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What’s new in the design world these days?  Well, nothing really.  The upcycling continues, and “new to you” is still gaining momentum at an alarming rate.  We are especially fond of the most recently emerging branch of this trend: the “industrial chic” look.  I haven’t actually heard it called that, that’s just what I’m calling it… and I think it works.  While upcycling, reclaiming, and repurposing are all part of this process, industrial chic takes it to a new level.  The best way that I can describe the difference between rustic/reclaimed and industrial chic is this: focus on the word industrial.  What do you think of?  Industrial chic incorporates obsolescent objects of industry from days gone by into current design trends.  Exposed brick, raw beams, and an overzealous use of hardware are a good start.  Then metal, concrete, raw wood, pieces of old machinery.  Junk, basically.  These pieces join hands with more modern facets to create entirely new objects with a strikingly fresh look.

Industrial Chic

Image via Mountain Living

Industrial Chic | Home on the Range

Image via Contented Me

Industrial Chic | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

 

Living in Colorado, we are able to celebrate a special kind of industrial chic.  While we may not have a tradition of skyscrapers, iron work, and factory production, we DO have an industrial tradition all our own: the mining industry.  Railway carts become coffee tables, lanterns now light hallways instead of mine shafts, and gears and other metal components claim spaces as wall decor.

Industrial Chic cart table | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

 

Industrial Chic Clock | Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

Industrial chic floor | Home on the Range

Image via Oh, Pioneer!

 

Just like with all other trends, there are easy ways to apply industrial chic to your rugged mountain style.  Stay tuned for a follow up to this post that will feature industrial chic products.  And, just like always, Home on the Range is here to help.  Come in to the showroom and see what we have that will help you add industrial chic-ness to your own home!

This post (like most posts on the Home on the Range blog) was written by Payje Bier. Payje is the Design Assistant/Marketing Manager/Blog Writer/Facebook Poster/Sketchup Artist/Web Designer/Sales Associate at Home on the Range. Come visit her in the showroom  sometime and say hello!

 

It’s hard to forget the moment that the full force of the pine beetle epidemic struck me.  For years in Colorado, we have watched our hillsides turn from green to red.  Everyone remarked on how sad it was to see our trees dying, and wondered when it would stop.  But, though the trees were red, they were still there.  I moved to New Mexico in the fall of 2010, and in Albuquerque, no pine trees meant no beetles.

When I returned to Steamboat last spring (2012), my dad and I continued a long held tradition and went for a drive to Steamboat Lake, something we have been doing as a family for my entire life.  When I was little, we would camp at the lake every summer.  We built campfires, pitched tents, laughed and played in the forest.  The place is ingrained in my memories.  It came as a horrific surprise to me when we arrived at the lake and I didn’t even know where we were.  My dad had to carefully explain our surroundings to orient me.  The reason I didn’t recognize the place where we had spent so much time over the years was this: ALL of the trees were gone.  An entire FOREST was missing.  It was then that I understood the full repercussions of the beetle infestation.

Hundreds of thousands of trees have fallen victim to the pine-beetles.  Loggers have been cutting them down, acre after acre, because dead trees make for such a sever fire hazard.  It is nothing less than a tragedy.  But, Coloradoans are resourceful.  It may have taken a little while, but we found a way to reclaim this tragedy and incorporate the remains of our beloved forests into our surroundings once more. We are finding more and more uses for beetle kill pine, and one of the most prominent is using it as reclaimed wood in design.

Home on the Range was recently part of a building/design project that did just that.  We used locally sourced, beetle kill lumber in a project on Dakota Ridge here in Steamboat.  Below are a few pictures of how the wood was used in the project: in the bunk room for paneling on the walls and ceiling, in the bunk room den for wainscoting, and in the bathroom vanity.

Beetle Kill Pine | Home on the Range

Image via Home on the Range

Beetle Kill Pine

Image via Home on the Range

 

Beetle Kill Pine 2- Home on the Range

Image via Home on the Range

 

 

Using beetle kill pine in furniture is also a growing trend.  A blog post by Ryan Schlaefer Fine Furniture describes this process in greater detail, and uses some beautiful furniture pieces for examples.

 

Beetle Kill Furniture

Image via Ryan Schlaefer Fine Furniture

Up-cycling is a popular fashion in design at the moment, and there is no better item to “reclaim” than a decimated forest; nothing better to recycle than a seemingly obsolete piece of wood.  As the forests begin to regenerate and grow again, we are glad to be surrounded by memories of the past in our homes, and excited to be a part of this innovative  process.

Are you looking for ways to spice up your powder room?  Ever wondered exactly what it is about those bathrooms shown in magazines that makes them seem so flawless and refined?  Or maybe you just love feasting your eyes on pictures of pretty potties?  All of the above?  You’ve come to the right place.

