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Design Tips and Trends,Featured,It's All in the Details

Building a Stairway to Heaven

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

8b3725b4a83e034e0009742d63258ebf

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!

 

 

 

 

 

Design Tips and Trends,Featured,It's All in the Details

A Room With a View

We had so much fun with our last post Around the World in 80 Doors, that we just couldn’t resist doing another fun one today.  There is a very specific category of photography that I love: pictures taken of beautiful places around the world through unique and ornate doors and windows.

I told you it was specific.

But, once I share this collection of photographic gems with you, I’m sure you’ll agree- these types of pictures are the best!  Have you ever taken any pictures through a window or door?  We would love to see them!  Share them with us on our Facebook page!

 

Image via Xena Bites Back

Image via Art.Co.UK

Image via Blue Pueblo

Image via Pinterest

Image via Pinterest

Image via a Life of Beauty and Grace

Image via La Vie Extrordinaire

See?  I told you it would be fun!  Don’t forget to share your favorite pictures with us on Facebook!

Design Tips and Trends,It's All in the Details

Around the World in 80 Doors

Well, not really 80 doors, but it was a catchy title, right?  After all this talk about white and winter in the last few weeks, we thought it was time to spice it up and add some color to our lives.  Today, we’re going on a visual journey of doors around the world.

The thing I love most about doors is that they are all different, and the styles, shapes and colors differ from place to place.  Though some places in America like New Orleans, Miami, and Santa Fe participate in the creation of glorious entryways, the majority of global door love is found beyond our borders.  Places like India, Italy, Thailand and Mexico aren’t afraid to show their colors, and the results are visually inspiring.  Let’s take a look.

 

Carving and Sculpture Favorites:

Image via Explore the Earth

Image via Flickr

Image via Pinterest

Texture and Pattern Favorites:

Image via Tumblr

Image via Pinterest

Image via Tumblr

Color Favorites:

Image via Khish Vantage

Image via Pariah’s Muse

Image via Awesome Spaces

“Well-Aged” Favorites:

Image via Abriendo-Puertas

Image via Pinterest

Image via Flickr

 

Can’t get enough of these doors?  We can’t either!  See more on our Doors and Windows Pinterest board!  Or, you can also read our post on using recycled doors in design here.

Design Tips and Trends,Featured,Featured Products,It's All in the Details,Western Style

Whiteout Conditions: The Product Post

Last week we talked about an upcoming design trend, and how to translate that trend into your own home if you happen to live in a snowy environment.  Decorating with white has reclaimed a spot on the top of the charts, but if you abide in the mountains, you may know that decorating in all white is a taboo.  I mean, really, who wants to live in a snow cave?

But wait!  There are ways to carefully edge around this no-no, and to create a stunning space that is not only warm and white and cozy, but is also chic as chic can be.  If you missed last week’s post that covered HOW to design with white in your mountain home, you can find it here.  Today, as promised, we are going to discuss products that will help you bring your vision to life.  Would you be surprised if I told you that you can find all of these products at the Home on the Range showroom?  Well, surprise!  We have all this and more, and the best part is, if we don’t have exactly what you’re looking for, we are more than happy to help you find it.

 

Last week we talked about how important it is to use warmer colors and textures along with white when designing in the mountains.  We absolutely love the leather, rivets, and distressed-wood-claw-feet of this stool/ottoman.  It would look great paired with leather chairs, or with other white decor items.

This birch tree floor lamp is a great example of using “off-whites” to warm up your space, while also giving the all-white feeling.  An added bonus of using a lamp like this is that it brings in the rustic/natural feel that we are so fond of seeing in mountain design.

These porcelain and pewter serving pieces are ideal for a classy, white winter escape.  The color and texture of the antlers add a rustic interest to the pieces, while the shine of the pewter helps to cut the starkness of the white.  These would be great used as centerpieces on a dining or coffee table, hung with other trays to create a focal wall, or used for serving at an apres-ski party.

Are you noticing our rustic trend here?  These pillows are perfect for a mountain lodge.  They kill two trend birds with one stone because not only are they fashionably white, but they also feature designs current favorite creature: the stag.  For more on “Going Stag” read our post here.  Also, if you choose pure white pillows (like the one on the bottom), make sure to surround them with other types of warmth, like burlap, off-white bedding, or a fur throw.

