Marble Countertops

White marble countertops are all the rage in kitchen design...you can't argue that it's absolutely beautiful, but there are some things that you should know before installing marble in your home.

Marble is a natural stone, made of mostly calcite. It will come with care and maintenance as most natural stones do, but it is a bit softer than some stones such as granite. It stains and scratches easily if exposed to acid, liquid or oil. There are some great sealers out there though if you are willing to keep up the care.

If you are a bit hard on your kitchen, but love the look of this beautiful stone, you may consider using it on your island and pairing it with a more durable material on the surrounding countertops (next to your stove and sink). I suggest using engineered stone that is composed of 93% quartz particles, such as Caesarstone. If you still want this "light" look, quartz countertops will take a beating!

Jean De Merry

I had the opportunity to visit this showroom yesterday in LA...absolutely exquisite!

http://www.jeandemerry.com/

Sofas

Great lines, nail head detail, and tufting are what sets these apart from the boring old sofa.

Ronald Ryan

Thayer Coggin

Cisco Brothers

Cisco Brothers

Fantastic Greens

I love this finish...a super high gloss or lacquer finish reflects light and adds depth to your walls! The crown molding helps the transition to the light ceiling color and brings in a wonderful finishing detail.

Elle Decor

This soft green warms up the space and allows for fewer pieces of decor in the shelves. It keeps the focal point on the design of the built-ins rather than what is in them.

Now that's a kitchen!

What a bold kitchen; so fun and vibrant!

Where are you brave souls that will let me do this to your kitchen??? :)

Art Needed

OK, so I know this topic is a bit contradictory to my last post, "No Art Needed," but I wanted to share my passion for art and how important it often is to interior design. A single art piece can be the main focal point in a room and therefore should be special and chosen with consideration.

An art piece can dominate interior design and often lends its colors to the accent pieces incorporated in the rest of the room, such as linens and accessories. It can also be the only source of vibrant color.

decor pad

Here are a few artists that I have recently found and absolutely love their work!

Jerry Iverson at Pulliam Gallery

I also love this artist, Joshua Jensen-Nagle...too many cool pieces to post...you will just have to check out his site

http://www.jensennagle.com/

No wall art needed!

I sometimes get stuck looking for wall art for my clients. If you cant afford custom or original pieces, the same retail art seems to be circulating and finding a unique option can be tough.

If you find yourself in this situation you can always consider adding molding detail to your plain walls! Here are a few photos for you...no art needed, just the simple geometrical beauty and texture of the molding.

thehouseitch.com

Try framing in wallpaper for some added pattern or pop of color! PS with this route you can splurge for a more expensive wallpaper option because you need less of it for your project!