Amber B Design Studio

Interior Design & Decoration for the South Florida region

Pops of Color

by Filed Under: fall colors, living room


As fall approaches, I am reminded of certain color combinations that I love! We have dark brown walls in our living room and this is the time of year when I remember how much I love this wall color paired with deep fall hues: oranges, golds, magentas. Here are some of my favorite rooms where these pops of colors are used:

Source: flickr.com via Simple on Pinterest

Fall is definitely my favorite time of year! I love the colors, the outdoor events and taking out my fun sweaters! These rooms definitely have me inspired to add some pops of color to my brown walled room.

What decor ideas are you inspired to do lately???

Our Area’s Parade of Homes

by Filed Under: parade of homes


My mom and I recently toured our area’s Parade of Homes. We look forward to this event every year, and it never disappoints! Last year’s event gave me the inspiration to add damask wallpaper to our foyer. My husband always wonders what ideas I will come home with- but he doesn’t mind, because I always make sure to take pictures of the amazing home theaters and sports rooms for him! This year’s homes were full of soft, neutral wall colors, warm wood floors and creamy white cabinetry in the kitchens and living rooms. Needless to say, I fell in love. Here are the highlights…

I loved the stacked stone chosen for the fireplaces, the detail in the moldings the soft, neutral colors, the white cabinetry, warm wood floors and the overall serene, liveable vibe of these homes.
Which room is your favorite?

Check Me Out at Look Linger Love!

by Filed Under: Uncategorized


Stop over Chassity’s amazing blog, Look Linger Love to see an outfit I put together for her fashion post! She challenged her readers to come up with an outfit inspired by the bright pants trend that is hot for this fall! Thanks for including me, Chassity!

Stop by here to check it out!

Fashion Friday – The New Series

by Filed Under: fashion friday


Happy weekend and welcome to the new series Fashion Friday. As a young girl, fashion was my first design love. It wasn’t until I got married and moved into our first place that I really fell for Interior Design. Growing up, I always had piles of fashion magazines lying around and a dream of becoming a supermodel. (What was I thinking!) I would watch runway shows on tv to catch a glimpse of Christy, Claudia and Naomi. And I still love perusing through some of the fashion magazines that I had monthly subscriptions to- Harper’s Bazaar and Allure! So I thought it would be fun to sprinkle some fashion into this blog and have a Fashion Friday! To me, fashion and interior designs go hand in hand- For clothing, I usually am drawn to the same colors that are throughout our home. Fashion, like interiors, has trends, textural interest and can be playful and fun. With fashion as well as interiors, you can mix high end with less expensive, new with old and blend diferent styles to create your own look. My post yesterday showed a living room that had fun, chic colors. I thought I would create a fashion board for you, using the same colors found in yesterday’s room. Enjoy!

I always love looking at dresses, but I am a casual dresser at heart. I love being comfortable! These Missoni ballet flats were the jumping off point for this outfit. (Have you been to Target this week and seen the new Missoni line? These shoes are less than $30!) Besides being comfortable, I also love a great/stylish deal! I tried to pick up a pair of these on Tuesday, but they were already sold out! Looks like I will be stalking Target for the next couple of weeks.

What are your favorite fashion or interior trends?

Why This Works (On a New Day!)

by Filed Under: why works series


Welcome to the series Why This Works… where I highlight a designed space and talk about why (I think) it’s perfection. If you’ve been with me for a while, you may know that I usually post this series on Fridays. Well… I have a new plan up my sleeve for Fridays! I am starting a new series tomorrow that goes in a different direction than my blog has gone so far. Stay tuned tomorrow to find out!

This beautiful living room comes to you from Pinterest and is a chic, fun space!

 

I instantly fell for this room for its pops of color and serene, airy backdrop. The light gray walls are a perfect jumping off point to compliment the magenta and gold hues sprinkled throughout the space. The room starts off as a traditional space with the neutral colors, drapery and wing back chairs, yet exudes modern fun with its hip suzani print chair and fresh, bold colors. The area rug seems traditional and subtle and works so well with the brightness of the modern X bench and pillows. The fresh flowers make the space feel warm and inviting and the fun, modern vibe makes this room a great place to entertain and unwind!

This space is also a hint to the direction of tomorrow’s new series! And guess what?? It’s not interior design that I will focus on tomorrow. I can’t wait!

If My Blog Was A Room – Next Up – Ten June

by Filed Under: blog room series


Happy Wednesday! It’s time for 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 super excited to have Michelle here, from her design blog Ten June. Michelle’s blog is full of gorgeous design ideas and beautiful before and afters of her home. Her blog is also laugh out loud funny- it’s like talking to a great friend when I read her posts! Without further adieu, here’s Michelle-  

Hi friends! I’m Michelle from Ten June. I’m happy to be popping by Amber’s blog today answering the fun question- if my blog were a room, what would it look like?!

I’d like to think that my blog falls in line with my personal style: young traditional with classic, clean lines and hints of rustic and eclectic elements. And perhaps a bit of wit, since I’d like to think I’m good for a laugh or two. Y’all are laughing with me, not at me, riiiight? ; ) I try not to take life too seriously and I’d like to think my blog and design aesthetic reflect that!
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I’m absolutely head over heels in love with all shades of blue, particularly navy. I’ve incorporated the color, most of the time paired with white, in most every room of my house. In fact, I painted the walls in my dining room navy blue! Pair that color scheme with some vintage furniture and a subtle hint of cottage charm and voila! You’ve got my blog in a room : )
So there you have it! Ten June, the room! Thanks so much for having me, Amber!