Speaking of fur, while our last product is not actually a white decor item, it IS a perfect companion  to these white decor items.  We talked about the importance of adding the feeling of warmth through textures and colors, and really there are few better ways to do that than by using soft, fluffy, warm, fur.  A fur throw or pillow strategically placed in your space is an easy way to add a volume of warmth and comfort that is more difficult to achieve otherwise.

If you love what you see here, or are looking for a bit more inspiration in creating you white mountain retreat, come visit us at the Home on the Range showroom today!  You can also find our ideas on Pinterest, or see more of our mountain work in our website portfolio.  Stay warm out there!

Design Tips and Trends,Featured,It's All in the Details,Western Style

Whiteout Conditions

Whiteout Conditions-How to use white in design if you live in the mountains

Image via Architectural Digest

We all know that trends have a way of coming back around.  For better or for worse, the things we think we’ve left behind tend to constantly resurface in the present.  This holds true in every aspect of culture, and interior design is no exception.  Recently, we have seen all white decorating make it’s comeback.  From shabby-chic to super-elegant, living room, to bedroom to kitchen, interior design trends are experiencing a whiteout.

Well, we live in the mountains.

In the mountains, you can’t just slap a coat of whitewash up on the walls and reupholster the furniture in stark white.  Why?  Because Colorado winters already provide more white than just about anyone is prepared to deal with.  We currently have 136 inches of white here in Steamboat Springs, and while the idea of having a chic white interior may sound exciting, you’ll find that if you live anywhere that it snows for a significant chunk of the year, the results of this color shift will be underwhelming.  In our neck of the woods, it’s important to make warmth a central factor in design.  This doesn’t have as much to do with where we place the heaters as it does with the colors, textures and materials that we use when creating spaces.

But if you are over the moon about this trend, and if, like us, you are a ski town-dweller, you don’t have to just suffer through it and resign yourself to using only colors from the rainbow.  You CAN use white in your interior design, you just have to be a little bit more cautious and subtle about it.

Following these VERY IMPORTANT tips will ensure that you can stay current in your mountain retreat without creating the feeling that you live in an igloo.

1.  Avoid using entirely 100% white.

Experiment with different shades of white, like off-whites, eggshells and ivories.  Subtracting even minutely from stark white will warm your room up exponentially, while still giving you the look you are going for.

Image via Houzz

Image via A Bohemian Life

2.  Add some rustic touches.

Think less shabby-chic and more rugged-elegant.  Beams, logs, and wood floors go a long way in making mountain interiors feel more cozy and inviting, and when you combine that traditional rustic style with white accents, the contrast that it creates is just beautiful.

Image via Houzz

Image via Houzz

Image via Velvet and Linen

3.  Accessorize wisely.

Don’t choose all-white accessories… instead, choose accessories (like throws, pillows, candles, candle holders, mirrors, frames, etc) that will highlight the white that you already have in the space rather than overwhelming it.  Fur and burlap are materials that are very in right now, and not only are they perfect for accessorizing in the mountains, they also look fantastic when paired with white decor.

Image via pinterest

Image via the Gifts of Life

4.  An accent color wouldn’t be the end of the world.

Give it a shot.  You might be surprised.  Try out a red pillow here, a red candle there.  Since you’re working with white, you can really use just about any color you want.  Actually, that’s not true.  Try to stay away from blue and other “cool” colors and instead search out warmer colors like reds or golds.  They don’t have to be vibrant, but adding a little bit of color will make you feel warmer, even when it’s cold outside.

Image via the Gifts of Life

Image via Donald Lococo Architecture

Image via Houzz

5.  Texturize.

When decorating your space, try to keep texture in the forefront of your mind.  Textures are a sneaky way to apply feeling and style to a room without having to just come right out and say it.  Imagine a white room, wood floor, wood beams.  Now imagine that same floor with a fluffy sheepskin rug on it.  Better right?  Thought so.

Image via Pinterest

 

We were going to make one big long post with our mountain white decorating tips AND products that we suggest for mountain white decorating, but we thought that would just be too much for you all at once, so make sure and keep an eye out next week when we will do a follow up to this post that will include great products for decorating with white and where to find them (spoiler alert: it’s Home on the Range).  Until then, enjoy the rest of your week, and Happy New Year from Home on the Range!

