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Anonymous wrote:Hi Eye Candy! You're the best - thanks for all that you do! I have a challenging request. I'm helping some relatives think through redecorating an early 1980s contemporary saltbox. It has an asymmetrical living room/dining area ceiling, and one wall (the wall with fireplace) is paneled with vertical planks of a honey-colored wood. The fireplace surround is a red brick; unfortunately the fireplace is not centered on that wall. The rest of the house is painted white. The current furnishings (a floral patterned "shabby chic" couch and lots of random art and knick-knacks) compete with the contemporary architecture. It all looks super-dated and cluttered.
I'm looking online for similar layouts - have not found anything yet and I don't know how to embed images, but this rental one has a similar ceiling and living/dining in the same large room: https://www.vrbo.com/4506756ha
And this one has a fireplace in the same dated red brick. https://www.vrbo.com/344647ha
This photo has wood panel walls in a similar color - but ours is way less nice, all vertical slats, and a rough texture. https://thedesignfiles.net/2017/02/michael-and-laura-mccormack/
The family doesn't want to change or paint the wood panels, and they like the look of the red brick fireplace. Given that they don't want to do much in the way of renovations, I think the only thing to do search for furnishings that work with the 70s/80s vibe, embrace the wood paneling, and go for an organic California modern feel.
If you have any ideas or photos that would help us figure out what to do with the wood paneling and red brick fireplace located off-center on that wall, I'd be so grateful. Thank you!
I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what I'm being asked to find here. I'm good at find inspiration for certain styles and rooms, but for this amount of specificity, you might want to spend a couple hundred dollars and use an e-design service. You send them pictures and they create a plan for your specific space.
Anonymous wrote:Eye Candy, you are amazing! I need to get overhead lighting fixtures for two rooms adjoined by an archway: a dining room and a mostly open library/play room.
I'm gravitating toward a somewhat traditional chandelier over the dining table, but don't know what to do in the room next to it, or how the fixtures should be coordinated. Any ideas for inspiration?
The room connection sort of looks like this (but I do not like this lighting fixture at all, and have a larger rectangular dining table):
The dining room currently has oil-rubbed bronze wall sconces, which I like, and a cheap tiny builders chandelier that must go. The adjoining room has zero lighting at present. We need to furnish the library room, too, which is giving me trouble, but now that it's dark so early my pressing concern is lighting. Thanks for any ideas!
So it sounds like you are looking for two lights, one chandelier for over a dining table and one that might be flush or semi-flush for the library/play room adjacent. I LOVE lighting and would be happy to source some options, but aside from knowing there's oil-rubbed bronze fixtures already in the dining room, I don't know what your style is. Tell me what if you are traditional, contemporary, modern, etc.
Anonymous wrote:Hi Eye Candy,
How about small rooms with a chaise sofa?
Hello, friends! Hope you are safe and sound, enjoying your homes these days. Some requests have built up. Let me see what I can do about that...
It's hard to find good basement photos from shelter magazines...not that you even need to limit yourself to those. You could look for living rooms and family rooms, too. If you like rustic and industrial, you might also want to use contemporary and modern in your searches for photos.
Believe it or not, this is a basement.
Anonymous wrote:Dear Talented Eye Candy: any ideas for finding inspiration for finishing a basement? Maybe an open concept, somewhat industrial/rustic look? Useable as family living space?
It's hard to find good basement photos from shelter magazines...not that you even need to limit yourself to those. You could look for living rooms and family rooms, too. If you like rustic and industrial, you might also want to use contemporary and modern in your searches for photos.
Believe it or not, this is a basement.
Anonymous wrote:Hi Eye Candy, I am looking for fresh ways to use quilts. I have two antique quilts, but don’t know how to use them without looking like a fuddy duddy. Is that possible? My style is traditional.
Are you against using them on beds? Sarah Richardson uses them a lot.
I'm sure you've seen traditional, wood rods for hanging them, but you could maybe try something a little more modern?
I'm kind of stunned...this is a bathroom designed by Anthony Baratta...he's that designer living in residence in Williamsburg right now.
Anonymous wrote:Can you start an Eye Candy thread over in the Garden forum? I would love to see some parterre backyard designs and/or garden “rooms”.
I am not good with landscape stuff...maybe the garden forum needs a green thumb to start an inspiration thread.
