International Klein Blue, the ultramarine hue favored by mid-century artist Yves Klein, begins as a notoriously fickle pigment that’s hard to work with. Without getting too into the nitty-gritty, it needs a binder to become paint, and with the wrong kind, it dulls—and quickly. But if you get it just right, it’s the kind of color that is naturally enveloping, striking, and grounding all at once. 

Its development was happening around the same time that I.M. Pei and Associates’ Society Hill Towers were being built in the Philadelphia neighborhood of the same name. The concrete trio, constructed in the early 1960s, was a central figure in the urban renewal taking place in Washington Square East at the time. But while the towers often get all the attention, even today, it’s the 37 brick-clad townhomes that anchor the buildings to the rest of the historic area. Each unit rises three stories with a centrally located staircase and is punctuated by arched doorways and clerestory windows, plus a private courtyard and small steel balconies. 

When an empty-nest couple approached Brooklyn-based design firm TBo about helping them renovate one, principals Bretaigne Walliser and Thom Dalmas jumped at the chance.

The owners, who were relocating from nearby Wilmington, Delaware, wanted a home that would feel bright and welcoming and intimate enough for when it was just the two of them, but could flex to accommodate their grown children and grandchildren. Structurally, the townhouse was sound, but the internal systems needed updating and the finishes and layout required a complete overhaul. Original Formica, small ceramic tile, and vinyl were everywhere, deteriorating and worse for wear. The kitchen was narrow, and the bathrooms smaller than what’s preferable these days. One choice Pei made that Walliser wanted to retain, though, was increased privacy as you head upstairs. “The primary idea that he had was that there was social space below on the first two floors, and then it would be increasingly more intimate on the upper floor,” she explains.

Working together with local Hivemind Construction, TBo recast the space in 2023 in a way that honored Pei’s initial vision while adding contemporary, earthy touches that drew on the homeowners’ time living in northern Europe and interest in art. 

First, they removed walls to create easier circulation around the staircase and integrated cabinets with flush doors, which the owners use for pantry goods, cookbooks, wineglasses, and more. After refinishing the original oak flooring (it was, says Walliser, “a crazy orange”), the team took cues from Pei’s choice of material to inform the custom white oak millwork by Loubier Design. Given the smaller scale of mid-century dwellings, this allowed the designer to maximize storage that kept things tidy and navigable, but not too hidden, in the galley kitchen. 

Across the way, Walliser reveals that they tried and tried to cast the concrete countertops and sink in that elusive Yves Klein Blue. “It can’t withstand any heat,” she says, acknowledging its limited alkali resistance. “So when you’re casting concrete, there’s a lot of heat generated from the chemical reaction. If it kills that blue, the pigment just dies and turns gray.” After giving it a few shots, they ended up with cobalt blue, a much stronger and more stable pigment. Then they proceeded to paint the curved base in Benjamin Moore’s Watertown to create one cohesive wow-factor piece. (Bonus: The end caps are cabinets that actually open.) The couple passes a good portion of their time seated nearby, where there are views of their garden through the patio doors.

“One of the challenges we faced was what to do with the stair railing,” the homeowner says. “We had to replace the railing to code, and [had] tried any number of designs when Thom came up with this beautiful, simple metal railing that fits perfectly.” It’s a subtle statement, employing metal and geometry like Pei did, that doesn’t abandon functionality—it’s easy for them to grab as they descend the stairs.

Up those stairs, the primary bedroom is complemented by custom oak wardrobes and vintage light fixtures, like a Murano pendant lamp and Swedish table lamps. The space merges with a small library, where an oak dk3 Royal System hangs opposite an original brick fireplace. Dutch maps, art books, and other vintage ephemera mingle with a Flos kelvin lamp and Mies van der Rohe MR rattan side chair. They are both connected to a primary bath, which is in the darker core of the home. 

Pei’s use of transom-style windows inspired Walliser to employ the technique to bring more light in. “That was a way of borrowing from his language that he had established in the houses and sort of manifesting it in a new way for the owners,” she says. For the bathroom floors, the designers took a page from Bauhaus artist Anni Albers; the cement tile placement is inspired by her work. “We studied her sketches and weavings, along with traditional and modern quilting, and created a series of ‘woven’ tile schemes,” Walliser explains. The idea is mirrored in the other two bathrooms, with patchwork tile in combinations of pink and green and variations on blue. 

