The hallways that link living spaces to sleeping spaces to the exterior of a home are just as important as bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens. Whether you’re working with a short hallway, a hallway with a sharp turn, a spacious hallway or one that is a tight squeeze, it is possible to make it feel as special as the rest of your home. Ensure that your hallways come alive with built-ins, light, vibrant rugs and more.

Hanrahan Meyers Architects

1. A vibrant rug. If your hall could utilize a pick-me-up, add a vibrant rug for immediate style. The stripes on this rug help a narrow hallway feel wider. The lengthy rug, which extends from 1 end of the hallway to the other, has a stunning effect. Can’t find a rug that is long enough? Try sewing a number of the very same rugs together to create a faux runner.

Hufft Projects

2. An image gallery. This designer took advantage of a extra-long hallway by hanging a row of family photos and art. While identical frames and matting can seem graphic and bold, this eclectic mix of colors and sizes adds warmth to the room.

The best way to Receive your art positioning right

Avalon Interiors

3. Cabinetry. Use a broader hallway and assemble in some custom cabinetry for additional storage and display space. The cupboard in this photograph serves as a display shelf for arenas. Its neutral colour of paint keeps the hanging artwork as the focal point.

John Maniscalco Architecture

4. Pendant lighting. Most interior hallways do not have windows, meaning adequate artificial lighting is a must. Try adding hanging pendants rather than the conventional surface-mounted lighting. The right pendant will light up your hallway whilst incorporating design flair, also.

Mark pinkerton – vi360 photography

5. Wainscoting. Hallway wainscoting is an excellent decorative design element, but in addition, it will help protect drywall from scrapes, bumps and marks. Traditionally, the wainscoting was installed in transitional spaces like this, to protect active rooms out of heavy traffic.

Tim Barber Ltd Architecture

6. Bookcases. Some enthusiastic readers can never have sufficient space for books. Extend a library out to the hallway to create additional screen space for cherished books. Whether built-in or bought, bookcases can add a functional and aesthetic element to broader hallways.

Shannon Malone

7. Murals. A floor-to-ceiling map installation can transform an awkward hallway into an educational opportunity. Don’t like the look? Wall decals and murals are available in all kinds of customizable options, and they are often less expensive than background.

Michael Abrams Limited

8. Framed mirrors. For people who love the gallery seem but do not know what to put in their frames, a hall of mirrors are the best answer. An installation similar to this can highlight a great collection of frames, or just bring additional visual and light space into a small and dark hallway.

More inspiration: Browse thousands of hallways in each style

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I reupholstered my dining room seats in a fun floral a couple weeks ago. I knew what color I wanted (I am into teal right now), but picking the pattern was barbarous. I have an open living space, so my choice required to pair nicely with the stripes, florals and chevrons in my living space. I moved back and forth on several patterns; in the end I chose to simply match the colors, maybe not the prints — doing both was just too much to manage.

At the same point or another, we have come across an identical pattern issue: What goes nicely with my favorite plaid armchair? Can my brand new chevron ottoman work together with my damask bedding? Can I use polka dots, animal prints and florals in my child’s bedroom?

Finding the perfect balance is tough, but this pattern primer will provide you all the need-to-know details regarding your favorite prints. Two designers, Suzanne Tucker, cofounder and principal designer at Tucker & Marks, and Abbe Fenimore, principal designer at Studio Ten 25, discuss their expert insights on publish personalities, pairings and intriguing new decorating techniques.

Michelle Miller Interiors

Chevron

Attributes: Versatile, on trend, daring yet relaxing.
Where to use it In tiny doses, such as on vases, drapes or pillows. Try out a painted or tile accent wall to make a statement.
Pairs nicely with: any additional publish, Tucker says. The trick: Maintain the colour palette consistent and balance the scale — a big and bold pattern, yet another small and subtle.
Pulling off it: To prevent a DIY appearance, combine it together with luxurious velvets, Fenimore suggests. It also pairs nicely with metallics and stone tones, especially when used as art.

Watch chevrons in more chambers

Kerrisdale Design Inc

Floral

Attributes: Romantic, timeless, light and airy.
Where to use it Everywhere! Wallpaper, draperies, bedding, upholstery and cushions.
Pairs nicely with: A stripe that pulls out a less-obvious colour in the floral pattern — which way the space will appear less “decorated”
Pulling off it: “Center a large-scale floral pattern on smaller pieces for a fantastic effect,” Tucker says.

Watch florals in more chambers

Erika Bierman Photography

Ikat

Attributes: Global, eclectic, exotic, earthy, adventurous, handmade looking.
Where to use it Pillows, dining chair cushions, drapes.
Pairs nicely with: Stripes, tone-on-tone images and strong silks, Fenimore states.
Pulling off it: “Ikats create a fantastic surprise lining on a more traditional drapery therapy, or as one facet of portieres because you pass through,” Tucker says.

Watch ikats in more chambers

Kropat Interior Design

Paisley

Attributes: A true chameleon. Energetic, retro, daring, bohemian, but warm and cozy.
Where to use it Curtains, curtain linings, walls and upholstery
Pairs nicely with: Herringbone.
Pulling off it: “Use large scale to get a daring and playful appearance,” Tucker says. “Maintain your paisleys tonal to get a more transitional appearance.”

