Design Trend: Blue Hues in Home Decor

Boy oh boy, do I have the case of the blues (not the boo-hoo blues)!! Shades of blue were introduced at High Point Market this Spring. In the fashion industry, Pantone may have announced "Marsala" to be the fashion color of the year but blue is the color of the year in furniture, accessories, and home decor as well. Today I will be sharing my inspiration and home decor in bright blues that you can add to your home and reinvent your space.

If you follow me on Instagram, I shared my inspiration of a vignette with vibrant blue plantation shutters and moroccan tile around it. Pigmented blue hues ranging from royal to indigo to watery azure are trending for this season on the runway and in home decor.

Introduce shades of blue to any decorating palette in doses or as the main focus. Blue plays well off of primary colors such as yellow or red for a bold impact. Pair blue with orange for a energetic color combo. On the contrary, couple blue hues with purple or green for soothing and cool palette. Blue could also serve as an accent color when paired with neutrals like the room featured below.

 (Photo via 6th Street Design School)

Whether you choose to add vibrant blue tones in big way or subtle way, I have found a few options that will suit your decor needs. Here are some blue decor ideas that you can incorporate into your home.

1. Silk Pillow // 2. Cobalt Table Lamp // 3. Porcelain Chinoiserie Vase // 4. Indigo Scarf // 5. Tufted Sofa // 6. Botanical Watercolor Art // 7. Hall Chest // 8. Ikat Rug

Did you find something you liked? Pin this image to your Pinterest board so you can shop later. Are you following me on Pinterest? Let's be friends :)

http://pinterest.com/byamadesigns/

For current photos of my work and progress photos, follow AMA Designs on Facebook or Instagram.

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What to do with A LOT of Wine Corks?

My family and I have collected wine corks over the years. Why? I'm not sure. We have so many wine corks that we could possibly build an addition onto our house... okay maybe not that much but we do have a lot.

So what do you do with all your wine corks?

Here is what I came up with:

1. A Cork Wreath to put on your front door so all your neighbors know you're a wine-o

Level: Medium-Hard

Directions: Cut out a wreath template using foam board, Use Gorilla Glue to glue on corks (hot glue gun doesn't work! the sun remelts the glue and made mine fall apart the first time around lol I've learned from experience), Add grapes and bows

2. Naughty and Nice Cork Ornaments

Level: Easy

Directions: Paint corks, add felt for clothes and hats, pipe cleaners for arms, the options are endless.

3. A Xmas Tree

Level: Easy

Directions: Make a pyramid of corks, glue one row at a time, paint some of the edges, add bow or star for a topper.

4. A More Complicated Christmas Tree (because one isn't enough)

Level: Hard

Directions: Honestly, this looks easier than it is. The beginning rows started off easy but the larger the base got - the harder it was. I glued rings of corks together in different sizes, then glue each row together to make a stacked row tree.

I hope you enjoyed this post! I can't wait to see what you come up with! Please tag your creations on Instagram or Twitter @byamadesigns. I will repost all my favorites :) Happy holidays everyone!

Warmest wishes,

Amanda M. Amato

AMA DESIGNS

Kick off the Holiday Season with STYLE!

In honor of Thanksgiving coming around the corner, I am surely in the holiday spirit! This year I will be visiting California and spending Thanksgiving with my cousins and family. I could not be more grateful to be celebrating with them this year! I am very close with my family but the distance hinders communication. I can't wait to spend quality time with them. Since I am not hosting Thanksgiving this year, I thought it would be nice to share gift ideas for the host to show my appreciation for having me. After all, it does take a lot of time, effort, and stress to be a host !! I feel they should be rewarded for their tremendous effort for putting together a wonderful evening. As it is the season of giving, I like to give gifts that are both functional and thoughtful.

Gift Ideas for the Host or Hostess

For the Wino (If you love wine say AYE! ..... Ayeeeee! ) - A bottle of wine with gourmet cheese, bread, and fig jelly spread. Or you can create this fabulous dinner basket with a pasta strainer and fresh pasta. Great idea for the couple who just moved in.

For the Tech Savvy - I have tech savvy people in my family. I found a list of cool tech gifts. I couldn't decide which gadget I liked most! Here is one of my faves. A charging case, which is totally needed for any person who is constantly on their phone (guilty).

For the Dream Chaser - Okay, I admit. I even want one of these beauties for myself! I found these mantra bands on Etsy.

For the Beauty - Create a beauty basket. It can be filled with nail polish, facial masks, or an amazing body scrub. Learn to make your own body scrub, here!

For the Cozy - A fuzzy blanket from West Elm paired with a great read, a fun mug, or a starter log if they have a fireplace.

For those of you hosting the part, I've got your tables decorations covered! The focal point during dinner parties is always the dining table or wherever you are serving the food. Learn how to create the perfect table scape for your dinner party!

5 Steps to a Fabulous Table Setting:

1. Candles - Nothing sets the mood of your evening than some candles burning! Place a couple votives or hurricane candles on the table as a centerpiece.

2. Linens - Add texture and interest to your table by layering linens. Add a table cloth to protect your table and to anchor the table with a basic color or pattern if you wish. Then add a table runner and contrasting placemats.

3. Glam Napkin Rings - I'm a sucker for some glamour! I am loving these brooches

4. Flowers and Naturals - I love fresh flowers but they don't have to be used for every holiday. Try using pinecones, white pumpkins, or gords for Thanksgiving.

5. Personalize It - If you are having a large gathering, sometimes it is easier to pre-determine where everyone is sitting first. This way you can avoid that awkward moment of people aimlessly standing around the table saying. "Where am I sitting?" or "I think I put my drink here...." Create decorative place cards or use Initial Ornaments that guests can take home after the party.

Here's the Story behind AMA Designs

I have always had the dream of helping people growing up. Instead of being a nurse or a therapist, I chose the creative route which came natural to me. As a child, my perspective was very different than the rest of the kids in my class. During playdates, I would walk into my friends rooms, open up their toy closet and say, "Oh no, this should go here. This should go there....." Until I began to fully reorganize their entire closet. My mother would receive phone calls after playdates, "Amanda can come over anytime! She completely redid my living room and it looks great."

It wasn't until that moment that I realized what I was doing was actually changing how people felt and functioned on a day-to-day. It clicked - I really was helping people!

I always knew I wanted to be an Interior Designer at a very young age. It's weird to think that my decision has not changed since I was six years old. My friends were dreaming of becoming a Princess and I was too busy designing Barbie's Dream House. I never really cared for dolls. I loved playing with blocks and making forts with all the blankets and chairs we owned in the house.

Today, I continue to help people with their interiors both aesthetically and functionally. Sometimes I feel like the creative-version of a therapist. There has been plenty of times where I would walk into a bedroom and it just feels lifeless. Although, the owner was so *energetic* and *bold*. I believe your home should be a reflection of yourself. Bring your personality into your space and let it shine! My job is to help people define their space by bringing out reflections of their personality and also making their house feel like a home <3. You are unique and your home should have as much character as you do!

If you want to see some of my work, feel free to check out my portfolio. I am also very active on social media. Visit the Follow page for direct links to all my pages. Let's be friends :)

This post was inspired by Alex Beadon's Feel Good Blogging Challenge Day #2.