Style Illuminated

Looking for unique coffee table ideas?

This is the place.

I'm so happy you and your coffee table dreams are here.

The coffee table is one of the most overlooked pieces of furniture in the home.

But today is its day in the sun.

Sometimes with coffee tables.....simple is the best.

Why not create geometric interest with two linear rectangles?

The modern lines of these tables create visual interest when placed next to the antique chair and vintage screen.

Why not re-purpose something that you already have?

Add casters to a pallet and distress for a one-of-a-kind piece.

Next, place throw pillows on the floor for an impromptu party.

Decorating on a budget?

Stack books and add a simple frame for a simple coffee table that's both functional and stylish.

You could also create a similar look with boxes or a grouping of stools.

Lastly, create a coffee table from an unusual material.

Here, a table created from birch logs creates a statement piece that would work well with any decor.

The logs frame a center wooden box for a rustic look with flair.

Looking for a few more unique coffee table ideas?

Here's a great collection of tables.....

....guaranteed to make all your coffee table dreams come true.

1.  Geometric Glass Coffee Table  2.  Carved Pine Coffee Table  3.  Rustic Wood & Metal Coffee Table 

4.  Rectangular Rolling Coffee Table   5.  Wood & Glass Coffee Table  6.  Chrome & Glass Coffee Table

Photo credit: photo1: bhg  photo 2: Apartment Therapy  photo 3: Apartment Therapy  photo 4: Apartment Therapy  photo 5:  bhg 

After falling in love with a two-bedroom apartment in the Sophian on Warwick Boulevard in Kansas City, designer David Jimenez underwent a seven-month renovation of his new digs.

Recently featured in Architectural Digest, Jimenez's living space feels grand and expensive, yet he also manages to make it feel lived in. The light-filled space makes you feel like you can walk right in plop down on the chic tailored sofa, and pick up a book. Photo credit: Photography by Joshua McHugh, Styled by Howard Christian, for Architectural Digest.

Achieve the layered look of David Jimenez with this shopping guide: 1. White and Clear Glass Clementine Vase 2. Large Black Chandelier 3. Woman's Face Sketch II Print  4. Brass Black Parchment Shade Table Lamp 5. Large Gustavo Glass Vase 6. Howard Elliott Short Stepped Mirrored Pedestal End Table 7. Safavieh Paris Shag Rug 8. Safavieh Karsen Beige Linen Wood Club Chair 9. Arterior Homes Nelson Crisscross Acacia Room Screen 10. Safavieh Turquoise Sunder Needlework Pillows 11. Carrera Glass Accent Lamp (currently unavailable - shop similar glass and crystal table lamps here)

Love this design aesthetic? Check out part 1 of Get the Look of Designer David Jimenez.

Southwestern decor has been popular for decades, and lately it's been enjoying an even greater resurgence in both fashion and home decor. But don't confuse today's take on the Navajo style with the silver and turquoise belt buckle motifs of the past. The latest interpretations feel fresh, clean, and contemporary—without so much as a hint of cowboy paraphernalia.

The decor style of the Southwest can be traced to three main sources: the region's natural resources such as red clay and pine; the Spanish influence of tiles and hand-painted ceramics; and the traditional woven patterns of the Native Americans. Today's version of Southwest style layers these elements using a more subdued approach to color and embellishment than we've seen in the past. 

To get the Southwestern decor look, incorporate plenty of texture with materials like raw wood, leather, and animal hides. Patterned area rugs and colorful throw blankets provide vibrant accents. A cluster of cacti or succulents in a terracotta planter lends a cheerful presence that won't require as much maintenance as other indoor greenery. Lighting in natural materials and finishes brings in earthy texture. Most importantly, keep a casual vibe throughout. If you can sit back and imagine yourself relaxing around a desert campfire beneath the stars, you're on the right track!      

Shopping Guide: 1. Distressed Wood Mirror 2. Yellow Table Lamp 3. Cow Hide Pillow 4. Landscape Wall Art 5. Exotic Floral Tapas Plates 6. Terra Cotta Cactus Garden 7. Red Kilim Area Rug

Images: Lamps Plus Guest Blogging Pinterest.

A great way to add a gorgeous natural element to a room is by adding in woven pendant lights. These beauties are everywhere right now! They're even showing up in unexpected places like the bedroom where they make such a great statement piece hanging over the bed! I'm just dying to get my hands on one!

