Treading in Color

This picture stopped me in my tracks when I saw it. The natural color combinations are breathtaking!! I love navy blue as a main color and yellow as an accent! What are your thoughts? I used a color similar to this from C2 called Brigand in my half bath and I'm still in love with it!!

#1 Removable Wallpaper This surface material is easy to apply and therefore easy to change when you feel you need to. Accent wall seem like to much? Consider lining the back of a bookshelf instead. #2 Live Plants Live plants can help bring life and happiness to a space, and good for your health to boot! #3 Window Treatments These should be hung a couple of inches ABOVE window including trim. If you are able to, extend the hanging rod past the window on both sides. This creates the illusion of a bigger window and allows more natural light into the room. #4 Adding Texture and/or Color There are a few ways to do this. One could be bright pops of color in your accent pillows or with a plush throw blanket. Another way may be to add woven baskets to your plants or add storage for your magazines. #5 Lighting Don't forget to include all three layers of lighting to your room.      A Ambient (general/overhead)      B Task     ...

So  wallpaper is making a comeback? Well my mindset on this has always been negative. In my line of work I OFTEN come across those with wallpaper removal horror stories and I am trying to advise them on all things with removing wallpaper,  DIY . That being said, wallpaper has changed. a lot! Gone are the borders and nautical prints. It seems to be used as more of an accent, whether that be one wall or the backing of a bookcase, bold or soft. When I first moved into my home 10+ years ago every room was covered in wallpaper, no joke! I hated it!! Plus, long story short we moved into an older home (plaster walls) that had been moved onto a new foundation after our city suffered from a flood. Because of this, there were cracks above doorways and had we tried to remove that paper we would have ended up damaging the walls and potentially needing to then re-drywall, which as first time homebuyers we couldn't afford to do. So what did we do? We primed and painted over ALL OF IT!...

If you didn't see this post via Domino magazine I felt it true enough to share- This Material Is on the Brink of a Major Comeback, Says Leanne Ford. It is a more cost  effective option to stone with a fairly similar look. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Like all great design trends of the past,  Formica  is poised for a comeback. The easy-to-clean material that once comprised almost every private and public countertop in America is in the middle of a renaissance, and guess what? It’s honestly more beautiful than ever. In lieu of pricey stone and granite, laminate is quickly becoming the It material for budget-conscious home renovators. Just ask designer and renovation expert Leanne Ford of HGTV’s  Restored by the Fords , who collaborated with Formica on a curated  capsule collection  that launches this month. “I blame landlords for giving laminate a bad name,” Ford says with a grin. “There are really modern, clean options to play with outside ...

2019 is just around the corner and trends for the new year are starting to rise to the top! Benjamin Moore went a lot more neutral for 2019 with AF-690 Metropolitan. The thing I like about this "neutral" is that it still has color! In case no one told you, color can be neutral!! I love that color is popular on every surface not just your walls but in draperies, islands and even woodwork! I think if color is a little out of your comfort zone then start with a smaller space like a bedroom where you can close the door and not see it at all times of the day. I personally like a darker color for a bedroom. I think it's easier to bring color into the space when you have pillows, bedspreads and rugs as examples to play off of. When in doubt it's just paint, so go ahead, step outside of that comfort zone and go darker than you normally would!

I recently read that the #1 design mistake most people make is...CLUTTER. I was kind of surprised until I started decorating for christmas in my own home and realized how much STUFF I had! So this year I decided less is more. Of course we still put up a tree but I usually over-decorate my mantle and this year I'm keeping it simple. I have a good friend who is a true hy-gee' decor lover and is always stressing that "less is more." She's always getting rid of STUFF and a lot of the time I'm very envious.                                                      So I think that might be my goal this coming year- getting rid of STUFF. Even though my kiddos are still young, it might be a good lesson to learn! It just seems impossible sometimes while working in the design world. I love everything and enjoy changing it up often. I need t...

Looking to update but wondering where to start? Feeling overwhelmed? Let me help with a few tried and true tips- one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to update a space is with color! 1. Choose a color story : keep it going through all of your main living areas to help create a natural flow to the space. I've talked about it before and monochromatic color schemes are what's still trending today. Another thing that can help with where to start is choosing an inspirational piece whether it's a piece of art or a favorite pillow, let those pieces guide you. 2. Tone-on-tone coloring : layering color with one color but different tones is a great decorating technique that has been popular for some time now.The saturation or depth of a color can dramatically transform a space without interrupting the flow. Choose a warm neutral you love and go 2 shades darker/lighter for an accent wall. 3. Comparison :  Don't forget to fall in love with a color in your...

