Great share from HOUZZ about design vignettes. About 15 years ago I tried explaining ‘The Vignette’ to my husband who insisted it was a description being used incorrectly. For those of us in the professional design industry, it is a very commonly used phrase–read the article below and try your hand at creating new vignetttes in your home!
]Glass Shelves- Simple and Beautiful
Below is a guest posting on the subject of glass shelves. Whether inside a lit cabinet, or used to showcase items, glass is a great option for shelving materials to consider
Glass Shelves: Simplicity + Beauty
No matter which room of your house you’re redecorating and how clutter-free you live, you will always need a place to keep your possessions. Even the strictest minimalist requires practical objects at hand on a daily basis. Closets or cabinets are functional, but their overuse can make your rooms look smaller. If you have an empty corner or wall space that you want to utilize more effectively, glass shelves may be the solution.
Let’s say you have an all-white or cream-colored bathroom with a large tub for luxurious baths. You want a clean and simple way to organize your bare necessities. Fitting a set of glass shelves in the nook next to the tub will maintain the room’s relaxed, spa-like ambiance, while keeping your toiletries, candles and towels nearby.
If you’re transforming your living room or basement into a bar, you will probably use wooden cabinetry. To create a contrast to the dark wood, install a few floating glass shelves above the sink. The shelves, as well as the glasses and bottles you display, will sparkle in the light. In this particular example, the thick, frosted shelves match the modern fixtures and feel of the bar. The great thing about glass is that you can customize it, choosing the hue, finish, and width of your shelves.
On the topic of customization, glass shelves can also be fashioned in unexpected shapes and designs. Are you an art lover looking for a unique way to show your collection? Get your sculptures and vases out of the stuffy display case and onto multi-level, zigzagged shelves. The interesting form of the shelves will guarantee that the art is the focal point of the room, starting conversation and spurring compliments from your guests.
As you can see, glass shelves are a simple, beautiful way to add practical storage space to your home. There is an abundance of shelving styles on the market, but don’t limit yourself to the options found in big-box stores. Whether you want etched or smooth, curved or straight, green-tinted or crystal clear glass, have an expert create shelves that match your taste.
About the Author: Glass and Mirror Pros in Orlando is a company with over 30 years of experience in the glass industry. Our dedicated technicians can repair or replace windows, sliding glass doors, and install glass shelves, shower enclosures, and more. We are passionate about interior design and making homes beautiful with glass products. Find us on Facebook for more information and creative ideas!
Mix Your Design Styles
Below is a guest post on the subject of mixing modern and vintage decor style. S Interior Design is a big fan of mixing design styles within a home. By mixing styles of decor you create a unique environment that is a true reflection of your personal style preferences. So mix away, use Grandma’s antiques with a modern Knoll chair without fear.
How to Mix Modern and Vintage Decor Style
You love the look of modern decor in your home, but you just can’t toss out all those vintage pieces that you’ve collected over the years. Instead of choosing one of these over the other, why not choose them both? It’s absolutely possible to blend these two styles together to create a home that feels unique, special and welcoming. All it takes is a little bit of creativity, some time spent experimenting with decor placement and some great pieces that you love.
Tips for Blending Decor Styles
1. Avoid Perfection
No longer do homes have to have the “perfect” decorations that are straight from the showroom. Don’t be scared to let your personality show by putting unique pieces of decor throughout it. This could be a chest that you picked up while traveling in Spain or a modern number wall clock you found online. When people walk into the room, they should want to explore all the different things that are there. Not only will this make the room more interesting, it will also give you a lot of conversation pieces.
Tip: While your decor doesn’t have to be perfect, you should avoid having a lot of clutter that makes your space look messy.
Source: http://www.thrivevintage.com
2. Decorate Your Chairs
Don’t leave your couches or chairs bare. These are the best spots to add modern or unique pillows or throw blankets. For example, if you have replica furniture from a modern designer, then put on some pillows with pillowcases made with Victorian prints or old throw blankets you picked up from an antique shop. Mixing and matching these two things together will balance out the harshness of the modern design with the warmth and richness of the vintage design.
Tip: Make your own pillow by going to a fabric shop and choosing rich fabrics that look like they are from different time periods.
