Amber B Design Studio

Interior Design & Decoration for the South Florida region

This Makes Me Smile…

by Filed Under: design, personal design style


There are times when I come across rooms and design ideas that make me smile. There are spaces where I could just move right in and not change a thing. I thought it would be fun to do a round up of spaces that speak to me and my personal design style. Maybe you’ll find a favorite, too!

I have always been drawn to traditional style with an eclectic, modern mix. I love to keep the walls light, the upholstery neutral and add interest with texture and accents of color. These rooms pretty much sum up my style!

What sums up your design style? 
Make sure to check back next week for a quick, easy way to hem up curtains without using a sewing machine!

Guest Posting Over at Tiffany Leigh Interior Design

by Filed Under: design, guest post


Happy Friday! This week flew by! I am over at Tiffany’s blog today, sharing my favorite furniture piece in our home for her Favorite Furniture Friday series. This is a great series idea, because we (I) tend to focus on changes that need to be made, but Tiffany reminds us that it’s great to remember the pieces we love, too!

Hope to see you there!  While you’re over at Tiffany’s blog, stay a while and check out her creative and pretty design ideas. She is also a very talented artist! 

Why Hiring a Decorator Can Save You Money

by Filed Under: design, e-decorating, e-design


There has always been an assumption out there that hiring an interior decorator is an extravagant extra and not an accessible option. It can be scary to trust someone else with your home and belongings. But I believe that if you develop a good relationship with your potential decorator and your ideas and personalities gel, go for it! There are so many unique ways to achieve affordable design help. E-decorating, is a quick, less expensive option and can be a lot of fun. Of course it’s always best to be able to see the room in person, but e-design is a great way to hire a decorator without a strong financial commitment. And in this economy, it’s always great to think creatively when it comes to saving money. You might think I am crazy to say that hiring a decorator can save you money, but think of it this way:

Recently, I had a client say to me that she attempted to decorate, but it didn’t work out as she planned. Now she has furniture pieces that she wished she didn’t purchase and wants to make some changes. Decorators can show unique tips and ideas for achieving a designer touch in your space.

Isn’t it amazing how big window 2 looks? It’s the same size as #1! Hanging your curtains high and wide is a great visual trick for achieving a grander space.

Instead of replacing your store bought piece of furniture, dress it up with the addition of new knobs.

All knobs via
You can also repaint furniture to give it new life:
  

Some decorators not only have full room e-decorating services, they also have smaller design options and can solve decorating dilemmas for under $30. So, give it a try! Why not?!? And if you are an interior decorator/designer, I would love to hear your views on offering design services on line.

Featured in i village and in Great Company

by Filed Under: design, design services, e-decorating, e-design, personal design style


I am so honored to be featured in i village as one of their spotlight e-decorators. I was contacted by a writer for i village and asked if I would like to take part in their round up of decorators who offer e-design services. Lia did such a nice description of Amber B Interiors and I am so thankful to even be included in the post. Here’s a little sample of my page:

  
It was so amazing reading about the other 14 decorators who were chosen, because their work is always stunning and I have followed so many of their blogs since I began my own! To get a chance to share the same post as these talents is ridiculous! To view the post in its entirety and read who the other decorators are, click here! (I’m on slide 12!!) While you’re on the i village web site, browse around! This site discusses everything from health and beauty, to design, entertainment and fitness. Enjoy! And thanks again to i village for the amazing opportunity!

Shop Around Your Home for This Styling Trick

by Filed Under: e-decorating, e-design, family room, shelf styling


Styling shelves and tables are always a work in progress… you either change them seasonally, get bored with the arrangement or find new treasures that you want to include.  Even better yet, you shop around your home and look for new treasures! I always tell clients to see what they have in their home first, before going out and buying new items. Maybe you can re purpose an old item, give it new life with spray paint or move things from one room to another for a change. I always love fun changes that are also free! Working with one of my most recent clients, we talked about styling the coffee table. I suggested to shop around her home for books and small trinkets or vases. A great tried and true idea is to stack a few hard cover books on the table and add a vase of fresh flowers, or an unexpected accessory on top. It’s functional, because you will always have your favorite books within reach! Here are some great styling ideas for your coffee table:

Flowers or little treasures paired with books bring great texture and interest to the table. It’s a mix of the practical with the pretty; something with straight lines vs. something sculptural. It’s a great pairing! Take a look around your home… I’m sure you’ll find amazing treasures!

Which of the above photos is your favorite??

