Amber B Design Studio

Interior Design & Decoration for the South Florida region

Fashion Friday and a Guest Post

by Filed Under: fashion friday


Happy Weekend and welcome to Fashion Friday… where I discuss my other design love! Yesterday’s dining room was modern, traditional and whimsical! I am very drawn to that combination! With clothing, I love to mix it up but am always drawn to classic designs. Here are some wonderful classics to swoon over today…

Source: google.com via Simple on Pinterest
Source: zara.com via Simple on Pinterest
Source: imdb.com via Simple on Pinterest

To me, images 1 and 4 are a modern take on traditional, which reminds me very much of yesterday’s room.

In Fashion, are you drawn to trendy, classic or both??

And today, I am over at Laura’s wonderful blog, Bright, Bold and Beautiful, sharing what I am thankful for. Stop by and check it out here!

Why This Works

by Filed Under: why works series


Happy Thursday and welcome to the series Why This Works… where I highlight a designed space and talk about why I love it so much! I found today’s dining room from pinterest and fell in love. This space was decorated by Tobi Fairley and was also seen in House Beautiful.

Source: google.com via Simple on Pinterest

This space is so chic, fun, whimsical and just lovely! The design combines modern with traditional so well and I truly appreciate the attention to detail and subtle pops of color. The room’s walls and drapery are a soothing neutral, which allows the gorgeous chandelier, beautiful painted floors and bowl of fruit to really pop in the space! The traditional dining table was given a modern twist by painting it two different colors and adding a subtle painted detail to the legs. The table is accessorized with a bowl of fruit in a simple, but beautiful white bowl, giving the room a casual touch. The table is surrounded by four gorgeous chairs, with whimsical claw detail on the bottom and a glossy white paint on the legs. The upholstery fabric on the chairs is a nice graphic touch and works well paired with the creamy walls and drapery. The chandelier is one of the showstoppers in the room, drawing your eye up and giving the space the perfect pop of color. The next showstopper for me are the gorgeous painted floors! The striped detailing is a traditional nod to the room and made more modern with its playful choice in color. Overall, this space works! (I just wish I could see more of the space- it’s that amazing!) To see more of this beautiful home that Tobi decorated, visit here.

What are your thoughts??

If My Blog Was A Room – Next Up – Lucite and Lavender

by Filed Under: blog room series


Happy Wednesday and welcome to the series If My Blog Was A Room… where I pose the challenge to think of your blog as an actual space. What would that space look like? This week, I am so excited to have Emily here, from her design blog Lucite and Lavender. Emily is a very talented interior designer and opened her own business, em designs a few years ago. Just the name of her blog sounds chic to me!

Here is her pretty blog header:

And here is the amazingness that she came up with-

I wanted my blog to represent two sides of who I am and what I like.  I chose the words lucite + lavender due to the gentle juxtaposition of the two.  Lucite being man-made, and lavender being organic.  Lucite is a hard man-made material.  It’s simple & it’s timeless- it was great in the 60’s and it’s great now.  Living in a big city, San Francisco, I’m surrounded by an active environment full of people, buildings, movement & creativity.  I love city life but I also love nature.  Which is why I also selected the word Lavender.  It’s one of my favorite scents, and I am very drawn to the hill sides of Sonoma county which are full of lavender!  The views are breathtaking and I find that I need the solace of nature to revive me after days in the city. 
I design with the same intention, to create spaces that are timeless and reflective of all sides of my personality and my clients.
I hope my blog is as sophisticated & tasteful I intend it to be.  It’s growing as I do, Enjoy!  I hope you stay awhile!

WOW! Thanks so much for being here today, Emily! I love what you came up with and it reminds me very much of your blog. The colors are calm, soothing and very chic! Definitely stop by Emily’s blog– you’ll be happy you did! And to see the source list for this gorgeous room, go here.

Happy Halloween!

by Filed Under: holiday


Here’s to a great and spooky halloween! It’s such a fun holiday… why not have fun with your pumpkin decor? Here’s one of my favorite images of painted pumpkins, via pinterest:

Source: google.com via Simple on Pinterest

And here is our version of painted pumpkins, along with some other fall decor:

For the DIY tutorial on the pumpkin topiaries, go here.

Happy Halloween!!

Fashion Friday – Prepster Chic

by Filed Under: fashion friday


Happy Weekend and welcome to Fashion Friday… where I discuss my other design love! Today’s post is devoted to classic prints that are making their comeback. In magazines and in other blogs like Holly’s, I have noticed some talk about traditional prints like plaids, houndstooth, checks and stripes coming back in fashion!  They are the timeless prints that look great both in fashion and interior designs. Although I think they are classics, it’s still great to see them back in the design forefront! So this fashion post will be devoted to all things preppy!

Source: None via Simple on Pinterest
Source: None via Simple on Pinterest
Source: None via Simple on Pinterest
Source: None via Simple on Pinterest
Source: None via Simple on Pinterest

What are your thoughts on this style??

Why This Works

by Filed Under: why works series


Happy Thursday and welcome to the series Why This Works… where I highlight a designed space and talk about why I think it’s perfection. This living room is rustic, chic and appeals to my love of casual comfort!