From the Scandinavian furnishings and oak wood to Albers textiles, TBo’s thoughtful renovation kept true to the building’s modernist roots without staying stuck in the past. “It’s just very airy; the scale is wonderful,” Walliser says of the new interiors. And that stunning blue makes the homeowners happy every time they see it.

The post A Striking Jolt of Color in the Kitchen Brought This Historic Philadelphia Home Into 2024 appeared first on domino.

In Hudson Moore’s new book, Blue and White Done Right, the design editor examines one of the most popular and everlasting color combos of all time: blue and white. “It’s a match made in heaven, a classic pairing, the design world equivalent of milk and cookies—or better yet, champagne and caviar,” the book begins. 

Ever since the ancient Mesopotamians used the pairing for pottery glazes (the earliest recorded use), blue and white have been inseparable. The best part? No matter your style, the combo just works. In this excerpt, Moore shows us two distinct ways designers have used the two colors over the years.

Modern

Even the best modern interiors can sometimes feel austere. Not so when blue and white become part of the equation. The duo lends a gimmick-free liveliness to any genre—and bends especially well to a contemporary, no-frills approach. Consider it a shortcut to keeping things light, no matter how strict the sensibility. 

Spare & Sensual

The less-is-more camp of decorating can be deceptively complex: Your floor plans are so seemingly simple, your schemes so elemental that anyone from the maximalist school of thought might believe that furnishing with a minimum of materials is a piece of cake. But anyone who’s a proponent of editing knows that the more you take out of a room, the more impactful anything left behind becomes, which means those people have to bring their A game to the festivities or the design will fall flat. It’s also why blue and white should become a major tool in your pared-down arsenal: The combination will give you the depth and dimension you crave without a whiff of fuss. 

“Blue and White Done Right” by Hudson Moore, Amazon ($44)

Shop

Excerpted from Blue and White Done Right: The Classic Color Combination for Every Decorating Style by Hudson Moore with Mario López-Cordero. Published by Schumacher and Monacelli.

The post Designers Say This Classic Color Combo Will Never Steer You Wrong appeared first on domino.

When you picture a blue nursery, you probably think, well, baby. As in baby blue, the color of early-morning skies and many a newborn onesie. We have nothing bad to say about the color—it’s inarguably soothing and pale enough that it can act as a neutral—but we consider it our job to introduce you to a handful of equally sweet shades in the family. As these seven spaces make clear, cornflower, robin’s-egg, and denim blue are just as worthy of your nursery walls (or moldings or floor).

The Robin’s-Egg Blue Nursery

“Sometimes I see nurseries that are very curated in terms of palette, and you feel like you can’t bring anything in that doesn’t coordinate,” explains designer Katherine Thewlis. So for her children’s space, she went floor to ceiling with a toned-down hue, Views by Clare, that was sure to complement everything from a strawberry red lamp to magenta artwork.

The Electric Blue Nursery

Just because a blue is bright doesn’t mean it’s not comforting. For Piera Gelardia, Farrow & Ball’s St. Gile’s Blue was the perfect reflection of her daughter Viva’s personality: energetic but peaceful. “We realized that we wanted her room to be a sanctuary for her to imagine and dream,” she says. 

Feeling sage?
We’ve got sage green nursery ideas →

The Powder Blue Nursery

While this space in Dee Eke’s Long Island City apartment serves as both office and nursery, both zones share a Clare paint color and a cushion of Flor tiles. The multicolored mix underfoot gives the pastel walls a modern edge—but that wasn’t always the plan. Eke had to get creative when the single colorway she started with was discontinued.

The Denim Blue Nursery

Blue is technically the accent hue in this nursery by designer Nicole Hirsch, but in standout finishes, it has just as much impact as the graphic wallpaper. Peep the glossy moldings, painted Old Glory by Benjamin Moore, and one of the coolest gliders we’ve seen, upholstered in a textured denimlike-patchwork print.

The Limewashed Blue Nursery

Forward Interiors’s secret to a blue nursery that’s nowhere near saccharine? Introducing hits of black—you’ll spot it here on the trim, art frame, and custom stained-wood dresser—to contrast with the softness of the Bauwerk Colour walls.

The Botanical Blue Nursery

A no-fail way to choose a paint color is to pull it from another feature you’ve already decided on. In designer Laura Kern Hennessey’s case, that was the magical meadow mural she hand-painted in her son’s nursery. The slate blue on the lower half of the walls is an exact match for the leafy stems above it.