Did you know we install glass showers @ Sterling Carpet One!? You may have noticed that shower doors are looking more minimal than ever these days. This is because designers are now embracing the sleek, less-is-more look of frameless shower doors. These stylish new door types leave excessive metal hardware and framing out of the equation, letting showers blend in more seamlessly with the rest of their surroundings. (Domino magazine) The other FANTASTIC part of the equation is that our designers can help with it ALL! Our designers can help choose the tile, grout color, to heat/not to heat floor and even accent tile for a little bling or more storage options! Clean Crisp whites are what's trending now- Adding Glass doors and a walk in shower is a way to update a forever bathroom by eliminating the bathtub. I also think they allow for a lighter brighter space which can be good for smaller spaces.  Moral of the story: Looking to update? Remodel? Stop in to Sterling Carpe...

Floating shelves can be a great way to fill a space. But what about floating beds? A floating desk? As long as you have the right support, anything can float! Floating Box Shelves I'm very lucky that my husband had this idea for floating beds for my son's room. Believe it or not he went on pinterest (ghasp!) to find an image that mirrored the idea in his head and voila! The frames are pallets and screwed into studs and then for extra support he added the twine to the top bed. Think outside of the box, simplicity at it's finest. Floating Desk The only problem with floating shelves tends to be the clutter aspect but I guess I'd rather embrace my clutter cool finds and show them off!                Happy Clutter *Just try to remind yourself that sometimes exposing your clutter is okay :)      

Our Sterling Carpet One showroom finally has some new jewelry and I'm here to showcase it! Lots of hands were involved in choosing the color, painting the wall, ordering a new hanging system and finally, adding the mirrors! Meet our new Mirror gallery wall...(drum roll please) AFTER Isn't she pretty!! That is color #789 Voodoo from C2 and the color is stunningly perfect!!! We also had our electrician come in and add some nearby spot lighting - Okay so maybe I'm being a little dramatic. Would it help if you got to see the before? BEFORE You really should stop in to our Grand Forks location if you can, to see all it's glory in person! We of course have lots of other mirror selections and displays throughout the store but I love the way this wall stands out now!!! What do you think?

I hate to paint yet choose the MOST. TEDIOUS. PAINTING. JOBS. EVER!! This is my front tile entry that I decided to cottage paint a while back with a stencil and then top coat it with several layers of polyurethane and pray it holds up. Took me a whole weekend to finish!! So I decided this time I"ll paint my interior french door that's white, black. All of my trim is white and I don't plan on changing that anytime soon   ever! My thought was that my boys were going hunting for the weekend which meant spare time for me and I wanted to bring attention to the detail of my french door. BEFORE DURING AFTER I do have to say I LOVE the change but I still HATE to paint. Before I started I spent an hour taping the glass on one side but because I had to do 2 coats I couldn't remove the tape after one coat while the paint was still wet, which is ideal. All said and done, I will never use tape again, it hurt me more than help me! I did not tape the back side ...

August color of the month is C2 994 Grout. I love the versatility of this neutral! This color is neutral enough to handle being paired with other warm neutrals or powerful brights. So find your color in fabrics, accessories, artwork, etc. Still need more inspiration? Try downloading the app 'Beautiful Design Made Simple' made by our global partner CCA which sends out quarterly publications if you subscribe. There are a tone of ideas in each issue relatable to the season and your home. Have fun with your design and enjoy the inspiration!

Did you know...WE SELL AREA RUGS @ Sterling Carpet One!!!      We have some in stock-ready to go home with you but we also have ordering options too! Sometimes I think it's nice if you're going to spend the money, to know that your neighbor won't have the same one. I mean don't get me wrong, Target has some great options but options tend to be a little limited: size, color, feel, etc. Most of our in-stock rugs are 5x7 or 8x10 but are usually available to order in other sizes as well. (and did I mention we have a color expert on hand to help coordinate your wall color!) Not to mention we also have books and books of orderable options to look through too!

Of course when talking farmhouse style these days only one name comes to mind for most people... Joanna Gaines. She has of course melted our hearts with her room designs and has us drooling over her paint colors! So I thought what better knowledge than her 25 paint line colors matched to benjamin moore colors! (Don't worry, you can thank me later) and please remember to use these images only for reference! Go into a benjamin moore dealer and look at the color IN PERSON, then take that color home and look at it in your lighting! Just because you like a color in an image doesn't mean it will look the same in your space! These colors (all colors) will change with lighting so be cautious and have fun playing with color!