This living room comes from a reader who is looking to update their living room while keeping the vintage chic vibe. They’ve already chosen the paint colors and are a making a bold (and wise) move – going from pasty pink to a deep chocolate and tan. They write to us looking for some help in tying the vintage blue couch with the bold brown and some more modern updated accessories. I think we have a few fun ideas for vintage eclectic living room in a lovely blue and brown palette.
Here is the original pink living room (soon to be painted deep brown and tan). The carpeting will also be removed to reveal a dark brown hardwood floor.
The owners picked a nice bold accent wall in dark brown. I also love the hardwood floors. To play up the vintage couch, try a patterned curtain combined with some unique accessories like an organic wood table and chartreuse vases. A subtle crocodile rug adds a little more pattern without overwhelming the room and two vintage chairs complement the velvet couch.
Here, instead of heavy drapes, try a flouncy tulip shade. Add some interest with a coffee table, a modern rug and fun vintage upholstered chair. Metal wall art adds another earth element to the wood-heavy room. My favorite accessory is the modern, yet historic pendant lamp. Upgrading your fixtures in a great way to make a room feel instantly more luxurious and expensive.
This last option is an elegant modern retreat, set with dramatically tall plain white curtains and a simple bold rug. Simple neutral chairs give the vintage couch and the houndstooth stool the spotlight. Streamline the fireplace wall with a large modern painting and a fireplace screen. Finally, the floor lamp gives the room a more intimate feeling by lowering the overhead elements.
In all of these options, the key to creating a vintage eclectic look is to create a balanced mix of styles. A few pieces of vintage furniture with classic lines combined with a couple of bold or unique accessories and your room will come alive!
Most people don’t get too excited about styling a common hallway, but we at Mochi Home were thrilled to get this reader submission. Living in the city, hallways are a big part of our interior life in condo and apartment buildings. Where many people have driveways and manicured front lawns, we have lobbies and hallways to welcome us (and our guests) home. Think of it as indoor curb appeal
This reader send a photo of their hallway, soon to be upgraded by vote of the condo association. Let’s see if we can help them choose a new look. My favorite places for hallway inspiration are hotels, of course! Hotels spend significant design effort in their hallways and lobbies and are great source of ideas.
Here is the current hallway.
Dramatic contrasts make this hallway sophisticated.
The main design changes in all of these options are to (1) remove the outdated mirror and (2) remove the pattern on the floor. After that, the bones of the hallways are pretty normal and standard and can easily look great with a fresh color scheme. This first transformation is the “drama” hallways. Note the black ceilings. This is inspired by a hotel hallway image.
I like the existing chair rail and molding elements. I even don’t mind the current minty green of the doors and frames. You can easily give the hall a grown-up look by darkening the walls with a very mellow dark green-gray. Note the pattern is removed from the floor, helping to de-clutter the visuals.
Neutrals are always a safe bet and won’t look dated over time. Here is a nice black/beige/tan mix. I could see this scheme in reality tomorrow!
If you don’t like neutrals, try a color. I would keep the colors muted and stick to a monochromatic effects to keep the hall from looking clowny. Here is a friendly green palette.
A striped hotel hallway.
Lastly, you can also remove the chair rail detail and opt for a more streamlined wall. This is the total hotel hallway effect with tasteful striped walls and a punch of dark red on the floor.
Here a few more inspiring hallways for more ideas:
Continue reading about Giving an Old Hallway a New Year’s Facelift
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
As you might guess, I frequently “Mochi” my own home to help me visualize various decorating issues. I find that making a quick-and-dirty image can really help us make a decision when choosing between a couple of options. Ultimately this saves us a lot of headaches, a few arguments and some merchandise returns. Case in point: our new side tables.
We recently bought a fabulous charcoal gray Metro couch from Room and Board and were looking for the perfect side tables. We knew we wanted something small (to fit the space) and simple (we don’t like fussy). We also knew we wanted symmetry and we wanted to somehow add a pop of color.
We came up with two options.
(1) The Miner side table from CB2 + Breck table lamp in green from Crate and Barrel. Not bad, but perhaps not spectacular. The olive/sage lamp sort of pales in comparison to the saturated rusty orange pillows. Also, the table looks a tad wimpy next to the chunky couch.
(2) The Zest C table from CB2 + Breck table lamp in charcoal. I think this is the clear winner. This image made us instantly realize that bright lime green was an appealing and powerful match to the orange. Plus, the chuncky profile could stand up to the couch.
Here is the complete set, installed in our living room. I think we made the right choice, don’t you?
Do you have any design dilemmas that could benefit from a Mochi quickie?
Sometimes decorating is like losing weight–those last ten pounds (or last 10%) are always the hardest! That’s certainly the case with the living room below. When our reader sent this photo, my first reaction was, “This place looks fabulous!” Notice how well coordinated the furniture, paint color and accessories are. The theme is carried out in full, right down to the smallest detail. By most standards, this living room is in pretty great shape.
