I once read “a mirror is like a window you can hang on any wall”.  This has really stuck with me, and I love seeing how designers use mirrors on to lead natural light into the darker spaces of a room. Here are a couple of examples, all with round mirrors:

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Behind this cozy beige living area is a dining area, with a deep brown accent wall. See the four round mirrors?

(Fluegge Interior Design via Houzz)

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Here they are in all their glory. I love the heavy frames on the dark wall, it looks very dramatic.

(Fluegge Interior Design via Houzz)

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A closeup of one of the mirrors. In the reflection you can see even more round mirrors on the opposite wall!

(Fluegge Interior Design via Houzz)

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This stairway is decorated with multiple round mirrors. The reflective mirrors on the rich wall are like reverse wormholes (whatever that would be?). I adore this!

(Amaroso Design)

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This dreamy bedroom is designed by Kate McIntyre and was featured in Traditional Home:

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The walls are covered with reindeer and trees, with the ceiling picking up the lilac tones from the wall. The four poster bed is placed on a custom hand sown cowhide rug in various shades of cream.

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Color palette for this look!

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The fairytale wall covering is actually a mural. The Four poster bed is custom made in polished cattle bone (which is kinda grotesque..?). Take a look at the beautiful clove leaf details on the headboard.

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Just beautiful!

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This cabinet is also custom made with metallic doors and branch pulls.

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For the complete list of  all the beautiful components of this room, visit Traditional Home’s website here!

This bathroom was love at first sight, even though it is not my style at all. That’s how cute it is ! Must be all the unexpected elements like the freestanding copper tub on the terracotta floors tiles and the creative storage solutions.

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Towels are layered on a ladder leaned against the wall for easy access when climbing out of the tub. Soaps and shampoo is placed on an old garden chair, completely styled with scented candles and potted roses. You can get the tub from here (at a nice price!).

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Sage green walls with seagrass green furniture and terracotta floor tiles. Various shades of  muted pinks serve as accent color.

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A gray wicker chair with soft linen cushion and a matching ottoman provides a place to relax and maybe do a home manicure. The tall floor candle holder and the fresh potted roses adds to the romantic atmosphere.

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The sink looks like a tiny version of the tub. It is mounted on what looks like a tiny modified desk. Instead of shelves for (additional) towel storage, an old wicker basket is placed underneath the sink console. Definitely cute and creative, but I would want a larger mirror though.

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Bathroom accessories are stored in a copper  sauce pan inside this cabinet. Talk about matching!

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The romantic style is all in the details. Take a look at these beautiful jars for storage of bath salt. Decorated with flowers and pink ribbon. So easy, so cute.

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In need of inspiration? Head over to House to Home where you can (like here) browse by room! BTW I would love to know who designed / styled this bathroom, anyone know?

Interior Designer Madeline Stuart is based in Los Angeles and in addition to designing beautiful interiors, she has designed a collection of  custom furniture. Madeline’s design style is something I can definitely relate to; Timeless!

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In this white bedroom Madeline used a black four poster bed and covered the back with a dark material for a snug headboard look. The simple lines is softened with a fluffy white area rug. Love the crude wood side table.

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Who wouldn’t want a view like that from their living room?

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This home is pretty modern with clean lines and bare surfaces. The raw stone brick wall is a sure way to add some cabin flavor, warm and perfect for a cozy seating area.  That tiny orange stool totally looks like a crab!

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The kitchen is very modern with clean lines and brushed steel. I’m usually not a fan of steel overload, but I think it is really well balanced out here with the dark stained wood cabinets and floors. What do You think?

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The dining room is separated from the kitchen with a sliding barn door. Love that table, what are those called? Looks fantastic combined with the glam nail head trimmed chairs and chandelier.

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The flower cowhide rug is from the Rug Company. At first I was wondering what was the thought behind the branch in the ceiling, till I saw the tiny lamps on it. It must be a (very creative) lamp!

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San Francisco based design firm Charles De Lisle Workshop specializes in artisan designed furnishings, lighting and art. Who’s up for some artistic eye candy?

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Have you ever seen a coffee table like that? A pile of rope in a glass box. It looks so much better that it sounds.

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The ocean art on the right is really big. If you go back to the first picture, see how it is the perfect size behind the sofa, as if it was hanging right above it?  Impressing design!

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Absolutely love the heavy raw wood console with the beautiful vignette contrasting both the classic architecture and the very sleek modern furniture. I want this!

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The golden side tables probably specially designed by Charles De Lisle Workshop. If you can’t afford custom, both Neiman Marcus and Z Gallerie have alternatives.

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The Color Palette: Wall color could be Pantone Warm Gray 3C, or the slightly less red analog BM Rollex Siding Cobblestone.

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A calm and beautiful bedroom of beige and crisp white on dark hardwood floor. I don’t understand how one can make an orange Arne Jacobsen egg chair (1958) look so elegant!

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Door frame says it all…

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The contrast between simple modern furniture, raw materials and classic beauty is readily visible in this dining room too. Take a look at that light fixture!

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I recently came across these beautiful photos I hadn’t seen before. They are from Elle Decor’s May 2009 issue, so chances are you may have already seen them.  These breathtaking interiors belong to  actress Alexandra Wentworth and her husband, news-anchor  George Stephanopoulos, situated in Georgetown.

