What makes these patterns real classics is that when used in small doses, they can work in both traditional and contemporary spaces. A zebra skin rug, the darling of shelter magazines a few years ago, is a much stronger design statement than a needlepoint pillow in a zebra pattern. Playing with size and scale can make these animal prints feel bold or refined. Where they are used also affects the power of their impact.  A pillow or rug in animal print becomes an accent. A sofa or wall covered in animal print is more of a statement. When working with animal prints it is all a matter of scale.

This black and white living room is centered by a classic zebra skin rug. Unlike many other African animals, zebras are not endangered. The rug’s bold pattern is the only pattern in the room so the eye is drawn to it. Using only black and white furniture creates a strong graphic look to the room that feels very contemporary. If you paired a zebra rug or cowhide rug with more traditional furnishings you would achieve a very different result.

Looking at historic homes for inspiration doesn’t mean you should attempt to duplicate the interior designs exactly the same way in your own home. Styles and tastes have changed. While historic patterns, paint colors, flooring and fabrics can be lovely in today’s interiors, living in the past might not be the best choice for today’s lifestyle.

Inspiration means using bits and pieces of the past in new ways that suit the way we live today.  Tin tiles for the ceiling, farmhouse sinks, batten and board paneling, wainscoting, and black and white checkerboard floors are all borrowed from previous generations of interior design. Look for inspiration for lighting, color palette, flooring and wall treatments in historic homes that can work with your home’s architecture.

If you don’t find inspiration in the historic homes in your area, design books and blogs can be wonderful resources for images. Books on famous American historic homes and European estates not only work to inspire your designs, but make gorgeous coffee table books.  Historic homes and properties often have the best design ideas of their time. You might even be surprised at how timeless and beautiful some of the design ideas are in these historic homes.

Soft creamy white parsnips to bold oranges and lemons can inspire everything from wall color to the color of counter top appliances and runners on the floor.  Bolder colors for the walls can be inspired by the red of tomatoes, the purple of eggplants or the green of lettuce. Soft artichoke green, creamy banana yellows and pale browns from potatoes are more neutral and perfect for walls or even the cabinets.  A throw rug by the sink or stove can be a bolder color to add a pop of bright color to the room. Play off your floor color with lighter or darker colors to make the floors and the rugs pop. Tea towels and canisters are also great places to add bolder colors.

A bowl of fresh fruit on the counter or island makes for a great accessory in the kitchen. Using herbs and produce as accessories are inexpensive and functional ways to decorate your kitchen.  These edible accents can also add a lovely fragrance to the room, as well as colorful visual interest.

Next time you need inspiration for decorating your kitchen or adding a punch of color, look to your garden or produce bin in the fridge for color ideas.

Along with the major design decisions like flooring and wall finishes, furniture is what sets the tone and style for a room.  Furniture style is how we define ourselves as traditional, modern, country or contemporary.  How we finish our furniture can be just as important in creating the look of a room as the style of the furniture. Upholstery plays a huge role in decorating a living room.

This contemporary space is a great example of how upholstery can be used to create a polished and pulled together looking space.  The furniture in this room is all contemporary in style but is not a suite of furniture that completely matches in form.  The sectional’s clean lines are echoed in the simple square upholstered ottoman that serves as the coffee table.  The curved side chairs are more fluid and sculptural than either the ottoman or the sofa.  What unites the pieces together is the matching upholstery fabric.

While this living room uses the same upholstery throughout the soft furnishings, that doesn’t have to be the rule for all upholstered pieces in a room.  In fact, having an accent chair in upholstery fabric that contrasts or compliments the sofa upholstery can make the chair more of a focal point. Choosing an accent fabric that contains the sofa color is a way to tie the two different fabrics together. Accents like area rugs and pillows can also play off the colors of the upholstery to bring the entire décor together into one cohesive and polished look.

If you have a hallway that opens into a room, make certain you have something of interest on the far wall that is visible from the hall.  In this hallway, there is a bookcase at the far end of the room that creates a visual interest for the hall.  If the hall ends in a wall, place a work of art or interesting wallpaper on that wall to create a focal point.

Hallways are wonderful places for a bold wallpaper or stenciled paint design.  You can also paint the hall a bolder or deeper color than you would in a room. Pick a color palette for the hall that relates to the rooms off of it for a more coordinate look.

The walls in a hallway are the perfect place for a gallery style grouping of art or family photos. These gallery walls will give you something to look at as you move down the hall. Hall lighting can be a chandelier or a row of track lighting down the hall that highlights the art on the walls. Finish the hallway with a carpet runner if you have hardwood floors. This will make the space feel more polished.

