Sleeping Beauty

 

 

Okay, we can’t help it, we’re getting rather festive here at Eco Chic, but as we are still in November, we don’t want to peak too soon!  That’s why we like the subtle Christmas wishes conveyed by this bedroom.

This room is not too over the top in its seasonal décor, but is certainly luxe enough for us to have high hopes for what might be left under the tree Christmas morning! 

Especially captivating is the bed - who wouldn’t want to wake up in this lavish creation! We appreciate how the decorative detail of the bedstead is allowed to shine against the pure white bed linen and complemented by the glorious Prussian blue velvet counterpane.  It’s a clever touch to add sumptuous dark blue on the bed as it saves the overall effect from being too dark and sombre and allows for the blue tone to be echoed in other furnishing items – most notably with the black desk and blue Perspex Eros chair.

The shot of shocking pink in the cute-yet-cool hot water bottle lifts the setting and adds depth and a focal point to the room, and we love the fact that it’s a hot water bottle – the good old fashioned eco way to keep warm!

Finally, how restrained and tasteful are these yuletide decorations?  The simple star hung over the bed, the bowl of baubles on the desk and fairy lights around the window add enough of a sense of anticipation to the room without going into garish plus the oh, so casual strand of perfectly placed tinsel over the end of the bed adds that touch of whimsy no Christmas should be without. 

Santa take note – this bedroom is on our wish list and we’ve been ever so good this year!



Gothic Cool or Cold and Creepy?

 

 

It’s Hallowe’en,  and our thoughts turn to the spooky and the kooky.  Hence this living room. A new and surprisingly ‘fresh’ take on the dark side of decorating, it still manages to send a clear message about the taste and lifestyle of the residents of this apartment. 

Do we like it, does it work and if so – why?

It’s easy to go over the top with a robust theme like gothic or emo, but here the use of lighter colours and unexpected touches give a ‘Gothic Lite’ result.  Black is kept to a minimum, appearing in  all the usual places such as the lamp and the fireplace -  apart from perhaps the radiator – there we can see a choice has been made to paint the radiator black and make a quiet statement. 

The white walls, floors and ceiling are actually rather uplifting and act as a clean foil to allow the hero pieces make their statement.  Same goes for the furniture – clean and modern keeps the room fresh and functional – black walls and heavy handed, dark and ornate furniture would surely have turned the room into a frightful cliché.

Decorating with skulls can be dangerous and stray into the realms of game lodge or, worse, ghost train.  Here, three skull references are made in very proximity but a touch of whimsy remains with the addition of the Staffordshire china dogs on the mantle and touches of colour in the cushions and books lighten the load.

The bookshelves are a clever idea!  Let the covers of your statement books shine, act as pieces of art in their own right – and you don’t need anywhere near as many books when they are displayed this way!  An idea to steal.

What do you think of this room – could you be comfortable and relaxed here or would you want to make a quick exit? Most of all, who does it make you think of? Rock star, writer, artist, designer or just a quirky accountant with a taste for the twilight zone?!



Tales of the Unexpected

 

 

Sometimes small adjustments can make dramatic differences.  Take this mood board featuring – in theory – very classic items.  A Persian rug, a coffee table, a wing chair and cushion, a side table.  Close your eyes, picture these pieces and a very traditional scene could present itself.  Here, simply changing colours and shapes allows a fresh interpretation of the familiar. 

·         Teal leather for the wing chair – unusual, lighter in look, perhaps more feminine than its classic tan leather counterpart.

·          Faceted gunmetal ceramic side table – more modern than the obvious asian style ceramic stool choice. 

·         Silver blue tones in the rug – selecting blues for an oriental rug rather than traditional reds takes this floor rug into the realms of contemporary glamour.

·         Circular coffee table – round and with a marble top is much less predictable than a rectangular wooden coffee table and deftly injects a cool crispness into the grouping.

Feel like something contemporary yet classic?  Eco Chic can help.  We can upholster the Yarra armchair in teal leather; the Facet stool has a similar silvery, angled style; the slate Maroc rug has silver blue tones in an exotic pattern or search on line for Turkish rugs; the Palermo accent table comes with a white marble top and can be custom ordered round.    

 

Bathing Beauty

We are wallpaper fans at Eco Chic, as it’s a very effective way of transforming a room without structural changes. Just think of the dramatic results achieved by wallpapers offering such things as faux brick finishes, library shelves and scenic vistas. 

Alternatively, more subtle changes can be brought about with an unusual wallpaper creatively used, as shown in this bathroom from House Beautiful. 

Such a dominant wallpaper isn’t an obvious choice for a small space, but one of the golden rules of decorating is to use large scale features in small rooms as it opens them up and lends an air of grandeur.  The sprawling botanic design of this paper is beautifully complemented by the dark tone of the ornate mirror and flattered by the charming floral arrangement displayed in a mercury glass vessel. 

