Irwin Weiner ASID - I have fond memories of my childhood homes growing up in South Africa. The exteriors were always practical stucco and light-colored walls due to the sun baking down on us most of the time. The homes look very Mediterranean, unless they're earlier Cape Dutch or Victorian style - but the exterior colors tend to mimic all warm climes. Here in the United States, there's a marvelous tradition of residential architectural styles, and a solid heritage that many of us aren't completely conscious of. California Paints recently came out with A Guide to Color, Styles and Architectural Periods - a great brochure that's part of their Historic New England paint collection. Here are the styles and paints that they surveyed for U.S. homes. Click on each period name to see California Paint's color collections, historically accurate recreations of how our homes were once painted (both exterior and interior colors are shown - usually the bolder colors are how the interiors were decorated, versus the more subtle exterior hues).

• Colonial - Mid 1600s-1780: European settlers set these style precedents as they brought over what they were familiar with back home. A limited number of colors were available at the time, mostly made from naturally-derived pigments (earth, stone, etc.). Framing and trim elements were painted in colors that boldly contrasted with surrounding or untreated or neutral wood and masonry walls. 18th century homes show Georgian England classicism and are mostly found on the East coast, while colonial architecture in the Southwest shows off their Spanish Baroque roots. These homes usually had white trim and strong contrasting colors. Bold and bright.

• Federal - 1780-1830: Georgian boldness gave way to more delicate house detailing, and "federal" got its name from the new American republic. Interest in Greek and Roman antiquities was high at this time as Americans were fascinated with newly-excavated classical sites. Colors were lighter, paler, and delicate with whites, pale shades of gray, off-white, and ochre used on exteriors.

• Greek Revival - 1825-1855: This was America's first "national architecture." A growing population fueled a big home building boom, and this style was carried across the country, spreading out from Eastern seaboard cities. Greek temple inspired, there are classic columns and pediments even on the most simple of homes, with exteriors painted white, off-white, ochre, and gray along with white trim. Shutters and window sashes were primarily painted dark green or black.

• Victorian - 1840-1900: England's Queen Victoria's long reign saw many residential home styles embraced under the Victorian umbrella, including Romantic Gothic, Italianate, Egyptian Revivals, Second Empire and Stick styles, Queen Anne and Shingle styles, and Colonial Revival. Middle class suburbs were springing up in the United States, and industrialization was hitting the building industry with mass-produced millwork and trim. Exterior house paint saw a growing range of hues with the diversity of architectural styles. Using a 3-paint color scheme became the norm; one color for the siding, the second for the trim, and the third for sashes, shutters, and doors. Even the body colors could vary to differentiate shingles from clapboards (some homes had four or five colors - see the "painted lady" style in the top photo).

• 20th Century Eclecticism - 1900-1955: Here's the period where our architectural styles forged ahead into two entirely different directions. One saw copying of historical architectural styles, and the other moved away from everything traditional that had come before. That's what's given birth to today's "traditional versus modern" style divide! The traditional movement saw "revivals" of older styles from the past, with "modern" or "contemporary" homes going into brand new directions like Craftsman, Four Square, and Ranch. Exterior surfaces used stuccos, brick, stone, and concrete in addition to wood siding and trim. The Tudor and Craftsman houses were usually painted dark browns, maroons, deep greens, and olives. Classic revival homes are usually lighter white, gray, gray-blue, gray-green, or yellow with white trim and window sashes and dark shutters and doors. Modern homes throw out the color book, but usually tend towards light neutral colors with bold, sometimes primary color accents. 

Irwin Weiner ASID - I love to window shop, and whenever I'm in Soho, I take a quick spin around the lighting district stores. One of my favorites is Munich-based Ingo Maurer on 89 Grand Street. Their modern artistic sensibilities take my breath away; so chic and yet ultimately playful. If you could squeeze interior designers and distill their essence ... well, mine would be "equal parts artistic, playful, and whimsical" and Ingo Maurer's lighting would fit that Irwin Juice to a tee. Here are some of my favorites from their line - click here to see more styles and product information.

Click here to watch the video on French Architect Nathalie Wolberg's Modern Light-Filled House.

Irwin Weiner ASID - One of my clients recently build a new condo building in Manhattan, and he asked me to stage one of the units for a flat fee. Just like for your own home design projects, I had a tight budget to work with. (Gone are the days of blank checks for interior designers to carry around like Post-It notes!) And to complicate things, in the flat fee for the project, I had to account for all of my decor costs; the fee amount, less my costs, equalled my payment for the project. Smart "shopping for less" was in order. Here are my go-to spots when the budget is tight and I need to put together good looks.

