Amber B Design Studio

Interior Design & Decoration for the South Florida region

{Master Bedroom E-Design} Using a Fresh Color Palette

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


I love it when clients give me a challenge and cause me to push my ideas and color palette a little further than I would normally go. Such is the case with my most recent master bedroom project. My client said she loves purple and emerald green and wanted to incorporate them into the design. I have had a lot of experience using green, but have only used purple in one past design project. {Which actually happened to be the board she most admired!} I don’t have anything against purple at all, I just haven’t used it much and was up for the challenge! Purple is one of those colors making a fast comeback this season and would add a fresh dose of color to any room. Once I visited my favorite etsy pillow shop, I knew I found the right shade! Here is the final design plan I presented…

The Design Plan



The Floor Plan



The pillows at the bottom of the design board tell the fun color story of the room. Now why have I waited so long to use purple?? I love the way the colors came out and I cannot wait to see them installed in the space! My client also loves the ideas and I couldn’t be happier for her. One of my favorite etsy shops for pillows came to the rescue and had the perfect palette for this purple and green color combination! Studio Tullia is one of those shops that carries fresh hues, chic patterns and is a one stop shop for adding color to your space. I then brought in Catilin Wilson’s Greige Greek Key pillow to add a neutral tone against all of the fun color. This is truly one of my favorite projects to date and I am so lucky to have the chance to work with clients that push those creative boundaries for me!

Who knows… an unexpected color just might be your next favorite, too!

Completed E- Design Project {The Den}

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


Happy Easter weekend! I wanted to check in for a bit to show you a recent e-design board that I completed. My client was looking to combine modern with traditional in her den/living space off of her kitchen. She loves neutrals and a soft color palette, but also appreciates a dose of color in the accessories, particularly blue. Well, that is right up my alley, since I cannot seem to get enough of blue these days! Here is the completed design plan, which has a coastal inspired vibe with a little bit modern/little bit traditional…

The Plan


I love that Jacobean floral pillow from Kravet and I have been using it on a few projects, recently. It does a great job of bringing together a soft, neutral palette. The pillow can be found HERE. I gave my client a couple of different options for the empty wall space above the sofa and she chose the Octopus art shown on the top right corner of the board. You may have seen versions of this art floating around the web and may have even seen the ultra expensive version in Bill and Giuliana Rancic’s home. Well, Heather, from the blog Southern State of Mind, shows you how to create this look at a fraction of the cost! I know it will look amazing in my client’s home, too!

Happy Weekend and Happy Easter!!

Working with What You Have {Living Room E-Design}

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


When designing a space, there are things we may want to change, but working with what you have is often more of a priority. I recently wrapped up a living room e-design project where we worked around the oak stained beams, window trim and fireplace surround. Often times, my first inclination is to paint that all out, to create dramatic, updated change. When that is not an option, it’s on to plan B. Plan B doesn’t always have to be the lesser option… it’s just a matter of selecting colors and fabrics that compliment the oak stained wood work, as opposed to competing with it! Since the space has a lot of warm wood tones (also including oak stained floors), the name of the game has to be to bring in some cool colors. Grays, blues and greens will be your friend and balance well against the warm woods. Here is the design board I created for them, where cooler tones reigned supreme…

Can I please have that blue chair all to myself?? By adding the blues, greens and grays, The warm woods will feel more welcome and will bring that mix of traditional with modern. The walls will be the soft gray color on the top left corner of the board and we will whitewash their brick with the color to the right of that. When showing my client this whitewash idea, I came across this blog post that showed an amazing before and after of their fireplace. I included a shot of the after on the bottom right side of the board. They also painted the brass fireplace insert black, which I also recommended to my client! It will be an instant modern update. They love the plans and I can’t wait to see their progress!

By the way, when researching rooms with stained oak trim, I came across the amazing parlor room of Nicole Balch, from the blog Making it Lovely. Her space is proof that stained oak trim can be chic…

It’s all in the mix of adding cool colors!

How about you… what have you had to ‘work with’ in your home??

How Do You Like Your Kitchens??

by Filed Under: design, kitchen, painting, personal design style


My favorite look is an all white kitchen… white cabinets, some sort of white stone for the counters and some sort of white tile backsplash. {Or, the same white stone carried up as the backsplash… dreamy!!} But as our design tastes tend to change over time, I have also recently had my eye on the look of painted cabinetry in soft, muted colors. Taupe/gray cabinets with that same white stone lends depth and charm. Here is a round up of some great kitchens, where they have done just that!

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Mix it up with bold contrast…

Black and white…

Now, one might argue that these kitchens are gorgeous already. I mean, look at them??? Is that really how mine would look if I painted my cabinets? So, I thought it would be fun to also include an amazing before and after of a kitchen that changed their builder grade cabinets from a stained finish to a wow gray! Julia, from the blog Hooked on Houses, showed us this…
Before…

After…

To see the chosen cabinet color and more photos, visit HERE.
So… how do you like your cabinets???