Watch paisleys in more chambers

Abbe Fenimore Studio Ten 25

Animal

Attributes: Eclectic, sassy, daring, lively, glamorous.
Where to use it Rugs, pillows, bedding, background, drawer liners and art.
Pairs nicely with: Shimmery velvets and nubby linens, Fenimore states.
Pulling off it: “There is a very fine line between posh and sleazy, so purchase the best — it has to be top quality,” Tucker says.

See monster prints in more chambers

Tom Stringer Design Partners

Polka Dot

Attributes: Entertaining, happy, outgoing and playful.
Where to use it Rugs, pillows and accent pieces — on a small or large scale.
Pairs nicely with: Likewise colored stripes and plain colors, as long as they do not compete.
Pulling off it: “Steer clear of giant polka dots, or you will seem like a game of Twister,” Tucker says.

Watch polka dots in more chambers

Tucker & Marks

Plaid

Attributes: Buttoned-up classic and conservative; French, English and Scottish feel.
Where to use it Upholstery pieces and headboards with straight lines; silk drapes when paired with vibrant colors.
Pairs nicely with: Likewise colored florals and strong colors.
Pulling off it: “Pay attention to matching the pattern exactly — nothing seems worse than a badly sewn or mismatched plaid,” Tucker says.

Watch plaids in more chambers

HUSH

Quatrefoil

Attributes: Tailored, formal, French.
Where to use it Upholstery on big pieces, such as chairs and sofas; stencil patterns; etched glass; iron gates.
Pairs nicely with: Solids, stripes and chevrons, but maybe not herringbone, Tucker says.
Pulling off it: To get a look that’s much less formal, more eclectic and edgier, look for quatrefoil prints which incorporate at least three colors, Fenimore states.

Watch quatrefoil prints in more chambers

Jane Lockhart Interior Design

Damask

Attributes: Demure, subdued, versatile, traditional.
Where to use it Metallic background and on flooring and draperies.
Pairs nicely with: Florals, stripes, solids and plaids — everything except another damask or routine with the exact same scale.
Pulling off it: “An authentic woven damask can be employed on the opposite too, with subtle differences in coloration,” Tucker says.

Watch damask in more chambers

McCroskey Interiors

Camouflage

Attributes: Adventurous, bold, natural, forgiving, natural.
Where to use it Small Designs, such as upholstered ottomans, beanbag chairs and puppy beds (great for concealing all that hair).
Pairs nicely with: Solids, stripes, plaids and chevrons.
Pulling off it: “Treat camouflage as a strong,” Tucker says. “Maintain the colour palette neutral and sophisticated.”

See camouflage in more chambers

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Although glass was once a costly material used in very limited applications, today’s large-scale production systems are made glass a huge portion of our lives. Though its attractiveness is a welcome addition to the home, the negative side of this romance is that without recycling, glass goes right to the landfill once we’re finished with that. Though glass is inert and not directly hazardous to the planet, it stays in landfills indefinitely.

The good news is that glass is more recyclable — not only once, but on and on, without any degradation of the material. Consider a few of those ideas for bringing the sparkle of recycled glass in your residence.

West Elm

Recycled Glass Jug – $19

The fundamentals: Recycling reduces the amount of waste glass the demand for raw materials quarried in the landscape. Additionally, it uses 50 percent less energy to recycle glass than to create new glass out of sand, soda and lime.

Plus, the more cullett (crushed glass) used to create recycled glass, the lower the temperature the furnace should reach — and that prolongs the life of the furnace.

Programs: Recycled glass countertops have made it even simpler to incorporate recycled glass in the home. They come as 100% recycled glass as recycled glass combined with resin or concrete.

Recycled glass backsplashes, tiles, tableware, accessories and even processors (shown within a landscape) can all be used to create your home and backyard beautiful.

Woodmeister Master Builders

Experts: Recycled glass may be coloured and backlit, and may have various textured finishes implemented, so the design options are bountiful. More significant, there is an expansive glass recycling civilization in both the United Kingdom and the United States, which eliminates any need to buy recycled glass products from different countries if you live there; you won’t trash its green credentials with unnecessary transport.

Lindy Donnelly

Recycled glass is also durable. Glass is among the few substances that may be recycled infinitely with no losing strength, purity or quality; recycled glass products are as durable as the first glass.

Bill Fry Construction – Wm. H. Fry Const. Co..

Disadvantages: There are very few disadvantages to recycled glass, with the exception of the high price of some products. Do your research — recycled glass tableware is usually fairly priced, but recycled glass construction materials can get expensive.

Latera Architectural Surfaces / Dorado Stone

Considerations: Glass chip-based products rely upon concrete or a resin-binding material. The recycled content of those mixed work surfaces ranges from 70 to 85 percent.

