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Design Tips and Trends

Using Lighting in Design: New Lighting Technology

New lighting regulations set to begin in January 2012 have resulted in an emergence of lighting technology beyond incandescent bulbs. Since lighting is such an integral part of interior design, Home on the Range Interiors has kept up with these changes and innovations.

One New York Times article explains the new regulations as well as the difference in all the bulbs out there in layman’s terms, and we love that the author discusses how this technology fits into home design, pointing out the best options for each room in the house.

Selecting the correct Kelvin temperature is of especial importance since this affects the color of light emitted. So in Western style homes where designing with warm colors is king, light with a lower color temperature—around 3,000 Kelvins—will illuminate a space with a soft glow.

Incandescent bulbs are often energy inefficient, which has led to the popularity of compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. Now, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are offering even more energy savings, and new technology has led to LED options that can illuminate in every direction, The New York Times reports.  The other advantage to the LED light is that it is green and doesn’t present the same disposal issues as the fluorescent bulbs.

For an excellent explanation of new lighting technology and how it will affect your bulb shopping come January, read this New York Times piece.

If you’d like help illuminating your space to show off its interior design in the best light, contact Home on the Range in Colorado.

 Image  by dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Where Should You Start When Designing a Room?
Design Tips and Trends,Featured

Where Should You Start When Designing a Room?

A great place to start your room can be with an oriental carpet, a favorite piece of art or a fabric that you love. At Home on the Range Interiors, we have even used stone walls as our starting point! Once you have the key element selected, it will become the inspiration for the other colors, fabrics and finishes in the room.

In this Western Mine Style Home, designer Lynne Bier started with the purple moss rock the clients had selected and that was used throughout the house. The fabrics and finishes she selected to complement the rock were blends of the colors in the rock. The soft moss green, purple hues and red flecks of garnet made a beautiful color palette for this home.

In this Pioneer Homestead Home, we began with the colorful rugs and weavings the owner had collected from areas as diverse as Morocco, South Africa and the American Southwest. This bright, bold palette cried out for fabrics and wall colors that were neutral and that would create a backdrop for the colorful textiles. The color was then pulled back out in key furniture pieces.

The vibrant turquoise paint on the sofa table repeats the turquoise color in the Moroccan rug.

Our client in this home is an artist, and we used the piece of art she selected to hang in the entry as the color inspiration for this space.

The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Pick something you love and then create your room around it — give it a try, and let us know how you do!

–Lynne Barton Bier, Owner/Principal Designer, Home on the Range

Images: Interior designs by Home on the Range; Photos by Tim Murphy; Architecture by Joe Patrick Robbins, AIA

Designing for the Western Lifestyle: Mountain Lodge
Western Style

Designing for the Western Lifestyle: Mountain Lodge

Mountain Lodge style can range from a European ski lodge to a rustic cabin. Mountain Lodge evokes the scent of pine trees and the warmth of a cozy fire. Mountain Lodge décor brings the outdoors into the home with the use of color and materials found in the environment around the house. When designing with any of the Western Design styles, it is important to stay away from what is trendy and focus on timeless design elements.

In this bathroom by Home on the Range, we painted the cabinets and walls with a pine green. Birch bark mirrors and pinecone accent tiles bring the feeling of the outdoors into the room. Naturally shed antler handles were used to accent the doors and drawers of the vanity.

The custom twig light valance on the bookshelves, the use of reclaimed oak floors and the rawhide chandeliers from Hammerton Lighting add rustic mountain touches to this European lodge home.

Chinked timber walls and a random-lay stone floor are used to create a mountain cabin feel in this lakeside home. The antler wall sconces from Sua designs add another touch of the mountain lodge feel to the entry, and the feathers in the vase complete the look.

Old Hickory chairs and antler candlesticks add the lodge accents to this European-style kitchen.

You can use any of the accent ideas highlighted in this blog to add a touch of mountain lodge to your home. Press the “like what you see” button at the right, and we can send you photos of, and pricing for, the accessories pictured in these homes. Watch for the conclusion of the Designing for the Western Lifestyle series when we will showcase individual finishes and products used in these homes and show you how to purchase them.

