Tag Archives: Design Tips Minneapolis

Find Your Inspiration

We are starting a series on how to find inspiration for design. We can often feel beholden to current trends on social media or what’s available in the Target home goods section (don’t get me wrong, I’d happily use everything in that section, all of the time, everywhere, in my home!), but what if we learned to take something we truly love – a painting, our favorite blouse, a photo from our most memorable vacation – and bring it to life in our home? That’s our goal – functional design we love, that breeds life and love and warmth in our everyday.

With each post in the series, we will break down our inspiration into color palettes, materials, décor, and other elements of design and apply how they could be used in your home. We’d love to hear from you! Send us your inspiration – we’d love to use what you love to teach this series! Send pictures to katya@ahomerevival.com.

Let’s start with my favorite painting by Salvador Dali, “Girl at the Window.”

Source: Salvador-dali.org

What colors do you notice? What patterns do you see? How is light used in this photo? What elements catch your eye or hold your attention? How does the print make you feel?

For me, this painting is a reminder of the years I lived in Spain. It evokes a sense of slowness in me; calmness, the opportunity to rest and reflect. Iberian culture is built around gatherings and coffee and community – Spaniards are skilled at enjoying the moment and feeling accomplished if they succeed at completing even one to-do in a day. These are sentiments I’d love to cultivate in a kitchen – a calm, relaxing, beautiful place to gather with friends. So, let’s design a kitchen!

The Tile Shop

The cream colors and ocean waves inspire this Retro Lino Ceramic Subway Wall Tile by The Tile Shop.

Lowes

The blue hues of the girl’s skirt, as well as the ocean, provide inspiration for aqua, diamond cabinets on the lower half of the kitchen walls.

Lowes

To balance the blue cabinets, we’ll add matching cabinets, in Agreeable Gray, to the top half of the kitchen wall, and a brushed oak center island.

Décor Pad

For the walls and countertops, we’ll add bright, white elements. Its easy to miss, but there is the slightest sunray illuminating the left side of the window, adding movement and brightness to the painting. I want to replicate the same lightness in our kitchen.

I’ve selected Snowbound by Sherwin Williams for our wall color, and we’ll use a beautiful, warm, quartz for the countertops.

Sherwin Williams

Great Lakes Granite & Marble

The piece de resistance of the kitchen will be the Balboa Counter Stools with Surg Stripe Coastal Blue covers by Serena & Lily. The blue stripes, introduced by the girl’s skirt and the lines of the curtains, complete our design.

Serena & Lily

Other design elements taken by “Girl at a Window” can be added throughout the kitchen with coastal elements such as:

  • Rattan lighting
  • Sandy textured ceramics
  • Plants
  • A white, stucco stove hood
  • Iberian inspired dishware

Add a fancy, Illy, espresso machine, and perfect your array of tapas, and you have yourself your very own Spanish, communal, oasis!

Guest Blogger: Katya Larsen, Stager, A Home Revival

 

 

 

Brighten Up Your Winter with the Color of the Year!

Pantone

Each year Pantone, known as the global authority on all things color, releases their pick for the color of the year. The choice is meant to act as a trendsetter and inspiration for fashion, marketing, design, and other color saturated industries in the year to come.

For 2023, Pantone chose a bold, bright, energetic color for the year – Viva Magenta. They want the color to provoke feelings of strength, power, and a connectedness to nature. The tone originated from a carmine dye produced by the cochineal beetle, linking us to the exquisite elegance of nature, herself.

If you’re anything like me, you see a swatch of Viva Magenta and think, “how in the world am I going to incorporate this bright, red color into my life of neutrals and greiges?!” The genius of the color is it pairs beautifully with both warm and cool palettes, so we are left with an abundance of options to spice up our life with Viva Magenta!

Here are just a few ways to brighten up your 2023 with Pantone’s color of the year:

The Mercury Gallery

Add a splash of color to a monochromatic palette.

Burke Décor

Update your powder room with a bold wallpaper. Half baths are the perfect place to try out funky design!

Flor

Don’t be afraid to mix and match patterns and finishes!

Etsy

Find smaller pieces you can integrate into a neutral motif, such as vases, candles, or throw pillows.

Diptyque

Our Place

Love to cook? Add some color to your kitchen and enjoy the temporary beauty of Viva Magenta on your stovetop, with the safety of being able to tuck away the pan and pot when you’re finished.

Pantone

Target

In the end, you can always start small and add a cute coffee mug to your collection and call it a day! Design is meant for you to enjoy, so do what feels good and beautiful to you!

 

Guest Blogger: Katya Larsen, Stager, A Home Revival

 

 

 

Decorating With Coastal Colors

Ahhh……I think it is finally Spring and with that comes an urge to redo a room or two in your home. An easy way to do that is with a paint color change or even changing a few accessories like throw pillows, accent pieces or artwork.

I love Coastal Colors as they are so fresh you can almost smell the salt air. I will say I have some coastal color favorites when it comes to paint.

Let’s start with Drizzle by Sherwin Williams SW 6479. There are so many rooms that I have used this color and have never been disappointed.

In a Family Room:

 

A guest bath:

 

 

And even a Laundry Room:

 

 

Another great coastal color is Rainwashed by Sherwin Williams SW 6211.  Again I have used this in a laundry room and also a Master Bedroom and Living Area.

 

 

 

Sherwin Williams Comfort Gary SW 6205 and Sea Salt SW 6204 are probably the highest on my list for coastal colors. They are so spa like as well.

 

 

 

 

If you don’t want to commit to a new painting color (but why not it’s only paint after all), accessorizing in coastal colors is a great option.

 

 

 

 

You do not have to live at the beach to use Coastal Colors in your home. Pick a room that you would like to add some color and head to the paint store this weekend!