Amber B Design Studio

Interior Design & Decoration for the South Florida region

What Do You Love About Your Home?

by Filed Under: amber b design, family room, guest post, kids and design, personal design style


I love that question, because it gives us the opportunity to really think about what we already LOVE about our home. So often, it’s easier to think about the to do lists and the ongoing thoughts of what we want to change, instead of realizing what we already have in front of us. My friend Lisa, from the blog Shine Your Light, asked me to participate in her weekly series called Shine Home Love. I was asked to choose a favorite spot in my home and talk about why I love it! Stop by her blog to see what room I chose and why. Here’s a hint…

I love our hand written wall with an inspirational quote for our kids…

A room with white walls and a window.

And I also love our slip covered chair from the good old college days!

A white blanket is folded on top of the couch.

Stop by Lisa’s blog HERE to read the post!

Changes to Our Family Room & A Guest Post

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


Even though it is still freezing outside, the bright sunshine reminds me of spring and gets me excited to make changes in our home. Even if it’s just moving some accessories from one room to the next or a new pair of pillows to add to the room’s color scheme, I am a happy camper. So here are some subtle, fun changes that recently went on in our family room…

Target can do no wrong lately with their Threshold line and Nate Berkus accessories. My new tray is a Nate Berkus beauty and the Threshold ottoman it sits under was a surprise from my hubby for Valentine’s Day!! This ottoman will end up all over the house, because it is so versatile! We can use it as a bench at our kitchen desk, a side table in our family room or a place to rest our feet. I love furniture pieces that have so many uses.

The man head plant has been moved from our dining room to the family room. Surprise, surprise… it’s also from Target! I really should do promo work for them. 😉

Head on over to Jordan and Janette’s blog, The 2 Seasons, where I am guest posting today! My topic over there is also small changes with big impact. See you there!

Guest Posting Over at Tiffany Leigh Interior Design

by Filed Under: design, guest post


Happy Friday! This week flew by! I am over at Tiffany’s blog today, sharing my favorite furniture piece in our home for her Favorite Furniture Friday series. This is a great series idea, because we (I) tend to focus on changes that need to be made, but Tiffany reminds us that it’s great to remember the pieces we love, too!

Hope to see you there!  While you’re over at Tiffany’s blog, stay a while and check out her creative and pretty design ideas. She is also a very talented artist! 

Guest Posting at The Mustard Ceiling

by Filed Under: guest post


I am so excited to be guest posting over at Elizabeth’s amazing blog, The Mustard Ceiling. She always tackles creative DIY projects and has a great personal design style. She is in the process of moving, and I am honored to be one of her guest bloggers!

Check out her gorgeous dining room and beautiful Ikat covered chairs:

You’ll be there for a while, enjoying her great design ideas! Today, I am showing some of my completed summer projects over there! Stop by and take a look!

If My Blog Was A Room – Next Up – Recently

by Filed Under: blog room series, guest post


Happy Wednesday and welcome the series, if My Blog Was A Room… where I pose the challenge to think of your blog as an actual space. What would that space look like? I am so excited to have Emily here, from her blog Recently. Emily’s blog is amazing- she has finished some gorgeous DIY projects (the bookcase project is my favorite) and has become a new blog buddy! I love what she came up with for this series- I’m pretty blown away by her skills!

Here is her pretty blog header:

And here is what she came up with!

Hi everyone!  I’m Emily from Recently, and I must say, I’m incredibly happy that Amber asked me to be a part of her If My Blog Was a Room series. Not only because Amber is such a sweetheart and Simple Dwellings is one of my favorites, but also because it’s been the perfect exercise to help me shape my vision and goals for my blog.
I hope each of you will enjoy what I came up with as much as I enjoyed creating it!

image via awesome space
Doesn’t this room make you want to crawl in and never leave?  I could spend all day in a space like that, and I hope those who visit feel the same about my blog!

image via rue magazine
The room above is one of those “me” kind of rooms.  It’s full of texture and life, but oozes comfort and warmth.  I strive for Recently to echo all of those things!

image via angie hranowsky design studio
Colorful, artistic, and unusual elements in a room always speak to me, and I love to bring those things into play on my blog.  Oh, and it’s fitting that this room involves a kiddo, because you’ll see a lot of those (mine to be exact) on Recently as well!

image via absolutely beautiful things
Last but not least, every room needs the final touches.  You know, those bits and pieces that bring it up a notch, making it delightful and invigorating?
It’s always my hope that Recently’s visitors will find those extra smidges of goodness that keep them returning over and over again.

Amber, I’ve loved turning Recently into a room!  Thank you so much for having me! 

Thanks so much for being here, Emily! I love what you came up with- it reminds me so much of your blog! Definitely stop by Emily’s blog and stay a while!
After your visit to Emily’s gorgeous blog, stop by Mandi’s blog, Interior Design Musings. I’m guest posting over there today, sharing my Top 10 Favorites in Design! See you there! 

