow, found in the surrounding desert, should be used as much as possible. You can combine other colors like vibrant red, orange or purple with blue or gold to create an effervescent ambience. Feel free to use of vibrant colors such as pink fuchsia, lavender, and orange while keeping the aesthetics in mind.

Bring Nature Home

For creating the tropical atmosphere seen in Morocco, you can make extensive use of plants. The more exotic the plants, the better look they will bring to your house. At the same time, they will also provide you with some greenery in the ‘concrete-jungle’ world of today. If it is feasible, you can also get textured walls.

Lighting

Lighting plays a very important role in adding that perfect Moroccan flavor look to your home décor. Moroccan light fixtures are totally different from those used in the other parts of the world. Moroccan light fixtures include Moroccan sconces, Moroccan chandeliers, Moroccan lanterns, Moroccan hanging pendants, and Moroccan lamps. A great source for quality handmade Moroccan light fixtures as well as Moorish lighting is a California company called Saint Tropez Boutique that design and handcrafts Moroccan light fixtures in Casablanca, Morocco and exclusively distributes them in the U.S.A. The reason why I like Saint Tropez Boutique because they are unique Moroccan light fixtures designs, plus they handcrafted from top quality Moroccan solid brass that has been carved into refined and intricate patterns. Addition to that Saint Tropez Boutique is the exclusive dealer in the U.S.A that has Moroccan light fixtures pre-wired for the UL-Standard (pre-wired for the U.S Standard wiring). To learn more about Moroccan lighting by Saint Tropez Boutique, please visit them online at: http://www.sainttropezboutique.us

Extensive Use of Textures

Moroccans love extensive use of textures in their home. So, if you want to have a Moroccan style look, rule out too much use of smooth and sleek materials. In fact, the fusion of multiple textures and shapes will be best. You can have darkened wood plank floors, which can be covered with natural fiber rugs of sand-ish color. This will not only add texture to the room, but also provide you with some comfort under the feet. You can also try draping fabric from the ceiling.

Some Other Tips

* Colorful mosaic tables not only give a Moroccan feel to your place, but also help to brighten up a dull room.
* Use of handmade Moroccan tiles will go a long way in creating a Moroccan décor.
* Use of Moroccan tent as a Moroccan lounge getaway in your own backyard.
* Use of Moroccan wood lattice screens also known as Jali Screens in your windows doors, kitchen and bath cabinet doors, or even as a room divider wall
* Last but not the least, you can buy silk bedcovers or cushion covers, in jewel tones, to create that perfect Moroccan look.

To learn more about Moroccan home decorating, please contact :

Saint Tropez Boutique
25 Evelyn way, San Francisco
California 94127
Phone: (415) 513-5920
Email: sales@sainttropezboutique.us
Web: http://www.sainttropezboutique.us


Moroccan Interior Design Inspirations

A Typical Moroccan Living Room Interior Design


Moroccan Inspired Living Room Interior Design
Vibrant Orange Tones with Neutrals

Blue Moroccan Interior Design Living Room

Contemporary Moroccan Inspired Rug
Black and White

Black and White Moroccan Riad Interior Design
Marrakesh, Morocco

Traditional Moroccan Interior Design

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Tuscan Bathroom Design Ideas

A great interior design idea for the master bathroom is the Tuscan Bathroom Design. Tuscan interior design uses warm color schemes with luxurious styled accessories such as wrought iron decorative pieces, and marble tiles. Adding potted green plants also creates a very Tuscan feel in your master bathroom interior design.



Tuscan Bathroom Design
By Patrice D. Walker

Tuscan bathroom design is said to be a perfect combination of sheer indulgence and timeless beauty. When designing a bathroom, it is important to keep the style consistent with the rest of your house. It is a fabulous idea to decorate your bathroom in a luxurious Tuscan design with scrolled ironwork, ceramic tiles and marble if you have Mediterranean or Tuscan elements as your home decor. A Tuscan master bath would be beautiful, to accent your Tuscan style bedroom.

For a Tuscan bathroom design, choosing the right wall color will set the feel for your Tuscan bath. Just as with standard Tuscan decor , warm colors are ideal. Selecting colors with a yellow base will give you a solid platform to work with. Terracotta and gold colors are common in Tuscan design. A useful tip to remember is choose the light color as the base, and think of adding a darker shade on top with sponge or stucco texture. Consider color washing and applying faux wall techniques. This adds a rustic, Old World charm to your space.

