Amber B Design Studio

Interior Design & Decoration for the South Florida region

How One Change Changes Everything

by Filed Under: e-decorating, e-design


I recently wrapped up a living room e-decorating project.  The client was looking for a modern, mid-centurystyled space with neutral furniture and pops of color in the accessories. She also loves graphic prints and wanted them incorporated into the design. Here is one of the boards I came up with:
(Click on design board to make larger)

 Remember my Ombre post? It was inspired by this design! The pops of gold are fun in the space. The oval gold/cream object on the left of the board is actually a dresser knob that I suggested for the media cabinet. I think it would really jazz up the piece! She really loved the design, but we went back and forth on a few options for the area rug. This ended up being a fun little project for me, because I was able to see how one change can change the whole look of the space. Let’s take a peek at replacing the ombre rug with a natural, jute option:

It definitely tones the room down and neutralizes it a bit more. I think the ombre option above might be a little more trendy and help to incorporate our accessory color. When I went with the blue rug, I decided to take out the black and white pillows, as I thought the colors would compete too much.

Which would you choose? I think I know my choice!

Mixing Metals and Wood Finishes

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


I am putting a living room design together for a client and we’re going for a modern, mid century look. I love the idea of mixing metals and wood finishes in a space and plan on doing that here! I think sometimes, people may be afraid to mix metals in a room, thinking they all have to match. If you have a chrome lamp, that doesn’t necessarily mean every metal has to also be in chrome. Why not mix it up with a little gold for an eclectic look?? The same goes for your wood finishes. I love seeing light and dark woods in the same room, just like when mixing design styles. You can really take an everything goes approach, within reason. Here are some great examples of mixing things up…

Light woods with Dark…

Mixing Metals…

 
 
Try it out! You’ll be surpised that it actually goes together!

A Design Board Comes to Life!

by Filed Under: before and after, e-decorating, e-design


I was over the moon excited when I saw some amazing progress photos from one of my recent clients.  Melissa, who writes a great DIY blog, The Happier Homemaker, was the winner of an e-design giveaway that I did a while back.  She wanted some ideas for her master bedroom.  She was looking to make the space feel serene, light and relaxing. Melissa is off to a great start, as she has already painted the room and replaced the lamp shades. She is calling this Phase 1, and here is a little before and after in progress…

Before:

Afters in Progress:

All photos were taken from her blog here.

Melissa did an amazing paint job!! We went with Alaskan Husky by Benjamin Moore. It’s a very soothing shade of blue/gray and helps tie in the warm woods and neutral rug with the gray and white bedding. I suggested she also paint the tray ceiling, drawing your eye up. It’s a great way to take full advantage of the beautiful height in the room. We also replaced the bedside lamp shades with modern, drum shades. I love the subtle difference! We have plans to incorporate a gallery wall around her TV, to make the TV feel like art in the space. It’s a great visual trick! I am so excited to see these Phase 1 photos. To follow the progress on this space and read more about this transformation, follow her blog here!

Master Bedroom E – Decorating Project

by Filed Under: e-decorating, e-design


I truly love what I do. Creating design boards and new spaces for clients is really so much fun. And when you get the opportunity to work with amazing clients, all the better! I recently wrapped up an e-decorating project for Melissa, who was looking to make changes to her master bedroom. She wanted a serene retreat to settle at the end of the day, with warm neutrals and soft blue/grays. Here is the board I came up with:

(Click on image to make larger.)
She has let me know that they already ordered the paint and have purchased some of the accessories! Yay! Melissa also has a great blog, filled with creative DIY projects… stop by and check it out here! For the room image source list, go here.
Are you thinking about making decor changes to your home? Click on the ‘design services’ page at the top of my blog to get started!

Christmas in July Over at Emily A. Clark’s!

by Filed Under: e-design


I am so excited and honored to be included in Emily A. Clark’s Christmas in July post today! I am one of her sponsors this summer and I love this idea she came up with to highlight us! Why not think about Christmas all year long, right?? It’s one of my favorite holidays and I think we all deserve a little getaway from this scorching weather to think of the snow season!  🙂 Some of her sponsors (including me) have really great promotional offers to highlight today! I am offering a complete room design for more than 50% off! The offer starts today and lasts until 7/25. Let’s get shopping!

I started my e-decor business, Amber B Interiors, last year. I am excited to offer a room design promotion to thank you all for your support! Here is a sample of my design work… (Click on images to make larger or to start slide show.)

A Complete Room Design Package includes the following:

* An inspiration board, showing ideas for the space and the direction it is headed.
* A complete design board for the space.
* A detailed description for furniture and accessory placement.
* A detailed source list for all products on the design board.
* Revisions to the design board (if changes need to be made).

Normally, this package is $115. Starting today until Wednesday, July 25th, it will be $55! Click on my Design Services link here or e-mail me at [email protected] to get started.

Also, don’t forget to head on over to Emily’s blog to read more and also see the other amazing sponsors participating in Christmas in July! Why not treat yourself to a little gift?!?

Gathering Inspiration from Design Bloggers

by Filed Under: e-design, inspiration


As I put together my most recent e-design project, I scoured pinterest and some favorite blogs for ideas. I knew the direction this space was going, and knew I could count on these on line sources for beautiful image examples of my ideas! It always amazes me the amount of information out there from which to draw inspiration. This e-design was for a master bedroom and she was looking for a modern, traditional space that felt serene and calm. Here are some of the suggestions I made for this client:

Black Door:

I suggested my client paint her interior doors in her room black. I thought it would feel cocoon like and be a perfect blend of modern with traditional.

