Design Editor

Kitchen design: Go green

This adorable kitchen from the British Homes and Gardens  is a good inspiration room for anyone struggling with a blah kitchen. With a punch of color on the cabinets and one bold design element like the curtains, not much else is needed.

Resources:
-To make your own roman shades, check out these instructions from DIY Network. The blog A Merry Mishap has a quick and easy solution, attaching fabric to a existing shade.
-The paint color on the cabinets is Citrine by The Little Greene Paint Company Limited.
-Shade fabric: Verbena Arabica by Romo

Orange crush on a vacation home

I love the pops of orange in these photos of author Susanna Salk's lake house from Habitually Chic. Notice the subtle design details like the white urns arranged on the living room floor and the white starfish above the stove.

Happy Birthday America!

A couple ideas for celebrating the Fourth of July:

-Deck the house out in red, white and blue. Grandin Road has pleated half round fans on sale. Hang them from porch railings and windows. Two sizes: 3x6 is $39 and 1.5x3 is $34.

-If you don't have standard flag, buy one from Annin & Company. They have been manufacturing flags since 1847.

-Better Homes and Gardens had this great idea for a party: Use a strong liquid adhesive to attach glow-in-the-dark stars to flip-flops as a surprise for guests when it's time to head outside for fireworks.

-Don't worry about buying a patriotic tablecloth you'll only use once a year. Buy inexpensive fabric to use as a runner. Fold over the cut sides and iron to make smooth. Voila!  Photo from Q&S Digital Studio