Modern Neutral Living Rooms

The way to get maximum impact from an area rug is to use it as the "soul of your room". The color scheme, furniture placement and accessories should all connect back to it. Uplighting with a dimmer can create mood when entertaining. We used a shag rug and black wood veneer wallpaper as a wainscot for a masculine and swanky look for a swingin' single guy in downtown Denver. Photo by Tim Murphy.

This room, though dramatic on the surface, is very simple and cost effective. The walls are painted in wide stripes, which quickly give the room a lot of interest. The furnishings are straight-lined, bordering on modern. The textured rug, highly coordinated accessories, glass desk and great chandelier add the finishing touches.

In the grand salon, the ceilings were improved with artful soffits to create soft curves, which are also reflected in the furnishings and rug. The walls were dressed with an unexpected horizontal staggered-line tile and wave panel resin material. A beautiful bar was design and built for entertaining. Two conversation areas were laid out in the grand salon. The sofas are a deep chocolate mohair and paired with classic egg chairs and a custom entertainment console dressed with oversized hardware and ostrich leather.Design Tip: Walls don’t have to be painted or papered. Think about tiles, even in a living room.

Earthy tones combine this open space as living room, dining room and kitchen, giving a cozy ambiance.

The ebonized floors and stark white walls provided the perfect backdrop for furnishings in a palette of warm earth tones and various types of wood. The room was divided into two seating areas, with the primary area containing the sofa, chaise and two club chairs surrounding the SPI LINE Blanco Coffee Table whose nickel-plated frame...

To enhance the 11-foot ceiling and the flood of natural light from the large windows in the living area, 8-inch oak molding that surrounded all of the windows was removed, as was the ornamental crown and base molding that existed throughout the apartment. SPI opted to divide the living area from the dining area with large cube towe...

The textural elements of the stone fireplace and shaggy rug, along with hints of apple green, keep this modern space from feeling too sterile.

A cozy family room was created by installing a central chandelier to bring down the height of the ceiling. Additionally, the designer added a sleek shelf around the room for the owner to display his own photographs. Custom iron floor lamps, dramatic drapery and woven shades add texture add warmth to the room. Even though

Modern Kitchen Designer by Erica Islas

EMI Interior Design, Inc. is a full-service residential interior design and build firm, founded by award-winning designer Erica Islas in 2000. Through her years of experience, Erica has developed a unique style of mixing old with new and giving each project a timeless feel. Seamlessly juxtaposing limestone, marble, earthy woods, textured fabrics and organic colors with materials such as metal and glass is what gives Erica's work a striking and harmonious feel.

EMI Interior Designs' philosophy is to create inviting and elegant interiors-- straying from trends that will only disappoint in years to come. Their design approach is to Architecturally space plan every square inch of a room to work both aesthetically and functionally. Each project is tailored specifically to each client, as Erica pays special attention to every detail that goes into project. Known for her incredible Kitchens and Bathroom renovations, challenges such as small spaces and children's rooms are welcome and embraced by Erica and her staff, as they creatively transform some of the smallest most unusable spaces to multi-functional rooms. EMI Interior Design is committed to using sustainable materials, wherever possible.

The Aga stove is the star of this kitchen, complementing the rustic beams and architecture of the home. A glass backsplash and CaesarStone countertops are details that modernize this super sleek custom space.

This open kitchen has a "lofty" feel. Continuing the dark ebony stained wood floor from the living room and dining room into the kitchen help the space appear larger. Carrera marble countertops and cream-colored cabinets produce a big contrast with the ebony stained hardwood floors.

Asian Kitchen designer by Troy Adams

Troy Adams is an award winning interior designer who is currently based out of West Hollywood California. He has been featured in numerous newspapers, magazines, websites and TV appearances such as Oprah and HGTV's Designer Chalengefor his interior and product design concepts.Troy Adams is also known as the creator of FusionDesign.

Troy Adams is internationally recognized as the creator of FusionDesign ™ in luxury kitchen, bathroom and wardrobe system design. His inspiration and unique perspective came to him during his seventeen-year tenure in Hawaii, where East meets West, and nature-inspired island elements abound. FusionDesign ™ draws on Asian, European, and American design sensibilities. Mr. Adams believes that in order to create a living space as individualistic as its owner’s taste, each space needs to take into account its surrounding spaces.




This kitchen design is a fine example of my FusionDesign philosophy in practice. It subtly blends contemporary European elements with soothing Asian accents like the glass shoji screen doors and Zen water feature, while offering increased functionality for the American lifestyle.

Beautiful Window Treatments for Bedrooms

Author Jackie Dishner




Whether looking for romantic ambiance,

blinds to control sunlight or window treatments to protect your privacy,

design experts uncover seven ways to dress up bedroom windows.

Drape With Silk

For a luxurious and romantic ambiance in the boudoir, designer Sharon McCormick pampers the bedroom in silk drapery panels, choosing a restful, sea glass color. Add pleats, tassels, crystals, beads or buttons for a custom touch. Included underneath is a remote-controlled window shade for privacy.



Metallic Finishes

If it's drama you like, you can get it with hardware. New Englander Sharon McCormick loves bedroom drapes that hang from large wooden rods in metallic finishes. Add more personality to the frame by selecting elaborate, crystal or fabric-wrapped finials.



Mix It Up

Designer Kati Curtis favors a combination of simple sheer and opaque draperies in her Manhattan bedroom designs. The sheer fabric stays open during the day to allow light in. At night, the opaque panels help buffer sound and keep light out for a good night's sleep. For a sleek touch, hardware is hidden in the window pocket.



