The fiery red-orange will inspire you to break out of your color comfort zone.

Over the last several years, muted colors have encouraged serenity in our homes. Last year, it was all about green, fostering a connection with nature. Now, Benjamin Moore is looking to a bolder, more courageous future with its Color of the Year for 2023: Raspberry Blush (2008-30). The saturated red-orange is basically the best color in a really good sunset, and it’ll inspire you to break free from your color comfort zone.

“It’s a really charismatic color and doesn’t sit quietly on the wall,” says Andrea Magno, color marketing and development director at Benjamin Moore. “It’s about awakening our senses and getting people to engage with a vivacious color.”

The 2023 color of the year is a trend toward warmer hues

Notably, Raspberry Blush marks a pull toward warmer hues. “We’ve had colors that are on the cooler side of the color wheel for a number of years, and now we’re really starting to see a shift to the warmer colors,” Magno says.

Playing with Raspberry Blush can mean blanketing your walls with it—like as a modern take on the red dining room of the past—or incorporating it in a smaller way through a painted piece of furniture. No matter how much surface area you allot for the color, it’ll bring high energy into any space.

Exciting colors trending for 2023

Raspberry Blush also sets the stage for Benjamin Moore’s color trends palette for 2023. The eight-color palette features an eclectic mix of colors with nostalgic references to periods like the ’80s and ’90s as well as deeply saturated hues found in the wild. “A lot of times people talk about (and we’ve done it, too) looking at nature as a point of inspiration,” Magno explains. “But for this year, instead of looking at more organic, vegetal colors, we were looking at the standout colors—the fiery colors of a sunset, tropical flowers, the depths of the Mediterranean.”

To celebrate Raspberry Blush, Benjamin Moore tapped the electro-funk duo Chromeo to bring the color’s personality to life through a new song fittingly called “Raspberry Blush.” You can also find eight playlists dedicated to each color in the palette on Spotify for an immersive visual and audible experience—perfect for putting on the loudspeaker as you give your home a paint refresh!

Do you love the Benjamin Moore 2023 color of the year?

If this bold new coral color for 2023 has inspired you, and you’d like to see how to incorporate it into your spaces, I’m always available for consultations. If this sounds appealing, we can talk about how Raspberry Blush can enhance your interior spaces. Choose a contact method right below this blog post, or click this “contact” link. You can also email me at: carmen@sohointeriordesign.com And you can always call me anytime at (407) 743-2399.

Would you like to mix furniture and decor design styles in your home but don’t know how? Are you struggling to create a cohesive look with the mix of furniture and accent pieces you’ve accumulated?

Mixing takes some practice, but it makes the decorating experience much more enjoyable. This loose style is a great equalizer in interior design. A mixed style snubs its nose at the rules by blending old with new, cheap with pricey, bold with subtle, and classic with trendy.

While there are many different interior design styles, few fit into just one category. More and more people favor a mixed style to play off their existing furnishings and incorporate new pieces. Combining what you have on hand with something completely new and unexpected gives you the license to invent a uniquely tailored style for your home.

The good news is you can easily and beautifully mix different decorating styles, like traditional, modern, or farmhouse, to create a stylish interior. Follow these helpful tips and guidelines to design with confidence.

Pick your main style

One way to start mixing and matching interior design styles is to employ the 80/20 rule. This means that approximately 80 percent of your space should feature one design style, and the other 20 percent can include others.

For example, if you have a living room with a traditional sofa and chairs, for instance, you can lighten the look by adding framed contemporary prints and light curtains in a natural material.

Most people end up mixing decorating styles in their home without realizing it. That’s what makes your home warm and inviting.

The neutral color palette in the example shown here, allows the homeowner to easily incorporate fun and trendy accent pieces without needing to completely redo the room.

Consider your space

A room’s built-in features can influence its style. For instance, white-painted crown molding may impart a traditional look, while an open floor plan and concrete flooring can provide a modern feel.

But there are ways to work in other styles, too, despite your space’s existing structural elements. You can make a traditional kitchen with white cabinets and butcher-block counters look more contemporary by giving it a bold backsplash and modern tile flooring.

Or you can warm a modern space with high ceilings by adding a comfy traditional-style sofa, a rustic brick accent wall, and warm pops of color.

Create balance

Combining diverse design styles is a balancing act. To make your space look harmonious, give each side of the room equal visual weight.

