Tag: Decor

Use Metal Wall Art and Statues to Elevate Your Interior Decor

Metal adds shine and draws the eye, but it can also bring an earthy warmth, especially in rooms with a larger scale (high ceilings, large square footage) that you want to humanize and add depth too. Small or larger sculptures bring corners to life and can help you divide an open floor plan into sections. Few things bring Vail Valley architecture to life better than decorative touches and flourishes.

Large Rooms

If you want to go big in your larger living area, display Roman, Grecian or Western sculptures in bronze, copper or warm alloys near furniture grouped in the center of the room. The sculpture draws the eye, which then flows to a welcoming seating area. Create other seating areas with two or three chairs paired with a small beverage or side table and echo smaller art in the same metal or sheen to add a cohesive look.

Metal Wall Art

The possibilities here are endless. Natural subjects such as trees and sun shapes bring a peaceful ambiance to any room, and large metal sculptures incorporating plant and animal designs look great on tall or long walls and enhance your home’s architectural balance. If you’re looking for something more modern, try photos or modern art transferred onto metallic bases. These multimedia pieces let you add pops of color and contrast with traditional furniture.

Geometric Art

To add interest to your dining area, try large metal wall art with geometric patterns, such as triangles or rectangles. You can achieve a similar effect by grouping four pieces of the same size and shape into a square pattern. Whether you stick with burnished coppers or brushed nickel or go with a painted metal design, this standout material is sure to draw comments and compliments from friends and family.

Combining metal art and sculpture with other natural materials, such as wood, helps you craft an interior design in tune with nature and your personal style.

If you’re looking for an architectural firm in Vail Valley or Western North Carolina, schedule a consultation with TAB Associates to learn how we help you achieve an open floor plan in your existing home.

Incorporating the Color of the Year Into Your Home

stone wall

The new year means a new “Color of the Year” from the designers and color experts at Pantone. This year’s choice is Living Coral, which the brand refers to as a color that “embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment.” Living Coral is vibrant and bold and works with a surprising number of color schemes. Our Vail Valley architects came up with a few ideas for incorporating this striking color into your own home; they are detailed below:

Paint an Accent Wall

While this bold color may be overwhelming for an entire room, painting a single accent wall in Living Coral is an easy way to reinvigorate your existing décor. One wall is fast and easy to paint, and the cost is minimal, particularly for the amount of impact involved.

Since Living Coral is inspired by the bold coral found along reefs, why not bring this naturally occurring color inside? This shade is naturally found in many flowers like peonies, dahlias, roses and more!

Outdoor Living

Living Coral is inspired by real coral reefs and the colorful animals that live there. Take your own version of Living Coral by adding durable outdoor accents to your patio or porch. Weatherproofed throw pillows, an all-season rug or even decorative painted metal pieces can all be used to add a punch of natural color to your patio or porch and incorporate this lively shade into your home.

Add Accessories

When you incorporate a brilliant shade like Living Coral, a little goes a long way. Incorporate this lively and dynamic shade into your living spaces using throw pillows, tabletop accessories and artwork. You’ll love the energy it brings and won’t be overwhelmed by the brilliance of the color.

Incorporating a color like Living Coral into your home gives you a chance to freshen things up without making a huge financial investment or taking up a lot of time. When you add some simple but elegant accessories and touches, your whole room will feel current and up to date. If you’re ready for a change just in time for spring, consider adding some of Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2019 into your home!

Need help choosing colors and accessories or remodeling an entire space? We can help you create a welcoming and comfortable space that you’ll love coming home to! Get in touch today to learn more and to take the first steps toward a space that is truly yours!

3 Ways to Utilize Lighting to Highlight Your Interior Design for Vail Valley Architectural Balance

wood accents

You can boost the function, aesthetics and comfort of your home with quality lighting placed in the right areas. With great lighting, you can accentuate the interior design elements you appreciate most and achieve architectural balance anywhere. The light fixtures can also improve how the space is used and the comfort level of everyone in the household. To get started, consider utilizing the three following ways to utilize lighting to highlight your interior design.