Woven pendant lights come in all shapes and sizes, but I say, the bigger the better! Usually woven from a natural grass, like seagrass, they really bring an exotic, global flair to the room. I love the idea of hanging it really low and off centered off a bench or a chair as an alternative to a traditional reading lamp!

This bedroom would be pretty boring without a statement chandelier. Again, it's unconventional to put woven pendant lights over the bed, so get creative! Hang it by a pipe in an industrial space for an instant wow factor.

Image credits: Forlab, Via Pinterest, Via Pinterest, Via Pinterest.

I am lucky enough to get the opportunity to travel to many interesting places. The latest stop on my globetrotting adventures is Auckland, New Zealand, a city on the coast with a booming coastal culture. A city with a huge emphasis on the boating culture, it is no surprise there was a big nautical influence in the architecture and decor of Auckland.  

Below check out some wonderful views of the city and some stylish home decor to help you bring a bit of Auckland, New Zealand to your home.

In Auckland, the beautiful colored waters surrounds the city, and you better believe it is celebrated. The city has one of the largest yacht cultures in the world and has spawned dozens of champion yachtsmen and sailing competitors. Port holes figure in to the cities architecture and salvaged buoys serve as unique outdoor pendant lights and planters.

Translating this effortlessly coastal chic home decor and design is easier than you think. Taking  design elements of the style like stripes, blue and red hues and nautical vintage-inspired home accessories. Below are some gorgeous nautical room scenes and accessories that any design savvy home maker can reinterpret in their own space.

Shop the look here: Nautical Pillows, Rope Table Lamp, Ship Bookends, Barnacle Sculpture, Wooden Buoys, Signal Flag Framed Art

All Images: Allison Rosenberg, Pinterest

Anything goes when it comes to patchwork pop style. While patchwork pop may look totally haphazard, there is a method to this madness. I see it and describe it as Sixties Pop meets Woodstock Hippie.

Although it appears that items are simply tossed together like a giant salad, Patchwork Style is still a style. You can’t cheat it! Broken down flea market furniture and paint by numbers art will not look stylish no matter how many times you try to convince yourself.

Furniture must still be first rate and never too worn. After all Pop, is defined by fresh and crisp color. Color can come not only from furniture but by lighting as well. Whimsical chandeliers can infuse color into a room as can replacement shades.

The Hippie portion of this look can be introduced through textiles and floor coverings. Woven and colorful rugs can help define your room and is a good backdrop for monochromatic furniture, whether white or saturated with color. What I like about all of these rooms is that they exhibit unique and quirky objects but don’t look junky because they are placed in clean and simply painted white rooms. Everything has it’s place and doesn’t fight with the other one-of-a-kind objects.

Here's how to get the look of colorful patchwork pop style at home: 1. Red Velour Lounge Chair (currently unavailable - shop simiar red contemporary chairs here) 2. Glossy Yellow Side Table 3. Scatter Giclee Shade 4. Liora Manne Visions II Ikat Diamonds Red Area Rug 5. Fizz Collection Polished Chrome Chandelier 6. Vicart II 16" Wide European Contemporary Wall Art

Photos: ECLECchic.

With the official first day of summer just around the corner and temperatures already soaring in many parts of the country, it's only natural to crave lighter, brighter decor this time of year! Many summer interiors switches seem obvious—changing flannel bedsheets for crisp linens, swapping heavy draperies for sheers—but this year consider an unexpected update to your warm weather decor with table lamps in seasonally appropriate finishes. 

Look to your favorite summer vacation spots for ideas. The beach, with its reflective waters, hot sands, and waving grasses, makes for perfect inspiration. Glass table lamps have an airy personality and some even open at the top to allow for accents like shells or small souvenirs to be displayed. Ceramic lamps offer an earthy presence and evoke the feeling of the sun on your skin. Finally, coastal lamp shades and bases in rattan and jute have a distinct natural sensibility. Not only is new lighting high impact for low effort, it allows you to introduce a little texture and a lot of imagination to your summer decor!

Shopping Guide: 1. Shaped Glass Table Lamp 2. Cloche Fillable Glass Table Lamp 3. Clear Seeded Glass Table Lamp 4. Tagine Terracotta Table Lamp 5. Textured Pottery Table Lamp 6. White and Terracotta Table Lamp 7. Jute Table Lamp 8. Woven Shade Table Lamp 9. Woven Rattan Table Lamp

Images: Lamps Plus Guest Blogging Pinterest

The Craftsman style is a home decor trend steeped in history. Today’s version is somewhat of a melting pot combining true Craftsman Style as characterized by Stickley and Tiffany designs with Prairie Style and Art Nouveau.