Environmentally it requires a lot of energy to extract the raw materials and produce the cement. Resin, generally, is a petrochemical product derived from a nonrenewable resource (unless it’s formulated from plant-based sources). For concrete, look for combinations. But, transport costs for this thick material can be large, both environmentally and financially.

Shannon Malone

Upcycling: In the United Kingdom we import more brown and green glass than we can recycle, so we send green crushed glass back to Portugal for recycling. Since coloured glass has to be separated out of clear glass in the recycling process, think about upcycling those wine bottles intact — like this light fixture that is innovative.

More: Your lead to an ecofriendly kitchen

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I’m always interested in gender differences in regards to design. Being a man, I’m especially on the lookout for styles that appeal to masculine tastes. But essentially it’s a means with no end, as it’s hopeless — and impractical — to lump all men into a category of style. Everybody differs.

However there are a few similarities that tend to span the spectrum of what men want — and which differ in women’s preferences — when it comes to design. (These similarities are easier to spot with single men, because the style is unadulterated by someone else.) One is the way we talk about and describe design.

NICOLEHOLLIS

Nicole Hollis, an interior designer in San Francisco, has discovered that men usually adopt a very special vocabulary when describing what they want. Chat almost consistently turns to automotive design — nice leather, hand-crafted wood, unique sewing, polished metals. Feeling, color and texture gleaned from fine artwork are referred to as well, and so is technology design, such as the sleek and minimalist expression of this iPad.

If you’re one man seeking to design, say, a bedroom or if you’re designing a bedroom for one man — there are a number of things that you’ll want to consider. To get your creative juices flowing, try to think about this ideal hotel room you’ve stayed in. “Lots of men travel for company, and their only introduction to luxury spaces has been in hotels, so their requests tend to mimic people,” Hollis says.

It is a good place to start. Hotel suites are inclined to be calm, have great beds and also have minimalist design that discusses efficiency, practicality and performance — all hallmarks which form what many will call masculine design.

Here a bedroom designed by Hollis for a travel bachelor in the fund industry recalls European hotel suites in which he remained on business trips. A suede headboard, custom made European oak bed and white cowhide rug soften the clean, minimalist design. Practical luggage racks in the close of the bed provide a place for your homeowner’s suitcases.

Shirley Meisels

Interior designer Shirley Meisels claims the sleekness that men seek ought to be softened just a bit, a strategy she took when designing this Toronto bachelor pad. “A home has softer touches,” she says. “The bedroom should be a soft place to land in the end of a long moment. Add cushions, something and a blanket comfortable and cozy. That’s what makes a house a home.”

Chair: Design Within Reach; bed: custom; carpeting: Elte

Frances Bailey

Strategies for Single Guys Designing a Bedroom

stressing your lifestyle. An interior designer will almost always begin a job with an interview to get at the source of how you live. Do you travel a lot? Work a night shift? Do you require blackout curtains? See TV in bed? Turn on the information in the morning? This will dictate the layout and put focus on significant elements within the room, such as splurging on a top-of-the-line mattress as opposed to built-in audiovisual equipment.

Do not be covetous. Just how long do you plan to live independently? Occasionally it isn’t a matter of if somebody else will move in but when. This goes for men and women. If you’re designing a space, you might want to consider how it will accommodate a different individual and his or her style. Should you include a mirror? More cupboard space? A place for a hair dryer and curling iron in the bathroom? Will the colours, textures and furnishings appeal to other people or just your personal tastes?

Pillows: Ralph Lauren Home

Mauricio Nava Design, LLC

Stick with neutral colours. Guys tend to feel more comfortable using a palette of white, gray and black. Think about adding color with a bit of artwork or an accessory rather than a big, splashy red wall or bright bedding. And be sure to balance out the neutrals. “Dark and grey can be very harsh for a bedroom, so I try to make it feel cozier,” Meisels says. “To soften I present natural materials such as linen, wool and natural stone.”

Mirrors, nightstands, Amelia bed, lamps, carpet: Top Fashion Home

Chicago Luxury Beds

Do not skimp on the mattress. Many men travel a lot for work and aren’t home very much. Possessing a calm and serene bedroom and, most significant, a comfortable bed to come home to ought to be a top priority. OK, you might not want to drop $32,000 for a queen-size mattress like this Hastens, but you get the idea. Invest on your sleep, bro.

Frances Bailey

Contemplate your audiovisual equipment. Meisels has a lot of requests to incorporate technology into men’ bedroom designs. But having a TV and gaming consoles on your bedroom can disrupt sleep, so be certain these devices can easily be put away when it’s bedtime.

TV cabinets, built in wall systems and screens that drop down from the ceiling are all worth considering.

Benning Design Construction

Display your own stuff. Hollis notes in her experience, men tend to amass more things than girls — surfboards, vintage guitars, stereo equipment and old cameras — and they always want to display them. Think about the things you collect and how you are going to want to incorporate them in your design.

NICOLEHOLLIS

Follow function. Guys want a place for all. We want the plugs right from the bedside table to our phones and devices. We want a spot for the remote right on the nightstand, and we want big dressers and closet systems for our garments.