For instance, if a large built-in bookcase dominates one area, you could counterbalance it with an overstuffed sofa on the other side of the room. If your coffee table features a red vase, add other red accessories throughout the space.

If you want to combine two design elements in your room, such as Scandinavian and midcentury modern, intersperse both styles throughout instead of featuring one style at one end and the other style at the other.

Find commonality

You can effortlessly mix contrasting furnishings by accentuating the qualities they share.

For instance, a transitional-style sofa, midcentury accent chairs, rustic coffee table, and farmhouse dining table can look perfect together if your sofa and chairs have similar farmhouse-style throw pillows and your rustic and midcentury furnishings have matching wood tones.

Texture can blend design styles and make a room more interesting. If you have a space filled with industrial-style furniture but would like to bring in rustic features, you could add a live-edge wood coffee table with black hairpin legs and a distressed wood mantel over your fireplace.

Use color to unify

Repeating colors is an effective tactic for blending design styles. A good rule of thumb is to develop a color palette with three to five main colors. You can expand this color scheme by adding lighter or darker versions of its core colors.

You can even turn a design element that’s pricey or stands out from the rest of your decor into a focal point by incorporating its palette into your overall color scheme. For example, if you have a red-brick fireplace, you can pick up its rust color as an accent color in your room to make your fireplace pop.

Know your design styles

It’s helpful to know the hallmarks of design styles when planning your decor. Here are some of the most popular ones:

Bohemian: If you love a global aesthetic, this style, which mixes and matches fabrics and decor from around the world, is for you. Think Japanese block prints, handwoven rugs, and hanging macramé planters filled with houseplants.

Industrial: This style suggests an urban loft or warehouse, and it may include exposed beams and ductwork, high ceilings, concrete surfaces, and sparse furniture.

Modern: A modern style is defined by sleek, clean lines, dark-hued colors—think black-framed windows—and a combination of metal, glass, and steel.

Modern farmhouse: Popularized by designer Joanna Gaines, this style features a light and neutral color palette, homey fabrics like chunky knits and grain sacks, natural and painted wood furniture, decorative wood signs, and rustic shiplap walls.

Scandinavian: Rooms with a Scandinavian theme may have white walls and feature uncluttered spaces accented with lush houseplants, minimalistic furniture, and light wood floors à la IKEA.

Traditional: Traditional design may include luxurious features, such as ornately carved furniture, dark wood finishes, gold flourishes, rich fabrics like velvet, and curved lines.

Transitional: This style mixes modern and traditional styles and may include traditionally inspired furniture that’s toned down in size and ornamentation and a neutral color palette with bright splashes of color.

Tips for Mixing Interior Styles

Welcome “cozy season” into your home in a big way with inspiration from these inspiring and comforting color schemes.

Fall is definitely here, and there’s no better way to get in the seasonal spirit than with a bit of cozy interior inspiration guaranteed to make you want to embrace the impending chill.

From sumptuous fabrics to autumnal-inspired hues, these rooms showcase some of the most stunning color palettes the season has to offer in a tour de force that rivals even the best Blue Ridge leaf-peeping route.

Royal Blue and Camel Leather

The formal dining room incorporates a moody-yet-crisp palette of lacquered blue (Stiffkey Blue by Farrow & Ball to be precise), and combined with the family’s antiques and leather dining chairs, invokes a lovely use of color.

Oatmeal and Ink

Neutrals are applicable to any season, and when it comes to cooler temps, the key to making them work is all about layering. This comfy guest room emphasizes the unique refurbished surroundings (the building was once an old church), with creamy shades of oatmeal and pops of black for a tranquil relaxation zone.

Forest Green and Mustard

Equal parts refined and invigorating, this sophisticated sitting room showcases the power of fabric choice. Mustard yellow chairs feel seasonally appropriate for fall when rendered in a luscious crushed velvet, while dynamic floor-to-ceiling forest green acts as a lively foil.

Dove Gray and Mauve

To impart the feeling of a boutique hotel in this family home, a calming palette of dove gray and mauve perfectly encapsulates the slow days of fall. Here, Dovetail by Sherwin-Williams coats the walls and trim, while rosey bed linens offer a welcoming place to wind down. A beautiful touch brings color to the ceiling, covering the “fifth wall” in graphic wallpaper and creating a plush headboard wall behind the bed.