Strategic Spotlights

When you want to highlight a gorgeous artistic architectural element in your home, you can use strategic spotlights to help draw the eye to that area. The spotlights can add dramatic flair to your space and keep all eyes on your favorite focal point. Mounting spotlights on the ceiling or the walls can make a big impact.

Recessed Light Fixtures by Your Architects in Vail Valley

With recessed light fixtures, you can allow other design elements to stand out without having to compete with the fixtures. The recessed fixture adds light to any area you want without taking up a lot of space. Vail Valley architects can help you arrange the light fixtures to best highlight areas you want to to be a focal point in your room.

Artistic Pendants

With artistic pendant lights, you can add a bit of flair to any room in your house. When made from blown glass, the pendant lights can even act as a focal point on their own. You can situate these pendant fixtures over eating spaces and other areas where you need a little bit of focused light.

You can achieve architectural balance in your home by focusing on improving the lighting throughout each room. Get started today by contacting TAB Associates to learn more.

Looking Ahead: Which Colors Will Be Hot for 2019 Decorating?

Even while others are still basking in the lingering glow of the summer, our trendsetters are already hard at work looking into the future to determine which colors will be hot for decorating in 2019. Trends today are much more global, with everything from Paris Fashion Week to the first lady’s dress informing the look and feel of the coming seasons. Interior design continues to move toward a more minimalistic look and feel; something that resonates well with architects and homeowners alike.

Soft, Sustainable Colors and Styles

Several designers have noted that a more sustainable look and feel has been creeping into design options over the past few months — a trend that is expected to accelerate going throughout the year in 2019. Interior products that are ethnically designed and produced top the charts, and with this shift comes a softer and more subtle style and color palette.

2019 Paint Colors

If 2018 was the year of smoky shades of gray, 2019 is prepping to be a paradise of strong, natural colors. From berries to sage and even dark charcoal, the essence of the color palette leans more toward matte than glossy, more toward neutral than bold. Earth tones are being adopted by all the major paint manufacturers, with deep, rich shades that mesh well with more traditional and natural building materials.

Back to Black

From your little black dress to your kitchen, black is making a comeback — especially in design that features matte black-on-black. The added dimension of the darker shades and bold statements provides an ongoing conversation piece and focal point for your living room or bedroom designs. Kitchens and bathrooms are also seen sporting shades of deep gray or black as an accent to beiges, pinks and golden tones.

Whether you’re prepping for a major home upgrade or building a new house, the 2019 trends are always in fashion at TAB Associates. Learn more about seasonal décor changes and other great options for your home on our blog.

Schedule a consultation today to gain insight on your next project by emailing us at info@tabassociates.com.

4 Ways to Add Subtle Seasonal Changes to Your Decor

Seasonal Changes to Your Decor

As we shift into fall, there’s an impulse to get fully into the spirit of the season — with scented candles, pumpkin spice everything and leaves on every surface. Even though fall has its own feel and décor, the shift from summer to fall can still be subtle, requiring very little work to make the change. Here are a few tips on how to set up your seasonal décor for easy shifts between the seasons.

4 Ways to Add Subtle Seasonal Changes to Your Décor

  1. Keep your seasonal décor flexible. Instead of laying out a huge amount of décor that is specific to individual seasons, look for more general fall-themed options, such as adding apples, leaves, pine cones, burlap, candles and straw.
  2. Shift between seasons by adding a few touches. With school starting, add a few apples to your centerpiece or mantle as summer’s long, slow days shift into fall’s dry, cool weather and falling leaves. As the season continues, add a fall-themed bow to a door wreath or bouquet.
  3. Make subtle shifts from summer to winter. If you can, consider adding acorns earlier in the season and replace them with frosted pine cones later on. You can also create an arrangement of fall flowers in September and replace them with frosted berries around Thanksgiving.
  4. To celebrate holidays, add a few special items that will still work through the rest of the season. A few simple changes can help you recognize holidays without going overboard in the process.

By keeping your décor adaptable to the changes in the seasons, you’ll be able to reduce your overall workload while still making your home look fabulous. Is it the house itself that’s part of your décor problem? Why not find out what our architects can do to make it right for you? Feel free to contact the professionals at TAB Associates today to get started!