Next time you’re scrutinizing a fabulous powder room shot in your favorite home magazine, take a moment to look at the vanity, and, more specifically, the sink.  Is it a vessel sink?  I thought so.

Vessel sinks are the ideal way to add class, interest, and one-of-a-kind-ness to a bathroom.  When placed upon a unique furniture piece (rather than the boring old Home Depot vanity special), they create a focal piece in your home that will keep guests lingering in the bathroom.  While they are not suggested for every bathroom in your home, they are 100% ideal for the powder room.

When you open up your mind to the world of furniture piece vanities and vessel sinks, rather than traditional bathroom options, the possibilities are exciting and endless.  You can get creative with your sink, and use just about anything that will hold water, or you can go with a more traditional option and choose an elegant and simple vessel sink.  Here are some ideas to help you choose your path to powder room glory:

 

Traditional:

Image via French-Quarters

Image via French-Quarters

Image via Home on the Range

Image via Home on the Range

Image via Home on the Range

Image via Home on the Range

 

Rustic:

 

a469406d37184b2c75e9b78d9d9a0bf8

Image via Home on the Range

Image via High Camp Home

Image via High Camp Home

Image via Houzz

Image via Houzz

 

Eclectic (and a little bit crazy):

Image via BJD Haus Design

Image via BJD Haus Design

Image via Skonahem

Image via Skonahem

Image via Home Based Design

Image via Home Based Design

Image via CALfinder

Image via CALfinder

Image via the Enchanted Home

Image via the Enchanted Home

Bringing it all together:

So, let’s recap.  The first ingredients to a perfect powder are a vessel sink and a unique furniture piece.  Next, throw in a contrasting/complimenting mirror with an unusual shape or frame.  Finally, add wall sconces, wall paper, tile, etc, and VOILA!  You have the recipe for an unforgettable powder room.

 

Like always, if you have questions on how to create a bathroom masterpiece in your own home, Home on the Range is here to help.  You may have noticed that we had a number of our own projects displayed in this post, and we have lots of experience in creating one of a kind spaces.  Stop in to our showroom today, or click here to contact us through our website!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, let’s face it- stairways can be awkward sometimes.  They can be awkward to decorate, awkward to look at, and awkward to carry laundry baskets through.  People generally try to get through them as quickly as possible.  Though they are high traffic areas of the home, they’re often treated more like necessary transitions to somewhere else, rather than spaces that are all their own.

Fun fact: Stairways don’t have to be awkward.  Even tiny ones.  It’s true.

There are so many things that you can do to your staircase to add interest, and to incorporate it into the rest of your home.  Ways to make it look more open, ways to make it look more inviting, ways to make it look like part of where you live.  Let’s chat about some of them.

Art, photos and frames:

Start by adding visual interest to your stairway.  Art pieces or photos are a great way to accomplish this.  Use different sizes and shapes of frames for a fun, funky staircase.

Image via Houzz

Image via Houzz

For something a little bit more simple and elegant, use the same frame with coordinating art pieces or photos.  Using the entire wall space (to the ceiling) is a great way to make a small space like a stairwell seem a lot bigger.  Experiment with different layouts and see what works!

Image via Houzz

Image via Houzz

 

Mirrors:

Mirrors are the number one way to make a small space seem bigger.  They have this magical way of opening a room right up, and are the perfect addition to a tiny little stairway.  Again, you can choose from a number of different mirror methods to achieve the look you want.  Use one big mirror, three or four medium sized square or rectangular mirrors, or lots of little mirrors of different shapes and sizes… you could even try incorporating them with your art pieces if you wanted to get really crazy with it.

Image via Delight by Design

Image via Delight by Design

Image via Houzz

Image via Houzz

Built-in Book-cases:

Now there’s an idea!  Make your stairway useful for something other than huffing and puffing and tripping and falling.  Kill two birds with one stone by beautifying your stairway AND adding more storage space in your home.  You can thank me later.  Here are some beautiful examples of this thrilling idea:

Image via Houzz

Image via Houzz

Image via Houzz

Image via Houzz

Accessorize:

Think of some other things besides art and family photos that you can use to spice up your stairwell.  There’s really no limit to where you can take this, but here are a couple of ideas for you:

Image via Cote de Texas

Image via Cote de Texas

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Image via Houzz

Put it all together:

Any one of these ideas would work beautifully on its own, but just think of what would happen if you were to put them all together.  Stair perfection.  Mix and match.  Use what you have available, or stop in to the Home on the Range showroom to find something new… we’ll help you out!

Image via Houzz

Image via Houzz

Bonus:

Did you notice the light fixtures throughout this post?  Lighting is another great way to add interest and feeling to your stairway.  A stairway is a beautiful place for a chandelier, or a set of unique wall sconces.

Thanks for visiting, I hope everyone has a great weekend redecorating their stairwells!