Design for a Beautiful Life » Blog

Beautiful Movie – Learning to Dance in the Rain (Video)

Joyce — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 03:01:17 +0000

See this wonderful movie with beautiful images that brings encouragement!

Enjoy!

What Colors Will Be Big in 2011?

Joyce — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 00:05:36 +0000

According to Mythic Paint, next year’s palette will offer warmth and an ethnic influence.

By Jennifer Brite

November 22, 2010

The last weeks of the year are often a time of family gatherings, holiday shopping and general merriment. But those in the design industry also know this is also the time many color forecasters analyze what’s happened in the past year to gain some insight on future trends. Mythic Paint, a manufacturer that specializes in a variety of no-VOC offerings, has compiled insider knowledge gleaned from experts and designers to predict the hottest colors of next year. While no one can truly foretell the future, the company’s insights will surely provide inspiration in your projects for months to come.

Coral—Perfectly paired with blues and golds, coral adds warmth to any room, particularly as an unexpected accent in a bathroom.

Green—Green’s popularity soared in 2010, and 2011 will be just as kind to the versatile color, which works in just about any room in the house.

Yellow—Influenced by Mayan culture and folktales, sunstone gold will be one of the many Native American influences on color next year. Yellow adds a nice burst of color to the home but can be too bold for some. A lighter shade may work for the color shy.

Gray—Gray will be a go-to color in the coming months because it complements any other color. Gray even goes with gray.

Blue—Blue has a split personality. It can trigger feelings of sadness (hence the phrase “feeling blue”), but it’s also the most relaxing color. Icy blue is set to be the dominant shade in 2011.

Red-Cast Blue—Red-cast blue looks like a very deep royal purple, with red and blue undertones. Adding a bit of drama to everyday decors, the color is set to shine next year.

Do you like these colors? I would love your feedback if these colors are your favorites too for the new year! Leave your comments below.

Technorati Tags: color of the year,color trend,Mythic Paint

The New Color of the Year

Visiting Paris in my memories….

Joyce — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:19:14 +0000

This wet & cold summer has me dreaming of my trip that I took to Paris back in 2008! So … since I can’t be there physically, I’ll be there in my memories. Here’s my post from that trip in case you missed it! ~

I had the chance to visit Paris for three days this last year. Now you may say, “Three days! That’s hardly worth it!” You may be right but at least I had the chance to BE there. That’s the main thing. I found Paris to have an indefinable air that I tried to explain later to my friends. It was a feeling of finding a place that you didn’t want to leave. Even my All-American husband who prefers steak and hamburgers to quiche any day was mesmerized too. I can’t tell you if it was the chic stores, the amazing food, the friendly people (yes, they were!), but it was hard for all of us to say goodbye. We had such an amazing time.

We took the Eurostar train through the “Chunnel” under the English Channel and arrived in Paris in a few hours. It was like entering a different world with the Art Deco signs for the Metropolitain city train,

the beautiful architecture that was everywhere! I swear, all the buildings look like this, not just some of them!

The lovely French food that was so delicious and flavorful. I enjoyed just savoring it and I felt lighter, not heavier after eating. This was our favorite outdoor cafe by our hotel

near Montmarte.

This was the courtyard outside our hotel window with a cute railing.

We climbed to Sacre Coeur our first day. I didn’t go all the way to the top but stayed and did a quick sketch of the beautiful church.

Here are the beautiful stairs on the side of the church.

Then we took a walk down the hill and discovered Le Opera where the Phantom of the Opera was to have taken place. We got lost going home and wound up walking by the Moulin Rouge.

The next day we went to Notre Dame and went inside the beautiful church.

Next we went to the Louvre but it was closed so we walked through the Jardin des Tuileries instead and out through this gate to see the fountains.

From there we walked up the Champs Elysees to the Arch de Triomphe.

When we saw the Eiffel Tower in the distance we couldn’t wait any longer and walked to see it, crossing the Seine River.

I always thought it was black but it’s actually painted a pinkish color. We took the elevator up to the very top and then afterwards stayed until the lights came on, sparkling like a diamond and the searchlight scanning the heavens. How incredible!

The next day we went back to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa, the artwork and all the gorgeous statuary inside.

There was just so much to see before we caught our plane late that afternoon, even this street call the United States Place.

We packed so much in those three days and now that we’ve just gotten that first taste of Paris, I yearn to go back and visit again. This time for much longer!

Visiting Paris is Just Not Enough…

My blog is carbon neutral!

Joyce — Mon, 31 May 2010 15:00:00 +0000

http://www.kaufda.de/umwelt/ in Germany is promoting planting a tree for each blog and domain that supports their mission. “My blog is carbon neutral” is an initiative, originally started in Germany by the “Make it green” programs, that has the goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Their goal is to save one million trees. They will plant a tree for you, neutralizing the carbon dioxide emissions of your blog for the next 50 years! The trees will be planted in the spring of 2010 by the Arbor Day Foundation. For more information about how and where the trees are planted, see the NEWS section.

So far they’ve saved 40,838 trees.

If you have a blog, join me in promoting this great cause! Everyone can make a small contribution to the environment. Every tree counts!

Technorati Tags: carbon neutral,Arbor Day,trees,eco-friendly,sustainable,green

Our new blog & video – Aging in Place Options!

Cozy Furniture and Decorating Ideas – How to Make a Room Cozy – House Beautiful

Joyce — Thu, 27 May 2010 20:23:35 +0000

The Perfect Outdoor Escape

Matching Sunbrella upholstery and a round indoor-outdoor rug from Couristan unify an assortment of vintage rattan porch furniture into an open-air living room suite. Behind the chaise longue, a grand hooded basket chair — handed down and restored for generations — presides over a massive table and lightweight French park chairs.

