Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Boyish Charm

KAID loves doing the "bachelor pad" look.  The key is to find awesome staple pieces and build around them. 


Here is an awesome, masculine living room we did in Houston, Texas. We kept the furniture a bit on the contemporary side, but used warm earth tones and heavy textures to make it comfy. Also, an antique map, such as this one, is a great way to add a masculine piece of art without spending a fortune.




Here we furnished a high rise condo in Dallas, Texas.  Our client wanted to keep things simple with pops of color and midcentury modern furniture.  For a touch of awesome, we had the vintage chrome tub chair recovered in custom fabrics.




Close up of our vintage creation.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Beach House Bliss- Part I

The Blue Room- Galveston, Texas


Now that it's summer time, let's take a look at a beach house we designed last July.  This is a perfect example that good design takes a really long time to go out of style, if ever.





The blue room, an unexpected attention grabber, is somewhat similar to seeing a celebrity moseying down a suburban street.  The alluring navy blue walls (Benjamin Moore- Stunning 826) paired with cream, its extreme opposite, create quite a dramatic spectacle. 



The concept of this room was derived from the navy and cream, floral duvet.  Surprisingly, the duvet, along with several other items like the art and rug, were purchased from online auctions and discounted home stores.  Because we really needed a high impact punch against the dark wall, we had the leather headboard custom made.  To really add a designer touch, we chose an affordable navy blue velvet and cream nautical rope to make the Euro pillows.  The Euros actually ended up being comparable in price to a retail store, but happened to be exactly what we wanted.  Tips in creating a space like this include utilizing high contrast, mixing “splurge” and “save” items, and adding a few customized touches.


The Sun and Surf Living Room- Galveston, Texas





“Cozy, casual, easy living,” our client’s exact requests for their beach house’s living room in Galveston, Texas.  They originally planned on renting out the residence, but after the initial reveal, they immediately decided to keep it for themselves. 

To get an easygoing vibe of this sort, it actually requires a well thought out formula and inspiration.  The inspiration was not an object, but more of an idea to subtly bring the sunny beach indoors.  Understated yellows and blues anchor the room, while custom-made linen drapes, pops of red, and different wood tones add interest.  Our favorite and most innovative element of the room happens to be the six framed prints of sea animals and birds.  The “prints” were actually pages from a book that we had framed and matted; they flow perfectly with the opposing beach view.

Although there are tons of elements within one space, we had to formulate a sense of balance between them all.  Instead of seeing each individual piece, you see one unified room that screams, “Come relax!”

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Favorite Finds




1.  KAID is all about creating a space based on functionality and aesthetics. Often times, more expensive products are of better quality and visual appeal, but we do not discriminate on saving money if it's the right choice! For example, this yellow, floral tufted bath mat is from none other than Target!
2.  These are some hand-crafted tiles from the Kibak collection, sold at Ann Sacks. They feature historically correct, brightly colored, and interesting designs.
3.  This hand-made Currey and Company chandelier would be the focus of any room. With the main body made of turquoise beads accompanied by jade accents, it's like hanging a piece of jewelry from the ceiling.  The classic shape paired with bright colors makes it fitting for tons of today's interiors.
4.  This fabric, featuring cameos of brunette mademoiselles, is one of our absolute favorite textile designs. The exquisite colors and natural fibers (cotton and linen) make it a luxury to the eye and to the touch. Don't worry boys, we do have an eye for masculinity, too.
5.  Turquoise and and antique aesthetic.  It doesn't get much better than that.  This antique chest of drawers, manufactured by Guildmaster, is one of KAID's favorite pre-made case goods of the year.
6.  Whether you want to eat in style or embellish your walls and shelves, these Anthropologie ceramic plates are the way to go.  Mix and match your heart out!

If you're interested in purchasing any of these products please contact Kim Armstrong Interior Design at (214) 500-0600, or e-mail us at kim@interiorsbykim.com.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

History Lesson

As interior designers, people sometimes get this crazy notion that we only do interiors and pick frilly trims.  This is so very WRONG!!  Here at KAID, we have been asked to do not only interiors, but landscaping, exterior architecture details, and even pool designs.  
Although there are experts in those fields, the same rules and elements hold true in design of any kind.  So to get to the point, I'd like to look at some of my favorite architectural styles throughout U.S. history!  Maybe it's because of the phenomenal buyer's market here in Dallas, but I've had the look-at-cool-houses bug lately.  There are so many home styles in this city, so let's brush up on some historical architecture.  Don't worry, no quiz afterwards...
                            
                                 Arts and Crafts Style
                                   educate yourself here


Cape Cod Style
Georgian Colonial Style

German Colonial
Tidewater Style
educate yourself here


Spanish Colonial

So sorry to cut you short, but there are hundreds of styles out there.  To learn and see more U.S. architectural styles take a look at the links below...