Amber B Design Studio

Interior Design & Decoration for the South Florida region

Why This Works

by Filed Under: why works series


Happy Friday and welcome to the series Why This Works… where I highlight a designed space and talk about why I think it’s perfection. This gorgeous dining room comes to you from Trad Home and was designed by Lauren Gold and Sasha Adler. These two Nate Berkus designers were chosen by Trad Home as two of the 20 Designers to watch!

All images via Trad Home

This living space opens up beautifully to the kitchen and is a relaxing place to entertain and unwind! The bold stripes and large scale of the carpet give the traditional space a modern flair. The coffee table and sofas are also large in scale, fitting beautifully in this grand living room. The scrolled arms and tufting of the cream sofa works well paired with the modern, sleek arms of the upholstered side chairs. The natural woven daybed is in the space for additional seating and gives a natural element to the living room design. The neutral wall color and drapery allow the black shades on the sconces to stand out and shine! Hanging above the fireplace is a beautiful piece of oversized art, allowing your eye to see the true height in the space. Overall, this space works, and I can see why these two talents were among the 20 designers to watch this year!

Happy long Labor Day Weekend!

How to Style Your Shelves

by Filed Under: guest room, shelf styling


Shelf styling is something I always work on… for me, it takes some time with editing. I have to look at it, walk away, come back to look again… it’s a process for me. I think that beautiful shelf styling is an art and a beautiful way to express your personal style. There are so many ways to style shelves: the main focus can be for organization, or just a place to display treasures and finds. Here are some inspiring ways to style shelves, all via Pinterest.

I love the detail added to the last image- painting the back of the shelves a different color is a great way to add more style to the space and help to bring in an accessory color. It also allows the items on the shelves to pop against the different color. I also love the idea of adding a mirror or artwork somewhere on or inside the shelves. It’s a creative way to add some different elements to the mix! I have also loved using the shelf space for extra pillows. There are so many gorgeous pillow fabrics out there that look like a piece of art. Why not display them where all can see! And here is my interpretation of shelf styling- these shelves are in our guest room. After some editing, here is where we are now-

What do you like to add to your shelves?

Why This Works

by Filed Under: why works series


Happy Friday 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 comes to you from House Beautiful and is designed by Annie Selke.

Image via Houe Beautiful. Designed by Annie Selke.
This room is part of a vacation home, so Annie wanted to give them a relaxed feel and oversized tables for recreation and games. The color palette of blues, greens and pale yellows are a perfect combination when thinking about a vacation home. The serene, casual backdrop is fun paired with its colorful use of pattern. The circular shapes in the game tables are repeated in the glass accessories and lamp shade. Even the curve details of the window casings reflect and add to all of the wonderful shapes in the space. The solid color sofa is casual and practical with its slipcovers and works well with the patterns in the drapery and pillows. The space feels warm and inviting with the stacks of books and greenery on the oversized coffee table. Overall, this space works beautifully for a vacation home! I’m ready to hit the beach!    ï»¿

Entertaining In Style

by Filed Under: entertaining, tablescapes


With my good friend’s wedding coming up, I have parties and entertaining on the brain! I love the thoughtful, fun details that can go into a party, making it a memorable experience for all who attend. Her bridal shower was one of the most creative, beautiful parties I have ever been to. The family of the bride put so much thought and care into the handmade details. I thought I would share some fun, colorful and pretty entertaining ideas and tablescapes with you today. Enjoy!

All images via Rue
I love that desserts and treats look more like art when they are fun and colorful. The bold, bright pattern plates also make the desserts look that much more inviting. I definitely have to try the idea of wrapping veggies and treats in decorative paper. And party favors look so chic when placed inside a beautiful cloche. Pretty and fun ideas do not have to take a lot of time, and definitely do not go unnoticed!
What entertaining ideas do you love?

Hello Gorgeous Foyer!

by Filed Under: foyer, great design


There are some interior images out there, that instantly catch my eye. It might be the wall color, floors, lighting, furniture or all of the above… this space has it all! I wish I could go on a house tour, because I bet I would also fall in love with the rest of the home.

This foyer is a jawdropper for me… it is chic, neutral, fun and oh so stylish! That gorgeous glossy black door opens up to the most amazing dark stained floors. I love the risk they took by painting the ceiling black. The shiny finish glows with the reflection from the drum shade lights. You get a glimpse into the living room and outdoor space, with the neutral, classic drapery and woven shades. The pops of orange make the space fun, modern and inviting. I am ready to move in!

What are your thoughts on this space?

A Friend’s Stencil Reveal!

by Filed Under: damask, stencil


Happy new week to everyone! I am super excited to show a beautiful stencil reveal today! A little while back, I hosted a giveaway from Olive Leaf Stencils, and the lucky winner was Anne from Hello Newman’s. She decided to order the Damask Stencil No. 1, which is so beautiful. I was so happy to see her before and after photos of the amazing stencil transformation. It looks stunning and it is a perfect fit for her master bedroom.

All images via Anne’s blog post here.
Thanks so much for letting me share your gorgeous reveal, Anne! It turned out amazing. Stop by and see the beautiful transformation and read about some stencil tips here.

