Mid-century Modern House Tour in Lawrence, KS

Irwin Weiner ASID - Never judge a house by its exterior! That's the big takeaway I had from the following video house tour in Lawrence, KS. For over 35 years, Dr. Dennis Domer, a Kansas University architectural historian, had been driving past this blah-looking home built in 1956, never dreaming that inside was a mid-century modern gem.

As an interior designer, it's my job to make sure that even if I can't impact the curb appeal or exterior of a home, I sure enough can help the homeowners force their guests to quickly exhale when they enter the home and think, Wow, this is a fantastic surprise; I never dreamed this home would look like this from the outside. Enjoy this house tour and lecture, and look into architect Robert W. Hess for more background on the designer of this Kansas home.

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Interior Designer Nicole Sassaman Exudes "Lifestyle"

HGTV / Designer's Portfolio

Irwin Weiner ASID - LA based architectural and interior designer Nicole Sassaman is practical, fun, relaxed, and fluent in designing spaces according to the "California lifestyle" vernacular that's so popular with families these days. And what are families looking for in interior design? Relaxed, practical, comfortable. Even the cutting-edge home recording studio she designed in the photo above is appropriate for a non-traditional, non-fussy family home. In one word, Nicole's work is "relaxed." Or let's try "sassy" because her work is filled with her trademarked "sassy tips" for clients. She believes in shopping at West Elm (why, so do I!), and knows that if the bones of your space are looking great and all the architectural details are wonderful, you can get by with some less expensive design solutions and get a space with high impact. In the following video, you'll get to see Nicole in action on a variety of TV shows.

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Turn a Room in Your Home Into a Multi-Functional Library

Irwin Weiner ASID - In New York, each room has to serve multiple functions. A "spare room" (ha! - what a concept in cramped and crowded NYC apartments) has to be a guest room, dining room, study, TV room, game room ... and library. And why not? Gone are the days when a living room served only one purpose, which was to be a seldom-used museum, a shrine to show off the formal furniture you inherited from Grandma (it was ugly when she had it, and you're carrying on your family's tradition of ugly). Perish forbid that anyone would ever sit in the living room without company, relax, hang out, study, play games, or LIVE in the living room! I wanted to share with you two sources of inspiration to help you rethink the function of one or more rooms in your house or apartment. First, click on the beautiful NYC apartment library photo above to see master designer Jamie Drake's work and other fine designer's takes on the home library; always-excellent Decorati ran a two-part series that really inspires! And take a look at the following HGTV Top 10 video to see Jamie Drake's fresh take on a colorful and multi-functional NYC library-guest room-breakfast room-dining room-study area. Beautiful job, as always, Jamie. And read our Designers We Love piece on Jamie Drake, too, for more inspiration.

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Update on August 22, 2011 by Design2Share

Super King Size Leather Beds: We just found a great collection of sleek leather bed designs. They add sophistication, whether your bedroom decor is traditional or modern. 

Featured Project: DIY Painted Headboard

Now is the perfect time to think about freshening up your interior space. With a splash of color here and a new piece of furniture there, it's easy to redecorate. Here's a quick, budget-conscious DIY design idea to help get you started.

Paint Your Own Headboard

Chances are if you if you purchased your bed frame as part of a bedroom set, the headboard is already included. If you don't want to put forth the extra cash, especially after paying for a pricey mattress, no problem! Painted headboards are a great way to add a pop of color to your bedroom.

Step 1: Measure the width of the head of your bed and mark it with blue painter's tape from floor to ceiling. Now, choose your color based on your desired color scheme. You obviously don't want it to be the same shade as your walls, but it should complement that color.

Step 2: Once you have your color, paint the wall, staying within the blue painters tape. Once the paint dries, if you choose to do so, you can detail with paint or with some removable wall decals from a company like Blik. For as little as $40, Blik makes easily removable wall decals in fun shapes like bookshelves, chandeliers, birds, etc. If this sounds like too much work, don't worry and leave your wall a solid color.

Step 3: Simply position your bed up against the painted wall, prop up some decorative Euro pillows in coordinating colors and patterns, and you have yourself a headboard. You might want to take this opportunity to invest in a new comforter or duvet in fun, light, spring colors. You'd be surprised at what a little bit of paint and some new bedding can do for your space!

Contemporary vanities and more at Decor Planet for your bathroom needs.

Escape to Ibiza Villa Luxury

Photo: Adam Johnston

Irwin Weiner ASID - We have a humble renovated farmhouse in Bucks County, PA as our weekend getaway. It features a garden-filled yard with an old 1960s in-ground pool built in the shape of an Absolute Vodka bottle. I must say that it's a far cry from the high luxury found in resort islands like Ibiza, but today I wanted to share with you a video to show you what a brand-new luxury villa looks like in a part of the world more of-the-moment than rural Pennsylvania. The pool is killer. The architecture is solid and suitable to resort living. Swim in the ocean or pool, take a soaking bath to wash away all the sand and grit, then get ready for a night of clubs, dancing, and parties. The furnishings are safe, yet classic contemporary pieces that suit the villa and its vacation getaway purpose. The artwork is colorful - thank heavens something adds a bit of color to the place - and keeps the decor edgy and vibey. All I know is, I could hang out there for a week if I was forced.... Okay ... maybe a month or two. 

Hang out at The Ibiza Diaries blogsite to see what you'd be experiencing if you hung out at this villa, too!

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