Top 5 Blog Posts of 2011

This was my first year of blogging and I have come a long way!  I can't believe how much I have learned this year and how much I have grown.  I am so grateful to the readers of this blog, my clients and all of the support I have been given.  I feel blessed beyond words.  Thank you!

To conclude the first year of BDG Style I thought I would do a re-cap of The top 5 blog posts of the year based on pageviews.  So, if you are new to BDG Style or may have missed these popular posts, I hope you enjoy.

The Top 5 Blog Posts of 2011 

Old Hollywood Glam meets OC Living Room

Lovely Living Room

Stylish Family Home in Ladera Ranch

Family Room Before & After

Drapery Do's and Don'ts

I hope you all have a Happy New Year!

xoxo,

Alison

Accessory Styling

I have been working on a project in Huntington Beach that is almost complete.  The feel of the home is very clean, traditional with a few coastal elements.  I recently installed accessories into their family room media built-in.  I purchased everything from Homegoods and ordered the books from the book dealer I work with.  

We added a couple bursts of turquoise to pull in the color scheme which is 

linen, white, coral, green and turquoise 

I love the simplicity of neatly stacked books.  

I wanted to make sure the overall finished look was balanced, unified and clean.  The books, vases and turquoise to silver accessories are all working together on alternating shelves and sections.  It's like working a giant puzzle.  

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

I hope you all have a great Christmas and a blessed New Year!  

The Nate Berkus Show

It's so fun to see a photograph from one of my design projects on The Nate Berkus Show today!

Here's a short clip from the episode...

Great advice on updating your fire box!!  :)

Finding Inspiration

I spent this cold California day in Los Angeles looking around for some much needed design inspiration.  I needed a breath of fresh air so I made a quick trip to the Pacific Design Center.  

The PDC is filled with designer furniture, accessory and fabric showrooms.

I spent a few hours getting lost in fabrics!  I am looking for something
different
unique color combinations, prints or patterns.....anything NEW and interesting!

(view of downtown LA)

After several hours and thousands of fabrics I managed to find some great new prints that I can get to work on creating new color schemes with.  I need NEW colors in my life!
Where do you find your inspiration?

BDG on The Nate Berkus Show!

I am so excited to announce that one of my projects will be featured on

The Nate Berkus Show

scheduled to air Wednesday, December 21st at 3pm PST on NBC

This is the photo they requested...

photo by Ashlee Raubach

It's going to be so exciting to see this room on the show! 

Hope you can watch :)

DIY Pinwheel Artwork

Many of us struggle with finding the right artwork for our children's rooms.  Especially, if you have a theme or unique color palette that you are working with.  One of my clients found an adorable pinwheel shadow box to complete the look of her son's nursery. 

I found some great pinwheels on Etsy the would work great displayed in a child's room...

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I also love the look of several pinwheels in a vase or container of some sort

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For those of you that see this as a great DIY project I found some great pinwheel tutorials...


Tutorial Here

 
Tutorial Here



Black & White Christmas

I just stopped by my clients home to check out her Christmas decorations.  Knowing how creative she is I was so excited to see what she did with her Living Room. 

All I can say is WOW! 

This room is so stunning!

I love how she tied the oversize mercury glass ornaments from her chandelier.

 

Love it!  Great job Debbie!!
xoxo

Color of the year 2012

The official "color of the year" by the Pantone (the world renowned authority on color) is:

TANGERINE TANGO

Dance into the New Year with this Vivacious and Appealing Reddish Orange

 Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Institute says:

Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it.  Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

Watch this video for some great Tangerine Tango fashion finds and for more information on Pantone...

Here are some ways to incorporate this blood orange into your home...

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Love the burst of color on these Dining Chairs with this neutral room.  



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Add a bold accent wall or interior door...even your front door!


Adding a few new pillows or accessories is a great way to incorporate a new color into your home. 




I look forward to pairing this hue with some unexpected colors like Amethyst or Emerald.  Or bringing it in as a pop of color to a neutral space. 
What do you think of this color?

2012 Color Forecast

Can you believe 2011 is coming to a close?  It was a great year in home decor, I loved the bright playful colors.  It appears 2012 will move into more nature inspired color palettes.  Things are warming up...our Honeysuckle of 2011 is deepening into a warm fuchsia.  

 Color Forecast for 2012

 by Sherwin Williams

Neutral

Raw materials continue to influence color trends, especially the more subtle hues. Picture a field of grain, pile of pebbles, weathered wood and earthen clay. Gold tones embody the sun and soft metallics — and warm up this understated yet refined palette. Textural elements, such as linen, unfired porcelain and mixed woods, provide subtle tonal variations.

Reds

Red is the color of love, fire and the earth’s molten core, and it stirs raw emotions ranging from the deepest passion to the softest femininity. This saturated palette includes hues of brilliant flowers and glowing embers. It isn’t a single red, but a deep gradation of fuchsias, red-oranges, violets and delicate pinks.

Blues

This soothing palette celebrates a pair of functional and treasured blues: denim and water. It explores the darkest indigo to faded-jeans hues, some with violet undertones, as well as the calm, shimmery shades that reflect rivers, lakes and seas.

It is always fun to watch store fronts, like Z Gallerie, transition to the new "it" colors!  

Sneak Peek...Huntington Beach Project

The design process can take some time and this is one of those spaces that I cannot wait to share!!  We are so close to completion that I thought I would post a quick sneak peek. We just delivered some furniture today but still waiting on a rug, coffee table, side table, additional pillows and artwork.  Once we get it all in (very soon!!!) I will post more photos.

I am in love with this house...

These chairs are AMAZING!  The sleek arm, the crisp white and those chrome nailheads...I love these!

This simple linen tone on tone stripe pairs beautifully with the countertop.  Words cannot describe this kitchen!!  Just wait!

This mercury glass lamp from Jamie Young is so striking!  

Stay tuned for more photos!

Custom Window Treatments: Fabric Roman Shades

I just installed some new window treatments at this home.  I love how these roman shades turned out.  The fabric really brings in the color and pattern that this pretty nook needed.  

The fabric is Schumacher's Chain Link in Navy.

 It is a bold navy color that is hard to see in my dark photos :(

I have a few more window treatments that we installed in this home that I will post soon.

DIY Holiday Centerpiece ideas

I have been thinking about my how I can spruce up my holiday decor this season and plan on only adding free or inexpensive decorations.  I have been searching for ideas on something interesting for the table centerpiece and some of these ideas caught my eye.

I want a mixture of candles and branches

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 Pick up branches from a local florist or from your yard and arrange in vases.  Be sure to use gravel to hold the branches in place. 

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Spray paint a large branch for something different.

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Simply cut holes into a log and add candles.  This would work with so many table settings for the holidays


I'm looking forward to creating something like this for my Christmas Eve table.  It's going to be here before I know it!