However, our reader didn’t quite see it that way. She is struggling with the color palette, and specifically the accent color. While the red provides a nice contrast to the otherwise neutral theme, the red combined with the green gives off too much of a Christmas vibe. I like the red, but I can also see our reader’s point. Let’s see if we can give her some ideas for new and even unexpected accent colors.
Existing palette of sage green, black, white and red.
The current room:
My first inclination is just to shift the red to a more orange-y color. This eliminates the “Christmas,” but keeps the contrast.
Another variation on the orange/earthy scheme is to introduce pattern. Here’s a Moroccan inspired palette with accent pillows from Etsy and Medallion curtains from West Elm. I also think the room could benefit from one larger (and more dramatic) piece of art. In this version, I placed a black and white photo of Morocco.
Our reader was interested in exploring blue accent colors. With the sage green, it’s tough to find just the right shade of blue. Here, I opted for a rather purple-ish dark blue. This includes curtains in lustre sheen/Elderberry and art deco glam pillows. The overall look is very sophisticated.
To brighten up the color palette, here is a royal blue. I wouldn’t immediately think to pair sage green with royal blue, but with the right accessories and artwork, it is possible to tie it together. In this scenario, the Japanese print ties together a range of sea greens, ocean blues and misty atmospheric neutrals. With art like this, you can make it work.
Lastly, when in doubt, keep it in the family. In this case, the green family. Sometimes you can make a pretty and unexpected palette by sticking to a particular hue. In this room, the sage green acts like a beige – in other words it becomes the neutral backdrop to the saturated green. The key, again, is in the accessories. What better accessory to a green palette than some actual live plants? Silk dupioni curtains in Greenhouse add a lush green anchor further matched by graphic pillows.
I hope this gives some new ideas for a lively color pallette with sage green. This room is so close…just that last 10% and it will surely be complete!
One of the biggest obstacles in painting a rental apartment is the landlord! Quite often, you are not allowed to paint or modify the apartment in any seemingly permanent or way. One of my friends, however, actually got permission to paint her spacious studio apartment. The one condition: the paint color must be light enough that it can be covered with one coat of white paint.
Our challenge is to find a way to add some character to this one room apartment using pastels, whites, neutrals or any accessory that is non-permanent. There is a lot you can do with light colors and the right wall hangings.
First, take a look at a panorama of the entire room. Notice the livingroom to to the right, with the dining room toward the back. I like that the living area and bed area each have their own wall. This gives nice separation to the living spaces and an opportunity to create further definition by painting different colors on the walls.
Here is a photo of just the living area. The “bedroom” wall is behind the chair and bookshelf.
Here is a warm color scheme to compliment the neutral green couch and various warm wood colors. I think of this as a muted orange sherbert and lemon sorbet. The pastels are slightly grayed/muted to avoid looking too much like a baby’s room. I topped it off with some posters from The Poster List, which happens to carry some of the coolest and most well designed posters I’ve seen in a while!
Here is a cool version using blues and grays. Sky blue is always a great option for a light color-it’s friendly and happy and works well in the lightest of shades. In all of these scenarios, the living room wall is painted a different color from the bedroom/dining wall. With such light colors, I think a multi-color palette could work really well without being overwhelming.
One alternative to posters and wall hangings is to paint a pattern onto the wall itself. Look how just two diagonal stripes add movement and drama in a room with no other wall hangings. Stripes like this are easy to make using blue painter’s tape. You can even create this “free form” without having to make the stripes level or even.
Fabric is another good way to add not only color, but also pattern. For a truly non-permanent fabric hanging, use 3M Command hooks to hang the fabric from clips or grommets. These hooks are great for rentals because they are strong AND can be removed without ruining the wall. This bold Marimekko fabric adds a lot of visual interest. With the back wall painted a complimentary neutral, the entire living area comes alive!
Continue reading about Personalizing a Rental Studio with Color
Our reader is just putting the finishing touches on her brand new home. The entire home is a blank slate and this homeowner wanted some ideas to add a little style, preserve a feeling of lightness and also compliment the beautiful dark floors. This living room with also include a baby grand piano, which can be a beautiful focal point in any decor (in addition to sounding great!)
My initial idea for this room is to paint it pale yellow. Pale yellow is a classic and rarely a disappointment. In this room, the yellow both preserves lightness and adds a cheery warmth. It also brings out the red tones of the floor. I’ve added some modern furnishing, which are clean and un-fussy in a room that will be dominated by a piano. The modern classic furniture includes: Design Within Reach Theater Sofa, Noguchi coffee table, and Tripod lamp. To complete the modern feel-geometric textlies from the Shade Store and a Rothko print in a bold primary pallette. I quite enjoy this yellow!
