The Treasured Year Of 2011 At Beach House Decor

Focusing on beach house decor, has always been a natural passion and focus of my life.  When another year ends, we find our selves reflecting on where we are in life and where are future goals will lead. I must say, 2011 was an exceptional year for Beach House Decor. January started off with being a Guest Judge for a Digital Doll House, contest where the winner design a Campion Platt Beach House. It was great fun and I was personally amazed at the talent of young people who have the passion to design at a young age. 


My thirst for knowledge was fueled by leading Interior Designer Chat every Tuesday on twitter. It's been my own personal way of "giving back" to the design community and bringing global conversations with a strong professional community of Interior Designers, Architects, and professionals in the home decor industry.  In April I spoke at High Point Furniture Market in the Spring, on Social Media and The Design Industry. And we had a live #IntDesignerChat where I had the pleasure of meeting many twitter friends in real life. Another honor and thrill from this experience was being featured in New Englang Finery Magazine.  Also in April, my blogging here at Beach House Decor, had me invited to dine at the Designer Blogger Dinner Sponsored by Masco - KBIS 2011. It was a thrill and an honor to be dinning and meet some of the top designers in the Kitchen and bath industry.   

In Las Vegas, as the founder of Interior Designer Chat we had a live  #IntDesignerChat sponsored by KraftMaid and Merillat with Guest Host Mark Johnson.  

Then it was back to living and working the island life in Newport, Rhode Island.       

June was travel to Chicago for Neo Con, where I also put on a three day event, IDC Education and Design Worth Spreading.  During this education design event, Barbara Segal competed in a kitchen design contest using sketch-up.   What an incredible learning experience it was to learn from blogging tips from top blogger Ronique Gibson and  to be inspired by Author James Swan.  Having the privilege of working with the best in the design industry for these three days.

The months of July and August was spent enjoying summer and coastal living design work in Newport. I  shared a post with Brabantia, the joys of guests visiting the beach house.  For the record in 2011, Newport Polo had a sensational winning year.  

In September, I was chosen as a top design blogger to attend Brizo Fashion Week. My Brizo experience goes down as the best design experience of 2011.  The opportunity to work in New York with the industries top interior designers, design stars, and bloggers was amazing!  Of course you've read that post! And having my design team come in 2nd amongst the top designers in the country was rewarding and inspiring to the entire Noir Blanc Interiors team. I'm thrilled to be sharing the opportunity to order the exciting Jason Wu Collection at Brizo  with my beach house decor clients and readers here. 

I treasure my following here at beach house decor!  When my design schedule got busy this year,  I kept my readers informed at Noir Blanc Design tumblr, Facebook, twitter, and pinterest. Please take the time to follow and catch up with me there as well. Cheers to a fabulous 2011.  

I leave you with inspiration for a sand-tastic 2012! 

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Mark Twain

A Great Room Evolves Over Time

Beach House Decor often is inspired by attending a great pool side cocktail party. The invite stated guest were to wear colorful attire. What was I to wear? I had come across great deck chairs by Vancouver’s Gallant & Jones the week before and what I loved about the chairs was the Trina Turk Fabric. On my way to Westweek at the PDC, I stopped to take a look at Schumacher's indoor/outdoor signature patterns called The Trina Turk Collection. Rich in color and adapted from Turk’s stunning apparel and obviously inspired by her lifestyle in Southern California.

It was there at this moment that I had the Epiphany to take a drive to Trina Turks LA Boutique. As I arrived, I was drawn to a Sea of Floral embroidered linen pillow, that seemed Hawaiian-inspired, the pattern a colorful collage like Kaleidoscope. I was lost in a sea of colored embroidered pillows, hook rugs, needlepoint coasters and guest towels. I learned that Trina Turk has been in the contemporary market for 15 years (her silk dresses retail for about $300), which she oversees with her stylist-photographer husband, Jonathan Skow. Her brand has grown into a $45 million enterprise , she designs 10 collections a year, about 45 to 50 pieces each time, and all her prints are original.

