The Thanksgiving holiday is all about appreciating what we have AND enjoying a day of guiltless gluttony. To celebrate, Mochi Home brings you the guiltless pleasure of zero-VOC food paint, which is good for your body, good for the earth and even smells like a vanilla milkshake! Food paint is made by Anna Sova Organics, producers of luxury organic cotton for bed and bath. Anna Sova markets the paint as food paint because it is made with up to 94% food ingredients. I adore the idea that your home can be lovingly bathed in rich colors that are literally good enough to eat. Let’s dig in!
I’m using the Anna Sova food paint palette as inspiration for this modern apartment. The bedroom below is literally a blank slate with brand new furniture. Our reader writes “the only problem is that I have NO IDEA what color to paint the bedroom.” No idea? No problem! Let’s see what we we can cook up with some food paint.
I first dipped into the Ancient Europa collection with rich jewel tones and solid neutrals. Here is a sophisticated and modern take on saturated blue using Isle of Sky and Winter Solstice. Accessories include a black and white print of the Guggenheim museum, whose lines are echoed in the Road Dog Builtby Lamp at 2modern.
Next, an earthy and bold exotic retreat from the Ancient Asia color collection. The palette is completed by the golds and reds in the Buddha print and complemented by the sculptural Cupstack lamp.
For a bold classic room, I used the warm reds and beiges from the Odd Sorbets collection. A small hit of Radish red keeps the Masago tan color looking fresh and not too muddy. The duo is perfectly matched with a this modern twist on a classic reclining nude and the Paolo Tube Top color lamp.
Lastly, a calm beach getaway pulled from the Ancient Americas palette. To keep the beach theme from turning tropical or kitschy, stick to a muted palette like this Sage Smoke and Paracus Sand Sculpture combination. Also, avoid palm trees, shells and sailboats. A very mature beach landscape (complete with suited men!) says “beach” without saying “Tiki lounge.” The scene is finished with a few oars hung on the wall and a Japanese Float table lamp.
I hope we’ve provided some delicious post-Thanksgiving inspiration with Anna Sova food paint. This room can really go in any direction and you can also sleep better at night knowing that zero-VOC paint won’t harm you or your pooch. Yum!
Continue reading about Thanksgiving Special: Anna Sova Food Paint
Back in August, we asked our readers to vote on a wall decal for above our bed. Finally, last night, we installed our new piece of wall art! I admit that we didn’t choose the #1-voted design, but I think you’ll like what we did. Drum roll please…
It’s the African tree wall decal from Surface Flik on Etsy. We just adore the added drama above the bed and like to think that we are now sleeping beneath the trees.
Here’s a little step-by-step breakdown of how we installed the wall decal. Surface Flik provided us with some clear directions and installation went pretty will. The extra large surface area of this particular decal gave a us few problems with creasing and bubbles. For smaller decals, I suspect it’s not much of an issue.
Remember our reader who needed some ideas for a teenage boy’s bedroom? Well, check out the spectacular final outcome of their bedroom makeover!
They came up with some great solutions including a tasteful (but not boring) blue, navy and green color scheme, carried out to perfection in both the bedding and the small rug. I also love how the new curtains soften up the windows without overpowering them. My favorite additions are the album cover wall art and the fun poster of Hendrix.
The final blue paint color: Olympic C-54-3 Feelin’ Blue
I think this room is a huge success!
Thanks to our reader for sharing photos of the completed room.
We have received over 200 votes so far and the results are in! The top three wall decal choices from our group design poll are:
(1) Birds
(2) Plum Blossom Branch
(3) Tree
My personal favorites are the tree and the gerbera flowers. Birds were such a big hit, I’ll have to do some thinking about my final choice. I’ll be sure to post the end result.
Thanks so much to everyone who voted! And if you haven’t voted, please do, as I’m still tracking the results. It’s so much fun to see what other people like. Afterall, home decor is just as often for the pleasure of friends, family and guests as it is for ourselves.
We’ve got the perfect (well, perfectly blank!) wall in need of some design love. Though it’s hard to tell, I’ve already painted this wall a most perfect subtle shade of green-gray, Gray Owl from Benjamin Moore. To finish the room, we think a simple design on the wall will add a nice touch, without being fussy.
So, which wall decal do you think we should choose? Scroll through photos and then vote on your favorite!
1) Bamboo found on Etsy from Single Stone Studios.
2) Birds from Orque Shaw’s Wall Decor on Etsy.
3) Plum Blossom branch from Surface Flik on Etsy.
4) Damask from Expressing You on Etsy.
5) Eames squares from Blik.
6) Flourish of flowers from Orque Shaw’s Wall Decor on Etsy.
7) Gerbera from Blik.
8) African tree from Surface Flik on Etsy.
9) Quote from Studiojk on Etsy.
I actually like all of them for different reasons, but I won’t tell you which one (as not to sway the vote!) So, which do you like?
Continue reading about Group Design: Help Choose a Wall Decal!
I’m excited about this fun assignment for Mochi Home. A reader asks us to visualize some new colors for their teenage son’s bedroom. Teen rooms can be such fun and are a great opportunity to showcase a kid’s hobbies, talents and unique personality. Currently, the room is a cheery yellow with navy blue curtains. Check out the great bedding in a fun retro pattern and also that rockin’ drum set in the corner.
Before adding color and other accessories, I made a few general updates. In order to open up the room, I removed the curtains to reveal shuttered windows and the interesting angles of the room. This gives us much more wall space to play with. I also removed the top wallpaper border, which seems a little too fussy for a teen room.
