kensington bliss: interior design

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Craving a Neutral Bedroom....

Although I love pops of color in design, I am craving a calm, neutral space for our master bedroom. Our master currently has medium/dark taupe painted walls, and I have always mixed up the design with different window panels, artwork, lamps, etc. Yet, I have never been totally happy with the result. I would love to paint the walls a lighter mushroom, light beige, or cream color, and I have been inspired by various design images for an overall lighter, more neutral look. I do love a 'more is more' vibe when it comes to color, design, pattern, etc (i.e. Miles Redd, The English Room, Iris Apfel)...But, sometimes the most simplistic designs are best in a room made for sleeping! There is nothing more peaceful and relaxing as when you walk into a light, neutral bedroom (I am talking to you, all white bedding!)

I think the key to making a light-colored, neutral room work, is to incorporate a variety of textures to make it interesting. Perhaps some matchstick/bamboo blinds, soft cozy throw blankets, linen, sisal, wicker, straw, wood, or leather. I also love the idea of faux bois, or 'wood-look' wallpaper, but the space is too large, and this would be very costly. So perhaps just on the ceiling or on the wall behind the bed, or even incorporating rustic wood elements elsewhere, a girl can dream of beams, right? Some inspiration pics below...

via 1st Dibs Chadjamesgroup Design

Pinterest, source unknown

Atlanta Homes Magazine

Traditional Home

Brookes and Hill Custom Builders

M Elle Design via Cococozy

Marthas Vineyard Interior Design

Linda Burkhardt

McCroskey Interiors

Nanjoo Design

Summer Thornton Design

Talianko Design Group

Pinterest, source unknown

Andrew Howard Interior Design

Marie Flanigan Interiors via ErinWestDesign IG

Katherine Carter Design via MyDomaine

Pinterest, source unknown

Atlanta Homes Keith Summerour Architect

Richard Lane Ryan Street & Assoc

Atlanta Homes Magazine

Friday, November 17, 2017

Loving a Red Door for Christmas!

I am dreaming of a glossy red door for Christmas! Whenever I start to look for Christmas design inspiration, I always stumble upon images of bright red front doors that are so festive and cheerful for the holidays. I am seriously inspired to paint ours this year, why not?!

In fact, after reading a bit online, it seems that a red door is rich in history and meaning. According to the American Red Door website, "The earliest historical reference to a door being covered in red is found in the Old Testament account of the Jewish Passover in Exodus 12. Prior to Pharaoh commanding the Israelites to leave Egypt, God commanded the Israelites, while being held as slaves in Egypt, to cover their doors in the blood of a lamb. This blood would act as a symbol of their obedience to God so that when the angel of death would come through Egypt to kill every firstborn male as the last of the 10 plagues, the angel would pass over the homes of those that had blood on their doors. Some churches still paint their doors red to symbolize Jesus' shed blood and that the area beyond the doors is sacred and holy. Other churches paint their doors red with the idea that protection from evil spirits is offered within the walls of the church.

The principles of Feng Shui state that bold colors invite chi (positive energy) and that bold colors like red invite opportunities and abundance.

The Chinese consider red to be a lucky or sacred color. Many doors are painted with a fresh coat of red just before the Chinese New Year to invite good luck and happiness.

Scottish tradition holds that homeowners paint their front door red to signify that they had paid off their mortgage.

In Ireland, a red door is supposed to ward off ghosts and evil spirits.

In early American tradition, a red door symbolized to tired horse and buggy travelers that a home was a safe place to rest and stay.

During the Civil War, "safe homes" that were part of the Underground Railroad supposedly painted their doors red to guide escaped slaves to places of refuge and safety."

For our home, I would love to paint the front door red just to say WELCOME!

The following are several inspiration photos of beautiful front porches with red doors! I also included a few additional images with design ideas for the holidays.