Amber B Design Studio

Interior Design & Decoration for the South Florida region

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Happy Holidays from Our Home to Yours

December 18, 2024 by Amber Filed Under: amber b design at home, deck the halls, design, holiday, interior design

I haven’t written here is a while, so I thought it would be a special time of year to come back and wish everyone a happy holidays! If you follow me on instagram, you may have already seen some of these snippets of our home decked out for Christmas. It’s always fun for me to add new decor ideas each holiday. Gotta love those early clearance sales! More on that in a minute! Here are a few images of our home with all the holiday spirit…

This garland and velvet ribbon were fun Amazon finds and the battery powered warm lights are from Lowe’s. They are on a timer and go on for six hours, then automatically turn off for 18! I love that I don’t even have to think about them. These lights are currently 50% off!

I also wrapped lights around this simple garland from Target. It’s sold out this year, but a similar garland can be found HERE. And the deer is also a Target find from many years ago!

Our tree is a slim, faux tree filled with all of our favorite memory ornaments! I love having the lights on the tree as much as possible, but also don’t want them to burn out before Christmas. This is a pre lit tree and most of the lights don’t work anymore, so I threw in about four new strands this year.

I mentioned at the beginning of this post, that I love early holiday decor sales! Mcgee and Co had an amazing sale on their faux trees, so I ordered this one in the corner of our living room! It came in a gray plastic pot and I wanted to elevate the look. So after seeing an idea over on Emily A Clark and chatting about it with my mom, I went for it! I took an extra lamp shade I had and turned it upside down to use as a tree collar. I loved the look, but my shade was a bit too tall. So I improvised and added a couple books under the tree to better fit the scale.

We have been collecting nutcrackers for years and we switch it up every now and then. This is our first home without a fireplace and mantel, so they all have a spot on our foyer dresser!

And last but not least, my mini wreaths behind my island counter stools! I use the same Amazon velvet ribbon from the stair garland and attach the wreaths by tying a bow. It’s always the first decoration I add each year and it can honestly be kept out all winter! I hope you enjoyed our Holiday tour! Happy Holidays from our home to yours!!

Ready for the New Year!

January 17, 2023 by Amber Filed Under: #ProjectClassicCoastal, #projectclassicliving, amber b design, amber b design at home, family room, living room, local clients

It has been a while since I have opened up this blog and did some writing! I do miss it and want to check in every now and then with changes around our home, design project updates and anything and everything design. So, let’s jump right in! After the holidays, the house always feel so much more bare than before the tree went up. That wall where the tree stood was empty before Christmas, but why does it feel so bare now?!? So, I do what I have always done and shop around my home to switch things up and breathe new life into old accessories. Of course, that becomes a domino effect and moving things from one room to another leaves an empty space where the accessory was before! It’s never ending, but fun at the same time.

Our tree was to the left of the television in our family room. So… not liking that empty space after the holidays, I moved our living room ladder in there!

An old ladder with a new home!

I love the casual, family friendly vibe the ladder brings to this room. I think it was always better suited in here! As a reminder, here is the ladder in its first location, our living room-

Without the ladder in the living room, that corner is now a bit empty…

I have always admired the look of a tree in a home, but for some reason, I am just not seeing it in here. So I decided to look at Pinterest for some inspiration and came upon Shea McGee’s family room and her pedestal in the corner…

Inspiration via Studio McGee

I think that idea is a perfect solution for my space, because I can change out the greenery and vase from time to time and seasonally! So, I will keep you posted on that corner of our living room when I find the detail pieces.

My design business, Amber B Design, has been having fun making houses feel like home and transforming the look of a space! Over at Project Classic Living, the office bookcase is in and all styled up!

The office bookcase

Stay tuned, because I have much more design afters to share with you! I will definitely check back into the blog and write more often, as it’s a new year’s goal for me to write and catalog fun things in design. Here’s to a great new year and as always, thanks for stopping by!