Dressing Up Plain Drapery Panels

by Filed Under: e-decorating, e-design, fabric, personal design style


A great way to achieve a custom look for less, is to dress up plain drapery panels with ribbon trim or extra fabric. It’s also a great way to bring in your accessory color and add a decorator’s touch.

You can also add fabric to panels that aren’t quite long enough:

Source: bhg.com via Kate on Pinterest

When I present this idea to clients, I always like to provide them with a helpful DIY link, showing them how to easily complete the project. There is one site that I always like to go to, for great tips… House of Fifty blog! Janell shows how you can easily finish almost any DIY project! To dress up your drapery panels, follow her no-sew tutorial HERE!

Have you dressed up your drapery panels??

The Power of Paint- A Before and After E-Decorating Project

by Filed Under: e-decorating, e-design, paint colors


I have written here before about the power of paint. It’s amazing what a different color can do to totally transform a space and make it look new. A recent e-decorating client contacted me for help with choosing the paint colors for her home. When working on the living room colors, we not only had the wall color to consider, but also all of the trim work and built in wall shelves.  The previous owners had all of the trim in a stained wood finish, and my client was looking for a change. She suggested painting out all of the trim white, and I was right there with her. I knew we would make a great team, because I was about to suggest the same thing. We all love a great before and after, right? Here is a before shot of the living room, with the furniture from the previous owners:

Before:

And here are the after photos, with the new paint:

After:

I love how the nook is lighter and brighter! The painters did a phenomenal job covering the dark wood. It looks like a new space. The wall color is Classic Gray, the trim throughout the room and bookshelves is White Dove and the back of the bookshelves is Dragon’s Breath, all by Benjamin Moore. I am looking forward to working on the design for this room! It will be fun to pick accessories for the shelves that will pop against the painted backdrop. A big thanks to my client for letting me share these photos!

What have you painted lately that has transformed your space? I would love to see photos- I’ll post them on my blog!

Why This Works

by Filed Under: why works series


Happy weekend and welcome to the series Why This Works… where I highlight a designed space and discuss what I love.  This gorgeous living room was designed by Nate Berkus Associates and can be found on his site here. Take a look!

What I love most about this room and the firm’s design aesthetic is the curated, layered look they give to spaces. This room looks like it has evolved over time with its mix of antiques and modern accessories. It looks so liveable and effortless, but we all know that takes time and is not so easy to achieve. The dramatic globe chandelier makes you take notice and must reflect the light beautifully at night. That modern light is juxtaposed with a rustic, wood beamed ceiling, adding a nice contrast. The walls and subtle striped floors are the light, neutral backdrop for the pops of color seen in the sofas. I love the color combination of golds with deep teals. What also doesn’t go unnoticed is the mix of different wood and metal finishes. The brass drum side table works well paired with the bronze metal fireplace gate and stools. The deep mahogany coffee table works well with the black painted wood hutches. The black is then repeated throughout the room, with the floor lamp shade and area rug. Overall, this space works! To see more of the firm’s design work, visit here.

What are your thoughts??

Why Two Minds are Better Than One

by Filed Under: e-decorating, e-design, paint colors


When working with clients, I try my best to truly listen to their wishes and how they envision the space. With a recent nursery e-design project, I worked with an amazing client with great ideas for the room.  She is having a girl and I wanted to go with a wall color that was a little unexpected. I immediately thought of Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore. It’s a soft blue and would look great with pinks and creams. Here are a couple of the inspiration photos I used:

The client ended up finding beautiful pink and green bedding on sale and was thinking about changing the wall color to match with the bedding. At first, I thought it would be great to keep the blue wall color, because pink, green and blue also look great together. Here is a great example of that working well:

After seeing the bedding at her home, she really loved the idea of green walls instead, so we tweaked the design a bit. We ended up going with Hancock Green for the walls, which is a soft, pale green. Here is an image of this color in a nursery:

She loved the new color choice! Here is the final design board, with the color changes:
(Click on board to make larger)

She loves the design and has already purchased most of the items! I am so glad she is truly happy with the outcome, and I have to say, I also love the changes! Two minds were definitely better than one with this project, and we made a great team.

Guest Posting at The Mustard Ceiling

by Filed Under: guest post


I am so excited to be guest posting over at Elizabeth’s amazing blog, The Mustard Ceiling. She always tackles creative DIY projects and has a great personal design style. She is in the process of moving, and I am honored to be one of her guest bloggers!

Check out her gorgeous dining room and beautiful Ikat covered chairs:

You’ll be there for a while, enjoying her great design ideas! Today, I am showing some of my completed summer projects over there! Stop by and take a look!