A neutral room with a flexible punch color

I recently finished a living room design for a client, using several of her existing furnishings. I think there is so much to learn from this space!

We reused her sofas and a coffee table {that was painted an apple green}, and stayed within a tight budget. To lighten up her dark, leather sofas, I added a lot of white and pale gray to the room, including “built-ins” using Ikea components. These broad, neutral strokes immediately softened things up – making some breathing room so we can add some fun and colorful touches. The thing that I love about this neutral room is its potential for color flexibility! I used a rich, persimmon orange in this design board – but at any time, my client can change out the punch color in her space for a completely different feel! I just love that!

What I love about this space:

1. The flexible and abundant seating.

2. The linen drapes {!!} that are tone on tone with the walls.

3. The affordable “built-ins” that do so much: lighten up the space, add much needed storage, offer additional seating, and add architectural interest to the room.

4. Stunning pillows that are worth the splurge!

5. The subtle and flexible presence of orange, that can EASILY be swapped out for another color when the mood strikes.

6. The bold, graphic geometrics that add a gutsy, modern flair.

7. The pale, comfy armchair against the dark sofas.

8. The chandy!! The ceiling is not particularly tall in this room, so we stayed with a shorter chandelier, which will be positioned over the coffee table – so no tall folks hit their heads!

9. The inexpensive, but super stylish lamps that flank the sofa. I am having my client add a band of black ribbon to the tops and bottoms of her lamp shades for impact.

What do you think of this eDesign?  I love hearing your thoughts!

And may I ask a favor? This client of mine has a husband who is in the service. She holds down the fort while he serves our country! Will you take a moment to pray for her right now? Thank you!!!

And one last thing! DON’T MISS THIS!!:

My awesome friend Amanda Carol has curated a beautiful sale at Joss and Main! I hope you will stop by and snatch every BEAUTIFUL thing up!

This girl has a thing for beauty, I tell ya. Do you remember her AMAZING Signature Style Board that she created?? BIG MWAH, Amanda! I hope your sale is a roaring SUCCESS!!

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Get the bold LUXE look by shopping at Shop Ten 25

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When I see this, I see God:

{via haute avenue paris, design by Atelier Versace}

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Maybe it is an odd thing to say, but it was my very first thought when I saw this design:

When I see this, I see God.

I see creativity and handiwork of a man-Creation that is unlike any other Creation that walks this earth.

I see a body of balance, delicate lines, symmetry and careful craftsmanship. Beautifully designed. Fearfully made.

I see detail and imagination that never existed before, was made brand new in this dress, … was Created!

and captured but for a moment in this image, yet another Creation.

I see something impossible…. yet so.

I see echoes of the things that have already been Created.

I see music, and art, and oceans, and all that has been Designed.

I see the Audacious Beauty of God.

And, When I first saw this creation, I though of the master designer Versace, who created this House of Fashion….

and I immediately wonder if he knew his own grandness?

That Versace himself was grand. Masterfully Crafted. Audacious in Beauty. Stitched with symmetry, and color, and form and curves, and delight…

by The Master Designer.

For more inspiration like this, check out the Master Designer Pinterest Board: {this is beautiful}, a collaboration of inspired images.

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Today’s ditto | a room I love post features the epitome of London Luxe.

{Ditto | Room I Love posts demonstrate a great exercise for you as you continue to develop your own personal style: using your own favorite pictures, and making a quick list of what you actually love about the space. If you study what you love about a space, it helps you to bring what you LOVE into your own home!}

Enjoy this living room, filled with all things London Luxe – ish , and the quick “ditto” list of why I love it.

So. Do you love it?:

 {via Peter Mikic, design by Peter Mikic}

 {via Peter Mikic, design by Peter Mikic}

WHAT I LOVE {What I would ditto!}:

1. That chandelier. Wow. Not sure how I would ditto it, but I am surely motivated to hope and keep my inspired eyes open!

2. Mixed metals {<- I have an entire Pin-board dedicated to them}! Love the grays and charcoals with all of the gold and silver accents.

