Sleek Contemporary Kitchen by Danenberg Design

The Palo Alto interior designers at Danenberg Design have a talent for creating wonderfully unique kitchens, bathrooms, and more! Specializing in remodels, a passionate team of designers work closely with clients to make their visions into a reality. Founded by Dan and Lanny Danenberg, their design inspirations are fueled by their travels across the world. The team strives to design from a different perspective, using their talent, skills, and knowledge to ensure their clients will be more than satisfied with the end result.

Danenebergs’ love for melding unique materials and design elements is what gives their projects inventive and a one-of-a-kind feel. Their latest project, a contemporary kitchen design in Marin Country, is a modern masterpiece. The kitchen features open beam ceilings, stainless steel counter tops, wenge wood cabinets, frosted glass cabinet doors and a gorgeous custom glass counter top. Take a look at their amazing work below:

A prominent open beam ceiling and recessed lighting illuminate the glass elements and showcase the stainless steel counter tops.

The modern combination of stainless steel and frosted glass make this counter top striking and unique.

Large windows let in ample natural light, making the kitchen a warm and inviting space.

Another look, a raised frosted glass counter top is joined to a stainless steel counter while large cabinet doors are sleek and modern with a minimal design.

Beautiful black wenge wood cabinets blend well with sleek stainless steel counter tops, evoking a futuristic look.

Take a look at Danenberg Design’s portfolio for more inventive kitchen projects!

A Timeless Transitional Masterpiece by Marla Schrank Interiors

Creating timeless, artful designs comes naturally for San Francisco interior designer Marla Schrank. The key to Marla’s success is her strong emphasis on collaborating closely with her clients.  She creates highly functional spaces that reflect her clients’ individual tastes and lifestyle. Marla Schrank Interiors is home to designers that a fluent in a wide range of styles, from classic to contemporary. A native of Boston, Marla studied art, psychology, and communications at the University of New Hampshire and received an Interior Architecture degree at UC Berkeley. She has over 10 years of experience working at prominent design firms in the Bay Area.

One of Marla’s stand-out projects is the grand Presidio Heights Edwardian home. Built in the 1930′s, her client wanted to do an extensive remodel to reflect a contemporary style, while still preserving the integrity of original traditional details. The home has tremendous personality, while maintaining a level of poise and sophistication. A serene environment was created through combining the elements of light, space, and comfort. Marla has created a transitional masterpiece by combining the best of contemporary and traditional styles.

This transitional sitting area has a modern minimal design, opening up to a stylish outdoor sitting area in the center of the home.

This unqiue outdoor patio has a pleasant sitting area, with a stylish wood-paneled staircase leading to an upper deck.

This strikingly contemporary kitchen features a sleek geometric design, with functional wooden stools, and a gorgeous modern crystal light fixture.

This gorgeous living room has warm neutral tones, with dazzling golden lamp accents and fresh flowers. An intriguing painting adds an artistic element the space. Nevertheless, the room is comfortable yet sophisticated.

This stairwell evokes the senses, with an Art-Deco inspired theme. Playful leopard print carpet pairs well with an over sized red-bordered mirror.

Preserving traditional elements of the home, this reading room is a gracious nod to the past. Featuring classic rich wood-paneled walls, and a cozy fireplace. Traditional wall decor and salmon toned furniture adds subtle flair to the room.

This girl’s bedroom is fit for a princess. Featuring lovely pink walls and accents, with plush rugs. Open space allows room for children to play safely.

What is Texture in Interior Design?

Home decor involves a number of different elements including color, balance and of course, texture. With so many different elements, it can be difficult even picking out home accessories and decor for fear of making a mistake. Fortunately, it’s easy to incorporate texture into your space, especially with home accessories. Here is the low down on what texture is and how it is used in interior design.

What is Texture?

What is Texture in Interior Design

The key thing to remember is that texture applies not only to how an item feels in your hands, but also how an item looks. If you take silk and hold it against linen, you can clearly see that both of these fabrics have different textures. These textures will affect the look of the furniture you apply them to, so it’s important to take note of these minor differences, no matter how insignificant they may seem. After all, the linen texture may be more visually appealing, but it may cause the upholstered furniture to look overwhelming visually, especially when the linen features certain vivid colors.

Texture allows you to add visual depth to a space. While it’s great to find all of the right items for any given space in your home, you may find yourself feeling as though things look a bit ‘bland.’ This may be because you have not quite incorporated enough texture into the space. If you’ve got smooth lacquered furniture paired with glass vases for table decor, you can see the items, but they don’t draw your eye in as much as a lacquered table with hammered metal bowls for table decor might.

How Do I Incorporate Texture Into My Space?

Incorporating texture into your home decor is easy, not because it already exists, but because once you realize you need to pay attention to it and that it’s actually already there in your space, it becomes easier to mix in. For example, let’s look at the living room.