The neutrality of the marble vanity works well with the duck egg blue tones of the wallpaper, providing contrast as well as crispness.  And of course the white touches in the lampshades and towels provide a bit of light relief. 

What do you think of this Cole & Son Orchid wallpaper – bravely botanical or boldly brash? Does it make the room and break the mould or is it not to your taste?  Do tell!

Did you know?  Eco Chic can source and supply wallpaper for you?  Seen something you love and want - just e mail us and we will assist!



Take a Leaf

Flowers are considered luxuries but perhaps should be viewed as essentials.  They are so uplifting and add such a fresh dimension to a room that, really, life should include flowers.

However, this time of year they aren’t so easy to pick from the garden and are expensive from the florist.  What about alternative solutions?  Here at Eco Chic we have always loved working with what’s at hand, and we have such lush tropical foliage here in Australia, why not use it to its best advantage?  Cut a few fronds from the garden or beg / borrow / steal some from a friend, artfully arrange in a big glass vase or funky vessel and you can add a whole new dimension to your living space!  Here are a few rooms we love that are doing just that – do you love too?

Keeping It Clean

A crisp and deceptively simple living room – is it clean and classic or cold and calculated?

·    Without the bold art and even bolder mantelpiece arrangement, this room would be almost unremarkable.  Further proof that Drama is in the Details

·    Blocks of solid tone anchor the room and prevent it from becoming too washed out; without the dark armchair and coffee table it would be a very blank space indeed

·    Pendant lights are always scene stealers and this one is no exception, stylish and simple it adds sparkle to the space

·    We love a fireplace and this one is a beauty – but how much nicer would this room be with a fire blazing away?!  A fire would light up the room, warm up the space and take this living area from sophisticated to stunning!

Like this look?  We have suggestions... Paloma stool is along these lines, ethnic and exciting.  The Lily sofa is gorgeous in pale linen. A large Isla coffee table would look great on a big, pale rug. Try the Parker lounge chair in charcoal velvet if you like the studded look. Our yellow Thorn Glass Vases look fabulous clustered along a mantle.  Finally, the Christina pendant is clear glass and eye catching or ask about our Custom Pendants.

Must-Have Mustard

Whether it be in your skirt, in your hotdog, or in your home, mustard is swoon-worthy. It gives yellow an edge that breathes new life, new possibilities and new combinations!

Contrasting it with gorgeous hues of raspberry and watermelon, a bland space is instantly revitalised.

•  A feature wall such as this is great without any art or wall accessories. But make sure you liven up the ceiling with a funky light pendant.
• When keeping the rest of the palette neutral, feel free to go a little wild with patterns and textures. See how the leopard print cushions blend beautifully with the zebra stripe mattress and cowhide rug. Creative, crafty and clever!
• Check out Dulux Softsun for a punchy tone of mustard, or have a custom colour mixed from a favourite scarf, photo or fabric for an extra personal touch.

 

Want the look with Eco Chic? Why don't you try some feature cushions in mustard, such as

Jandals Yellow or the Poppy Cushion. Team it with a gorgeous sofa like the Coco, add a hint of watermelon with the Bamileke Painted Table and ta-dah! Just beautiful!



Mid-Century Sophistication

 

Unusual, masculine and encompassing a natural and rustic style, this room looks lived in yet smart and casual at the same time.  So why is it that this room works so well?

• Don’t be scared of leather. While an entire room in leather may be a bit much, a splash here and there adds a touch of luxe.
• Nowhere to put floor to ceiling curtains? It doesn’t matter, do it anyway! We love how clever these curtains are, hanging them high has given the room a lofty feel, and keeping them minimalist in terms of tone and style adds sophistication.
• Add some plants to your living area. Not only do they create carbon dioxide which is good for your health, but they brighten the space with their intense colour.

To get the look with Ecochic, try our Serengeti Weave Rug. For an eye-catching coffee table, you cant go wrong with the Carillo, which is Australian designed and made. 

Oriental Persuasion

Oriental is a style that can be beautiful if done right and this room uses slight hints throughout, resulting in a flow of these gorgeous eclectic pieces.

• White couches are a perfect foil to colourful accents, such as this green coffee table trunk. The vintage style of the trunk adds so much character to the room, while its colour freshens up the space. What a perfect item!
• Don’t be scared to mismatch chairs or mismatch styles. An accent chair is supposed to do just that – accent. Make sure the colours are in the right scheme - these ones are perfect as you can’t go past purple and green together!
• Birdcages – the flavour of the year! In order for these to succeed, perhaps try a fresh way that’s not the norm – in this case they are grouped to add drama to the cupboards. Do you have birdcages? How do you use yours?

