Amber B Design Studio

Interior Design & Decoration for the South Florida region

What is the A La Carte Option All About?

by Filed Under: design, e-decorating, e-design


When I show you my recent design work, I realized that I don’t usually include an a la carte board. If you were to choose an A La Carte Design package, that could include drapery selection, sofa pillows, gallery wall ideas, just to name a few. It’s priced per room and is a great way to have design services for one particular item. My most recent client was looking for matching table lamps for one of her rooms. With this design option, I presented a board with three choices, all fitting within budget and style.

{click on board to make larger}

For this particular board, I also included a few styling ideas to give the client a design vision for the tables.

This design package would also work for:

-Resale Styling Tips
-Paint Color Selection
-Area Rug Ideas

Visit my Design Services links either at the top of my blog or on my sidebar, and scroll to the bottom to see this design package!

And thank you to the Room Mates Decor blog for featuring my mom’s amazing chevron stairs! Stop by and check it out here.

Dark, Moody Rooms

by Filed Under: design, e-decorating, e-design, paint colors, personal design style


I recently wrapped up an e-design project where we went super dark with the master bedroom walls. The chosen color was Graphite by Benjamin Moore, and it’s gorgeous!

Since this client has a ton of natural light in this space, it was just the moodiness we needed without it being too much. Just picture this color with ivory and brass accents! Here is Graphite in other amazing rooms found via pinterest…

And here is the Master Bedroom e-design board I created for this client…
{Click on board to make larger}
Can’t wait to see it all come together! How about you… have you painted any walls super dark??

A Client Before and After: Art on the Wall!

by Filed Under: design, e-decorating, e-design, personal design style


My recent post here showed some e-design projects I have been working on. I am super excited to show some afters today, with the art installed in the master bedroom! It literally feels like Christmas morning when I get these after photos in my inbox. Since I am not able to be there in person with e-design, it is so gratifying to see the vision come to reality. So thank you so much to my client for these photos!  🙂

My client was looking for a trio of art pieces to go above the bed. Here is her room before the art:

Before:

Isn’t it a beautiful space?? And here are the afters, with the new art all framed up:

After:

I love how the art finishes that space above the bed, and my client did a great job installing them! Originally, I had suggested different frames, and my client decided to go with this similar version. I think they work beautifully, and it goes to show you that two minds can definitely be better than one! I love the collaboration between client and decorator. It makes it such a fun partnership! The fabric like matting adds great texture to the wall space and the antiqued silver frames balance well with the dark furniture.

Thanks again to my client for allowing me to show these photos on the blog. The amazing art can be found here.

Loving Overlays

by Filed Under: design, e-decorating, e-design, personal design style


When shopping for a client, I always try to suggest ways to work with what you’ve got and bring life back into older pieces. When one of my recent clients mentioned she had an IKEA dresser, I immediately thought of the innovative product Overlays to spruce up this piece and make it look chic and custom. If you haven’t heard, let me tell you all about this genious idea! Cheryle Rhuda and Danika Herrick created this innovative product when they saw a gap in the market for easy and inexpensive ways to dress up furniture. Overlays are lighweight, paintable fretwork panels that can be applied to not only furniture, but mirrors, bookshelves and anything you can imagine! What I love about it, is that they are also specially made to fit IKEA furniture! When you visit the ‘IKEA to Overlays’ section of their blog, they show you what fretwork panels work best with each IKEA furniture piece. Here are some amazing after shots of projects using Overlays…

There are so many creative ways to use this! Even if you don’t live near an IKEA, you can transform so many furniture pieces and accessories. You can check out their blog and see more amazing transformations HERE.

Recent E-Design Projects

by Filed Under: design, e-decorating, e-design, personal design style


I have been happily busy with some fun e-design projects! Both of these projects are for the same client, looking to make some changes to her spaces and add splashes of modern color. First up, the keeping room directly off of the kitchen…

{Click on images to make larger}

This stylish client already had the chevron rug and Chiang Mai dragon pillows. We just added new seating, tables and splashes of color! The color swatch on the top left is a gorgeous deep green color and will be the TV console color choice! Can’t wait to see it all come together!

Next up, we selected new artwork to go over her bed…

This is the option she chose, and it will look beautiful all framed up!

As spring is getting {hopefully} closer and closer, now is a great time to make changes and updates to your home!

Spring couldn’t get here fast enough! If you follow me on instagram {amberbinteriors} I posted a picture of our thermometer this morning. We’re in the negatives… not fun!

Give the Gift of E-Design This Holiday Season!

by Filed Under: e-decorating, e-design, personal design style


Now that I am happily stuffed from turkey and trimmings, I am starting to think about Christmas decorating and shopping! {How did this happen so fast?} As I started to think about gift giving, I wondered how many others were like me and daydreamed about design related presents?? If you’re wondering what to buy the person in your life that loves to decorate and has discussed making some changes… give the gift of e-design!

 {A breakfast nook and living room for the same client.}
E-Design is a great way to put a decorator’s touch on a space! The process is done completely through e-mail and is a fun way to pull the room together yourself, with the help of a decorator’s eye!
I have 3 spots left for January. Click HERE to view all of the design packages, then fill out the client form link at the bottom of the page!
Happy Holiday Shopping!
By the way, do you spy the beautiful burlap placemats on the first design board? They are from Renee’s shop and can be purchased HERE. Also on that board, you can see how the amazing Emily framed her placemats into art for the kitchen!

