Making Black and White Bold and Beautiful

Checkered ’50s tiles might not be in season, but interiors that crave a little black and white don’t necessarily have to be bland and boring. Using black and white can be an effective design tool to highlight your home’s stylish simplicity if done right.
There are a few techniques you can use when going monochrome to avoid the possible pitfalls of a such a paltry palate. First, why not try adding one or two pieces in black and white before doing a whole room renovation? You can bring in a black sofa with white accent pillows, or a black glass table with a lily-white porcelain vase centerpiece. If you like the look, expand outward from there.
Black and white is all about contrast, so why not go beyond just colors? Some of the best black and white interiors use patterns and textures to augment the effects of the monochrome walls and furniture. And if you’re going this route, take a risk: pair plaid with checkers and hold your head up high! You’ll be surprised at how stylish black and white can be with some bold texture choices.
And finally, you can catch your guests’ eyes by embracing a single splash of color in an otherwise black and white backdrop. Take the photo above – the stunning amaranth rug is made even more eye-catching because it is surrounded by monochrome. A solitary rug, pillow, or accent wall in a solid color can spruce up a black and white interior.
If you want to wield this modern minimalist color scheme with confidence, all you have to do is be bold.

Decorating Your Home for Fall: The DIY Way

This post is for all of our do-it-yourself readers: those who aren’t afraid to get a little dirty, work with their hands, and create home accents on their own. Making decorations for the fall can range from the very easy (think carving a pumpkin) to the extreme. We’ve hand-picked three DIY projects that beginners can tackle over the next few days to have a beautiful autumn-ready home for September 22nd when the seasons change.

1. A nature walk’s bounty. When the leave begin to turn, take your family out on a relaxing walk through a forest or other area surrounded by nature. Bring a tote bag with you, and gather up all of the fall goodies you see – leaves, acorns, pine cones. When back at home, you can make a family project out of combining these fall items into several displays. Using earthy, woven bowls or flower vases to hold your found items, you can be really creative with colors, textures and placement around the home.
2. Life’s about the little things. You can use dried fruits, nuts, grains and seeds to create beautiful accents as well. Small grains like dried wheat or corn kernels can be used to fill up a glass jar about two thirds of the way, surrounding a thick, honey-dew candle in the center. Or, you can take one or two handfuls of dried cranberries and fill a wineglass, adding a red candle for effect.
3. Pumpkin 2.0. Pumpkin carving is a nice activity to do with the kids, but why not make a more adult-friendly pumpkin for your home? Cut a circular hole in the top and scoop out the insides like you would when preparing to carve, but don’t cut any holes into the sides or base. Instead, fill the pumpkin (which is conveniently waterproof) with water and use it as a fall flower vase.

Make a Splash with Citrus

Refresh and revitalize your home with citrus. Oranges, reds, yellows and greens can be combined together in nearly infinite ways to give your home a splash of style and lively freshness.
Citrus is a growing trend in interiors. You can paint an accent wall in a deep burnt orange for some sophisticated citrus accents, or try a cheery lemon yellow in your accent pillows and curtains. Citrus has an innately upbeat appeal, so it is best used in a room that you want to bring a little life in to.
Lime green is an interesting citrus color that you can play around with in your home. It is bright, but not part of the red-yellow spectrum like the rest of the citrus group. This means that you can incorporate it with other citrus colors to make a bold statement, yet ensuring that the colors match completely.
If you’re considering citrus, you might want to pair it with earthy tones to bring down the energy a bit, depending on your room and the overall feel of your home. For instance, an orange accent wall and a smoky brown accent pillar or two will produce a rich, mature color palate that you wouldn’t get with citrus alone.
And one last tip for bringing a little citrus into your home: watch out for going overboard. It can look cute to have orange walls, yellow sofas and green accent pillows for a day or two, but after a while your senses will begin to feel bombarded. Citrus colors – like their food counterparts – are best served in moderation.

