Harmony in the Home

I got to thinking about why I originally put together this blog.  At first, it was a desire to speak interior design with all the other designers and bloggers out there who had such incredible blogs and information to share.  Some of my favorites are;  French Essence, The City Sage, Cote de Texas, Grayson:  A Different Shade of Grey, and Tobi Fairley.

But, then I thought about my blog name.  Harmony and Home.  Where balance, serenity and living come together.  I try to achieve this everyday in my life, because life can be so chaotic.

So, in an effort to speak harmonious homes to you, I thought about what makes a home harmonious to me.  Symmetry, balance, organic materials, and simple color palettes are a start.  So, I’ve gathered together some wonderful images that speak Harmony and Home to me.

ORGANIC MATERIALS

 

 

Here on this stone porch is a wonderful mix of wood, cane and rattan.  Plus, the simple color palette, with the blue/grey flagstone, the coordinating table color and the coordinating color on the siding of the home make this space feel very relaxing.

Again, more rattan in this beach home designed by Barclay Butera.  Plants add life to a room as well.  If possible, I try to incorporate a little green into each room.

Lori Dennis Designer had wonderful bones to begin with in designing this space.  The incredible wood plank ceiling gives this room an instant earthy feel.  Add a some succulents, a great large floor mirror to reflect all the organic elements of the room and you have peaceful living.

This James Radin designed bedroom with the seagrass wallcovering is one of my favorite ways to incorporate organic material into a room.  I love how he paired the bedspread with the wonderful picture on the wall.

 

SIMPLE COLOR PALETTES

Thomas Pheasant is one of my favorite designers.  The man just knows how to pull a room together.  It’s never overkill and it always just seems to have the right amount of furniture, accessories, pattern and color.  Here, he has a very neutral color scheme with creams and wood tones. 

Yes, it’s a bathroom and yes, a lot of bathrooms are white, but what sets this one apart for me are cool blue tones that are ever so slightly added to the wallpaper, the color of the glass and even a touch of blue grey in the floor tile.   This is a bathroom that I could truly be quiet in for hours.

  

Another one of my favorite color schemes is white with a straw color as shown here in this bedroom.  The bed is fantastic with it’s fabric weave and the lampshades, drapes and what looks like shell prints call up sweet dreams.

I featured this picture in a post not long ago, but I’m repeating it here to show how simple and elegant white furniture is with dark wood.  This is splendor to me!

 

SYMMETRY

The two sofas facing each other provide wonderful symmetry and balance  to this room, whose focal point is of course that wonderfully tiled fireplace!  Gorgeous!  What does one look at first…. the fireplace or that beautiful tin ceiling?

Here the room offers both symmetry, balance and a calm and simple color palette.  I love cane chairs and the chaise in front of the fireplace is perfect for laying back and reading a book while listening to a crackling fire.

 

 

Hamilton Design Associates made this wall as symmetrical as one can get with the bookcases, sconces and wall ornament surrounding the loveseat and tall mirror.

 

BALANCE

This Flatiron apartment by Goralnick Architecture and Design displays a good example of balance in the room.  The seating group is centered around a round glass coffee table and the two tall table lamps provide height at either end of the sofa.

Here designer James Radin balanced this bedroom with opposite chair with ottoman and chaise lounge.  He smartly placed a loveseat with a view to the exterior and kept the wall color simple.  The seagrass rug completes the beach house aesthetic.

 

Hamilton Design Associates balanced this dining room with the bench seat opposite the buffet.  The large round mirror reflects the exterior and opposing mirrored corner cabinets give the room an architectural element that is fantastic.

What is the most peaceful room in your home and why? 

EXCITING NEWS…. I will be having a contest soon where I will award one lucky reader a 40 x 40 framed piece of artwork.  Stay tuned for information on the fabulous company that is offering this to you.