Maybe it’s the relentless humidity or seemingly endless thunderstorms that have been staring at these beach inspired color ways. I’m not typically a pastel person but these color palettes by Design Seeds are so calming and peaceful.

Goes to show you can’t get stuck in your comfort zone! It’s ok to think twice about something that previously wasn’t your go-to…take risks and you might find a surprising result.

Check out my Instagram feed @hue_designs for more tips, inspiration pictures and design musings.

This heat wave that’s on the horizon has me thinking…it’s going to be H.O.T. Naturally, I’m wishing for cool breezes, ice cold drinks, and refreshing air conditioning!

What does that have to do with interior design, you ask? Well, it’s about opposites! Hot & cold…black & white…big & small. When it comes to balanced design, it’s really important to remember that we need some of both for it to be interesting.

Good design is the discipline of balance. Mixing patterns work if there’s a variety of scale. Large, medium and small patterns mixed together with a solid will work well but 3 of the same scale pattern will look off.

With color, a sophisticated monochromatic color scheme is successful when there are a variety of shades – not just one tone repeated. It will be flat and frankly boring with the same shade in a room.

The same goes for furniture. If you pile a room full of small pieces of furniture, it will actually feel small and cramped.

As a designer, I’m constantly looking for balance and harmony to convey the ultimate goal of a room. It’s a moving target at times but the effort is worth it!

All one note can be an easy fault to fall into when you are naturally drawn to a favorite color/pattern/furniture piece. But going outside your comfort zone will allow for some exciting results!

Here are some examples of success:

TidbitsandTwine

TidbitsandTwine

HomeWorldDesign

Pinterest

(Source unknown- please message me if you know who to credit for this beauty!)

Check out my Instagram feed @hue_designs for more tips, inspiration pictures and design musings.

It must be the intense pop of green I’m seeing now that the trees are full of leaves and the grass is finally filling in that I’m finding myself attracted to a wide spectrum of green color. I love all shades of green to be honest but getting away from sage green is something I find to be refreshing with regards to interiors.

Using chartreuse can add a modern freshness, grass green can add youthful brightness, or hunter green can add intensity beyond using black or dark grey.  I find any room can handle green as long as it’s done with purpose and balance.  Using it sparingly in a piece of furniture or accent can give a punch of color to the room. Adding it to cabinets can bring vibrancy. Going all in with intense green walls or patterned wallpaper can be bold, daring or even moody. Of course, using plants give a room life. Here are some examples for inspiration:

West Elm

Decoholic

Decoist

Elle – Time for fashion

Serena and Lily

Pinterest

Freshome

For more design inspiration, follow me on Instagram @hue_designs!

I think it’s safe to say we are finally closing a really, really, REALLY long winter and can welcome spring without fear of a winter relapse. I don’t know about you but I was feeling a bit down with the lingering cold temps. Now, I’m finally getting excited…for spring cleaning! Now, saying it’s “exciting” is typically an overstatement but this year, I feel like it’s a must. I’ll even go as far as to say this has been bumped up to number 1 on my ever-growing to-do list. It’s funny how getting your house ready for the new season can make you feel like a million bucks!

When I think of spring cleaning, I think of removing all the wintery items in the house and bringing out the lighter, brighter colors.  This year, I feel like I need to make room and actually organize my house before I can decorate. For this, I turn my borderline obsessive concentration to my linen closet! This poor thing hasn’t been focused on in years so I really want to make it functional and of course beautiful.

My first course of action will be to plan what I want to keep in the closet because it’s a perfect opportunity to purge items that aren’t being used or don’t belong. I don’t have the luxury of endless storage in my house so each inch counts.

I’ve decided to get rid of old towels by donating them to local animal shelters. My local shelter, PAWS is always in need of blankets, towels and old bedding along other items so I feel great giving to them.

My decision to weed out the rarely used linens will hopefully get my final result more reasonable to attain without extra bulk to deal with. I’ve also hit up Pinterest to look at inspiration for how I might organize my linens. I normally don’t prefer open baskets but I like the wire baskets I’ve been seeing around with the copper handles. Now, if I could master how to fold my bed sheets perfectly, these might be a no-brainer! I found this tutorial from Real Simple helpful but I still need practice.

www.simplyorganized.me

My other frustration is a mountain of hand towels and washcloths. It’s always best to remove everything from a closet or drawer before starting to organize it. Take a look at your linen closet and really make the commitment to pare down what is going back in. There needs to be a reason to earn a spot! Otherwise, it’s going into the donation pile or trash if it’s not in good condition.

My last area to go through is a whole slew of first aid, healing, and extra toiletry products that are bought in bulk. These need to have a home so I purchased drawers that can keep them in check without going into bins on the shelves. I have limited space so I have to be careful not to overbuy but it can work! This fits tucked in corners underneath the bottom shelf facing each other on either side of the opening. Having a long narrow closet creates an awkward floor area not easy to reach but easy to stuff with junk! It can be a valuable area though if used well. By having dedicated drawers, I can avoid any temptation to throw things into the closet without actually putting it away in its spot.

Pottery Barn

LABEL MAKER ALERT! This is a great spot to label what’s in the drawers so you keep yourself organized and the family knows exactly where things are.

Every family has different needs and wants for their closet spaces so think of what you need to organize before you start to purchase bins and drawers. If you find you have linens situated elsewhere and have an extra closet (haha funny, right?!), you could use this space for wrapping paper and crafts. Or, it might be a yoga mat/ exercise equipment closet.  No matter what, it can be a stress-free, organized area with a little thought and planning.

Quick Tip: Don’t forget to double-check your clearance when the door is closed if you decide to utilize the inside door panel.

www.hisugarplum.com

Don’t be afraid to use color or even temporary, removable wallpaper in these spaces to make you smile every time you open the door.

www.hyggeandwest.com

Painting the inside walls or bringing in colorful bins and baskets will make it more fun to stay organized going forward.  Having dedicated areas to put things will give you a fighting chance to stay organized going forward!

www.pier1.com

www.pbteen.com

www.target.com

Check out my Instagram feed @hue_designs for more tips, inspiration pictures and design musings! And don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any design dilemmas.