Source: None via Simple on Pinterest

The color used in this space is the perfect amount for me- I love that the walls are a soft white, allowing beautiful accessory fabrics to take the center stage. Look at the fabric on that ottoman! It is the showstopper for me in this room! It is large in scale, which helps make the space feel more grand and serves its purpose of being both gorgeous and functional. I love seeing some pillows tucked underneath, ready to be pulled out when more guests arrive. The brown, armless occasional chairs are chic and the slight touch of gold works so well with the dramatic mirror over the fireplace. The rustic columns are stately and beautiful and work well paired against the modern seating. The overall layout of the seating makes for great conversation and gives a casual, yet balanced feel. The roll up bamboo shades on the windows gives the right amount of texture and lets the sun shine in, so you can see the beautiful view outside. The slight touches of black in the space, with the sconces, lampshades and ottoman legs grounds the room and adds a bit of glam. Overall, this space works!

What are your thoughts??

If My Blog Was A Room – Next Up – Recently

by Filed Under: blog room series, guest post


Happy Wednesday and welcome the series, if My Blog Was A Room… where I pose the challenge to think of your blog as an actual space. What would that space look like? I am so excited to have Emily here, from her blog Recently. Emily’s blog is amazing- she has finished some gorgeous DIY projects (the bookcase project is my favorite) and has become a new blog buddy! I love what she came up with for this series- I’m pretty blown away by her skills!

Here is her pretty blog header:

And here is what she came up with!

Hi everyone!  I’m Emily from Recently, and I must say, I’m incredibly happy that Amber asked me to be a part of her If My Blog Was a Room series. Not only because Amber is such a sweetheart and Simple Dwellings is one of my favorites, but also because it’s been the perfect exercise to help me shape my vision and goals for my blog.
I hope each of you will enjoy what I came up with as much as I enjoyed creating it!

image via awesome space
Doesn’t this room make you want to crawl in and never leave?  I could spend all day in a space like that, and I hope those who visit feel the same about my blog!

image via rue magazine
The room above is one of those “me” kind of rooms.  It’s full of texture and life, but oozes comfort and warmth.  I strive for Recently to echo all of those things!

image via angie hranowsky design studio
Colorful, artistic, and unusual elements in a room always speak to me, and I love to bring those things into play on my blog.  Oh, and it’s fitting that this room involves a kiddo, because you’ll see a lot of those (mine to be exact) on Recently as well!

image via absolutely beautiful things
Last but not least, every room needs the final touches.  You know, those bits and pieces that bring it up a notch, making it delightful and invigorating?
It’s always my hope that Recently’s visitors will find those extra smidges of goodness that keep them returning over and over again.

Amber, I’ve loved turning Recently into a room!  Thank you so much for having me! 

Thanks so much for being here, Emily! I love what you came up with- it reminds me so much of your blog! Definitely stop by Emily’s blog and stay a while!
After your visit to Emily’s gorgeous blog, stop by Mandi’s blog, Interior Design Musings. I’m guest posting over there today, sharing my Top 10 Favorites in Design! See you there! 

The Decision is Made…

by Filed Under: chair love


I love the look of this traditional table paired with these cool, modern chairs! I have loved this image for so long, and now I know why! I love these modern, white chairs against a traditional table! The gorgeous wallpaper and drum shade definitely helps too! I have a kitchen table very similar to this. How cool would these chairs be with that?!?

Source: None via Simple on Pinterest

Here are some more great pictures from pinterest, where modern chairs are paired with traditional tables. Enjoy!

Source: None via Simple on Pinterest
Source: None via Simple on Pinterest
Source: None via Simple on Pinterest

I love this look! And also take notice that 3 out of 4 rooms had either wallpaper or stenciling on the walls! That has also been on my mind lately! I will be tackling my first stenciling project soon, so stay tuned…

Fashion Friday – Chic and Glam

by Filed Under: fashion friday


Happy Weekend and welcome to Fashion Friday… where I discuss my other design love! Yesterday’s post showed a gorgeous living and dining space that was fun, chic and glamorous. I wanted to bring that to you today, in the form of an outfit! I was inspired by the room’s beautiful combination of glamour with fun, chic with modern… I wanted to (attempt) to create that same feeling with clothing!

Chic and Glam

With this fashion board, I wanted to pair whimsical pieces with classic and modern with elegant- to create a fun and playful outfit. The girl that wears this would fit in well with yesterday’s room, because this girl is glamorous and chic, like the downtown space shown on Thursday!

Happy Weekend! Any Glam and Chic Plans??

Why This Works

by Filed Under: why works series


Happy Thursday and welcome to the series Why This Works… where I highlight a designed space and talk about why (I think) it’s perfection. This living and dining space is chic, fun and ready for entertaining!

I love the cool shade of gray as the backdrop for the walls- it really allows the white slipcovered furniture to stand out. It’s also a great wall color when incorporating pops of color for the different seasons and holidays. It’s really a great jumping off point for any color and style. For this space, they chose to keep the color scheme neutral, with chic pops of white, black and touches of gold for a dramatic impact. The large gold framed mirror by the dining area is a beautiful focal point and really stands out against the neutral backdrop. The drum shade above the dining table is a nice modern touch and works well paired with the traditional seating in the space. For the living room area, I love the patterned area rug underneath the gorgeous shiny coffee table. It adds such warmth and dimension to the room. The zebra rug gives a wow factor and adds a bit of glam to all of the white seating. The coffee table has fun and practical accessories and I love the bowl with the gold on the inside- such a pretty and thoughtful touch that plays off of the mirror in the dining space. For me, this space works!

What are your thoughts on this space?