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Do you ever just feel like you need to escape sometimes?  We all know the feeling: like you just need a little hideaway to curl up in with a good book, away from the rest of the world.  Not forever, just for a little while… in a space that is comfortable, calming, unique and special.

When you imagine your happy hideaway, do you picture it in the attic or a closet?  Probably not.  You probably conjure up dreams of deserted islands, tiny forest cottages, and other faraway fantasies, but you just might change your mind when you see some of our favorite in-home nooks and crannies.  The best thing about these special spots is that you don’t have to undergo a major remodel to achieve one.  In fact, you can create a super relaxing room of your own with almost any extra space you might have available… the more obscure and hidden in the house, the better.

Have an empty attic or crawl space?  We love these cozy hidden gems:

Image via Pinterest

Image via Houzz

What about a hall closet or pantry?

Image via Cheez Burger

Image via Joie De Vivre

You can even make a special reading nook right in plain sight… it could even be your own BEDROOM!

Image via R&R corner

There are a few important elements to keep in mind when creating your in-home escape.

  • Comfort is key.  Fill your cranny with pillows, blankets, bean bags, etc… as many as you can, floor to ceiling if you have to!
  • Style it up.  This is your very own special space, and you want it to be a calm, happy place to be.  If it’s filled with things that you absolutely love, then you will love escaping to it!
  • Function.  Make sure that you can actually use the space (i.e. you’re not trying to relax or de-stress in a 2×2 broom closet).  If your room is windowless, consider adding some extra lights to the room.  Unless you want to sit in the dark, and then that is up to you.

There are so many ways to make a special little nook in your home, if you need help with ideas, feel free to ask!  You can find us on Facebook, or at our showroom (where we have LOTS of hideaway friendly furniture and accessories.

Images via mary schanner photography

Your home isn’t just a reflection of your taste; it’s a reflection of your life. Photo walls are a great way to showcase your memories, while also displaying what makes you unique.  There is no limit to what you can do with a photo wall.  You can make it simple, elegant, modern, rustic, traditional, eclectic, or any mix of the above.  It all depends on your creativity!

Image via Laura Winslow Photography

Picture walls are a great decorating idea for hallways, stairwells, and even small walls. While picture displays do take some strategic planning as far as placement and frame choice, once done, a photo wall can be the perfect addition to your space.

Image via Mix and Chic

The frames you choose will naturally control which pictures catch the eye first. Don’t be afraid to use different textures, but the frame colors should all compliment the room. Different frame sizes effortlessly add depth to the display and draw attention to certain photos.

Image via attic.

Image via Ciao! Newport Beach

Take a moment to strategize. Tape off space on the floor the same size as your wall, and try out different arrangements.

Image via Crush Cul de Sac

Don’t be afraid to be different. Throw in some sentimental pieces in your frames, such as the letter your mother wrote you on your wedding day or ancient black and white family photos.

Image via Casa in Stile

Try the eclectic (but rapidly growing in popularity) corner arrangement.

Image via Apartment Therapy

Try a different way of hanging photos: use string, rope, clothespins, drawer pulls, whatever you can think of!

Image via Urban Comfort

Image via Shelterness

Make a shelf display.

Image via Two Twenty One

Finally, after you’ve laid out frames and you know the arrangement that works best for you and your space, start from the middle of the wall and work out.  This will make your life much, much easier!

The Home on the Range showroom has TONS of beautiful and unique frames that will help you get your photo wall started, so stop by today!

For other great ways to make your home cozy and inviting, check out our Pinterest page.

A cozy and inviting office is an ideal place to set-up and work this winter. If you create a space that you love being in, then you won’t mind working over-time!

Image via Home on the Range

For your perfect home office, choose a spot in your house that offers you plenty of functional storage space and keeps distractions to a minimum. The location of your office should really be dependent on how you work. If you know that you will easily be distracted by street activity or tempted by a sunny day, consider an office tucked away towards the back of your home.

Or, if you want a bright and energetic space, placing your desk in front of a window might be just the ticket.

Image via Home on the Range

Every great office needs substantial storage. Loose papers and beaten up boxes aren’t just visually unappealing, they also make it hard to function.  Cabinets, shelves and drawers will be your office’s best friend.

Image via 42Concepts.com

Offices don’t always have to be traditional work spaces either. Your home office can be a reflection of yourself in every way, and you can add flair to your office just like you do in the rest of your home.  Here are a few examples of some of our favorite unique offices:

Image via Splendid Sass

Image via My French Country Home

The last thing to remember when creating your home office is to keep it comfortable. You want to create an environment you enjoy being in. Invest in a comfortable chair and create a welcoming atmosphere, and remember that this is your home office, not a cubicle.