 

Design Tips and Trends,Featured,It's All in the Details,Western Style

Our Favorite Christmas-scapes

Christmas time is finally really here, I have just been so excited about it!  I love the lights, the trees, the smells, the spirit, the music, and mostly the SNOW that we’ve been getting in the last few days!  To celebrate the season, Home on the Range is going holiday from now until the big day!  Join us for a series of Christmas blog posts that will help you get inspired to bring the holiday spirit into your own home (if it’s not already there).  

Today we’re sharing some of our favorite Christmas-scapes with you.  Whether you’re in the mood for tree-scapes, mantle-scapes, table-scapes, or entry-scapes, look no further.  We have compiled a collection of Christmas decorating glory that we hope will help inspire you to take your own Christmas-scape to the next level.

 

Outdoor Christmas-scapes:  Incorporating items like lanterns and candles with a wreath or leftover greenery from your Christmas tree makes a beautiful impression without taking up too much of your precious holiday time.  Try arranging greenery in containers like baskets, planters or old washtubs and adding pine cones and branches for a rustic approach.

Image via Blomsterverkstad

Image via Modern Country

Image via Houzz

Christmas table-scapes: Setting your table for Christmas is one of the easiest ways to add a holiday feel to your home that also makes it feel well polished and put together.  Mason jars are ever-popular centerpieces, and using different sizes and styles creates a little bit of visual excitement and variety.  Candles are a table’s best friend, not only during the holidays, but at any time of the year.  Candles are pretty, and you can use different colors and shapes to highlight your current decorating theme.  Best of all, when lit, they contribute an intimacy to your dining experience that is hard to achieve without them… think “mood lighting”.

Image via Houzz

Image via Houzz

Christmas mantle-scapes:   There are so many many many ideas for decorating your fireplace mantle for Christmas, whether it is big or small, fat or skinny, short or tall.  The mantle decoration is one of the most eye-catching displays, and will set the theme for your entire Christmas decorating scheme.  Adding or changing a few simple elements can give you an entirely different feel, so play around with it and see what works best for you!  A few key elements to get you started are candles, greenery, and berries (or anything else that will add a splash of color)  Here are some of our favorites:

Image via Michael Graydon

Image via Laughing with Angels

Image via Growing up Gardener

Image via Houzz

A few extra details:  At Home on the Range, “It’s all in the details” are words we live by.  Seriously, the details make the space.  Focusing on the small picture will create a unique environment, and will begin to allow the big picture to fall into place on its own.  Look at what you already have in your home and try to imagine what you can work with to create something new.  If you are unsure of where to start, or if you are just looking for a little bit of extra inspiration to fill in your decorating holes, you can try a few of these easy decorations that are simple and elegant, but pack a big style punch.

 

Image via Pinterest

Image via Jim Fairfax

Image via Chic Fluff

Enjoy your Christmas decorating time, and don’t forget to stop into our showroom for all of your last minute decorating items!  All of our Christmas decor is 30% off through Christmas Eve!

Design Tips and Trends,Featured,It's All in the Details,Western Style

Going Stag (and Get Twiggy) Christmas Edition!

Christmas time is finally really here, I have just been so excited about it!  I love the lights, the trees, the smells, the spirit, the music, and mostly the SNOW that we’ve been getting in the last few days!  To celebrate the season, Home on the Range is going holiday from now until the big day!  Join us for a series of Christmas blog posts that will help you get inspired to bring the holiday spirit into your own home (if it’s not already there).  

Image via Clarendon Lane

 You may recall that in the recent past we showcased some current rustic trends in design- using natural items like antlers, branches and trunks in decorating.  What we want to talk about today is how easily those trends transition into holiday decorating.  Have you seen Pinterest lately?  They’re everywhere!

We love how rustic design brings the outdoors in, and what better time to do that than at Christmas?  Think about it, you’re already dragging a large fir tree from the woods into your home while singing songs about Santa’s antlered animals, so while you’re tramping the forests why not collect a few extra armloads of goodies?  Or, if you’re a little less Jeremiah Johnson (or maybe your snowshoes are in the shop right now), stop in to the Home on the Range showroom… we can help you choose everything you need for a beautiful, natural Christmas this year.

Here are a few of our favorite “Stag and Twiggy” holiday displays, along with some tips for how to incorporate them into your own space.

