Amber B Design Studio

Interior Design & Decoration for the South Florida region

Before and After: Project Classic Living {The Bathroom}

by Filed Under: #projectclassicliving, amber b design, bathroom, before and after, design class, local clients


We are now at the final day of the before and after series from Project Classic Living. To catch up on all of the previous posts for this home design, visit HERE. I love this house and working with these clients. We have other future projects in the works, so this is not the end of this gorgeous home tour. My clients had already been working with a contractor for the bathroom and brought me in for the finishing touches and to bounce off ideas for the overall design aesthetic. I actually created a pinterest board for this design and you can view it HERE for comparison between inspiration and final result. We discussed a couple of different flooring options and patterns and they ultimately decided on the hexagon tiles, which work so well with the home’s traditional charm and character. There is a dramatic difference between the before and after, since plumbing was moved and the space was completely gutted. The after pictures are by the talented Sarah Heppell. Enjoy!

Before

A bathroom with a toilet, sink and mirror.

 

A bathroom with green and white tile, sink and tub.

 

After

A bathroom with white tile floors and walls.

 

A bathroom with a sink, mirror and flowers in the vase.

 

A bathroom with white cabinets and a sink.

 

A vase filled with pink flowers on top of a table.

 

 

A bathroom with white walls and a sink.

 

A bathroom with white tile and a sink.

After Photos by Sarah Heppell

I hope you enjoyed the home tour and the before and after series! It was so much fun for me to look back at where we began and then how we finished. And this bathroom, even with its deeper and longer vanity, looks bigger now than before! I love when that happens. We added function and the appearance of more square footage. Win, win!!

 

Progress over at Project Classic Living

by Filed Under: #projectclassicliving, amber b design, central new york design, design class, local clients


Earlier this week, I stopped over at Project Classic Living to check on some amazing progress that has been made and to add some final accessories. You can also continue to check on the progress on instagram, @amberbdesign and search the hash tag #projectclassicliving

You’ll have to excuse these grainy i phone pictures. I hope to get on Sarah’s schedule soon, for a photography session! In the foyer, the sunburst mirrors have been added to the gallery wall going up the stairs, completing that portion of the space.

A staircase with many pictures on the wall

mirrors, oversized frames

A driftwood sphere was added to the entry table and a blue tray was relocated from the living room, to add a layering effect.

A table with a lamp and mirror in front of it

mirror, driftwood & lamp- home goods, entry table

The living room has the new drapes and hardware up! I love the greek key fabric and how it finishes off the room.

A table with a lamp and mirror in front of it

drapery fabric, chairs, rug, wall art

I love using petite tables in living rooms, as they are easy to move around, when needed. The small marble top table next to the leather recliner {yes, that’s a recliner!} can easily be relocated to the sectional or gray club chairs at the back of the room. Versatile design is important to me when decorating spaces.

A table with a lamp and mirror in front of it

petite table & leather recliner, coffee table

There is still some styling pieces to be added to the coffee table, but besides that, the room is complete!

A staircase with many pictures on the wall

We will work on the sun room through the french doors, next. All of the wood paneling is being painted, from crown molding to baseboards with a deeply saturated navy blue! There are subtle touches of blue throughout this space and their home, so it will be the crown jewel to finish off the first floor. You may remember that last year, we finished the kitchen eating area, where you see lots of that gorgeous blue…

A dining room table with chairs and a bench

In the dining room, I can’t get enough of the pink ceiling! It adds that warmth and the space just glows under the soft chandelier light, in the evening.

A table with a lamp and mirror in front of it

To bring those white porcelain pieces front and center, we had the back of the built ins painted a dark color. Now, the accessories really pop.

I hope you enjoyed a little glimpse into the project! Stay updated with all things Amber B Design on instagram! {@amberbdesign}

E-Design Project… The Foyer

by Filed Under: amber b design, Bridge Street, design class, e-decorating, e-design


I am back today to share a recent e-design project that I completed. I have worked with these wonderful clients before on their kitchen, dining room and den. We have now moved onto the foyer! It’s so fun to be a part of several rooms in a client’s home. Not only do you get to know them and establish a great designer/client relationship, but you also get to tie the design ideas into other rooms in their home. This is one of my favorite room designs as of late. I love how the colors came together, in comparison to the other nearby rooms we decorated. A foyer is your guest’s first impression of your home, so why not pack a fun punch with the design?!?

The Design…

 

A collage of different items including furniture and mirrors.

 

I wanted to give this family a laid back, coastal style. They love the beach and I hope this design gives subtle nods to their favorite vacation spots! The upholstered bench really brings the color palette together and compliments what we have accomplished in the nearby rooms. The teal/indigo area rug color is pulled from the hues in the bench. The chinoiserie vase prints will go near the front door and it is the continuation of the blue that makes it all flow. The acrylic base of the console lamp allows the room to feel light and airy, not taking up too much visual space. They have already began putting the foyer design together and I can’t wait to see the results!

 

 

What I Learned in Design Class part 2

by Filed Under: design class


I am back today, sharing more of what I learned so far in design class. In no time at all, we were diving right in, pairing up in teams and role playing the designer/client experience! We each had to be the client and come up with a room that needed design work. Then, we switched and became the designer, giving the vision for the space. As the client, we had to give a detailed list of what the room already had and what we wanted to change. We then came up with questions for the designer and got ready to discuss our vision for the space. When I was the client, I decided to remodel our bathroom, since we really are planning that renovation. The role playing designer came up with great ideas and really listened to my suggestions. (Which is what I will always try and do for real clients. I think that part is so important.) When I was role playing the designer, the client chose her master bedroom. She has an older, historic home with wood floors and plenty of original details. The previous owners had painted the floors and now the paint is peeling. She was looking for a romantic cottage feel for the space and loved the color purple. My mind immediately started spinning with ideas! I suggested she sand and stain the floors a dark walnut brown color. This will hide any imperfections in the floor and help bring the original look back into the space. I also suggested a light purple, with gray undertones for the walls, with one wall wallpapered in a large damask print. This will act as the focal wall, and the wallpaper will go on the wall behind the bed. To neutralize the rest of the space, I suggested crisp white bedding, with accent pillows in various shades of purple. (I thought the color combination of white, gray/purple and brown was a nice combination.) This is a wordy post, isn’t it? Well, if you made it this far- thanks! Here are some pretty master bedrooms that are inspirations for the above space. Enjoy!

All images via

If you would like to transform your dwellings, please e-mail me at [email protected] and visit my design services page link above for more information. I am ready to start decorating!

What I Learned in Design Class

by Filed Under: beach inspired, design class


A while back, I mentioned that I would take design classes this summer. I just wrapped up the first session of classes and plan to continue more sessions in the fall. It’s amazing what one can learn in just a few classes. I am starting to feel much more confident in the planning and drawing stages of a room’s layout. This first session taught me about drawing rooms to scale, properly using the graph paper to sketch out the room and all of its components. We even split up into teams and measured the classroom. That was definitely a challenge, as our room just happened to have so many bulkheads and odd corners. Nevertheless, I am so excited to continue and know this is the path for me! We ended this session by creating our own room design and sketch, including purpose of the room, window and door placement and choosing the room’s design style. (Of course, I chose a traditional/modern room!) We stayed about a half hour after class, picking the teacher’s brain about what it is like to have a successful design firm. That was also so informative for me! Sorry that I don’t have any pictures of class time, but I will leave you today with some amazing beach inspired spaces!

 All of the above images via
Image via

Happy Wednesday!