Pleat From Floor To Ceiling

Choose a traverse or gathered rod and cover the entire wall by hanging pleated window treatments from floor to ceiling. Chicago-based designer Mary Susan Bicicchi creates a coccon-like feel with black-and-white patterned drapes in her own bedroom. Use the treatment to make a small room feel larger or open up a room with tall, skinny windows like hers.



Hang in Layers

To soften the look and add dimension to a bedroom window, California-based designer Lada Webster loves to use layers. She suggests adding a pattern to one of the layers to create a whimsical look or touch of character. Then it becomes a focal point in your private space.



Oversized Hardware

DrapeStyle designer Rick Thompson created this urban chic panel with oversized grommets and topped off with chocolate brown silk banding. The lighter metallic mesh fabric provides privacy, yet still allows light into the room. Oversized grommets work well in a smaller space with fewer windows and in contemporary settings, if you want the hardware revealed.



Trim With Fabric

Add a fun element to the bedroom decor with a simple, rectangular valance accentuated with beaded fringe, says Washington state designer Natalia Smith. It's a clean, unobstructed look that opens the room to light and color and adds the finishing touch — as long as the fabric in the valance matches what's on the pillows and bedding. Smith prefers a cornice with simple padding and a finished edge at the bottom for transitional, as opposed to traditional, style.

Modern Kitchen Style

The busy city slicker on the go will love the no-fuss features of modern kitchens. Known for their sleek lines and metallic finishes, modern kitchens are designed to be clean, simple and functional, yet still highly stylish.

Dark wood base cabinets are paired with metal-and-glass upper cabinets in this kitchen to create a transition from heavy to light. A white 2x2-inch glass-tile backsplash is illuminated to offset the larger squares of the upper cabinets, adding another layer of rhythm and scale to the space.


Glossy smoke-gray cabinetry paired with white CaesarStone cabinets give this kitchen a dramatic appeal. A jewel-toned glass-tile backsplash softens the space with a touch of color.


This sleek kitchen was meticulously laid out to make prepping, cooking and cleaning fast and efficient. The room also maximizes vertical space with high cabinets accessible by ladder -- a great storage option for small urban apartments.


This kitchen makes the most of an awkward L-shaped space with a clean layout. Stainless steel appliances and a muted color scheme give the kitchen a stylish look.


The Cordial Entertainment Sink from Faucet Direct is an all-in-one entertainment idea, perfect for an efficient, modern kitchen. The sink is ideal for washing and rinsing glassware, preparing garnishes, staging drinks and cold storage for wine and other beverages.


One of the strongest surfaces known to man, Solistone brings stainless steel to your space in an organic, freeform shape. Stainless Steel 12x12 Polished Black Tile from South Cypress Floors stands up to everyday wear with the performance and power that you'd expect from metal

Traditional Kitchen Designer by Dave Stimmel

Stimmel has been in the design business for 20 years, and the head of Stimmel Consulting Group in Blue Bell for the last nine.

The ­Philadelphia-based designer is a regular recipient of Kitchen and Bath Business magazine’s Kitchen of the Year award. His kitchens frequently appear on HGTV (he designed all 40 kitchen variations shown on the network’s interactive design website)

As early as 16, he was working as a draftsman for a custom kitchen designer through a program at Cheltenham High School. And even then, his boss told him, “You are meant to do this.”

Loyalty is a very big thing for Stimmel. He employs the same team for all his installations. And while he has designed — and won awards for — kitchens ranging from $40,000 to way over $100,000, the common denominator is his own loyalty to his vision. “It’s not about the budget,” he says. “It’s just about doing something great."

For Stimmel, it’s about versatility and his love of the job. “There’s no pigeonholing me,” he says. “And it’s my passion, completely; I could do this 24/7, 365 days a year. I’m married to it.” And clients can rest assured there will be no surprises this designer can’t handle. “My motto is, that as a designer, it’s not about dealing with perfection, it’s about dealing with the imperfections,” he says. “You gotta be able to roll with it, no matter what comes up.”

The exposed stone wall in this old-fashioned dining area serves as a soft backdrop for the pink hues throughout the room. The small, white dining table complements the nearby kitchen cabinets, and the chairs echo the soft curves of the cabinet and mantel molding.

Stained wood cabinetry softens the detailed wallpaper in this formal kitchen. Pink fabric and accessories accent an attractive and functional full-service bar, complete with undercounter wine storage.

This pink and gold formal kitchen shines with traditional detailing. An ornate chandelier shines on the gold backsplash, while pink chair cushions accent the floral wallpaper. Curvaceous stools complement the details in the moldings.

The details of this bar allow patrons to see the architectural detail while seated or behind the bar. The mirror panels are set in solid wood frames finished to match the cabinetry.

This kitchen features a beautiful, hand-hammered copper sink and distressed black cabinetry.

Creating an Old World Kitchen

Classic architectural elements, vibrant colors and distressed finishes create a warm family-gathering place.

Old World design includes free-standing furniture and usually features a fireplace. Design by Ann Morris.

Go dark with the cabinetry and furnishings but lighten up the room on the ceiling, wall space and floor. Design by Didier Michot.

Distressed finishes on the interior walls help define Old World texture. Design by Dan Raney and Jaymes Richardson.

Natural stones are often combined with cherry wood floors or walnut cabinetry to set the Old World scene. Design by Gail Drury