An easy way to put together a color palette that makes sense with your Tuscan bathroom design is by looking for an Italian piece that catches your eye. Often a beautiful painting or piece of Italian tile will have a great combination of color. Pull out the colors to accent around your space. Integrating darker colors such as burgundy, olive green or deep blue are perfect choice for creating a Tuscany spa.

Again, look for these types of colors in your tile piece when selecting your palette. More than likely, they will be there. A beautiful picture from your trip to Tuscany is a wonderful addition of Tuscan Art to your bath. Have a couple blown up in a copy shop to canvas. This can also assist you greatly in choosing your color palette.

The key to a beautiful Tuscan bath is how you accessorize. Keep in mind the Old World style when choosing your Tuscan decor accessories and you will achieve the look and feel you are after. Your bathroom vanity, sink and accessories will set the tone of your Tuscan space.

Choose items like Metal urns, lots of greenery, Terracotta pots, wrought iron sconces and candle holders, and glass apothecary jars. You can just imagine how much you will be able to find. Consider hanging a wrought iron shelf as well. Open bathroom shelving is consistent with Tuscan design. Carefully select your Tuscany faucet. There's so much that can work in this type of bathroom. You want the style you prefer, and the price you can afford. Keep that in mind.

You can get creative by placing a baroque towel stand next to your bathtub, or a wrought iron vanity if you have space. There are stores that you can shop online that carry Tuscan decor, where you can find terrific things like a beautiful Tuscan fabric shower curtain. Products like these are great if you have only a shower in your bathroom.

If you have a budget to work with, choose some marble or tile for flooring. A beautiful rich color on the floor with take your Tuscany spa to a much higher level! If marble or stone flooring is too pricey, you definitely can bring out stone by adding stone details like a travertine soap dish and dispensers. Even marble candlesticks will introduce rustic materials appropriately.

Patrice D. Walker is an Architect student who specializes in Tuscan Decorating. Visit: http://www.Tuscan-Home-101.com/tuscan_decor.html for more Tuscan interior design tips and information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patrice_D._Walker

Tuscan Bathroom Interior Design Ideas

Tuscan Style Iron Bathroom Sink

Mediterranean Blue Bathroom Accessories
for Tuscan Style Interior Design

Adding Green Plants Bring the Lush Tuscan Style Bathroom to Life

Marble Tiled Tuscan Bathroom
with Old World Charm Wallpaper

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Inspired by Christopher Peacock!

Since my first post on Elements of Christopher Peacock Kitchen and the follow up posts, Lighting in a Peacock Kitchen and Hardware in a Peacock Kitchen; I get weekly emails from homeowners and decorators alike, asking more specific questions on how to achieve the look. My hat's off to Peacock and his wonderful classic design which resonates so strongly with people worldwide. Unfortunately, his kitchens are out the price range of many homeowners, so trying to create this look on a budget is more often the topic of the emails.

Last summer I received several emails from Interior Designer, Celeste Randolph of Los Altos, California. She was adding 1500 square feet to her 1950's ranch house and wanted the Peacock look with "chunky counters and flooded with natural light" We exchanged emails about sources, paint colors, hardware, marble, etc. She loved the Peacock look, but wanted to recreate it and stay with in her budget. Celeste recently sent on her finished renovation photos. As you can see, she is very talented and her kitchen renovation was a huge success.

Her attention to detail was outstanding. She left no stone unturned. Notice the moulding details, apron front sink, wood free standing island and gorgeous marble counters and backsplash. Celeste found some wonderful hardware. Also notice her interesting lighting over the windows flanking the stove. Neither are exact copies of Peacock, but they give her kitchen a more personal, chic style. Her kitchen, just like many of Peacock's, is classic and timeless, but also more personal, fresh and updated.

Of course Celeste's talent is not limited to kitchens. She also wanted a gorgeous Master bath too! Here Celeste's use of marble and light is breathtaking! I adore the herringbone marble floors, tub and wall tiles. And, isn't the chandelier fun?

Her choices of mirrors over the sinks and sconces are wonderful. And the window and the natural light really take my breath away. I also like how Celeste added the rather contemporary leaning mirror in the bath. It adds an interesting designer touch.

She also updated her living room with a warm, neutral palette.

Celeste did a fabulous job of recreating the classic Christopher Peacock style in both her kitchen and her master bath. To reach Celeste contact her at Ambiance Interiors in Palo Alto. Thanks Celeste, for sharing your fabulous renovation with us - we will be anxious to see more of your work in the future!