To find your perfect traditional or eclectic office pieces, stop into Home on the Range today!

Houzz has quickly become the most used and well known website for interior design.  Like the Pinterest of homes, it is a way for designers to share their work and projects with other designers, and with the rest of the world.  Home on the Range has been privileged to have multiple projects featured on Houzz, and we are excited to share a few of them with you today.


So Your Style Is: Rustic

“What it is: Rustic style proves the old adage that everything comes full circle. Our pioneer ancestors would get a good laugh out of how fashionable the look is today — they probably dreamed of plastered walls instead of rough logs and carpets instead of bare plank floors. But thanks to rustic style’s unpretentious roots, organic textures and shapes, and natural warmth, it’s become as popular in the heart of the city as it is out in the woods….” click here to read the rest of the article

“Style Secret: Repurposed Objects

To a large extent, rustic style is about making do with what you have — just as it was in the old days. Found objects are key: old pails turned into sinks, wire baskets transformed into light fixtures, wooden crates reimagined as stair treads. It’s less about whimsy than about creating a sense of invention by necessity.

Inspired addition:Rustic interiors lend themselves to cross-pollination with industrial style. Feel free to take a bit of a risk with accents such as offbeat lighting, decorative displays and artwork. You can also turn to folk art. With its self-sufficient, homegrown appeal, folk art looks particularly nice in rustic rooms….” click here to read the rest of this article

 


Wagon Wheels Are on a Roll

 

“Wagon wheel chandeliers have been on the scene for some time, but this two-tier version — complete with lantern-style shades — looks especially chic. It brings down the high ceiling in this great room and enhances the Western sensibility of a Colorado mountain home…” click here to read the rest of the article

City View: Sweeping Design Soars

“I was born in the 1970s, so when I think of Denver, I think of Alexis Morrell Carrington Colby Dexter Rowan and the rest of the clan over at DynastyI also think of the opposite end of the spectrum, Outward Bound programs. Like a lot of the rest of the country, I have a view of Denver that’s all kinds of wrong. While the city and its surrounding areas are full of people who love an outdoor adventure, this doesn’t mean they don’t have style. These adventurous Coloradans draw inspiration from viewing and exploring the spectacular landscape around them, as well as from preserving it…” click here to read the rest of the article
“I believe that the biggest misconception about Denver style and the style for the surrounding mountain area is that it is very traditional and western. On the contrary, Denver is becoming well known for its cutting-edge contemporary design style, where rustic elements are often intermingled with contemporary lines and furnishings,” says Lynne Bier of Home on the Range Interiorsclick here to read the rest of the article
Don’t forget to check out Home on the Range on Houzz to see our other projects, photos, inspirations and ideabooks!

9 Ways to Decorate with Pumpkins | Home on the RangeHalloween is finally here!  It’s easy to “fall” into the Halloween spirit when the leaves change and begin to drift off of the trees, the evening light develops a warm glow, the days become chilly and brisk, and the smell of wood smoke permeates the crisp autumn air.  Jack-o-lanterns, spiders, and ghosts start to dot the neighborhood landscape, and before you know it, Halloween has arrived.

We absolutely love this holiday, though our Halloween decorating style tends to fall somewhat short of super-spooky witches and ghouls.  If, like us, you are looking for a more natural and traditional looking Halloween display, pick up a couple (hundred) pumpkins from the store or pumpkin patch and read on.  We have put together a list of 9 ways to decorate (and decorate with) everyone’s most beloved holiday gourd.

9.  The Chevron Pumpkin: People are WILD for chevron this season, and what better way to venture into this fun pattern than by painting it on a pumpkin?  Keep it even more current by using white, gold, glitter, or a mix of all three to cover the creation.  You could also consider using different geometric patterns like herringbone, houndstooth, or a tribal print stencil.

Image via Feeling Lovesome

8.  The Pumpkin Stack: What a way to welcome party guests or trick-or-treaters!  I love the idea of the pumpkin stack- it looks chic and rustic with the tin bucket base, but it’s easy to make, and best of all it can say whatever you want it to!

Image via bhg.com

7. The Mumpkin: Get it? “Mum” pkin?  I love this pumpkin idea because it mixes a fall icon with the last remains of summer in a way that incorporates all of the colors of the season.  I have never seen anyone make mumpkins before, have you?

