Bathrooms

I don’t know about you but I am always fascinated with other peoples’ bathrooms and especially hotel ones! It is a wonderful feeling when you enter a nice hotel room to have a quick peek at the ensuite facilities especially when you get the ‘wow’ factor as you switch on the illuminations.

Well the following might not be from hotels but they certainly rank high in the ‘wow’ stakes!

Very striking handmade pair of bath soap dishes from Page Pottery

The dishes are hand made and textured. The round feet on the bottom of the dish make it extra cute, especially with the textures on them!

Spring green linen hand towels by Decorative Instincts

These would be perfect for your guests!

Weigh In – set of 2 prints by F2Images

Could be a thoughtful reminder to step on the scales!

Shelf – D by Wood Goods by Don

Now this could be so useful for all those knick knacks or and even hang your hand towel.

Handmade green bath set by Page Pottery

This set includes a Tray, Melon Air Freshener, Lavender Bath Salts and Mint Julep Lip Balm

Under the Sea Tool by Tracey Garcia Designs

The Under the Sea stool would be great in a bath or kids room; anywhere where a step up is needed!

This would look amazing in the bathroom!

Cloud by Cove byArtimentary

An original mosaic by Antonia Lindsey

Thank you to the sellers of the amazing products that I found in the Interior Design Team on Etsy!!

Create Ambiance with Candles

Soy Candle - Handcrafted Ceramic - Wild Berry Musk Scented by Madhatterspottery


When you think candles, many images come to mind. Warmth, romance, scent, glowing decor. Candles can add a richness to any room, especially during the holiday season. They also make wonderful gifts, for friends, hair stylists, teachers or housewarmings. Spectacular candles and candle holders can be found from our DesignStyleGuide members and here are just a few.
Enchanting Amazon Candle Holder by vsilcoxdesigns

Purple Votive Candle Holder- Stained Glass- With Black Antique Patina by DianasStainedGlass

Lantern for Tealight by ArzuMusa

So when you are trying to get the perfect touches when adding to your home's decor, don't forget to add some beautiful candles.

Room With A View - Harvest

Summer is sending out the last obstinate hours of heat as days grow shorter. Tomatoes and squash from the garden line the kitchen counter, and the catnip forest has started to yellow from the ground up. Soon enough, the maple trees will begin their glorious turning of color, and I will see the steam rising from my morning coffee as I sit outside on the front porch. Autumn is around the bend, and the grateful soil will rest.

Debra Linker

Cathy Savels Paintings



Sassy Glassy



ara133 photography



Muddy Fingers



Tiffany Teske



f2 images



Studio Virgo

Colorful Interior!

Though it is Autumn now.. but let's make our interior colorful with a variety of home decoration items from Design Style Guide.

Let me show some of my favourites items ... hope you will like it too.

Postage stamp bowl by Bombus

Circling Fish Bottlecap Magnets by dandylioneggs

Large table-top multicolor copper wire basket in autumn colors by Xanadu2You

Technicolor Seating by MSM- 5x7 Fine Art Photograph Print by ara133photography

Colorful Fish Fused Glass Windchime Suncatcher by creationsinglass

Anita Feng - The Buddha Builder

My raku Buddhas offer a spiritual synthesis of east and west -- the ancient inheritance of Zen meets modern American creativity. They also represent an exploration of the question, what does Buddha look like? After all, the word "buddha" means "to wake up" or "the awakened one".

Does that image have to come from the Asian mass marketplace? And what does openness of mind look like? Clay is a perfect medium to explore that question, as it is so open a material to work with. It can be pulled, thrown, molded, rolled--anything! And it is composed of all the elements of life -- earth, air, fire, water, metal.

A more personal synthesis occurred when I first began this project of incorporating thirty years of Zen training with over thirty years work as a professional potter, along with my life-time involvement in poetry. I work the clay into a joyful, sincere and dance-like marriage between east and west. I set the finished sculptures in front of me and come up with titles and brief poetic images to describe them. It’s a little like introducing images of peace and calm to the public in the hopes that others might be as inspired as I have been in making them.