Navy Blue and Mahogany

Rich and moody scenes seem to go hand-in-hand with the fall season and no room exemplifies the vibe better than this kitchen. A stormy navy blue (Sea Serpent by Sherwin-Williams) blankets the room from floor to ceiling while mahogany details (like Hellman-Chang stools and a custom wood and brass range hood) bring an almost copper-like quality to the color palette.

Steel, Blush, and Rust

In this sitting room, a Roman clay finish from Portola Paints (meant to look like plaster, without the hassle) adds a time-worn dimension to the fireplace, while a duo of blush chairs adds a touch of sweetness. Streamlined black accents and a few strategic pops of rust (such as the velvet bolster pillows on the couch) add a slightly masculine edge that feels in line with the moodier fall months.

Pumpkin, Blue-Gray, and Navy

When working with fall color schemes, there’s no rule that says moody is the only way to go. This bright and airy bedroom keeps the cheer, relying on a saturated palette of pumpkin orange, misty blue-gray, and rich navy to anchor an otherwise neutral space. Instead of coating the walls in one standout hue, a mixture of patterns and prints packs a beautiful punch.

Citron and Denim

A limey citron couch takes center stage in this cozy family room. Layer upon layer – including a hand-sewn quilt, collectibles, and a plush toss – add to the cozy fall feel, which is anchored by a sleek blue chair and feathery asparagus fern centerpiece.

Dark Green and Birch

If there was an interior embodiment of a cable knit sweater, this room would be it. In this study, an almost-black shade of green – Rookwood Dark Green by Sherwin-Wiliams – brings intimacy and dimension to the towering space. Accents of birch and taupe offset the gutsy hue, while custom curtains keep things playful.

Ochre, Opal, and Gray

When you hear the words “Tennessee mountain escape” your mind probably jumps right to crisp fall days spent fireside, right? Such daydreams were the goal for this abode, which embodies all the intimacy of the season while still keeping the airy appeal of a vacation home. Pops of rich ochre offset the opalescent look of limewashed stone, while gray-washed beams and a sliding barn door covered in Schumacher linen keep things from skewing too traditional farmhouse.

Amber, Apple Green, and Royal Blue

When it comes to fall, no place does it better than the Hudson Valley, so it makes sense that this 1850s house is ripe with seasonal inspiration. The key to making on-the-nose hues like amber, royal, and apple green work in real life? Juxtapositioning them with lots of patterns. Here, an eye-catching burnt orange velvet couch and tartan ottoman are juxtaposed with an eclectic collection of prints and patterns. The whole look is finished off with window and door trim painted Great Barrington Green by Benjamin Moore.

Some very lovely fall color palettes here, and in some very unexpected combinations! I hope you enjoyed these approaches, and you can see that these color combinations transcend the seasons – but there’s just a bit of extra coziness with fall. And you know I’m here to help you pull it all together and find your best color palette for your personal spaces.

If these colors have inspired you, just give me a call anytime at (407) 743-2399. I’m easy to reach – you can choose a contact method right below this blog post, and we can set up a consultation to explore some lovely, colorful territory together. You can also email me at: carmen@sohointeriordesign.com and you can also click this link to message me via my website.

Sometimes, we spend so much time focusing on interior design that we forget about the outdoor spaces of our homes. Many people with patios neglect that space, which means they’re missing out on having beautiful outdoor retreats. If your patio decor is lacking, there are countless ways to add some flair to it.

Get relaxed with some pillows and rugs

Get floor pillows that you and your guests can use to sit on the ground for more relaxed occasions. You can also cover the ground with an outdoor rug that will bring a little warmth into the space.

Have fun with creative seating

Hang hammocks if you want to use your patio for a relaxing, quiet place to think or read. If you want to make your patio extra comfortable, throw in a futon or daybed.

The right plants will enhance the space

Add a few potted plants to bring nature into this indoor-outdoor space. They’ll brighten up the area nicely. Just make sure that the layout of the patio allows your plants or flowers to get enough sunlight.

So many different ways to enjoy a food area

If you like to eat outdoors, add a small table and a few chairs to your patio space. During the warmer months, you can head outside and enjoy dinner with a sunset view. If you’re feeling fancy, consider purchasing a bar cart, which will help you bring cocktails from the kitchen to the patio seamlessly. You can even install a tabletop firepit if you’re interested in roasting marshmallows on the patio.

