Amber B Design Studio

Interior Design & Decoration for the South Florida region

Welcome to My New Home!!

by Filed Under: amber b design, blog, design


I am so excited for this day… my new site is here! It has been an absolute blast working with Britt, from Gallery No. Eight- the mastermind behind this new site. She is amazingly talented and creates web design magic! I am in awe of her creativity and the ideas she comes up with. She was able to redirect my old posts to this new site, so you won’t miss a beat when searching previous Simple Dwellings posts or DIY projects. They are all still here.

I am so lucky to have worked with Britt to create a site that truly feels like my style. And we both found it unique that the colors I chose for this site happen to be the same colors you’ll see throughout my home tour. I guess I really like that combination!

I am also grateful to the photographer that captured my home in such a creative light. Sarah Heppell is a true talent that put this camera shy girl at ease and made the photo shoot day so much fun. She has that special ability to bring a photograph to life and capture those tiny moments in a home and make them memorable. I will be using her talents for some future design projects, so stay tuned for that!

A living room with a table and chair, lamp, picture and china cabinet.

A dining room with white walls and wooden table.

A table with two lamps and a white horse head.

So take a look around and enjoy! And if you’re looking for me, I’ll be trying to figure out how to use word press. This is my first post and so far, so good. I figured out how to hit ‘publish’ so that’s a win for me!  😉

My Farewell Post {on this blog}

by Filed Under: amber b design, blog, interior design


This post has been a long time coming and I am so thrilled about what’s to come! For quite some time, I have been thinking about switching my blog design and overall focus. I have used blogger for so long and it’s been great. But I am now ready for a change! Since Amber B Design is my business, I have decided to organize and stream line things a bit better. My blog page will always be called Simple Dwellings. {I have a special place in my heart for that name.} But the overall site and main page will be more Amber B Design focused. I will continue blogging as a way to showcase my work or any time I want to check in and share. But my site will be focused on my business and will be organized in a more user friendly format. I have decided to switch to word press and I’m so excited to start using the beautiful features it has to offer.

If you are starting a business or want to add a more professional look to your existing on line presence, I suggest looking for talented people that can make your work shine. For me, that was hiring a web designer and photographer. Britt Douglas is the amazingly talented web designer I chose and I am so thrilled I did. She creates amazing work and I can’t wait to show it all to you, soon! I met Britt a couple of years ago at Blog Podium. She is as sweet and down to earth as she is talented. I told her then, that I would love to have her design my new site. {See, I told you this was a long time coming. I have been thinking about this forever!}

I first found out about my photographer, Sarah Heppell, when I drove by her studio and saw her sign. I looked up her site and the rest was history. We met soon after and she came to our home and created photography magic. She is truly a talent!! Here are some more sneak peeks from the photo shoot at my home, that you will see on the new site:

All Photos by Sarah Heppell Photography

that’s me looking productive!  🙂


we ended the photo session with a carrot cake celebration!

It feels bitter sweet to say good bye to this blog, where it all started in 2011. But I know I am heading in the right direction for me and my business. I am excited for what’s to come and I look forward to checking in with you all and sharing my design thoughts on the new site, very soon! I have added a new e-mail address, that will be the primary e-mail for the new site. It’s [email protected]. Feel free to write me an e-mail there, as it will be the main one from now on. This blog will still be up for some time, so feel free to check back and look at any of the pages you wish! I will make sure to announce when the new site is live. EEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bringing the India Hicks Brand into your Home

by Filed Under: blog, blog review


Blogging can bring you a sense of community and friendship. By starting a blog, I have been able to “meet” like minded people who share the same passion for design that I have. With those common links already in play, it is easy to form quick bonds with people. I was recently contacted by one of my very first blog friends, Amy, about this amazing new opportunity she is now a part of. Amy was one of the first blog friends that reached out to me and asked if she could feature my home on her blog. I was so excited for that opportunity. And she might not even know this, but she was also one of the first that encouraged me to try my hand at e-design. And for that, she has always had a special place in my heart. So when she told me she was a rep for the new India Hicks brand and wanted to introduce me to some of the amazing new products, I jumped at the chance to reconnect and see what the products were all about. India Hicks is the daughter of famed interior designer, David Hicks, and has also made a name for herself in the design world. Here is a little bit about the company, as seen on the web site:

Our vision for the company is to share our exclusive range of well-crafted gifts, fragrances and accessories directly into the heart of the home, defying the traditional shopping experience, by selling these collections through networks of entrepreneurial women and our dynamic E-commerce site.