To see Anita's other serene, beautiful works, visit her at http://thebuddhabuilder.etsy.com.

Art for the Rest of Us

Image 1: "Tranquility, Spirit, Peace" by Krystyna81

Your home is a statement of yourself, and as you begin to decorate it, you spend a significant amount of time making decisions about every aspect of each room. You agonize over paint chips, pour over furniture types, shapes, styles, compare and contrast between different flooring types. Decorative pillows and throws take week-long decisions that torture you in your sleep. So why are you forgetting the largest surface area of your room, the walls? Do you just want to hang something up there "because it works" or would you like something to truly reflect your personality, your passions?

Image 2: "French Lavender" by FauveStudio

Once a week or so, I'll be writing for this blog about some different ways to spruce up your home through art. Along the journey, I'll try and help educate you, the reader so that when you decide to begin collecting art, you can make an informed decision and pick out a piece of art that you will enjoy for years. To kick things off, I wanted to start out with 5 myths about art collecting. I'll tell you the myths this month, and begin to explain why those myths are false next month. For the time being, here are the myths:

1) Only the rich can afford to collect art

2) You have to go to galleries to collect real art

3) The art world is snobby and intimidating

4) The more expensive art is, the better it is

5) If a critic says the work is good, it must be

Image 3: "Lily Pond" by BS Art Studio

To see other blog articles about this topic, as well as random musings from an artist, you can visit my blog: Sail Away

Room With A View - Mosaic Art

Mosaic art is the art of the ages, one of the world's oldest art forms. Mosaics may consist of pieces of broken china, glass, tile, and various dimensional findings such as marbles, buttons, pebbles, beads, figurines...well, you get the idea. Mosaics add texture, depth, color, movement, style, personality, and shape to a room - in one appealing package. Shown below are some of my favorites.

Yellow Flower by Art de Fleur

Luscious, rich color medley. I love the contrast of the curved shapes created with the geometric triangle tiles of stained glass.








Circles and Swirls Clock by Kut and Paste

Themes of time and the moving universe beautifully combined in complimentary shades of lavender and green stained glass.

Carribean Breeze Diptych by Artful Mosaics by Dana

Sea, shore, inland, and sky artfully melded in this wall duo. The artist's handmade ceramic 3d beach tiles add perfect texture and drama.








Make Art Not War by artsy Rubbish

A little bit retro, a little bit rock 'n' roll, and a whole lotta graphic style goin' on!








Tree by the Sea by Godwin's Enterprises

A stained glass painting. The depiction of the tree above and flora below is a study in appealing contrast.








Intersection at Twilight by biolum glass

Mauvelously Mod. Enough said.









Sky Blue Box by Dias y Flores

Dimension, texture, and color for the tabletop.







China Mosaic End Table by Grindstone Mountain Mosaics

Function, form, and cottage rose perfection!

"Holiday Prep - Already?!" Part One

It seems to have crept upon us once again, but for anyone who is the field of interiors, it is time to start figuring out how to make your mark this holiday season. So for the next couple months, I will seek out holiday trends and fabulous items that I find, on Etsy of course, that will be a wonderful addition to anyone's holiday decor.

For starters, I found these beautiful Victorian - inspired ornaments by Catnip Studio Too.



She has an extraordinary collection of ornaments that are perfect for more than the holidays. Now what do you need when you have beautiful ornaments?

...

Why, ornament hangers, of course!



For the Modern enthusiast, an exceptionally well-crafted set of ornament hangers by ElysianFields. I think I need these, by the way.

Based on these stunning finds, I don't think I need to say anything else. Both items are reasonably priced and must-haves for the holidays. Check 'em out!

Refinement in Furniture on Etsy

Furniture is such a huge part of home decoration. I wanted to highlight some of the beautiful, quality, handcrafted furniture designs being offered by the Interior Design Team on Etsy.