• Overstock.com - sift through the constantly-changing items and you'll find true goodies
• Target.com - good style for mass merchandise
• Amazon - they carry everything your heart desires
• Home Goods - I bring my wall colors along with rug and fabric swatches and stock up on coordinating accessories and artwork
• K-Mart - inexpensive bedding and bath items are good for staging purposes
• Walmart - ditto (see K-Mart)

• Accessories: tabletop (placemats, dinnerware, cloth napkins, stemware), centerpieces, tablescapes (decorative accessory groupings)
• Vignette furniture (to fill in around the higher-end custom items): desk and chair; sofa, coffee table, end table, club chairs; dining room sets; bed and night stands - and stand-alone pieces like bar stools/chairs
• Artwork: everything from metal wall sculpture and framed photographs to giclee fine art canvases
• Mirrors
• Rugs
• Bedding and linens
• Accessory lighting
• Bath accessories: shower curtains, towels and bath mats, vanity accessories
• Silk flowers and plants
• Home office accessories: bookends, desk accessories, storage baskets and boxes 

Irwin Weiner ASID - There's a groundswell of enthusiasm for "elastic living." By that we mean apartment, condo, and hotel-like buildings that offer short-term or longer-term accommodations, fully furnished, with complete-package amenities (maid service, room service, gym, pool, concierge).

Your small or large suites are bigger than what you'd find at a hotel, they're decorated as they would be for a luxury apartment or house (albeit "staged" and missing that interior design stamp of the owner's personality), and they have generous kitchens. The result: you're living in a luxury condo that mimics an intimate boutique hotel.

Corporations and individuals who travel and work a lot find elastic living properties to be the height of convenience; think an actor working for several months on location shooting a movie or TV show on location away from home or a busy executive who has an extended project away from her home office. AKA Luxury Furnished Suites is one such provider in multiple cities (e.g., Beverly Hills, NYC, Philadelphia), and the view of a terrace in their Central Park location (see top photo) shows the allure and fantasy of a fully-furnished luxe accommodation, which they cleverly refer to as a "Pied-À-Terre On Demand."

The following video interviews people who live in these elastic living rentals - and don't you think they would be ideal situations for families who are decorating their homes and have to move out for a period of time while their demolition, renovation, and interior design projects are in full swing?

Bonus

Click here for What's Wrong with a Hotel Look for My Home?

 Click here to subscribe to our daily design videos and features. 

Irwin Weiner ASID - Today's featured design video is all about the latest trends in tabletop decor from 41 Madison, the Manhattan showroom building chock-a-block with vendors specializing in helping designers and homeowners achieve perfect tablescapes.

Besides a lively debate from interior designers about the merit of placemats and tablecloths, the video also highlights the trends in patterns and colors (yes, this year, it's all about bold color and color blocks, although when is it not about color?). Click on the 41 Madison link to explore their amazing roster of vendors, and click on the various photos in this article to check out other tabletop available from a variety of designers and retailers.

 

On the issue of placemats versus tablecloths for setting a great table, I think there's a place for both, along with placesettings set directly on a beautiful table surface. Why have strict rules when it should be all about theater, drama, and having fun with entertaining and everyday mealtime? 

Bonus

 

 

 Click here to subscribe to our daily design videos and features. 

Irwin Weiner ASID - Eileen Gray's Dragon Armchair (top) was crafted between 1917 and 1919. It recently sold at auction for $29 million. Imagine if your interior designer were to suggest to you that you spend that much money on one item for your home! While I'd love the commission on such a purchase ... well, long gone are the days of decorators walking around with clients who have wads of blank checks stuck in their pockets.

Still, let's fantasize, shall we? Imagine having the Dragon Armchair or one of these other ultra-expensive items decorating your home. Click on each photo for more information. (Middle: Birds of America by James Audubon - $7.9 million. Below, from top to bottom: Harrington Commode by Thomas Chippendale - $5.9 million; Artemis and the Stag - $28.6 million; Great Silver Wine Cistern - $3.8 million; Badminton Cabinet, 1732 - $36 million; Qianlong Dynasty Vase, mid-18th Century - $83.2 million.) 

 

 Click here to subscribe to our daily design videos and features.  

Irwin Weiner ASID - The process of making fine furniture fascinates me. That's why I loved today's featured video showcasing the Edwin Blue company and the thought and process behing making their handmade modern furniture.

Individual materials are crafted to their minimalistic best; hey, it's not everyone's look, but if you're truly into sleek, contemporary, and barely-ornamented furnishings, the Edwin Blue off-the-shelf and custom furniture line is probably just right for you.

 

Bonus

Click here for Classics in Contemporary Bedroom Furniture.

 Click here to subscribe to our daily design videos and features. 

Irwin Weiner ASID - I'm always fascinated with the home design and building process, and a group in northern France called House-Up has got the formula right. They use recycled shipping containers as their primary building source, and their custom-built homes are greener and more modern looking than most new construction on the market - at an average of 20% less cost, with construction completed in 3 or 4 months.

Targeting the vacation and second home market in France, House-Up has a good thing going, and click here to read about other Shipping Container Homes or click on the top house photo (which isn't a House-Up project, but it also utilizes shipping containers). I love to see smart new housing solutions around the world! Our featured video today shows the House-Up design project, from shipping containers to interior design. Enjoy.

 

 Click here to subscribe to our daily design videos and features. 