It’s Been a While…

February 10, 2021 by Amber Filed Under: #ProjectClassicCoastal, amber b design, amber b design at home, design, personal

I’m still here, even though it’s been such a long time since hitting submit on a blog post! There have been so many times I wanted to start writing and then you know… life gets busy, this past year was crazy, that I kept procrastinating on the first post back. I have been keeping up every now and then on Instagram (AmberBDesign), but have always loved writing in this creative outlet. So where to begin?!? A few posts back, you can scroll down and see that I show pictures of our “new home.” Well, that was a new home for just a little while, lol! We had an amazing opportunity to move and relocate from NY to South Florida and we jumped at the opportunity. It’s funny how we didn’t move for almost 15 years and then we move twice in less than one year! But, we saw it as an amazing adventure for our family and now we want everyone we know to come to the sunshine state! Little did we realize that a few months after moving, Covid would hit. Moving here allowed us to spend so much time outside. I also had waaaaay much more time than I thought at home organizing and getting our house to feel like a home. So without further adieu, if you haven’t seen it on Instagram, here is a little tour…

Our Home

I love this home for all of the natural light that pours in! It’s also a fun experiment to see how our furniture fits into a totally different space. We were able to keep most of it and it’s like it was meant for these rooms. I have future plans for some of these spaces and it will be great to document that progress here on the blog.

And below is one of the reasons why I love living in South Florida…

I have continued with Amber B Design both locally and with E-Design. A local project that is almost complete and almost ready for the final install, #ProjectClassicCoastal …

Rendering by the amazingly talented Jane Gianarelli

If you have made it this far in this lengthy post, thank you!! ๐Ÿ™‚ I hope to be back on this platform more often, sharing design tips, home projects and client design work. It’s been a little over a year since moving here and it’s definitely been a fun adventure! Basically living in flip flops year round is a dream. I do miss our out of town family so much and hope we are all able to reconnect and visit soon!! If this year has taught us anything, it’s definitely to take time for the things that matter most. I’ll be back to share more and thanks for checking in!!

A Little Tour of Our New Home!

June 13, 2019 by Amber Filed Under: amber b design, amber b design at home


What a whirlwind these last few months have been! It’s a fun type of whirlwind, just busy! We have moved about a half hour away from where we were before and slowly but surely, settling in. I have some rooms to show today, but I’m excited for future plans for these spaces, too. I hope you enjoy the tour…

The Dining Room

 

 

 

The dining room in this home is so similar to our last, even down to the linear light fixture.

 

The Living Room

 

 

 

 

This home has plantation shutters, which I love! The plan down the road is to soften the windows with drapes, too. It will add some texture and I know I will have fun deciding on the right fabric!

 

The Family Room

 

 

We don’t use ceiling fans very much, so I can’t wait to find the perfect light fixture to replace the fan. It has been fun seeing how our furniture also works in this home. The layout of the pieces hasn’t changed much and we’ve been enjoying the different details and natural light this home has. I promise more pictures in the future, but I’m still amazed we have some spaces unpacked! It’s safe to say I don’t want to move again anytime soon! ๐Ÿ˜‰ It is a process for sure, but we’re excited for this new adventure. Thanks for following along!!

Holiday Cheer

December 13, 2017 by Amber Filed Under: #ProjectNeutralTrad, #ProjectRusticGlam, amber b design, amber b design at home, design, holiday, inspiration, interior design, personal design style


What a fun and busy time of year! I wanted to check in and show you some holiday inspiration and peeks at client projects. I haven’t gotten around to uploading pictures from this year’s holiday touches around my home, so let’s take a peek from last year…

 

 

{I did the single ornament for this year’s decor, too!}

Last year, we visited my in laws in Italy for Christmas and I love looking back at those photos…

Oh, it was magical!! I’ve been working on some really fun design projects and I can’t wait to see them complete! Several will be all ready in the new year!!

Above is the mantel in #ProjectRusticGlam. This was such a fun room design and I can’t wait to show more!!