Learn where your apparatus will go and be certain you have a place for them. “If I tell a man, ‘This is where you set your shoes,’ that is where he’ll put his shoes forever,” Hollis says. “They enjoy that programming in the house so that they do not have to consider organizing”

Hollis made this space for a young physician. He works night shifts and needed a dark distance suitable for sleeping through the day. Floor-to-ceiling curtains, a dark brown sisal carpet and warm wood do the job.

Carpet: Stark Carpet; curtains: Martin Kobus; dresser: Restoration Hardware; pendant lights: Leucos; bed: custom

Photo by Ben Mayorga

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From El Paso to Tucson, the American Southwest includes a unique and vibrant style that attracts homeowners and design buffs from all over the world. Its different decor — from Navajo rugs to cowboy boot lamps — could be found in houses from the Eastern Seaboard to the Northwest. Regardless of where your home is located, if you have any of these items, you might wish to consider reserving your next visit to the high and dry desert.

Nina Montenegro

Nina Montenegro

Nina Montenegro

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Every year that I count the days before the New England foliage changes from emerald green to a kaleidoscope of fiery color. One of my favorite decor choices is picking an autumn wreath, but it’s often too hard for me to pick only one. As my wreath collection swells, I am discussing my favorites for fall and the approaching holiday season. — Erika out of Radiant Republic

Balsam Hill

Gourd Fall Wreath – $99

Authentic gourds and walnut leaves include stunning texture to this pretty piece. It is such a kaleidoscope of fall color.

Etsy

Decadent Extra-Large Cranberry Wreath by The Wright Wreath

In New England, cranberries are a resounding sign of fall. Adorning a front doorway, they include a perfectly red punch of color.

West Elm

Paper Flower Wreath – $49

The combination of ivory and white paper blossoms is ethereal. This would be darling juxtaposed against my red front door or any doorway for that matter.

Etsy

Fall Wreath by 2 Inspire You – $85

The hydrangea in my lawn have been trimmed back for the cold season, however, it doesn’t mean that I must go without them this Thanksgiving. I adore the trifecta of color in this fairly hydrangea wreath.

Mills Floral Company

Preserved Boxwood Wreath, Square

This square boxwood wreath is fairly on its own. I’d use it like an interesting frame for my favorite fall photograph.

Pottery Barn

Live Succulent Wreath – $99

This dwell succulent noodle takes the cake. With three kinds arranged together, it’s genuinely a one-of-a-kind piece.

Etsy

Fall Wreath, Moss Monogram by Privileged Door – $89

Have you ever seen such a pretty monogram? I love the moss letters and burlap decoration. It may need to marvel this (nearly ) newlywed’s door this year.

Pottery Barn

Live Magnolia Leaf Wreath With Burlap Bow – $89

These hand-harvested magnolia leaves are reminiscent of a southern collapse. The burlap ribbon adds a welcome element of whimsy.

Contemporary Wreaths And Garlands – $49.95

If you are like me, you love pomegranates in the fall. Coupled with gold magnolia leaves, both combine the natural colours of fall perfectly.

Williams-Sonoma

Pumpkin Patch Wreath – $99.95

In the fall, I love to regular regional farms and pumpkin spots for color and decor inspiration. This wreath oozes the same rustic charm.

Williams-Sonoma

Grains Wreath – $49.95

This spectrum of fall grains is guaranteed to turn heads. I love the natural feel of this fairly wreath.

Garnet Hill

Red Pinecone Wreath – $108

This reddish pinecone wreath is a glamorous addition to fall decor. The pinecones are finished in a high gloss, which makes them shine like rubies.

Wayfair

Fall Fruit and Pinecone Wreath – $43.50

I love baking with fall fruit nearly as much as I love integrating it in my fall decor. The pears and apples on this wreath are subtly magnificent.

Williams-Sonoma

Star Wreath – $99.95

Step outside the box using a star-shaped wreath. This one will take a front doorway from collapse through the holidays.

Anthropologie

Layered Wreath Mirror – $248

If you would rather maintain your wreath indoors, this chamomile wood wreath mirror is a charming addition to any area.

Pumpkin Harvest Wreath – $61.93

The colours of this fiery wreath allow me pine for pumpkin. I love the orange and crimson hues.

Purchase

Etsy

Fall Berry Wreath by Country Prim – $40

This twig-style wreath is almost too pretty to place outdoors. I love using a smaller wreath with an antique hurricane adorning the centre as a grand centerpiece.

Etsy

Harvest Fall Wreath by DeLaFleur – $65

The foliage and berries adorning this wreath are fairly reminders of why fall is my favorite season. The colors blend beautifully.

Garnet Hill

Sparkle Pinecone Wreath – $58

The delicate appearance of this Sparkle Pinecone wreath makes me wax nostalgic for cozy nights and frost-kissed mornings.

Garnet Hill

Preserved Boxwood Wreath – $48

A wreath collage is guaranteed to be the envy of almost any neighborhood. The grouped wreaths add a whimsical touch to a fall tradition.

