by Carmen Boyer | Feb 9, 2016 | Furniture and Accessories, Interior Design, Residential Interior Design
‘Tis the Season – to start creating a new look for your home! With Christmas just a few days away and the New Year soon to follow, now is a great time to start making some simple changes to re-imagine your space. Here are some tips and hints from White Oak Interiors – Bull Valley Residential Interior Design.
You can do this by changing your color scheme. Reds and greens are typically associated with Christmas but if that scheme isn’t working for you, try using white or black with silver and gold accents! With your neutral color scheme, you can pair it with almost any color to help them pop and also carry your décor changes through the new year. This will help you make the best out of what you already have on hand and repurpose items as you see fit.
When choosing accents, most people tend to keep the same ones throughout the year. If you want to incorporate something a little different, however, try adding some candles or metallic lanterns. Metals will add a shiny and festive element to your home without a lot of fuss.
To adorn tables, look for platters and bowls that will allow you to swap out ornaments or marbles so you can customize the look depending on your mood. You can find a variety of chargers under your dinner plates that serve as an effortless way to set the tone in your dining room. The same goes for slipcovers and throws on your furnishings!
You can even frame wrapping or tissue paper to create artwork on a neglected wall.
If all else fails and you prefer a professional touch, contact us. We have access to antiques that could be otherwise hard to find and we can also make you a customized arrangement that incorporates all your décor needs!
There is no right or wrong way to decorate your home, but these tips will make it a little easier for you to transition the look through Christmas and New Year’s. Add some elements that you absolutely love in order to create the décor of your dreams! Schedule a consultation and we can help you create some more permanent solutions to make sure your home is at it’s best for 2015!
by Carmen Boyer | Feb 9, 2016 | Furniture and Accessories, Interior Design, Residential Interior Design
With bold coloring, shiny jewel tones, luxurious fabrics and ornately carved wood, Moroccan design has character that is not commonly seen in American homes. Learn how you can transform your home into a beautiful desert oasis with these guidelines of Moroccan design!
Colors
Vibrant, attention-grabbing hues are important when creating the ambiance of Moroccan style. The coloring is inspired by the landscape of that area, so you can use anything from ocean blues to deep sunset reds!
Fabrics
Fabric also plays a large role in this style, whether in the form of lush rugs, throw blankets, or window draperies. The materials used are often pretty light and airy and help immensely to soften up the space. Combining a variety of different textures is what helps make this style so interesting!
Patterns
Expect to see colorful jeweled mosaics with recurring patterns. This can be incorporated a number of ways: with tiling, adorned pillows and even wallpaper. Moroccan design has a lot of rich textures, mostly from these mosaic patterns. Lattice designs are one of the most popular patterns in this style.
Furnishings – Crystal Lake Remodeling
Seating in this style is often low to the ground, reinforcing the need to stay out of the desert heat! Pieces are often ornate, with beautifully carved woods and hand-painted features. Pieces usually incorporate some kind of jewels or gold tones and add a beautiful elegance to a space.
Lighting
With the colors used in this design mirroring the sea, sand and sky, it makes sense that natural light is a large component of how these spaces are designed. The intricacies of Moroccan lighting fixtures, however, is one of the stand-out elements in this style. Fashioned from metals, colored glass or wood, fixtures often have some interesting patterns – so lighting is dreamy and often extremely romantic.
There is superb beauty and craftsmanship in this style that is hard to rival! WHite Oak Interiors (Crystal Lake Remodeling) can mange the entire project, or part of it. Contact us today! Contact White Oak Interiors
by Carmen Boyer | Feb 9, 2016 | Furniture and Accessories, Interior Design, Residential Interior Design
Influenced from a variety of styles and eras, contemporary design is constantly changing with the times. Per White Oak Interiors (Interior Design Crystal Lake), having a comfortable, stylish contemporary home is within your reach as long as you have some of these key elements.