You can mix grey and wood floors. Check out Rivers Spencer's portfolio. She does a lot of grey in older homes with traditional floors.
Anonymous wrote:HI OP, can you give some names of websites where I can find the pendant lighting for the kitchen especially the one's with gold hardware?. Thanks so much.
Some ideas:
Circa Lighting (start at the top!)
Clarkson Lighting (same owner as Circa and some more accessible options by the same brands)
Shades of Light (based in Richmond and they have an outlet down there)
Hudson Valley Lighting
Rejuvination (owned by Williams-Sonoma/Pottery Barn group)
Schoolhouse Lighting (if your taste is either classic or modern)
And don't forget the stores like Crate and Barrel, CB2, West Elm, etc.
Anonymous wrote:EyeCandy- Your threads are my favorite! Thank you.
We have a large ‘90s kitchen with a 6-burner stovetop on an island with a downdraft fan. When we renovate, DH wants to put in an overhead vent. I generally don’t like the way vents look over islands (they tend to break up the room). The other option is to move the gas and water lines so we can relocate the new range to a wall (which would require that we move the sink and/fridge too) but I’m having a hard time convincing him to spend money on that since he cares more about function than form. Can you find photos of attractive vents over islands that don’t ruin the overall look of a kitchen? My style is transitional. Thanks!
You want to move the cooktop out of the island, but you want me to find pictures that don't support that?
For what it's worth, I don't think you're going to find professionally designed kitchens with the UFO-style exhaust coming down over the island.
Anonymous wrote:Hi! I love delft tile, but DH isn’t sure. I am having trouble finding photos of them in brown kitchens. All of the inspiration photos are white or blue kitchens. Any ideas to help get him on board?
If you're set on using delft tile, but don't want to use white or blue, what do you want to use? Perhaps you need to stop looking at kitchens and look at other places where delft has been used and see what colors are speaking to you?
Anonymous wrote:Hi Eye Candy,
I'd love to see coastal inspired kitchens preferably with cabinets and walls other than white. TY!
Anonymous wrote:I’d like to see some examples of antique art mixed with modern art.
I started to copy images, but it would take posting multiple photos from each home. I suggest googling "art collector" and "home tour" to see examples. There are tons of them.
Anonymous wrote:Hi Eye Candy OP! Any suggestions for decorating a *small* two-story family room? Most of the pics posted above are huge spaces. Mine is not. I’m concerned millwork will make it feel claustrophobic? And a series of large paintings will look like a gallery.
Honestly, I think you can adapt some of those big ideas for a smaller space. Millwork looks great in any space as long as the scale is right!
And getting away from the millwork completely...
Since you want want the matching piece, what about gold etagers?
Their idea:
Other ideas:
Ballard - https://www.ballarddesigns.com/silvia-eacute-tag-egrave-re/345658
They make small side pieces, if you don't want something quite so large.
One Kings Lane - https://www.onekingslane.com/p/4763055-patria-5-tier-tag-re-gold.do
If you're looking for something with simpler lines?
Their idea:
Other ideas:
Ballard - https://www.ballarddesigns.com/silvia-eacute-tag-egrave-re/345658
They make small side pieces, if you don't want something quite so large.
One Kings Lane - https://www.onekingslane.com/p/4763055-patria-5-tier-tag-re-gold.do
If you're looking for something with simpler lines?
Foyers with storage
I'm going to skip those skinny shoe units from Ikea, benches with cubbies/baskets, and shoe trees...I assume the person looking for ideas wants something more incognito.
A big chest would be a good spot for shoes, scarves, mittens, etc. Maybe one with doors instead of drawers would help with quick access/stowing away?
Maybe a storage bench with a hinged top? Obviously, this isn't a photo of one, but it's pretty and gave me the idea.
This would obviously be quite a project!
Baskets are an option, but they can get out of control pretty quickly.
I'm going to skip those skinny shoe units from Ikea, benches with cubbies/baskets, and shoe trees...I assume the person looking for ideas wants something more incognito.
A big chest would be a good spot for shoes, scarves, mittens, etc. Maybe one with doors instead of drawers would help with quick access/stowing away?
Maybe a storage bench with a hinged top? Obviously, this isn't a photo of one, but it's pretty and gave me the idea.
This would obviously be quite a project!
Baskets are an option, but they can get out of control pretty quickly.