Why This Works

by Filed Under: why works series


Happy Friday and welcome to the series Why This Works… where I highlight a designed space and talk about why (I think) it’s perfection. This cheerful living room space comes from House Beautiful and is designed by Jonathan Rosen. This space instantly brings a smile to my face, with its playful use of color and chic, whimsical furniture selections.

The natural, subtle rug and creamy white walls works great paired with the pops of pink and blue in the room’s fabrics. The candlestick lamps have the same playful curves as the fun end chairs, making the space more cohesive and thoughtful. All of the white in the space, including the garden stool, curtain rods and walls allows the color in the accessories and fabrics to really shine! I love the way the designer decided to use the same fabric, but in two different colors, bringing the whole look together. The large traditional style coffee table and sofa looks more modern with all of the bright colors and fabrics in the space. Overall, this space works!  ï»¿

A Steal of a Deal!

by Filed Under: great deal, guest room


I have spoken a lot about one of my current projects- making changes to our guest room! I have so many ideas in my head and have even begun some projects in the space. I have been on the hunt for a new table lamp and finally found one! I have been looking at this lamp for a while, but thought I could find a better deal. Well, sometimes it pays to look again- it went on an amazing sale! I bought this lamp base on clearance for only $14.99!! WHAT! And the shade was also a clearance find for $6.00. A new lamp for about $21.00 works for me.

This lamp was from Target- I love that store! Now, I want to add some decorative trim to the top and bottom of the lamp shade for added interest and to tie in an accessory color. Also on the list, is to replace the lovely Valerie Bertinelli image with an actual photo of someone I know! This green frame on the end table was a great TJ Maxx find for only $10.00, designed by Valerie Bertinelli. (I have yet to take out the original backing!) What I plan to do next in this room:
– Add trim to lamp shade.
– Organize the bedding with some new pillows.
– Paint 2 wide horizontal stripes on the bed wall in a creamy white color.
– Add more art and accessories.

Have you found a “Steal of a Deal” lately? I would love to hear about it- send me an image of your deal, and I’ll include it on my blog!

The Foyer Wallpaper is Up – Before and Afters Revealed!

by Filed Under: before and after, damask wallpaper


I am so excited to write this post- the wallpaper is up! It has been a long journey, as I have been thinking about adding wallpaper to my home for the last year. I went back and forth on what to do and couldn’t be happier for taking the plunge! I also love the look of stencil and thought about that for this space. But being a foyer, I thought this might be the best place to try wallpaper, as it is a heavy traffic area. My mom taught me some of her great tips, since this was my first wallpaper application! The hubby also helped as my wing man and the results are pretty good- it was actually easier than I anticipated. I will end this post with some wallpaper hanging tips, but for now, let’s get to the before and afters!

Before


After
The walls in the foyer were painted Powell Buff by Benjamin Moore. The color was a nice, soft neutral, but I wanted a dramatic change. The wallpaper that I chose is a large print damask and can be found here. I searched and searched and finally found a pretty great deal. I don’t have anything up on the walls yet, because I want to be 100% sure about what I hang up- I’m still a little afraid to put holes in the wallpaper! I have had some ideas for the coat rack corner: while the red coat rack is practical, I am looking for a change. I was thinking of replacing it with a bench, some pillows and a large intricate mirror above the bench. What are your thoughts?? And for the large wall leading into the kitchen, I was thinking about hanging a gallery of empty frames in a glossy black finish. Those are my ideas for now.
And now for some wallpaper hanging tips:
1. I found some very helpful articles here.
2. Thoroughly read the directions that come with the wallpaper. The most important one was to alternate rolls when hanging the panels. Let’s say you have 2 rolls you are working with: the best way to save on pattern repeat and paper is to use roll 1, then 2. I would go back and forth that way, and it was amazing how much paper I saved. This damask print had a 20 1/2 inch repeat, which could lead to a lot of waste when you are matching up the pattern for your next panel.
3. Before placing your paper in the water, clearly mark which end is the top. I would use a pencil and write “top” on the back. This way, you know you won’t forget!
There we have it! Check back soon, to see how the accessories are placed. Do you have any ideas for what to hang on the walls?

Linking up to:

Choosing Fabrics for Your Space

by Filed Under: e-design, fabric


Fabric selection for a room can be tricky… there are so many amazing fabrics out there to choose from, that the task can appear daunting! What I like to do is choose a fabric that has all of the colors in the space, to help tie the room together. Tieing your room’s colors together with fabric allows for the space to have an array of color choices, while also incorporating hues from other rooms, bring multiple spaces together. I recently wrapped up a dining room e-design project, where we went through the process of choosing from multiple fabric selections. I presented the selections to the client with this board:

All of these fabrics can be found here. The client ended up choosing the whimsical bird fabric on the top middle row. It was also my favorite on the board. It’s a Waverly fabric, and we are using it to cover a canvas for art on the wall. When I started to look for fabrics for the art, I wanted to make sure and use all of the room’s colors to bring the space together. The canvas art was the client’s idea, and I loved it! What I love best about e-design is the meeting of the minds and the building of the decorator/client partnership. The client lives in the space and knows it best. When the partnership works well together, we can bounce ideas off each other and design magic happens! This Waverly fabric ties all of the room’s colors together, giving the space a cohesive, thoughtful look. To read more about this design and see the complete design board, go here.