Moody Walls

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


Even though spring is on its way around here, I have still been enamored with deep colors and moody walls. For the most part, I like to keep walls light and airy and bring color in through the accessories. But, there are some rooms that can tolerate a dose of a deep hue that is bold and dramatic. I think it’s a touch of the unexpected when you have deep walls in one room in your home. Dark walls can be great for bedrooms, offices or any space with a ton of natural light. Here are some great spaces where the walls take center stage. Without this deep wall color, each room would be so different!

I am a fan of dark walls in my own home and have painted our living room a deep brown color…
It’s Mink by Benjamin Moore and I love it! Designer Bailey McCarthy has recently used it in her home and I love how she wrapped the color on the window trim, too…
Although it might seem strange to be talking about such deep, saturated hues when spring is finally here, but these rooms are proof that it’s a chic look year round!
How about you… do you stick with light walls or do you like deep hues?? Do tell!!

I’m Feeling Blue Lately

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


That is, in design, of course! In many ways lately, I have been incorporating blue, either in small or big doses. Many shades of this color have shown up in my local and e-design projects, as well as in my own home! I thought I would dedicate this post to one of my favorite colors and why it continues to work so well in design…

With a coastal twist 

Blue patterned draperies
A statement blue sofa
Blue all over
Bits of blue sprinkled throughout
Blue as an accent

Amber B Interiors… that’s me!!  🙂
Subtle blue accessories


I have always been a fan of blue in all of its shades. I love that it goes with so many colors.
What’s your take on the color??

Embrace Color & Be Fearless

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


There are some home renovations that stop me in my tracks and make me love the career of design that much more. Some spaces remind me of how much fun using color can be and how decorating and surrounding yourself with pieces you love, is so much more important than worrying about everything matching and being ‘perfect.’ I have been following Bailey’s blog, Peppermint Bliss, for a while now. And I think what inspires me most about her design work is her ability to be daring with color and go for it, no matter whether it’s a popular trend or not. She is a trendsetter in her own right, bold and just plain fun. Her most recent work was shown in Style Me Pretty Living and gives great examples of how being bold and having fun with design can pay off…

all images via style me pretty living, photographed by kimberly chau
Crazy, right? Are you inspired yet?? I think Bailey is the one who made pom pom/tassel fringe cool again! I seriously cannot stop looking at this home remodel. Often times (myself included), we can be a little safe with color choices, worrying that we may tire of it soon. This home feature reminds me to step out of my comfort zone a little and try something a bit more daring. To see more of Bailey’s fearless projects, including her own home, stop by her blog, here.

E – Design Board Reveal & A Sweet Client Note

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


I am excited to share a completed e-design board project with you today! My client was looking for a living room space that mixed traditional with modern, neutral with pops of color. She is so excited with the outcome and I have to say, I am too!!

E- Design Board Reveal…



The living room sits right off of the entry, so we incorporated the foyer into the design, as well. All of the color inspiration comes from the floral pillow shown at the bottom of the board. With that color palette, I sprinkled blues and greens throughout the space. My client really loves the quirky, whimsical art print shown at the top left side of the board. I love having fun with design. I think it’s important not to take yourself too seriously when decorating your home. Have fun with it and inject your own personality into the space. I always love walking into a space that makes you smile!

My client was so excited with the design and wanted to share her thoughts on e-design with all of you…

It was like a very close friend who happens to be a talented designer stopped by my house one day and helped design my living room.  Only Amber never physically visits, everything was done via email!  Amber was able to design a space for me that was exactly what I wanted. 
Everything Amber  picked out was something  I would have picked  out if I knew what I was doing!  When she put the design board together I was blown away by all her selections. Amber didn’t leave one thing to chance.  She stayed within the budget  I gave her. All the sources  she cited  were wonderful and very familiar to me so even the shopping has been fun.
I’ve continued to ask Amber questions and she is always pleasant with a very prompt response.
If you are on the fence with this type of service jump in – it is an extraordinary value from a very talented designer. It is money well spent.  I think I have spent 10 times the price of her service on books and magazines just trying for the look that Amber gave me. 
I loved working with Amber so much that I gifted her design service to my daughter for her living room.  We are all excited to see what Amber does for my daughter’s living room.

Wow! Thank you so much to my client for taking the time and sharing her experience with working together. I am truly lucky to have such amazing, fun clients to share this experience with! She has already begun making purchases for the room and I can’t wait to share after photos, when it’s complete.

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!

Projects I am Working On at the Moment…

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


I am happily moving along on client projects, both e-design and local. There is nothing that gets my creativity flowing more than figuring out a floor plan layout and design. I truly love every step of the process. Today, I am showing you the inspiration side of design. For me, it’s all about gathering ideas when starting a room design. And inspiration can come from anywhere… the colors from a book cover, nature, a fabulous art print or pinterest! Here is the direction we are heading on some of these rooms…

A Cozy, Vintage Inspired Cottage

Patterned Drapery

Neutrals With Nature

Whimsical Art… How cool is this???
Black Doors and Windows
So that is where I am headed with recent design projects and I couldn’t be more excited!! 
How about you… what gets your creativity flowing???