The Goodnight Moon Blue Nursery

Artist Raven Roxanne’s 1875 Charleston, South Carolina, home is awash in understated shades inspired by British brands like DeVol, with one exception: her son’s nursery. The walls are a deep cornflower, while the trim is Kermit-esque green—both from Fine Paints of Europe (E14-33 and E11-29, specifically). It’s a lot of color, but the 13-foot-tall room can handle it. “One of my friends came in and said, ‘Oh, my gosh, it looks like Goodnight Moon,’” Roxanne remembers. “I had never thought about it, but it does.” 

The post 7 Blue Nurseries That Aren’t Pastel Everything appeared first on domino.

Bold enough to fulfill your cravings for color, but easy enough to live in your house forever, blue kitchens are staking their claim. But are you really surprised? Blue paint colors have been trending in a big way for the past few years. And while we’ve seen the hue take shape in saturated bedrooms and pattern-forward bathrooms, the color lends itself particularly well to the heart of the home.

From matte sapphire to midnight, we’ve seen just about every shade work wonders for kitchens. So how do you know which swatch is right for you? We asked the owners and designers behind 18 of our favorite blue kitchen cabinets to find out. Read on for the exact paint colors to try for the same looks.

The Farmhouse Blue: Marea Baja by Sherwin-Williams

Designer Charlie Ferrer pulled from this Hamptons home’s original blue and white color palette during the renovation, resulting in harlequin checks on the hardwood floors and this “cool denim blue” on the cabinetry. “A room doesn’t have to be cottagey to feel whimsical,” he says—and we think this sophisticated mix of color and pattern embodies that motto. 

Shop

Marea Baja, Sherwin-Williams

The Blue for Tall Cabinets: Bluebird by Paint & Paper Library 

If you want to sneak other paint colors into your kitchen, consider relegating blue to a wall of tall pantry cabinets. This breezy blue lends a sense of airiness to this kitchen, designed by Lizzie Green. 

Shop

Bluebird, Paint & Paper Library

The Blue Trifecta: Pale Powder, Light Blue, and De Nimes by Farrow & Ball

Washington, D.C.–based designer Zoe Feldman gave the kitchen’s existing cabinets a gradient facelift by using a variety of blue paints (the walls are Pale Powder, the medium door fronts are Light Blue, and the pantry cupboards are De Nimes, all by Farrow & Ball). “When you squint your eyes, they kind of smudge together,” says Feldman. “It’s very calming.”

Shop

Pale Powder, Farrow & Ball

Shop

Light Blue, Farrow & Ball

Shop

De Nimes, Farrow & Ball

The Boutique Hotel Blue: Beach Glass by Benjamin Moore

The kitchen at Daunt’s Albatross Motel will make you want to book a ticket to Montauk ASAP. Designer Oliver Haslegrave, founder of Brooklyn-based Home Studios, chose a soothing blue with hints of gray and seafoam that play nicely with the flagstone floors and cobalt backsplash. 

Shop

Beach Glass, Benjamin Moore

The Tropical Blue: Soft Turquoise by Behr

In artist Abel Macias’s Los Angeles home, the kitchen is painted a vibrant turquoise to match the original 1920s linoleum floor. “We couldn’t change the tile, so we decided to fully embrace it,” he told us.

Soft Turquoise, Behr ($5)

Shop

The Gray Blue: Bleu Byzance by Argile Pinture

In Julia Rouzaud’s kitchen, a complete gut reno, a rich gray-blue coats the cabinetry. Paired with a burnt terracotta hood and rosewood hardware, the shade appears more like cornflower in person.

Bleu Byzance, Argile Pintures

Shop

The Sky Blue: Solitude by Benjamin Moore 

Designer Elizabeth Stamos saved close to $30,000 on her kitchen remodel by keeping her existing Shaker-style cherrywood cabinets and simply painting the fronts in this sophisticated shade. She added trim to the top of the cupboards for a bespoke look. 

Solitude, Benjamin Moore

Shop

The Grounding Blue: Blue Note by Benjamin Moore 

The saturated navy blue island in this Studio McGee–designed space acts as a centering force in the almost-completely-white room. The subway tile and crisp white uppers have so much more character thanks to the statement moment. 

Blue Note by Benjamin Moore

Shop

The English Blue: Hicks Blue by Little Greene 

Classic and modern all at once, the dreamy matte shade that Tiffany Grant-Riley chose for her Edwardian house in Kent, England, was a fitting choice for the historic space (the home is more than a century old). After dousing the cupboards in the color, she painted the wall next to them so it reads like one unit. 