3. Metallic grasscloth on the walls. One of my favorite looks. It is warm and cool all at once.

4. Sconces all around the room.

5. Cushy, deep, plush sofas paired with slender, elegant chairs.

6. Multiple seating/conversation zones. For more thoughts on zones, check out the design board I did for this client.

7. The bold graphic rug which enters the scene of otherwise basic patterns.

8. Navy velvet, of course!

9. The grand, colorful art provides most of the color interest in the room. I love that!

10. A large, gilded mirror.

11. Low-backed furniture, with open legging, even in a soaring-ceiling room. This allows the room to breathe.

12. The detail of adding a ceiling medallion. This one is the real deal, no doubt, but even faux ones can be beautiful if painted to match your ceiling.

DO YOU LOVE IT?? WHAT DO YOU LOVE? WHAT DESIGN ELEMENTS WOULD YOU DITTO IN YOUR OWN HOME? DO TELL!!!!!!

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Get the bold LUXE look by shopping at Shop Ten 25

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Don’t Just Like your home. LOVE IT!

This post is a part of a series designed to help you Overcome Decorating Paralysis

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I tell my clients again and again:

“Don’t worry so much about whether or not this “goes” with that. The best designers just pick individual things that they truly LOVE, and then find finishing touches to unify the space.”

{image: The kitchen of Edie Wadsworth, featured in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine January 2013, design consultation by Fieldstone Hill Design}

Pick what you love! Ah, yes, but….

We need to know what we Love.

And that is not always easy. You have heard me talk about it before…

You see, there IS so much grand beauty in this world to admire. So much art. So many creative people who are out there creating, that we are so often caught like kids in a candy store. There are so many choices… gorgeous choices. And even within our personal limitations, there are STILL so many choices.

With blogging, and Pinterest, and magazines, and HGTV-galore… we have SO many fantastic resources that are delivered straight into our homes. Some of these images are nothing short of breathtaking. And then there are all of the great DIY projects that  give us the know-how to add nearly anything gorgeous to our homes, if we put forth that effort. And if you are like me, these images are delivered into a QUITE under-finished home. So, we see picture after picture of loveliness and we are overwhelmed. As we absorb all these gorgeous images, I think we all waffle somewhere in between inspired, discouraged, and confused. “I really THOUGHT I wanted a gold leaf chair for that spot…. until I saw that glossy red one on HGTV the other day”….

And so, with all this input, many of us have decorating ADD. SO, how in the world are we to know what we love, let alone define a personal style?  We can’t seem to find any direction for defining our styles. And it leaves us paralyzed in making choices for our homes.

How on earth are we to move forward with decorating our homes, when we don’t even know what we love?

There are a few steps to identifying what we truly love:

1. We need to start by accepting that our opinions can and will change.

Nothing has to be set in stone; we must accept that no decorating decision is forever. And yet, we should be true to the things we love and have always loved.

2. We need to put in the work to narrow down what we love, and discover we CAN have a few definite things that define our style,

This is the hard truth. There is no way you will get a true grasp on what you really love {which will ultimately save you time and money} unless you spend some time thinking about your style loves. The link above will be a huge help in getting you started.

3. We need to have confidence. If we have confidence in the things we truly love, we can even begin to move toward having a “signature look.”

Struggle with confidence? You might enjoy this post where I wrote about that confidence here on RooMag. We know from where true confidence comes – The kind of true confidence that seeps into all areas of our lives; even our homes.

What prevents you from being able to define what you love?

Do you find you can find plenty of things to “like,” but have trouble knowing what you confidently “Love!” ?

It is time to stop settling for the things you “Like.” Work hard to identify what you Love, and then, worry-free {but within your limitations} have the confidence to decorate with what you LOVE! Then take your home from “like it,” to LOVE IT!

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Get your copy of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine January 2013

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I {HEART} the Valentine’s Cards at Minted! Especially their CUTE kids’ classroom cards. Go check them out.

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I pretty much ADORE Serena & Lily. Have you shopped there? GORGEOUS stylish housewares! Click on the image below to shop:

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{This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for reading and supporting FHD! }

This post was also shared over at RooMag