Next: When to Paint Your Door Bright Red

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In Alabama, where I live, sports — especially college soccer — are king. Nearly every conversation eventually turns to the way (insert team here) appears at spring training, or how they will fare in the upcoming season, or the way they blew it at the big game last weekend. Therefore it goes without saying that folks here aren’t shy about putting their fandom on screen in your home, inside and outside.

From mailboxes to door wreaths and bookcase bric-a-brac to media rooms, team colors, logos, mascots and mementos feature prominently in my local decor. However, as faithful as I am to my alma mater, I don’t think I could bring myself to put my lover equipment out for public viewing. Rather, I’d take a subtler approach: team-appropriate colour combinations that don’t sacrifice style for spirit. It’s fine to take a few liberties with the palette you won’t get a stern letter from the alumni affairs office should you stray somewhat from the official college hues.

Take a look at the distances below for ideas on the best way best to pull off this particular tactic. I couldn’t feature every faculty team from the U.S. on the market, of course, so to narrow down it, I went together with the top 10 as chosen by ESPN in its annual Power Rankings. In case you have a chic space decorated in the colors of your own favorite group, post a photograph in the Opinions section — we would love to see it!

Rikki Snyder

1. University of Southern California Trojans: Cardinal and Gold

Warm, cheerful and lively, gold and red create natural decorating partners. In this cozy area, red tones from the carpet, pillows and other accents help ground those gorgeous, luminous yellow walls.

Tom Meaney Architect, AIA

With vivid reddish wicker furnishings along with a gold and red checkerboard floor, this terrace sizzles in the sun.

Throwing a football party? Think beyond helmet-shaped chip bowls and group pennants. Rather, cloak the table with sophisticated linens and fresh blossoms from the colors of the big event.

Amber Flooring

2. Louisiana State University Tigers: Purple and Gold

Purple and yellow tones lie opposite each other on the colour wheel, so these two colors create a gorgeous contrast in tandem. A plum-colored wall along with a muted gold column spark this tranquil space.

FOCAL POINT STYLING

Stylish lamps with golden yellow foundations and sheer, muted purple shades deliver a more subtle message in your fandom compared to a giant foam finger.

Momoko Morton

Powerful and punchy, this kitchen is just fun. Repeating the island hue on the bottom of the purple cabinetry can help to connect the 2 components and prevents the kitchen from feeling choppy.

Peg Berens Interior Design LLC

3. Alabama Crimson Tide: Crimson and White

Crimson kitchen cabinets — any daring cabinets, for that matter — are a big commitment. However, if you are a diehard lover or simply in love with the way this rich, hot color enhances a kitchen, then they can create significant drama. A healthy dose of white at the furniture can help to cut their strong impact.

Crimson Design Group

Svelte crimson bar stools add a classy note to a neutral area.

These bright, happy crib sheets create a refreshing change of pace from nursery pastels. (Bonus spirit points such as the elephant theme.)

Vanessa De Vargas

4. Oklahoma Sooners: Crimson and Cream

Here is our second crimson contender, this time enriched even further by warm cream. A reddish birdcage-style light fixture provides just the right focal point to a very simple space.

Visual echoes are among the keys to color victory, and red accents layer together beautifully in this living room vignette.

Timeless Architecture

Willing to take your spirit outside? Forget the giant mascot flag mounted from the front porch; rather, dab your team colors across your entire residence. Of course, this is easy if you’re lucky enough to have colors that work naturally together on an exterior — it is a little trickier with, say, orange and purple (sorry, Clemson fans).

Caitlin Creer Interior Design

5. Oregon Ducks: Green and Yellow

The Ducks are known almost as much for their parade of eye-popping uniforms because of their fireworks on the field. Luckily, you can combine these two colors at a far more sophisticated way. Emerald greens along with a yellow that goes one particular shade beyond lemon give this space a vibrant and fresh yet mannerly atmosphere.

Leslie Lundgren Design

Green velvet is an appealingly unexpected selection with this particular pair of bérgères. Combined with the electrical yellow wall, it modernizes a decidedly traditional room.

Rikki Snyder

This room is about the greens — that the yellowish art on the wall is merely a supporting player. Nevertheless it somehow brings the entire scheme.

decordemon

6. Georgia Bulldogs: Red and Black

Red and black is among the most striking, classic colour combinations on the spectrum, and I’m not just saying that since I’m a University of Georgia alum. A tight red and black palette joins together the disparate elements in this endearingly funky dining room, and whitened lightens the whole package up.

Fougeron Architecture FAIA

When you really take a look at this area, it is basically neutral — the red and black are restricted only to a little slice of the space. Nevertheless their intensity makes the plot read as red and black.

decordemon

As befits this glamorous Hollywood Regency area, a voluptuous red mirror steals the show amid a sea of black.

Cecilia Staniec

7. Florida State Seminoles: Garnet and Gold

These two colors may not be the first you would think of pairing indoors, but they really complement each other very well and create a warm, gentle impact. Quite subtle gold walls in this bedroom form a quiet backdrop for the garnet accent wall, which helps to cozy up the space.

Erika Bierman Photography

Garnet draperies provide this bedroom an amazing feel. Dark curtains can feel oppressive at a material such as velvet or corduroy, so maintaining them sheer helps to enhance their own intensity.