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The room has a neutral backdrop with splashes of different shades of purple. Love the quirky area rug with purple squids. Alexandra has been collecting seashells since childhood, and they are displayed throughout the room. I especially love the giant clam shell in the fireplace.

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See how much the wall color changes in this photo from the former. It looks a lot warmer here. The ceiling is also painted light blue.

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One wall is dedicated to Alexandra’s collection of sea shells and sea fans.

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The wall color could be something like BM Opal.

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Their home was designed by Elisabeth Martin, and after a look into her fantastic portfolio, I came across a few more photos from Alexandra and George’s home.  I didn’t realize how much color adjustment they use in the magazine pictures (which probably explains the changing wall color). The colors are entirely different, but beautiful nonetheless.

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I notice there are no squids on this carpet, I wonder if they changed the carpet to or from this? The room also has a different layout, and the sofa is actually not indigo but aubergine. Also, the back of the built-in shelves are not actually blue-green but dark gray!

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So what have we learned today? Well, we shouldn’t be too sad when our living room does not look as good as the ones in the magazine photos. Good lighting and color adjustments makes a whole lotta difference (+ a professional photographer).

At the end of the day, I love the glossy magazine pictures, retouched or not. To me it is not about recreating reality, rather showing possibility (is it even possible?). What are your thoughts? Are you Pro or Against interior photoshopping?

–> You can read the whole article and see the rest of this home on Elle Decor’s website, see Eleisabeth Martin’s portfolio here!

John Willey is behind today’s interior designs, which are all about the color combination Yellow and Blue!

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This is so pretty and styled, it almost looks like a dollhouse.

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A few large but visually very interesting decor items really makes all the difference on this patio. The high gloss paint on the “ceiling” (under the veranda) gives of some “clean” vibes.

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This yellow living room is accented with sky blue and brown. Take a look at the pretty pattern on the sofa to the left. It is repeated in the accent pillow on the blue sofa, tieing the room togheter even more. I love the blue and brown ottoman- a refreshing take on the very popular zebra stripe.

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Side view. The blue sofa looks so wide from this angle.

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A coastal vignette and a beautiful kitchen decorated with blue and yellow. Very unusual ceiling lamp.

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Yellow and blue coastal style bedroom. I love the big X in the ceiling, it would only work for a square room like this one.

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This bedroom can be yours for a night or two if you happen to visit Australia. It is the Clarendon Hotel in Newcastle:

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The room is beige with a rusty red accent wall behind the deep brown leather bed. I really like this type of bed, there is just something about the bed end that appeals to me. Simple lines, rich colors and heavy drapes combine into a masculine bedroom.

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The beige wall color could be something like Pantone 467 C, while the red is Pantone 1675 C.

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The huge round mirror over the bed is probably this one (right) from Heal’s at £825.oo ($1,240).  A similar style mirror by Furniture in Fashion is priced at merely £99.95  ($150). Both Mirrors are 100 cm (40 in). Laura Ashley also has a smaller one.

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Off topic; Australia is one of my dream destinations, I am under the impression there is a wicked wildlife over there, with the super cute Koala Bears and the crazy looking Armadillos (the latter of which I always associate with roadkill, LOL). Anyone been to- or live in Australia? Am I way off with my conception?

UPDATE: Apparently I was way off with the Armadillo, but I’d love to go to Aus and see one of those super cute Koalas. Thanks Beachtropic for filling me in!!

As the sky keeps falling down on our heads in the form of big fluffy sow flakes, here are some warm sunny interiors brought to you by the one and only Pottery Barn. I love the atmosphere in all of these photos, as well as the touches of fresh green plants and flowers. Dear Spring- we are ready for your arrival!!

I really love this picture, just want to jump into that soft sofa and grab that yellow book on interior design =D

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These clear glass base vases are so cute and versatile. Your imagination is your only limit here. The electrical cord is very visible though.

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Round dining table on a round area rug. Gotta love a great storage solution. Wonder what I would store under the table if I had one..? Very creative vase too.

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How cute are these tiny cake stands with even tinier cupcakes on them? One for each guest maybe?

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These looks so good they deserve their own closeup.

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The biggest treat of browsing Pottery Barn’s website is all the super cute and totally doable decor, like the fresh green leafs submerged in water in the apothecary jars. Oh, and one jar dedicated to vine corks. Very befitting and practical at a vine “bar”.

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Fern leafs and all kinds of botanical prints are very popular right now. I see it literally everywhere. And I adore this bedroom =)

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Are you longing for spring as much as I do?

Anne Coyle designed this beautiful living room with a color palette of cool soothing blues with vibrant pops of pink and coral:

I love a good symmetric layout, and that coffee table is gorgeous!

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Side view. Would you use cool colors like this in your home?

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The paint color looks like Benjamin Moore Silver Cloud.

The wall opposite of the sofa has a beautiful fireplace and a cozy seating area for two. I have noticed that art pieces like the one  above this mantle is often used with light blue color schemes, like in this and this previous post. Coincidence? Light blue does look great combined with metallics.