Want to re-create? Add some colour  with our gorgeous Erica Armchair. If you want to try the oriental twist, check out our Fiona Cupboard made from hand-carved bone panels. Stunning!

Best Exotic Indian Dining Room

We love the film Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and we love this dining room, too! The vibrancy of the colours and the individuality of interpretation are very eye catching – do you agree?

 

• The yellow mirror frames and the red chair frames would normally be a match made at McDonalds, but here they work in tandem to give a fresh, bright tone to the room.
• The delightful pendant light pulls the disparate elements in the room together, and anchors the theme.
• The heaviness of the table is off-set by the crispness of the chairs, and we appreciate that the chair fabric is not ethnic in reference, as that would have been overkill.
• The elephant art could have tipped the room over into kitsch, but the careful balance of the flowers on the console and the lightness of the dining setting keep it all in the realms of good taste. 

So what do you think – love it or hate it? Tastefully different or over the top? A tribute to India or a testimony to trashy? We’d love to hear from you!

We just Adore Adore!

Attention Design Hunters...this online magazine is just gorgeous and Eco Chic is featured this month along with SO many other beautiful things...Hooray for colour!!  Well worth a read. http://www.adoremagazine.com/

Mellow Yellow

Loving the sunshine bright new post from Adore magazine!  Bring some sparkle to your day  and check out the latest edition www.adoremagazine.com 

Black and White Rugs

Help us decide!  We want to add some designs to our Dakota cowhide rug range but can't decide which of our ideas should make the final cut. Please be aware, the images below

are inspirational images, not ones we would simply copy!

We are always interested to get your input and suggestions, and this time could really do with your thoughts about these rug designs.
Which ones are a hit, which ones a miss and which ones should never have seen the light of day?!

Diamond Checkerboard

Long Ovals

Geometric Diamonds

Interlinked Stars

So what do you think - would any / all make a good black and white cowhide rug? Remember, these rugs have texture and natural rhythm which makes for an organic and interactive floorshow!

Adore Home Magazine

Here at Eco Chic we really look forward to the latest issue of Adore Home, a stylish on-line magazine that's a treasure trove of gorgeous things, great taste and genuine trends - and we're not just saying that because Adore features our stuff!

Have a look through the magazine and get addicted!  www.adoremagazine.com

Making an Entry

If you walked through your front door to see this hall everyday, your uber chic sense of style would certainly be affirmed! This daring and inspired entrance is fun, playful and so very interesting. Pop the champagne because I’m already sold! What makes it so hip?  

• First of all, the rug. The way it’s positioned off kilter and transitions two different floor materials is clever/cool ...not to mention the print! 
• Play with shapes. Circles and squares were the cat’s meow in the 1920’s. Love that funky square divider which is strategically clashed with the circular mirror and very sculptural table lamp.
• Better in black...these painted floorboards are the perfect foil to the white and primary colours. This is a recipe hard to get wrong.
• Keep it simple. Don’t overdo the accessories. You want the attention on the a few fabulous feature pieces. 
• Eclectic to the extreme! Our favourite style when done right...it takes someone brave and talented to combine pieces from so many different eras.

Eco Chic has a few pieces that will help you on the road to this super cool look. Check out our black and white stripe Dakota Chevron cowhide rug and our Martinique room screen which comes in white or colours. As for accessories, we have a gorgeous range of vases, including the bright yellow Thorn Glass and some great Mirrors.

Wonderful in White

Contemporary & Farmhouse had a love child.... There are no bundles of hay or overly obvious country motifs, yet this room still gives the feeling of being miles from the city. The crisp white walls and furniture bounce light around the room and create a feeling of spaciousness, and of course the ceiling helps! Can we just say Ah-mazing! Now, how do you create this look, you say?

• Dare to go industrial! But be careful not to take it too far. Stick to just a few statement pieces.
• Try to find furnishings made from hand-worked metals like iron or copper, worn timber or even add some rope to give that “rough around the edges” look.
• Too much white can be too Psychiatric Ward! In this room the fireplace does wonders to add that spark of colour. If that’s not possible just add flowers, a rug or ornaments with subtle colour.
• Try wall panelling on all or just one wall, this texture will add interest and give the room an inviting country feel.
• Straight clean lines give this room modern sophistication especially in the upholstered furniture. This simplicity offsets the detailed iron pieces nicely.

To get the look with Eco Chic, check out our Parker Sofa in white hemp. We have a number of industrial style pendant lights to choose from and fantastic farmhouse style rustic dining tables to give that warm feeling. If you are so lucky to have a fireplace...do top it off with a nice big round mirror!