Furniture – Crystal Lake Furniture and Accessories
The furniture of a contemporary home usually consists of clean lines. Simple shapes with smooth surfaces are commonly seen in this style, as well as pieces made of light colored wood and even industrial-inspired pieces made of steel and concrete to achieve the perfect balance of materials.
Colors – Interior Design Crystal Lake
The color palette is very laid-back, relying on neutral shades of brown, taupe, cream, or just plain white. While this might sound uninspired, decorative accents are what really give this style life. Bold, attention-grabbing pops of color in the form of accent walls, rugs, throws, and artwork really stand out and make a statement among those neutral shades.
Accents – Furniture and Accessories Crystal Lake
One of the easiest ways to create a contemporary space is by incorporating metal accents. Stainless steel, nickel and chrome are insanely popular in contemporary styles and will commonly be seen in the kitchen because of the abundance of hardware and appliances available. Other ways you can add metals to your décor are through the use of lighting fixtures, handles, and shelving with metal finishes to complete the sleek and clean look. As we stated before, bold colors are important in the additional accents to your space.
Simplicity is important in contemporary design but you can still design a room that makes a statement with thoughtful additions to your décor along with color choices. Don’t be afraid to try something a little unconventional, it might be what you need to create the perfect ambiance for your home!
For a consultation, contact White Oak Interiors (Furniture and Accessories) and follow us on Facebook for more home décor inspiration! Happy decorating!
by Carmen Boyer | Feb 9, 2016 | Furniture and Accessories, Interior Design, Residential Interior Design
If you’re from the Midwest, you know as well as anyone how brutal our winters can be. In honor of our less than predictable weather, White Oak Interiors (Lake Barrington Interior design) gathered a few tips for you to make your living room multi-purpose so you can keep the family happy in close quarters and kiss cabin fever goodbye.
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Move around that furniture.
We know you like your things “just so” but your living room could possibly have more room and flow better by moving pieces around. When creating a multi-purpose room, it is important that you take into account all the possible focal points you may have, such as the television, coffee table, and the fireplace. Ideally, you should try to create a space that flows, making it easy to walk around and access different areas of your space.
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Have a seat!
In addition to moving pieces around, you want to make sure that you have ample seating available for the whole family (and visitors). It can get cramped having everyone pile up on the sofas, so consider alternate seating. Try to incorporate some armchairs, and you can even eliminate some clutter by opting for padded ottomans instead that can store essentials like those magazines you like to set out for guests or television remotes. Multi-purpose furniture can be practical and fun!
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Don’t underestimate the power of a well placed rug!
Rugs help with design, add comfort, and make an area a bit more kid-friendly while also giving the illusion of more space. There are so many options to choose from when buying a rug so consider the style of the look you desire as well as placement and amount of traffic the rug will receive. You don’t want to overdo it with a gigantic rug in a small space. That will only make the room feel smaller.
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Add some finishing touches – Lake Barrington Interior design
You’ll need some throw pillows to soften the look and feel of your furniture, eye-pleasing artwork, window treatments for privacy and pizzazz, and last but not least, lighting and mirrors to add depth to your space. You may also want to incorporate a bookcase if you have a reading nook and some folding partitions to section that area off.
Need additional professional help designing your space? White Oak Interiors has the knowledge and know-how to help with any design you have in mind. Schedule an appointment with us today and let’s discuss how we can help!
by Carmen Boyer | Feb 9, 2016 | Furniture and Accessories, Interior Design, Residential Interior Design, Window Treatments
Evoking the glamorous style popular in the 1920’s and 30’s, Art Deco is a breathtaking mix of geometric shapes, glossy finishes and grandiose rooms. It is uncommon to see a residential home decked out completely in Art Deco design these days, but you can incorporate a number of pieces that still hold true to the style. White Oak Interiors (Crystal Lake Interior Design) reviews some great elements of Art Deco style:
Surfaces
Expect to shine! There are tons of mirrored pieces in this style, from vanities to coffee tables. Wall mirrors were common in sunburst form or other layouts, adding a bright, dramatic quality. Even in bathrooms, there was an abundance shine. If there was no place to incorporate mirrors, stainless steel or chrome did the trick.