Kendall Wilkinson Design

Otherwise to the palette, this living room would feel ultratraditional and comfortable. Brighter shades of golden and deep red give it a sassy, fresh spin.

Darci Goodman Design

8. Michigan Wolverines: Maize and Blue

It’s tough to go wrong with blue and yellow in any form. The happy color combo, and the Roman shade and the bow-tied seat cushions, give this dining area a French country-meets-coastal vibe.

1 bright element frequently is all you need to balance a dark area. This striking yellow chaise rises to the challenge admirably.

Grace Home Design

Zany zigzags, a mod oil seat, an asymmetrical coffee table … could this chamber be any more entertaining? Mod furniture and accents help to earn a classic colour palette feel fresh all over again.

Carolyn Miller Interiors

9. West Virginia Mountaineers: Gold and Blue

Here is a brighter, more luxurious spin on the blue and yellow pairing. Rich royal blue seats and walls are alive when paired with gold-tone lighting and artwork.

Tracy Murdock Allied ASID

Modern golden armchairs and a tufted blue ottoman make an oasis of colour in this transitional bedroom.

Susan E. Brown Interior Design

Color junkies will be over this brilliant bathroom. Blue countertops, golden yellow walls and intricate tilework give it a Mediterranean flair.

Rachel Reider Interiors

10. South Carolina Gamecocks: Garnet and Black

Whereas garnet and golden feel as a layer of fall leaves, garnet and black may be a bit edgier. The rusty orange seat pillow adds yet another dimension that keeps the scheme from feeling flat.

John Lum Architecture, Inc.. AIA

A textured garnet island foundation and black countertops anchor this romantic kitchen.

SEE MATERIALS INC..

I can not decide what creates the most drama in this bathroom: the deep reddish vanity, the stunning black accents, the wall tile detailing or the asymmetrical placement of the sink and mirror. It’s a stunner all the way around.

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Toilet flooring play host to water that is drinkable, wet feet, potty clogs and cosmetics marks, so durability and hygiene are crucial. However, that does not mean that you have to sacrifice on personality. Keep those qualities and enhance your bathroom’s appearance with these flooring choices.

Concrete flooring. The ultimate multitasker, concrete may behave as both the end material and structural floor. Adding a intricate flooring system to one substance is smart, efficient and cost effective. Green your concrete with recycled aggregates such as ceramic, glass or coal fly ash (though bypass the fly ash if coal is not produced in your area, since the transport energy negates any green cred).

This bath handsomely warms up concrete’s cool vibe with a slatted hardwood flooring overlay beyond the shower.

Contemporary Tile

Pebble tile flooring. Smooth stones underfoot gently massage weary toes and lend a spalike quality for your bath. While most conventional pebble tiles derive from mining stone, the folks at Modwalls have created a 100 percent recycled glass version of pebble tiles, called ModRocks, that lend the spa vibe without harming the environment.

FORMA Design

Terrazzo flooring. Apparently indestructible, terrazzo receives high marks for durability and great looks. This material, made of chips of granite or marble set in concrete and polished, and can score high to sustainability if you use no- or low-VOC sealers and low-impact aggregates such as recycled glass. Though terrazzo can be pricey, a toilet, with its relatively small footprint, may be a fantastic place to splurge with this elite substance.

The Gaines Group Architects

Linoleum flooring. Linoleum is often mistaken with sheet vinyl, however, the two have little in common. True linoleum is constructed of natural materials, such as jojoba oil, also is inherently antimicrobial — ideal for combating mold and mildew in the bathroom. To boot, linoleum is scratch resistant, fire resistant and water resistant, and has been proven to strengthen over time, earning the nickname “40-year floor.”

Linoleum is available in sheets, tiles or boards. If you are not creating a pattern with tiles like in this charming toilet, I suggest using sheets, since you’ll have fewer joints and fewer areas to the floor to reveal its age. Make sure that any adhesives are free of solvents and labeled “no-VOC.”

Birdseye Design

Recycled glass tile flooring. Recycled glass tile, with its jewellike attributes and bevy of color choices, makes greening your bath a cinch. Nearly all of the products of Oceanside Glasstile contain recycled content, ranging from 30 to 97 percent of the composition of the tile. This tub employs Oceanside’s Tessera string in Spruce, which is 95 percent recycled glass.

TTM Development Company

Ceramic tile flooring. Ann Sacks’ Savoy series (among its Eco-Thinking traces), is made from 21 percent post-industrial recycled content, such as ceramic waste substance from discarded clay and tableware pieces. The refined Savoy series is broad and affordable, plying you with all the field tiles and mosaics a tub could desire.

Modwalls Tile Company

CorkDotz Mosaic Penny Tile – $18.95

Cork flooring. Cork touts a great deal of green cred: It’s a fast renewable and carefully protected resource. Each nine decades, producers in Portugal and Spain strip the bark of cork trees to long, wide slabs, using care to not damage the tree. Wine corks are made out first, along with the bits are subsequently pressed and ground to earn flooring and bulletin boards, so that every bit harvested is utilized. Ensure that your cork water resistant with a non- or no-VOC sealer.

