Archive for March, 2011

Glamorous Glass Beaded Decorative Wall Finishes

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Shimmering, luminous and absolutely gorgeous, beaded walls make any room over-the-top luxurious. From jewel-box powder rooms to full-blown living rooms, glass beads are showing up everywhere. Achieve a modern abstract feel or a classic traditional one depending on their application.

They adhere beautifully to any surface and are earth-friendly, durable and waterproof. Who knew you dressing your home with jewels could be as practical as it is glamorous? Incredibly it takes almost 39 million dazzling glass beads to finish the walls of a typical powder room!

1 beadded walls

2 beaded walls

3 beaded wall

  • Share/Bookmark

Posted in eco-friendly design, green design, high end interior design, luxury design, luxury design ideas, luxury design tips, luxury home design, luxury home ideas, luxury interior design | No Comments »

Five Ways to Create a Posh Powder Room

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

1 powder room

While it may be one of the smallest rooms in your home, the powder room offers a great opportunity to show off your decorating prowess. A posh and chic powder will be seen over and over by guests so make it a memorable experience.

There are many ways to achieve this, but remember because this is such as small space you’ll want use concentrated beauty to achieve the best results. By this, we mean fill every inch of the space with the most luxurious products, materials and finishes available.

  1. Beaded walls. Millions of glass beads set in a transparent acrylic polymer allow light to reflect through them creating a beautiful shimmering texture which shines in a myriad of directions. Underlying colors, patterns and textures shine through the beaded layers producing a custom wall finish for your powder.
  2. A custom wall mural. Give your guest the illusion they are walking through a field of lilacs on the French countryside or are mingling with cherubs and angels peaking down from the heavens. With a trompe l’oeil (fool the eye) mural you are only limited by your imagination.
  3. A floor tile mosaic. Mosaics are made from varying shapes of hand cut stone set into elaborate designs. The stone used to make these incredible works of art often include marble, quartz and granite for their exception beauty and natural composite variations.
  4. Hand painted furniture vanity. Cabinets in varying styles can be chosen to convert to a sink vanity easily. Bombe chests are a lovely choice and offer the perfect canvas for a hand painted finish, small medallion or little scene.
  5. Luxurious lighting. An ornate chandelier in clear or colored crystal will create the perfect ambiance along with a pair of matching wall sconces on either side of the vanity mirror. Your lighting choices set the stage for the rest of your beautiful powder room to shine.
  • Share/Bookmark

Posted in high end design ideas, high end interior design, luxury design, luxury design ideas, luxury design tips, luxury furniture, luxury home design, luxury home ideas, luxury interior design | No Comments »

Classic Venetian Mirror Ideas for Every Room

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

Venitian Mirror | Handmade Mirror | Classical Mirror

Venetian mirrors have been popular for centuries. Named for the glass makers of Venice, principally Murano, these  mirrors are typically shaped, with two or more layers of mirror framing a central panel.  Swirls, flowers and other patterns are etched into the mirrors, adding another layer of decoration.  Glass flowers or leaves may also be applied in the corners or on the cornice.

To say that Venetian mirrors are decorative is an understatement.  A Venetian mirror adds a brilliant sparkle to any wall.  Below are some of our favorite locations in the home to hang one of these gorgeous handcrafted works of art.

Dining Room
A single Venetian mirror over a commode or a pair over matching sideboards would be wonderful for a formal dining room. Flank the mirror or mirrors with crystal sconces for additional illumination.

Entry
What a lovely way to greet your guests with a Venetian mirror over a console table.  Think about scale and ceiling height. Tall ceilings mean you can choose a tall mirror.  Place a lamp in front or to the side of the mirror to let it shine.

Powder Room & Bathroom
A large Venetian mirror works well over a vanity. A pair over a double sink vanity would be twice as nice.  A smaller mirror in a powder room either above the sink or on an adjoining wall would be lovely as well.

Great Room
Even in a less formal room, such as a great room, a Venetian mirror would be wonderful over the fireplace.  Venetian mirrors are available in such an array of styles and sizes, there is a mirror for every style and room.  Look for mirrors with less ornament for a more casual room.

Bedroom
While Venetian mirrors can handle being the focal point of any bedroom placed above a vanity, they work just as well giving a neglected corner a bit of glamour, a bit of a jewel box feeling. We love a small Venetian mirror tucked into an unexpected spot.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags:
Posted in high end design ideas, high end interior design, luxury design, luxury design ideas, luxury design tips, luxury home design, luxury home ideas, luxury interior design | No Comments »

Choose the Perfect Crystal Chandelier

Thursday, March 17th, 2011
Crystal Chandeliers

Choosing a crystal chandelier is like finding the perfect pair of diamond earrings.  While we all know the four Cs of diamond buying, we’ve come up with the three S’s of buying a crystal chandelier:  Space, Scale and Sparkle.