This popular design trend, ideal for bungalows, has been featured at Lamps Plus with an entire Craftsman style decorating section offering everything from furniture to traditional outdoor lighting to decorative items to lamps.

You can’t miss a Craftsman home as there is usually a deep front porch designed in period style. Rockers are key as are rich metal sconces. Some folks like to use mica lamp shades which create a warm glow, but just know that they don’t throw off much light. If you must paint, darker greens and plums look good and reflect nature.

The Craftsman interior can be varied as I stated above, but regardless of the elements you include, it’s all about using interesting textures to create a cozy feel. Craftsman design celebrates nature in may forms, from the most natural materials like wood, leather and copper to nature depicted in carvings, fabrics and lamp shades. This space is successful because the woods are deeply burnished and rich and the copper and bronze are weathered exhibiting a forged look.

Craftsman style translates from living spaces to kitchens and bathrooms beautifully. Just remember to stick with natural wood and hammered bronze or oil rubbed hardware. When it comes to lighting, leaded fixtures and Tiffany-style chandeliers for the dining room work best.

Shopping guide: 1. Bronze Mission Style Tree Outdoor Wall Light 2. Florals Set of 3 Wall Art Pieces 3. Mission Style Oak Finish Slat Back Rocker 4. Recliner (currently unavailable - shop similar Arts & Crafts style seating here) 5. Quoizel Alhambra Tiffany Table Lamp 6. Pendant Chandelier (currently unavailable - shop similar Craftsman style pendant lighting here)

Photos: This Old House.

Juju hats have officially made a comeback in modern spaces and their impact in a space is not to be ignored! The traditional headdress makes for an impressive piece of wall art and brings great texture to the room! I'm particularly loving the juju hat in white feathers. It pops on a dark wall and balances a white wall and neutral room so harmoniously! Let's take a look!

The juju hat comes from the African country of Cameroon. They are a symbol of prosperity and usually worn by dancers during tribal ceremonies. Juju hats are made of feathers and grasses, meant to mimic the beauty and free qualities of a bird in flight. Can you just imagine how breathtaking a traditional Cameroon ceremony must be?!

I love the idea of a traditional headdress as a piece of statement art. The softness it brings to a room, especially a bedroom is just gorgeous! So, what do you think of decorating your home with a juju hat?

Image credits: Via Pinterest, Via Pinterest, Via Pinterest, House and Home, Design Gratis.

This summer....it's all about yellow.

What is it about yellow?

The color of sunshine.

The color of a tall glass of lemonade on a screened-in porch on a lazy summer day.

The color of spring flowers in the meadow dancing on a spring breeze.

The color of joy.  

Here are some easy ways to make a splash this summer by adding a little yellow into your home decor.  

1. Just a drop

A little pop of yellow brightens any room.

Add yellow in textiles or small pieces that are easily interchangeable.

Brighten a dark corner with fun yellow home accessories or a small piece of furniture like a yellow upholstered ottoman.

2. Toss it

Charge up a neutral room with brightly colored decorative pillows in a variety of patterns and colors.

Add texture with throw blanket or a vintage basket filled with your favorite magazines or books.

Draw the eye to a focal wall with a mirror in a vibrant yellow hue.  

3. Light it Up 

A current trend is bold color choices for lamps.

A vibrant Color + Plus floor lamp makes the perfect statement accessory.

Lighten up a side table or entry way with a pair of bright yellow lamps paired with a dramatic shade.

   
4. Sleep on it

Yellow makes a statement in a bedroom when paired with contemporary graphic prints and a delicately scrolled headboard or a colorful folding screen.

Create storage at the end of the bed with an upholstered bench in a cheerful print.

Add a pop of color to the walls with simple yellow picture frames.  

So this summer....it's all about yellow.

It's sunshine and lemonade and a field of flowers.

It's vibrant and sunny and vivid.......but the best thing about yellow?

It has the amazing ability to bring out a smile.  

Photo Credits: Photo 1: Thistlewood Farms Photo 2: bhg Photo 3: Martha Stewart Photo 4: Martha Stewart Photo 5: Sarah Richardson Design