DARE TO DARRYL YOUR HOME

If there was ever a designer whose work embodied the rustic spirit of the sporting South—faded leather, antique taxidermy, and all—that designer would be Darryl Carter.

How can we deny that for someone who fell into design almost by accident he possesses a natural talent and flawless taste. Carter a lawyer by trade is a firm believer in keeping it simple. He believes that most great rooms can come together with just a few thoughts in mind: adapt, blend and create. I am in love with the scent and touch that he leaves in any space he passes by with like a magic wand unfolding the house in a way that makes sense, with each room flowing gracefully into the next creating a sense of intimacy and balance. Darryl´s theory in design is poetry in i´t full potential. Calm, simple, chic and “I’m not prone to gratuitous embellishment,” he says. “I like fewer objects that are meaningful in a space.”  Ohhhh dear! I think I am in love! Carter is a breed of his own he who is loved by all and loves all, he who is equally comfortable with opera and hip-hop and understands that there are 179 shades of white and that white is a color makes it almost impossible to comprehend how he can still remain strong in masculinity and self confidence with a twist of down to earth, rugged and funk. The Washington D.C designer has now gone global launching his new furniture collection for Thomasville and a bestselling book  The New Traditional. I hope you can enjoy his work as much as i do and keep learning from this master of design.

  

HOW LOUD IS YOUR YELLOW!

So this morning I was driving to work with a beautiful feeling in my head, it was waking my senses up to the point that everything inspired me, the sunrise, the motorcycle flying passed me, so much that I wanted to jump on up with him to just grab hold of the bursting feeling of being alive and awake... ufff and all of a sudden I realized I had Coldplay on playing their amazing song called " yellow" and hellloooo..... That is when I noticed that the song was the melody that triggered this happy-go- lucky ooh am so happy to be wild feeling and slowly this indescribable love began to grow inside me for the color YELLOW, that had never happened to me ever.... But if you think about it the color yellow is very fearless, strongly imposed, kind of like it speaks it´s mind in a weird kind of way, it is so bright and alive and maybe I had never realized this today that i was surfing through the web and found these examples in how yellow plays its roll pretty wisely elegantly wild and hey I like that about yellow, he is beginning to grow on me even though chris martin had a whole lot to do with it am standing ground on it. I LOVE YELLOW and I can´t deny it.  Yes am yellow and proud! passionately loud!

AMAZING DECOR INSPIRATIONS
I love the contrast between texture, color and style perfectly tied down.

Ussualy I would not use a curtain like this one but the rest is great.

Can you love bath´s any more? I just want to live in that bath tub day and night, all I would need is some  louis armstrong and am set for life.

This is a great way to massage your sleeping time in inspiration.

Idea! click..... A light bull just went off in my head! I love unique inspirations to light up a room don´t you?

Perfecttttt...  No need to say the elegance!

TO WHITE RIGHT
Who would know that these days i would be so in love the the color white, I have always been attracted to bright flashy colors but now i have this crazy obsession with white.  I think many of you would agree with me that white gives us a sense of purity and cleanliness I love going into a home where white is the key player in this whole decor ball park immediately i feel welcomed into a home of peace and love. You cannot go wrong with white ever! I encourage you to indulge yourself in the exciting adventure to decorate with white, trust me you will feel a great deal of peace when you are done.

NEW SOMETHING´S TO GIVE!

DIANE KEATONS HOME DECOR LINE

We have all loved Diane Keaton as she starred away in the big screen, but seriously? Can we love her even more? It is no secret that Diane has a soft spot for decor, her taste is flawless! She almost makes it seem like she would not make a movie unless stunning homes were in her contract. I speak for myself now but I collapsed with love over the Hampton's beach house Keaton’s character lives in the movie Something´s Gotta Give! I went back to see it again like 5 times just to look at the house again, total obsession! And now we may not only remember Diane as Woody Allen´s muse, she has taken her enthusiasm for decor to action, now the actress has taken a step further and branched out as she launched her own home decor line at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It’s industrial chic with subtle colors and patterns and no need to say... terribly affordable. Who was to know that her amazing taste would have a bargain shoppers twist huh? I am gonna have to say that I want to be like her when I grow up! One million points to her brave and hero self! We love her for making this world a prettier place!

