Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Inspiration Newsletter

---

• How to Bring Earth Inspiring Brown into your Home
• The Perfect Boys Bedroom by Perianth
• A Massive Display of Modern Living : Brentwood Residence
• 10 Home Energy Efficient Tips to Save you Money
• Colors vs. Classic White Rocky Collection from Joel Escalona

How to Bring Earth Inspiring Brown into your Home Posted: 28 Oct 2010 06:38 AM PDT Brown symbolizes the earth and being grounded, and what better color to surround yourself in your home? From natural organic materials to strength in gorgeous wood flooring and furniture, brown is a classic neutral that is at home by itself or paired with color. Dark espresso brown to pale beiges evoke a sense of comfort and warmth in your everyday living and lifestyle.  Read on to see how to bring earth inspiring brown into your home. Formal or casual: Brown is one of the few colors that can look dramatic and stylish is an urban penthouse, or look casual in a one bedroom eclectic apartment. Since brown occurs naturally in nature we are at peace with it around us. For a formal look, use rich brown leather seating paired with wood décor and supple textures and patterns.  In a casual setting try khaki colored seating, sea grass area rugs and varying shades of brown for wall and window treatments. Sophisticated brown in the kitchen: In the past few years brown has gone from being a innocent bystander to taking center stage as a main focal point color of a room. Wood butcher block countertops and varying stains in wood cabinetry makes a kitchen the perfect place to display brown.  Whether used as a predominant color or paired with white or cream cabinetry, brown is the new sought after color in kitchens. Pair brown with color: Since brown is a neutral, the color palette is open for pairing up with. Pastel colors in pink, blue and green are favorites for baby nurseries and children's rooms. In living and bedroom areas, brown pairs with bright vibrant colors to exude a fresh and modern decorative touch. On a beige or tan couch, varying colored throw pillows, area rugs, wall art and décor pieces on display will give a balance between dramatic dark and inspiring bright colors. Dining areas love brown: Whether you dining room is formal or informal, brown accents make the mood heartfelt and genuine. Look to brown for an accent wall to add visual interest or keep it simple in furnishings and lighting fixtures. Copper and antique bronze or popular trending fixture colors for lighting, plumbing, and cabinet/door hardware. Rustic cues from the color brown: For homes that are in a rural, mountainous setting or want rustic cues, brown is the ideal color. Fireplaces adorned with river rock or flagstones are beautiful in their varying shades of browns, grays, and sand colors. Southwestern American décor that mimic the colors of the dessert in deep rust, chestnut, and sienna brown can fill your home with culture and warmth. Consider using these colors in your exterior palette of home colors as well.  Colors that occur naturally in nature make the best exterior colors. For every home there is a brown shade that is appealing to most, due to the organic nature of the color. Determine if your home wants to use it as an accent in brown wood detailing and trim around windows /doors, or convey it through woodworking details around your home. It can also become the main star and become the theme color of your walls, furniture, flooring and window treatments.  Give it a try and see how brown can be more than just your average neutral color! Freshome reader's how do you use brown in your home? Do you prefer it in your décor, or added to your wall and flooring finishes too? Thanks for sharing with us! Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Inspiring Modern Home Architecture 10 Simple Ways to Bring the Outdoors Inside 10 Ways to Enlighten your Home Using Yellow How to Bring Tuscan Details into Your Home Home Theater Wall System – TROLL Earth House Estate Lättenstrasse Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

The Perfect Boys Bedroom by Perianth Posted: 28 Oct 2010 05:34 AM PDT This may seem like a room filled with “clichés”, meaning that everything that crosses our mind when we think of a boy’s room can be found here. But in this case, the “clichés” lead to a dream place of half-manly retreat. This bedroom from Perianth belongs to an apartment in New York whose owners wanted a boys’ room that would keep their children busy for a significant part of the day. A rock-climbing wall, a mini basketball court and a punching bag are just a few of the features of this cozy bedroom. Plenty of shelves can be found all throughout this interior, perfect for storing the books needed for school and the action figures from various collections. This place is so diverse that even a grown-up could be entertained in here for a couple of hours. We challenge you to look through the pictures and find anything “boyish” that is missing from this room. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! 25 Room Designs for Teenage Boys Today’s Furniture Theme : The Sea 25 Room Design Ideas for Teenage Girls Bedroom Design Ideas from Hulsta Breathtaking Bedroom Interior Girls Bedroom Design Ideas by Pm4, Pampered in Luxury Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

A Massive Display of Modern Living : Brentwood Residence Posted: 28 Oct 2010 04:05 AM PDT Brentwood Residence is an impressive residential project from Belzberg Architects, a company with quite a few amazing works. Located in a picturesque landscape near the Santa Monica Mountains, you are looking at a good example of contemporary architecture which meets our idea of Los Angeles modern living. The exterior of this house consists of asymmetrical volumes, creating unexpected angles of sight. Large floor to ceiling windows establish a strong indoor-outdoor connection  A large oak tree is the focal point of the site, an imposing “pillar” which the architects took advantage of by creating an outdoor entertaining area together with a tennis field. The residence also features a generous pool with inviting patio furniture. Avant-garde furniture, fresh decorating ideas, art objects and a warm color palette- all create a dreamy interior design, worthy of discovering step by step.- via Arch Tracker Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Luxurious Brentwood Park Residence in Beverly Hills 1960 Canna Road Residence Turned Modern Ultra-modern Living Rooms by Presotto Italia Whistler Cay Residence in British Columbia Wood Furnished Butler Residence in Portland, Oregon Private Residence in East Hampton by Murdock Young Architects Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

