Family Room Styles

Yellow glazed walls brighten the double parlor, where columns define the two seating areas. An impressive collection of antiques and fabrics in a rainbow of colors keep this living room from feeling too stale.

Feature a classic design in a fresh way with the added dimension of an accent wall. Fiery orange gives this living room an autumn glow, while highlighting the rich upholstery and regal details.

For this old-world library, Minton let his choice of Persian rugs drive the warm color palette of reds, golds, and greens. Here, the blend of patterns and wood-paneled walls create an environment that seems destined for relaxing with a scotch or glass of wine.

Spice up an all-white den with tangerine accents. A Moroccan floor cushion and cozy throw blanket become statement pieces in this simple, symmetrical living room.

Clean, modern lines and exotic accessories give this living room a Bali-inspired, open-air vibe.

Create a serene atmosphere with muted hues. Here, celery green walls and natural fabrics set the stage while pale yellow lends a pop of color without disrupting the relaxed mood. via

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Renew What You Already Own

Reimagine what you already have


For Kelly LaPlante, a leading Los Angeles-based interior designer, author, television host, and new mother, green design isn't just about choosing fabrics and furniture made from sustainable materials.
She prefers to help her clients find new use―and often unexpected new love―for things they already own. "There's nothing more green than keeping what you have," she says.

Her own Venice loft is proof that hand-me-downs and thrift-store finds can rise to stylish new purpose.

Refinish


The dining table was brown and had belonged to a client. “They were going to throw it away,” says LaPlante, who saw potential in its curves.
After being revived with a punch of bold red low-VOC paint (try shiny-finish Sophia by Bungaloo, mybungaloo.com), it’s the star of her dining area.

Reveal


Rather than adding new floor covering, LaPlante stripped decades of paint from her loft's concrete floor. "The patina that had developed from all those years is beautiful," she says. "We just had the floor buffed and called it a day."
Strategically placed area rugs keep rooms cozy.

Refresh


LaPlante's partner Mike Rader relaxes on a used sofa in the living area. She paid just $200 for it, had the cushions steam-cleaned (about $30), and repainted the trim a glossy white.

Rethink


LaPlante often rethinks definition to find the perfect fit for objects. Here, she uses an outdoor garden stool as an indoor side table.

Remix


Kelly encourages making your own eclectic dish set with mismatched cups and plates―with styles from all different time periods―from secondhand stores.

"They don't have to go together, they just have to look interesting together," she says.

Retreat


Potted plants serve double-duty here as a privacy screen from neighbors (while still allowing a city view) and as natural air-filters.

Hope this gave you ideas on renewing your own design by looking around your home for what you already own.

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Beaching It

Outdoors and indoors freely commingle at this California beach house — so much so that it's almost as if the residents had let the breathtaking natural environment colonize thier Santa Barbara home, situated on a spectacular sliver of land clasped between the ocean and a tidal bird sanctuary. A bowl of sand dollars on the entry table greets guests. A rough-cut limestone coffee table is strewn with fine flotsam: an African shell necklace, shell-encrusted bowls, terra-cotta doves and eroded stone spheres. And the multitude of pelicans, curlews, sanderlings and herons that poke and wade and idle outside in the marsh appear to have found new niches inside, represented by a growing collection of avian sculptures and figures that nestle on tables, shelves and books.

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