Paint the Wall Black - the do's and dont's

Let's break some taboos, shall we?

 

Tip No 1: Pick a well lit room, black walls need balance. photo from here

Wall colors.

Now when it comes to choosing colors for your wall, I feel like there are two main roads people take. White, and cream. Every once in a while some magazine will come out with hot trends for wall paint, and people will oooooooh and aaaaaah, and think about painting one wall in a different color. Then they go to the paint store and buy not cream, not white but - wait for it - Beige!

Adventures, right?

Tip No 2: Use natural textures (like wood) to create a softer feel via here

Hey I'm not judging! I'm a black and white type myself. And not b/c I don't like colors! But rather b/c I love them. A black-white-grey setup is perfect for color lovers, b/c it gives a wonderful backdrop for changing up accessories with different colors without having to start over each time. 

My entire house was painted white - other then my children's room which is painted in a grey-green color (I'll post them in a different blog post).

What changed all that? A story in the old version of Domino about J Crews creative director Jenna Lyons. (Interestingly enough, Jordan Ferney's bed room in the first photo was also inspired by this same story:) As I read it everything I once thought about wall color choices changed.

 

Tip No 3: Use lot's of white to light up the space even more, it's all about balance!  Found via here

 The next day I was at the paint store. Not yet ready to buy black paint, I bought a dark shade of purple. The women at the counter asked me if I was a photographer in need of a black room:)

We painted our bedroom purple, and I can tell you the women from the store was wrong. With the white bedding and our big window - the room is very bright and airy.

And if we are breaking myths, how about painting a children's room black?

 

Tip No 4: use bright colors like orange and yellow that will really pop against the black wall

I'm not quite sold on a black wall in a child's room, but you'll have to agree with me that this nursery is simply beautiful. It is also taken from Jenna Lyon's home. In the story they did she said she and her husband tried to imagine there son in his first year, lying on his back in the crib. That is what inspired them to pains stripes on the ceiling - what a lovely idea.

 

All of the tips in one image: well lit, lot's of white, natural wood texture, pop of color (the blue cup) via here

We are building our new home as I write this post, and I know a black wall will definitely be there.

How about you? Would you consider painting a wall black? Let me know in the comments:))

Until next time,

Elisheva

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Holiday Traditions and Black Friday Sale

I love family traditions. Something about doing something the same way every year calms and excites me at the same time.
Here in Israel we are in the midst of celebrating Chanukah, a holiday that commemorates the miracle of light. Every night we light another candle in the Menorah, for eight nights.
But for our family, the preparations start the night before. We light the menorah on a side table near the window so people outside can see, so we need to move around a lot of furniture to make that happen. The big empty space by the wall where the side table usually stands can only mean one thing - It's Chanukah.

 

How To Style Your Coffee Table - three rules

I have a confession to make.

I love Design Magazines. Flipping through the pages, daydreaming, pretending I'm in those beautiful photos on the 54th floor looking over an amazing urban view surrounded by pretty things.... A girl can dream, right?

Take me there! Via here

I don't need any excuses to look through my piles and pile of magazines (which I keep in seperate color coded binders, naturally). After all, it is professional literature (Mommy's working, honey).

But if you really want to learn something from magazines, it's not enough to just flip through them ooohing and aaaahing as you go along. Like I wrote in an earlier post about using inspiration - if you don't ask yourself - what is it about this photo that's working- if you don't translate it into actions - you will have a hard time replicating what you loved, and will probably just end up copying and pasting instead. A more critical approach will reveal the true secrets of the trade that you can use to create different moods in your home.
And b/c last week I spoke about balance, here are three tricks I learned from studying magazines - all about creating balance in your home. Specifically, your coffee table.

Marble + Flowers = Love. From SmallShopStudio

Tip Number 1:

Balancing shapes. Are you using a stack of rectangular magazines? Place a nice round bowl on top of them, or place them on a round table.  Too many angular shapes (square sofa, rectangular picture frames, square coffee table...) will give a harsh pointy feeling to a room. Counteracting these shapes with some round ones will give a more cozy and soft feeling. The more round shapes you use, the cozier the room will feel - like in the picture above.

Try It: Look around the room -are you balancing both shapes in the room? Well, are you?

The table's kind of cool, too. Via here

Tip Number 2:

The tray.

You've seen it in every magazine, style blog, Pinterest board and Home makeover show - what's up with that?!

To understand the use of the tray, let's take a look at art. Many painting start with a canvas. The artist will decide on the composition based on the canvas. And the composition is one of the most important part of the painting. It will decide the mood of the piece - peaceful or tense? Happy or sad? Busy or quiet? It will lead our eye across the painting. It will set the tone of our reaction to the art piece. 

Trays are the same. 

When we place things in a tray (with purpose, not just chuck them in:) it's like three dimensional art. This will help us lead someones eyes throughout the room, set the mood - you get the picture. Curate these trays with purpose.

How?

Mix useful objects with little nicknacks that make you smile. It doesn't have to be something expensive, just a little private joke with yourself. And remember to keep your colour scheme in mind.

Try It: fill a tray with 5 objects in different sizes. Play around with the composition until you're pleased.

Picture via here

Tip Number 3:

Some gold. Or silver. Or bronze.

