Rachel Cannon Lewis

This was an amazing summer and its hard to believe it is already over. Fall is starting to creep in. Soon the days will get shorter and it will get colder here at the beach. Instead of getting down and out about that, I have decided to focus on the great color opportunities fall brings. I have never been a huge orange fan, but lately I have been so drawn to this color and all the many ways to use it. It’s the color of these great flowers in this photo above, designed by Rachel Cannon Lewis Interiors. The color of Hermes, pumpkins, and as Frank Sinatra once said, “Orange is the happiest color”. The thought of bringing this color into my designs and wardrobe this fall at the beach, does make me very happy. So I have what I refer to as an orange crush. I am on a mission to find fun and bright ways to cheer up fall with this happy shade, and discover all the fabulous color combos that work with it.

Rachel Cannon Lewis

I die over this Hermes orange tray styled in this photo by Rachel Cannon Lewis Interiors. It shows that orange gives a huge wow factor in small doses. And of course, who doesn’t love Hermes?! Love how it pops against the neutrals that surround it. The space is gorgeous and polished, as in true Rachel style.

Tobi Fairley

Tobi Fairley recently used orange and grey in her master bedroom design for the Hampton’s Designer Show house this summer. I love this great toile fabric by Duralee. Grey and orange can typically be a modern combo, however, Tobi really showcased here how to make it more traditional. New traditional one might say. It makes me want to get curl up and read a great book.

Juilie Borrud/ Veranda

I love this combination of turquoise and orange. Since turquoise is one of my most favorite colors, perhaps styling the orange with it will be a smooth transition into fall for me. It marries the beach with the look of fall so well, and I love to put a coastal spin on whatever I do. I am always looking for ways to do coastal differently.

Image from Habitually Chic

Orange and Emerald look nice together. This would certainly be a bold fall statement and fun for Halloween coming up. I don’t think I am ready to paint my front door this shade, but I do love it. It shows that you don’t take yourself too seriously and adds that bit of whimsy.

How about painting the interior of a re-purposed piece of furniture? Love the feel of palm springs this orange brings to this china cabinet. This would be an exciting way to pop color into your kitchen and give it a beachy feel. I might not need coffee in the morning if I woke up to this.

Tobi Fairley

Maybe spruce up your dining space with a fun pattern and pop of orange, like these drapes. This space was also designed by Tobi Fairley. I love that it is a small, simple space. The orange grounds the other light and airy colors. The great clam shell is the perfect nod to the beach.

Wendy Patrick Designs

This is a condo I designed last year at the beach. It is much more in the moody, jeweled toned shades. The orange sofa against the aqua walls gives it a fun pop. This is a seasonal rental unit, so we certainly had to work on a tight budget, but it turned out very nice. They were a wonderful family to work for.

Camille Styles

Orange and pink is a fun combination, like this Moroccan styled set. Love this dinner party look with all the gorgeous fuchsia flowers and the orange table linen. It is casual but has a ton of energy. This space has a great collected look to me and is very inviting. A glass of Rose’ would finish it off for me perfectly.

Porter Design Company

I love this combination of the orange, paired with chocolate, aqua, and white. The chocolate gives it such richness. These coastal coral prints are fabulous with the orange mats. And I love the natural elements like the sea fan and branches. I have two antique sea fans in my office that are some of my favorite accessories. They can be a pricey accessory, but totally worth it. They provide color, texture and are so interesting as sculptures.

Caitlin Wilson

I love this playful pattern mix that designer Caitlin Wilson came up with. The white sofa really keeps it fresh and compliments the wall so perfectly. This is a great look for the beach, mixing the more fallish colors with the light and brightness you want in a seaside home. White sofas are beyond gorgeous and classic beach, however, depending on your family, could be short lived.

Maybe you want to spruce up for fall without a huge commitment. In that case adding a great throw and some new pillows can be an inexpensive way to get a new look. I am loving this little orange and white seahorse pillow.

Lisa Mende Design and Tracy Zeller Designs

Or you could add some boxes or cover some books in orange paper like the photo above. It would be an excellent way to bring your existing bookcases into fall and make them come alive.

Maybe you want to take a cue from nature and her color palettes, like this Pinterest photo above. This one above is so organic and could be done in earth tones or bold ways. I know a certain little bunny rabbit that would vote for this. His name is Loppy and he is my pet bunny.

One of his favorite things to eat are carrot tops.

Needless to say he is very excited about fall. And in nine days it is his two year birthday! That calls for a banana cake in his opinion :-))

So I am off to make my plans for fall and incorporate this color more into my life. Hope you all are enjoying the changes of the seasons and coming up with your own exciting ways to brighten up your life and home. I would love to hear your plans, leave me a comment above. Happy Fall Ya’ll!

It is hard to believe August is here! The summer is flying by and coming to an end. My inspiration today is this bold and fun yellow. It has really caught my eye lately and has been pulling me in. Its the reminder of sun filled summer days. The color of cheerful sunflowers. That pop of color that really makes a statement in interiors and fashion. Love yellow or hate it, this shade is all around if you are watching for it. This color can immediately brighten any day.

I love the statement these drapes make in this room! This space was designed by Amanda Nisbet. She certainly knows how to punch in that wow factor! What a stunning shade of yellow.

Mary McDonald takes it to a more formal level by adding black, grey and creme. This photo was featured in House Beautiful and also her book Mary McDonald Interiors. She is the queen of drama and glamour.

