Amber B Design Studio

Interior Design & Decoration for the South Florida region

How Do You Like Your Kitchens??

by Filed Under: design, kitchen, painting, personal design style


My favorite look is an all white kitchen… white cabinets, some sort of white stone for the counters and some sort of white tile backsplash. {Or, the same white stone carried up as the backsplash… dreamy!!} But as our design tastes tend to change over time, I have also recently had my eye on the look of painted cabinetry in soft, muted colors. Taupe/gray cabinets with that same white stone lends depth and charm. Here is a round up of some great kitchens, where they have done just that!

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Mix it up with bold contrast…

Black and white…

Now, one might argue that these kitchens are gorgeous already. I mean, look at them??? Is that really how mine would look if I painted my cabinets? So, I thought it would be fun to also include an amazing before and after of a kitchen that changed their builder grade cabinets from a stained finish to a wow gray! Julia, from the blog Hooked on Houses, showed us this…
Before…

After…

To see the chosen cabinet color and more photos, visit HERE.
So… how do you like your cabinets???

Moody Walls

by Filed Under: design, paint colors, personal design style


Even though spring is on its way around here, I have still been enamored with deep colors and moody walls. For the most part, I like to keep walls light and airy and bring color in through the accessories. But, there are some rooms that can tolerate a dose of a deep hue that is bold and dramatic. I think it’s a touch of the unexpected when you have deep walls in one room in your home. Dark walls can be great for bedrooms, offices or any space with a ton of natural light. Here are some great spaces where the walls take center stage. Without this deep wall color, each room would be so different!

I am a fan of dark walls in my own home and have painted our living room a deep brown color…
It’s Mink by Benjamin Moore and I love it! Designer Bailey McCarthy has recently used it in her home and I love how she wrapped the color on the window trim, too…
Although it might seem strange to be talking about such deep, saturated hues when spring is finally here, but these rooms are proof that it’s a chic look year round!
How about you… do you stick with light walls or do you like deep hues?? Do tell!!

You Need to Check Out This Etsy Shop!!

by Filed Under: design, etsy, personal


The best thing about blogging and working in the design business is building relationships. Relationships that last and grow and can support one another. One of my past e-design clients, Sandra, has opened up her own etsy shop and I couldn’t be happier for her! I have worked with Sandra on a few of her spaces in her home and even worked with her daughter in creating a fun room to call her own. Sandra’s new shop, Swanson Lane Home is a true reflection of her eclectic, vintage style. From collectible French pieces to Hollywood Regency style, this shop has it all. I love putting a space together that looks collected… a room that doesn’t feel too matchy matchy, but rather looks like it has been put together over time. By adding some pieces from Sandra’s shop, you will get that style. Here are a few of my favorite accents from Swanson Lane Home…

If you know Sandra, then you know she has poured her heart into this shop. Every piece has been picked with love, because they truly reflect her style and personality. Head on over to her shop and get inspired! Act quickly, because some of these accessories might just have to find a way into my home!!

I’m Feeling Blue Lately

by Filed Under: blue decor, design, e-decorating, e-design, paint colors, personal design style


That is, in design, of course! In many ways lately, I have been incorporating blue, either in small or big doses. Many shades of this color have shown up in my local and e-design projects, as well as in my own home! I thought I would dedicate this post to one of my favorite colors and why it continues to work so well in design…

With a coastal twist 

Blue patterned draperies
A statement blue sofa
Blue all over
Bits of blue sprinkled throughout
Blue as an accent

Amber B Interiors… that’s me!!  🙂
Subtle blue accessories


I have always been a fan of blue in all of its shades. I love that it goes with so many colors.
What’s your take on the color??

E- Design Board Reveals {Recent Design Projects}

by Filed Under: Uncategorized


I have been busy plugging away at design boards, both e-design and local, and I love it! The recent designs have all been so different… from a finished basement family room that is eclectic and bohemian, to a chic and high glamour living room for a stylish girl right out of college. Let’s get right to the finished boards, shall we??

An Eclectic, Fun Basement Family Room



The Fun, Asymmetrical Gallery Wall in their Media Zone



We Packed a lot of Fun Into their Floor Plan



Onto my next client, who was looking for a space with glamour, a mix of modern with traditional and pops of pink, green, black and white.

High Glamour Living Space


Every young woman needs a bit of Audrey in their lives! And I had to include a photo of Pam’s recent stenciling project. We will be using that same stencil in a different colorway and I can’t wait to see the results!

The Chic Gallery Wall Around the TV



A Floor Plan for Guests and to Invite Conversation



So there you have it… some recent projects that were so much fun to create! 