Add a little privacy with curtains and partitions

To add an element of privacy, hang a curtain or set up a partition to separate your patio space from the outdoors. You can even repaint old shutters from your home and use them as a barrier between your patio and the rest of your yard. If you’d still like to get natural sunlight, choose a light-colored curtain or only set up a partition on one side of the patio for partial privacy.

Bring the outside in (and vice versa)

Make your patio have a natural transition between your home and backyard. Include furniture that is a mix of both indoors and outdoors, such as wicker chairs with decorative pillows.

Enjoy the night with attractive lighting

Incorporate lighting so that you can use your patio at night. Whether it’s a large light or a number of twinkly string lights, adequate lighting will allow you to get the most use out of your space.

Your patio has more potential than you might’ve realized. Think about how you’d like to use your space, and you’ll be surprised by how easy it is to transform this often overlooked part of the home.

If this article has you inspired, I’d love the opportunity to help you make the most of your patio space for exceptional outdoor living. Just contact me for a consultation.

I’m easy to reach – you can choose a contact method right below this blog post. You can also click this “contact” link, or you can email me at: carmen@sohointeriordesign.com And, of course, you can always call me anytime at (407) 743-2399.

Sometimes wall art might be a painting, and sometimes it’s something else.

There are a handful of “essentials” that make a home or space functional and comfortable. One of these, of course, is a roof over your head. Another obvious one is furniture. I place decorative elements like wall art in this same category of essentials.

And when you have large walls to decorate, it’s the perfect opportunity to tie a room together in many ways.

The right pieces for your walls can introduce intrigue, personality, inspiration, and dimension to your abode. You’ll be amazed at how transformative one large statement piece (or display) can be.

If you have some blank walls to dress up, here are some large wall art ideas that hopefully inspire you in some attractive and unexpected ways, as well as ideas for how you might want to display them. 

Large wall art

If you have tall ceilings in your living room, you should think about hanging a big wall decor piece. With large oversized art, the most important thing is that it fits to scale, meaning it fits with the size of your wall.

Bring the beach fun indoors

If you live by the coast or like beachy home design, why not hang a surfboard?  A simple design can nail the look without going over the top.  

Make light with mirrors

One of the best wall decor ideas for living rooms is to hang multiple mirrors. When placed across from a window, you double the amount of light while creating the illusion of a larger space.  

Gallery walls (and the Rule of Threes)

In the world of interior design, the rule of threes suggests that groups of three (or other odd numbers) are more attractive to the eye than even numbers. You can embrace this concept in your living room by hanging a three-piece framed art set. 

Murals & large maps

There are many wonderful artists who focus a good bit of their time painting incredible murals on the walls of art-loving homeowners. It’s important to select a style that is compatible with your interior decor and furnishings, and mural artists usually have wonderful suggestions once they see your space.

These days, murals are often created as panels that are adhesive and easily removable. And the styles available are lovely and astounding. Moody seascapes, bright abstracts, soothing watercolors – they’re all available in square, portrait, and landscape orientations.

I love maps! Large world maps make great wall art because they’re timeless, useful, and often come in versatile hues. What child wouldn’t love exploring the world in his or her bedroom? These can be painted by a muralist or bought as wallpapers, stick-on shapes, or removable printed murals.

Go bright, bold, geometric

For a high-impact dining nook, consider hanging a larger piece with lots of bold colors, geometric shapes, and endless details you’ll want to admire over the years.

Set against simple but striking black furniture, this large-scale, kaleidoscopic piece is clearly meant to be the focal point of the room.

Lighted wall art

Think outside the bulb with lighted wall art. Take a look at how this battery-powered shadowbox showcases natural birch branches with a subtle glow.  

Try a tapestry

An easy way to cover a large amount of space is by choosing a colorful tapestry to hang above your furniture.

While there are endless patterns and designs to choose from, selecting a colorful option can change the vibe of an entire space. This particular piece is playful, and the wrinkled texture draws your attention in an unexpected way.

Repurpose your rug

You can often find wall art inspiration in the most unexpected places. Rugs can tie different elements of a room together, but rather than laying one on the floor, try hanging it up on the wall instead.

The textured, woven design of the rug in this room is perfectly contrasted by the white wall behind it, allowing it to be viewed and admired in a brand new way.