Space
We can’t think of a single room where a crystal chandelier would be out of place. Crystal chandeliers look wonderful in an entry hall, grand foyer, dining room, kitchen, bedroom and living room.  We love a chandelier in a feminine dressing room or nursery as well as the more typical rooms. Think about your space and how a crystal chandelier could work to enhance your room’s design.

Scale
Once you have determined the space for a crystal chandelier, the next step is to consider scale.  A small powder room would be overwhelmed by a large chandelier.  A formal dining room would feel diminished by an undersized chandelier.  A petite crystal chandelier that mounts close to the ceiling will add whimsy to a small space.  A large room, like a formal dining room or living room, will require more of a statement piece. Be sure to take measurements before shopping.  If you are working with a professional interior designer, he or she will assist you in selecting just the right size chandelier for the space.

Sparkle
Crystal chandeliers add that je ne sais quoi to a room like jewelry does to an outfit. Choose a chandelier that has the right amount of flair for the space.  Crystal chandeliers can have crystal drops and beads in a variety of sizes, facets and shapes—just like diamonds.  The more crystals, the more sparkle. It’s simple really.  For added interest, consider a mix of color and clear crystals or rock crystal for its lightly veined appearance.

Crystal chandeliers like diamond jewelry are designed for every taste, from contemporary with sleek chrome and big drops to ornate with gilt-bronze and hundreds of round crystal strands.  Just remember the three S’s and you’ll find the perfect crystal chandelier for each room in your home.

  • Share/Bookmark

Posted in high end design ideas, high end interior design, luxury design, luxury design ideas, luxury design tips, luxury home design, luxury home ideas, luxury interior design | No Comments »

Elements of a Divine Dressing Room

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

Every woman deserves a room of her own. Whether you already have a dressing room, are considering turning an extra room into one or adding one during a renovation it is about more than just adding additional storage space for clothes, accessories, bags and shoes.  It is creating a space where you can greet the day or end the evening in style.  Who wouldn’t love a dressing room instead of a cramped, overstuffed closet?  We’ve seen a lot of dressing rooms and have concluded that there are a few key elements to making a dressing room divine.

Dressing Room

A well designed dressing room will feel like a boutique filled with your own clothes and shoes.  Organization is key.  Storage for hanging clothes, sweaters, shoes and accessories should be considered and incorporated. We love a custom chest of drawers in a dressing room.  It not only provides drawers for storage, but a flat surface to lay out an outfit or fold sweaters. A bench or small chair provides a place to sit while putting on shoes.

Our perfect dressing room goes a little like this… It feels glamorous and chic.  Larger than a closet, more like a lounge, it has an old Hollywood feel.  A sofa provides a quiet place to sit and have morning coffee.  A well lit vanity is the ideal place to do one’s hair and makeup.  Soft colors make the room feel feminine and calm. A dressing room must have a full length mirror, a French or Italian antique would be divine.

  • Share/Bookmark

Posted in high end design ideas, high end interior design, luxury design, luxury design ideas, luxury design tips, luxury interior design | No Comments »

Tranquil & Peaceful Blue Master Bath

Saturday, March 12th, 2011

haleh designs blue bath

Master bath design by Haleh Design

When I set about designing this luxuriously appointed lady’s master bath I wanted to create a soothing and serene escape from the stresses of the outside world. Much thought went into each and every tiny detail of the room during the design process and I enjoyed it immensely.

I chose the palest blue for the walls and ceiling because this hue produces a natural calming effect and helps to relax the mind and the body. The cabinetry and moldings were expertly designed to fit around the soft blue antique bombé chest which doubles as a wash basin. The bombé chest has two hand painted medallions on each cabinet door and is topped with fine marble which extends to the rest of the counter and vanity spaces. Often times there is never enough counter space in bathrooms today, so I made sure my client would not be left wishing for more.

The soothing antique ivory of the cabinetry and cornices against the blue is warm and inviting. Custom made arched cornice boards top each mirror above the bombé and two identical vanities to either side.

The luxurious blue chandelier, which is highlighted by a blue and gold faux painted dome, was imported from Italy and illuminates the room through gorgeous blue crystal. The little wall sconces which light the vanities are companion pieces to the chandelier. To bring a bit of the dark blue downward we installed small blue tiles amongst the exquisite marble flooring.

Master bath design by Haleh Design View 3

Master bath design by Haleh Design 

The room was a simple box shape originally, so I chose to add curved walls at the shower areas and even had curved glass shower doors specified. The bath is swathed in sumptuous gold and blue fabric at the arched opening and the windows. This is the view my client enjoys each time she enters through the double doors across the way.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , ,
Posted in high end interior design, luxury design, luxury home design, luxury interior design | No Comments »