Above is a corner of a living room in #ProjectNeutralTrad. We are mid install here, with the shelf styling and getting the drapes ready to hang. Another fun one I can’t wait to share! Speaking of living rooms, we have new furniture in ours and we have been loving it. Extra time reading, playing games and lingering just a bit longer…

chairs

This is such a fun time of year and I know these weeks will fly by. Have a wonderful holiday season and thank you for stopping in to visit my blog! I appreciate you more than you know. Thank you to my wonderful clients for trusting me with their homes. My newfound friendships with you are something I cherish! I can’t wait to see what the new year will bring! Have a safe and wonderful holiday season with those you love!!

Happenings Around Here

September 18, 2017 by Amber Filed Under: #projectclassicgirlsroom, #projectclassicliving, #projectclassictrad, amber b design, amber b design at home, before and after, design, interior design


Long time no blog?!? It’s been long overdue and I’m glad to be back at the keyboard. I think it’s so quick and easy to keep up to date on instagram, that it takes some thought and time to get back into blogging. But I have always loved it and even though it might not be on a regular schedule, I do plan to write here more often! Here are some highlights lately…

Before and After Bathroom design! I worked with a local client on her bathroom overhaul. {#projectclassictrad} This space was original to their 1950 home and it was fun coming up with a classic, timeless design.

Before

 

After

 

 

 

I loved being a part of this transformation! There are still more accessories to install and we will eventually have the space photographed, but it is fun to see how far it has come!

I just presented a new project design for a sweet girl’s room. We originally started working together for their daughter’s nursery and then moved throughout the home. {You may remember #projectclassicliving} We are now redoing the original nursery design into a girl’s bedroom and play room. Here are some of the presentation sheets…

 

 

 

 

I am over the moon in love with these cute fabrics! I can’t wait to see it all come together!! My brother’s wedding is coming up soon and I went out dress shopping. It is a barn wedding in the fall and I know it will be such a picturesque place. This dress is the winner!

 

 

 

I am definitely not a fashion blogger by any means! ๐Ÿ˜‰ This dress is comfortable, should work well in fall weather and a great blend of casual/dressy. {The royal blue dress in the background will be for the rehearsal the night before.} I always have great luck in Ann Taylor! My fast summer time staple was no hair drying and a quick bun with wet hair. I will miss that carefree up do, once the freezing weather gets here!!

We have made it a mission to start going to more state parks. It’s a fun family time adventure and this one did not disappoint…

 

The hiking was tough at times, but the falls and scenery were well worth it!!

I am working on a new living room project where their gorgeous area rug is my color inspiration…

 

 

Isn’t it stunning?!? That will be a fun one, for sure! I will try to stay more in touch and give design updates here on the blog! Happy Monday!!

Snippets of Our Holiday Home

December 22, 2016 by Amber Filed Under: amber b design, amber b design at home, holiday


I can’t believe Christmas is only a few days away! As always, this time of year is busy and fun. I didn’t get around to posting an entire holiday home tour, but wanted to show you little pieces of our home, decked out for Christmas. I like to keep things simple and add little doses of cheer around the house. Whether it’s one ornament on top of a book stack or Christmas beads placed in a dish- it’s all about the little unexpected surprises (and minimal pick up in January!) ๐Ÿ˜‰ Truly, I just love to slow down and spend time with family at this time of year. That’s what it is all about! Enjoy!

 

Nutcrackers- Target Last year

Nutcracker collection- Target, Christmas Tree Shop, Dollar Store

Marble & Wood Star Bookend- Target last year

Happy Holidays to you all! See you in 2017!

Our Living Room Plan

August 11, 2016 by Amber Filed Under: amber b design, amber b design at home, living room, personal design style


Since we have lived in this home, our living room has sat pretty much empty. We do have our secretary desk, ottoman and a chest of drawers, but there has never been any seating in the space. The kids loved using this room as an open play area and took full advantage of our vaulted ceilings for those high three pointers. Now that we have our basement finished and use that as the primary open play space, it’s time to refocus this room and plan for a seating area! The perks of waiting so long to decide on furniture, is that I have overthought this room for many years, have decided against some design trends and now have a plan to stick with! I decided to go with a grouping of four chairs, as opposed to a sofa. I have gone back and forth with this idea and I am now certain this is what I want to do!