Jessica Ackerman - If your home is like many, the dining room probably serves a myriad of useful functions. During the holidays and on special occasions, the dining room is frequently the center of attention when it comes to dinners and family get-togethers. However, during the rest of the time the dining room table might be used as a place for children to do their homework, or for you to engage in craft or sewing activities. Although you might tend to use your dining room for casual activities, perhaps you'd really like to transform it into a more elegant space. Here are some easy and quick ways you can add a touch of elegance to your dining room, while still maintaining it's useful and multi-functional qualities.

Take Advantage of Wall Space

If you commonly use your dining room for entertaining or for family activities, you probably won't want to take up too much floor space with your decorating accessories. Busy dining room spaces are the perfect place to utilize beautiful wall decor. In the dining room, a beautifully framed mirror or perhaps a lovely and yet functional wall-mounted wine rack could be the perfect choice. Decorative wall shelves, framed prints or paintings, and wall tapestries can also add a beautiful and elegant look to the room. Contemporary metal wall sculptures can also be used to add a modern, elegant touch to your dining room space.

Pick Accessories that Work with Your Decor

When choosing your dining room decorating accessories, it's important to pay attention to the room's overall style. For example, while abstract metal wall sculptures can be the perfect choice for a contemporary-styled dining room, a beautifully framed print or painting could be a much better choice for a more traditionally styled room. By keeping the room's overall look in sync with your decorating accessories, the end result will be a more coordinated appearance.

Make Small, Yet Effective Style Changes

Sometimes it's the little things that can really add a touch of elegance to a dining room. For example, a beautiful tapestry tablecloth can transform an everyday table into the center of attention. In addition to looking beautiful, a tablecloth can also help to protect your dining room table's surface from the wear and tear of daily activities.

Instead of hiding your good china in a cabinet, display it on a shelf in the dining room. By doing so, you'll free up cabinet space in addition to adding a beautifully elegant look to the room. This can be an especially good technique to use in the case of large pieces that are beautiful and yet difficult to store, such as serving platters.

A beautiful floral arrangement can also help transform a plain dining room into something a bit more elegant. However, if your family uses the dining room table on a daily basis for other activities, the center of the table might not be the best location for a bouquet of flowers. Instead, try displaying a vase of flowers on a shelf, or perhaps on a buffet or side table. 

 

Dining Room Decorating Bonus

• Click here to read How About Some Tips for Redecorating Our Dining Room?
• Click here to read How Can I Decorate My Small Dining Room to Serve Multiple Functions?
• And click here to watch our Design2Share video on How Can I Make My Dining Room Special?

 

Jessica Ackerman is Senior Staff Writer and Design Specialist for Wall Decor and Home Accents. 

 

 Click here to subscribe to our daily design videos and features. 

Irwin Weiner ASID - As upper-echelon interior designer in Manhattan, Campion Platt knows beauty, good proportions, style, and timelessness. It's clever that Corcoran Realty teamed up with 1stDibs and several top designers to videotape luxury property tours.

It promotes the real estate inventory in the City - yes, that's a given - but it also gives us the guilty pleasure of walking through these hallowed, prestige spaces guided by designers who know what's good when they see it. Campion tells us what he loves about this apartment at 1030 Fifth Avenue. And what's not to love about being on Central Park, close to museums, shopping, and city attractions?

 

 Click here to subscribe to our daily design videos and features. 

Irwin Weiner ASID - I've been talking about furniture makers this week. Well, Sentayehu Teshale is an Ethiopian craftsman working around Addis Ababa, and he gives new meaning to the term "handmade." He has no hands, you see, but he uses the extraordinary strength and flexibility in his feet and legs to saw, measure, hammer, carve, and wield power tools to make stools and chairs. Life is a bit more precious, amazing, and inspirational because of Mr. Teshale's accomplishments, and I value his work over the finest custom-made furnishings in NYC. Enjoy this video, and a special thanks to my friend Drew Giehl for steering it our way.

 

 Click here to subscribe to our daily design videos and features. 

Irwin Weiner ASID - Yesterday, I posted about how Charles and Ray Eames defined mid-century modern furnishings, but there were so many designers who contributed to "the look" that's still popular today.

One lesser known, but still very important name in the movement is Dieter Rams, who designed the 606 Universal Shelving System in 1960 (see top photo, a living room scene that combines the shelving with Eames furniture). Vitsoe produces the entire product range to this day, garnering many fans because of its clean looks, versatility, and portability (take the entire system with you when you move.

In this video, you'll see Vitsoe demonstrate how the shelving system is easy to install, add on to, and reinstall in another room or a totally different apartment or home.

 

 

 Click here to subscribe to our daily design videos and features. 

Irwin Weiner ASID - Almost every frame of TV drama hit Mad Men captures a piece of the Eames furniture story. Charles and Ray Eames defined mid-century modern's ethos, verve, comfort, and futurism and made it ubiquitous.

They created a style sensation that's still going strong decades after it was created, and in this video interview, you'll see close Eames associates Marilyn and John Neuhart (they co-authored The Story of Eames Furniture) discuss the Eames phenomenon.  

 

 Click here to subscribe to our daily design videos and features.