Interior Design Blog

Welcome to the Interior Design Blog!

This online journal provides an overview of the latest updates to the Interior Design Tutor website in addition to personal insight on design inspirations I discover here and there.

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Now for the very latest...

Turning the TV Into Art

I always love it when I discover new twists on otherwise typical decor and design elements.

Here is my latest inspiration piece - a TV easel from Restoration Hardware. What an 'artistic' alternative to the typical media cabinet!

Often a television feels like an imposing or interrupting presence to the style of a space, but I think this solution helps to minimize that by creating the feeling of a gallery retreat.

How fun!

Tricks of the Trade

When you are designing and furnishing a small space, there are techniques you can use to trick the eye into thinking it is larger than it really is.

Take this small bathroom featured in Architectural Digest, for example. It is windowless. Yet the designer has created the illusion of greater space.

One way this was done was through the use of mirrors. The reflections create the sense of more space beyond.

A low-contrast color scheme from floor to ceiling also makes the elements visually recede a bit.

The materials chosen for furnishings look light and airy within the space as well.

All together, the elements work to enhance reality in a lovely way.

How an Online Kitchen Design Tool Can Help You!

Discover how online kitchen design tools give you invaluable insight into your project before you even spend a dime.

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Special Offer: Your Own Custom Interior Design Plan

I'm happy to share some exciting news! Interior-Design-Tutor.net has partnered with Diane Kolak of Dwelement Home Design to provide an exclusive offer to visitors of this site.

Now you can get a customized interior design plan for that room that's desperately in need of a makeover. You know the one. You have a sense of how you would like it to look and function but just aren't quite sure how to pull it off.

Diane will create a road map to achieve exactly the kind of space you have in mind. She'll even provide you with an artistic conception of how it will look before you ever lift a paint brush.

The process is fun and easy! And there are no expensive interior designer contracts to sign. Click the link below to learn more.

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Neutral Color Advantages

Choosing a neutral background for your space provides a wonderful stage to feature a vibrant color scheme.

A neutral background doesn't necessarily mean plain white. Light gray or tan tones combined with cream or white can create create an interesting combination that is visually more subtle than straight-up white.

The other great thing about using a neutral color palette as the base for your overall color scheme is the ease with which you can change the look.

When it all gets tiring, swap out decor elements for an alternate punch of color and a whole new look.

This photo featured on Crate & Barrel is a nice example of a color scheme with a neutral background. The subdued wall color allows the vibrant bedspread to take center stage. I love how the dark wood of the furniture contrasts with the walls, and how the arrangement of tiny mirrors over the bed provides a fun diversion from the predictable.

Home Office: Design on the Wireless Side

Wireless technology is expanding our options for home office design. Desks no longer need to be next to wall outlets for the sake of power or internet connections.

A case in point is this home office. A sawhorse desk by Ballard Design takes center stage in this stylish space.

The sleek lines of the table are contrasted by a patterned fabric on desk chairs that aren't quite what you would expect to see in a typical home office.

A standard cork noteboard is elevated to art status with a chic, black frame.

My point? Your home work space can be free flowing, stylish and unpredictable. A laptop computer and wireless internet connection give you greater latitude with design.

Wild Style

Carpet runners and area rugs are a great element for layering a space and creating interesting pattern across an otherwise solid, floor expanse. Carpets help to soften and warm a space, making it feel more inviting.

As a general rule, floral and oriental patterns coordinate well with a traditional interior while geometric patterns and color blocked designs lend a more contemporary feel.

This entry hall features Stanton Carpet runners in a delightfully wild print that spices up the traditional, architectural elements without detracting from them. What’s also nice is the carpets are made of eco-friendly wool.