Amber B Design Studio

Interior Design & Decoration for the South Florida region

A New ‘Smitten’ Print in My Family Room!

by Filed Under: art, design, family room, mantle, personal design style, styling


I am super excited to show you an amazing new print that graces my family room mantel! I was recently contacted by a representative from Pretty Smitten, an on line stationary, home and gift shop to preview one of their gorgeous prints from their new art print line. I jumped at the chance, since I have already loved and admired their chic patterns, personalized notepads and monogrammed gifts. It was a tough decision, since they are all so fun, but this is the print I chose…

shop here
And here it is, all styled up in my family room…

The orange, coral, pink and brown from this print works so well with the room’s color scheme. I chose a driftwood style frame to balance against the chic look in the print. This room has a bit of a rustic touch, so I thought it created a nice balance. The frame has an 8×10 opening, which is a perfect size for this print. Overall, I am totally smitten with my new art piece! I already have my eye on some other great prints from her shop! If you haven’t checked out the site yet, stop over to see all of the gorgeous options at an amazing price point. Owner and creator, Elizabeth Johnson founded her shop as a creative outlet after the birth of her son. Her business quickly grew to include more gift items and after the birth of her two girls, Pretty Smitten continues to expand. This new print line is a beautiful addition to her creative, chic style! Her shop also includes trays, phone cases, personalized placemats and trays, just to name a few! 
Start your shopping HERE and have fun!

The New Knobs Are On!

by Filed Under: before and after, design, family room, personal design style


I was determined (as stated in my last post) to go and find new knobs for our coffee table drawers. Since I like the finish of the table, I decided to just make a small change by adding decorative glass looking knobs. We have pops of green throughout the space, so a pretty green knob was a good choice for this space. Here is where we started…

Before

And here are the new knobs…

After

I found them at Target for $14.99 for a 4 pack! That’s a very small commitment, so I can always change it up when I am looking for a new color scheme. This last picture shows how the green is pulled from the suzani pillow in the background. I like to find the small hints of color from a fabric and pull out accessory colors from that. It’s less obvious and makes for a fun, unexpected color palette. It also draws your eye more to that little hint of color that you might not have seen otherwise.

Any small changes around your home???

Small Change Idea

by Filed Under: design, family room, personal design style


Am I the only one who walks around their home, thinking of what to change next? Well, I know I’m not the only one, because my mom and I often confess that it’s a regular occurrence in our houses. I am constantly thinking about design, so why not ponder what to do next in our abode? Especially when it’s a small change with minimal impact on the bank account! Our family room coffee table has a warm wood stain. It has three small drawers with wood stained knobs to match. I am ready to say goodbye to the wood knobs and go for a pop of color, to add a pretty little detail to this table…

Currently

Changing out the knobs to a dresser, table or kitchen cabinets is a quick, inexpensive fix that can transform the look of your room or furniture piece. Since some of our pillows have a mulit colored suzani print, I may pull a color from the fabric and go with colored glass knobs for these drawers. I did find pretty (look alike) glass knobs in a deep teal green that would be perfect. We also have small touches of green sprinkled throughout the room, so that would be a great color to choose. Even though you won’t see the knobs when you walk into the space, it will be a pretty, unexpected touch when you go to sit on the sofa. And the price for these knobs is great, too! In fact, I might just go there today and make this happen!  Since I really don’t want to paint the coffee table, adding new knobs could be just what this table needs.

So please confess… do you also walk around your home, thinking about what to decorate next???

The Horse Print is Up!

by Filed Under: art, design, equestrian, family room, personal design style


I am so excited today… our horse print is framed and is already up on the wall! I have been stalking calling Hobby Lobby to check on when it was set to arrive in the store. I even said to the saleswoman on the phone today, can you tell I am a little excited?? I knew it was going to be beautiful when she asked {over the phone} if she could have it?!?  🙂 Let’s get right to the pictures, shall we?