There are so many ways to beautify your large walls with art of all kinds! And what’s shown here is just the tip of the iceberg. If you’d like to explore any of these approaches further, let me know and together, we can determine the best kind of art for your space.

I’m easy to reach – you can choose a contact method right below this blog post, or click this “contact” link. You can also email me at: carmen@sohointeriordesign.com, and, of course, you can always call me anytime at (407) 743-2399. You can also click here to send me a message.

Both the Glidden and PPG paint brands chose the on-trend teal for their joint 2023 color of the year selection.

Vining Ivy is the 2023 color of the year

PPG announced its 2023 Color of the Year, Vining Ivy. Color experts at the company say the “bluish-greenish-something-in-betweenish” hue is as adaptable as its botanical namesake and intertwines bold blue and refined green to create a captivating color symbolic of deep water.

“Consumers are seeking to simplify in this post-COVID era, as the past two years have shed a new light on the importance of serenity and little moments,” says Ashley McCollum, Glidden color expert. “Vining Ivy embodies this vibe perfectly. It is energizing yet grounding, and it works in literally any space.”

Vining Ivy is a very calming color

The new teal tone can be used to set a calming mood in spaces, as its blue communicates feelings of tranquility while the emerald evokes feelings of balance. When paired together, these two undertones create an ultra-rich color that has us “in our feels” as we cautiously emerge from the pandemic.

In a residential setting, the color can be used for an interior or an exterior. For an interior, the experts see it used on full wall settings for a dramatic yet calming space, or as an accent wall to add personality. It can be dressed up with gold accents and white trim for a more glamorous look.

As an exterior, it adds plenty of curb appeal and personality to the body of a home, or as a front door color to compliment colorful landscaping.

The 2023 color of the year is moody and elegant

“Those who love this moody hue but are still feeling in-betweenish on how to bring it into their space can treat themselves to the understated elegance of a teal accent wall or serve up a statement by featuring Vining Ivy on their kitchen cabinetry,” adds McCollum. “Even the most modest spaces can benefit from the teal treatment. For those short on square footage but big on style, we recommend using this rich hue as bold contrast to a neutral palette, making a petite room feel plush.”

If this new color for 2023 has inspired you, and you’d like to see how to incorporate it into your spaces, I’m always available for consultations If this sounds appealing, and we can talk more about how Vining Ivy can enhance your interiors. Choose a contact method right below this blog post, or click this “contact” link. You can also email me at: carmen@sohointeriordesign.com And you can always call me anytime at (407) 743-2399.

Plants are a given. Adding nature, especially in the form of greenery, into your home interiors is a win-win! It looks beautiful, it adds a pop of natural color, and it helps clean the air. Sure they require a little care, but the rewards are great.

I’m thinking beyond plants. With the resurgence of “getting back to nature”, there’s been a recent trend to bring a variety of green colors into our spaces. Whether through the easiest route, an application of paint, or by introducing lovely accents, fabrics, artwork, or wall and window coverings, the opportunities are endless. Just don’t pile everything into one room! There are so many lovely green tones that can meander in subtle ways throughout your home, linking together in a harmonious flow. Unless green is hands-down your favorite color, there’s no reason to overdo it.

Repeat the color in your decor

If you do happen to decide to paint your walls a new (green) color, once you do it, don’t panic if it doesn’t feel right. Take a breath, and then another, and remember: don’t judge a new paint color until you’ve pulled the room back together. The key is to repeat the color at least twice in the rest of that room or space. And it doesn’t have to be the same shade. It’s a lot more interesting if you add varying shades of the hue. And don’t overdo it. Consider repeating the color green in a pattern on throw pillows, or a rug, on lamps or lampshades, in artwork, etc. Subtle things can tie it all together beautifully.

There are so many ways of accenting your spaces with the color green. I’d love to show you a variety of options that would work best for your space, so if what you’ve seen here has inspired you, definitely let me know. I’m easy to reach – you can choose a contact method right below this blog post, or click this “contact” link. You can also email me at: carmen@sohointeriordesign.com, and you can always call me anytime at (407) 743-2399.

(Hint: Bring the Tropics Home – That’s a Big One)

As the air has become hotter and the days longer, I love cooler breezier interiors. Linen sheets, vibrant colors, beachy accessories. Let’s look at some of the top summer decor trends of 2022.