How to Decorate Your Fireplace Year-Round

decorate your fireplace

The hearth has long been a symbol of what home was. The comfort of a fireplace, even if seldom used, conveys a homey feel. This sentiment is one that has withstood the test of time.

This makes it even more important to make sure that your mantel not only represents your personality but the vibe that you want your home to give off. Check out these 5 ways to spruce up your mantel and achieve that finishing look to your home.

How to Decorate Your Fireplace Year-Round

  • Bring in a Little Bit of the Shoreline: For a year-round summer feel for your mantel, you can adorn it with unique pieces of driftwood, shells collections, and nautical ropes or lanterns.
  • Immortalize Your Favorite Verse: Have a favorite poetry verse or family saying? Put it on display on a chalkboard atop of your mantel, flanked by some varying sizes of candles to create a unique and a daily motivational piece.
  • Resurrect Some Silver Serving Trays: If you have some serving tray pieces that have been collecting dust waiting for the perfect occasion to use, you can repurpose them as mantel decoration. Their reflective quality adds a unique look to any fireplace.
  • Add Some Favorite Florals: Find some beautiful live (or silk) flowers that provide a pop of color that goes with the room. If you have a more neutral color palette, you can always go with a classic bouquet of white.
  • Provide Some Additional Room Lighting: Depending on the size of your mantel, you can decorate and provide some additional light to low-lit rooms by placing decorative lamps on each edge. Lamps also create spotlighting for mantel pictures as well.

If you are looking for an architectural firm to help design your house to truly become your hearth and home, contact TAB Associates today to schedule your consultation.

How to Choose the Right Rug for a Room

bedroom with rug

Whether you’re moving into a new home or you simply want to spruce up an old room in your house, a rug is a great way to add a nice touch to just about any room design. Unfortunately, if you’re not an interior stylist, it can be difficult to select a rug that truly suits the aesthetics of a room. Here are a few tips that should help you choose the right rug for your home.

Consider the Floor Plan

When buying a rug, the first thing you should consider is the floor plan of the room. Based on the floor plan, you should choose an appropriate size and location for the rug. Some common layouts for a room include the classic layout, the floating layout, and the dining layout.

For example, a room possesses a classic layout if the sofa and chairs are against the wall. For this layout, it is ideal to purchase a rug that is large enough to fit under the front legs of all the sofas and chairs. It may be necessary to rearrange the furniture in your room to achieve the desired look with the rug.

Think About Foot Traffic

You should also think about how much foot traffic the room receives. Different materials offer different advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the material you decide on for your ideal rug should be based on the type of room the rug is intended for as well as the amount of foot traffic said room receives.

Due to low foot traffic, rugs for dining rooms and bedrooms typically don’t need to be as durable. On the other hand, rugs in the hallways should be both durable and dark in color due to high foot traffic.

As you may know from experience, choosing the perfect rug for a room can be an ordeal. For more information about room and home design, you should consider reaching out to TAB Associates, an architectural firm that can help with the home of your dreams!

Benefits of a Minimalist Home

minimalist vanity

It’s true, according to Psychology Today, clutter has a negative effect on our brains and our lives. Clutter can induce stress and anxiety, making it difficult for us to focus or relax. It’s all about architectural balance: Finding a balance in your home that imbues peace, order and fulfillment. The means to that end is simple—minimalize your home. Our Vail Valley architects provide reasons why updating your home to a minimalist approach will benefit you both in the short- and long-term.

Benefits of a Minimalist Home in Vail Valley

When an outsider thinks of Vail Valley, they imagine majestic mountains, spas and an overall healthy lifestyles. And it’s true, this is the Vail Valley way, but it should also extend into your home. Here are five main reasons how a minimalist home benefits you.