I love that India is the ambassador of this new brand and inspires women to become entrepreneurs themselves.

I am now the proud owner of the beautiful India Hicks Island Style book…

I cannot put this book down! The colorful, beautiful pages instantly sweeps you away on vacation. India and her family live on a small Bahamian island that is so inspiring and breathtaking to see! The interiors in this book instantly make you want to pack your bags and head to the coast.

I could just move into these serene rooms!

This party just looks so inviting and chic!

The Prince of Wales is India’s godfather and also wrote the forward for the book. India was a bridesmaid (back row, third from left) and just wanted to be out of the fancy dress and back into her comfy jeans!

This gorgeous bedroom has the ever popular David Hicks La Fiorentina fabric on the front pillow and chair.

I could go on and on about my favorite images from this book. Also, the story behind life in the Bahamas is so amazing and would make a great summer read!

I am also now the proud owner of the stunning love token called ‘Oyster.’

In Britain, it’s a tradition to engrave coins to give to friends and loved ones. This has been in practice for over 400 years and it’s actually the size of a British Pound coin! This jewelry piece has a heavy weight to it and is made so well. I chose the phrase ‘the world is your oyster.’ I have always loved that sentiment, because it reminds you to follow your dreams. I think it’s important for my kids to always know that, too. This love token is just one of many special jewelry pieces available on the site! This token can be paired with any necklace you have, or you can choose one from the site, like THIS. To visit the site and do some shopping through Amy’s page, start HERE. In addition to shopping, you might also find your next entrepreneurial career!

Thank you so much, Amy, for introducing me to this amazing and inspiring brand!

Bathroom E-Design Reveal – Before & After!!

by Filed Under: amber b design, bathroom, before and after, e-decorating, e-design, interior design


I am so excited to show you this before and after today! A while back, a wonderful e-design client, who I have worked with on some rooms before, contacted me about putting some love back into their downstairs half bathroom. She wanted a more serene, spa like vibe and was definitely ready for a change.

Before 


Short of changing the vanity mirror and pedestal sink, they pretty much replaced everything else! My clients couldn’t wait to take the tile off the walls and floor. They were also looking to change the wall color and bring a softer, more modern look to the space. Here is the design plan I came up with…

The Design Plan


I knew that the new lighter wall color, stenciled top walls, wainscoted lower walls and new marble flooring were going to be the game changers. Everything else was the icing on the cake. Are you ready to see the afters?!?

After


Can you believe it’s the same space? My clients worked extremely hard to make this bathroom reflect their style. They did the work themselves and did a phenomenal job!! The best compliment on Instagram was a reader asking if that was wallpaper. It’s a stencil and you can purchase it HERE, in small. Thank you to my clients for allowing me to share their hard work. Bravo to you both!!

My Photo Shoot Reveal!! {Sneak Peek}

by Filed Under: amber b design, central new york design, interior design


I am over the moon excited with how my recent photo shoot turned out, that I had to share some sneak peeks with you! Not too long ago, I decided to make some changes with Amber B Design. This summer, I will be getting a new web site and switching to word press. {If you have any experience one way or another with using word press, I’m all ears!} So with those new changes, comes a new look. I decided to reach out to a local Central New York photographer and see if she could come over and take some head shots as well as some photos of our home. I worked with Sarah Heppell, of Sarah Heppell Photography, and I’m so glad I did! She made me feel at ease throughout the whole process. I am not one for posing for pictures, so if she could make me look unafraid, she’s a genius in my book! I will be waiting to show most of the photos for the new web site, but here are some amazing examples of her work…

All images below taken by Sarah Heppell Photography

Our Dining Room

Our Family Room

Our Living Room

Isn’t she incredibly talented?!? I love how she can capture the simplest moments and turn them into something magical. I love how the vase of flowers in the dining room is in focus, while the background fades. I also love how she photographed the dinosaur that my son painted, when he was younger. 🙂

And here are some head shots that might make their way onto the new site, as well as onto my other social media accounts…

When we were taking the last picture, she said she wanted to make sure she didn’t position me so that it looked like I had antlers coming out of my head. 🙂 Right at ease! Well done, Sarah!