Denise McGaha adds that modern flair with this great wallpaper in one of her kitchen designs. Paired with this yellow, it is the perfect compliment to those grey tones!

Here is a vase that was featured in Veranda. It is part of Miles Redd’s vase collection. It is a statement piece all on its own, and I just love it!

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer! I know I am. I would love to know how any of you have used this bright, bold and fun color! Leave me a comment at the top of the page. You can find more inspiration on my Pinterest board, titled Sunshine. This color just makes me happy when I see it and I have never been a huge yellow fan. Maybe I might just change my mind…

Wallpaper is back, and in a big way! Its not your grandmother’s walls anymore. Wallpaper is updated, easy, and fun now. I love the great coastal beach patterns for walls and fabrics that Thibaut offers. This pattern above is called Shorething, and featured in turquoise. What I love is that it has that great wave motif and it does not over power you. The pattern is still very serene. It does come in other colorways, and is great for kid’s or adults.

This pattern is called Sumba Shell and is also by Thibaut. I love how the coral and the green compliment the turquoise background. This would be great in a small powder bath or guest bath. Very bright and nods to the natural elements of the beach, such as seaweed and seashells.

Love, love, love this pattern by Thibaut, called Turtle Bay, featured in green! It is simple and sophisticated, but still has an element of whimsy. This pattern comes in coral and blue also. Gorgeous for so many places in a beach home, entry space, kid’s room, nursery, accent wall, or powder bath.

How great is this Cozumel pattern by Thibaut?! This pattern is bold and so much fun for the kid’s space. It has great colors and the variety of fish make it interesting. This could be an accent wall or kid’s bath, or even the entire bedroom or playroom. It has lots of energy and the white background makes it just perfect.

Love the idea of using this pattern, Tanzania, as a compliment to the above fish pattern. This would be great as an accent and also comes in fabric. Perhaps this is incorporated onto the kid’s bunk beds. Or a some great chairs or reupholstered sofa in a playroom.

As with anything in design, you can go as big and bold as you like. I love that there are so many great options for wallpaper now. Its not the commitment it once was and it is much more practical and stylish. We all think of relaxing when we come to the beach, but why not punch in some pattern love in small doses that remind us to have fun and enjoy our time on the coast? All of these patterns and more from Thibaut can be purchased through Wendy Patrick Designs. Please leave me a comment above and tell me which is your favorite!

Who doesn’t love a stripe right? They are classic and can be muted and soft or bold and bright. I love stripes from fashion to interiors, they always catch my eye! Here are a few stripe inspirations that really appeal to me. This photo above of the umbrellas in navy and white is exactly what you would expect to see on the beach. They are simple and yet very chic.

Love the idea of walls painted in coordinating stripes like this beachy kitchen pictured above. The blue is soft and serene, but fun enough to give you an island life feel. Stripes are a great way to give a small area a little punch of pattern. Add some great lighting and bold art and you have a very interesting space.

If you want to experiment with stripes, but do not want to commit to paint, a cotton rug like this is the perfect solution. Its bold and bright and feels great on your feet. And if you tire of it, simply change it out. I love the complimentary lamp shades, bed skirt, and throw on the bed. This room has simple furnishings, but the pattern mix and fresh colors really make it eye catching.

Lets turn it up a notch… This is the staircase in one of Kate Spade’s stores. I think its so different and lots of fun, but you would have to have a bold aesthetic and not be afraid of color to embrace this look. It is not for everyone, but what a statement it makes!

I simply love the idea of a stripe painted ceiling, such as this room designed by Tobi Fairley.  I find this to be such a soothing space. She kept the majority of the space in solid colors, so that the eye is really drawn to the pattern on the bed, ceiling and windows, without being overwhelmed. Perfection for a beach house!

This space designed by Celerie Kemble, has a great mix with the soft stripes on the wall, and then that bright punch found in the drapes. Very Palm Beach with a bit of a traditional flair.

Leave me a comment and let me know if you have used stripes in your home and how. Do you prefer a bold pattern pop or are you more drawn to understated color and pattern? I would love to hear your thoughts!

All of these inspiration photos can be found on my Pinterest board, Cabana Beach Stripes. Click on the Pinterest icon at the top of the page and follow me for daily coastal inspiration! I ‘ll show you how to do coastal differently.

This past Saturday, we had an impromptu outdoor photo shoot. The weather was gorgeous, summertime has certainly arrived. I am feeling a strong appreciation for summer this year, since last winter was pretty cold. I even had ice on my palm trees, which was so strange to see!

 

This pool is a recent addition to one of my client’s beach homes. What makes it so unique is the mosaic turtles at the bottom of the pool. They look realistic when the water is shining from the sun. What is even more fitting, is that the name of their beach home is “Turtle Tides”, and from there came this idea for the pool art.

 

  Here is a closer example. I just love them!

 

With the Fourth of July coming this Friday, I was inspired to use some red, white, and blue pillows in a fun pattern mix. Outdoor pillows are such an easy way to spruce up your exterior entertaining spaces. Here at the beach, we use the outdoor spaces as much as the interiors. Therefore keeping them comfortable and stylish is a must!

 

Even our fur babies deserved to be pampered and have a relaxing time by the water. Chico is definitely a salty sea dog, he even has his own sunglasses for when he decides to catch some rays.

 

As I continue to get things ready for The Fourth of July here, hope everyone is having a great celebratory week! Leave a comment below and let me know what fun things you are doing for this holiday.