These looks are stunning. But like summer, there’s an ease to each one. This season is about fluidity, and it’s time for a bit of a reprieve. (we’ve surely earned it.) So read on for the 2022 summer decor trends that double as a dose of positivity and wellness for a bright, sparkling season.

Trend #1: Fresh and Unexpected Paint Details

Fresh color will always be in vogue. But it’s how you use it that will win the summer decor trends of 2022. This summer incorporates fresh, vibrant paint in unexpected forms such as on trim and cabinetry. Color can be used in a myriad of ways, of course, and I think summer is shaping up to be huge for injecting it in new ways.

Why You’ll Love It: Just a reminder that fresh paint doesn’t have to be washed over every wall to make an impact. Use color for concentrated areas to pack a punch. Paint can be intimidating, but using highly curated paint palette decks like Farrow and Ball, can help expedite your color selection process.

Trend #2: Lots of Nature

Verdant leaves rule in 2022 – and they’ll continue to, well into the second half of the year. The trend of incorporating an abundance of nature into your home is a growing trend among designers, myself included. The look can be incorporated in two ways: including plants throughout a room or by capitalizing on views of outdoor greenery with open windows and sheer curtains. Both are easy and accessible.

Why You’ll Love It: Plants always lend an uplifting feel to any room. Truly, any room, including the kitchen, bath, or even an entryway. Just be sure to know your plants’ needs as the summer heat may require additional care.

Trend #3: The Tropics

For summer 2022, bring your favorite island to your home. Tropical decor packs an instant vacation-vibes punch to a room. This look is simple to obtain. You can start with incorporating bright “happy” colors, from sunny yellows to emerald greens, with throw pillows, vases, and rugs. But the bolder approach is to incorporate island greenery and motifs via wallpaper and prints. Think of tropical trees, pineapple motifs, and leaves of all kinds.

Why You’ll Love It: This trend is fun and refreshing, and is a great treatment for an accent wall, main bathroom, or powder room. It brings some happiness home.

Trend #4: Blurring the Line Between Outdoors and In

With Florida temperatures warming up, there’s a lot more dining al fresco and spending more time outdoors. People are weaving in ample opportunities to embrace both the outdoors and the look of the outdoors throughout their homes this year. Materials like jute for rugs, chunky cozy furniture with carved details, and more refined designs for outdoor furniture are trending now.

Why You’ll Love It: Even if you don’t have an outdoor living space, you can bring in the same outdoor vibe seamlessly into your home. A jute rug (a focal piece that complements many aesthetics) is ideal, but so are jute accessories and decor items that speak to patio spaces.

Trend #5: Fresh Greens

One of the biggest color trends of this year continues to pull from the outdoors. Green, particularly earthy and muted greens, are a huge inspiration for designers – and clients – in 2022. Green brings out that sense of being refreshed and being natural and colorful – so it hits all the right buttons. This sense of refreshment and reprieve is ideal for the summer months since this is the time to kick back and sink into the warmth, and hopefully, you can do just that.

Why You’ll Love It: Earthy green is decidedly neutral and can be used with almost every color on the palette. In this light, lean toward paints and decor accessories that are mossy, grassy, or olive green. There are some really incredible pale greens as well, that are taking people’s breath away, especially in kitchens.

If you would like to introduce any of these summer decor trends into your spaces, I’m always here to help you with that. Just choose a contact method right below this blog post, or click this “contact” link. You can also email me directly at: carmen@sohointeriordesign.com, and you can always call me at (407) 743-2399.

Are you interested in elevating the look of your accent walls? By creating intricate and thoughtful designs out of molding and trim, it’s a simple task to take your accent wall to the next level. Here are nine accent wall molding and trim design ideas to get those ideas flowing:

1. Use a Subtle Hand with Minimal Chair Rails

The designer for this beautiful room utilized a flat, angular molding to create a chair rail that perfectly accentuates the minimal aesthetic. This choice provides a break in the taupe-colored accent wall, adding a subtle touch of personality.

Notice how the molding enhances the look of the baseboards and trim along the windows. Each piece adds energy to the room without pulling focus or overwhelming the design. This is a perfect choice for any dining room, where family, friends, and guests can gather to eat, socialize, and celebrate.

2. Elevate the Look of Your Fireplace

This living room exemplifies the idea of an accent wall by focusing all the attention on the fireplace. This is a fixture meant to grab and hold your attention as soon as you walk into the room.