A drawing of a table with four chairs.

This is the quick floor plan rendering I came up with for our living room. This is the first room off of the foyer, so it makes the initial impression of our home. With it’s high ceilings, I went with a dark brown, almost black paint color {Mink by Benjamin Moore}. I will stick with that wall color for now. This space also opens up to our dining room, so I want the decor to flow well from there. Here are the two spaces, as they are now:

 

A living room with a table and chair, lamp, picture and china cabinet.

 

A lamp sitting on top of a wooden table.

 

A mirror reflecting the interior of a room.

 

A dresser with two lamps and a mirror

 

A dining room table with chairs and flowers in the center.

 

A dining room table with six chairs and a mirror.

All Images by Sarah Heppell Photography

We will take out the chest of drawers and table lamps and move that vignette to the dining room. This will free up some square footage and I will add two floor lamps to the back wall. That round mirror above the chest of drawers will be replaced with oversized art work. The small black accent table and lamp off of the foyer will relocate and be replaced with a leaning mirror. The more I see this four chair layout, the more I love it! I picture family game nights in this area and just time to sit and read for hours. Here are some of my favorite inspiration images…

A living room with two chairs and a table

Lauren Liess

A living room with two chairs and a table

Melanie Turner

A living room with white walls and furniture.

Southern Living

I am not sure about my center table yet, but I know I want it to be round. I have settled on a chair… the Stocksund from IKEA in the blue and white stripe.

I like that you can select the leg finish, so I will go with black for contrast. I can’t wait to find four matching throw blankets and pillows to add to the chairs. Ooooo- maybe in a buffalo check or plaid!! I have been back and forth about using four chairs, as opposed to a sofa and small accent chairs. The truth is, we have sofas in our basement and family room, so I want to go a bit different in here. Also, these chairs have depth and width, so it can still be comfortable to curl up in these chairs. I will keep you posted as we move along in here. There needs to be some touch up painting first, so baby steps. But now that there’s a plan in writing- it feels more permanent!

 

Project Design Now Reveal!!

March 11, 2016 by Amber Filed Under: accessories and vignettes, amber b design, amber b design at home, before and after, blog, design, mantle, personal design style


The time is here… the reveal of two different spring mantels for Project Design!! You may have seen several of us bloggers hinting on social media {#ProjectDesignNow} about our spring mantels. We have styled them two ways and today is reveal day!! I want to thank Mary Ann of Classic Casual Home and Cindy of Rough Luxe Lifestyle for including me in this fabulous group!

 

A gray circle with the words project design in it.

 

Our mantel is located in our family room and it’s always fun to make some changes and switch it up every now and then. Here is a full look at Option 1…

Spring Mantel Option 1…

A close up of a clock on the wall

 

A close up of a clock on the wall

 

A close up of a clock on the wall

 

A living room with brown couches and fireplace

 

A living room with a couch and fireplace

All Photos above by Sarah Heppell Photography

For mantel option 1, I went with a mixture of vintage and new and meaningful pieces with modern accessories. Starting from the right side, the “B” signifies the first letter in our last name. That is placed in front of a special print from the etsy shop, Pretty Smitten. The print says Be Smitten Every Day. I love its message and that pretty rose quartz background! I like to layer and add texture on mantels, so this beaded jar adds some interesting pattern and is unique. I also like to add round shapes to a mantel, so the clock was an old Target find and does just that. The mini windsor bench holds a special place in my heart, as I found it at an antique market when Mike and I lived in Germany. I will never part with it! And good old Zeus is next to the windsor bench. My kids named him and he is a great find from Target. I often put real ferns and small plants inside, but today- it’s one of the faux succulents that Target carries. {I am seeing a pattern here, that I shop at Target often!} ๐Ÿ™‚

Spring Mantel Option 2…

A fireplace with a mirror above it and a bench in front of the fire place.