{E – Design} A Chic, Fun Playroom

by Filed Under: design, e-decorating, e-design, kids and design, living room


Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! I wanted to check in and show you an e-design board that I recently completed. My client was looking for a fun, stylish space for her family to spend time together and relax. It will be used as a playroom, but since it is off of the upstairs hallway, they also want it to be a chic room that flows with the rest of their home. I wanted it to be fun and colorful for the kids, but also neutral with a modern/traditional mix, like my client enjoys. My client already has a sofa and bookshelves for the room. I came in and added additional furniture, accessories and paint colors.

The Design



The Floor Plan



The wall color is the soft gray on the top left corner of the board. The dark brown/black shade will be for a full wall chalkboard. The coral color is for the back of their existing bookshelves. The triptych octopus art will go above the sofa. She will be able to recreate this art piece by following this tutorial. The pillows are on the bottom of the board and really bring the color palette together. I am so excited she loves the plan and can’t wait to see after photos!

E – Design Client Sneak Peek {Before and After}

by Filed Under: before and after, design, e-decorating, e-design


I am so excited to show you this before and after today! My client has worked very hard to finish up on the rooms I have designed. Today, I am able to show you an amazing sneak peek of the living room. When my client hired me, she was looking for a complete change in her space. She wanted a start fresh on all of the seating and an overall relaxed, coastal/traditional/vintage inspired vibe. This design was aptly named #projectfarmhousechic. This is the space when we started…

The only item staying in the room was the television. We also kept the wall color, which is a soft, pretty gray. Here are the design boards I came up with…

The Plan



The Media Gallery Wall



I am over the moon excited to share the progress so far…

Sneak Peek


Yay to my amazing client!! I love that you can see the media gallery wall through the mirror. She did such a wonderful job on the plates/mirror installation above the sofa and I love how the pillow combination came together. Originally, we were going to go with the CWD Greige Deco pillows, but my client really started to love the way blue was entering the room. So, we made the switch to the Navy Deco and I couldn’t be more thrilled. There is so much more going on in this room and I can’t wait to post more about this design! Thanks so much to my client for allowing me to share her living room with all of you!

If you would like to work together to make your house a home, please e-mail me and see my Design Services page for more information! I am currently booking clients for May 2014.

Embrace Color & Be Fearless

by Filed Under: design, paint colors, personal design style


There are some home renovations that stop me in my tracks and make me love the career of design that much more. Some spaces remind me of how much fun using color can be and how decorating and surrounding yourself with pieces you love, is so much more important than worrying about everything matching and being ‘perfect.’ I have been following Bailey’s blog, Peppermint Bliss, for a while now. And I think what inspires me most about her design work is her ability to be daring with color and go for it, no matter whether it’s a popular trend or not. She is a trendsetter in her own right, bold and just plain fun. Her most recent work was shown in Style Me Pretty Living and gives great examples of how being bold and having fun with design can pay off…

all images via style me pretty living, photographed by kimberly chau
Crazy, right? Are you inspired yet?? I think Bailey is the one who made pom pom/tassel fringe cool again! I seriously cannot stop looking at this home remodel. Often times (myself included), we can be a little safe with color choices, worrying that we may tire of it soon. This home feature reminds me to step out of my comfort zone a little and try something a bit more daring. To see more of Bailey’s fearless projects, including her own home, stop by her blog, here.

Read Any Great Design Books Lately??

by Filed Under: blog review, design, gift ideas


Design books have a special place in my heart, because I love to take them out from time to time, pour over all of the great inspiration and learn a few new design tricks. When design books also give the history of a city, culture and way of life, I’m especially inspired. So I was very happy to receive an e-mail from a publishing company rep introducing me to Stealing Magnolias: Tales from a New Orleans Courtyard. The book was written by Debra Shriver and highlights the wonderous city that is New Orleans. The book has a great mix of design with history, exploring the city’s rich architecture, food, local customs, music and so much more. I have always been in awe of this city and although I have never visited yet, this book makes you feel as though you are there, experiencing everything New orleans has to offer. Here are some of the amazing highlights and gorgeous imagery from the book…

Could you imagine anything more grand and beautiful! While New Orleans is known for extravagant architecture and design, they also have a laid back, relaxed style that I love. I could just move into the room in the second image! To read more about this book and get your own copy, visit HERE.

I think that I may say that an American has not seen America until he has seen New Orleans.
-Mark Twain

Our Tee Pee Reveal {Now in the Family Room}

by Filed Under: design, family room, kids and design


Don’t adjust your screen… this is a new post! Yesterday, I revealed our new tee pee in the finished basement. The kids love it and for now, they have decided that it would be fun to bring it upstairs. They wanted to watch cartoons in it, so it’s now in our family room. I actually think this is a great idea, since the picture quality is so much better to show all of you! That’s probably not what the kiddos had in mind, but works for me and the blog!  🙂 So here is the second reveal, in much better lighting, of our new tee pee…

The Family Room Reveal


So there you have it! Enough tee pee pictures for a while. I am so glad we did this. It’s fun, whimsical and will create so many great memories. Luckily, it’s easy to move. This will probably not be the last location. 🙂