Melanie Turner Interiors

I just came across a fun interior design website, Melanie Turner Interiors and I noticed right away that she uses products in her spaces that we sell....

Here are some fabulous photos from her site and two products we have that also happen to be our customers' favorites:

I love this space and the way she incorporates the chandelier.  It looks larger than our Capiz Shell Chandelier ($495), but you get the idea:

I love this room that she did in a Chatham residence and her use of the color orange.  She does a great job of balancing the warmth of the orange with the soft woodwork and bringing in creams and a hint of blue in the coffee table.

I also love the way she's used the Lord Denver Horse Triptych that we sell - here it is, take a peek:

You can buy it here.

I think I also see a hint of the Hermes tray at left on the chest....we can order that for customers as well.  Contact us to order:

She's got some great work on her website.  Take a peek! 

http://melanieturnerinteriors.com/projects.php

Featured Interior Designer: Caroline Willis Interiors, Inc

I feel so lucky to count some fabulous interior designers among my group of friends, and I'm pleased to introduce you to Atlanta designer, Caroline Willis.  Our husbands are old college buddies and I had the pleasure of visiting her Atlanta home for New Year's Eve this year.   I was so impressed with her mix of colors and furnishings that I knew photos of her home and work would make for a good read.

Caroline runs her residential design firm, Caroline Willis Interiors, LLC, and is mother to two adorable girls.  Her interiors are clean and classic.  House Beautiful named her one of "America's Top Young Designers" in their September 2003 issue and she was named as "20 under 40" by Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles.    Take a peek at her home:

Caroline masterfully mixes soothing colors with antique pieces.  Her parents are collectors of fine antiques and she grew up in a home filled with auction quality pieces.  It's no surprise that Caroline has an innate sense of style.  Here are her answers to a few questions I threw her way about her career, inspiration and color palette:

Melissa Hawks:  How did you get into interior design?

Caroline Willis: I was a history major at UVA with every intention of going to law school. Upon the advice of several people, I took a summer internship at Christies rather than a paralegal job. From there I went on to a receptionist position with Gomez Associates in New York. Then I moved up to a design assistant's with Mariette Gomez's firm--a FABULOUS experience. She is definitely one of my design idols and I was too young to appreciate how fabulous the whole thing was. I moved to Atlanta and took a job with Dan Carithers--another design great and major mentor for me. I went out on my own in 2001.

Melissa Hawks:When I was in your home I noticed that you are great at utilizing shades of grays - this is a big color right now. Do you have any recommendations that you can share with our readers on gray paints that you have used and seen that work? (particular colors)

Caroline Willis:
I love to work with gray. You have to be careful that it does not come off too cold. Some of my favorites in the gray/taupe family:

Pratt &  Lambert Putty 2279 (my dining room color--tweaked a bit)
Pratt & Lambert Appaloosa 2251 (close to my library color)
Pratt & Lambert Shadow Beige 2257
Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan HC-81 (not a true gray, but comes from a gray place--a nice light neutral that does not go yellow or pink)
Benjamin Moore China White ( a white that has gray in it--again, does not go yellow or pink)
Benjamin Moore Alexandria Beige HC-77 (a dark warm taupe that works well with gray)
Benjamin Moore Litchfield Gray HC-79
Duron Tavern Taupe 8673M (More taupe than gray--but warm and works well with gray tones)

Melissa Hawks: What is the trick to getting the gray to work in a space - how do you layer the room and what do you think are the important elements to balance so you get just the right amount?
Caroline Willis: I think it is important for rooms to feel layered and not to feel too"schemed". I love using lots of tones of the same color in a room. Blues pair nicely with grays as do whites. I think gray is truly neutral, so most colors can work with it, but the shade has to be right. Darker grays can be pretty with yellow--but too much cream or soft yellow fights gray in my opinion. Some of the bolder gray with a super bright color do not do it for me--small doses. I think gray should be restful. Paint is a great starting point.

Melissa Hawks: What designers do you look to for inspiration?
Caroline Willis: I am inspired by so many designers. Mariette Gomez and Dan Carithers have had a huge personal influence on me. I am always impressed by Victoria Hagan, Stephen Gambrell and Jeffrey Bilhuber. Atlanta designer Nancy Braithwaite (who uses gray perfectly) is incredibly talented and has always been a kind mentor to me. I pour over design books and love Michael Smith's books and works. I love the old Parish Hadley look find inspiration from those pages as well.

Other projects that Caroline has worked on that I think are lovely:

A master bedroom remodel:

An Atlanta Residence:

You can contact Caroline here to see more of her work or inquire about your next design project!  Enjoy!

Silverleaf & Mirrored Bar Cabinets

At our sister retail site, The Well Appointed House (bookmark it if you haven't!), we've received many requests from designers looking around for silver and mirrored pieces to use as a bar.  Here are a few recommendations:

Our Silver Pearl Sideboard is new and features a beautiful rubbed silver leaf finish.  We like it because it has traditional lines and legs but with a modern twist.  It's perfect to add to a formal setting and says "we'd like to have a little fun, here!  C'mon over and pour yourself a drink!".  It's not too serious and not too stuffy.  Though it might seem like a good idea to use a silver or mirrored console table as a bar, you really need to have storage space below for stirrers, straws, spoons, napkins, shakers, and all of the other accoutrements.