Fabulous Florals

The modern home can be dressed up in nearly infinite ways, but one of our favorites here at Padstyle is by using flowers. Floral interiors are naturally more bright, organic and fresh in their appeal. We’ve compiled a list of four ways you can incorporate floral into your home, but there are hundreds more – so why not get a little creative?
You can add a floral touch to your home by choosing floral wallpaper. Just be sure that the design is modern and updated, or that it matches its surroundings. There is nothing worse than falling in love with a pattern at the store only to find that it clashes with your couches!
Floral patterns on furniture is another option. Although you probably want to avoid dated patterns, there are some modern geometrical florals out there that are simply stunning. Think thick lines, geometric shapes and lots of color.
Wall decals can also add that floral appeal. There are many types of black and white or colored wall decals that will give a blank wall some character. Wall decals are especially popular in small doses, as a subtle border of roses along the bottom of your wall or a single bird in a tree beside your sofa.
And finally, add a touch of floral with the real deal: flowers. Bunches, bouquets, vases, or pots – flowers look fabulous in almost any container. Don’t be afraid to choose hot pink posies or looming yellow sunflowers, as the color will be a welcome splash of life in almost any modern home.
patterns on furniture wall decals etc

Grey is the New Neutral

If you’re struggling to find a color palate for a particular room, you don’t necessarily have to reach for the beiges, taupes and off-whites. These can be great starting-points, but they tend to be a little boring, especially if your home relies too much on their unassuming neutrality.
Instead, why don’t you go grey?
Grey is a wonderful neutral color that can be combined with almost any color to fabulous effect. Take a look at the image above: the purple pops, because of the dark but not overpowering grey.
Grey also looks fantastic with yellows, greens, blues, reds, oranges, pinks… you get the idea.
As a base, grey is much more powerful than traditional neutrals. It has the intensity of black without the severity. And with grey, you can explore the whole spectrum: light grey with a pastel pink, or dark grey with a glossy canary yellow.
Grey is a monochrome, and you can try experimenting with the options it provides. Different rooms can feature different shades of grey and a complimentary (read: any) color.
Your home will experience a boost of energy and your guests will ooh and ahh if you have a grey neutral rather than a bland beige. Try it out in a small room like a powder room first, but we guarantee, you’ll love its pop!

Coloring Your Home: Red

Red will always be part of modern interior design – it represents passion, love, excitement. However, 2010 and 2011 reds seem to be more content to be on the periphery as accents and scattered here and there around the home.
If you want to add some red to your bedroom, avoid the walls – for other rooms, red can make a space feel cozy, but it is usually too overpowering for a bedroom. However, red can be incorporated into a bedspread (often with gold, taupe or blues running through it to break it up), curtains or pillows.
To pack a powerful punch with red, you can pop a red leather couch into an all-white room…or go the other way, and use white accents against a red wall. This is a retro throwback, but it looks stunning in a modern home.
If you’re looking for something even bolder, you can paint your front door bright, firetruck red. This suggests opulence and daring – think about the Draper’s home from Mad Men, and you’ll get the idea.
Kitchens can get a spark of red in the form of glossy red cabinets or red dinnerware.
Curtains are another area that red can shine without overpowering. Thick curtains, gauzy curtains… red can give a minor facelift to any room if you want to use it to adorn your windows.
Try adding a splash of red here and there to your home, if you are looking for some action and excitement in your modern interior.

Coloring Your Home: Green

Green is the color of nature, of life, and powerful organic energy. If you want to incorporate green into your home, remember that it represents harmony and growth so that you can balance its calming aura with surrounding colors.
One of the best places to start with green is the bedroom. Because it is organic and natural, it will help you fall asleep embraced by the sensation of nature. You can try painting your walls in a lush cream green, and pair this with a linen beige comforter and accents. This look is reminiscent of a tropical resort on the beach, especially if you add bamboo and other natural elements.
Or, green in the bedroom can start with something as simple as plants. Adding one or two potted plants to your bedroom will increase the oxygen flow and give you a better rest at night, as well as truly reflect the natural beauty of green.
Green accents in the living room are wonderful touches of natural style too. How about a pair of green accent pillows on a chocolate brown sofa? Green curtains in a softer shade will also look stunning.
The brighter you go with green, the more energy it will bring into your home. Emerald green is a powerful, forward-looking color, while pastel green will give a calming, balancing sensation. You’ve got to examine your room – considering its size, shape, and the emotion you want to evoke – to decide which type of green is best for you.