Living Room Refresh

I've been pretty busy these last three months (actually not super busy) but I have missed posting! I've been thinking of a refresh for my own living space which inspired this post. I haven't created a mood board in some time, so I thought to create a living space that I would want to live in right now. As many times as I try to create spaces that are timeless and minimal, I can't help but to put my own eclectic twist on it - besides, this is all for fun anyway :) Some of my favorites to incorporate in spaces that I design are natural materials - like these raffia side tables and resin chandelier, pattern and texture play - pairing a larger scale patterned rug with a variety of smaller scale patterned pillows, a light and airy feel - keeping the sofa and paint colors light, and a touch of the beach - I do this with art and incorporating natural materials like this aged elm coffee table.  I've sourced pieces from many different companies, and you can find them in the links below! Enjoy !

Rug / Amira Rug / Room + Board

Sofa / Avalon Sofa / Joss + Main 

Coffee Table / 17th C. Scholars Square Coffee Table / Restoration Hardware

Side Tables / Blake Raffia Side Tables / Serena + Lily

Table Lamps / Lillian Table Lamp / Joss + Main

Chandelier / Addison Pendant / Serena + Lily

Art / Stinton Beach by Jesse Leake / Pottery Barn 

Pillows / Susan Pillow, Kara Pillow, + Luane Pillow / Lulu + Georgia

xo,

Lauren

I'm Back!

So, we made it back to New York and found our own little place again, actually for New York City it's pretty darn big. I've been super behind on my blog but I am going to step it up again! Even though I design and style for a living, putting together our own place has been quite the task. We brought back a few main pieces of furniture like our bed, dining table and chairs, and media console. Although stressful at times, I do really enjoy getting to decorate our own place again. We live in a pre-war building so our apartment is large, has high ceilings, and character that is just hard to find. We definitely didn't get that in California....even though palm trees and beaches were nice. Anyway, it's still a work in progress for sure! Here are some new pieces that have come in or are coming in soon. We are both so happy with how it is coming along :)

Rug in kitchen under table // Urban Outfitters

New entry console // Pier 1

Curtains in bedroom with same rod // west elm

Dresser in bedroom // west elm

Bedroom rugs, two on each side of bed // Target

Love our new living room rug // west elm

Laguna Beach print for above bed // Society 6 

Pendants in bedroom // Urban Outfitters

Stay tuned to see where all these pretty little items end up and follow me on instagram @laurenmaiorana to see more up-to-date photos while we make our new place home again!

Xo,

SoCal Rental Condo Design

Well hello everyone. It's been quite some time but I am back! Things have been crazy on my end, not only are my boyfriend and I moving back to NY (from the other side of the country) but I have been juggling more than a couple larger design projects and custom paintings. Although I've been up-to-date on my social media, I've slacked on coming up with posts for you! But now that one of my designs have been approved and is now in the works, I decided to share the same mood boards I presented to my client. Oh, and I would totally live in this space myself...just saying. You'll see many shades of blue and touches of yellow and gray. This rental is right by the water so I really wanted to bring the outdoors in and compliment the beach. I chose to stick to a complimentary color scheme for most of the space. Stay tuned for after photos :)

I post more on my social media so follow me @laurenmaiorana on instagram and @lauren_maiorana on twitter (icon links on main page) to see more design and art by me!

Xo,

Fun Home Office Design

So I've been dreaming of having an office of my own instead of taking over our dining room table which is what can happen what you live in an 800 sq foot apartment. I know one day I will get there but designing a clients office of her own had me dreaming even more so I decided to share this work in progress with you. What I love about this space is the color scheme and simple touch of the beach. Other than that, this office is timeless yet super chic. Did I mention I only had a 10x10ft space to work with? Not my dream size but you'll see why I'm loving it so much...

My idea is to have the Sherwin Willams Aquatint paint color on the wall where the bookcases will be as an accent wall. the two walls where the two desks are will have the neutral chevron wallpaper. The wall art and decorative accessories in the minty accent color will tie the whole color scheme together throughout the space. I can't wait to see how it all comes together in person! Stay tuned :) Follow me on instagram for more interior and art inspiration and ideas @laurenmaiorana!

Xo,

Winter in California

Sorry fellow New Yorkers...no snow here in sunny SoCal! My parents are visiting me (and California) for the first time this week! Since I live in the southern California area close to the beaches, I've taken them to all the hot spots along the SoCal coast -- Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, San Diego, Santa Monica, and Venice Beach. It's been quite a fun trip so far -- they are definitely not missing the feet (yes, plural in some areas) of snow that's waiting for them back in New York. Sigh. I just love taking pictures of the beautiful Pacific Ocean and wanted to share some of my photos from the past week with all you guys (I post more frequently on my instagram so for more photos and inspiration, follow me @laurenmaiorana). I'm also working on some super fun home projects for work and can't wait to share them with you! Stay tuned. 

