Inspiration Board: Dark Beachy Living Room

Cheryl contacted me recently with a bit of a conundrum, and needed a bit of a design consultation.  She just recently signed a lease on a new place, only after she saw it the first time, the owners changed the paint colour to a deep grey.  Cheryl is more of a light grey and turquoise kind of girl, so she asked me for some suggestions on how she could work with the dark grey, and still keep a beachy-light feel to the place.  I came up with the Dark Beachy Living Room inspiration board:

If Cheryl is able, I suggested painting one focal wall in a lighter colour, such as “Shaken Not Stirred” by Valspar (available at Lowes).  If not, I think this colour scheme could easily work with the dark grey, as long as all the furniture and artwork elements are in lighter shades.  Having recently moved myself, I know how budgets can be tight right after moving, so I scoured the web for some elegant DIY elements that could easily be put in place.  One of the easiest and most striking displays in a home is a gallery wall.  By using white shadowbox frames, with turquoise paper placed behind, and white shells in the foreground, Cheryl will be able to both lighten her walls and bring in the beach feel she is looking for.  A white-framed mirror placed above her fireplace will help brighten the room – and a DIY element, such as a seashell garland, will bring in the beachy feel and memories of the ocean.  And if you didn’t want to go the DIY route, you could easily implement a room scheme like this with store-bought items.

When it comes to designing a room around a particular colour, especially if you’re not particularly fond of the colour (but it’s unchangeable), the first thing to think about is elements that you would like to have in the room.  With a dark room, it’s best to choose furniture and decor that will brighten the room, especially if it is not a particularly large space.  Since grey is a neutral colour, there was lots of room to maneuver here, and give Cheryl a look that she could truly love!

Do you need help with colour or design of a space in your home?  Leave a comment with your email address and we’ll chat!  Find the sources for this post below the cut!

Last Minute Father’s Day Printables

Did you forget tomorrow is Father’s Day?  Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.   I designed some tags that you can print and use a number of different ways.  The possibilities are endless.  Use them on a handmade card… cut them out and use them as cupcake toppers (you may want to scale the size slightly smaller for that!)… print them on cardstock and write a note on the back.  Just click on the image at left, which will link you to a larger file that you can right click and save.

Whichever way you use them, Dad will appreciate the thought – and I promise, I won’t tell him that it came at the last minute!

If you do use them, please post back and let me see what you did to recognize Dad on his special day!