I am so glad I went with the lighter, foggy print. It blends in, yet still makes you take notice. I thank my readers for their help on that one! The gray driftwood frame also brings a rustic quality to the print and I think it works well with the equestrian photo. I am really pleased with the quality of work in the framing from Hobby Lobby. It took about two weeks to get it back, but it was well worth the wait. I really searched around frame shops for the best price, and Hobby Lobby was the least expensive by far. And I didn’t even have to sacrifice quality to get a better price! And now to discuss the artist’s work… I am blown away by the talent of etsy seller Jennifer Meyers, from her shop, Apples and Oats. She does an amazing job capturing these beautiful animals in a way that is ethereal and whimsical. The title of this print is Once Upon A Dream and can be found here. That is the perfect title for this picture, since it is so lovely and dreamy. Jennifer is able to enlarge prints and this one is the 30×40 size. When the print arrived, it was very well packaged inside a tube, which was then securely placed inside a box for added protection. Jennifer was also super sweet and included this 8×10 horse print in the package! I can’t wait to find a home for that beauty! I would definitely buy from this shop again. Please pay her wonderful shop a visit and browse around.

Have a wonderful weekend! Wish us luck… we are mulching in the yard!

Snapshots of Our Family Room

by Filed Under: design, family room, paint colors, personal design style


In about one week, we will have our new horse print framed above the sofa! I cannot wait! I chose a gray driftwood looking frame, which will bring out a lot of the color tones in the picture and add to the rustic quality of the print. For now, here is what our family room looks like! I am excited about how this room is coming together. For some reason, it all of a sudden is starting to feel like us. We have done a lot of editing and moving things around lately, and this space is beginning to take shape and truly suit our style.

The coffee table is finally out of storage! We bought it when we lived in Germany. I was on my way home from teaching one afternoon, and there was a vendor outside on the side of the road, selling wood furniture pieces. I pulled over, and bought our first coffee table! It wouldn’t fit in my car, so the sweet older couple followed me home and delivered it themselves. I love pieces with special meaning! The basket and lantern vignette was on our dining table, but I think I like it here, instead. The coral runner brings out the pink shade in the suzani print pillow. Now, what should I do for the dining table?? Maybe a large vase of hydrangeas!?! We are entertaining for Memorial Day tomorrow, so the dining room will be full of food, anyway. That will buy me some time to decide what to do. Still to do for this space…

1. Pick up and hang the horse print.
2. Switch out the poly fill pillow inserts for some down inserts.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend, as we celebrate all that the Armed Forces does, has done and will do, to keep our country safe!

{Choosing Art} I Need Your Help!

by Filed Under: art, design, family room, personal design style


I may have said this before, but I can be very indecisive when it comes to the decor of my own home. When working with clients, it’s easy for me to choose what I think is right for the space. My own spaces, on the other hand, can be a different story. Maybe it’s because I over think too much, when I should just go with my gut feeling. Maybe it’s because I will look at it everyday, so I better make sure it’s an investment worth having. Either way, I need your advice! We are back on the topic of the art above my sofa that I talked about here. I think I am looking for a hint of nature and one large piece, as opposed to a grouping of art. I love gallery walls as much as the next person, but I just took down our massive gallery wall and want a change. I am thinking about art that is at least 30×40 insize, which can get expensive. The below options, however, are very reasonably priced! To recap the space we are working with, here’s the massive empty wall that is begging for some art…

The Empty Wall

Here are some of the options, in no particular order…

Option 1- Equestrian Art

Option 2- Equestrian Art
Option 3- Equestrian Art

Option 4- Equestrian Art
Option 5- Equestrian Art
Option 6- Equestrian Art
If I am thinking about art that might be more meaningful to us, I could go with a snowy landscape, like the option below. After all, we do get snow here almost half of the year! How about that for meaningful art??
Option 7- Snowy Landscape
Coincidentally, this wintery landscape is from the same etsy shop as most of the above equestrian art. I guess I like her style!
It did occur to me though, that I have liked horses for a while. Here is our dining room…