Always the Stylish Designer, I left with a fabulous dress for the upcoming cocktail soiree and the perfect pillows for my own beach house. Funny how I can pick things out easily for a client but for my own home I sometimes searching forever. But Trina Turks pillows had that ohhh, ahhh, zingo factor. Oh and one fabulous turquoise necklace just because it reminded me of the sea. Yes she is quite the gal Trina Turk and a colorful design inspiration muse to all. Cocktails anyone?

Photo Credits: Trina Turk

One Foot In Sea And One On Shore

A guest bedroom at the beach can take on many looks. What I like about this Sea Inspired bed room is it's unisex appeal. The subtle blue walls, mixed with a chocolate brown duvet, and chestnut desk. The draperies and duvet are custom made and matching. I love the pale blue and brown patten that is easy on the female eye or males. The plaid rug adds a bit of a masculine mix, but then the eye meets the table lamp with the polka dotted shade. The artistic wall print collection of five wide and three deep framed Sea Shell prints give the room a calming affects of the Sea. The room gives off a very welcoming luxury feel to any house guest. The small touches of luxury monogrammed sheets, the Lalique table lamp, and fine vase filled with fresh flowers make one wonder if a guest would want to leave.

Photo Credit: Brian Web

DIY Beach House Dining Room Decor

When decorating a Beach house many inspirations come from nature, the sea, and the ocean. Sea Shells have always been a inspiration for me to walk the beach. A purple sand dollar I found on Venice beach sits in front of me as an accessory and inspiration on my writing desk. Sea Shells make wonderful accessories and best of all they can be collected from your beach trips anywhere in the world. With Sea Shells as a decorating motivation, I came upon this lovely dining room to stimulate beach house owners or renters.

Cottage Beach Decor is always a charming beach house look. I grew up with a Madman Father and very creative Mother. We lived in many houses where my mother transformed ordinary wicker into beautiful furniture pieces in our homes. Later in my business life, I became a total groupie of Palecek Wicker, which I sold in my shops. I have placed Palacek in many design clients homes. Today I recommend them as a top quality wicker furniture company, to you my readers of Beach House Decor. Wicker was and still is an affordable furniture resource for families. Many quality pieces from the 1950's and 60's are making the reappearance in the decorating of homes today. For a beach house, wicker can sustain humidity and moisture which is important when decorating in most tropical climates. Today vintage wicker can be found at many antique shops, flea markets, and thrift stores. Painting wicker is easy and fun, if done outside with several cans of spray paint. Spraying the first coat, and then letting the furniture dry at least 12 hours before applying the second coat. Another affordable Beach house decor item is a sizzle rug, which is always inexpensive and can be found at Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Pier One, Create and Barrel, Target and Walmart. When one lives at the beach, sand is always everywhere! Hardwood floors, stone, and tile are always the best for beach homes and a sizzle rug. I will be the first to admit sizzle can feels not so great on bare feet, however flip flops and sizzle rugs are a beach house stable. Especially if you are renting your beach house, both wicker furniture pieces and sizzle rugs can lend themselves to be durable and affordable.

This turquoise inspired dining room is an inspiration in beach house cottage decor elegance.
Here is your DIY Inspiration:

4 wicker chairs new or old-painted white
1 flea market table -painted Blue
10 or more Sea Shells
1 Corner Book Shelf
2 Antique or Flea Market China Pieces
2 Catherine Chairs from Calico Corners
6-8 yards of Fabric
1 Cottage Style Mirror
1 Sofa Table -preferably vintage that you paint white
1 affordable, crystal, ornate and pastel colorful Chandelier
6 Fleur de Lis Tall French Drinking Glasses
1 can of Benjamin Moore™ 2060-60 Turquoise Haze
1 can of Benjamin Moore™ 912 Linen White
1 sizzle rug


Photo Credit: I'm not sure?

Beach House Decor For January 2009

This time of year January it is 83 degrees on the west side of Los Angeles. From my patio which is on the water (facing the Pacific Ocean) on a clear day like today in Janaury, I can see the mountains and Catalina Island. It is sunny, warm, gorgeous a day to embrace living in Southern California. Outdoor lunches, flowers blooming, hummingbirds buzzing in the hibiscus, and watering the garden with sunblock and a hat.

