Hello, I’m Joanna. I write for Arcadian Lighting, a premier source of high quality interior and exterior lighting fixtures. Thank you, Petra and Rena for allowing me to share a guest post with your readers. My topic today is handsome wood paneling. While this might conjure thoughts of 70s cheap wood paneling, the rooms below display anything but. Some of them reflect rich woods while others tend towards the lighter side. Would you enjoy this great looking wood paneling in your home?

A traditional living room features built in bookcases amongst wood paneling for a stately look. The wall sconces and table lamps add to the symmetry of the room.

A beautiful entry boasts decorative light wood paneling along with dark wood floors, risers and front door. The contrast works nicely to define the space.

Multi-toned wood paneling in shades of gray, orange and beige create an accent wall in this casually furnished living room.

The light wood paneling adds to the crisp and fresh feel of this Scandinavian living room. A darker wood paneling would close the space in making it feel smaller, so the lighter wood is a good choice.

An accent wall of horizontally applied wood gives this nursery a rustic appearance. The swing arm lighting fixture gives a modern touch to the space.

Exotic wood paneling warms and adds interest to the space. The tones of the wood are carried through to the furnishings and flooring.

White paneling adds to the country feel of this dining room. The chalk board border is a homey touch.

A matte-finished wood covers the ceiling, floors and walls of this eclectic living room. The hanging light fixture, a ship chandelier is stunning.  Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Which wood paneling might you choose for your home?  Leave a comment and stop by Arcadian Lighting to brighten up your wood panelings!

Suggesting white color for the walls often raises a few eyebrows among our clients. Isn’t it boring? Will the room feel uninviting and cold?  We don’t think so! Check out these projects – no other color but white would work in these spaces.

Suzanne Kasler

Safdie Rabines Architects

Charlie Simmons

Spaces Designed

White shouldn’t be equated with absence of color or imagination. Its subtle beauty can become a wonderful background for furnishings, fabrics and art. A word of caution: picking out the right white is a task in its own. The numerous shades of white, 120 to be precise in Benjamin Moore collection, and each one of them has its own personality, really! You might get surprised when that personality comes out after the walls are painted and the tape is off. Some of our favorites:

•  Navajo White – a timeless shade of creamy white, great for kitchen cabinetry with glazed door detail for an old-world look
• White Dove – simply perfect white, not too creamy, not too stark
• Decorators Whites – cool white, try it on trim
• Atrium White – crisp white with drops of purple
• Swiss Coffee – off-white color with a touch of sophistication, no yellow undertones
• Linen white - clean and fresh

Why we love white so much? It brings everything to a balance and works across many styles. When used deliberately it can create some fun and colorful spaces.

Traditional

White walls make beautiful William Morris inspired motifs even more stunning

Equestrian

Simply Happy Room

From a point of view of color psychology, white represents harmony, serenity, new beginning. So, please don’t be afraid of white. It may not seem to be as exciting as orange but give it a try!

We are very excited to be working on the 2012 ASID Showcase House and to report that there has been a great progress made in the last few months.  Our space is a small guest bathroom on the third floor.  Great things come in small packages, as they say, so we decided to make this little room with a big skylight very special. The colors were inspired by the homeowners’ favorite combination of cream, blue and brown.  Their idea was also to make the top level of the house very modern and fun. We found a very unique tile from Turkey at USON Design (www.usondesign.com) - it comes in 120″ long planks, in about 20 different colors and can be cut to any width. We are using a random barcode pattern – 2”, 6” and 10” wide planks in three different colors to cover the floor and the walls around the tub.

The walls have been framed and the tub has been installed. Next is tiling.

This is how it all started

The tub is in place

The other unique feature in this bathroom is a custom made painted back glass tub skirt. The vanity is white oak stained dark with Whitehall Cambria top.

Stay tuned for the latest pictures and the invitation to the opening Gala in May 2012. Seems like a long time, but there is so much to do!