Images: Photos by Tim Murphy; Interior designs by Home on the Range; Architecture by Joe Patrick Robbins, AIA

Color Use Across the Centuries
Design Tips and Trends,Featured

Color Use Across the Centuries

I have always been fascinated with color and it’s use in design, so on a recent trip through Europe I began to take pictures of eye-catching color combinations that repeat themselves in every country.  I hope you’ll enjoy these photos as a visual reminder of how color use transcends both time and space.

This vibrant combination of red, blue and green adds life to what must have been a dreary existence in the Tower of London.

Exquisite stained glass and colorfully painted columns – also in the Tower of London.

Great use of the red and blue again on shutters and awnings in the Montmartre area of Paris.

Bookstall on the Left Bank of the Seine in Paris.  Postcards from the Moulin Rouge show the same vibrant colors being popular at the turn of the century

Below are a number of houses on the fishing and lace-making island of Burano in Italy – the houses on Burano are painted in every color combination you can imagine, and it all works beautifully!!

Another favorite color combination across the centuries has been purple, pink, blue and green  – enjoy the below examples of these captivating combinations!

A shop window in the Latin Quarter and a Venetian glass chandelier.

Sign on a children’s shop in Paris.

Windowsill and flowerpot on a house in Burano, Italy.

Color inspiration is everywhere in our daily life, and, as there are endless combinations of colors, there are truly no right or wrong ways to combine colors. Each combination evokes a different emotion and the psychology of color is something we will be exploring in other posts such as our post on color in breast cancer treatment this month.

If you enjoyed this post, watch for future posts on such topics as color in Mexico and South America, the use of inlaid marble in Venice, unique staircases in Europe and things that make me smile!

And don’t forget to visit us at Home on the Range in Steamboat Springs or click the “like what I see” button to find out more about what we do.

—Lynne Barton Bier, Owner/Principal Designer, Home on the Range Interiors

Designing for the Western Lifestyle: Western Cowboy
Featured,Western Style

Designing for the Western Lifestyle: Western Cowboy

Western Cowboy design harks back to the long days in the saddle and to the rugged individuals who made their way west to carve out their corner of the wide open frontier.

Lynne Bier of Home on the Range worked closely with architect Joe Patrick Robbins, builder Gary Cogswell and their clients to create the Western Cowboy/Homestead Ranch style homes seen below.

Western Cowboy is the mixing of age-old materials; the leather of chaps with rough-sawn barn boards.

Indian and Cowboy memorabilia play a big role in layering on the character of the Old West. Flea markets, antique shops and auctions are great places to hunt for just the right pieces. You can add these pieces into a room to give it a touch of cowboy if you don’t want it in a whole house!

The furniture we put in this Old Western Ranch-style house is a blend of antiques brought out from the East paired with rough handmade furniture and quilts.

The master bedroom above features a four poster bed from Tiger Mountain Woodworks, a handmade reclaimed maple armoire from D. Andrew Cates and a chandelier from Lt. Moses Willard lighting.

The bedroom designed for the grandchildren makes use of an antique tablecloth we cut up to make curtains, antique quilts and old fashioned spindle beds. Pictured is another period lighting chandelier from Lt. Moses Willard.

To read more about the houses shown above, visit Steamboat Magazine, Architectural Digest and Ski Magazine – Mountain Life.

–Lynne Bier

Images: Photos by Tim Murphy; Interior designs by Home on the Range; Architecture by Joe Patrick Robbins, AIA

Interior Design Goes Green – Literally
Design Tips and Trends

Interior Design Goes Green – Literally

Going green is big in design lately, and not just in terms of sustainability and eco-friendliness. We’ve also been seeing the color green all over the interior design world, including in some of our favorite shelter magazines. Elle Décor recently did a feature article on using green in home decorating.

At Home on the Range, we love incorporating green into our interiors as it works well with the natural materials often used in Western Design style and helps to bring the outdoors into the home. We find that when there is snow outside for 5 months out of the year, we crave greens to warm things up inside! Here’s a look at some of our interiors that showcase green.

The antiqued green finish on the kitchen cabinets in this Western Homestead Ranch at Lake Catamount was custom done by D. Andrew Cates, who is renowned for his reproduction furniture and wonderful finishes.

The rich blue-green of the bed skirt complements the walls in this Mountain Arts and Crafts-style bedroom, and the white trim adds to the mountain cottage feel.

We carried the green to the walls of the suite’s bathroom as well, and again accented it with white trim, cabinetry and mirrors.