Hicks Blue by Little Greene

Shop

The Retro Blue: Lambeth Walk by Mylands

Calling all white kitchen devotees: Consider this seamless London kitchen by Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead of 2LG Studio the ultimate case for embracing subtle color. Given the pale blue hue’s vintage vibes, the pair took a contemporary approach to the cabinetry by opting for cutouts over hardware. “We had cherrywood put in the backs of the finger-pull handles on the drawers to reference the original cherrywood doors throughout the apartment,” says Whitehead. “The warmth of the cherrywood works beautifully with the cool blue.”

Lambeth Walk by Mylands, Mylands ($5)

Shop

The Barely There Blue: Kentucky Haze by Benjamin Moore

Inspired by the pale gray hues of the U.S. coastline and the earth tones of the Southwestern desert, this soft, neutral blue effortlessly marries the colors of the American landscape. It seems only fitting that the shade found a place in Kim West’s Austin home. In true camouflage form, the inset appliances blend right into the picturesque background.  

Kentucky Haze by Benjamin Moore, Benjamin Moore ($4)

Shop

The Oceanic Blue: Oval Room Blue by Farrow & Ball

In this coastal Maine home, designed by Heidi Lachapelle Interiors, a maritime blue rounds out the waterfront views beyond. While the subtly aged and not-too-nautical choice was largely inspired by a large oil painting that sits in the same space, this color stands on its own.

Oval Room Blue by Farrow and Ball, Farrow and Ball ($5)

Shop

The Fan-Favorite Blue: Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball

It’s easy to see why Hague Blue has become one of the most popular swatches for the kitchen and beyond: This color is incredibly versatile. In a serene San Francisco home by Saffron and Poe, the striking shade takes on a Mediterranean point of view against a graphic tiled backsplash.  

Hague Blue by Farrow and Ball, Farrow and Ball ($5)

Shop

The Professional Blue: Gentleman’s Gray by Benjamin Moore

Formal, tailored, and totally classic, Gentleman’s Gray is the blue swatch equivalent of a wise British man in a top hat. That said, the hue’s sophistication lends itself particularly well to edgy and contemporary designs. Just take this unexpected kitchen by Black Lacquer Design. Juxtaposed with a rich slab of black marble, the matte color feels decidedly fresh.  

Gentleman’s Gray by Benjamin Moore

Shop

The Feels-Like-Vacation Blue: In the Tropics by Benjamin Moore

Reminiscent of turquoise waters in the Caribbean, one can almost feel the warm ocean breeze in Edith Young’s New York City kitchen. Given its sultry tones, Young used the swatch cleverly, honing in on a smaller space so that its luxurious color could have major visual impact.

In the Tropics by Benjamin Moore, Benjamin Moore ($5)

Shop

The Background Blue: Heron Blue by Portola

Tending toward traditional, this balanced hue can go coastal cool or inland sophisticate, depending on the materials, fixtures, and other design details you incorporate into the space. In the case of this beachside retreat in Marina Del Rey, Stefani Stein invoked the laid-back aesthetic of a California rancher by matching the color with a quartzite countertop, farmhouse sink, and oak floors.

Heron Blue by Portola, Portola ($5)

Shop

The Relaxed Bohemian Blue: Boro by PaperMint

Australian designer Sibella Court’s free spirit shines in her Sydney kitchen, where a “subtle but stormy palette” reigns supreme. The moody, sea-inspired indigo she chose for the island and cabinets picks up on the relaxed yet eclectic vibe and serves as an anchor for the humble materials used throughout her home, like zinc, brass, rope, leather, and cane.

Boro by PaperMint, PaperMint ($5)

Shop

The Green-Blue: Olympus Green by Benjamin Moore

When Homepolish designer Barbie Palomino and her husband, Jason, were renovating their 100-year-old Los Angeles home, she wanted green and he wanted blue. Cue the perfect compromise. A Carrara quartz countertop sets the scene for a fresh and clean space, while the bluish green cabinet color gives the room the playful feel it was looking for.

Olympus Green by Benjamin Moore, Benjamin Moore ($5)

Shop

The post The 18 Best Paint Colors for Blue Kitchen Cabinets, Straight From Our Favorite Spaces appeared first on domino.