For a completely different feeling, check out the pale blue. The room retains the same lightness, but feels much more cool, calm and collected. This is great color to relax the energy and encourage a more quiet mood. Matching blue silk curtains keep the look streamlined and a Picasso print keeps it modern.
Looking for something more dramtic and classic? Instead of wallpaper, try a subtle beige-on-beige stripe. Vertical stripes are a true home decor classic, but in the wide beige they don’t feel prissy. I added a little drama with two sweeping silk curtians hung to puddle and draw attention to the wood floor. With the grand piano, the curtains and stripes are very operatic and remind me of the theater. How divine!
Lastly, a little casual modern in a friendly light green (with a hint of yellow). Choosing the right shade of green can be tricky. Too much yellow looks sickly, too much blue looks like a hospital waiting room. I recommend using multiple shades of yellow to minimize the problems. Here, painted a desaturated yellow-green on the walls and paired with with an unexpected ceiling in a dark gray-green. The bright green leaves of the plant round out a green trio. Some bright white orbs and brown window panels complete the modern earthy look.
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.
Last month I attended the Apartment Therapy Offline Design Meetup. The theme of the meetup was group design therapy and together we helped fellow New Yorkers find a cure to their apartment woes. You can read all about one apartment here. It was so much fun to brainstorm as a group and I got lots of ideas for my own apartment. Mostly, I was impressed by how friendly and open-minded these design enthusiasts and Apartment Therapy readers are.
One reader asked me for some help visualizing her ideas and the ideas from the design meetup. She and her husband are renovating their apartment to accommodate both a home office for two people and a new baby! Below, are some visualizations, which hopefully help them narrow down their options.
Here is their existing apartment:
The first thing you’ll notice below is the floor-to-ceiling built-in home office where the exposed brick used to be. Their plan was to turn that corner into the office. I tried this built-in as a suggestion, which included shelves and some nice lighting. With this in place, I added some earthy accents which include walls in olive green and celery. Next, I threw down a complimentary rug from Flor in the Fret Knot pattern. Flor rugs are really practical (especially for kids!) as you can clean or replace individual tiles and the rubber backing makes them slip resistant.
As for furniture, there are some pieces with clean lines, but a welcoming spirit including the Quinn chair and Reese couch from Room and Board. I always love to finish off a room with some hand made accessories from Etsy. This chunky and colorful bowl from finishes off the look.
Keeping the same base, here is blue version of the living room. I darkened the cabinets of the home office, added a blue wall and brought in some darker woods to compliment. To keep the room from getting too dark, however, notice the light cream Delta chair with the white checkerboard Flor rug. I love how this rug makes the room look so fresh! Lastly, this interesting Petal bowl brings the blues into the dining area.
I love this bold palette of orange-yellow, black and white. The orange wall really pops and give some fun personality to the room. The wall is particularly striking with the geometric Flor rug. In this scheme it’s best to keep furniture and other accessories to a minimum or the small space will be overwhelming. A simple black chair, white cabinets and a grey kitchen keep the focus on the rug and wall. And of course, I couldn’t resist these adorable bowls.
Lastly, a soothing combination of warm gray and jewel-tone teal. Here, the color is actually on the cabinet doors and the main wall recedes as a backdrop. Instead of a huge rug, there is a plush brown ottoman, which can serve as a footrest, a table, extra seating or even a play object for kids. Ottomans are great multi-taskers and a good option for flexible multi-use spaces. I did add a small mat at the front door for wiping your feet and finished the room with a lovely original watercolor.
This apartment has great potential as functional space packed with uses and stylish space for a young family to call home. We wish them best of luck with their renovations and new additions!
Continue reading about A Splash of Color and a New Home Office
This weekend we fled the big city for the fresh air and lovely views of the Hudson Valley. We aren’t lucky enough to own a country house (or have friends who do), so we opted for the next best thing: a bed and breakfast. What luck we had! We found the most charming and down to earth spot in New Paltz, complete with a heated pool, hot tub and koi pond. Our innkeepers at Fox Hill bed and breakfast, Jerry and Jerri, were just lovely and made our brief stay relaxing and memorable.
I found myself completely charmed by their simple home, tastefully adorned with classic antiques like old Singer sewing machine tables and stately wooden bureaus. I don’t usually go for turn of the century antiques, country accents or floral prints, but something about Fox Hill just felt so perfect. Here are a few of my favorite vignettes.
The house was covered in wallpaper in a mix of classic prints. I can imagine doing a small bathroom with a dainty floral or mini pattern. Even a small closet with wallpaper would make for a sweet and unexpected surprise.
Even the ceiling had a pattern!
The details of the decor were so refreshing and made me want to come home and add some girly details to my own house. How sweet is the bow on the lamp?
Well, if you are looking for a weekend getaway in the New York City area, I highly recommend Fox Hill. Definitely hit the hot tub at night and say hi to Jerry and Jerri! For those of us who can’t get away, we can be inspired by a few pretty details that make this bed and breakfast so welcoming.
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