Thanks for being here, Michelle! The rooms she chose are gorgeous and remind me so much of her blog- chic, fun and super stylish! Stop by her blog– you’ll be so happy you did!

Gallery Wall Great Debate

by Filed Under: gallery walls


Gallery walls are a fun, chic way to display art, special photos and personal memories. There are so many unique ways to hang art- you can create an overall shape or scatter them in a fun way. For me, I usually eyeball it and just wing it! It might be lazyness or pure excitement to see the finished product. Either way- I love the look of gallery walls in any form. Here are some of my favorite, via pinterest:

Source: None via Simple on Pinterest

I love the look of all of these gallery walls. Whether the art is symmetrical or not, gallery walls take time and thought when considering placement. I said earlier that I usually just wing it, but I also love and appreciate a perfectly symmetrical gallery wall. I think it is so chic and beautiful. One of these days, I will get out my leveler and try it! I have recently heard when watching HGTV, that you can take packing paper- tape it to your wall, trace your frame placement and mark a hole in the wall where the nail would go- then you just hang with ease! I might have to try that.

What is your favorite: symmetrical and planned or do you eyeball it?

To check out my other gallery wall pins, visit my pinterest link on my sidebar or go here.

Why This Works and A Guest Post Today!

by Filed Under: guest post, why works series


Happy Friday! I am so excited to be over at Melissa’s blog ROOMS today, sharing a piece of furniture we own that desperately needs a replacement! Check out what it is and how I plan to change it!

And… welcome to the series Why This Works… where I highlight a designed space and talk about why (I think) it’s perfection. Today’s hip and gorgeous living space comes to you from Elle Decor and is designed by Steven Gambrel.

Image via Elle Decor. Designed by Steven Gambrel. Photo by Simon Upton. 
There are so many elements that I love about this space. Let’s start with the amazing color palette- the soft grays work beautifully paired with the gold/yellow color. The trend right now is going back to golds, and this space does it so well. It was actually designed in 2007 and continues to look current four years later. (In no way do I think that four years old is outdated- it’s just that this room could grace the cover of a trendy magazine today!) I think it is a timeless design blend of traditional and modern. The tufted sofas are traditional, yet have a modern flair. The gold sofa is more modern, with it’s straight, high arms and the gray sofa shown in the second image has a more traditional feel. The bold, graphic print on the area rug works well paired with the neutral seating. The space feels cohesive with the gold elements repeating throughout the room- in the drapery, lighting and modern sofa. The lighting and occasional tables in the space have an elegant, mid century modern flair and compliment the casual feel of the neutral seating and fresh flowers. The light wall color is a wonderful backdrop to the modern art, which is unique and beautiful. Overall, this space works! 
I also found out that the room’s wall color is Alaskan Husky by Benjamin Moore –  which is the paint color I was considering for our family room and kitchen. I’m sold!

Hello Gorgeous Wallpaper – Remember Me???

by Filed Under: wallpaper


A while ago, I wrote a post about our new wallpaper and I mentioned some other gorgeous prints that they offered. I came across one print in particular that I loved! My mind started spinning, and I started to imagine an entire room built around this wallpaper:

via 
I love the fun, whimsical feel of the traditional print. In this previous post, I wrote about wanting to design a room using this paper. So for this Thursday, I created a design for all of you with this gorgeous peacock in mind:

I imagined a living room with traditional, modern and whimsical elements. The peacock wallpaper would go on one main wall in the space, while the rest of the walls would be a light shade of blue/gray. The sofa and armchair are traditional with a modern twist and are paired with the modern zig zag rug. The whimsical feather chandelier was chosen to compliment the peacock wallpaper. The rustic, weathered coffee table reminds me of nature and works well with a nature inspired wallpaper. The fabrics in the space help tie the paper’s colors together and give a modern, fun twist to the space. That’s my design thought for the day! 

Have you ever thought of  designing a space around one object or pattern?

To see the source list for this room, go here.



If My Blog Was A Room – Next Up – ROOMS

by Filed Under: blog room series


It’s Wednesday and time again for 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 Melissa here, from her blog ROOMS. I have recently discovered her amazing design blog, and we have become fast friends! She has a great eye for design, and I can’t wait to see what she came up with. Here is her great blog header:

And here is what she came up with. Take it away, Melissa!

Hi everyone!  If my blog were a room it would look something like this…

I love the neutral and sophisticated colors in this office space spiced up with the brightly patterned window treatment and accessories.  I drool over this image every time I see it, so I can totally envision myself working there each day! 
via decor pad

On the wall would be something like this to display paint chips, fabric samples, and other inspiration.
A beautifully accessorized bookcase with a brightly painted or upholstered back would be a MUST!  Though I have to admit, there would be no ‘horns’ in mine – it’s not really my thing!

In a dream world, I would have fresh flowers every day sitting on my desk.

via

A Barcelona Chair would be there, of course – need I say more!

The room would open up to a beautiful deck with over-sized hanging swings and a view of the beach…ahhh!
Thanks Amber for having me be apart of your series!

Thanks so much for being here, Melissa! I love the idea of a chic, white Barcelona chair and adding a pop of color behind book shelves. And the addition of fresh cut flowers would brighten up any work space! To check out more of Melissa’s great ideas, visit her design blog here.