  1. Have less stress. Clutter is a tangible representation of chaos, and chaos causes stress. Your mind can’t rest. Without clutter, comes peace of mind.
  2. Be more productive. Cleaning up the clutter and opening spaces in your home is literally opening spaces in your mind. You can be more productive and think more clearly.
  3. Experience more freedom. Having things, things and more things ties us to one place. Start donating unneeded items and feel how liberating it is.
  4. Feel a calming effect. This benefit is both internal and external. There’s a sense of order and calm within the house that affects everyone. There’s less cleaning to do. With fewer distractions, you are calmer and more relaxed.
  5. Maintain a clean appearance. It is easier to keep a minimalist home clean, but the appearance itself is simply clean. It’s free of distractions, free of unnecessary items, and free of things that complicate life.

If you want more productivity, freedom and relaxation, then you should consider a minimalist home. Contact a professional Vail Valley architect to start getting your life the way you want it!

Want to view more of our work, with luxurious features complemented by a beautiful babbling brook? See this article from Mountain Living.

3 Reasons to Finish Your Wood Décor

wood entryway

The wood in your home, such as wood flooring, with the addition of wood furniture, add dimensions of warm colors to any home.  Add that to a home designed by a top Vail Valley architectural firm, and you’ll have a beautiful home with rustic charm.  It’s important to properly finish your wood decor, especially in the Vail Valley area to keep the architectural balance of the home for years to come.

Keeping Wood Decor Clean

One reason to finish your wood decor is practicality.  Wood is porous, which means there is room for dirt, dust, and microorganisms to live.  Dust and microorganisms can cause health issues, especially for those with allergies.  A quick remedy is to finish the wood in your home.  Wood flooring takes on the majority of household activities, and the architects in Vail Valley understand the importance of a high-quality finish with a proper seal!

Stabilizing Wood Décor

Many do not think about finishing wood décor as a necessity to stabilize the wood material.  Wood is naturally unstable because it is able to absorb and release moisture from its environment.  As you may know, wood absorbing and releasing moisture will cause it to swell and shrink.  Untreated wood swelling and shrinking will lead to splitting, warping and overall deterioration over time.

Adding Beauty and Warmth

Finishing a home’s wood décor adds natural beauty, color and warmth.  Wood has its own depth of beauty unique to each piece that is easily brought out by finishing.  From new flooring to an antique piece of furniture, finishing will add a variety of warm colors to your home that easily blends together.  Create a gorgeous home effortlessly.

If you’re dreaming about a new home, imagine yourself entertaining and relaxing in a home with beautifully finished wood décor.  Contact a professional architect today to start making your dream a reality!

Want to view more of our work, with luxurious features complemented by a beautiful babbling brook? See this article from Mountain Living.

How to Mix Rustic and Traditional Decor Into Your Home

rustic and traditional decor

Eclectic is a design style of its own. Usually defined as a style that embraces influences from different eras, cultures and design aesthetics, it can represent a comfortable mix that appears to have evolved over time. In fact, most interiors evolve in just that way: Grandma’s dining room table is pulled into use alongside a newly-purchased china cabinet or buffet, and an inherited, refinished wood coffee table sits in front of a trendy new sofa.

Mixing Rustic and Traditional Decor in Your Home

Sometimes, however, the mix is a matter of preference and is purposeful and dramatic. Within Vail Valley architecture, the mix of rustic and traditional is especially appealing, as the stunning natural surroundings encourage a variety of architectural expressions. The juxtaposition of sleek and refined with weathered and timeless is always appealing.

How to Blend Furnishings with Great Effect

It’s all about balance. Only in museums is every piece of furniture and architectural trim a similar style. But knowing when to stray from the primary design aesthetic can require a sure sense of what is appropriate. Polished woods and refined color schemes just “ooze” traditional, but even a club chair with traditional lines can be made to feel slightly rustic if you choose a homespun weave for its upholstery. In the same way, a distressed wood floor will feel appropriately elegant in a room filled with traditional furnishings, if you add a hand-woven Oriental rug.

If you adore Vail Valley architecture with a hand-hewn vibe, you can still furnish rooms with some fine antiques. Just pick colors and add accessories that complement both designs, perhaps even adding some Native American designs or displaying ethnic themes from foreign travel.

That’s the beauty of eclectic design—ignore the rules as long as you have a good eye and keep your eye on quality. If you need advice about balancing your Vail Valley home’s architectural or interior design, why not give us a call today?