Euro Style Home

The first thing that your visitors will see when arriving to your home is the entryway. It should give an immediate wow factor for your home. And it also should reflect your personality. Entryways are a hard space to design. Mostly because you want it to feel natural and not too cookie cutter. I’ve found a few entryways that will spark creativity for your own home.

The entryway/hallway that we see above is sleek and super attractive. Benches are great for providing seating when someone has to remove their shoes. That floor lamp is a nice creative touch, paired with the minimalist art.

For a more simple, small space entryway, take tips from this space. I love the wooden knobs on the wall. It’s modern and gives lots of room for hanging coats, hats and bags. Also the stool gives just enough seating and is perfectly paired with the art piece above.

A pop of color always adds character and personality. Try painting the inside of your entryway door a bright color. Also wow your guests by adding a beautiful pendant light above.

This last look is clean with lots of fun details, including the awesome lighting and equally awesome flooring. And can we talk about that built in bench? Perfection!

Images: House To Home, Design Sponge, Curbly, Micasa, Design Sponge

Crossover between creative fields is inevitable. Music influences film, which influences fashion, which influences home design and decor. It's not always obvious and it's not always literal, but as we move forward culturally, we carry creative influences into every corner of our little worlds.  

Looking at what's breaking this summer in music, we've noticed that the vibe is a throwback to vintage mod and new wave...and we can't help but wonder how that will cross over into contemporary design.

First, let's start with our summer playlist: 

Rush Midnight (pictured above):

If a lovechild between Billy Ocean and Haircut 100 was actually possible, dance-inducing pleasure popsters Rush Midnight would be it. Enough said. Too much said, really. 

Savages:

Bratty and brash, Savages wrap the post-punk energy of Patti Smith into a well-coiffed, contemporary package.    

Deer Hunter: 

Washy and atmospheric indie rockers Deerhunter have always been good for summer lazing and listening, yet their most recent and raucous record, Monomania, is a much more assertive soundtrack, perfect for a lively and well-lived summer season.

Haim:

Three sisters from the Valley in Los Angeles, the women in Haim were born and bred to be the pop stars they are. Their hit "Don't Save Me" is a throaty John Waite-esque anthem chronicling the heart's desire for co-dependence and the independent spirit's need to rebel against it.

The National: 

Everything cools down at some time or another (even hot summer days) and The National have been providing that soundtrack for years. Poetic, measured, a touch dark and, as always, hum-along-able.

Now let's look at a handful of like-minded designs:

Clockwise from upper left: Tech Lighting Silver Glaze Aqua Glass Satin Nickel Pendant, Tech Lighting Fire Satin Nickel Cobalt Glass Mini Pendant, Possini Euro Darby Red Glass Pendant Light, Set of 2 Wishbone Y Natural Wood Side Chairs, Howard Elliott Z Mirrored Accent Table

Colored glass pendants are easy to match the vibe of your summer playlist. Mirrored accent tables and furniture definitely capture the mod mood. But is there really a correlation between music and design? Does one influence the other, or are they both just players in a greater cultural trajectory? We're not sure, but one thing's for certain: 2013 promise to be yet another good looking and listening summer.

Images: Sterogum, Juno, Kick Kick Snare, Paste

Good design doesn't need to be relegated to indoors and it can most certainly be just for fun! We've rounded up some awesome modern design in outdoor spaces. Whether you're a parent or just a kid at heart, you'll love these. 

This 20,500 square meter park is located in Sydney, Australia. Designed with the land rather than against it, this fun space has several surprises and activity points.

These might be the coolest tree houses we've ever seen! The color palette is really fun and modern.

Kids of all ages enjoy this skate park and who wouldn't, it's visually stunning!

Images: The Cool Hunter, The Contemporist

Clients always ask whether or not they should invest in ceiling lighting for their living room – I personally think it’s a must. It’s just as important as dining room lighting. A statement chandelier or pendant that centers the room will make the room and you can plan furniture around the lighting you choose.

Possini Euro Arlo 15 3/4" Wide Chrome Pendant Light

Try something different, a modern chandelier set against traditional furniture can completely update a room. If that doesn’t strike your fancy and you want a touch of glam in your life but nothing over the top, choose a chandelier like the Robert Abbey version at the bottom.

There are hundreds of directions you can go in and I’ve rounded up four that have been popular amongst clients recently.

Chrome Modern Industrial LED 56 1/2-Inch-H Chandelier

Orbital Weave 19 1/2" Wide Rust Metal Pendant Light

Bling Collection Convertible Robert Abbey Chandelier

Whether you go for traditional, industrial or modern – overhead lighting is a choice you should make for your living room.

Images: Coco + Kelley, Simply Grove, House Beautiful, Elle Decor

My husband and I recently moved to New York City, and we're waiting for our apartment to be ready for move in later in July. The suspense is killing me -- not only because I'm ready to be settled, but the best part is yet to come: the decorating!

In the master bedroom, we're lucky enough that the room is just big enough to fit our prized king size bed. However, there won't be much room on either side for large nightstands, so we're looking at saving space by purchasing some kind of small side table, and using wall mounted lights to provide symmetry and nighttime lighting. Little did I know, there are so many options out there!

Lighting is one of those things that can put a big dent in your budget if you let it. Looking around, I've found some pricey options, and similar looks that ESL sells for a fraction of the price. Which of these high/lows picks do you prefer? The pharmacy lamp is my particular favorite!

Brass Swing Arm Lamp, Two Arm Wall Sconce, Pharmacy Style Lamp, Classic Brass Wall Lamp

Images: InStyle, Interiors, Lonny Magazine