I know that Tobi Fairley can be over-the-top, but her interiors always evoke something in me, and I imagine that’s why she’s so successful. You can’t tiptoe past one of her rooms; you stop dead in your tracks.

And because I am obsessed with the idea of a teal velvet sofa, I stared at this photo for a lot longer than is probably healthy. Just look at this room! How luxurious yet convivial! What a clever color palette!

Yes, that’s exactly how I speak when addressing her work.

(Click to enlarge.)

Happy Valentine’s Day! I just saw this appropriately pink room in Domino and couldn’t resist posting, not just because it’s pink, but because it’s the same pink as my mother’s 1970s bedroom. The difference is that her bedroom is not exactly “‘70s-inspired”… it’s just ‘70s.

If I could just convince my mother to get rid of her unreasonably large furnishings, we could simplify her bedroom enough to be cool. The compelling art, sculptural plant, and second seat are all the accessories that were needed to make this room special.

For the full article, click here.

One of my favorite architectural details is something you may have never even thought about: the depth of a window. When it is deep, it captures light. Pay attention to it. Even as the sun is moving away from that room, making it dimmer and dimmer inside, the light will reflect upon the deep frame and make it glow. Suddenly you realize you have architecture there.

It is one of the many ways that form and function work together in a home—the idea that what is useful can also be beautiful.

Here is a random photo of a window with barely any depth at all. Obviously, the window itself brings light into the home, but it is not contributing to the architecture in any way (the windows in our new house are just like this):

And then there are these windows. Even without trim, and even in the midst of a total room overhaul, you can see how the light around them adds luminosity:

This window is not quite as deep (I’m guessing four inches?), and it has a sill, but you can see how it is framed in light:

This one does have trim, and the light has the same impact:

And this one has a wood jamb and still the light is beautiful:

We will lose a few inches in our already small bedroom when we deepen the windows, but I know the change will be worth it. My husband is on board, too—not as much for the visual impact, but for the extra space for thick insulation. Form and function. Win-win.

*All photos are from a random Web search.

I know.

I know you’re trapped in your beige living room. Beige carpet, beige sofa, beige armchair. Or maybe it’s a cross between beige and gray (greige). Whatever you call it, it’s a lot of neutral and zero personality.

A friend in Dallas e-mailed me a picture of her very beige living room and asked for armchair suggestions. But you can’t send me a picture like that and expect one measly little armchair! She needed more than an armchair. She needed color.

So I made it super easy. The terracotta armchair below is so muted that it’s practically a neutral. To keep it sunny and joyful, I added some muted yellow accents, and to bring in glamour and shine, I added gold.

Now wasn’t that easy? Terracotta, corn yellow, and gold don’t go very far out of a beige comfort zone. This color combination is super palatable, and it looks great in Texas. So, y’all ready to embrace color?

Ahhh. Sleep. Precious sleep.

This tranquil, minimalist bedroom first reminds me of everything I loved about the ‘90s, and then, second, it hypnotizes me so that I am running for my own bed. Not much can convince me to go to bed (I am of the “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” philosophy), but this room is doing a pretty good job.

Though I am a huge fan of color, I admit I’m looking forward to the reemergence of monochromatic minimalism in home décor. It’s coming, people. Maximalism is not going to last forever…

What is it about this color combination? It gets me every time.

Notice all the shine in the room. Sometimes, in a room of matte or rough textures, I find that something with a bit of shine—a silver picture frame, a gilded mirror—elevates the design.

This room, on the other hand, is all shine. So here, something as simple as that wooden tray can be grounding.

I adore the edgy, eclectic mix of patterns and textures in Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko’s Nashville home. There’s a little of everything—something modern, something traditional; something playful, something moody—and the effect is splendid.

Designed by Benjamin Vandiver, I really like how these three particular rooms possess somber, dark colors next to luxurious, gilded shine. The combination is so striking and serves as a reminder that, in contemporary décor, it’s opposites that attract.

For the full article in Domino, click here.

Holy moly. This concrete floor is not industrial at all. It is contemporary elegance, thanks to that marble-like shine.

*Image from Domino.com.

What an interesting bedroom. From this angle, it almost looks neutral:

But turn your head, and kapow!

This bedroom is just one exciting part of a 3-story, Dallas, Texas condo designed by Abbe Fenimore of Studio Ten 25. Even though my insides are on a massive swoon-fest, I am so humbled by the level of sophistication here that I bow down to the designer in quiet restraint (instead of throwing myself at her feet and squealing, like I really want to do).

Seriously: respect.

This next photo might be my favorite surprise in this room. It’s a tasteful glimpse of spotted wallpaper behind equally tasteful shelving. And I know the wallpaper well—Tanzania by Thibaut—as I have eyed it many, many times and could probably draw it from memory by now. (My obsession with this wallpaper: not so tasteful.)

Lastly, I’d like to share this photo of one of the bathrooms in the same Dallas home, because, well, you’ll see. I can’t not share this one:

For more photos of this exciting home featured in Domino, click here.

Oh my, I love the drama! This is Chrissy Teigen and John Legend’s New York City apartment, completely customized by by Don Stewart of Desiderata Design and featured in Architectural Digest. Dark colors, rustic textures, and oversized proportions are front and center in this dramatic, but unexpectedly moody, design.

My absolute favorite part of this apartment is the kitchen. Everything, everything surprised me here, from the rhythmic cabinetry to the textured backsplash, and from the open shelving on the kitchen island to the flat geometric pendant lights. And those gold stools! They look like trumpet buttons in motion! This whole room is just perfectly musical. Plus, the departure from the all-white kitchen trend is so very refreshing. Take note, people.