Mix Old and New

Here is another room that mixes it us. This living room mixes old and new with the use of the contemporary wallpaper juxtaposed with the silk drapery and use of a modern accent table sitting next to the traditional skirted sofa.

Posted by Paula

photo- Homes and Gardens

Mixing the Old with the New

I love the look of mixing in new and old things in a room. And who doesn't have some old things ? What makes this look work?

• repetition in color, a natural palette works great- the living and seating room featured above uses beautiful sand tone colors with the touches of blue repeated throughout. This color selection lets each individual piece in the room stand out.
• using modern art as a contrast to more traditional decor- notice the art work juxtaposed with the wooden spoked wheels
• modern accent furniture really stands out when used along side traditional soft side furniture- note the damask covered chair with the modern cork table.
• keep a clean simple look

Hope you enjoy mixing it up!

Photos: Coastal Living

Elizabowl in The James Dyson Competition

You may remember that we posted about a great new Louisiana Designer, Sarah O'Brien, who won 1st place at the International Housewares Association's annual student design competition last year for her flexible fruit bowl - Elizabowl . There was also an article in The New York Times about this great design!

Well, Sarah emailed me to say that she has entered an additional world wide competition- The James Dyson Competition! So please support a fellow designer and go vote for her! Voting ends next Monday and your vote would be greatly appreciated.

Voting takes less than two minutes:

http://www.jamesdysonaward.org/Default.aspx

Select the Elizabowl from the Projects Page.
At the bottom of the page is a place to select the amount of stars to be assigned and press the ‘Submit Rating’ button.And logout. You’re done!

Summer Lovin'

An Eden-like slice of paradise is found in this backyard. There is no need to have to leave for a vacation!

Hints to help create your own oasis:

• Enjoy the sound of water- Mask the neighbor's chatter or drown out road noise with the trickle of running water. It can make your space seem cooler than it really is. Try adding a simple fountain.

• Cluster containers brimming with color- Group several containers together in easily seen locations. Add spiky or vertical plants to your pots for extra drama.



• A change in levels can add interest to your deck or patio and create a dramatic place for relaxed dining.
  

Products for your backyard oasis available at Neutral Dwelling's online store:

Moss Balls from Roost



$24.00 set of 3

Roost Sea Grass Insects


$32 Set of 3

Roost Ceramic Stool --SOLD OUT
$229

Outdoor Photos from
Florida Design

Frank Lloyd Wright's Ennis House

In this economy, I'm not sure how many people have $15M lying around, but if you do.... what a cool house to acquire. An original Frank Lloyd Wright is on the market-- The Ennis House in Los Angeles! Don't you just love how the house is filled with light?


Head on over to Christie's if you just happen to have a stash of cash!