Design Archives - Page 24 of 26 - Kelley Astore Interiors

Celebrating the Grand Millennial: Ideas & Inspiration

This New Year we are challenging ourselves to grow, finding new ways to design, and celebrating all the victories! In 2020, I had the pleasure of working with Nicole Catherine, a young professional who was looking to build a home for her new family. Nicole is a big fan of mixing older items with a modern flare. She considers herself a Grand Millennial: a younger person who loves all things old AND new!

What is a Grand Millennial?

After working with Nicole, she told me, “Since I was a little, I’ve always loved to collect vintage pieces here and there. Now having my own home to make ours, I am always searching for the details that will complete the room and bring it character. I proudly wear the title of “grand millennial” a love for everything antique and what you might find in your grandmothers home. Combining decor from today and yesterday/year makes the home feel collected and unique. The hunt is also one of my favorite parts of collecting as well as watching a home come to life!”

Nicole’s Grand Millennial Home – The Dining Room

This view of her dining room gives insight straightaway into how vintage and modern items can work seamlessly together. People flooded her instagram calling her home, “a literal dream.” The French chest is a vintage piece, paired with an antique mirror and vintage oyster plates. The table and chairs are kept in a neutral tone to allow the eye to be drawn to the decor and beautiful chandelier. Lighter toned furniture and wood naturally feels more modern. And although the chandelier is also new, she’s matched the bronze with the bronze around the mirror. Green tones from the oyster plates match seamlessly with the green in her house plants.

The tiger statue is reminiscent of vintage decor, but provides a lovely pop of color against the grey vase, which matches the grey marble on top of the French Chest.

Needless to say, this Grand Millennial room is an absolute delight to look at, and even better to sit and have dinner in!

Grand Millennial Cushions

In a different corner of her home, she features cushions made by Kelley Astore Interiors! To help her achieve the Grand Millennial look, I chose a green and white check to be paired with the delicate green and off-white floral printed cushions. Going for toned-down florals is a great way to achieve a modern-vintage look. The floral pattern reminds you of older chintz, but the design is subtle. Pairing these cushions on this white bench with a shiny bronze mirror above allows them to fill the space without taking too much attention!

Upcycled Furniture

Another easy way to achieve the Grand Millennial look is by upcycling antique furniture! We had the pleasure of restoring these chairs (we were brought the image in the left and gave her the chairs on the right!). Restoring an item is more sustainable, and allows you to choose which features to keep. We stripped them down and gave them new springs, webbing, and fabric. But we were able to keep the beautiful wooden frame. I chose a green and white check pattern with some more neutral toned cushions. Once again, both of these patterns date back decades, but presenting them in brighter more neutral colors really does give them a modern spin.

Remembering the past, Looking to the future

We had so much fun working with Nicole, and we are looking forward to incorporating more Grand Millennial designs into our work in the future!

Interested in renovating? Head to our services page to see how we can help you create the home of your dreams!

Shop The Look: Young Lady’s Bathroom Transformation

I’m excited to share with you the final product of a Young Lady’s Bathroom transformation that we completed just before Thanksgiving in 2021!

The Before.

We took a few pictures before the bathroom transformation took place, and while there is nothing necessarily wrong with it, it was clear that a little bit of TLC would truly transform the space. Here, I feel the vertical stripes on the walls made the already-small room appear much smaller than it actually was, creating a slightly claustrophobic atmosphere.

The Colors.

The color palette is much more important than you may initially believe when it comes to bathroom design. In this case, I decided to opt for a rather simplistic color scheme, combining a bright white shade with pastel blue hues. These shades are commonly featured in bathrooms – and for a good reason. This is because they give the room a clean and hygienic feel, which is perhaps more important in the bathroom than anywhere else in the home!

In this instance, we painted the walls in the stunning Lily White shade from Benjamin Moore. As the color white is light-reflective, this instantly makes the bathroom look bigger.

Tiles.

My favorite part of this bathroom transformation is, without a doubt, the tiles behind the vanity. Handmade by Marble Systems, they feature a simplistic yet effective blue and white geometric pattern that adds a new dimension to the bathroom. We also installed unique ‘raised’ shower tiles in the back wall of the shower, which added a further dimension to the space.

It goes without saying that tiles are the perfect choice for bathroom decor since they are easy to clean and resistant to the build-up of moisture. This makes bathroom maintenance a breeze! In terms of maintenance, we also decided to install a glass shower door, removing the old shower curtain previously hung by the owner. Again, this is much easier to clean and gives the space a more modern-finish, perfect for a young lady!

Mirror & Vanity.

As mentioned previously, the vanity became the focal point of the room once we added the handmade tiles. Here, you can see the prep behind installing a mirror within the space. We used blue tape to measure out the exact location of the mirror and sconces, which were then installed upon the tile for a clean, professional finish.