As you can see, there is plenty of room for drink prep on top and the cabinets open with shelves inside that can be moved for storage of liquor bottles.  Not bad!  If you're concerned about the finish on top, trace an outline of the surface and go to your local mirror and glass workshop and have them craft a piece for added protection.

For a much more casual (and less costly) look, check out our Roland Bar in Nickel:

We like the aged finish and refined elegance of our Antiqued Mirror Sideboard as well:

Here's another great option:

Click here to view this Antique Silver Leaf Mirrored Cabinet.

Both of these have shelves for the little things and cabinet doors for bottles.  Add a nice buffet lamp and a vintage poster, a painting or mirror above it and voila!  Be sure that your bar is well appointed!  Here are some tips on what to include:

Shared Children's Rooms & Guest Rooms with Twin Beds

I've got three young children, and with two girls, I spent a good amount of time designing and decorating their bedrooms.  I deliberated over the furniture, the wallpaper, the carpeting, the paint colors, the fabric covered headboard (in one case), where to place the lamps, personalized linens and of course the dolls and Steiff bears to adorn the shelves.  I wanted to make each room unique and special -- giving each her own identity and space.  (My girls are 10 months apart and so they easily blend into a twin-like existence)

Well, separate existences aside, they have practically moved into one bedroom and they insist on sleeping together at night.  I've come to find out that five and six year old girls have p-l-e-n-t-y to chat about at night, and their bedtime chatter can prolong any hope (or delusion on my part) of them sleeping.  Since they are growing so fast, and showing no signs of separating, I'm beginning to think it's time to investigate separate beds in the same room.

Twin beds can be beautiful in a shared space.  Here are a few of my favorites from my Pinboard on Pintrest (you can follow me here)

From caitlincreer.com

From home-styling.blogspot.com

From home-styling.blogspot.com

From thebooandtheboy.com

From bostondesignguide.com

From thedeskofannie.blogspot.com

From cozycanadiancottage.blogspot.com

From rowhousenest.com

From decorpad.com

From bhg.com

A few hard-to-resist bunk beds as well:

From houzz.com

From withtwocats.com

Of course, there are some very creative designers out there!  

From pearls-n-curls.tumblr.com

From spicerandbank.blogspot.com

I thought you'd find some inspiration in this entry!  If you are in the market for twin beds, check out our collection at The Well Appointed House....I've got a whole category of Children's Beds, Lofts and Trundles.  Enjoy!  -Melissa Hawks

Do It Yourself - A Painted Desk

We all love a good do-it-yourself project and why not take an old (and perhaps beat up) wooden desk and give it fresh, new life?

We love this bright yellow desk, painted to perfection with a red interior for good measure!

Photo

Mirror as Headboard --Not a bad idea!

When you're someone who loves home decor, as I do, it's always exciting to see a photo that makes you say, "WOW!  Why didn't I think of that?!"

Here's one of those photos, from our friends at Better Homes & Gardens.  How many times have you been at a favorite antique shop and seen a mirror so large (yet beautiful) that you ask yourself, where could I possibly fit that?  Well, here's your answer.  Use it as a headboard!  It's quite elegant!  Enjoy!

Tree of Life Panels in This Month's Veranda Magazine

I was just perusing this month's Veranda Magazine (January-February 2012) and was pleased to see the Tree of Life panels that I sell on my retail site prominently featured in the dining area in this year's annual Designer Visions showhouse, designed by Thomas O'Brien at 1212 Fifth Avenue.

This is just a snapshot of my issue...

Photography by Max Kim-Bee for Veranda

If you like the colors and scale of these pieces, think about them for your own home!  You can hang them separately or as a triptych.

Tree of Life 1, $1000

Tree of Life 2, $900

Tree of Life 3, $900

The framed pieces were inspired by the film Avatar and the message behind it.  The pieces pay respect to mother nature by introducing a spectacular tree of life that has been hand painted.   Take a peek at them by clicking on the links above!  Enjoy!

Room Inspirations

Sometimes it nice to just browse lovely spaces.  Here are a few I've chosen for you from Phoebe Howard's website.  I love her work.  This room has such a happy and soothing shade of sky blue, and the scale and placement of the artwork and wall decor is perfect.  The pleated curtains provide rectangular lines that mirror the room.  The beige and ivory tones of the sofas are a nice contrast.

Take inspiration with our Beige Poof Ottoman, similar to the ones pictured in the photo above.

This sunny spot is gorgeous! It's reminiscent of my own sunroom.  I love the mix of furniture styles - the Asian influence to the coffee table, the transitional feel of the brass floor lamp, the pagoda/chinoiserie inspired window treatment, the French sofa at left and the Foo dog-like table lamp.  

Take inspiration from our Antique White with Gold cocktail table:

Here's another beautiful room.  It's so simple and elegant.  The paneling is gorgeous and the hints of blue add richness:

Take inspiration with the Blue and White Collection at The Well Appointed House, where you'll find all of the blue and white decorative items you'll need for any project.

I'll close with this treat of a dining room!  It's so soft and inviting!  It's perfect!

And it's lovely to see our mirror over the fireplace!  Buy it at The Well Appointed House for $1850

Enjoy!