In this bedroom we used a soft gray-green paint on the wainscot paired with cherry trim to create a cozy look.

Shades of green will continue to be big in design this fall, and they work in every room. How will you incorporate the color into your home?

Images: Photos by Tim Murphy; Interior Design by Home on the Range; Architecture by Joe Patrick Robbins, AIA

Designing for the Western Lifestyle: Rustic Contemporary
Featured,Western Style

Designing for the Western Lifestyle: Rustic Contemporary

The perfect blend of clean contemporary lines with natural rustic materials creates an aesthetic that has opened a new chapter on Western Design.

There are many terms for what is quickly evolving into a new genre of design.

  • Mountain Modern
  • Mountain Minimalist
  • Rustic Contemporary
  • Mountain Contemporary
  • Western Contemporary

The term that best describes my favorite form of this new genre is Rustic Contemporary. I place a strong emphasis on the use of natural and reclaimed materials such as rock, metals and reclaimed wood to add texture and warmth to the clean lines of contemporary architecture.

The indigenous moss rock used on this wall creates interest and the feeling of bringing the outdoors in, as it slices its way through a two-story window wall.

This hall and stairway illustrate the wonderful blend of clean, contemporary lines with stone, metal and wood. The new line of Hammerton light fixtures is designed to fit in beautifully with the Rustic Contemporary style.

In this master bedroom, the contemporary fireplace design pairs well with the moss rock. Reclaimed white oak floors add a layer of rusticity to the space, and once again, there is a wonderful feeling of bringing the outdoors into the room with the mix of glass, stone and reclaimed wood.

Oceanside Glass has paired glass and stone in their mosaics for the perfect blend of rustic and contemporary. We used their blend on the tub face in the master bath with a honey onyx tub deck. The cherry cabinets from Rustic Woodworks add a warm touch to the room.

We, the designers at Home on the Range, are always on the lookout for the newest products that will enhance the design of our clients’ homes without becoming dated in a short period of time. Although we watch the current trends and incorporate elements from those trends into our designs, it is important to us that, in all of our interpretations of the Western Lifestyle, our designs remain timeless in nature.

–Lynne Bier

Images: Photos by Tim Murphy; Interior designs by Home on the Range; Architecture by Joe Patrick Robbins, AIA

How the Details ‘Make the Design’
Featured,It's All in the Details

How the Details ‘Make the Design’

American designer Charles Eames said something that really stands true in terms of interior design: “The details are not the details. They make the design.” While it’s very important that a room look good when taken as a whole, it’s definitely the little things that tie the space together into a complete, cohesive look.

Home on the Range did the interior design for this Western, ranch-style home, and this particular photo offers a close-up view that really highlights the details; just look at how the rough-hewn wood and accessories—right down to the hat and lantern—help transform this into a decidedly rustic space.

Charles Eames could not have been more right. From the architectural moulding to the accessories and materials, every detail in a space contributes to creating and showcasing your personal style. If you’re looking for an interior designer in Steamboat Springs, CO who can beautify your space down to the details, contact Home on the Range. We’d be happy to help.

Image: Photo by Tim Murphy; Interior design by Home on the Range; Architecture by Joe Patrick Robbins, AIA

Designing for the Western Lifestyle: An Introduction
Featured,Western Style

Designing for the Western Lifestyle: An Introduction

The West has always been known for its individuality, rugged landscapes and pioneer spirit. From Cowboy or Pioneer Homestead to Refined Mountain or Rustic Contemporary, we will explore the common elements we have discovered while designing for the Western lifestyle and at the same time show how these elements can be combined to create completely different interiors.

Key elements in designing for the Western lifestyle include:

  • Creating a cozy, inviting environment where you can gather with family and friends
  • Bringing the outdoors in by using natural materials — metal, stone and wood for the interior finishes
  • Selecting a mix of furniture pieces that will stand the test of time
  • Allowing for each person’s vision of the Western lifestyle to find its expression

Beginning this week, we will be doing a blog series taking you through the ins and outs of five unique styles, all of which fit under the umbrella of Western design: Refined Mountain, Mountain Contemporary, Western Cowboy, Mountain Lodge and New Mexico Territorial. Come back and visit to see how each of these themes fits into interior design for the Western lifestyle. You can even follow the blog to have our updates sent right to your reader or email inbox!

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