Image via Lowes Creative Ideas

6. The Pumpkin Planter: These are kind of the same idea as the Mumpkin, but a little bit simpler and more elegant.  You can use flowers, or almost anything else (like fall foliage branches or cat tails) to fill these pumpkin planters.  So many ideas!

Image via FYI Modular Homes

5.  The Pumpkin Entryway:  I LOVE this entryway.  The use of pumpkins of all different sizes, colors and materials provides a great holiday flare, while the hurricane lanterns and pedestals help to add a layering effect that creates a depth to this display that really makes it unique.  Crows are optional.

Image Via Sense-ational Living

4.  The Pumpkin Bowl: Throwing a Halloween party this year?  You can thank us later for this idea.  Everyone will love grabbing their snacks out of a pumpkin, and we think the bandanna inside adds the perfect touch of Western to the serving bowl.  We have also seen punch bowls inserted into hollowed-out pumpkins that make perfect cauldrons for serving your Witch’s Brew.

Image via bhg.com

3.  The Pumpkin Pillow: Not all of your pumpkin decorations have to be perishable.  These homespun pumpkin pillows add warm, rustic colors and textures to any space they occupy, and the best part is you can bring them out every year!

Image via Pinterest

2.  The Pumpkin Basket: Who would have thought?  Throw a pumpkin in a basket for an instant rugged look.  All the better if you can add a burlap pillow, pinecones, and a hurricane lantern.  I love this display because it shows how you can turn your existing outdoor furniture into an elegant fall scene with only a few simple additions.

Image via Opulent Cottage

1.   The Pumpkin Mantle:  Once again you can see how easy it is to transform your home landscape with a few simple touches.  This photo brings the outdoor display inside by adding small and medium pumpkins onto the mantle.  Paper flowers (or any wall decoration) add height and broaden the decoration area, extending it off of the mantle and giving the impression of a fully decorated space.

Image via A Place For US

We hope you enjoyed browsing this pumpkin extravaganza as much as we enjoyed creating it.  Home on the Range has everything you need to create these Halloween displays (except for the pumpkins), so stop in and see what simple accent pieces you can find to create a Halloween masterpiece today!

One more note: don’t hold us to this, but we heard that putting little silicon “do not eat” packets inside carved pumpkins will keep them from molding and rotting- give it a shot and let us know on our Facebook page if it worked for you!

 

The next time you are in the market for a way to add a rustic, earthy touch to your home, the solution may be simpler than you imagined: doors.  You heard it here first, old doors are coming back in new ways.

You can instantly add both character and texture by re-purposing a pair of distressed doors as your headboard.  Build this headboard yourself from doors that have some deeper meaning to you (for instance, using doors from your childhood home), or just hunt for some really unique doors that speak to your style and taste.

Image via Pinterest By: Houzz.com

Using distressed doors as furniture adds a one of a kind quality to any room (after all, no one will have the same doors as you!) It also brings character, style, and  a natural raw quality to your space.

Image via Pinterest By: StaceyWilley.com

If you’re in the market for something a little less eclectic, you can also achieve a great earthy look by using natural wood barn doors.

Image via Pinterest By: FlyersAtlanta

 

You could also use an old door as shelving

Image via Pinterest

Image via Pinterest

 

You could use a door to hold a light fixture

Image via Pinterest

Stop into the Home on the Range showroom to see more new ways to use old doors!

Candles have always been associated with calmness, beauty and intimacy.  From candle-lit dinners to soothing spas, there is just something so welcoming about candle light. Candle walls are a beautiful and unique way to bring that calmness and intimacy into your own home.  This simple, stylish idea can easily transform any room.

Make your dining space feel more intimate for your next social gathering with a chic candle wall display.

Image via Pinterest Photo by: Charlie & Co Design

Image via. Pinterest By: DecorPad

 

Use lavender or eucalyptus candles on your bathroom wall to create a spa-like effect, and we’re sure you’ll never want to leave the bath!

Image via Home on the Range

 

Image via Pinterest. By: HGTV

You can even take this interior decorating idea outdoors!

Image via Pinterest By: Martha Stewart

For help with building your candle wall, or for more interior decorating inspiration, visit our Pinterest page!

This is the first of a two part blog series where we will look at Pantone’s 2013 color forecasts, and how they relate to current trends and the economy, as well as how perfectly they fit with designing for the western and mountain lifestyle.