I fell in love with this Keeping Chest from Artistic Lifestyling while searching for eco-friendly home decor last week. This beautifully constructed contemporary chest is handcrafted using traditional joinery techniques and finished with eco-friendly stain (their other chests are available in milk paint colors) and protected with multiple layers of linseed oil and beeswax.

This narrow cupboard from Buck Creek Furnishings will fit perfectly in a small nook and hide your towels, cds, or other odds and ends. This cupboard is finished in fern green and then rubbed for an aged look, but the artisans at Buck Creek will finish it in any color you like!

Although I've been a fan of modmomfurniture for some time now, I spotted this low shelf/toy box in a treasury recently and fell in love with the subtle appeal of the veneer applique design rising up across the front of a pleasing birch woodgrain. The lid to the "toy box" also has a slow-closing lid support - further evidence of its refinement!


This is the Brentwood Cupboard from Shaka Studios. This gorgeous cupboard/shelf is heirloom quality, handcrafted from ponderosa pine and comes in a variety of finishes and colors.


This contemporary split-top table from Brookside Creations caught my eye and I'll tell you why. Aside from its unique form, I've had a real thing lately for the mixture of dark and light wood stains together in the same piece. This table brings it all together for me!

This beautiful coffee table from Dryad Studios, like all of their furniture, is a work of art that cannot be appreciated without reading about the finishing process. So click the link and be impressed!

I love the simple, elegant design of this low bench from Tangible Design and the angle at which the legs are joined! It is shown here as a coffee table, stunning in its simplicity.

Home Decor Goes Green - Part II

Last month I highlighted some IDT members who have chosen a "green" approach to making handcrafted home decor. As promised, this is Part II of that posting - more highlighting and praising the resourcefulness of these IDT artists!
Many things confront an artist who is making an effort to use greener, more sustainable materials. Namely, the cost of using harder-to-find materials can stop you cold on the path to eco-friendly goods. Hopefully, these items will encourage the discouraged to look for resources that are green and affordable!!

First up is this gorgeous, handcrafted bench from Artistic Lifestyling. It is painted with non-toxic, biodegradable milk paints (milk paints are a personal favorite of mine). Be sure to have a look at the beautiful keeping chests from Artistic Lifestyling, as well! Note: Milk paints come in powder-form, which lasts longer than pre-mixed acrylic paint - mix as you go is a great way to save money and resources while using products that are friendly to the planet!


Jalex Studios has a lovely collection of upcycled vases and lamps that reuse / recycle such things as a computer hard drive (as in the case of this chic modern vase), window brackets, bamboo flooring and napkin rings! There are so many quality products that are discarded for obsolescence - hurray for the creative spirit that can give these items new life and new purpose!

I had to add this lovely lampshade, created from old slides, from honeysucklecreations. As a photographer, I understand the commitment involved in toting around boxes full of slides that I can neither use nor depart with. I have one of these lampshades in my bedroom and it is one of my favorite pieces of functional, recycled home decor!

I just found this plant table (ooh, ooh, the top turns for easy, even sunlight exposure!) from Turnadaisy. It is made from upcycled, recycled heavy oak and at $65 is precisely the "affordable green" I'm talking about!

Just in case you don't know what to do with all of those shot glasses you've collected during your travels but no longer drink out of because you can't bear the smell of bourbon... The folks at homeECOnomics knew just what they were doing when they whipped up these fully functional, recycled candholders - sweet!

You can also find unique handforged steel hooks, rings and towel bars for your bathroom from 18th generation master blacksmith, Smythe Boone, of Boones Hooks. Not only are they stunning, but they are made from 100% recycled steel!


Last but not least (and, really, I could go on and on and on here), is a lovely sunburst glass panel made from recycled glass by The Looking Glass to spice up your west-facing windows!

I've had such a blast searching out these eco-friendly designs and I hope you have as much fun checking out their stores for other enticing, earth friendly home decor!