The built-in woodgrain shelves pop in contrast to the white shiplap covering the fireplace wall. The crown molding used at the top and bottom of the wall accentuates the fireplace, making it stand out even more. Instead of a typical wooden mantel, they’ve mounted a flat-screen television that perfectly matches the width and deep black of the fireplace. This living room belongs to a family that entertains in style.

3. Create Sharp Angles with Dark Molding

Let’s challenge the idea that molding and trim need to be white. This room utilizes molding with chocolate tones to cut a sharp angle along the edge of the ceiling, floors, and windows. This pairs well with the industrialized light fixtures and darker design elements throughout this kitchen.

It’s impossible not to notice how well the chocolate trim around the door perfectly complements the courtyard green of the accent wall. The choice to keep this color uniform allows the accent wall to pop. Everything about this room feels modern and luxurious.

4. Create Floor-to-Ceiling Panels

The choice to use molding to create panels from the floor to the ceiling allowed this designer to take a standard accent wall and transform it into a showstopper. The molding is also utilized on the non-accent walls, creating a striped texture to accentuate the décor.

The best decision here, by far, was the decision to keep everything the same color. This allows the molding to create contrast with shadows. Depending on the lighting and where you’re standing, the panels will have a different look and depth.

5. Transform Your Ceilings and Walls

Aside from the blue steel accent wall, this room is packed with intricate design techniques that create an awe-inspiring and cozy living space. The molding accents on the ceiling and along the top of the accent wall create a sense of dimension that is anything but typical.

This design creates a focal point that draws your attention to the accent wall and fireplace, which perfectly complements the design aesthetic of the built-ins on the adjacent wall.

6. Create the Look of Picture Frames

Dark accent walls are quickly becoming a hallmark of modern design aesthetics. They draw your attention immediately and offer a splash of personality without making the room feel too dark.

But why stop there? The designer of this living space transformed the green accent wall by creating the look of empty picture frames. They used actual picture frames to create this effect, but the same can be done with molding. In fact, if you want the edges more uniform and the sizes more customizable, molding is the ideal choice.

7. Embrace a Chic and Minimal Office Design

Less is more with a minimal office design. This accent wall is cut in half with an elevated chair rail. This is a smart choice because the room still feels warm, bright, and inviting, even with the darker shades of blue.

The designer of this room decided to take the chair rail concept a step further by adding molding to create panels along the wall. This makes it almost feel like the room is split into three sections. This is both intriguing and modern, but also timeless.

8. Utilize Thin Molding to Create Narrow Panels

While we’re into the idea of revolutionizing accent walls, let’s focus on a different type of paneling. You don’t have to use thick molding to create this effect. In fact, you can use thinner strips of molding to create narrow panels that look both expensive and sophisticated.

This navy accent wall is the definition of luxury. The thin panels give a touch of personality to the wall without drawing too much attention. The white baseboards highlight the accent wall, drawing warmth and brightness from the rest of the room.

9. Get Creative with Intricate Molding Designs

No rule says you can’t have fun with your molding and trim designs. This room is a prime example of that. By creating an unconventional striped pattern along this juniper-colored wall, you immediately feel like this room is ripped straight from a modern interior design catalog.

Adding a touch of nature to this design aesthetic, the rich dark color of the accent wall perfectly complements the plants, woodgrain, and wicker basket. Pairing it all with the industrial black light fixture and grey metal headboard makes this bedroom absolutely stunning.

What’s Your Design Style?

After seeing all these inspiring design ideas, you’re probably itching to do something with your own accent walls. If you don’t know which molding or trim to choose or you’re unsure of how to get started, I’m here to help you determine the molding and trim styles that are perfect for your design aesthetic. I can show you all kinds of design treatments that would work best for your space, so just let me know if what you’ve seen here has inspired you. I’m easy to reach – you can choose a contact method right below this blog post, or click this “contact” link. You can also email me at: carmen@sohointeriordesign.com, and, of course, you can always call me anytime at (407) 743-2399.

When homeowners think about elevating their interior designs, crown molding often comes to mind. It’s an ideal highlight feature that can be used in almost any part of the home to add a touch of luxury and stylish appeal. However, people don’t often associate crown molding with bathrooms. Crown molding can add luxury and style to a bathroom.

