SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL

Recently we went to visit another model home in Austin, of Highland Homes. We loved the interior decor of the entire home. IBB DESIGN of Frisco, Texas created the fabulous interiors. IBB Design also has a great blog called "Designer Detective" you can read HERE. (you must check out her recent kitchen redo)

Today I'm featuring the downstairs of the model home, in it's serene monochromatic color scheme. (click to enlarge, on any photo)

Alot of the furniture looked like pieces I've seen at Restoration Hardware but you could check with IBB Design because they have an entire warehouse of furnishings.

Pictures don't do the dining room justice. Neutral rooms like this are very hard to capture on a lens without looking, well, absolutely blah. Similar to looking at a current Restoration Hardware or Pottery Barn catalog. Once you step into the store though (or in this case, the model home) the neutral color scheme is SO calming and beautiful. Just doesn't photograph well!

Designers are usually given budget constraints for model home decorating by the builder. Therefore the lighting isn't always something unique in a model home. The chandelier they used is nice, but you could always upsize your budget and do something like this:
The gorgeous chandy above is from Adair Cunningham in Mississippi. Adair handcrafts each chandelier according to the size of your table, room, ceiling details, etc.. All of her work is unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. Each custom design is built and finished by hand. Her pricing is very competitive and she has alot of gorgeous lighting. Available only to the trade, but if you'd like a quote or more pics of her samples, email me!

Another example of Adair's custom work in a large open space:Do some of you remember way back , when I said I was working on a "Fish Camp"project? Well, Adair created some beautiful lighting for the Fish Camp. Can you believe I still don't have new pics of Fish Camp, to reveal? I haven't been there to take new pics. I'm hoping to get over to Mississippi this Spring and then I'll have those pics to share finally. If you want to know what the "Fish Camp" project was, you can read about it HERE.

Another rustic chandelier that would work great in the model home dining room, would be the
Cordiff Chandelier from Clayton Gray Home:



When working with a monochromatic color scheme, it is SO important to have alot of varying textures within the room, along with varying tones of fabrics.


I love the simplistic burlap curtain panels they used here.

Burlap is a great way to add texture to any room. The curtain panels are unlined,

allowing the light to filter through ....a great inexpensive way to make gorgeous curtain panels.

You can find other comparable panels at Ballards Designs, but to get that crisp pressed linen look, you need to have them professionally sewn & pressed. I personally like a plain hem vs. the fringe hem that Ballards offers.


LOVE the art burlap pieces:

Someone crafty could easily recreate this look. Simply stretch burlap or nubby linen on an art frame. Next stencil or draw your favorite design onto the fabric.

(click to enlarge)



Sweet bench with nailhead detail. Great use of space in this small niche.

Walking into the family room,

Noticed the bleached wood ducks in flight?

(again, click to enlarge any pic, if you really want good details!)

Love the antiqued mirrors. Great way to add light to an interior wall.

The pendant kitchen lights were my fave lighting of the model home. Simple, yet classic :

The breakfast room has charming French Bistro chairs in a weathery grey finish.

Not sure where the designers found these chairs, because they have a great "kid friendly" laminated cushion. However, you can find similar bistro chairs at Restoration Hardware, or World Market. You can compare pricing of each by going to
World Market
HERE,
or go to Restoration Hardware's version HERE.
If you're looking for the laminated ones they used, contact IBB DESIGN.

Cute placemats:

Again, you could easily create the same thing by cutting linen mats, then stenciling a design in black on the mats. If you're cooking a romantic Valentine's dinner, why not draw something romantic onto the placemats, and surprise your honey?

Notice they have the burlap curtains in this room as well.

The panels are lined because of the west sun that will come into this room. Even with today's energy efficient windows, it's a good idea to line curtains that face the sun. If not, the sun will eventually fade the burlap and make it brittle.

Onward to the guest bedroom. Layers of linen create a soothing retreat for your guests:

I love the burlap trunks for the nightstand, available at IBB DESIGN .

Handsome finish on this dresser:

I really love this linen fabric with the bird scene. I'll have to email the Designer and find out the resource for yall. She used it in the guest bathroom for the shower curtain as well:

Oh so cute dog prints:

Click on them to enlarge, they're precious.

Next, the master retreat:

The mirrors look similar to the ones I found at Crate & Barrel for Rene's Redo:


Over in the bay window of the master retreat, they used an off white nubby linen for the curtain panels:

Loved this lamp, but again the pictures don't do this color scheme or accessories justice. The antiqued mirror base of the lamp gave it a vintage glam look.

(click to see up close)

The master bed set is a happy compromise; where men prefer dark wood, women prefer the softer upholstered headboard with nailhead detail.

They upholstered this bed in a creamy oatmeal linen.

On the next post, I'll feature the upstairs rooms. Hope you'll check back for the rest of this gorgeous model home.


I always heart my subscribers,
and today I'm sending you this heart via Overstock. The sweet necklace is on sale today, and you can buy it HERE.

Hope you're staying warm wherever you are. I've had my fireplace blazing all day just in case, cuz I keep hearing about the major power outages everyone's reporting.

I have a feeling this major cold blast around the USA will create many babies 9 mths from now! Snuggle with someone you love.....



Please contact me HERE if you'd like to order custom linen window treatments. You don't have to live in Austin either. Simple window treatment panels can be drop shipped directly to your house. Let me know if you're interested and I can send you instructions on measuring, pricing & turnaround time.

All the best,