A little bit of bling goes a long way, weather it's something you picked up at the flea market for a couple of bucks, or a fancy heirloom that's been in the family for centuries - us humans have a long lasting relationship with anything shiny. Going for a dramatic look? Mix metals with black or grey. Want something a bit softer? Go for pinks and pastels. Don't let your stigmas about gold in home decor get the best of you, give it a try!

And now it's your turn. What great home styling tips do you swear by?

Share in the comments section below.

XO 

Elisheva

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Balancing Act

I'm finally back after a couple of weeks vacation, I hope you all are doing well:)
I told you all in previous post about the Jewish New Year we celebrated a short while back. I actually made some resolutions for the new year:
1. Go to sleep three times a week before midnight
2. Start working out (I wish I could say get back to working out, but that would be a lie:)
3. Eat three meals a day
Yes, this year it's all about balance.

I wonder how long it took to style this photo? From the Crate and Barrel website

Balance is a tricky thing.

It's not about letting go of clutter, but rather about spreading it out wisely. Knowing how much white space to leave, how much to push elements close together, the proportions, the relationships between the two, if you can get it just right, you experience a truly balanced moment, quiet and simple.

I would buy everything here. Photo by Lisa Cohen for Country Road Homewares via The Design Files

Take interior decorating, for example. When I go into a room that has the a light and airy feeling,  where everything is in it's place, and there isn't that cluttered feeling - I feel a sense of calmness that helps me think straight. That's why I don't own to much stuff. Everything I own is chosen carefully, and what I don't use I get rid of. 

Lovely styling, from Jenni Juurinen. The key is balance.

And just like in these lovely photos, balance normally does not come naturally. It is something that is achieved with planning, trial and error, and a lot of heart. You don't always know how to get to that special point, but once you're there - you'll know it.

You may want to learn how to make yogurt from Kinfolk , I just loved the styling

So yes, I will probably continue to be the compulsive planner that i am, but this time I'm reminding myself to plan a bit of peace and quiet into the regular crazy mix.

And to finnish off this post, I'll leave you with one of my favourite photos from the Photoshoot I had with Efrat Lozanov. This photograph has that special peaceful quality, but with a bit of sparkle.

Foldable Felt Bin purchase here

So how do you reach that kind of balance? In the next couple of weeks I'll be showing you some cool tips and tricks  - will you join me?

Have a wonderful week,

Elisheva

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How to clean your house fast - and really impress your guests

We all know the feeling. The house is a mess, laundry on the floor (you're not even sure if it's clean or dirty), toys on every chair, dished from breakfast still on the table. (Who am I kidding? Dinner dishes. Last night's dinner.) And all of the sudden - the phone rings.
Hey, we're really close - can we drop by? In 15 minuets?
How am I supposed to let people into this house?????
I wrote this post with that exact thought in mind - how to achieve the look of a clean and neat home - in record time. Obviously, this can not replace a real cleanup. But it will bring you to the point where you're not shamed in front of your friends - by focusing on a couple of key tasks and taking you out of that overwhelm.
Let's begin!

 

image taken from here

1. Tip no. 1:

First things first - tackle your kitchen counters. Move all of the dishes and stuff that's cluttering your counters, and wipe them clean. A tidy kitchen is a great start to a house that feels clean. Why? Because clean shiny counters are the best. Try and wash the dishes (or fill your dishwater - lucky) This tip is especially important for those of you with an open layout with no wall dividing the kitchen from the living room.

 

Image from here

Tip no 2:

Clear all of the large surfaces - coffee tables, consoles, dining room tables - etc. Just take a large laundry basket and collect everything. Shove the basket into your bedroom - and don't forget to close the door. Remember - It's not about cleaning - it's about tidying.  After your guests leave, go through the basket and organize all of your stuff. (Or don't I won't judge:)

*Tidy Tip : An empty table serves as a breeding ground for clutter. To avoid this situation, try placing a large object, or even a couple, on the center of the table. The less room you have for bills/keys/glasses/etc. the more you'll be motivated to put them away immediately. Meaning paying the bills as you get them and not as they're cutting your electricity off. Need some ideas for large objects? Here are just a few - a nice lamp, a stack of books, a pretty vase, a large fruit bowl - anything that leaves less room for clutter.

 

image from here

Tip no 3:

Take that basket from the last tip, or a different one, and go through the rooms in your house picking up anything that's been misplaced - toys, books, laundry - everything. Take that basket to your bedroom and - that's right - close the door.

Baskets, in general, are great to have around the house - but somehow they're always full (kind of like the empty surface calling out for clutter). That's why I designed foldable baskets. That way when they're empty you can stow them away.

image from here

4. Tip no 4  - secrets from a Stylist

Take a couple of minutes to fluff your sofa pillows. This will "bring them back to life", take the wrinkles out, and make them look soft and inviting.

 

Image from here

5. Tip no 5:

It never hurts to sweep. 

Still have a couple of minutes? Set the table. You can even just stack the plates and silverware on the table. Put out a couple of candles. No one will believe you when you say the house was messy. Who has time to light candles when there is an entire house to clean?!

And that horrible mess in your bed room? That can be our little secret....

If you have any tips for a quick cleanup, please make sure to leave them in the comments. And if you liked this post,  sign up for updates at the end of this post, and invite some friends, too!

See you Soon!

Elisheva

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