We are constantly in pursuit of making our homes feel like a really nice hotel. Everywhere we stay, we can’t help but ask the staff about the thread count of the sheets or the brand of the candle burning in the lobby. But for guests at the Lake House on Canandaigua, a 124-room retreat in New York’s Finger Lakes region that opened in 2020, it’s not products that pique their curiosity—it’s paint. Chris Pulito, the hotel’s general manager, estimates he gets asked “What’s the paint color in the library?” around 50 times each month. “More than once per day, on average,” Pulito clarifies. 

The space (officially dubbed the Library Bar) is a dramatic departure from the rest of the Lake House’s light, white, and airy gathering areas, which is probably what gets people buzzing. “We wanted to create tucked-away spaces that guests could retreat to for a change in atmosphere and experience,” shares Lyndsay Caleo Karol, the creative director of the Brooklyn Home Company, which designed the hotel in collaboration with Post Company. When you turn the corner from the main entry, you’re greeted by a sea of blue. The walls, ceiling, shelves, and even the fireplace mantel are swathed in a rich shade that’s not quite royal but not quite navy. So what is it? It’s Benjamin Moore’s Gentleman’s Gray. 

The Library Color: Gentleman’s Gray

Gentleman’s Gray, Benjamin Moore

Shop

For a room that is so clearly blue, it’s ironic that the name of the hue isn’t at all. But the designers weren’t out to pick a shade with a catchy label. Rather, they were focused on selecting a palette that references the surrounding landscape. “We were able to play with this idea throughout the various spaces—shades of blue—as a reflection of the changing light on the lake,” says Karol. By opting for a high-gloss finish, they amplified the glow not only from the large fireplace but the concave pendant lamps and sconces that dot the area. “It’s an amazing color that allows natural light during the day to brighten up the room,” says Pulito. 

The Other Blues to Try: Polo Blue and Vanderberg Blue

Shop

Polo Blue, Benjamin Moore

Shop

Vanderberg Blue, Benjamin Moore

Gentleman’s Gray isn’t the only cool-blue paint color worth stealing from the Lake House. The hotel’s Rose Tavern features Polo Blue and the cozy Willow Room nearby is dressed in Vanderberg Blue. In the restaurant space, the shade was chosen to anchor the soaring white ceiling, while in the adjacent cozy lounge-slash-dining area, it reads almost black. Ensuring the surfaces remain scuff-free, the hotel has a dedicated painter on the property who works 40 hours per week touching up any imperfections. If only we could steal him for our own homes.

The post Guests Constantly Ask About This Hotel’s Blue Paint—We ID’d the Exact Benjamin Moore Hue appeared first on domino.

How can you not love navy blue when the deep shade beckons visions of calm ocean waters, freshly picked berries, and the night sky? Though it often gets a nautical rap, when paired with eye-catching metals and modern appliances rather than anchors and oars, the cool color can awaken a mundane space. (According to a color psychologist, it can even help you focus.) Plus there’s plenty of opportunity to personalize the hue, as it plays well with everything from classic subway tile to butcher block. Check out these 13 ideas for making navy blue kitchen cabinets your own.

Keep It Crisp 

It doesn’t get much more classic than navy and white, but the iteration in this Minneapolis home keeps it contemporary with sleek uppers, marble counters, and an island with a waterfall edge.

Punch It Up

Designer Charlie Ferrer doesn’t care for working with wall color. Instead he prefers to leave his backdrops white and go bold in other ways, like pairing the Marea Baja cabinets in this Hamptons project with a marigold island.  

Take It to the Banquette

Not only does the inky hue make a statement from the cupboards to the floor-to-ceiling pantry in Janea Brown’s Hollywood home, it wraps into a cozy breakfast nook to extend the sight line even further. Brown topped off the booth with striped seats and checkered cushions to visually carve out a separate space. 

Start Small

This mid-century home in Chicago proves that you don’t have to be fully committed to navy blue kitchen cabinets to take advantage of the color’s impact. In the middle of a teak kitchen, an island backed in blue adds a subtle punch.

Find Your Center

To infuse this bright coastal kitchen with charm, Studio McGee swathed just the island cabinets in Blue Note by Benjamin Moore. The gathering spot feels all the more important now thanks to its distinguished color.

Get Edgy With Your Appliance Choices

Australian designer Sibella Court’s daring decision to pair moody teal cabinets with a jet-black Smeg fridge and range paid off. Court describes the palette as “subtle but stormy,” and she accentuated the drama with an eclectic array of materials like zinc, rope, and cane. 