Image: 
Source: http://designpardeux.com
3. Transform Your Furniture
If you have vintage or old pieces of furniture that you don’t mind changing permanently, then re-upholster them with modern fabrics. If you do this then you will be left with unique pieces of furniture that nobody else has! The best part is that they will mix the design of the antique furniture with the boldness of the modern fabric.
Source: http://www.modern-fabrics.com
Tip: Paint the chair if it doesn’t match the colors that are in the fabric to make sure that it’s a statement piece in the room.
4. Change the Curtains
If you have an uneven balance of modern and vintage, then change out something like the curtains. Right away it’ll make a big difference with the way your room looks, and will balance everything out quite well. And, if you get a colorful curtain, it will really brighten your room up and add a pop of color that makes it more interesting!
5. Add Small Touches
Curved mirrors, new knobs on drawers and wallpaper are all small touches that can make a big impact in the overall appearance of your room. These are also the small touches that give the room more personality and showed that you put a lot of thought and effort into the details!
Source: http://smallshopstudio.com/2013/11/25/trad-eclectic-barcelona-designer-home/
All About Mirrors
The Story Behind The Decorative Mirror
Throughout history mirrors have played an important part in our lives as both household objects and objects of decoration. The ancients created these mirrors out of polished obsidian stone all the way back in the year 4000 B.C. Polished copper was used in Ancient Egypt to create mirrors that were often made with a round face and contained emblems and ornamentation.
However it was the Romans that introduced a mirror made of glass in the First Century, these mirrors were made from glass that was blown with a lead backing.
It was the glass blowing technique that revolutionised the way mirrors were produced and Venetians in the 16th Century created a flat glass mirror in a time where Hand blown mirrors meant serious business, so much so that Venetians tightly guarded their secret to the extent that a craftsman faced imprisonment or even execution for breeching the secrecy of their technique!
Only Fit For A King!
Until the early 1800′s mirrors were a luxury item which only the nobility could afford, if there was anything fit for a king to collect it was the mirror. King Henry VIII and France’s King Francis I were both avid collectors of mirrors. The mirror was once literally worth its weight in gold and only the most affluent could hope to own a small example.
An example of an early Venetian Mirror
A medium-sized Venetian mirror was comparable in price to that of a naval ship or aristocrats country estate!
The invention of the first modern mirror is credited to German chemist Justus von Liebig. In the early 1800′s he developed the process of layering glass with a silver salt and sugar solution, it was through this invention that mirrors then became manufactured on a much wider scale enabling ordinary people to afford to buy what was once a luxury item.
Fancy Times of the 18th and 19th Century
During the Baroque and Rococo periods in the 17th and 18th Century frames were either inlaid with marquetry or elaborately carved or gilded, with designs ranging from the grandeur of the Baroque to the more fluid Rococo carvings best encapsulated by Thomas Chippendale. In the 19th Century frames made from plaster on a wire base were common, known as composition frames, these are highly decorative and attractive but are often found damaged and in need of restoration.
English Rococo Mirror were often richly carved from giltwood in the early 19th Century.
Mirrors Today
Today mirrors are very affordable for all and come in a wide variety of styles and sizes. Many period mirror styles are still reproduced today. Such as the highly decorative Rococo mirror.
Other styles include reproduction Venetian mirrors, Art Deco style to ultra contemporary styles like frameless all glass mirrors.
This gives the consumer a broad selection when choosing to buy a mirror for the home, whether your taste is ultra modern or you want a mirror that fits in with the period style of your home there is a fantastic selection out there on the market.
About the Author
This information comes from Soraya Interiors, a supplier of wall mirrors to the UK. Soraya Williams has worked in the picture and mirror framing trade in North London for many years and takes great pride in seeing her mirror collections decorating people’s homes across the UK.
Laundry Rooms Deserve Design Love TOO!
If you are among the fortunate who have an actual laundry room (not space, a room!), don’t forget to give the space some design attention. While doing laundry is not among the favorite of the required chores, if you have a space that makes you smile because of the colors, textures and other design elements you have integrated into it, it can certainly be a more pleasant experience.
S Interior Design just completed accessorizing the laundry room of one of our clients. It is a beautiful and interesting room that reflects the home owner’s sense of style that flows through-out her gorgeous home.
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