Modwalls has fostered cork’s ecofriendly reputation with its charming CorkDotz Mosaic Penny Round, made from the cork stopper industry’s by-product.

More on bamboo floors

Rauser Design

Wood flooring. Designers and architects are eschewing the idea that wood flooring do not belong in the tub. Instead, wood flooring is extended throughout houses and into bathrooms like this one, lending a seamless appearance. When properly sealed (with no- or low-VOC sealers, please), wood flooring in the bathtub need not pose any additional challenges.

Just bear in mind that, ecologically speaking, wood may be the very best or the worst of materials. It can be almost ideal when harvested. It’s durable, it has a very long life cycle and milling may be easy and requires very little energy. However, wood that is not harvested sustainably could be environmentally harmful. When choosing wood flooring, start looking for the next to make certain you’re making the most sustainable choice:
FSC-certified: The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent service that offers certification, or consent, to wood that has been chosen in a responsible manner. Think of it as wood’s equal of organic. Local species: Wood harvested locally reduces transportation-related energy, supports the local economy and strengthens the feeling of place. Salvaged: The only thing better than recycling is upcycling, or repurposing salvaged materials. Doing this sets the bar high for sustainability and is a chance to bring some history and personality for your kitchen. Salvaged beams from a 100-year-old warehouse roof were milled into tongue and groove flooring for this particular home. More:
10 Best Tips for Getting Bathroom Tile Right
Cork Floors 101: Warm Up to a Natural Wonder
More guides to ecofriendly design

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What it is: Colorful design celebrates the beauty of the spectrum. It’s not tied into a single set of design specifications — it can be sleek or rustic, contemporary or traditional, cozy or minimalist. But it’s always lively, engaging and full of life.

Why it works: Nothing can satisfy a colour craving except colour. The sheer quantity of possibilities is tantalizing, and it’s empowering to know that no matter what shade you pick, there is a way to pull it off. And we respond so strongly, so personally, to colors that their impact on our mood and mind-set could be magical.

You will enjoy it if… You find yourself humming”Kodachrome” from the shower. You consume the rainbow not just because it’s great for you but because it seems pretty on your plate. Your toenails are painted indigo one week and mint green another. Your garden blossoms with luminous daffodils, brilliant delphiniums and zesty poppies. You do not know why colors drop in and out of style — aren’t they all gorgeous?

Anthony Baratta LLC

Design Secret: A Artful Balance

One secret to combining a lot of strong colors in a room: Pay attention to scale and proportion. In this living area, the strong zones of colour help buoy and balance one another: crimson walls, yellowish chaise, orange couch, green and blue carpet. Take away any of these elements and the entire composition would feel off-kilter. Little visual echoes, such as the red carpet border along with the rainbow of framed polka dots, tie the space together.

Color your world: The useful thing about this guideline is that it applies to every palette you pick. Imagine this room using a mixture of citron green, periwinkle, turquoise and Prussian blue, or using a subtler blend of cream, straw, oxblood red and blue-gray. You could even put it in practice using a stark black and white plot, not that many colour addicts could live with this kind of restraint.

Burnham Design

Style Secret: Color-Wheel Opposites

It’s color theory 101: Hues that oppose each other on the colour wheel work well in combination. That means oranges complement blues, purples play well with yellows, and greens and reds get together. Go as daring or as pale as you like — a distance done in watery blues and crimson oranges can seem as striking as one that is saturated in sizzling tangerine and cerulean.

Color your world: Give a space depth by layering in variations of every colour. Picture a butter-colored living area with a deep eggplant couch, punctuated with accents of taxicab yellow and pale violet. If you are intrigued by the thought of red and green but do not need an area that feels like year-round Christmas, try instead a complex pairing such as olive and crimson.

CapeRace Cultural Adventures

Style Secret: Analagous Colours

Here’s another lesson from the colour wheel: Dress a distance with similar colors, which fall alongside each other about the spectrum, rather than opposites. That might mean yellows and greens, reds and oranges, blues and purples. This distance artfully marries swaths of turquoise, teal, sky and chartreuse into a cohesive whole.

Color your world: One secret to the success of this palette displayed here is that the rich pigments are cut by bands of crispy white. This imbues the appearance with a more restful, less rambunctious feel. If you wished to make a livelier atmosphere, nevertheless, you can skip the neutrals and just go all-out with bold colors.

Kristen Rivoli Interior Design

Style Secret: Judicious Editing

If you crave a hit of colour but aren’t so confident about pulling all the stops, take heart: A room can still read as vivid even when the surfaces are largely neutral. This living space, though grounded in creams, browns and beiges, is anything but bland, as a result of its red chair and ottoman, the green accent pieces as well as the bright art.

Color your world: Because colors perform differently in relation to additional colors that surround them, a neutral base can work to your advantage. Against the pale walls, as an instance, that red chair actually pops. High contrast contributes to drama and energy, and that is part of what a colorful room is all about.