 

Antlers for ornaments: I think this is such a cute idea!  Use antlers to hang extra ornaments from, it will help bring a holiday feel to your entire home!  You can use elegant antique ornaments, or use colorful new ornaments for a more funky modern feel.

Image via Houzz

Image via BeeldSteil

 

Twig Stars: Collect branches from wherever you can find them (we have them for sale here at the Home on the Range showroom, hint hint) and use them to create rustic stars that you can hang on the wall… try wrapping Christmas lights around them for an extra holiday kick.

Image via Pinterest

 

 Twig Centerpieces:   Twigs and branches can make beautiful focal points for centerpieces.  They add height without being too heavy or solid, and you can still see through them!  If you want to add a little something extra, you can hang tiny ornaments from the branches, spray them with shimmer, or use pre lit branches.

-I love the pine cones and lights in the base of this centerpiece, it looks very wintery and natural, but cozy and warm at the same time.

Image via Julie Mulligan Floral Style

 

-I like the lights at the tips of all of the branches in this centerpiece.  White decorations are growing in popularity this year, but if you live somewhere like Steamboat where it snows ALL the time, you have to be very careful when using white in decorating.  It tends to feel cold and bare when what you really want is a warm, inviting respite from the outdoors.

Image via Trendy Tree

 

Stag Centerpieces:  They’re so cute.  I just love these tiny deer, I can’t even tell you.  Intermixing deer with greenery, lights, candles, and any small antique items you might have on hand is a quick way to make a beautiful, unique centerpiece that will get you plenty of compliments.

-This is probably my favorite centerpiece ever.  In the whole world.  I wasn’t kidding when I said I love tiny deer, but even more than just that I love the punched tin candle holders mixed with the glass tea lights which contrast with the natural pine cones.  It just works.

Image via tumblr

-This one is perfect because it combines the rustic elements of the “stag and twig method” (I made that up, what do you think?), burlap and birch bark cups with more traditional, polished items like glass and white tea lights to create a centerpiece that perfectly embodies rugged elegance.

Image via The Enchanted Home

Or, if you already have your house all done up in rustic style, there are also ways to decorate around your existing pieces.  I love this mantle-scape with the wreath around the faux stag head.  The pinecones, feathers and lanterns in the display give the room a very lodge-y feel that is easy to recreate in your own home.

Image via the Everyday Home

 

If you are looking for any of these holiday decorations, stop into the Home on the Range showroom, we have swag, garland, twigs, branches, ornaments, feathers, stag heads, antlers and figurines, as well as candles and candle holders.  Basically we are your one stop shop for everything rustic and Christmas!

 

 

 

Design Tips and Trends,Featured,It's All in the Details,Western Style

Guest Post: Have a Real Rustic Christmas

We are excited to have Alexandra from TilesUK guest posting for us this week!  She has lots of great ideas about how to create a rustic holiday display in your home, just in time for Christmas decorating!

Have a Real Rustic Christmas

Christmas comes but once a year, so you need to make the most of it and create a welcoming atmosphere. Your solution…a cosy, snug, rustic design. Rustic Christmas ornaments and decorations are uncomplicated, yet give a stunning look in their simplicity. Whether you’re simply adding a few elements, or completely redoing your living room into a log cabin, you can be sure to find a wide variety of Christmas decorations that will suit all your needs.

So why not grab a mulled wine, sit back, and settle in to enjoy some rustic Christmas inspiration?

The Tree

Image via HGTV

Items of the outdoors are key when it comes to a rustic design, so why not do this quickly and effectively by welcoming a real Christmas tree into your living area? For a rustic tree, it’s always good to keep to a colour theme; red, gold and brown are always nice. To create a warm and textured feel to your Christmas tree, you can add wooden and felt ‘mix and match’ decorations, stars and reindeer which have simply been sewn and stuffed. These are perfect examples of rustic tree decorations. One tip to remember; try and keep away from tinsel. Instead, try adding glittery twigs which can hang out of the Christmas tree, which will add a new dimension and a unique feel to your tree.