Xo, 

DIY Coastal Painting

I've been in a very DIY mood lately (if you haven't checked out my last post on creating a festive fall wreath click here) and this time I'm creating an acrylic coastal painting. I came across a picture on pinterest of a bedroom with a painting that was screaming for me to recreate it so naturally that's what I had to do. The colors were just stunning. 

What you'll need:

1. Any size canvas you want (regular or gallery wrapped)
2. Smooth paint brushes with a thick tip so the bristles won't come off in the paint
3. A spray bottle with water in it (refill an empty cleaner bottle if you need one)
4. Old towel
5. Acrylic and watercolor paint (I use ones I get from Michaels -- artists loft and craftsmart brands -- and the colors I used were prussian blue, peacock blue, sand, turquoise, white and viridian) along with a sealer of some sort or a satin varnish
6. Paper plate 
7. Cup of water

Luckily for me I had an 18x24" gallery wrapped canvas in my car and all the paint colors and brushes in my art bin. The only downfall is not having my easel set up so I used an old towel under the canvas and leaned the canvas against the wall on top of some paper towel taped to the wall -- so this is what you can do if you don't have an easel set up either. Plus, I did a water dripping technique so you need something under the canvas to not make a mess either way. Or if you have a space outside in the grass to paint then that works, too!

First, flip the canvas vertical so the water drips that way. Squeeze the paint onto a paper plate if you don't have a palette. Then, spray the canvas with water to start the dripping technique. Then start with any color you like -- I started with the prussian blue to the left -- the paint will start dripping and continue to spray with water to create desired look. Continue this process for each color and don't be afraid to blend the colors a little so they fade into each other --just make sure you're either using different paint brushes or dipping them in water so it keeps them from mixing too much. Do one layer and then let it dry. The key is layers, layers and more layers of paint when doing this technique. After it's dry flip the canvas -- so it's still vertical but the other way. Continue by spraying water again and adding paint. Mix white in some spots in the sand and turquoise so you get variations in color. Continue to spray with water to create desired look. Once dried your painting should look something like this (before sealer which is why it may look a little dull)...

Once sealed and put in some very appealing natural light your painting should look more like this...

I really love the way this came out not to mention this one is for sale -- but if you're up for it try to DIY and I'd love to see it once it's done! Happy painting :)

Xo,

Nautical Accents for your Home

If you're like me than you have a soft spot for anything nautical. Especially since spring is here and summer is around the corner, incorporating a few nautical pieces may be just what your home needs. Whether you are looking for some new items for your beach house or your beach-inspired space up in the mountains, these nautical accent pieces are some great finds for any space. All of these items would work with most of your existing decor such as a fun doormat and some burlap throw pillows which are a perfect way to gradually add some nautical fun into your home without going overboard (no pun intended) and will look great year-round, too. Enjoy! 

Xo,

Coastal Living Space

I've been having an obsession over sea glass blue lately so I decided to create a mood board.  Not to mention Pantone's Hemlock is on their Spring 2014 Color Forecast which I didn't even know before creating this. When I think of sea glass, I think of the beach - so I decided to create a coastal living space with sea glass accents. I chose beachy yet modern furniture made with natural materials such as jute, burlap, linen and raffia which go really well with this color scheme. Now all I need is a beach house to decorate! 

1 / Natural Curiosities Capistrano Saudi Blue / Shopcandelabra.com 

2 / Malibu Chandelier / RoShamBeaux.com 

3 / Behr Water Mark Paint Color 

4 / Halsten Sofa Antique White Linen / Serenaandlily.com 

5 / Regina Andrews White Ribbon Coral Lamp / Laylagrace.com 

6 / Polo 1 Drawer Side Table / Bungalow5.com 

7 / Arteriors Cormac Glass Jute Lantern / Shopcandelabra.com 

8 / Thom Filicia Safavieh Blue Hand Tufted Rug 8x10 /Rugstudio.com 

9 / Blake Raffia Coffee Table / Serenaandlily.com 

10 / Seafoam Green and Burlap Pillow Cover 20x20, Coral Linen Pillow Cover 18x18 / Etsy.com 

VRugs and Home Maya Seafoam Pillow / Laylagrace.com

Xo,