Eileen Kathryn Boyd Interiors

Style Secret: Livable Base Hues

Under a skillful hand, this living area could have caused a headache. But look closer, and you will see how masterfully it’s balanced. Here’s the secret: The reigning colour, green, is easy on the eye (partially because we are used to viewing it in character ) and easy to live with. Regardless of the daring slipper chairs that appear to dominate first glance, the magenta and persimmon colors are really just beams.

Color your world: Recall the colour wheel opposites we spoke about a minute ago? That is exactly what this strategy boils down to — greens and reds — and that is one reason it works. But you can find sufficient orange and purple undertones from the mix to provide the pairing a totally new spin.

Judith Balis Interiors

Design Secret: The Power of Paint

Some individuals are so in love with colour that they hesitate to devote themselves to one palette. What if your connection with kelly green ends abruptly or you suddenly turn against tomato? If that’s the case, paint is your very best friend. It’s easy, it’s cheap and you can’t beat it into bang-for-buck stipulations. Create paintable surfaces, such as walls and wooden furniture, your most important sources of colour in a place, and proceed with neutrals for items that aren’t really easy to replace: couches, tile, carpeting.

Color your world: Those with a colour commitment phobia can go with brightly patterned bits to satisfy their changing tastes. The duvet and shams in the bedroom possess enough different colors that it would be easy to pull out one, then another, then another to replicate about the walls if you were in the mood to create a shift. And when the whole palette becomes old hat, little accessories are a snap to replace.

Erika Bierman Photography

Design Secret: Color Blocking

Color blocking has been around for years, in vogue as well as interior decorating. But sometimes it’s hard to think beyond simply painting squares of varying shades on the walls. Remember that color blocks can take the kind of any material: fabric, flooring, accessories. Within this space a mustard ceiling, blue draperies along with a rainbow of colors on the backs of the storage crates along with the throw pillow produce a obstructed effect that goes far beyond the paintbrush.

Color your world: Color blocking doesn’t have to be permanent. The next time you throw a dinner party, consider using a different shade for every place setting and fitting vessels into the tone of these meals served in them (a red transferware bowl for berries, possibly, or a green majolica platter for asparagus). Or how about a modular gallery wallsocket? Hang a set of canvases that are each painted a different solid color, then move them around or swap them out as you’d like.

Style Secret: A Lighthearted Twist

Color and whimsy go together, so don’t hesitate to have some fun. Paint every one of your kitchen seats another shade, spatter your ceiling with wild hues, follow the lead of artist Scott Ingram and trickle nail polish a blank sheet of newspaper for a first abstract work. Or compile all those paint chips you’ve collected into a picture composition such as the one in this dining room — much fresher than just one painting or a mirror.

Color your world: Look for less obvious opportunities to perform with colour. Maybe you can organize the books on your shelves by the color of their spines or produce a rainbow effect with your collection of Fiesta ware, glass or china. Or mass together a group of plain or clear white vases, each stuffed with blossoms in one, strong colour.

More:
8 Color Palettes You Can Not Secure Incorrect
More articles about the energy of colour

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I’ve known people who are Sunday comics fanatics. Not a Sunday goes for these folks without the morning ritual of coffee, comic strips and crossword puzzles. It is a routine that many people have enjoyed for several years.

It is no surprise that this cherished pastime of reading the comics has morphed into interior design inspiration. Comic strip–inspired art, cloths and murals are fantastic for kids’ rooms, game rooms or any room that wants a kitchy twist. If you are looking for a few quirky design tips for your space, consider these examples.

Lucy Interior Design

Within this setting, the comic strip art piece appears modern even though the topic is retro. Bold scale and colour make this space feel all grown up.

Imagine Living

The comic strip fabric on these art deco–inspired chairs is reminiscent of the black and white ink of ancient comics. This fabric would look amazing in a room with a black and white colour scheme or with a bold paint colour on the walls.

Eunice Fernandes

The same as the comic strip format itself, this art tells a story in a panel format. Comics-inspired art is a perfect backdrop for game room activity.

Laura U, Inc..

With this look in the entry hall, you understand this Houstonpied-à-terre is going to be fun. The colours in the art set the palette to your whole house.

Laura U, Inc..

A bedroom in the same home includes a sitting area with a mirror shaped like a cartoon dialog bubble.

Lea Bassani Design

This comic strip fabric on a lacquered white rococo armchair is unique style at its best. I do love the glowing reddish wall but could also see this working with vivid green, yellow or cobalt blue.

Utilize a primary color scheme to enhance comic strip art. The modern elements of this space make it appropriate as a kid’s room or a home office. Superman seems to be coming from the skies outside this room.

Cody Anderson Wasney Architects, Inc..

Overscale comic strip art takes up the entire wall in this game space. The camp-style lights take color cues in the art. The other wall tips at a comic-book “Pow!” With an opening that imitates a broken brick wall.

Cody Anderson Wasney Architects, Inc..

Here’s the same room from the opposite side of the broken wall. Whimsical comic-style pillows support the subject.

Flea Market Sunday

Framed comic strip art signed by Charles Schultz of Peanuts fame is the focal point within this fantastic kid space.

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