So actually, it wouldn’t be that far fetched to add another horse to the mix! Seems I like them already and forgot I did!
Which one gets your vote? Brutal honesty is needed!!  🙂

Sectionals Can be Chic

by Filed Under: design, family room, personal design style


Since we are moving our sofas into the (almost) finished basement, we bought a sectional! We have always loved the loungy feel you can get with sectionals. They just welcome you in and seem so cozy. That, to me, is what a family room should be, right? Sectionals sometimes get a bad wrap and I don’t know why. But I think there are so many great options that would fit any design style. Here’s proof that they are chic…

Here are some quick snapsots of our sectional, bought from a local furniture store…

It’s a deep brown color, and we love how soft and comfy it is! There is that huge empty wall staring me in the face, ready to get some new art. But, I really want to be patient with this art and find something we really like. Since I had so many wall holes from the previous gallery wall, I spent a few hours spackling and painting this entire wall, giving it a fresh start. I have learned the hard way, that just painting small patches on the wall gives a different sheen than the rest. Our local paint store clerk advised I just paint the entire wall when recovering patches. It might take the extra effort, but in the end, it’s a seamless paint job.

So now, comes the art! I am still thinking about the horse art. We’ll see…

Our Fall Mantel

by Filed Under: fall colors, fall fix ups, family room, mantle, shelf styling


As promised, here are the pictures of our fall mantel. I kept some of the things as is… the wall clock, the windsor chair and ‘B’ candle. The new changes include branches from our front yard birch tree, a leaf plate and a mossy stone bird. Here is our nature inspired, fall mantel…

I also switched around some art and moved the graphic art piece from our wall to the mantel. I think it adds a modern touch to the natural, traditional elements. You may also notice the little plastic sticky pieces that are on the top of the mantel. A while back, I had a huge mirror on this mantel, and those sticky pieces were there to prevent the mirror from sliding. I should take them down, since I don’t need them anymore. Should have done that before the pictures…  🙂

I love it when I can decorate using free things from around the house. The branches were easy to clip down from the tree, were free and instantly add a nature inspired accessory to the mantel.

Do you change out your mantel with the seasons?

Shop Around Your Home for This Styling Trick

by Filed Under: e-decorating, e-design, family room, shelf styling


Styling shelves and tables are always a work in progress… you either change them seasonally, get bored with the arrangement or find new treasures that you want to include.  Even better yet, you shop around your home and look for new treasures! I always tell clients to see what they have in their home first, before going out and buying new items. Maybe you can re purpose an old item, give it new life with spray paint or move things from one room to another for a change. I always love fun changes that are also free! Working with one of my most recent clients, we talked about styling the coffee table. I suggested to shop around her home for books and small trinkets or vases. A great tried and true idea is to stack a few hard cover books on the table and add a vase of fresh flowers, or an unexpected accessory on top. It’s functional, because you will always have your favorite books within reach! Here are some great styling ideas for your coffee table:

Flowers or little treasures paired with books bring great texture and interest to the table. It’s a mix of the practical with the pretty; something with straight lines vs. something sculptural. It’s a great pairing! Take a look around your home… I’m sure you’ll find amazing treasures!

Which of the above photos is your favorite??

Our Kitchen and Family Room – Before and Afters Revealed!

by Filed Under: family room, kitchen


I finally did some styling and took some pictures of our rooms with the new paint color! I am really happy with the way it came out and am loving the lighter color. I went with Benjamin Moore’s Alaskan Husky in an eggshell finish. Our ceilings were already painted Horizon, which is one shade lighter on the swatch. The colors are both very light shades of a blue/gray. With the ceiling already painted, I knew the color would go- but it is a pretty dramatic change for us!

Kitchen Before:

And the Kitchen After:

Family Room Before:

And the Family Room After:

The spaces truly feel so different with a new paint color. Even the same accessories look new again! I will show more shots of the spaces soon, along with my no hassle painting tips!