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Interior Design & Decoration for the South Florida region

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Why This Works & Bridge Street Segment

February 24, 2016 by Amber Filed Under: #projectvintagegem, amber b design, design, interior design, local clients, personal design style, why works series 5 Comments

Welcome back to another installment of Why This Works… a weekly series where I show a designed space and dissect the details, to explain why the designer chose what he/she chose and why it works! Today’s space is a project I designed last year for a local client. I speak about it often on this blog, because it was such a fun project to work on. This project is also near and dear because I love the true talent that shines through in Sarah Heppell’s photography skills! She truly made this space shine with these after photos. As you may already know, I named this project Vintage Gem, because of the gorgeous architecture of the apartment and the details they left in tact during the renovation of the building. Also, my client loves a mix of vintage and new, so the name was a great fit. In past blog posts, I never truly dissected the details of this space and explained why certain pieces were chosen and why. So let’s do that here, today!

 

Why This Works 1

 

Why This Works 2

 

Why this works 3

Amber B Design, Photos by Sarah Heppell

When I walked into this space for the first time, I was immediately struck with the gorgeous brick walls and stunning high ceilings. It is a compact space with a combined living and ding area, but the high ceilings and architectural details make up for that. I wanted to compliment those details and not compete, by selecting light and neutral furnishings that allowed the apartment’s details to be the main focal point. The furniture and accessories were the supporting cast. Another trick I like to use is to select a few large, oversized accessories, as opposed to several small pieces. It’s a great visual trick that allows your eye to be drawn up to appreciate the room, giving the illusion of more square footage. When I installed the large blue table lamps and floral art work on the buffet, your eye was brought up instead of down and the space appeared larger. You could admire the brick more, even though we added pieces in front of it. Also, the dramatic wall clock was added behind the sectional. Upon first glance, it’s massive size could appear too large for some. But this clock instantly pushed the walls back and made the room feel bigger. I like to tell clients that if an accessory piece appears too big, it’s probably just right. It can take time to train your eye to like larger accessories. Luckily, my client was right on board and also thought the space felt bigger. In this room, I also wanted to use a mix of different wood stains and metal finishes. Especially with this vintage style, our goal was to create a space that looked as if it had been collected over time and not to match too much. So, the light stained buffet is near the dark stained dining table. Brass candle sticks on the buffet are near a bronze side table and pewter base coffee table. My trick for mixing metals, is to stay within the same ‘shine’ family. In this room, I wouldn’t have brought in a shiny chrome. All of the metals are buffed and matte, which is why they can work together. I like to separate the mattes from the shiny. And last but not least, I like to add various textures and fabrics into a space to create a layered depth. The jute, natural fiber area rug is paired with a leather chair, linen sofa and cotton pillow covers. That will add layers and depth to a space, making it feel warm and collected.

So that’s a little sneak peek into why I chose what I did for this space! I was thrilled to be able to talk about this design today with Sistina Giordano from Bridge Street. She is always wonderful to chat with and it was a fun segment. To see the video clip, visit HERE!! Thank you so much to Sistina and the entire News Channel 9 team for having me!

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Comments

  1. Dawn says

    February 24, 2016 at 3:06 pm

    Beautiful space!

    Reply
    • Amber says

      February 24, 2016 at 5:04 pm

      Thank you so much Dawn! I’m glad you like it! 🙂 It was such a fun project to be a part of.

      Reply
  2. Charlotte says

    February 25, 2016 at 4:40 pm

    Great insight. Thank you for details. It is good to know what were the designer thinking.

    Reply
    • Amber says

      February 26, 2016 at 2:02 pm

      Thank you so much, Charlotte! I’m glad you like the series. 🙂

      Reply

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  1. The 2 Seasons- The Mother/Daughter Lifestyle Blog says:
    February 26, 2016 at 10:00 pm

    […] love this beautiful room designed by my friend Amber from Syracuse.  Ahh….. the brick […]

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Welcome!

Hi, I'm Amber... a wife, mom and interior decorator. I am the writer of Simple Dwellings and the designer behind Amber B Design. Blog topics are all things design, with the occasional DIY attempt! Thanks for stopping by.Read more...

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amberbdesign

Most of my favorite design colors to use in projec Most of my favorite design colors to use in projects come right from nature! #coastalliving #palmbeach #loveyourhabitat
Whenever I’m looking for coastal design inspirat Whenever I’m looking for coastal design inspiration, I take a walk around Palm Beach. This week is perfect for that! #designinspiration #coastalliving #palmbeach #loveyourhabitat
Can you believe it… I wrote a blog post!!! 😂 Can you believe it… I wrote a blog post!!! 😂 Head over to my blog (link in bio) to see what’s been going on with all things Amber B Design, including this bookcase beauty in the office of #ProjectClassicLiving #amberbdesign #coastalliving #myballardstyle
In my last post, I hinted at a new plan for the li In my last post, I hinted at a new plan for the living room. Now that the ladder has been relocated to the family room, this corner is definitely in need of some height. I almost went with the idea of a tree and while I love it in other homes, I just didn’t see it here. So I went on Pinterest in search of inspiration and @studiomcgee to the rescue! I love the idea of a pedestal with a vase and maybe some branches, instead of a tree. I can switch up the accessories on the pedestal and I think it’s the winner! Inspiration in the next slide. #amberbdesignathome #coastalliving
I have always liked to shop around my home, moving I have always liked to shop around my home, moving things to different rooms and making them feel like new accessories. It breathes new life into a space, even with subtle touches. I switched the living room and family room table lamps and I like the larger scale lamp in here! I have fun plans for the living room, which I’ll share soon. Happy Friday!! #amberbdesignathome #loveyourhabitat #SMmakelifebeautiful #howyouhome #bhghome #hgtv #coastalliving
Once the Christmas tree is down, I always feel lik Once the Christmas tree is down, I always feel like the room is so bare. This year, we had it to the left of the television and I really feel like that space is now so empty. I tried the living room ladder in its place and I love it! But the living room needs it there too. What to do?! Maybe a tall plant in one of the spaces?! Two ladders within feet of each other?! 😂 #amberbdesignathome #coastalliving #howyouhome #SMmakelifebeautiful #loveyourhabitat #bhghome
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