The vanity is painted white in order to match the rest of the space. However, it has a stunning marble countertop, which helps bring a bit of luxury into this bathroom and pairs nicely with the silver furnishings dotted around the space, such as towel racks and plumbing fixtures like the shower and faucets. The vanity is also on the larger side, with ten drawers meaning there are plenty of storage options for the user – whether she chooses to store make-up or toiletries in the space.

Once we had installed all of the fixtures, lighting was the step of the process. We chose to hang two wall-mounted lights in the bathroom, which are both sophisticated and practical.

preparing home for thanksgiving, beautifully set table

Preparing Your Home For Thanksgiving During COVID

Despite the uncertainties and difficulties of this year, we’ve made it to the holiday season, and Thanksgiving preparations are underway! Whether you’re celebrating indoors with family or hosting an outdoor celebration in your backyard, here are tips to ensure you have a safe, beautiful, and elegant Thanksgiving Feast.

Tip 1: Preparing your home

If you’re inviting friends and family to your home for Thanksgiving, cleanliness will be on everyone’s mind. It’s important to ensure that your home is spic-and-span, so that everyone feels comfortable. Be sure to use disinfectant on commonly touched surfaces, and have disinfectant gel on hand for when the guests arrive. Stock your bathrooms and sinks with enough hand soap, and consider investing in individual hand towels for your guests to use.

In addition to your usual cleaning routine, this is the time to go the extra mile for your guests. Cleaning the outside of your home and making sure the inside walls are spotless instantly elevates a space. If your house is older and is in need of a new paint job, now is the time to do it, especially before it gets too cold. Contact us for outside painting or to power wash the outside walls. Likewise, if you want to repaint your interior, get it done sooner rather than later. Check out our tips for choosing the best paint color.

Tip 2: Lighting is everything

Having beautiful lighting to set the mood is an easy way to spruce up your celebrations. If you’re celebrating outside, look into battery operated decorative lanterns or fairy lights. Additionally, investing in fire pits and heaters is a wonderful way to add warmth and a cozy Fall atmosphere. They also ensure your guests won’t get too cold during dinner. If you’re celebrating indoors, be sure to clean all the light fixtures of any dust or grime. Consider getting light dimmers installed so that you can dim the lights as the evening goes on to set the mood. Lastly, if you have an indoor fireplace, give it a clean and prepare to light up on Thanksgiving day!

Tip 3: Preparing the menu

When planning the Thanksgiving menu, it’s important to consult with your guests ahead of time and make certain decisions before any cooking begins. Be sure to make note of any dietary requirements or allergies that your guests may have. You also want to find out whether your guests will be bringing any food with them, and if so, what kind of prep they’ll need before serving. Look on Pintrest or browse the internet for any new trendy recipes you want to try. We recommend sticking to a fairly traditional menu, with one or two new recipes as your wow factor!

Many people will make the mistake of planning what they want to make without planning a cooking schedule for the day. Ideally, you want everything to come together at the same time, right before serving. Figure out what you can make in advance, what can be reheated, and what needs to be made on the day. If you have others helping you out, assign different roles and dishes to be prepared. And don’t forget to defrost the turkey!

Tip 4: The devil is in the details

When it comes to hosting a dinner, no detail is too small.

This is the perfect time to pull out the china! Make sure to wash them to remove any dust.
Polish your silverware using hot water and a dish towel.
Glasses can be polished by filling a cup with boiling hot water; hold the glass upside down above the water to steam it; once it’s steamed, go in with a clean dish towel or napkin to remove any fingerprints and watermarks; hold the glass up to the light to see the glass is perfectly polished; hold wine glasses by their stems or use gloves to avoid getting any additional fingerprints on the glass.
Get the tablecloths and napkins in the washing machine and give yourself enough time to iron out any wrinkles. This is also a great opportunity to learn some napkin folding techniques to truly impress your guests!
Add Fall decor! Always add a beautiful fall-flower arrangement to have on the table before the food is served. You can also consider adding a fall-inspired wreath on the door. Light some warm-scented candles to further create a cozy autumn atmosphere.
Have your music playing for when the guests arrive. There is nothing more awkward than walking into a dinner-party that’s silent. Place your speakers in a discreet but accessible place, and put on your favorite tunes. Alternatively, there are plenty of premade dinner-party playlists you can find online. Soft jazz or piano music adds elegance and atmosphere without becoming distracting.

Tip 5: Remember what Thanksgiving is about!

Hosting a dinner party, let alone Thanksgiving, is no small task–especially with Covid-19. Things are bound to go wrong and you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed at some point. That’s okay! Just remember that Thanksgiving is about being grateful. Nothing is as important as being with the people you love during this difficult time. And as long as you’re together, everyone will have plenty to be thankful for.

« First ‹ Prev 21 22 232425 26 Next ›