Recently, as I was brainstorming ideas for a blog post,  I decided to put my fearlessness of all things interior design to the test. I searched for the boldest 2012 design trends that I could find. I asked myself if I could imagine doing this in my own home.  {Answers to follow}. But before I share, I ask you:  Could you be so courageous as to do some of the most current design trends? Or do intense, over the top, bold trends bring up a fear that prevenst you from taking a risk in your personal decor?

BOLD STRIPES: Could you use bold stripes in your house? Not the soft, barely noticeable stripes but the kind that make you take notice.

How about basic black and white-but going wide and covering every wall?

A bold move: combining several colors going in a direction you don’t see very often?

You could also go bold with stripes by adding adding some bends in an otherwise “straight”-foward pattern.

BRIGHT COLORS: Does using bold colors in your decorating make you feel anxious? Using intense colors can be difficult for those who like to stick to the basic white and beige.

However you can stick to a conservative color choice with your walls and add vibrant colors in your textiles and accessories.

A bolder color choice would be to add an intense color to one accent wall in your room. Keep in mind that with some intense colors-like neon yellow- a little goes a long way.

If you have an obsession for one color-then the boldest use of color would be to do the entire room in the color you love. Keep in mind that you need to plan to add other colors and textures-like the use of wood-to balance out the intensity and create the perfect balance.

BOLD ECLECTIC: This is one of my favorite ways to go bold. Taking a variety of seemingly unrelated design items and bringing them together in perfect harmony.

Feel a little Bohemian? Then mix a variety of patterns, bright colors and styles of furniture from far away places. Add some great accessories and lighting and you’ve got a great eclectic look.

For a less bold approach, add a few eclectic decor pieces to an otherwise traditional room. This works well for those trying to ease into this style while keeping their fears under control.

BOLD METALLIC: Glitz and glam are still going strong. However, instead of adding just a small piece of metallic accent pieces, how about being so bold as to add an entire piece of furniture?

For an even bolder approach: pair the metallic fabric covered furniture with mirrored side tables?

Or add metallic to your wall by using it in your wallpaper which you combine with metallic inspired accent furniture.

For the less bold, using metallic laced fabrics with simple metal inspired accents are a great way to go with this trend.

So which bold design trend do I feel fearless about putting into my home? Since I’ve already used the intense color approach {ala Ashley’s pink bedroom}, my number one choice is to go bold metallic in my entry {ala wallpaper} followed closely by adding some bold eclectic in my guest bedroom {ala a variety of India inspired fabrics on the furniture and bedding}.

How about you FHR readers. How fearlessly bold are you?

Related posts:

1. Design Inspiration: White Done Right
2. Fashion to Design: An Inspiration Necklace
3. Design Inspiration: Tango with Tangerine Orange

1. I spent an entire Sunday trying to convince Eric to stop pummeling my nephews with that football. Can you see it in his hand? Once I saw my nephews laughing at their own slow demise {exaggeration}, I figured they were enjoying it and gave up.

2. I have been watching my succulents grow quite rapidly. I am a novice plant carer. Does anyone know a thing or two about succulents? I think it’s time to move them into a bigger pot, but heck, what do I know? Help???

3. I am known to be caught admiring small details lately, like the delicate lace on these sleeves. I’ve been working on letting the smaller details speak for themselves, and opting for less accessories and trendy clutter.

4. This EXPLORE art is on a building down at the ASU Tempe campus. I am sure some of you have seen it. I passed it every Tuesday and Thursday this last semester. It was always cool to look up and see the reflection flip the word in the correct way.

5. Pointy flats… Do you own some?

6. So I guess I am guilty of torturing my nephews as well; Jamie sent me this photo in a text. I am chasing some good baby crack with my iPhone. Cute nieces and nephews sure have the power to turn an Aunt into a creep!

Related posts:

1. Boston Baby – Part One
2. Inside FHR: Diary of a Mom
3. Inside FHR: 2 Months Down, a Lifetime to Go

Want to brighten up your lack-luster decor? How about adding a little neon? This 2012 color trend for Spring/Summer is big and bold. I can say from personal experience that neon done right is fun to use in your home decor. My first design project happened to include neon. When I was a teenager my mother trusted my budding design skills and let me choose the wallpaper for my newly remodeled bathroom. I can only imagine what she thought when I fell in love with a floral printed paper that included a bright shade of neon green combined with yellow, black and white. Sounds a little scary but it was incredibly striking-especially when it was combined with the neon green lattice printed wallpaper that we used on the ceiling. {Thanks Mom for having faith in my design style when I was only 16 years old! But looking back on it I think you were just a little crazy to trust me.}

via hellobrit

Everyone would agree that neon colors really pop but they can be a little scary to use in home decor because of their intensity. A little goes a long way. Neon can be intimidating and some people are afraid to use it while others- who think they are being really brave in this color choice-will limit their neon use to a single tiny decorative accessory. However,  if you are a real trend setter and want to go bold with neon you are going to want to follow a few rules.