In each of the visuals, I pulled colors directly from that fun bedspread. It makes a great palette for instantly coordinated walls and accessories. Here is a two-tone blue room. The dark lower-half accents the wall structure and also has a retro feel. A little rock-n-roll wall decal from Blik adds a bit of flair.
With such interesting angles, this room lends itself well to an accent wall. With the rusty red from the bed spread, the wall behind the drums really pops. Even though the windows already have wooden shutters, perhaps the original blue curtains were used to block out light for a teenage boy who likes to sleep late. Instead of bulky curtains, I suggest a low profile blackout shade, like the Flocke series from The Shade Store. Blackout shades actually come in a variety of colors, so no need to sacrifice style for function. Finally, why not have some fun on the walls? Classic rock album covers are just one way to let a teen’s personality shine.
One of my secret home decor indulgences is Pottery Barn Teen–even for adults! It sounds crazy, but PB Teen has some very fun pieces and their accessories and textiles always inspire me to add a little energy and color to any room. Of course, PB Teen is really great when you are actually designing a teen’s room! I found some wall murals that would make great accent walls. Check out the two images below for the London mural and the Play My Music mural. These are great because you can have your teen pick out their own wall art.
Lastly, here’s an option where the original yellow becomes the accent wall. Offset by deep navy, the yellow suddenly looks fresh and fun. And of course, I couldn’t resist the little 8-bit critters from Blik. Wall decals, posters, and framed images are great way for kids to express themselves and can also be a fun project to work on together.
I was lucky enough to catch my friend in transition between apartments – which means clear photos of big empty rooms! This is a Mochi Home dream, of course, as it’s really easy to quickly play with some different looks.
I used some window coverings from The Shade Store as inspiration. You can see how the right window treatment can really set the style of a room, even without any furniture. Here it goes:
An empty bedroom.
Classy green silk inverted pleat drapes. I kept it monochrome with a complementary shade of celery on the walls. I also darkened the floor to an eco-friendly deep brown bamboo.
This is a really sexy panel system in a Chilewich fabric. I dream about dividing a loft space with panels like this. Here, it works for a subdued bachelor pad bedroom.
Lastly, a more feminine tulip shade in pink silk. This is also practical, as it doesn’t block the AC/heater (although it doesn’t hide it either). I couldn’t resist an accent wall, which would look lovely behind a bed.
Hopefully, this will remind you not to neglect your windows!
One of our readers recently wrote us with this question:
I’m wondering if you might weigh in on a debate I’m having with someone about whether to paint these funny closet doors in a bedroom…The color thought is a darkish brown.
Absolutely, we can weigh in! This is a perfect job for a Mochi Home visualization. Our reader had originally been looking at a Fuller O’Brien paint chip book. Unfortunately, paint chips for this brand are not easily accessible online. We picked some Benjamin Moore colors, but they could be easily translated to other brands.
Here’s the current room and the closet doors in question.
First, we painted just the closet doors a dark brown, as requested. This is Van Buren Brown from the Historical Colors collection. This already adds a little interest and definition to the room, but it doesn’t totally hang together yet.
With a little more effort, we think the brown doors could be a really nice feature. We added a classic chair rail, with the lower half in a neutral brown/gray called Smoked Oyster and the top in Pampas grass. This nice palette of warm neutrals works well with the hints of red already in the room. To really tie it all together, we found a modern rug from West Elm, which includes all of the colors.
Along the same lines, here are the closet doors in a lighter shade, Rockies Brown. We paired it with a wall in Sea Froth. Finally we removed all traces of red and replaced them with dark browns and neutral blues. A fun rug from 2modern does a nice job of tying it all together.
What if you are into the red? Try something a little unexpected and paint it on the doors. We matched the red of the duvet cover. We recommend bringing some paint chips home to match your accessories or you can bring any item into the paint store and they will match it for you. These red doors are fun and little shocking, but…
We painted the wall that rich Van Buren brown and turned that plain wall in to the clear focal point. We love how the rich colors are outlined by the bright white trim, making them even bolder and crisper.
Lastly, I thought we could leave the doors white and just paint the wall instead. This shade of Gravel Gray is modern and sophisticated and goes great with the red accessories. The bright white closet doors suddenly look crisp and fresh on the dark back drop. I couldn’t resist adding this quill rug from CB2, a pillow, and some white vases on the dresser to add some height in the corner. To finish off the look, the curtains have been replaced by wooden shades, which I snagged from Hunter Douglas.
Hopefully we’ve given our reader a visualization of their ideas and some new ideas they hadn’t thought of. Don’t be afraid to paint doors, walls, or even both! This plain wall can become an exciting focal point or an elegant backdrop. Good luck!
We are always suckers for “safari” style, especially in a bedroom. Here, we make a classy bedroom retreat with some earthy touches that play off the strong, teak headboard.
This bedroom has nice clean lines, but it’s a bit boring.
Just a simple swath of khaki already sets the mood.
Add interest with a dark half wall at the same height as the headboard. This is an elegant, minimal alternative to a solid color.
But why stop there? Take it step further with a mosquito net and dramatic vase. We’re pretty certain that any bedroom can benefit from a mosquito net.
The other staple of the safari repertoire is, of course, animal print. Add some dramatic emphasis to the headboard with a wide strip of purple giraffe print. Giraffe print is pretty forgiving and you can easily “eyeball” the pattern or use a stencil. Paint the light purple, draw the “spots” with chalk and fill in with the dark purple. Too much work? Just try 2 strips of wallpaper or nail up some fabric.
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