Puerto Rico: City of Color

30 Friday May 2014

Tags

Architecture, blue, color, green, Old San Juan, orange, pink, Puerto Rico, yellow

Well… I finally got around to downloading the pictures from our Puerto Rican vacation. It’s kind of nice when you wait a few days because it gives you some time to reminisce on the great time you had and the fabulous sites you saw. In this case, I was reminded of all of the beautiful and vibrant colors that infuse the city of Old San Juan… and today, I’m sharing those with you! Enjoy!

Puerto Rico City of Color via HOMErandRuth.com

Gorgeous, right?!? Happy Weekend!

Ciao for Now,

♥♥ Vicky

Earthy Agate

22 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by HOMErandRuth in Decor

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blue, bookendsnatural, bottle stopper, coasters, color, Earth Day, earthy, green, iPhone cover, lamp, necklace, pink, purple, stone, table lamp

Happy Earth Day everyone!

On this earthy day, I’m inspired by the natural beauty of agate stone. The array of colors and intricate patterns make this stone nothing short of stunning.

Here are 6 ways to add some earthy agate style to your life.

Now that’s what you call natural beauty!

Ciao for Now,

♥♥ Vicky

Ask H&R: Double Duty Office Chair

11 Friday Apr 2014

Posted by HOMErandRuth in Ask H&R, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

animal, Ballard Designs, blue, chair, contemporary, geometric, gilt group, grey, home office, ikat, mid-century, mid-century modern, Overstock, pattern, purple, red, Safavieh, solid, transitional, west elm, yellow

TGIF, right?!? Today’s post is once again in response to a question from one of my readers (who also happens to be a great friend ♥). She just moved into a new place and is looking for a chair for her home office. She’s ready for something fun with a pop of color or a pattern (or both), and something that can be moved into the living home for extra seating for guests. Both her office and living room have patterned rugs (one has an ikat pattern and the other is geometric), so I wanted to be sure not to pick anything that would compete too much with those patterns… oh, and the rooms have lots of grey in them.

With all that in mind, I started the search. I was definitely steering clear of the traditional, boring office chair with wheels, but I was still able to find lots of options. Here are some that are particularly fun and fabulous.

Transitional

Shop: Ikat | Yellow

Contemporary

Shop: All fabrications – Ballard Designs

Mid-Century

Shop: Blue – Gilt Group | Grey – West Elm | Red – Overstock | Purple – Safavieh/Overstock

Do you have a favorite? Fingers crossed that she’ll like one of them.

Ciao for Now,

♥♥ Vicky

6 Colorful and Versatile Stools

02 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by HOMErandRuth in Decor, Furniture

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accessories, bedside table, blue, colorful, end table, green, nightstand, orange, purple, rainbow, red, seating, side table, stool, yellow

Design tip of the day… don’t underestimate the stool. Seating, side table, nightstand, decorative accessory; the versatility of the stool is vast. Beyond its functionality, its design and color make it a home styling necessity.

Here a 6 options that pack a punch when it comes to style.

Do you have a favorite?

The Patriotic Patio

04 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by HOMErandRuth in Room Design

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

4th of July, blue, chair, contemporary, eclectic, furniture, Independence Day, July 4th, light fixture, mid-century modern, modern, nautical, outdoor, patio, pendant, pillow, planter, red, rug, rustic, vase, white, wood

Ahhh, July 4th… BBQ, fireworks, fun in the sun, and most importantly, a day off of work :). In honor of Independence Day, I thought I’d focus on an outdoor space and keep things festive with a red, white and blue color scheme. I’m not one to embrace the ‘Yankee Doodle’ literal interpretation, so here’s my take on the patriotic patio.

Whether designing an indoor or outdoor space, I love to mix different styles to create a space that feels unique and inviting. Here’s how I brought the space together:

First I brought in rustic and nautical elements. The rustic items play off of the existing horizontal wooden panels and preserve the natural feel of the outdoor space. The nautical pieces hint toward the waters that lie beyond the infinity pool.

Next I brought in modern and contemporary touches both of which add pops of color. The modern elements follow the architectural details of the home, while the contemporary elements tie everything together creating a cohesive and functional space.

1. Bench – Wayfair.com| 2. Lounge Chair – similar lexmod.com| 3. Dining Chair, 4. Vase, 5. Pillow, 6. Umbrella, 7. Stool – all Wayfair.com

So, that’s my take on the patriotic patio. Cheers to mixing design styles to create a one-of-a-kind space, and showing patriotism all summer long.

Happy 4th of July!

Before & After: Living Room

29 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by HOMErandRuth in Before & After, Room Design

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

blue, chair, coffee table, contemporary, curtains, elegant, family room, furniture, glam, lamp, light fixture, Living Room, modern, ottoman, pillow, rug, silver, sofa, vase, wood

This past weekend was quite productive, most notably I finished re-designing our living room which has been a work in progress. We were having our first BBQ of the season, so it was good motivation to finish my first project.

BEFORE: Bland room with white walls and vertical blinds… yikes!