In a living room space, you have a number of different furniture pieces: the sofa, perhaps some chairs, a coffee table, side tables and a media center. There may also be book shelves or other furniture used for storage. Each of these items have a different type of texture: the furniture is likely upholstered, your side tables or coffee tables are likely made from wood, but they could also be made from plastic or glass. Wood and upholstery are two different textures that add visual interest to the space.

Moving on to the other portions of the room, you’ll find that everything features texture: your table decor, your wall art and all of the other little home accessories that you use in your space. Once you realize what texture is and that it isn’t just about how an item feels, but how an item looks visually, you’ll find that it’s easy to incorporate into your space.

As a final tip, remember that with visual texture, items that are not clear with plenty of texture, such as a hammered metal bowl, have more visual weight than a bowl of equal size and shape made from glass or plastic. This is because the hammered metal features a different and more visual texture than the glass or plastic, which gives it more visual weight. Heavier textures tend to have more visual weight, so keep this in mind as you decorate. Too many heavy textures can make a space feel cluttered.

Texture is just one of the basic elements of interior design. Other elements include balance, harmony, rhythm, portion and scale, and all of these elements need to be combined together to create the right look for any given style of home decor.

A Mix of Opposites to Create Interior Greatness

Mixing and matching is always a risk. It can be a very intriguing risk as it can often add exciting elements to a room.  Mixing different elements together creates a very engaging and distinctive style to a room.  For example, try combining contemporary furniture in a traditional-styled room.  Combining the new with the old can create zest in your room by doing so.  Another way to “mix” is by adding bright furniture into a dark room or vice versa. The concept is to use contrasting styles, colors, and more.  Also, you could even mix based on texture, combining smooth with rough textures. For example, you might use carpet, which is a rough object, against granite, an opposing smooth object.  The rough texture colliding with the smooth texture will complement each other fittingly.  Opposites do attract each other in interior design when done correctly. There are endless ways to creatively decorate a room by mixing opposites and provide your interior with a unique ambiance and feel.

In this dining room, the traditional patterned wallpaper is mixed with an indulging modern bright aqua color and mid-century modern dining set.

This bedroom mixes together dark colored walls with a bright centered bed.

A beautiful transitional style sofa complements a gorgeous modern coffee table.

The black color furniture significantly distinguishes itself from the white walls.

This dining room has a mixture of a rustic rough red brick wall going against a soft textured white glossy table.

Jackson Hole Contemporary Log Cabin

Jackson Hole interior designer Jennifer Visosky founded Grace Home Design, Inc. with the simple mission to infuse Western interiors with contemporary design philosophies. Taking inspiration from the art world, high end fashion, and the global green movement, emphasis is put on replacing the heavy nature of the traditional mountain home with more breathable and organic design. Jennifer has been assisting both homeowners and business owners to express their individuality and realize their vision since her company was opened in 2004.

A recent renovation completed by Grace Home Design Inc., is a perfect example of how Jennifer is updating the interior design of mountain homes and turning them into contemporary masterpieces. Lets explore the completed redesign of a log cabin into a mountain contemporary log cabin paradise.

Jackson Hole Contemporary Log Cabin

 The living room design of this log cabin is now contemporary chic, boasting ample seating for entertainment, furry mountainous home accessories, and decor you would necessarily expect to see in a room with exposed logs – yet, it works perfectly.

 The dining area of the cabin features a modern white table, with luxurious and comfortable looking fur lined chairs, topped off with a large unique pendant light to warmly illuminate the space at night.

 The master bedroom design is quite vibrant and serene. The crisp white walls offset by bold wall decoration, minimal furniture, and large bed offer a very clean yet still mountainous feel.

 Also present in the master bedroom is a little seating area complete with 2 benches and dressed up with wall art that reminds you that you’re in the mountains.

 The bathroom design of this cabin is enough to make you forget where you actually are. A large vanity complete with mirrors ideal for an upscale dressing room, large open shower, and bold red tile accent wall compliment the space nicely by adding a pop of color.

Playful Colors in a Modern San Diego Loft By Mia Rao Design

Mia Rao Design was founded in 2001 as a Chicago-based, full-service interior design firm dedicated to transforming residential and commercial interiors. Interior designer, Mia Rao creates livable modern and classic interior designs by drawing from the personal history and lifestyle of her clients. The objective for every design project by Mia Rao Design is to achieve well-balanced interiors that are both functional and unique.

It is easy to see that this is exactly what was done in the project bellow. Take in this stunning collection of photographs of this San Diego Loft that is an excellent representation of her firm and her fabulous work!

The vivid colors of the rug and couch create an upscale atmosphere in this loft living room.

The rich, dark colors of the bar stools contrast nicely against the kitchen island.

The glass doors with embedded bear-grass opens up to reveal the bedroom.

The graphic artwork complements the patterns of the Maharam textiles on the bed.

The wall light art, arching blue ceiling, and graphic art in this loft entryway all come together to evoke an artistic and modern ambiance.

The colorful sleeper sofa adds a touch of softness to this modern home office.

The cobalt colored wall brings out the details in the paintings and color of the lacquered cabinets.