After all, bathrooms are known for slick walls and waterproof tile floors, so most people think that crown molding doesn’t fit that aesthetic. Surprisingly, they are wrong.

What is Crown Molding?

Crown molding is a decorative molding used to highlight and create a seamless transition between the top of a wall and its ceiling. It can also be installed along the edges of windows, doors, cabinets, staircases, and more. It’s the ideal addition to any room’s design because it adds a touch of sophistication and flair without pulling away focus.

Why is Crown Molding a Perfect Addition to Your Bathroom?

It’s a misconception that crown molding is just for luxurious mansions, regal rooms, and high cathedral ceilings. Crown molding can be used to elevate any room’s interior design, and that quality extends to bathrooms, as well.

In the latest popular design trends, I’ve seen crown molding used in bathrooms much more often, which makes a lot of sense. Bathrooms are meant to be tranquil and relaxing, and there’s no better way to help create a beautiful and calming space than with elegant crown molding.

7 Awe-Inspiring Crown Molding Bathroom Designs

If that’s not enough to make the case that crown molding is an excellent addition to your bathroom, here are some attractive design inspirations. Expert designers throughout the world use crown molding to amp up their aesthetics and bring their designs to life.

Here are seven gorgeous bathrooms that perfectly utilize crown molding to create a luxurious and awe-inspiring design:

1. A Luxurious Master Bath with Crowned Vanities

This bathroom is tailored specifically for a trendsetter. Guests don’t often see master bathrooms, but that doesn’t mean they should be drab. In fact, quite the opposite is true.

Here, crown molding was used to highlight the vanities, to create a perfect contrast for the opulent lighting fixtures, stunning furnishings, and neutral color palette.

2. A Gorgeous Vanity with His and Her Sinks

Here is another example of how crown molding can elevate the look of bathroom vanities. In this bathroom, you can see the molding carried through the overall design and into the walls behind the vanity.

However, don’t take your eyes off the prize. This elegant bathroom vanity is an ideal centerpiece that features matching his and her sinks, soft lighting, and minimal floral accents.

3. A Neutral Frame for Beautiful Wallpaper

Nothing spells luxury quite like an ornate wallpaper, and no wallpaper is complete without crown molding to appropriately frame it. This opulent master bathroom has all of the eye-catching elements kept in perspective.

Neutral-colored crown molding was used, so it didn’t detract from the luxurious design, which allows the wallpaper and other intricate design elements to shine.

4. A Simple and Sophisticated Use of White-on-White Molding

Sometimes, less is more, and that’s certainly the case with this beautifully minimal bathroom. The white-on-white crown molding adds a touch of intrigue and dimension without grabbing focus.

It allowed the designer to add a little pop of color that really brings this bathroom to life. Paired with brass fixtures, modern art, and a cute rug, this bathroom feels like an ideal place to relax and unwind.

5. A Modern Twist on a Classic Bathroom Design

Shiny stone floors, a huge soaking tub, and white furniture accents create a beautiful space. The blueish-grey walls also add a subtle touch of intrigue, but the true highlight here is the white crown molding around the ceiling. Paired with a gorgeous walk-in shower and windows for lots of sunlight, this bathroom is lovely, don’t you think?

6. A Hauntingly Beautiful Bathroom Inspired by Dark Colors

Black, red, and white are beautifully combined here. Notice how the dark crown molding perfectly matches the tiled floor, vanity, and door frames.

This bathroom is at once sensual and incredibly luxurious. It’s the ideal master bath for an adventurous homeowner who values style and elegance.

7. A New Take on the Classic Black and White Aesthetic

This bathroom is simultaneously inspiring, gorgeous, and unexpected. While the black and white aesthetic is a classic, this bathroom turns that idea on its head. The black wallpaper, checkered floors, and white crown molding make for a unique bathroom design.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg showcasing how crown molding can inject luxury and style into your bathroom. And why stop there? It’s perfect for almost any space in your home. Be sure to check out my other blog post about molding and trim throughout your home – click here to read it. I’d love to show you all the crown molding treatments that would work best for your bathroom, or any other space, so just let me know if what you’ve seen here inspires you. I’m easy to reach – you can choose a contact method right below this blog post, or click this “contact” link. You can also email me at: carmen@sohointeriordesign.com, and, of course, you can always call me anytime at (407) 743-2399.