It always fascinates me to see the cycles various fashion and interior design trends go through, and how closely they are tied to the economy.  When we moved to Steamboat Springs in 1988 and opened our first home furnishing and interior design business in an existing storefront on Lincoln Avenue, the Steamboat economy had just experienced a recession and property values were down significantly.   People were seeing a glimmer of hope on the horizon, but they were nervous to trust that glimmer.  The colors and patterns that were “trending” at that time are the exact same colors and patterns that are in the Pantone 2013 color forecast for their Rugged Individuals Palette.  Keep in mind that the Pantone palettes are trends they are seeing world-wide, not just in our little neck of the woods.  The colors of the American Southwest and the denims and leathers of the cowboy lifestyle dominated the color palette in 1988.  They were popular again in the aftermath the tech crash of 2000, and again in the devastating aftermath of 9-11.

Here is a description from color trends in 2003:   With Americans seeking a sense of connection to each other as well as to the past, many will feel comforted by a palette that suggests linkage, heritage and history, a literal patchwork of traditional colors.  That is exactly what I think we are seeing for 2013.  Take a look at the color names from the 2003 color forecast and how close they are to the colors pictured below:

PANTONE 19-1655 Garnet, PANTONE 17-4021 Faded Denim, PANTONE 13-0932 Cornsilk, PANTONE 19-1436 Cinnamon, PANTONE 19-0622 Military Olive, PANTONE 14-1107 Oyster Gray, PANTONE 19-5511 Hunter Green, PANTONE 19-3839 Blue Ribbon, PANTONE 11-0507 Winter White

Image via Pantone 2013 Home & Interiors Webinar

Image via Pantone 2013 Home & Interiors Webinar

In looking at all of the different predictions for color, I think that the color scheme that will be the most prevalent in our market (the west) is Pantone’s Rugged Individuals Palette.  I think this palette speaks to the mentality of repurposing and making do, which has become part of the conversation in our daily lives and yet also reflects the ruggedness of our American spirit and our determination and grit.  This color palette embodies the current trend towards using reclaimed woods and metals in everything from contemporary to mountain rustic design.

http://www.redoitdesign.com/2012/05/17/new-pantone-home-interiors-color-forecast-2013/

Image via Home on the Range on Houzz

Image via Pinterest

 

 

Paris

Image via Pinterest. Photo: confinedlight

If you’ve ever been (or wanted to go) to Paris, you know that it is a city like no other. Even if your home is not in a French style, you can bring a little bit of Parisian romance in with accessories. Here are some classics with savoir-faire.

  • Tin tray with rope handles: I can just imagine this tray sitting on a table in the garden outside of a little french farmhouse- or in a cabin here in the mountains!

Image via Go Home Ltd.

 

  • Dormer window mirror: The historically-inspired Adele Dormer Mirror from Century Furniture adds a sense of presence and sophistication.
dormer mirror

Image via Century Furniture.

 

  • French flea market table: This little table would fit right in at a sidewalk cafe in Paris, but its elegant simplicity can bring a hint of international style into any home.

Image via Go Home Ltd.

 

  • French Heritage Olioboard: The eclectic mix of colors, styles, textures and finishes makes this Olioboard stand out with a French flare.  It makes you feel like you’re right in the middle of a Parisian party!

Image via French Heritage

 

  •  Cratered Vineyard Demijohn: I LOVE the mix of rustic wood with glass in this piece.  Stop in to Home on the Range to see similar pieces that we are currently carrying!

Image via Go Home Ltd.

For more of the places and designs that inspire us, visit our Pinterest page!

Pantone

 

The Pantone Fashion Color Report Spring 2013 is out already! The report, released on the first day of New York’s Fashion Week, is a comprehensive overview of the colors fashion designers are using. We anticipate the colors will make their way to home fashion in the next year. The collection is all about balance, says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, in an excellent online video. Novel neutrals like “Linen” balance out exuberant colors like “Poppy Red” and “Lemon Zest”. The collection is visually “anchored” by Monaco Blue, which is dark. The Collection was formulated with the input of fashion designers such as Nicole Miller and Charlotte Ronson.

Pantone

Nicole Miller design for Pantone with Spring 2013 colors.

 

 

Charlotte Ronson

Charlotte Ronson for Pantone with Spring 2013 colors.

 

Fashion is the theme of High Point Market this fall, and here are some objects that incorporate colors similar to those Pantone released. The draperies and pants in this High Point Market video have a color combination similar to Pantone Spring 2013.

Image via High Point Market

Watch for an upcoming post to get my personal take on which colors will be big in the mountain resorts  in 2013 and why!

Lynne Barton Bier