10 Home Energy Efficient Tips to Save you Money Posted: 28 Oct 2010 02:58 AM PDT Your home is one of the major contributors to where your money is spent monthly. Your home is also the source for Earth depleting resources that we all are responsible for everyday. In order to save your pocket and the Earth, home energy efficiency is crucial and it isn't hard to learn. From the extra lamp that you leave on in the bedroom to the 20 minute shower each of your family members take, it's time to start becoming more environmentally aware.  Here are 10 home energy efficient tips that will help your family, help the earth and your wallet. 1.) Take shorter baths and showers: The amount of water a person wastes in the bathroom is the largest contributor of water consumption on your water bill. Fill the tub with less water and don't want wait until it's hot before you put the tub stopper in! Reduce your showering time by 40-50% to see marked difference in your water bill. Have all family members do this daily. 2.) Set lawn irrigation timers to shorter time: When watering your lawn conserve water by shortening the time for each zone of your yard. Instead of only relying on your irrigation timer, look at the weather and turn off the sprinkler when it has rained or it is anticipated. Water lawns in the early morning or late afternoon to reduce water evaporation throughout the day. 3.) Turn off extra lights: Every time you leave a room, turn off the light, it is that simple. The reality is, you can only be in one room at a time, so why light the entire house? 4.) Wash your car less often: If you wash your car at your home, try and use less water to wash your car, and wash it less often. Consider paying a car wash facility to wash your car. Most facilities will have water saving features in their equipment and in turn may save you time and energy washing your own car. 5.) Install a tankless water heater: Tankless water heaters only heat water when it is turned on, and will stop when the water is turned off. Therefore, a large pool of water isn't sitting to be heated and you will never 'run out'.  Tankless water heaters are more expensive than traditional tank water heaters but the long term investment is worth it. 6.) Install energy efficient appliances: Throughout your home appliances consume a large amount of electricity to run them.  Consider switching out older models with energy efficient models. Visit appliance stores for discounts on floor models and discontinued models. This will help save you money and get your home new appliances that will save energy. 7.) Turn off computers and electronics daily: Do you leave your laptop and computer always on? Believe it or not they consume a large amount of energy, especially older laptops batteries that are not as earth friendly as newer models. Turn them off daily to conserve electricity and to extend the life of your laptop battery. 8.) Turn of ceiling fans: Similarly to lights, we tend to leave ceiling fans on continuously when we aren't in the room. Ceiling fans that are left on for hours on end can consume wasted energy. In the winter months reverse the fan to pull warm air from the ceiling and do the opposite in the summer. This will help you leave your thermostat alone too! 9.) Colder climates – install radiant heat flooring: If your climate is predominantly cold the majority of the year, radiant heat flooring can keep your heating bill down.  Flooring has radiant heat cables installed over the concrete floor and under your finish resilient floor. This can save on your energy bill and keep your home warm. 10.) Sunny climates – consider solar panels: If you live in a warm climate that receives sunny conditions the better part of the year, installing solar panels is a good idea. Solar panels convert the sun rays into energy and can be used in numerous applications in your home. From heating the water your home uses to powering electricity. Solar panels will help you harness the suns energy for the better! Everyday there are practices you and your family can do to ensure good energy efficient practices. The difference will result in the Earth's resources being valued and you just may spend a lot more on your energy bills! A win-win! Decide for your family where to start, you can always improve as time goes on. Freshome reader's tell us your energy saving tricks for your home! Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! 5 Eco Friendly Home Tips to Save Money This Summer Saving Money by Buying Energy Efficient Appliances Recession blues: How to save money on home decorating IKAROS, the Ultimate Energy Self-Suficient Home in Germany 10 Tips for Lighting Your Storage & Closets Solar Decathlon Sustainable House in Ithaca, New York Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Colors vs. Classic White Rocky Collection from Joel Escalona Posted: 27 Oct 2010 08:21 AM PDT We don’t know if you guys remember, but a few months ago we featured The Rocky Collection from Joel Escalona in black. In today’s post we would like to showcase two other approaches to this intriguing collection: Color Series and White Series. The uncommon sets consist of four different furniture pieces: a coffee table, a TV cabinet, a wardrobe and a credenza. Even though their shape is the same, the colorful set differs a lot from the white one. While the first can fit in a nonconformist, highly personalized interior, the second set can only be integrated in a minimalist, opulent room. We decided to present them both, for a fun and strong contrast. How would you integrate the first colorful set in an interior? What combination of furniture pieces would you choose ? What set do you like best? Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Intriguing Furniture Designs by Joel Escalona : Rocky Collection Bookcase Inspired by the DNA by Joel Escalona Classic Car shelves World Home Day Collection: Around the world in seven rooms! Recycled Car Hood Tables by Joel Hester Original “Rocky” Lighting From Brenda Houston Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

You are subscribed to email updates from Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610