Amber B Design Studio

Interior Design & Decoration for the South Florida region

{E-Design} We’re Going Outside!

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


A little while back, one of my former clients reached out to me again, asking if I could help her with the exterior of her home. This is my first time working with a client on an outdoor space, so I was up for the challenge. The timing is actually funny, since I just helped a neighbor choose exterior paint colors for her siding. So when my client e-mailed, I thought… did you just talk to my neighbor??? 🙂 Paint colors show up differently outside, since there is the sunshine and outdoor elements to consider. Darker colors show up a bit lighter outside. But when you work with amazing colors that are tried and true and always work, how can you go wrong?? Here is Option 1…

The Plan Option 1 ………………………………………….

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My client has a brick ranch and she is considering painting the brick. The above board shows the options for painting the brick. I suggested the brick be painted the medium toned gray seen on the top left corner of the board. The shutters would be the deep gray/black, the trim would be the pale gray/white and the door the sea foam blue color. A palette of grays with a pale blue is a bit unexpected and fun. Here is Option 2, where they don’t paint the brick…
The Plan Option 2 …………………………………………
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This option basically stays the same, but the front door color changes. The teal blue/green seen on the top left of the board would be the choice. It would work really well against the red brick they have, bringing that pop of color. When I suggested landscaping, I found this amazing house from my blog friend Jane (seen on the top right of the option 2 board.) Her friend is selling his house and the front yard landscaping is wonderful inspirartion for my client.
I can’t wait to see if my client decides to paint the brick or not! What would you do???

Bringing the Outdoors Into Our Home

by Filed Under: design, dining room, outdoor, personal design style, plants


When spring and summer arrive, there is no better way to appreciate the outdoors than bringing it into your home. The best part is, it’s free! For the longest time, I have been wanting to just clip some branches from my favorite bushes outside and place them inside a vase for an easy garden arrangement! I am always drawn to the simple, pretty table arrangements where some greenery is added to a vase. I finally got to that yesterday and clipped some of the branches from our forsythia bush in the yard. This plant grows so fast, that it’s easy to clip some of the overgrown branches without disturbing its growth and beauty.

Bringing the Outdoors In

You may remember from this post, that I needed a new centerpiece for our dining table, now that the basket,  lantern and coral runner are in the family room. I put out a cream runner that I previously had from Wal Mart and found this large jug vase at a little shop in town for 50% off! They sell similar jug vases like this, at Pier 1 Imports. And of course, the branches were free!

And since I am in the garden mood, look at my beautiful blooming hydrangea bush!

Gotta love this time of year!

Bringing the Outdoors In

by Filed Under: design, outdoor, plants


There are some spaces in your home that need a little extra something, to fill the space and make it complete. Sometimes, a furniture piece might be too big, but without anything, the space is lacking. So what to do? A house plant can make any room feel inviting, while also adding a natural element to the room. Bringing the Outdoors In is something we always here, but it really works. A house plant that has become rather trendy lately, is the fiddle leaf fig. It comes in all sizes, sometimes taking over a whole corner in your home! It is a striking plant that really commands attention and can be the focal point in any room. I have suggested this house plant in a couple of recent design plans, because it would really work to complete an unused part of the space. Here are some great images where this plant is a show stopper…

I love that this plant can translate well to any design style. (By the way, aren’t those chandeliers amazing in the last two images?!?) I love that some of these plants have gone inside woven baskets and some have gone in outdoor containers. The options are limitless! So if you have a space in need of some love, why not add some fresh greenery??

Make sure to stop back tomorrow for an e-design update on one of my client projects! You won’t want to miss this!

Try This Planting Trick

by Filed Under: outdoor, planting flowers


Let me start this post by saying- if I can do it, anyone can! I do not have a green thumb, whatsoever, and always end up killing the hardiest of plants. But I do have a pretty cool trick to share with you today, that I learned from my neighbor. A couple years ago, I was outside in the garden, trying to figure out what to plant and how to do it. I looked over at my neighbor’s flower pots, and they were these beautiful, cascading flowers that looked like they had been there for years. I finally asked, ‘what is your trick?’ The easy solution was buying overflowing, hearty hanging baskets, placing them inside her urns and cutting off the hanging plastic part. (That’s it??) The urns would already have some potting soil in them, but she didn’t even take the flowers out of the basket. You just place them in there, cut off the top, and you’re done! Here is my version, bought just last week:

And to think, it just started out as hanging baskets! Am I the last one to find out about this cool trick?? Now if I can just find a way to keep the rabbits from eating the flowers, we’ll be good! Any tips on that???

Time to Get Outside!

by Filed Under: design, outdoor, summer


The weather here has been beautiful lately, (which explains my lack of posts last week) and I definitely have outdoor spaces on my brain! We have a patio in our backyard with pavers, and we got our table and chairs all cleaned and ready for the warm weather. I love when the umbrella is open, the sun is shining and butterflies are flying by…….. it’s the little things that make me happy. So here are some beautiful outdoor spaces to inspire. Enjoy!

Source: flickr.com via Simple on Pinterest

That last image is my favorite! Isn’t it so dreamy?? I think I am particularly drawn to smaller outdoor spaces. To me, they feel very intimate, cozy and achievable. Even with a tiny bit of space, most of these outdoor looks can be imitated. I love when an outdoor space feels like an extension of the home- complete with lanterns, rugs and pillows. There are so many great outdoor fabrics on the market. Shopping for your outdoor space can be just as fun as the interior of your home!

What is your outdoor space like???