You may recall from my Modern Elegance post, I had a general style and color palette in mind (and I knew I wanted a sunburst mirror :)). My goal was to transform the room playing off of the original charm but adding vibrance, elegance and a little rustic, ethnic charm…

AFTER:

So… how did I do? I’m sure I’ll keep making minor changes over time, but I’m pretty happy with the outcome. Now… on to the next room!

Help! My chairs need a makeover!

25 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by HOMErandRuth in Decor, Furniture

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

black and white, blue, chair, Dining Room, fabric, upholstery

When my husband and I moved back to California, we had to furnish our place from top to bottom which meant that we were on a serious budget. We ended up going to a “big-box” furniture store for a lot of the big pieces… one of which was our dining room set. While the set has good bones, the upholstery on the chairs have driven me crazy since the day we bought them. Let’s just say boring, monotone, brown chenille is not my style.

So… I’m embarking on my first DIY re-upholstery project.

Before I get started, I have to choose my fabric. A couple things to consider:

Dining room chairs have a tendency to get food stains so I’ll need a darker color and/or busy pattern to hide the dirt
The color palette in our dining room is navy blue and peach… the rug is a navy blue and white Alhambra pattern; the walls, which or landlord has begged us not to re-paint, are peach…

With that in mind, here are options I found at fabric.com

This ethnic print from Magnolia Home is very on-trend. I think the blue-gray base will complement the navy rug and the cream and tan will work well with the deep wood tones

I mean, can you ever go wrong with black and white and chevron? This option from Premier Prints would definitely add some flair, and the pattern plays off of the geometry on the chair-backs

I’m considering this Robert Allen option because (1) the gray is a neutral yet contemporary option, and (2) the pattern will add a bit of sophistication to the room which is never a bad thing

This whimsical medallion pattern has both a fun and a formal sensibility. While the base color of this option from Premier Prints is a lighter than I would typically choose for a dining chair, the busy-ness of the pattern will help mask spills

This option from Duralee may be considered the “safe bet”. The tan color keeps things neutral, but the ribbon pattern adds interest

Last but not least, this over-dyed fabric is to die for! Okay, I’m being dramatic, but I do love this print from Duralee. Once again, I’m gravitating toward the ethic print, and this one is much darker that the other options… is it too dark?

So… which one should I pick?

Help me decide and I’ll be sure to share the “after” pics!

Modern Elegance

24 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by HOMErandRuth in Room Design

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

blue, chair, chartreuse, fireplace, rug, silver, sofa

My husband and I recently moved into a cute little house we’re renting in Los Angeles. It has lots of charm which I love, but more importantly, it has lots of projects. 😉 I’ve decided to start in the living room, and although it’s not done yet, I thought I’d share a little bit about the journey…

First things first, the color palette:

What I love about the palette is that it’s unexpected and whimsical. The room is a bit dark, so I wanted to make sure to infuse vibrant colors (like the blue and chartreuse), and then ground these with some deep wood tones (including the hard wood floors). A dark room can always benefit from reflective surfaces, so I plan to use silver accents to do just that.

The first place I brought in the blue was the walls which we painted in BEHR Ultra in Millstream. See what I mean about the charm… love!

Next I brought in a fabulous rug…

To balance out the feminine rug and ground all of the blue, I decided to go with a modern sofa in a masculine brown tweed. The sofa hasn’t arrived yet, but, rest assured, when it does, I’ll be jazzing it up with beautiful accent pillows that help carry through the color palette.

Lastly, I created this little vignette that anchors the right side of the room. I love how it brings together all aspects of the color palette. These chairs were actually floor samples we got for a great price at West Elm (no shame in bargain hunting!)

Well, that’s all for now. I’ll complete the room once our sofa arrives. Stay tuned for pics of the final product with all the finishing touches… so excited!

Trend Alert: Southwest Style

19 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by HOMErandRuth in Decor, Room Design, Shopping

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

blue, brass, casual, chair, coffee table, family room, gold, lamp, leather, Living Room, mirror, ottoman, pillow, recliner, rug, runner, sofa, southwest, vase, wood

I found this rug while browsing Gilt Home and I love it! It’s so unique and is a prime example of the southwest trend I’ve been seeing so much of lately.

Southwest style tends to have lots of deep, rich colors like the blues and golds in the rug. It’s often also associated with shades of mauve and turquoise, but sometimes those feel a bit too literal. It’s all about natural and organic elements, so leather, wood and brass prevail… along with anything in an earth tone. Most of all, it’s about casual comfort and warmth!

I decided to challenge myself to “furnish” a southwest inspired room… and, since I found my inspiration on Gilt, I designed the whole room with items available on Gilt Home (no, they’re not paying me for this post, it just happens to be one of my favorite sites!) So, here it is… what do you think?

Runner– Nourison│Rug– Nourison│Starburst Mirror– Mirror Image │Kanishka Decorative Pillow– Anichini │Baroque Gold Leaf Floor Lamp– Arteriors Home │Ottoman- no longer available │Sofa– A. Rudin │Trapeze Coffee Table– Central Station │Angelic Bottle Vase– Joe Cariati │Agate Slice– Brenda Houston │Brass Sculpture – Arteriors Home │Leather Reclining Chair– Modern Milano

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Tag Archives: blue

Puerto Rico: City of Color

Earthy Agate