Emerald Green Interiors

Dear Readers, I hope you had a beautiful weekend. Ours was an extended one since today was a holiday in most European countries. So a three day weekend that is extending into a week’s school holiday (yet again) for our three year old son and therefore a busy one for myself. So no lengthy post today but another take at my now regular column “Color Inspiration”.

The inspiration picture is a close-up shot of fallen leaves, which was actually taken with an iphone by artist and textile designer Karina Manarin. I was attracted to it by the delicate muted pastel colors, which I should actually be calling by their name: tones. Unlike pastel colors (colors where white has been added), tones are colors that have been added grey to it. So instead of looking just pretty and candy like, those colors look more grown-up and sophisticated. For a refresher on color theory check out the post I had written on it.

The transposition of this inspiration picture to an interior is done by layering multiple colors with the same toned down quality to it. The key as Maria Killam, a color consultant, stylist and blogger writes it, is to keep “the dirty colors with dirty colors and the clean colors with clean colors” which is a great way to sum up things. In this interior styled for Expressen.se, there are no less than seven colors used together, yet the result is still very soothing and relaxing. This is because all the colors blend well together instead of competing against each other. In this shoot the use of distressed furniture adds more interest to the color scheme because each color is not only layered with the others but layered on it’s own with all the nuances the distressing brings.

Does this combination inspire you or do you prefer something more graphic like the pictures I showed last week? You can see more of this photo shoot here. Have a great week!

Good morning Nomads! This week we’re switching things up. Gasp! Don’t worry, there’s still a fabulous Wanderlust Wednesday coming your way! This week, I’ve decided to do a spotlight on the Peacock Pavilions in Morocco. They have some serious design and color inspiration going on, and a blurp in today’s post just wouldn’t cut it. Before we take a peek at this Marrakesh escape, let’s not go crazy and skip the mood board…

While India and Morocco’s decor is similar, there are differences to distinguish the two. Morocco tends to pull a Mediterranean flair, since it sits on….well, the Mediterranean. In other words, blues. Shades and hues of blues woven in with neutrals, woods, and pops of orange and yellow- as seen in the majority of their tiles. Ornate details, wood carvings and textiles like the Moroccan wedding blanket, are all extra details to bring a Moroccan touch to your home.

Now, let’s take a look at how Maryam Montague, owner of Peacock Pavilions, created this charming boutique hotel in Marrakesh.

Did you enjoy the eye candy? The Pavilions are quite stunning and I hope to be able to visit one day! You can pick and choose elements from the photos to incorporate into your own home and small and subtle changes can still give you an exotic Moroccan edge! Now head over to NoMad Luxuries and enjoy a Moroccan recipe and how to style your tabletop for an exotic feast!

 Thanks for stopping by!

Yana

Dear Readers, I hope you had a beautiful weekend and are ready for a new week of colorful inspiration. We spent a quiet weekend here in Brussels which, despite the lack of sleep that comes with having a newborn, is something I am enjoying a lot having worked on weekends for the past year and a half. The weather was, hmmmm how should I write this, not typical of what you would expect a day in May to look like but that’s how they come here in Belgium. I decided to take care of our terrace as it had been abandoned pretty much since  September and luckily had a three year old assistant who didn’t mind playing in the rain with his wheelbarrow, a bucket, some earth and a water hose. Mission accomplished, the terrace is clean and has loads of new flowers in the planters. We are now waiting for the meteorological conditions to enjoy it.

I am back with a new color inspiration collage as I hadn’t done one in a while and realized that they seem to be popular and get pined quite a lot to Pinterest. Today’s inspiration comes in the form of a sculpture titled “Let her have her glory” by Debra Baxter made of celestite, glass and quartz crystal. Apart from the very nature of the elements used, the color contrast between the varying shades of dark grey and the lime/neon yellow is absolutely striking. This effect is mimicked in this living room where all the static elements such as the sofa, the coffee table, the walls and floor, and the large art canvas come in varying shades ranging from medium grey to charcoal and black.

The neon yellow is simply introduced in the decor with the accessories making the entire color scheme easy to update and to change depending on the mood or season: a small coffee table, cushions and a throw on the couch, the lamp with matching shade, a rug, glasses, a candle and some leaves in a vase. I love the freshness the lime brings the charcoal, but I’d love the same color scheme with neon pink or a beautiful royal blue instead of the yellow.

What’s your take on it? Have a lovely day!

Living room image source: Picsdecor

Erin Flett is a multi-talented  graphic artist with an indisputable love of color. She has worked on projects ranging from logo, web and packaging design but what really has gotten her noticed is her collection of hand screen printed textiles based on her hand drawn illustrations. I discovered her new indoor/outdoor fabric collection launched in collaboration with Alfresco Fabrics while researching for my article on Chairloom. The versatility and practical aspect of an indoor/outdoor fabric collection always gets my vote as I love the idea of using a fabric for interior design and carrying it’s feel outside to the garden, yard or terrace with a coordinate. This collection produced in the USA features bold, graphic, hand-drawn patterns that come in a “make me happy” color selection. Aren’t those swivel armchairs upholstered by Chairloom just beautiful? I would absolutely re-imagine our home’s complete color scheme to have them fit in.

If you love her eclectic style but don’t need any fabric I have great news for you: Erin also offers through her website and her Etsy shop a great selection of accessories such as cushions, tea towels, bags or stretched cloth wall art. They come either with abstract patterns or with the cutest drawn animals making them perfect  for nurseries and children’s rooms. Every piece is hand screened upon order in her studio in Maine with your choice of nineteen colors available.

If you had the option which print/cushion would you choose? I love the coffee ring fabric and my heart can’t decide between the squirrel and owl cushion. Have a lovely weekend!