Fresh Hydrangeas:

Fresh flowers look great in any space and this is a perfectly inexpensive way to make the master bedroom feel warm and serene. One of my favorite types of flowers are hydrangeas, like the beautiful display above.

Gallery Wall Around TV:

The clients have a similar television in their bedroom and a gallery wall around it is a wonderful way to mask the tv and make it feel part of the art.

Lamp and Book Vignette:
The clients have one night stand that is taller than the other, like this example above. Placing a few books under one lamp is a great way to make the space feel symmetrical and balance out the height difference. 
Thanks to these wonderful decorators for their constant inspiration! More to come on the e-design project, so stay tuned!

An Easy and Inexpensive Way to Hang Art

by Filed Under: e-design, gallery walls, organize


I love the look of gallery walls and the creative, eclectic way art can be displayed.  What I don’t love, though, is the cost of all of the frames. To make some gallery walls appear as if they have been there for years, it can be expensive. A cost effective solution for some of the pieces is to hang them with art clips. I am currently wrapping up with an e-design client and used this easy solution for her space. I suggested to make a gallery wall around her tv in her master bedroom, to help disguise the tv as art. A great way to display an eclectic gallery wall look is to use different frame finishes, a mixture of black and white prints with paintings and the use of art clips for hanging. Here is the art clip I suggested:

 via
This site shows using them with kid’s art, but it can really be adapted to any space. For her room, I suggested spray painting these clips black, to blend in with the other gallery wall suggestions. These clips come in a pack of 3 and include mounting hardware. To ensure the art does not fold or curl on the ends, I suggested to mount the art/photos on canvas boards. Canvas boards can be purchased at Jo Ann Fabrics for $5 for a 3 pack. I started looking through pinterest to see if I could find any images of this idea and here is what I found:

Have you ever tried this idea??
Are you looking to make simple and beautiful changes to your home? Click on the ‘design services’ link at the top of my blog to get started!

E – Design Giveaway!!

by Filed Under: design services, e-design


I am so excited to have my very first e-design giveaway!! I started my e-design business last summer and thought it would be fun to do a Happy 1 Year Giveaway on the blog to thank all of you for your readership and support! I am giving one reader a full, one room design of their choice. That’s a $115 value! Here are some of my designs, to give you an idea of the range of styles I have created in the past: (Click on images to make larger.)

With this giveaway, Amber B Interiors will complete the whole design process, from beginning to end. It will start with a design questionnaire to fill out, so I can get all of the information I need to create a functional space that reflects your style. I will then present you with an inspiration board, giving you the ideas I have for the space. Once you’re on board with the ideas, I will start your own design, complete with a design board presentation, detailed furniture/accessory placement and a shopping source list for all items, all sent to you through e-mail. Maybe you’ve been weary to use a decorator for your home, so this is the perfect opportunity to give it a try! You may even be a designer yourself, looking for a different set of eyes for your space. Whatever the reason, it would be fun to work together!

It’s super easy to enter this giveaway!

– Follow this blog, through Google Friend Connect.
– Tell me why you have chosen to enter this giveaway.
– Please leave your e-mail address in your comment, if you are not linked up to a blog!

Additional Entries:

– Blog about this giveaway, with a link back to this post. (+1)
-Tweet about this giveaway, with a link back to this post. (+1)
-Mention this giveaway on facebook, with a link back to this post. (+1)

The winner will be announced this Friday! Good luck!

E – Design – Mid Century Eclectic

by Filed Under: e-design


I started putting together a living room design for fun the other day (yes, I love doing design boards for fun!!) It all started with one of my new favorite color combinations: orange, blue and gray. It’s such a cool combination that brings a masculine feel to a room, with its color selection, yet also can have a feminine side, with the addition of fun patterns and whimsical accessories. Here’s what I came up with:

Source list via (Click on image to make larger)
With this design, I mixed high end pieces with great deals, to achieve a relaxed and eclectic look. When I create designs, I like to play around with pieces, editing often. You may recognize the repetition of circles in this space. The mirror, coffee table, side tables and lighting all bring in a circular shape. It’s important to repeat shapes as well as color, when putting a room together. But, it can also get to be too much and also needs an opposite counterpart to achieve balance. So, I brought in some shapes with straight lines, such as in the sofa, console and chest of drawers. I also tried to repeat color in the space, to make the accessories feel as if they were meant to be there. The orange and blues are repeated throughout, with sprinkles of gray to ground the space. The artwork (shown near the console) helps to tie in all of the room’s colors. There is a lot of pattern seen here, with the ikat area rug and throw pillows. To help balance out all of that pattern, I have neutral upholstered pieces and drapery. The paint color is a soft blue/gray and doesn’t try to compete with the bolder colors in the space.
What started me on this design was a recent issue of the Home Decorators Collection catalogue. What surprised me was their amazing sofa prices. The sofa above is their Dorset sofa. It’s a great deal, but they also have others with even better prices. I have also been looking at Macy’s on line for their unbelievable and stylish options. It got me thinking, would I ever buy a sofa that I wasn’t able to sit on and try out? I might for our living room, since we don’t use that room for gathering as much. It’s a tough one, because you are taking a great risk. What if it’s uncomfortable?
I would love to know what you think… would you take the risk, or have you already? If you did, was it a good risk???
Summer is a great time to make decor changes in your home and go for a new look! To get started, click on the ‘design services’ link at the top of my blog.