This dining room is a great example of minimalism in contemporary design.  The room has but a few design elements yet feels completely finished and polished.  The table and benches form the seating group; a group of pendant lights create a light fixture; and a collection of vases make for table décor.  The entire design consists of six elements; a table; two benches; two vases; and a lighting fixture.

The lines of the table and benches are clean and sleek yet the dark wood has presence from the thickness of the wood.  Using a wood that is closely related to the dark wood floors anchors the table and benches to the floor.  The dark colors on the floor and table emphasis the height of the room, which is done in crisp white on the walls and ceiling. The white pendant lights blend into the white of the walls and ceiling.

Because of the lack of color and pattern, shape is more important. The tubular shape of the pendants, the rounded vases and rectangles of the table and benches become the design focal points in the minimalist design.

This is not a huge space yet the layout creates both a sleeping and a sitting area.  A fireplace tucked into the corner adds a romantic, country touch. The fireplace can be seen from both the bed and the seating area.  The bed faces the French doors leading to a private terrace—what a lovely view to walk up to. The white painted beamed ceiling and darker floor makes the room feel more spacious. The dark walnut wood floor anchors the lighter palette of the room. The ebony four poster bed and writing table stand out in the airy room.

The colorway is kept to a simple palette of white, gray and tan, with black and orange accents. White sheers soften the dark lines of the four poster bed. Pale stone gray walls create a soft backdrop for the furnishing and accents in the room. Colorful accents in throws and pillows make it easy to change the colors with the seasons or your mood.  A black floor lamp and black and white art tie into the color of the bed. Neutral upholstery in tan and pale gray linen adds texture without adding color and pattern. Natural elements, like the driftwood table and jute rug, add organic elements along with the stone fireplace.

Before you set up your cabinet, choose a location with hard even flooring like the one in this photo, and then use a level and shims to make sure that the cabinet is even. This will keep the doors from falling closed or open and keep your supplies in place.

It makes sense to limit your choices so that you don’t have to use up too much space. Think of your office basics. To start, what do you need for your computer and printer? You may want to buy a case of paper because it’s less expensive than buying it by the 500-sheet ream. Ink in an ink-jet printer often runs out without warning, so it’s a good idea to have an extra set of color and black and white ink cartridges.

Make a list of supplies that you use regularly, and those that could cause trouble or inconvenience if you ran out of them unexpectedly. Add to that list those items that are less expensive if bought in bulk. Now you have a good start.

To avoid unnecessary clutter, look for a few boxes or containers to hold things such as paper clips, staples, pens and other small items. Don’t overcrowd the shelves so that you can keep track of materials easily. If you want, place a small clipboard or notepad on the inside of one door to write down a shopping list when you use up your extra supplies or start running low.

While a cabinet like this may take some time and effort to set up, your office supplies will then be permanently under control with very little additional effort on your part.

But often if you look past these labels, you may find that your modern preferences really sing when you introduce some older elements.

The unusual dark brown lattice bases to the two chairs pull the brown from the collection of small hand tools to help the room feel more congruent. In the same way, the sculptural small tables in a light gold by those chairs echo the gold and brown of the old doors on the wall.

This room demonstrates the power of combining a very contemporary approach to furniture with art from another time and place. The clean lines and soft colors of the upholstered pieces allow room for the drama presented by the antique doors and simple tools in this room.

The room’s design choices allow the art to come into total focus. This is a comfortable room, but still designed to draw the eye toward the really important elements – the homeowner’s interest in unique pieces from long ago and far away.

Notice in the second photo that this room actually contains a fairly large flat-screen television and speakers. The choice to install these in the wall, along with the neutral aspect of everything except the screen, keeps this interruption in the room to a minimum. By limiting accessories, the L-shaped room maximizes the power of its art and keeps everything else in proportion.

This boy has found a cozy spot to peruse his latest book. It’s just a cut-out in a bookshelf, but the carpeting is soft and the size is perfect for him to tuck himself in and have a read.

To build a nook for your child or children to read in, start by selecting a spot in the house that is quiet and not prone to distractions. This may be a corner of their bedrooms, the dining room or a section of the basement.

Once you’ve chosen the spot, consider what you need to make it comfortable and inviting. Good lighting is important. If you don’t have an overhead light, a floor lamp or even a table or task lamp could do. Look for an option that will shine light on the pages without creating a glare.

Make the area comfortable with cushions and throw pillows. If you have one, put in an easy chair and maybe an ottoman. Add a table or shelf to set books on between reading sessions. With just a little effort, you may have helped your children feel more comfortable and encouraged to spend time reading.