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(all photos property of Celeste Randolph)

Feng Shui for Happy Living

Interior Design Psychology for Happy Living

Design psychology can turn your spaces into happy places, contributing towards your emotional well-being. It requires an understanding of the response of human senses to specific design details.

Sounds like feng shui? Except that it's better because Design Psychology incorporates the proven techniques used in feng shui with the beneficial methods based on physical science.

The elements of space, line, shape, form, texture and color all play an important part in the success of a design, be it a home exterior, a specific room, or a piece of furniture.

Feeling Light

Letting in more light be it natural light or artificial illumination can bring about an instant uplift to any room. Increased lighting does much for us too: improves our visibility, prevents fatigue and makes us happy and calm. It is the easiest and most economical way to bring about a change to any room, aligning it to the rhythms of our daily lives.

Balanced Proportions

Proportions or scale is just as important. A balanced room is an attractive room - a large sofa in one area balanced by a large picture on the opposite wall; or a tall piece of furniture balanced by a standing lamp.

Rooms with low ceilings can give an oppressive feeling, whereas those with a high ceiling provide a spacious and light airy feel. Add expanse to a small room by simply painting a couple of horizontal lines in a bold color across the middle of the wall that you want to lengthen.

Touchy Issues

Textures are of two types: tactile or visual texture, and texture which you can detect with your five senses.

Textures like grass sheets on a wall, or white pebbles embedded in a concrete wall, offer an additional dimension to any surface. Meanwhile, natural materials like stone and wood characterize country decor, along with handmade crafts.

Enhance our sense of touch through textures that are soft and smooth to caress. In fact, we don't have to touch velvet or silk to sense its softness, and textures like satins and chenille are visually luxurious, conveying wealth and comfort.

Keeping the Noise Out

Undesirable noise affects us significantly. The constant drone of the air-conditioner or other gadgets around us, the traffic outside, the construction works nearby and so on, all do little to evoke feelings of well-being.

Simple measures like double glazing the windows, additional sound insulation material built into the walls and soft furnishings like carpet, curtains and fabric panels can help reduce the intrusion of noise.

Fun with Furniture

Furnishing a small space can be challenging. Crowded rooms are more likely to have an adverse effect on our moods, increasing our stress level and general discomfort.

Be sure to choose the right furniture and colors, and take care not to overuse accessories. Remember, less is more for that open feeling. Mirrors and shiny reflective accessories also help create the illusion of more space. Larger patterns should be confined to designs of pillow covers and smaller accessories, rather than a large sofa or love seat.





Once we understand the science of Design Psychology, happy living can be achieved through the correct use of space, light, shape, form and texture. We spend more than half our entire lives at home so it is important that our happiness begins at home.

The Sophisticated Helen Green

Pick up a copy of England's House and Garden or Home and Gardens' Magazines and you are sure to find the work of Interior Designer, Helen Green. She has wonderful streamlined, sophisticated style. Green describes her style as cool contemporary, modern, precise, harmonious and elegant. Above is London Triplex she recently designed for client.
Her palette is often soft neutrals, which we all know I love here at Willow Decor. Green mentioned in a recent interview that in central London, with the homes interesting architecture, she felt color doesn’t really work. "In a sophisticated house where you’ve got a sophisticated palette of greys, for example, splashes of colour like a red cushion doesn’t work for me." Having moved into a historic home with many interesting architectural details I have also found myself moving toward a more neutral palette. Like Green, I felt this was a better way for the room to reveal its exceptional bones. This is such a wonderful dining room. I adore the gray blue color scheme. Green keeps the architectural details the focus of this room but enhances them by accenting them with mirrors. Notice the mirrors incorporated into the wall panels above. And, if you look again at the living room photo above you will notice mirrors built in, flanking the windows. I love this master bedroom. The room's architecture is front and center and beautifully enhanced by a soothing palette of beige. The furniture is a mix of what we call classic contemporary. (The silver hot chocolate pot and the roses add the subtle bling!)
Above is the Guest room -streamlined, sophisticated and very inviting.

Now let's have a look at her own personal residence in London. It is always interesting to me how a designer's home often parallels a clients. I prefer to work with clients that have similar taste and want to achieve a similar design aesthetic. The process becomes more exciting for me, because finding the perfect fabric, paint, or marble for client I get as excited as if I found it for myself.