Don’t overdo it. You need to plan carefully where and how you will use it. Be aware of the background color palette of the room. Combine neon fabric covered pillows with simple neon painted chairs and add it to a white kitchen. Or you can simply have a singular neon item as a focal point in the room: a painted door, painted table legs or a painted piece of furniture .

via idesignarch

via theaestate

via apartment therapy

via theaestate

Balance. Try to keep everything else in the space fairly neutral, or at least in the same color family (i.e., stick to shades of gray and white) to offset the neon colors. A dark gray color palette in your room looks great when paired with one color: like pink neon. A white color palette in your room room can handle a few more neon colors. It’s all about having just the right amount of neon color in your room.

via abigail ahern

via porter house designs

Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try adding a simple piece of art to a wall or a rug with neon to your floor.  Or a simple lamp at the side of your bed. Live with it to see if you like it. {Helpful hint: don’t remove the price tags until you live with it for a few days to be sure that you are really committed to the neon.}

via decor pad

via bhg

If you decide to go bold and use a lot of neon, have a carefully orchestrated design plan. Each neon colored design element needs to be properly placed in the room to achieve the right amount of color intensity and balance. Too much neon will be sensory overload! Just the right amount will be stunning. There’s a fine line between the two. If you don’t know the difference between the two then I suggest you get some professional help.

via the aestate

via the aestate

Looking back on how I used neon color in the 70′s,  I wouldn’t go with neon in wallpaper. Instead I would find the most incredibly beautiful piece of furniture that “leans” towards neon and use it for a focal point in the room. I guess I’m not as brave as I used to be.

Deb’s choice of neon via design files

Related posts:

1. Decor Trend: Patterned Floral Prints
2. Decor Trend: The Chevron Stripe Going Strong
3. Using Gray in Home Decor

1. My baby is more popular than me. Everyone wants to see her, hold her, talk to her, talk about her. Good thing I don’t like being in the limelight.
2. Life is all about the baby. I constantly have Josephine on my mind. “Who’s watching her right now?”, “Is that a hungry cry?”, “How long was her last nap?”… Are just a few of the thoughts I constantly have swirling around my brain.
3. Parenthood is a game of trial and error. For example, when I hear her cry in the night I think “Should I go pop her pacifier in? Or will that make her dependent on my popping the pacifier in?”.

Now that Josephine is sleeping in her own room at night, it has prompted me to pull the rest of her room together. This week, the large blank spot above her dresser/changing table has been taunting me. Since this space is so large, I’m having a hard time deciding on a piece of artwork (it seems so permanent). In an attempt to fill some space in the interim, I quickly threw together a paper garland. I tried to keep this garland very geometric so that it ties in with the mobile hanging above her crib.

Materials:

• Colored Cardstock
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Craft Glue
• Twine

Directions:

1. On the back side of your cardstock, use a pencil and ruler to trace out different sized triangles.
2. Take scissors and cut out your triangles.
3. After your triangles are all cut out, lay your triangles out in the order you’d like them to appear in you garland.
4. Then, flip the triangles so the back sides of them are facing up and apply dots of craft glue to their back sides.
5. Next, string your twine along the back side of the triangles – making sure to place it in the glue.
6. Lastly, once the glue is dry. Hang your garland and enjoy!

Related posts:

1. Valentine’s XOXO Glitter Garland
2. Paper Bird Garland
3. Valentine Garland

This year I am bound and determined to make Debs the perfect handmade gift. I am hoping this gift will mean a little more to her since it will be made by my very own hands – and, no, it will not be an IOU Coupon Booklet.

To date, here are my top three handmade mother’s day gift ideas.

Etched Serving Tray via Design Sponge

Handmade Bubble Bath Makeover via Grey Likes Weddings

Framed Vases via Flamingo Toes

Do you have any great Handmade Mother’s Day Gift ideas? If so, please share!

Related posts:

1. Mother’s Day Gift Guide: For The Bath Lovers
2. Mother’s Day Gift Guide: For The Cook
3. Quote of the Day

May 7-11^th 2012

Did you read the dates right?  Teacher Appreciation week is in May!

Got it?  Good.

You see, I didn’t read the dates right when I opened an email from my daughter’s school reminding me that it was coming up.  Call it mommy brain, sleep deprivation, or blame it on my blonde hair, but for whatever reason – I made a mistake!  Having received the email on Monday, April 9^th, I quickly read it, figuring the office staff was giving me a friendly reminder to bring in a thoughtful gift before the week got away from me.  Well, I got it done alright. A WHOLE MONTH EARLY!!!

Something was off when I walked into the classroom to give the teacher my gift and her eyes got big while asking, “What is this for?”.  With a grin on my face, arms outstretched with my offering in hands, I confidently replied, “It’s a gift because we appreciate you! It’s teacher appreciation week so of course I wanted to bring you something.” She seemed confused but graciously received the gift, thanked me and then complimented my daughter. After only a minute of chit chat, I quickly exited the room, baffled by the teacher’s reaction.  After some thought, I decided to recheck the email and what do you know… I was A WHOLE MONTH EARLY!!!

So friends, learn from my mistake by reading dates carefully as to avoid embarrassment and go ahead and thank me because this post is giving you advanced notice to get your teacher appreciation gift put together.

I don’t think any of us know how much teacher’s really give, if we haven’t had the experience of teaching ourselves. Teachers shape the future for our children and I want to acknowledge those teachers who understand the influence they have and give extra effort to build confidence and courage in healthy, positive ways.  As a mother, I know I can’t raise my children on my own so I value ANY teacher who leaves a positive imprint on the life of one of my children.

So, what will you give your children’s teachers?

Here’s what I managed to put together.

Basket includes:

• Daffodils
• Symphony Bar
• J.R. Watkins Liquid Hand Soap
• J.R. Watkins All Purpose Cleaner

Look for another post on Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas!

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1. Best of 2010: Stay “Positive” Bella Moms
2. Stay “Positive” Bella Moms
3. Gift Wrapping Idea: Ladybugs