Re-Purpose: Crate Edition

Since re-purposing old items is both environmentally friendly and economical, here are some great ways to reuse old wooden crates or palettes that you might have laying around or find readily available at your local swap meet.

McDonalds Revisited

McDonald’s Restaurant recently hired designer Patrick Norguet to re-design and re-image the restaurants in its French branches. The look is more sophisticated without as many wildly bright red and yellow accents that we have come to associate with the brand; and the lighting is a bit more ambient than the obnoxious fluorescents we are used to in the fast food chain. Perhaps we will see something similar to these sleeker designs in the United States soon!

A Little Bit Goes a Long Way

Adding wallpaper to a powder room is a great way to make a large statement in a tiny space. Patterns that might otherwise feel overwhelming are not as harsh against a small wall. Try applying wallpaper only to the area visible from the hallway as an added surprise for guests walking by.

Amber Interiors

Welcome to the bright and eclectic home of interior designer Amber Lewis. I honestly never thought I could be jealous of a house with a 1970's yellow bubble-glass entry door, but Lewis has me sold here. When asked about designing her own home she said, "I think the most important thing is balance: using neutrals on the big ticket items (like a sofa) and then adding layers of bright, poppy colors. I’m the queen of grey or white couches, set on top of a wild-colored rug with tons of bright, funky pillows and textiles thrown around."

You can check out more of Amber's style and projects on her blog, here.

Herringbone High Rise

The view from this Sydney apartment is impossible to deny, but the view looking in is not so bad either. It is amazing what a wood pattern, herringbone in this case, can do for a space. Every individual speck of color from the floor has been picked up in other elements of the room, creating an incredibly warm environment that is balanced out with crisp white and grey walls.

Terrific Trays

Trays are one of my favorite decorative accessories. They can be used almost anywhere for any purpose and can be switched up when you get tired of them or on a seasonal basis.