Hunting for the perfect navy paint to transform your kitchen? Look no further:
The 15 Best Blue Paint Colors for Kitchen Cabinets

Top It Off With Graphic Stone

Gentleman’s Gray by Benjamin Moore, the shade Black Lacquer Design founder Caitlin Murray used for these cupboards, is the paint-swatch equivalent of a distinguished Englishman sporting a dapper top hat. To make the traditional navy blue kitchen cabinets feel more modern, Murray paired them with a dramatic slab of marble with thick white veins.

Create the Illusion of Height

A smart paint choice is all it takes to make high ceilings feel even higher. In this case, Emily Henderson used navy lowers to ground the small space and coated the uppers and ceiling beams in white for that coveted airy feel. 

Have Fun With Floor Tile

Continuing the hardwood floors from the adjacent room into the kitchen would have been the easy choice for Susan and Ben Work. Instead the designers switched over to funky cement tile. The little slivers of color pick up on both the Hague Blue cabinets and the greenish veins in the marble backsplash.

Play Up Wood Tones

If you’re not into the drama that black counters introduce to navy cupboards, add warmth with butcher block. Jessica and Tyler Mares of Renovate 108 bought the slab for their bar nook for less than $200 at IKEA.

Lean Into Graphite Undertones

Athena Calderone of EyeSwoon chose a bluish black hue from Farrow & Ball for her New York City townhouse kitchen and paired it with honed marble for an ultra-matte finish.

Go Big on Hardware

The only things louder than Gillian Schwartz’s peacock-hued cabinets are the oversize knobs (which are actually coat hooks) on the doors. The move was inspired by furniture designer Faye Toogood’s home.

Add Artful Details

Pro tip: You don’t have to do anything special with the cabinets themselves to make navy feel interesting. Sarah Wittenbraker layered square panels on the side of her island and now the structure doubles as sculpture.

This story was originally published in 2018. It has since been updated.

The post 13 Navy Blue Kitchens, and Not a Nautical One in Sight appeared first on domino.

“That’s what air mattresses are for,” David Quarles told himself when he decided to turn the spare bedroom in his Memphis house into an office. The multi-hyphenate (he is a jewelry maker, Zumba instructor, and interior designer) was forced to take his career(s) home when the monthly rent for the downtown studio space he was using spiked—and that was before COVID hit and it became the norm to WFH. 

For a cool minute, the former bedroom served all three of his professional pursuits: It’s where he took Zoom meetings with clients, soldered necklaces, and broke a sweat. “It was getting to be too much,” recalls Quarles. After building a separate gym outside, he focused on creating an equally good-looking and functional office where he could go from preparing a jewelry shipment to assembling a mood board in a flash. “I definitely feel like if you’re going to choose to work from home, why not make it feel like an escape?” he says. Ahead, Quarles shares four ways he made the room do overtime.

Fight the Midday Slump With Vibrant Walls 

Covering all four walls in Chasing Paper’s Mud Cloth peel-and-stick wallpaper was as much a practical decision as it was a personal one. “I like to design from what my history is, where my family comes from, so I wanted something that spoke to the African side of my ancestry,” he explains. The 3D-like effect of the print (it almost looks like an actual textile hanging on the wall) helps detract from the fact that the original surface behind the treatment is textured—and not in a good way. “It masks the bumps,” he points out.

Designate a Hiding Spot for the End of the Day

Desk storage was particularly key for Quarles, who had previously relied on a basic white sawhorse table from IKEA as his workstation. The tabletop, naturally, always looked cluttered. “I need a place where I can shove some tools when I don’t feel like doing a full cleanup at night,” he shares. The Living Spaces piece he opted for his jewelry zone (both desks are from the brand’s Hollis collection) features a deep cubby where he can toss his soldering tools. That way, when he walks in the next morning, he doesn’t instantly feel overwhelmed. It also helps that all his beads and metal components are neatly organized (and color-coded) in semitransparent boxes on the shelves—an upgrade from the crates that used to live on the floor. 

Use Greenery as Cord Camouflage

The pegboard above Quarles’s jewelry-making station keeps his most-used tweezers and pliers in arm’s reach, but to make the flat white catchall look more worthy of hanging against the blue backdrop, he incorporated decorative elements like a little rechargeable picture light and plant clippings. Across the room, at his interior design desk setup, a small pothos plant is situated in front of the router to disguise the unsightly tech.