I especially love the huge basket chair! Wouldn’t that be fun to snuggle in? I am so ready for summer!

Cozy Furniture and Decorating Ideas – How to Make a Room Cozy – House Beautiful

Technorati Tags: Outdoor Living,rattan furniture,open-air,Sunbrella,Couristan

Designer Spotlight: Carolyn Quartermaine

Joyce — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:57:10 +0000

She was the designer of the year in 2008, Maison et Objets. As an artist, textile designer and decorator she works from her several studios in France, London & Belgium. What I love her work for is her incredible textile patterns.

You can download a pdf from her site here that showcases her newest work. I love the light airy look of her latest designs.

You know by now how much I love the colors pink and blue! These are stunning, aren’t they?

What is my favorite though are her script patterns. She uses 17th century French calligraphy to make some beautiful pieces. See some of them here -

Here’s a video of Carolyn explaining her methods and philosophy:

Make sure you go to her website to see more of her fantastic collections and work.

Let us know if you enjoyed this designer spotlight and if you’d like to see more of them! We always love your comments.

Technorati Tags: Carolyn Quartermaine,textile design,fabric,fabric patterns,textiles,interior design

John Saladino brings Vermeer’s artistry to life

Would you love to get a free ticket to see HGTV Color Splash Host David Bromstad at the Seattle Design Center?

Joyce — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:52:07 +0000

Eye on Design | David Bromstad

“If “YES” is your answer, tell us why you’d like to meet him in person on Saturday, April 24 at Eye on Design 2010, and you could win a free ticket to attend! Better yet, share a design question about how best to use color and art to transform your home and your question could be among those to be answered “live” on event day. Post your comment here on Nancy Juetten’s blog so you can be entered into this contest for your high value and free event ticket. The most compelling 10 comments will be selected to win, so go deep and tell us what you want to know. Comments must be posted by TODAY Friday, April 16 in order to qualify. Read all about the event via the PRWeb press release.”

Upcoming Teleseminar!

Joyce — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 22:24:42 +0000

Reverse Mortgages—Are They for You?

A FREE teleseminar for baby boomers and seniors

Wouldn’t it be beneficial to know what a reverse mortgage is all about?

We’ll be answering your questions:

Are they beneficial to my situation?
What will be my outcome if I get a reverse mortgage?
What can the funds be used for?

Joyce will be interviewing Ryan Halvorson with Integra Pacific Mortgage on April 14, at 5:00 PM.

We’ll have a question and answer time as well so bring your questions to the call! If you can’t be on the call, don’t worry – you can email us your questions before the call to customerservice@aginginplaceoptions.com and everyone will receive a copy of the recording afterwards! We’ll do our best to include everyone’s questions.

You’ll also receive a complimentary subscription to our monthly newsletter, Aging Beautifully by Design. You can cancel at any time.

Technorati Tags: reverse mortgages,teleseminar,baby boomers,seniors

Nutrition For Adults Only

Surfaces Series – Beautiful New Surfaces for Your Bath and Kitchen

Joyce — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:50:00 +0000

In our last post we featured Eldorado Stone for your interior and exterior spaces. In this post, we feature new surface materials that are wonderful in the bath and kitchen.

Bathroom Products – Surfaces

Hakatai

“Hakatai’s Bohemia series of glass mosaic tile offers an array of blended colors. Adding visual interest to any kitchen or bath, the 1 3/16-in. x 9/16-in. mini-brick style, semi-transparent tiles are arranged in a traditional offset pattern. Focused on neutral hues, warm golden browns and cool blues, the collections’ color palette includes mirage, mallard, chanterelle, nutmeg, loam, sargasso sea and azul. The pieces are approximately 1/4 in.-thick and are film-faced for easy installation. The tile can be used on interior walls, countertops, backsplashes and light residential floors.”

CaesarStone

CaesarStone has a new quartz product out called Motivo™ which I just love! It is a textured stone with a new look and feel.

“Using a brilliant, patented new technology to apply an embossed effect to a range of our surfaces, Motivo makes a stylish statement with its pattern-designed finishes including Lace and Crocodile. Motivo opens up a world of inspiration and imagination by delivering endless creative options for stunning spaces.

Magnificently Versatile
As with all CaesarStone quartz surfaces, Motivo is nonporous, easy to care for and appropriate for numerous applications, including wall paneling, custom-made furniture, kitchen countertops, vanity tops and more.” Here’s some shots of how Motivo would look on your walls or countertops.

Here is the Crocodile pattern – so sophisticated. Amazing!

I also love the Lace pattern – especially for feminine spaces. Beautiful!

So these are just two of the new surfaces that are out there that I think are the most exciting. With spring here, wouldn’t the lace pattern be especially wonderful in your new spa bathroom? Let’s make that a reality in your home! Contact us here.

Technorati Tags: sustainable,interior design,bathroom,kitchen,kitchen design,bathroom design,glass tile,surfaces,countertops

Surfaces Series – Eldorado Stone Surfaces for Your Home

Joyce — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:59:31 +0000

Here’s Eldorado’s latest video showing how their stone can transform the look of your home indoors and out. I especially love the wine cellar and the niches in the stone wall for candles in the spa bathroom.

So tell me – which is your favorite application of their beautiful stone? Here’s a few examples from their site of different ways to enhance your home with stone. Gorgeous!

Stone gives such a warm stability and permanence to your walls, flooring and exteriors.

Give us a call and we can transform your spaces with natural, inviting stone to give you a new look to your environment!

Technorati Tags: stone surface,stone wall,Eldorado Stone,video

Name
Email