If you live in the CNY area and need a photographer for any reason, Sarah Heppell Photography is your girl! Visit her site HERE for more information!

More Updates on #projectvintagegem !!

by Filed Under: #projectvintagegem, amber b design, central new york design, interior design


I am excited to show you even more recent updates over at #projectvintagegem. We have busy plugging away, installing items as they arrive and making this house into a home. It is such an amazing feat, getting to see a home from start to finish. When my client moved in, she was starting with a blank slate. Over the several months we have worked together, we have seen her style unfold into a place where she now feels at home. To start back from the beginning for this project, visit HERE. Here are the most recent updates…

In the master bedroom, the rug has arrived, along with the stump side table and new art…

The dresser mirror was also installed last week…


And the sconces are up on either side of the bed…


On the way into the foyer, you can see the new map art, as well as the wine rack vignette…


And the new leather swivel chair arrived in the living room…


Once the sectional and a few other accessories are in place, we will have a full reveal of this home, along with professionally photographed pictures! That part will be so exciting. And I know my client will finally breath a sigh of relief after all of her furniture arrives! She has been so patient through this process.

Thank you to my client for allowing me to share these pictures!

{Partial} Reveal of #projectvintagegem !!

by Filed Under: #projectvintagegem, amber b design, central new york design, interior design, local clients


I am so excited to share this partial reveal of #projectvintagegem today!! I went to my client’s house earlier this week, to bring a carload full of accessories and items to style the place up. We are still waiting on a few key pieces before we call this project complete, but I had to share the amazing progress we made. It is always fun to look back at where the project began, so we can see just how much was accomplished so far. You can follow along from the beginning with the link #projectvintagegem or click HERE to see more of the back story of the apartment. Here are the dining and living rooms when I first visited her loft style apartment…

Before


And here is the progress so far…

Progress

Excuse the grainy phone pictures! I promise better quality reveal photos when the project is complete! The buffet zone holds so many of her dishes, which was important with the tight cabinet space in the kitchen. Since we were not able to drill into the brick, I proposed we lean this oversized print on the buffet to ground the zone. I love the juxtaposition of this art with the lamps. The brass candlesticks were an antique find. I love the collected over time feel they bring to the space, even without candles inside. They add a sculptural punch on their own.


To the right of the buffet is the eating area. The new custom banquette has become a favorite spot for my client to sit. The plaid rug is everything in this space. Once the sofa and club chair arrive, you will be able to see the room as a whole and fully appreciate the power of this patterned rug.

This gorgeous console will go behind the sofa, once it arrives. If you follow me on instagram {amberbdesign}, you may have already seen these beautiful blue and white urns I found at Home Goods. This was the project I bought them for!! The small iron and marble table will go next to the leather club chair, once that arrives.

Above, is a little sneak peek of the hallway leading to the foyer. I love the oversized blue map art near the rustic brick!

For the master bedroom, we went for a calm, serene vibe.

Before


The only thing that stayed in the bedroom was the bed. This is a fun transformation, getting to see the design board ideas come to life!

Progress


I hope my client enjoys relaxing in this space! We are still waiting on some items to arrive in here, such as: the dresser mirror, ottoman and side table for the arm chair and bed sconces. I also need to get back over there and finish steaming those linens! I cringe when I see the wrinkled duvet, but I will fix all that. 🙂 We have come so far, starting with just the bed.

I hope you have enjoyed the partial reveal of #projectvintagegem !! More pictures to come… I promise!