HEADBOARDS TO BE ADORED

How can we give a little push to our body to go to sleep? I have infinite insomnia problems and can´t seem to find that time at night where my head just stops! My mind is like a race horse thinking of this and thinking of that. I am pretty sure there´s a big bunch of other people out there that have this kind of workaholic brain and though our body may feel tired and ready to be put out, the mind doesn't let it rest. I don´t know if it happens to some of you but the bed where we sleep makes a big difference in how much rest we are going to get and to me, the way the bed looks is very important. I know how vain right?.....But its true! So i gathered some fun ideas to how you can create a great headboard for your bed and be happy to where your brain rests, whether you are the trendy type or the classic type you can be able to find a headboard that suites your personality, I tend to think of sleep like if its where i renew my self and be born again! I hope you enjoy these ideas and finally put that to rest.

TO DINE DIVINE

TO DINE DIVINE

Dinner is probably my favorite meal time, knowing that is not the best time for our metabolism to take in, I emphasize strongly in the importance of it not necessarily to nourish the body but our mind, soul and spirit. Coming from Cuban parents i grew up around the table. Cubans don´t just eat, we eat like if we were kings! There is no such thing as a light meal, or tea time, it goes way beyond that! We discuss business, family issues,  family rumours, politics mainly Cuban politics, we brake all the rules of "Politically correct" we talk about religion, politics, race, gender and nationality. I know so wrong... and yet so much fun! The longer the conversation goes on, the louder we get and trust me, somewhere between dessert and the Cuban "cortadito" the conversation became a celebration. That´s the way it is, always and I mean it.. Always! Everything is a celebration to us, and this shows in how seriously we take the character of perfect Host. Cubans are amazing hostess, no matter who you are, if you are a king or his servant both will be treated the same. Cubans take this very seriously! Nothing can be half-ass, they do it all the way! From the wine they serve to the silverware they use to the table cloth or flowers. The more i think about it, the more I am proud of it! That´s the way we should all feel, we must put the love and time when we dine. Every guest has to feel important and loved. I have never heard a Cuban song that does not make you wanna dance! I try to apply this celebration in my dining room decoration, since it´s really were we spend most of our time with our loved ones and where we create most memories and that is sacred to me, so we should pay our respects to the space and make it a sacred place. Like we say in Spanish "Buen provecho"

TO DESIGN? OR NOT TO DESIGN?

TO DESIGN? OR NOT TO DESIGN? 


Is the question. How can we start our home decor without having knowledge whatsoever about Interior design? You do not need a College degree in interior design to be able to teach  yourself and gain self acquired talent, and that is the beauty of it. I often think that it is even better

to stay away from intense teaching on the subject since now a days we can gain most of our learning from, travel, magazines, t.v shows, and self taste. So I believe there are a few things we have to break through before we start.

1. Loose fear to try mixing color and styles.

2. Tell yourself you can be free and yet create harmony in a space all together.

3. Do not stay stuck on the same trends over and over. Try new things.

4. Most certainly do not ask your mother or mother in law before you make a decision on the direction you want to take.  Think for yourself!

5. It is very important to keep yourself updated as to what´s happening in the decor world today. Hit the books!

And you will never know, maybe you will find yourself having a great time creating great spaces for your self and others. To tell you the truth that is how

I started as well and now a days I just cant stop doing it am in love with it and I want to inspire that love in you as well and share with you some ideas into how you can get started.

The first thing doesn't have to do with buying anything. The first thing people should do is have a heart-to-heart talk with your client about their individuals priorities for the space you will be decorating, then create a master plan, on how you will incorporate their priorities with your sense of layout and style. Once you have accomplished that the rest will just logically bubble to the surface.

The most important thing to me is getting to know your client and get a feel of who they are then you give your touch of style no matter what the budget is. You have to learn to be creative and try to adjust to what their budget is the best way possible. Then you focus on the functions that each room has to serve, then logic kicks in in how the space has to be arranged.

Always have in mind that there are tips you can apply when you meet your client and that is to pay attention to what they are wearing, unless they are in gym or bummy clothes. I will teach you a few tips so you can understand what your client wants without them even telling you:

1. Sunglasses: 

The sunglasses usually represent a strong piece of furniture weather it is a sofa, bed, or armoire.

2. Earrings:  

These represent lamps, weather they are ceiling lamps, table lamps, wall lamps or standing lamps.

3. Shoes:  

They represent rugs or pillows.

4. Pants, Shorts & Skirts: 

These represent the type of fabric and textures you can cover some pieces of furniture.

5. Belts: 

These represent the different styles in accessories in your decoration like: books, flower vase´s, magnifying horn glass, etc...

6. Blouse or Jacket: 

These represent the art that should be placed or hung.

You will find it to be easier if you apply these tips when decorating a space, it may sound funny but trust me! it works! Now that you have learned something new, run with it and have fun doing it, always have fun doing it and the day it gets boring, try doing something scary and risky and you will find yourself having fun again.