Creating a Functional Floor Plan and a Huge Giveaway!

by Filed Under: e-decorating, e-design, floor plan, personal design style


When working with design clients, I love putting the floor plan together and drawing things to scale. It’s like pieces of a puzzle that need to find their correct spot. With floor plan puzzles, however, there are always different solutions, rather than only one configuration. Especially with large, open living spaces. Here are some possible layout ideas for that large great room…

The sofa facing the fireplace with occassional chairs, side by side:

Sofas facing each other:

When creating a floor plan, function is a top priority. How will the client use the space? Here are the top things to consider when putting the floor plan together:

1. Where is the television? Make sure the main seating option faces the TV. Always having to turn your head when watching TV will get old, real quick.

2. Are there enough side tables for drinks? A great rule of thumb is to have a table within arms reach for every seat. 

3. Make sure there is great flow between seating spots. You don’t want your guests to have to do cartwheeels to get to their seat.

4. Pull the seating away from the walls and allow the arrangement to be close together. This makes for an intimate conversation area with great flow around your seating. If you are able to pull your sofa away from the wall, make sure to have a console behind the sofa. It is much more interesting than looking at the back of your sofa! (I am all talk and no action on this one, since my floating sofa does not have a console at the moment! But, I digress…)

How about you… do you have a favorite floor plan arrangement?
Also, today’s the start of the amazing Stuff the Stockings Giveaway! 15 bloggers and a bunch of sponsors have teamed up to create 12 amazing prize packages! I am honored Melissa asked me to be one of the sponsors. I will be giving away an accessory design package. Stop by Melissa’s blog HERE to enter! The winners will be announced on Cyber Monday, Nov. 26th. Good luck!

7 Table Styling Tips

by Filed Under: e-decorating, e-design, personal design style, styling


If you are anything like me, your coffee and end tables are not always styled to perfection. Life gets in the way- newspapers, magazines and just about anything can take over! Just before you’re about to upload house photos on pinterest, share on your blog or get ready to entertain, check out my fast and fun styling tips!

1. Pair the simple with the unexpected. A stack of books looks unique with a magnifying glass, or a treasure on top!

2. Bring everyday items together with sculptural pieces. Here are more books! They are the best first layer to any table. When something sculptural is placed on top, it instantly adds texture and interest.

3. Fresh flowers- one can never go wrong with that!

4. Whimsical Bookends! These can be placed on a console or even a large coffee table. Your favorite book will always be nearby, while also looking stylish in the meantime!

Source: westelm.com via Amber on Pinterest

5. Baskets! They are a great way to add texture to a space while also a perfect spot for storage and small books.

6. Small frames filled with the ones you love! That is always the best accessory. (Check out the side tables, not Uma and John!)  🙂

7. Place a bowl of found treasures on a table. It can be nature inspired or something that reminds you of a fun outing!

Do you have a favorite styling tip that is not on this list?? Please share!

My Favorite On Line Shops for Clients (and Myself!)

by Filed Under: design, design services, e-decorating, e-design, new design source


I have been busy with e-decorating projects lately. As I was sourcing pieces for clients, I realized that there are several stores I often go back to, knowing they have reliable, pretty things. So I thought it would be fun and useful to pile that into one post. Here are my favorite go to shopping sources for clients (and myself!)

West Elm for pretty much, anything!

Home Decorators Collection for mirrors and rugs.
Anthropologie is a bit pricey, so I usually just source knobs and hardware. The choices are beautiful and would take any furniture piece to the next level.
Etsy is a great source for accessories, pillows and art. You can type key words into the search engine and great sources pop up! I find a lot of my new favorite shops that way.
After I find my etsy pillows, I come to Pottery Barn for the down filled inserts. The prices are surprisingly affordable for inserts.
Z Gallerie is a great source for unique accessories. They can be pricey, so I usually suggest a piece and then ask e-design clients to check out Marshall’s first. You may find a similar option for less!
World Market is an amazing source for great looks for less!
What are your favorite go to sources for shopping? Join the conversation- I can’t wait to see what you love!

Completed Projects and Thanks

by Filed Under: design, design services, e-decorating, e-design


Hope everyone is doing well! Is time flying for any of you, or is it just me? It seems like there are less hours in the day, lately. Time flies when you’re having fun, I guess. 🙂  I have some completed e-design projects to show you all- a living room and a master bedroom! These spaces are for two separate clients. I love when projects can be so different, yet share a common thread.

Living Room (Click on images to make larger)

For the client’s living room, she had most of the furniture pieces in place and needed some side tables and accessories to pull it all together. She has this gorgeous secretary desk which we will paint a dark color. I can’t wait to see the results!

Master Bedroom

This client was looking to make some major changes in her master bedroom. We will start with this new farmhouse bed- it will be stunning. Adding pops of color through the drapery and art will give this space great character.

Both clients love to mix new with vintage and love antique pieces. They are girls after my own heart, because I also believe that an eclectic mix of new and old, modern with traditional, makes a space that much more interesting and unique. It really speaks to the homeowner’s style and personality when treasures are added to a room! What I also appreciate about both of these clients is the ability to just roll with it when things don’t go as planned. We had some minor snafus and changes along the way, such as the drawer pulls not fitting with the pre drilled desk holes, furniture refinishing mishaps, etc. I am truly blessed to be able to work with such amazing clients and fun people! It has been a true joy!

Make sure to check back later this week for some photos of our fall mantel! Now the pressure is on to finish!  🙂

I also want to give a huge thank you to Patty from her blog, Patty’s Epiphanies for nominating Simple Dwellings for the Liebster Award! Thank you so much! Stop by Patty’s blog, where there is always so much great inspiration!