be inspired

Believe it or not, sustainable design can be both environmentally friendly and beautiful. From using Energy Star appliances, natural materials, or eco-friendly paints, there are numerous sustainable design practices you can put in place when it comes to your home.

Eco-friendly can at times have a negative connotation when it comes to interior design. It's assumed that by using sustainable design options, you have to sacrifice style and beauty. But that's not the case at all.

Just take a look at this sustainably designed mountain home as proof that being environmentally friendly can be beautiful.

We are back this month with another installment of our Get to Know the Designers series. This month, we had a chance to ask Cate Husman a few questions.

Winter continues to drag along. With frigid temperatures still a daily occurrence in several parts of the country, warm and cozy layers are still a must to have on hand. Cold temperatures outside make us crave warmth and coziness inside. Whether it's a cozy space, cozy objects or comfy clothes, the winter blues can be beat with a few simple items.

If you are interested in building a custom home or renovating your existing home, you may be wondering what that process will look like. You aren't sure what the first steps are and what will happen along the way. 

Once you have your design team in place, they will help guide you. But, to curb any anxieties, we've broken down the entire design process in six steps to give you a better understanding of what to expect when designing your dream home.

Believe it or not, Valentine's Day is around the corner. Time to celebrate those special people in our lives. If you haven't already, it's time to start planning. Whether it's filled with a gourmet meal, flowers or candy, it's always a good idea to give them a little something extra special as well.

To help you express your love and appreciation for the special people in your life, we've rounded up some fabulous gift options for both him and her this Valentine's Day.

Right before you turn out the lights at night, what do you see? Are you staring at a pile of books or papers that you've been meaning to read or sort through on your nightstand? Is there a hodgepodge of accessories and clutter on this one small piece of furniture that you no longer know what the surface underneath looks like?

Your nightstand is the last thing you see before falling asleep. The accessories and items on it should leave you feeling relaxed and inspired, not anxious and stressed.

As they do each year, Pantone has officially released their Color of the Year for 2014. Sometimes these colors can be bold and somewhat challenging to incorporate into your home in simple ways. 

Our designer Rebecca Pollard is back for another guest post, giving us her thoughts on the new color of the year and ways we all can incorporate this year's color into our homes.

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If you have a Pinterest account or pay attention to design trends somewhat regularly, then by now you know the Pantone Color of the Year for 2014 is "Radiant Orchid."  This color is a blend of pinks and purples with cool undertones.  While we love our neutrals and monochromatic color schemes, I am so excited about using this color in my designs this year.  

Since orchids are found in nature, this is an easier color to incorporate into designs than you might think. As with all design trends, they come and go, so if you aren't entirely convinced this color is for you, we have assembled our favorite accessories (plus a few other items) to help you incorporate this look into your home.

Buying your first house is exciting. Having a place that is all your own where you have free reign and a blank canvas to design and furnish however you want is both thrilling and overwhelming. There could be renovations on the horizon or simply paint colors to select or furnishings to buy. Regardless of what your next steps for your new home are, there are common mistakes that many first-time home buyers make shortly after purchasing their home.

Just because the holiday entertaining has come and gone doesn't mean you still can't entertain! Having essential barware pieces year round is important for both those planned and impromptu get-togethers.

Whether it's having a few close friends over for drinks or you are planning a large housewarming party, you should always have a variety of beautiful barware pieces on hand. One of our favorite barware collections is from Match, and it's our featured collection this month.

Choosing paint colors for your home can sometimes be challenging. We blogged about how to choose paint colors for your home in general, describing the best color schemes as well as our favorite neutral paint colors. But, one of the trickiest rooms to design and paint can be your bathroom.