E-Design Boards Reveal {Office & Guest Room}

by Filed Under: amber b design, e-decorating, e-design, interior design


I am excited to show more e-design board reveals with you today! I have worked with this wonderful client before in several rooms throughout her home. We just recently worked on the office and guest room. My client loves a soft, serene palette with bursts of fun color. She loves the modern – traditional mix and has allowed me to try some fun and creative ideas in her past rooms. It is always a treat to work together! First up- the office design…

My client already had the IKEA slipcovered chairs, that you see on the bottom of the board. I thought they would be great in the space, so we kept them. We changed out everything else! She is very excited about the relaxed, but fun style in the design. I know that striped rug will be everything in the room!! The Nate Berkus office accessories will be the finishing touches on the desk.

For the Guest Room, my client wanted a stylish and serene space where guests feel comfortable…

We are both so thrilled with this design! I cannot wait to see that pale, soft pink shade on the walls. The new scalloped ceiling light fixture looks like a cloud and will be a sweet addition to this room. The bedding feels hotel chic and the sconces will provide great task lighting for guests to read in bed. The art by Cozamia will be stunning on the wall space above the bed. The coral fretwork pillow by Caitlin Wilson Textiles will be a fun dose of color against the white border duvet. I also like how this design compliments, but does not compete with her Master Bedroom design, which we completed a while back…

Master Bedroom Design


I will definitely update you along the way! 

Whether you live near Central NY or not, we can work together! E-mail me for more information, or visit my Design Services page HERE.  🙂

E-Design Boards Reveal!!

by Filed Under: amber b design, dining room, e-decorating, e-design, interior design, kitchen


I wanted to check in and show you the latest e-design boards I created for a lovely out of state client. My client heard about me from her sister, who I have worked with locally for #projectdelicatenursery #projectclassickitchen and #projectclassicliving. Having referrals from clients is one of my favorite parts of my job, because it makes my day that they want to recommend me to others, especially their own family members! And just like my local client, her sister was just as sweet and wonderful to work with. My new clients wanted to pull together their beautiful kitchen and dining room renovation with the finishing touches… new accessories and art. I also suggested some new lighting and a few key furniture pieces that will enhance their already amazing renovation. Here are some pictures of the kitchen…

The Kitchen


Gorgeous, right?!? And here is the design board I came up with for this space…

We will be doing two oversized, framed art pieces, hung side by side, on the long wall by the kitchen table. They will either be the fern prints, driftwood prints {both on the left of the board} or the charcoal botanical prints {bottom right of the board}. Which art pieces would you choose? Here are some pictures of the dining room…

The Dining Room


We will be working with most of the things you see in these pictures. And here is the design board I came up with for this space…

I just love that CWT buffalo check pillow! That was suggested to go on the upholstered head chairs. It will be a modern take on a traditional pattern, which is perfect for this dining room. The gorgeous furniture in this space is antique and was refinished with love from my client’s father. I love the charm and personal connection this furniture has in the room. Since the head chairs were bought after and are not part of the collection, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to bring some upholstered pieces into the room. The upholstered head chairs will bring a softness to the space and be a nice compliment to the wood furniture. The bamboo mirror will go above the buffet, with a pair of fun table lamps flanking the mirror. My client will be deciding on art that will go on either side of the buffet lamps and above the extra chairs. I suggested to either go with the blue watercolors that are shown on the bottom of the board or a pair of floral vase prints, which is shown in the center of the board. Which would you choose for the dining room?

I will update you on the progress of these spaces, as we move forward!

Design Board Reveal for #projectclassicliving

by Filed Under: #projectclassicliving, amber b design, central new york design, interior design


I am excited to show you some recent plans I designed for #projectclassicliving. You may have remembered when I worked with these wonderful clients for their nursery and kitchen. {Click on the words ‘nursery’ and ‘kitchen’ above to see those projects.} Now, we have moved on to the foyer, dining room, living room and sun room. I wanted to keep that classic, timeless vibe throughout the home, since they live in a gorgeous 1930’s colonial. Here are the design boards I presented for those spaces…

The Foyer


The Dining Room


The Living Room


and The Sun Room


There are some pretty dramatic suggestions and my clients are so willing to go for it, which I love. I truly look forward to working with these clients again. And I will definitely show the process along the way, here on the blog. 🙂

You will also be able to follow the progress of these projects on twitter, instagram, and pinterest through @amberbdesign under the hashtag #projectclassicliving