A mirror sitting on top of a mantle.

A mirror sitting on top of a mantle.

A mirror and some vases on top of a mantle.

A green ball and some gold letters on top of a white mantle.

A blue and white vase sitting on top of a table.

A mirror, vase and other objects are on the mantle.

For mantel option 2, I also went with a mix of vintage and new. Starting with the right side again, I included the same “B” accessory from the first mantel. That is the only thing I kept for this option. I layered it in front of a spotted print I found at Target. I was so glad I scooped that up when I did, as about a week later, it was gone! I have always loved a hint of animal print somewhere, and this reminded me of cheetah spots. I found a green glass buoy from Home Goods. I like that it reminds me of the water and spring and summer activities. The rope detail adds some texture and interest. The ’round’ element that I love to add to mantels is now seen in both the buoy and this Federal mirror, which was a Christmas gift from my mom. It is the Ken Fulk Federal mirror from Pottery Barn and I love the vintage vibe it brings to the space. Not to mention that stunning aged brass! Adding a mirror to the mantel has been fun, as it reflects our ceiling pendant. The blue and white urns were antique shop finds. I decided to put a faux palm leaf from Pottery Barn inside the smaller urn, to bring a touch of nature to the mantel. I could also switch it out for fresh flowers, if I could remember to keep fresh water inside!

So there you have it! My spring mantel styled two ways! Which option would you choose???

Here are some tips to changing up your mantel for spring, or any time of the year:

Mantel Styling Tips

Add meaningful pieces and a mix of vintage and new to bring a collected over time style to your mantel

Layer pieces in front of each other and stand back every now and then to access what you have and what you need to add

Add different shapes, such as a round mirror, clock and mix that with a square or rectangle frame

I hope this got you ready to add some spring touches to your mantel! Now it’s the fun part… let’s check out the amazing bloggers who have transformed their mantels! They are such a talented group of ladies and I have been thrilled to be a part of this with them. Show these ladies some love:

ciao! newport beach
classic • casual • home
Dimples and Tangles
Garden Home and Party
Katiedid
Lisa Mende Design
Lucy Williams Interiors
Rough Luxe Lifestyle
The Pink Pagoda

A gray circle with the words project design in it.

Add Some Flowers!

February 9, 2016 by Amber Filed Under: #projectvintagegem, amber b design, amber b design at home, design, flowers, interior design, personal design style, sarah heppell photography


Just when we thought spring weather was around the corner over here, it started snowing today! It doesn’t show any sign of letting up, so I thought it would be fun to bring spring inside. The best way I know how to do that, is with a vase of fresh flowers. Flowers instantly warm up a room, any time of year. I am always drawn to the flower section of our grocery store, because I know what an impact they make to any room in your home. When I had our home and Project Vintage Gem photographed, I added some fresh flowers to most of the spaces. Boy did that make a difference! That and the wonderful photography talents of Sarah Heppell. ๐Ÿ™‚ So, here’s a round up of rooms that bring that spring time vibe, even if it’s freezing cold where you are!!

Our Home

A living room with white walls and furniture.

 

A basket with a plate and vase of flowers on it.

{hydrangeas and tulips are always my go to flowers of choice!!}

A dining room table with chairs and flowers in the center.

 

A living room with a couch and chairs in it

Project Vintage Gem

A dining room table with chairs and a clock on the wall.

 

A mirror and table in the corner of a room.

 

 

A couple of crates sitting on top of each other.

Amber B Design, Photos by Sarah Heppell

So if you are in need of some spring or you just want a cheerful change, add some fresh flowers today!!

 

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Amber... a wife, mom and interior decorator. I am the writer of Simple Dwellings and the designer behind Amber B Design. Blog topics are all things design, with the occasional DIY attempt! Thanks for stopping by Read more...

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