January outdoor beach decor, is another part of living in proper climates like Southern California. Beach House Decor found the Catalina Outdoor Furniture Collection from Restoration Hardware to be stunningly appropriate to fung shui your 2009. Rust proof aluminum, three layer hand casted bronze finished furniture pieces with finials. Yellow, Brown, Greens, are color trends. An added Beach House architecural touch this year is a fireplace (energy green saving). The sunny warm days by the pool are delightful, entertaining, and a spirtual right of passage. Reminding us of thechilled air nights of the catalina islands, the chaise and catalina coffee table accessorized with large hurricane candles lites add a enjoyable place to meditate and relax in your beach home.
The Catalina Outdoor collection ranges in price from $113-$1135 go to RestorationHardware.com.

Where is Your Beach House Finds Holiday Dream Villa?

This 1 bedroom exclusive villa with pool, beachfront in St. Martin, rents for approxiametly $10,000 per week plus 8%

Beach House Decor, knows that there are oodles of unmarried couples living across America this December Holiday 2008. A beach holiday is a popular destination and always bring out the tropical passion in one. Weather you are single, cyber-dating, unmarried, or in a complicated (facebook) relationship, this intimate and seductive relationship villa is for rent in St. Martin. This could be the Holiday beach house find filled with pure blitz! This deluxe villa, is located directly on the sands of Baie Rouge. Can you say, ohh la la. We love the classical elegant yet contemporary interior. And a beachfront which compliments the terrace and swimming pool. Barbara Segal, Publisher of Beach House Finds states, "The ingenuity of a perfect Beach House Finds holiday is it's location in your create minds playground."

St. Martin 449 is the perfect rendezvous for a couple. For rental and pricing refer to:

unusual villarentals.com

How To Have Beautiful Green Beach House Decor

On a hot summer afternoon while lounging and reading by the sea in Newport, Rhode Island with my two sisters I discovered an article in Tradition Home Magazine about clean living with natural textiles (April 2008, page106). Rhode Island sisters Dawn Oliveira and Debra Olson of Oliveira Textiles had a mutual passion for textile. They made a commitment to create a healthier world for their children and create a company to produce a high quality organic line of fabrics as a healthful alternative to what was already on the market.

The Ocean Collection debuted as their first line of fabrics, which is inspired by the New England seacoast and is dedicated to their father, who spent his life on the ocean as a professional fisherman.

Funny how 3 sisters from three corners of the US, find a unique connection with Rhode Island sisters Dawn Oliveira and Deborah Olson of Oliveira Textiles. Beautiful and healthful fabrics in our home is a topic we are all passionate about. And it's about Green as Hemp was first used as the fabric for the American flag and the paper that our Constitution is written on. Oliveira's sophisticated Anemone design is printed with water-based, non-toxic dyes on a mix of fast-growing hemp and organic cotton, both of which are grown without planet- and people-poisoning pesticides.

Inspiring and colorful Beach House Decor is definitely achievable and magical with these beautiful fabrics. Happily these 3 sisters are right down the road from the 2 sisters and are creative minds are eagerly green to meet these inspiring sisters. Check out their BLOG it is a wonderful read. http://oliveiratextiles.blogspot.com/

Are You Looking For Beach Accessories in Newport?

On a recent jaunt to Newport Rhode Island Beach House Decor discovered, Beach House by Watercolours located at 42 West Main Rd. in Middletown, RI this Beach House Gift Shop is filled with fun local art, coastal accents, lamps, accent rugs, and cottage furniture. Voted as one of Newport Life Best of Newport County home accessories sources. Interior Designer Barbara Segal founder of Noir Blanc Interiors, found the perfect 90" round seashell pattern tablecloth from a former line she once carried in her Chicago Showroom and stores Patricia Spratt for The Home. We also found a hand crafted white wood row boat, art piece by a local artist to hang in a design clients new renovated Newport, Beach House. A bit pricey but at the end of the day a the perfect find for our clients living room.

Beach Cottage Furniture

Maine Cottage offers this collection:

CAMILLE
Whimsical and beach decor furniture with the choice of 40 colors and luxe fabrics encourages an invigorating conversation in your beach home.

32"W 33"D 35"H

Price: $990
Luxe Fabrics: $1,150