If surfaces weren’t mirrored, they would often be made of exotic, high-priced wood. Mahogany and ebony were sought after, but even the less expensive woods would do, as they all were lacquered heavily to amp up their shine!
Furnishings -Crystal Lake Interior Design
Chairs and other pieces usually had some kind of wood inlay or metal incorporated into it. This was because at the time, there was a big manufacturing boom that made it easier to create these intricate pieces. There was always something interesting to see, whether it was an eclectic armchair made of leather and wood or a beautiful headboard.
This is a day bed from the apartment of George Gershwin, 1928
Accents
Metals, glass and mosaic tiles help to add to the ambiance of this style. Tiling was very intricate and included wonderful geometric patterns. Accents would also have an abundance of jewels or stones in them! Glass chandeliers and small accessories served to amplify the beauty of the style.
Art Deco is a very thoughtful style, as everything was detailed to ensure the most glamorous and intricate surroundings. It is a classic and noteworthy style that is unrivaled in its beauty!
by Carmen Boyer | Feb 9, 2016 | Commercial Interior Design, Furniture and Accessories, Interior Design
Your office is a place that you should adore. It’s where you may meet with clients, come up with ideas and inspiration, make your money, and if you’re lucky, it’s where you do what you love! White Oak Interiors – Lake Barrington Remodeling- can help you make an office that is productive and cozy.
You don’t have to have a business office at a different location to be productive, sometimes using a space inside your home can work well, also. Whatever you decide, here is a list of things to consider to ensure that you are making the most out of your office space!
What do you need to work? Consider your office staples to begin. If you work mainly on the computer, you might need a table or a desk. If you have a steady stream of visitors on any given day, you’ll need to make sure you have enough seating. If you receive faxes, print paperwork or work with any other materials important to your work, you’ll have to make sure there is a space for everything. This leads us right to…
Storage! If you have a traditional business, you probably have your hands in a lot of paperwork on a weekly basis. Invest in a file cabinet where you can keep track of everything important in one spot. If you have a desk with drawers or a lot of space, this may not be necessary. Storage is crucial to creating a clean and functional environment. As long as there is a place for everything, make sure everything stays in its place.
Lighting and seating. Your office should be comfortable and allow you to accomplish whatever you need to do. Pick seating that is accommodating to your guests and that you can also relish in a well deserved break! Your lighting can either be in the form of wall or floor lamps, or in wall fixtures that are out of the way, but bright enough to illuminate the room without being overpowering. You don’t want dim lighting; that will make you tired or unproductive.
Make your office your fortress of solitude. This is a place that you will spend hours of your life in. Make it a space that serves your needs and hobbies. Place items in your office that inspire you, make you smile, make you feel like you can accomplish anything. This can range anywhere from photos of your family to a fresh arrangement of flowers that breathe life into the room. Sports fans can add memorabilia or anything that motivates them to get the job done. There is no one way to get excited and get the job done!
Colors can have a subliminal effect on your mood, and also that of clients and any other visitors. Corporate businesses usually use natural colors, beiges and creams. While it gives an heir of sophistication, it can also come off uninspired and plain old boring. Blues denote honesty, loyalty, wisdom and security. Greens promote calmness and security, with the darker greens promoting wealth and prestige. Orange is the color of creativity, warmth and protection. Whatever you choose, make sure it serves you instead of slowing you down.
Creating your own office can be beneficial to anyone wanting to save money while still getting the best out of their work. It doesn’t have to be a whole room, you can save space using a closet and clever shelving and storage. However you decide to put it together, be sure that you have everything you need close by and the little things that make you happy, as well. Happy decorating from White Oak Interiors – Lake Barrington Remodeling
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