Online Client Board: Guest Room

Haven't had a chance to update the blog in a while, been 

swamped with client projects.

Here's a fun design I've been working on. 

My client wanted a fresh new look for their guest room.

Just need to find the right lighting and perfect paint color

to complete the look!

Palazzo Marghertia

This gorgeous resort, which sits on a small hilltop town in Southern Italy, 

immediately caught my eye. 

Palazzo Marghertia is a converted 19th century mansion which

includes nine rooms; 

each decorated with hand painted fresco ceilings and restored marble floors. 

Love the small details in each room.

I've added this to my list of places to visit!

Outdoor Inspiration

Our landscaping is finally starting today!

Can't wait for the yard to be finished. 
In the meantime

thought I'd share a few inspirational pictures I've collected for our outdoor room.

Homeklondike

Housetohome

Doug&Gene Meyer

Pinterest

Pinterest

Lonny

DecorPad

Irada: Islamic Wall Art

A few months back I got in touch with the people behind
Irada Arts. 

They have a wonderful array of decals in many colors and styles.

The inspiration they had for creating these decals can be read directly on their site. Here's

a sample:

"....we set out on a quest to capture the beauty of Islamic calligraphy combined with reviving the tradition of largemajestic calligraphy directly on the wall and bring it into your home, as a reminder that helps us proceed forward, as a meaning of our ultimate purpose, as an expression of hearts longing for the Divine. Or in other words, increasing one’s Irada."

I choose three pieces for my own home.

I went with the smaller Kufic style decal in gold.

I decided to place them on three 'all black' shadow boxes.

Applying the decal was quite simple. Just be sure that everything lays flat, get rid

of all bubbles. I applied it directly to the outside of my shadow box.

And voila the finished piece....

My new staircase art!

Update And Cupcakes

A quick note to anyone who's interested in getting

onto my client list. I'm currently booked until the end of June.

I will be taking just a couple more clients for July/August, so

if anyone is interested in sprucing up their home

before Ramadan/Eid email me as soon as you can!

On a separate note, this past weekend a few friends and I organized a baby shower

for a friend. The theme was 'As cute as a button'.

These were the mini cupcakes we made for the dessert table.

Decorating With Mirrors

Mirrors are a beautiful design component to any room.

In addition to enlarging a space and reflecting light, mirrors

can add a unique decorative element.

Here are a few distinct ways to incorporate mirrors into your design.

Add a personal sentiment directly on a mirror.

Tumblr

Group different shapes and sized mirrors on a ledge.

cococozy.com

Create a wall grid.

Pinterest

Mirror on a mirror.

Lisa Luby Ryan

Add mirrors to your outdoor space.

Housebeautiful.com

DIY: Add texture to mirror frames for a bold look.

DecorPad

Lean a large mirror against a wall.

DecorPad

How about mirrored subway tile? 

Milk n Honey Home

To end this post I just had to share a picture of the Sheesh Mahal (The Palace of Mirrors) in Lahore, Pakistan. 

Thousands or tiny mirrors adorn this palace. Amazing.

Family Room Reveal

Here are the pictures I promised to share.... my family room!

I was honored to have my friend Ayesha, from Photography By Ayesha, take these wonderful pictures.

I started with a blank canvas; an empty room with no flooring. I had the hardwood floors

put in and painted the walls a very subtle gray. 

I based the design on the amazing Schumacher wallpaper. It really does look like tile, even in person.
Love it.
I've always wanted a blue sofa and was ecstatic to be able to incorporate one into this
design.

Before

After

I've incorporated a mixture of styles that I'm currently loving, which of course include Islamic design elements as well as some cultural pieces.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Liven Up Your Room With Tile

My current obsession.... Moroccan tile.

I love both the traditional look as well as the more updated version used in interior spaces today.

The options are endless.

Here are a few styles that caught my eye...

Remodelista

Artistic Designs For Living

Pinterest

Pinterest 

Houzz

Tumblr

My Black Wall

I did it!

A few months back I posted on painting walls black:

 (http://azzuredesign.blogspot.com/2012/06/make-it-pop.html).
I was apprehensive at first but thanks to my husbands encouragement 
I bit the bullet.

We moved in about three weeks ago and had the main floor of the house painted

right away. I had our niche, which is across from our formal living room, painted black.

I decided to add to white strips on either side to give it a more sophisticated

feel.

I love the way it turned out. It's important to remember, when doing a bold statement wall, 
to have other parts of your room compliment it. Not just what you place in front of the wall but also the room or hall it looks into.

We Just Bought Our Own Place!

Finally, after three years of renting we decided 

to get back into the world of home ownership and I couldn't

be more ecstatic! 

We did have our own place back in Wisconsin, but

when we moved to San Diego we decided to wait and a little before buying again.

This past month after looking at just a few homes we decided to go for it.

Yes, being a designer and not having the option of making any major changes

to my place for the past three years has been hard, to say the least, but I can let loose again!

We've already painted most of the place and got some wallpaper up. 

Will share more with you all soon, for now here is a picture of the tile I

choose for our powder room. Just finalizing the accessories for the space.

Buffet Table Makeover: DIY

We bought this buffet a couple of years ago, I was getting

bored of the drab color, instead of buying a new

piece I decided to give this one a whole new look.

The Before (sitting on an old rug ready for paint)

I prepped the table by sanding it down and of course priming it.
Once dried, I started with the paint;
went with a light blue color. 

The shape and style of the hardware worked for me so I decided to keep it. Simply
gave it a fresh coat of gold paint.

Voila, the final piece! Absolutely loved the way it turned out!

The After

We have a few changes going on at our end and this piece fits in just right. 
Will explain more soon...