Here is Green's living room. Again the palette is soothing, drapes match the walls for softness, and the focus remains on the beautiful furniture and the rooms mouldings and window. Green herself defines her house as the reflection of "a modern-classic style achieved by means of a selection of contemporary furniture and a collection of antiques, drawings and paintings".

The master bedroom is elegant is soothing. The blue color, chosen for the silk-upholstered walls and sofa, contrasts with the darker shades of the rest of the furniture.
One of the designer’s favorite rooms is her kitchen, a spacious area that looks out onto the beautiful gardens. Though I personally prefer a white kitchen, I do like Green's cabinets. I think the wood tone is very rich and the crystal chandelier gives the space and unexpected glamour. Notice how similar her dining chairs are to the ones above in her clients dining room.

Here is a photo of her lovely garden and entertaining area. No wonder she loves the kitchen looking out onto it. This is a place that reflects her maxim in interior decoration: "always follow your own instinct" Sophisticated and elegant.

Green has launched two wonderful furniture lines and has a line of carpets and fabrics. For more of Helen Green's work and her furniture check out her website here.

(all photos Helen Green London)

Giveaway Winner!

Elle Decor

Above is the wonderful living room of Ali Wentworth & George Stephanopoulos created by interior designer, Elizabeth Martin. Can you identify all the elements the bring "bling" into the room?

Thanks so all my subscribers and those who left comments for the giveaway.

I used the True Random Number Generator and it generated the number

The winner of the Vintage Mercury Glass Bottle is palmettomommy.

Please email me your contact information and I will send you off the lovely bottle.

Brown and Turquoise Bathroom Interior Design Ideas

One popular contemporary interior design color combination idea for bathrooms is brown and turquoise. Here are some great ideas on creating a brown and turquoise look in your bathroom.

4 Decorating Solutions For Your Bathroom's Brown and Turquoise Tile Floor
By Aja Klenna

While colors can date a room, they can also make it look very contemporary. One color combination that has gained tremendously popularity is brown and turquoise. While the color palette may sound modern and bold, it can also be muted and organic depending on how you accent the space. So, consider a bathroom with brown and turquoise floor tile and all of the possibilities that it offers.

There is Brown and then There is Brown
A wonderfully neutral and organic color, brown can be a perfect wall color to showcase this beautiful color combination in the tile. For a larger bathroom you can go with a rich, chocolate brown and accessorize in a lighter brown. Chrome fixtures will repeat the silver in the mirror, or porcelain fixtures could be used to echo the color of the tub. If your bathroom is smaller you may opt for a lighter tone in your brown wall color with a single accent wall in chocolate brown. To pull the turquoise into the room you have the option of picking up the color in your towels and shower curtain, or you can add a fun cabinet or stool to the room and paint it turquoise.

Contrast and Repetition
If you do not necessarily want to showcase the floor, then you can pull these two contrasting colors throughout the room. For example, you may choose to paint a focal wall brown on the upper half and a shiny turquoise on the bottom. Then paint the remaining walls a pale blue with brown stenciling for border designs. You can pull both colors in through towels, shower curtains and accessories. Since these colors are also organic think about using brown branches in a large turquoise vase, brown pebbles in a turquoise bowl or brown and turquoise beads in a glass bowl.

Retro is In
Turquoise is a perfect example of how everything old is new again. While turquoise can offer a very modern aesthetic, it can also illicit a retro vibe when combined with colors like burnt orange, mustard yellow and avocado green. You can tie all of the colors together by selecting a shower curtain or area rug that contains them all. If you have enough counter space you can embellish with retro accessories like a lava lamp. Fun, geometric shapes throughout your accessories including lighting fixtures and wall art will finish off the look.

Accentuate the Warmth
If you are worried about your bathroom not having a warm feel to it, instead of accentuating the cool turquoise tones, you can play off of the earthier brown colors. By pairing a warm red or orange with the brown, you can actually make the turquoise recede into the background. By having natural wood in your window and door frames, you add an organic and warm feel to the room. With soft warm lighting and luxurious warm tones in your towels and rug the room will feel inviting and cozy. Then you can balance the turquoise in the floor tile by adding a small turquoise vase or candle, and your bathroom will be warm, cozy and balanced.

Home decor specialist Aja Klenna is the top writer for Metal-Wall-Art.com, a wall decorating store offering unique contemporary wall sculptures and metal wall plaque.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aja_Klenna

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