Turn Up the Volume on Your Lighting

To help his clients pinpoint their design style, Quarles will often ask them to identify a song (or playlist) they’d imagine themself listening to in the room to try to get at the overall vibe they want to achieve. “Music is very much an influential part of my process,” he says. Naturally, when he’s deep into putting together contracts and pulling samples, he’ll throw on some tunes for himself to help stay motivated and inspired. The reason you don’t see a big black box around? His speaker is in the task lamp. “It’s a lightbulb speaker—and it’s very loud,” he admits.

The post Desk Cubbies and Vibrant Wallpaper Are Key to This Office Made for Juggling Two Jobs appeared first on domino.

Allison Pierce wasn’t a fan of the baby blue tile in her primary bathroom at first. Her new Los Angeles home had barely been touched since its construction in the 1930s; it had only been owned by a single family in all that time. The space was essentially a time capsule (as evidenced by the hexagonal bathroom sinks), and the interior designer was picturing a much more streamlined spot for her morning routine. However, because of budget constraints, a gut renovation wasn’t in the cards. “All of the blue tile was supposed to be ripped out,” Pierce admits. “We hated it.” Now, though, it’s her favorite element of the entire space—and she’s even keeping its yellow counterpart in the downstairs bath. 

There wasn’t a backup plan for how this room would take shape, but Pierce doesn’t tend to stick to a plan anyway. “I find that if I let it happen organically, over time, I like the outcome much more,” she explains. Below, Pierce reveals how she overcame her disdain for the space’s pastel bones and made the most with what she had. 

Don’t Mix, Match

Finding a paint color that would coordinate with the bold tiling was a challenge. “I thought about green, but that became too marshlike. Then it was maybe pink,” says Pierce. “Nothing felt right.” The winning combination ended up being a slightly darker shade of Farrow & Ball blue—Inchyra Blue to be exact—which covers the walls and the vanity (another dated element Pierce wished she could replace). “It makes the rest of the room feel intentional and not like we hated it,” she says. 

Go Big on Texture

When it came time for Pierce to style the space, she kept introducing other colors to a minimum, relying instead on texture to offer visual interest. A wood and cane chair acts as a side table for bathtub essentials; a vintage rug keeps the floors cozy on California’s few chilly mornings; and a small-scale block-print shower curtain brings in a much needed pattern without making the room feel too busy. 

Get Back to Nature

Without the ability to make any major updates, Pierce was concerned about the space looking outdated. “Everyone wants their bathroom to feel fresh and calm,” she says. The question was how to achieve that with decor alone. The answer? Natural materials. A large wood-framed mirror (another antique find that just happened to be the perfect width) and a brass sconce and shelf brackets (topped with vintage art) add some welcome grandeur. Pierce notes, “The room was designed by someone else, but it still needs to feel like me.”

The post A Monochrome Move Was All It Took to Make This Dated Tile Feel Intentional appeared first on domino.

Marvel superheroes and Frozen are typical themes for a 3-year-old’s bedroom, but London-based interior designer Laura Henderson’s latest clients had a different direction in mind for their daughter. The brief: Create a space that felt classic and reminiscent of the bedrooms they had when they were children. “They hoped for an environment where she can make wonderful memories, that she would think fondly of in years to come,” says Henderson. 

The idea was simple enough, but pulling it off in a 65-square-foot area that used to be an office was no small feat. “It required considered spatial design to get the most out of the footprint,” notes Henderson. Because she wanted to leave enough open space for the couple’s toddler to tumble around and play, the designer really had only one logical place to situate the bed: underneath the window. Building a custom nook helped Henderson achieve two things. “Firstly, we created a magical, denlike space that can be easily set up as a comfortable spot to read during the day,” she says. And second, the elevated mattress offered an opportunity for hidden storage below it, shelving at the head, and a built-in box at the foot. “It’s essential for toys and fancy dress costumes,” she adds. There’s nothing snoozy about its savvy construction. 

To clear the way for the nook, Henderson relocated the radiator to the other side of the room. Then a woodworker came in and fabricated the bed frame following the designer’s detailed drawings, which was specified to fit a standard twin-size mattress. An electrician also came on the scene to wire a concealed, double-USB socket into the bottom shelf for when the little one grows up and has a phone or an iPad in need of charging. 

For additional lighting, Henderson thrifted a pinewood floor lamp and sanded down the base to get rid of its original orangey tone, then refinished the piece in a neutral matte varnish. The fixture is now topped with a thick cotton by Alice Palmer. Come nighttime, Mom and Dad can draw down the blackout roman blind along the window. The pelmet that lines the front of the bed nook is purely decorative (it’s made from the same material used to cover the head and footboard), but its intricate hemstitch adds a sense of softness to the spot. 