Take a Rustic Seat

Image via A Ribbon at a Time

Setting the dining table is just as important as decorating the tree. You should begin your design with an eye-catching centre piece, large bark candles varying in size, or a small, ‘cute’ Christmas tree would be perfect. You can complement the centre piece with a rustic backdrop; a table cloth which is green tartan, for instance, would be perfect. When setting a rustic Christmas dining table, don’t neglect colour just because you’re going for a rustic design, this does not mean everything has to be wooden or brown. Consider setting the dining table with vibrant red chargers and pine green plates. For a little finishing touch, you can add snippings from your Christmas tree, or a few red berries over your table.

Bits and Bobs Around the House

Image via Something…

Simple additions throughout your home will make a massive impression. In keeping with the colour theme of your tree you can add candles, bunting and other decorations. Leaving handfuls of baubles and pinecones, lost in a little ribbon and sprinkled with a pinch of glitter, will welcome the rustic theme throughout, for an inexpensive price and minimal effort. Hand crafting a few items is perfect for creating a rustic feel, whilst creating your own bunting out of recycled Christmas cards is not only ‘green’, it is ideal for the rustic Christmas feel.

Image via Rock River Stitches

Hopefully, these simple tips have given you some great ideas on how to create the perfect rustic home at Christmas. Remember not to neglect a room; even if you just simply place a few pinecones in the corner this will be extremely effective. Try to make some of the pieces yourself, this way you will save money and keep the kids out of trouble while you wait for Santa to arrive.

 

 

This blog was written by Alexandra, a keen home interior design follower who loves to share her ideas with anyone. One of the rooms which is hard not to neglect is the bathroom, so why not get it in tiptop condition ready for your Christmas guests with TilesUK’s  help?

Design Tips and Trends,It's All in the Details,Western Style

Get Twiggy

Get Twiggy-Using branches and trunks in decorating

We have been talking a lot about the rustic design craze lately, and a huge part of making a space feel truly rustic is the ability to bring the outside in through design and decorating.  Sometimes this can be easier said than done, and, short of plying up your carpet to create a dirt-floor, you may wonder exactly HOW to bring nature into your home.  One easy way that has been gaining in popularity is the use of raw trunks and branches in furniture and decorating.

Image via Pinterest

Furniture is the simplest manifestation of the twig method.  There are many companies that sell amazing natural wood beds, chairs, tables, you name it.  Like this beautiful bed from La Lune Collection.  Can’t you just picture sleeping in this?

Image via La Lune Collection

Another more creative way to add arboreal charm to your space is by incorporating it directly into the room itself.

I absolutely love the spaces that use full aspen or birch tree trunks along walls and in corners; it gives you the feeling that you are really IN the forest.

A more subtle, but nonetheless charming way to achieve this effect is to incorporate branches into already necessary aspects of the room, such as banisters, hand rails, light fixtures, or cabinet hardware.

Image via Cococozy

Image via Pinterest

Finally, if you are afraid of jumping full force into tree house commitment, try adding some hints of the woods in different places throughout your home.  Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Image via Vibeke Design

Image via Etsy.com

Image via Blue Roof Cabin

And, like always, don’t forget to make Home on the Range your first stop for all things twiggy.  We have lots of items and pieces to show you that will help you bring nature into your home, so stop into our showroom today!

Design Tips and Trends,It's All in the Details

In-Home Library Inspiration

Who doesn’t want a library in their house?  I know I sure do.  I think it might have started when I was a little girl watching Beauty and the Beast, or it may just be because I love books so much, but the idea of having my very own special library just tickles me to death.  There are so many ways to create your own in-home library, whether you have a lot of space, or just a little bit.  Adding a library to your home gives it that little extra touch of class and personality that will set it apart from all others.

Here are some of our favorite library inspirations, along with some little tips for getting started.

1.  To create a library, all you REALLY need is a lot of books, the rest will follow.

Image via Institute of Man

2.  Ladders help… so do spiral staircases.

Image via Der Buch Blog

Image via Bodie and Fou

3.  If you have an entire room to dedicate to your library, the possibilities are endless.

Image via Pinterest

Image via Beautiful-Libraries

4.  If you don’t have an entire room to dedicate to your library, the possibilities are endless.

 Hallways are perfect for libraries:

Image via Home on the Range

Stairwells work great too: 

Image via Space Says

       Or, use an empty wall:

Image via Falling is Like This

For advice on taking the plunge to create your in-home library, stop into Home on the Range.  We have shelves, chairs, bookends, candles, lamps, and anything else you might need to bring your library dreams to life.

 

Image