Dreamy Celebrity Spaces With Design Shuffle

by Filed Under: celebrity spaces, guest post


With so much great design eye candy and chic real estate out there, I find myself (and maybe you too) very interested in how people decorate their own homes! With the premiere episode of Selling LA on HGTV this week, I thought it would be fun to peek inside some celebrity homes and see what their design style is like! Today, I have Susi here from Design Shuffle… a great web site for design professionals and enthusiasts. I was so excited to be a guest writer for their blog last week and super thrilled to have one of their talented writers here with us today, showing us how the celebrities live!

Hi, I’m Susi, a writer for Design Shuffle, a wonderful online community for design lovers and professionals around the world to share projects and inspiration. We have tens of thousands of design pics to inspire you. One of the best parts about being a writer for Design Shuffle is visiting amazing interior design blogs as a guest blogger. I’m excited to be here at Simple Dwellings writing about dreamy celebrity spaces, thanks for inviting me!

I wonder if celebrities love design blogs as much as the rest of us. Looking at these rooms, I’m guessing some do. Great for dreaming and inspiration, here are some of my favorite dreamy celebrity spaces. Which is your favorite? Mine is the last one. Enjoy!

Jessica Stam Home Design

Dreamy purple and jewel tone accents are gorgeous in the living room of model Jessica Stam. The high ceilings are highlighted by the beautiful floor to ceiling curtains.

Lindsey Buckingham Home

An incredible art collection is what makes this living room so dreamy. Love the custom upholstered sofa. The living room belongs to Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac.

Jennifer Creel Home

On the hunt for bedroom design ideas? Add this one to the inspiration file. Love the intense colors in Jennifer Creel’s Manhattan bedroom. Dreamy patterns and monograms give this bedroom a boho-traditional look.

Julianne Moore Home

Julianne Moore’s living room shows that modern and neutral can still be dreamy and glam. Luxury textiles and classic modern design stand out in this loft style room.

Julianne More Home Design

Dreamy gray and modern lines fill this stylish living room, also designed by Julianne Moore. Love the wall lights that illuminate the sofa area. A great mix of unique and interesting accents personalizes the space.

Alexandra Wentworth Home

The bedroom of Alexandra Wentworth and her husband, George Stephanopoulos, is a calm oasis of warm neutrals and interesting textures. Soft gray blue makes a soothing accent color.

Julianne Moore Home

One of my favorite bathroom designs, this space is beyond dreamy. Fireplace? Huge soaking tub? Yes, please! It is also from Julianne Moore’s NYC home.

Meryl Streep Home

Can a kitchen be dreamy? Yes. This is Meryl Streep’s kitchen from It’s Complicated. Amazing. It feels so warm, inviting and inspiring. Love it. [ Images 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 ]

See something you may want to do in your own home? Check out Design Shuffle, where you can see talented work from a variety designers including San Francisco interior designers and Boston interior designers!

Thanks so much for being here today, Susi! My favorite might have to be Julianne Moore’s apartment. She has amazing design taste and I love that bathroom! I also love Jennifer Creel’s master retreat- the color is fun and inviting.

Which room is your favorite? Make sure to stop by and check out Design Shuffle for more decor inspiration!

Guest Posting Today Over at Jan Hales Designs

by Filed Under: guest post


I am excited to be over at Jan’s blog today, sharing a little bit about myself and my blog! Jan writes a beautiful design blog, Jan Hales Designs and shares gorgeous inspiration with her readers.

I love that blog header! She has great style and I’m honored to be a part of her Blogger of the Week series. Stop on over and check it out here.

Why This Works and A Guest Post Today!

by Filed Under: guest post, why works series


Happy Friday! I am so excited to be over at Melissa’s blog ROOMS today, sharing a piece of furniture we own that desperately needs a replacement! Check out what it is and how I plan to change it!

And… welcome to the series Why This Works… where I highlight a designed space and talk about why (I think) it’s perfection. Today’s hip and gorgeous living space comes to you from Elle Decor and is designed by Steven Gambrel.

Image via Elle Decor. Designed by Steven Gambrel. Photo by Simon Upton. 
There are so many elements that I love about this space. Let’s start with the amazing color palette- the soft grays work beautifully paired with the gold/yellow color. The trend right now is going back to golds, and this space does it so well. It was actually designed in 2007 and continues to look current four years later. (In no way do I think that four years old is outdated- it’s just that this room could grace the cover of a trendy magazine today!) I think it is a timeless design blend of traditional and modern. The tufted sofas are traditional, yet have a modern flair. The gold sofa is more modern, with it’s straight, high arms and the gray sofa shown in the second image has a more traditional feel. The bold, graphic print on the area rug works well paired with the neutral seating. The space feels cohesive with the gold elements repeating throughout the room- in the drapery, lighting and modern sofa. The lighting and occasional tables in the space have an elegant, mid century modern flair and compliment the casual feel of the neutral seating and fresh flowers. The light wall color is a wonderful backdrop to the modern art, which is unique and beautiful. Overall, this space works! 
I also found out that the room’s wall color is Alaskan Husky by Benjamin Moore –  which is the paint color I was considering for our family room and kitchen. I’m sold!