While plump pillows offer some support for sitting up, the designer also incorporated padded framing on the sides so there’s never a risk of bumping one’s head. But your eyes don’t linger on the cushioning for long. Instead they’re drawn to the Chintamani wallpaper from Dutch brand Ottoline that Henderson applied all around the niche. The clients’ only other big request was that there be no pink in their daughter’s room—cue the primary palette. 

Henderson covered all the main walls in Pale Wedgwood by Little Greene. “As blue calls to mind feelings of calmness and serenity, I felt this was an appropriate color choice for the room,” she notes. Both the the hand-painted Japanese fish from Ohayo and the formerly black IKEA mirror frame, which got a dose of red, are a nod to the Ottoline wallpaper. The patriotic-chic display is positively English. 

The post This Girl’s Teeny Space Called for a Cozy Bed Nook appeared first on domino.

Keri Petersen was sitting at her client Julie’s dining table brainstorming plans for her kitchen renovation when she turned and saw a vintage oil painting of a sailor hanging on the wall. “What if we designed a home for this sea captain?” Petersen suggested. The designer and owner of KP Spaces wasn’t exactly sure what she meant by it when she said it, but as they worked through the vision, she began pulling moody paint colors and countertop options that seemed to match the vibe of the eBay-scored piece. “It happens to me a lot actually, where I meet a client and I’m drawn to a piece of art they have,” notes Petersen. “It’s a fun way to draw inspiration rather than just looking on Pinterest.” 

It was a fitting starting point, given Julie’s house is located in the Sunset Hill neighborhood of Seattle, near Puget Sound. Her newly purchased home, which she shares with her dog, June, was built in 1904, but the cramped kitchen showed only signs of a circa-1990 renovation, with worn original hardwood floors and dated linoleum counters. Petersen kicked off the revamp by opening up the space to the adjacent dining-slash-living area (there was once a wall where the peninsula now is) and turning the back porch into a breakfast nook. “This house is really a story of the sea, that cycles between stormy and serene, all navigated by our trusty sea captain, who guided us through the whole process and carried us to home port,” shares the designer. Ahead, dive with us into the nautical reno. 

The Deep Blue

Petersen went with new custom cabinets so Julie could maximize her storage in the small space (there are specialized drawers for holding deep pots and pans, pull-out lazy Susans in blind corners, and other ultra-functional touches). When it came to picking the color, the designer wanted something that was reminiscent of the Northwest waters. “I definitely didn’t want anything that had too much green in it or felt tropical,” she notes. The winning hue? Benjamin Moore’s moody Washington Blue. She topped it off with unlacquered brass hardware. 

All Aboard, Textured Counters!

“This is not your grandparents’ granite,” Petersen says of the fresh countertops. The stone is leathered, meaning if you were to rub your hand across the top, it wouldn’t be smooth. “It’s got a wave to it almost,” she notes (but not to the point where you can’t rest a flat dish on top). The dreamy veining and movement is indicative of a stormy sea.

Abandon Expensive Ranges

Instead of spending upwards of $10,000 on a fancy Lacanche or La Cornue range, Petersen hunted down this Ilve one in matte graphite for $4,200. The appliance is made in Italy and features a dual-function triple-ring burner, a storage drawer, and a defrost function. “It gave us the quality we wanted without the price tag,” she says. 

In Ship(lap) Shape

What would a nautical-inspired kitchen be without some vertical shiplap? While the wall treatment has been a trending choice for a while now, in this case it wasn’t about embracing a fad. It makes you feel like you’re actually in a boat’s galley. “It will be timeless as the years go on,” says the designer. 

The Real Captain’s Quarters 

The dilapidated back porch was the perfect opportunity for a breakfast nook. Incorporating the spot into the kitchen required taking off the door, bumping out the ceiling, leveling the floors for the new Clé tile, and adding insulation and all new windows to make sure the area was energy efficient. “It was an upgrade, but it’s such a great piece of real estate,” says Petersen. “It’s a place she can sit every single day with her laptop and coffee.” 

The designer found a permanent home for the sea captain on the wall next to the range. “There was something kind of ridiculous and whimsical about having a picture of an old man in the kitchen, so I thought why not put an art light over it to make it feel really special?” she says. Aye, aye!

The post “What If We Designed a Kitchen for a Sea Captain?” appeared first on domino.