Pantone Colour 2017 - Greenery

I am almost late with a post on Pantone's choice of colour for 2017. In fact, I have been inspired by a noted real estate company, Douglas Elliman Florida in connection with their greenery project.
Good companies always take care of their clients; great companies always offer more than you would expect. Any good real estate company knows what they offer is much more than an apartment or a house - they are here to find your new home. And a home is never complete without the owner's personality and style. And style is always influenced by trends.
I am happy to introduce you this year's trend colour called greenery, a refreshing and bright shade of yellow-green. As Pantone says, greenery is symbolic of new beginnings. As spring is a new beginning, too, this post is just on time. 

It is also said that greenery is nature's neutral. In interior design, however, it is just the opposite. It is a very bright colour. and although we do love spending time outdoors, enjoying lush greens around us, having only greens in our home can be overwhelming. With the help of real plants you can easily bring green into your home, but if you think you it is just not enough, in my next three posts I will show you several possible ways to style the colour of 2017. 

Concrete Styling

This is the last winter-themed moodboard for a while, so let's send off the cold season in style! 

Conrete look is still trendy, however, some percieve it as cold and find it difficult to warm up to (ha!). This is not how it should be, though. Concrete surfaces or materials are just parts of the interior, and it is up to you how you use it. It is all about the styling. 

In the upper left corner what you see is a nordic style interior with concrete walls and a concrete look coffee table. It is a calming setting with grey tones. It is all well and cool, but what if you say that it is too much conrete? Well, I say let's change a couple of things then. Should you replace the coffee table with a black one, you already have some contrast. I would add other accessories in black (like this lamp) so that the table will not be the only item in black. I chose a soft grey shaggy rug for comfort and for texture, in sharp contrast with the bare concrete walls. To spice up things a bit I picked gold cushions, golden yellow throw and shiny chocolate brown pouf. Concrete vases bring back the look of the wall and glass provides the sparkle. 

Concrete looks the best when the pure beauty of this material is visible; but if you look it as a grey surface only, there are endless ways to style it. 

Spring Moodboard

Now, this is such an obvious spring theme - flowers. This time I chose a muted colour palette with creme, purple, green and hints of brass/gold. The style is light, yet very mature and sophisticated. The flower theme is not overwhelming, because the colours are pale on the biggest surface they are used on - the wallpaper. Notice the change of scale between the lamp and the wallpaper - it is a good way to enhance the lamp. 

To me, it looks like a drawing room in some elegant mansion or town house. Enjoy!

Lofty Spring Bedroom

It is spring again in the Northern Hemisphere, so  I decided to start this season with a spring coloured bedroom. 

My source of inspiration for this moodboard came from two different worlds. The first has its source in the movie Frances Ha (check it out here) that is the story of a young girl starting her adult life. At one point she co-habits a New York apartment with two guys (including Kylo Ren, haha), naturally she has a (messy) room on her own (check the photo here and here for a better look at the windows). As you see, it is quite simple, but has a lovely whitewashed brick wall. The film itself is only a few years old, yet it is black and white, so the colours are somewhat up to you to decide. And I decided that a spring colour palette would suit Frances. 

It also means my other source of inspiration came from a lovely sunny spring field with flowers, red poppies, bright green grass, and also cows chewing on the grass... so I imported all of it to this bedroom. 

Including the cows. 

Poppy reds and lively greens are in sharp contrast with the cowhide rug and cushion. Not a usual combination, but it works well in a hip and urban environment. Cowhide also provides texture as opposed to the smooth surfaces of the bed and the shelves. 

The square shape of the bed is taken up to the wall, these Muuto cubes can be arranged in many ways, adding a playful twist yet sensible storage space to any interior. As for storage - the slats of the bed can be lifted up, revealing ample space beneath - it comes handy in any bedroom. 

I want to talk about the fun floor lamps on the left. They are way too pricey, really, but also very tricky. They twist and turn at the joints without conflicting the wiring. Very clever. Originally designed in the 1950s, they look fantastic in industrial interiors. Find them here. 

This is the kind of room I could imagine for Frances Ha - should she ever have the money for decent furniture. 

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is here. Let's get stylish and combine dark tones with copper and grey. It's a perfect look for your sophisticated dining room.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Christmas Baking Time

I hope that even in the midst of December rush you can find an afternoon off to spend with someone you love - your children, your lover, your friends. Let's do some cooking together - it is not only useful and necessary at this time of the year, but it can be fun, too. Try out a new recepie - or you can stick to the old and loved ones, and who said Christmas cookies can not be eaten BEFORE Christmas?

Cozy Knits

Winter is coming and I am a GoT fan. So when winter comes, what could be better than wrapping yourself in a gorgeous knit blanket, with nice hot tea in your hands and running a Game of Thrones marathon? 

I collected some lovely knit designs for a lovely Sunday afternoon spent in. Even lampshades and mugs are available to complete the look, so let's get cozy then!