Let us know which of these designs or home accessories was your favorite in the comments section. To see more of Mia Rao Design’s gorgeous work, visit their portfolio here.

Stunningly Sleek and Modern New Jersey Home by Vanessa DeLeon Associates

Twelve years ago, Vanessa DeLeon founded Vanessa DeLeon Associates, a design service for high-end residential and commercial interiors. Based out of New Jersey and New York City, Vanessa DeLeon Associates has a strong commitment to serving their clients with high quality work from design concept to completion.

Vanessa DeLeon Associates has been featured in countless notable publications, such as The Nest Magazine, New York Spaces, DesignNJ, Luxury Home Quarterly, SOMA, and many others. Interior designer Vanessa DeLeon has also been on hit shows like “Restaurant Impossible”, “Design Star”, and the host of “Your Place is a Deal Breaker”.

Take a look at this gorgeous sleek and modern Edgewater, New Jersey home. The mix of color with grays and neutrals along with creative use of patterns makes this home one to remember. Enjoy!

Stunningly Sleek and Modern New Jersey Home by Vanessa DeLeon Associates

The vibrant blue of the living room wall makes the wall decor more prominent and adds a touch of color to the neutral colors of the room’s furnishings.

No modern home is complete without a sleek chrome and wood-finished kitchen, with a kitchen island that also serves as a small bar counter.

The whimsical pendant lights and cream chairs evoke a sense of elegance to this marvelous hardwood dining room.

The simplicity of the patio furnishing contrast nicely against the taupe and gray brick of this backyard oasis.

The patterned ceiling and detailed floor rug creates the illusion of a more elongated closet space.

The texture of the rug and patterned tile wall helps to add depth to this neutral and modern master bedroom.

Vanessa DeLeon Associates exceeded their client’s expectations, and it was no wonder they were ecstatic with the outcome of their home. Let us know which of these designs were you favorite in the comments section below. To see more of Vanessa DeLeon Associates’ exquisite interior designs, have a look at their portfolio here.

Defining Different Color Front Doors

Your front door’s color could say a lot more about you then you might think. There are many different groups of people that believe that your front door’s color could not only describe your personality but also your home’s atmosphere. Debbie Zimmer, a color expert, states “Like a necktie, which is the focal point of an outfit, the front door is the focal point of the home. The color there sends a strong message – in the case of the front door, providing insight into how we view our home. Color has a psychological component through which we often communicate our moods, feelings, emotions, and personality.”  So, whether you choose to believe it not, lets take a look at different front door color definitions.

A black colored black door signifies power, sophistication, and authority.

Red means that the house is full of passion and energy. Red also means welcome to incoming guests. In colonial America, travelers specifically searched for red doors, since it was used as a welcome sign.

A blue front door will usually indicate that the home is calm and relaxing.

Green indicates that your home is peaceful, harmonized, and safe.

Brown usually indicates structure and stability. But if it’s incredibly dark brown, it means that the home owner wants privacy from you. 

Lemon Yellow Home Decor

Retro inspired looks, including retro colors, are coming back into play in home decor this year. Don’t be surprised to see lemon yellow home accessories and decor items popping up just about everywhere. Fortunately, lemon yellow is one of those hues that is easy to incorporate into just about any space. Here are a few tips and tricks on lemony yellow home accessories and how to incorporate them into your space.

Tips and Tricks for Yellow Home Decor

One of the easiest ways to make lemon yellow truly stand out in a room is to pair it with a neutral color. Gray is all the rage currently in home decor and it pairs perfectly with a crisp lemon yellow. Of course, gray isn’t for everyone. Other neutrals to consider include cream, white or black.

Lemon yellow is a bolder choice when it comes to the color yellow in general. For this reason, you can’t necessarily use it as a neutral in the same way that you might use a light buttery yellow. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t use it in a beautiful or unique way in your home. Try to think outside the box. For example, lemon yellow cabinetry in your kitchen or a bold lemon yellow lacquered table (or other piece of furniture) in your dining room. A little yellow can go a long way!

Lemon Yellow Home Decor

Blend your yellow tones with a complimentary wood tone, which can help tone down the look and allow you to use more yellow in a particular space. For example, lemon yellow can go well with a medium oak wood or even a light bamboo color.

Finally, consider decorating your home a bit more neutral and then using lemon yellow as your accent color for your home accessories and decor. This is a great way to create various focal points throughout your home. For example, you could line your fireplace mantel with lemon yellow vases in a variety of shapes and sizes. This adds visual interest and adds the lemon yellow hue but prevents it from being too visually overwhelming. This is especially true if the space is neutral, such as cream colored walls and a beautiful white marble fireplace surround.

Lemon yellow is a bold color and therefore it’s certainly not for everyone. Don’t be afraid to use lemon yellow in your home decor, but be prepared for some less-than-colorful comments from some of your guests. Just remember, this is your home, not theirs! Lemon yellow is a great choice and it can be a great way to bring a touch of sunshine into your space.  

Inspired and want to make your home more lively? Check out some of the wall art selections to freshen up your interior!