5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD PAINT YOUR WALLS BLACK

May 09, 2019 in INSPIRATION, DESIGN PROJECT

Lisa Gilmore Design | Seamus Payne Photography

In an era of bright and white instagramable spaces (yes, we swoon over those too!) - we are think you should paint your walls black. It’s no surprise that I am a fan of dark moody spaces. I try to slide in some saturated color into a project every. single chance I get. So here are our top reasons why you should say yes to that darkest color swatch on the paint color fan deck.

1. MAKE IT COZY

A dark room (especially black) has the ability to wrap you in color and create a cozy inviting space that light colors simply can’t achieve. It’s almost like the room is opening its arms to you and pulling you in for a big bear hug.

2. BENEFIT FROM CONTRASTS

Lisa Gilmore Design | Native House Photography

Other colors will contrast and bounce off like you would’t believe, so the end result is actually bringing more life to the space.

3. BLACK IS SEXY

Everyone looks sexy in a black room. A black interior is flatering. Your skin tone will thank you.

4. YOUR ART WILL LOOK PHENOMENAL

Your art will look PHENOMENAL. It doesn’t matter if you are an avid fine art collector, pick up art from the thrift store, have only a few key pieces and a massive collection. Your art will sing on the dark moody backdrop.

5. NO NEED TO FEAR

It will not feel small, we promise. Okay - so a few factors do come into play with this promise. One, your ceilings really can’t be lower than 8 ft, and if they are, make sure you balance that dark wall with some of the following: light or bright area rugs and drapery OR light and bright furniture, also varying wood tones add interest to a dark space. (really, any space.) Additionally, if you don’t have a lot of natural light in the space, be sure to add ambient lighting through chandeliers, floor lamps, table lamps and/or wall sconces

GO AHEAD, PULL THE TRIGGER ON THE BLACK PAINT.

There you have it, I rest my case. Hopefully you are now dreaming up which room (or maybe you should just go for it and paint your whole place black!) that you will tackle with this amazing color. And if you get a little scared, don’t worry, we’ve got your back.

With love & design-y dreams,

Lisa Gilmore

GREEN INTERIOR DESIGN MOMENTS

March 17, 2019 in DESIGN PROJECT, INSPIRATION

A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE GREEN INTERIOR DESIGN INSPIRATION

It’s Saint Patrick’s Day weekend… while many are out drinking green brews, gathering around green rivers and hoping for the best of lucks - I am reminiscing over some of my favorite green moments with design. To be totally honest, it looks like a large amount of them deal with green velvet…

GREEN VELVET CHESTERFIELDS

There are two things that my design soul loves, and here I get to combine them all. A classic chesterfield + a juicy green velvet. Life, complete. Paired with the colorful antique area rug and its the perfect situation of color, traditional elements and modern whimsy.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Photography :: Seamus Payne

CHARTREUSE GREEN DRAPERY

What a fun space this is - silky chartreuse drapery with a pop of magenta on the leading edge. The beautiful green and magenta was delicately sprinkled throughout the rooms offset with rich black walls.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Photography:: Native House Photography

CHIC CEO OFFICE

This CEO’s office is anything but boring, this super amazing sofa is like sitting on an emerald cloud, pure heaven. I love how the entire room jives so well with the antiques, color, layers of art all while not distracting from that amazing city view!

WILLIAM MORRIS WALLPAPER

What would a conversation about design be here, without at least one wallpaper showcase?! I LOVE this classic William Morris pattern wallcovering in this home office. The shades are green are so beautiful with the pops of orange hues.

OUTDOOR SPACE AT MANDARIN HEIGHTS

This tile for the outdoor space at Mandarin Heights makes us think of an abstract take on the forever famous banana leaf motif.

GREEN VELVET SECTIONAL

So, this may come as a surprise to you… (or maybe not at all!) But my personal home has velvet of its own. Everyday I walk into my living room I love this green velvet sectional finished off with the perfect antique brass nailheads. Double bonus - it’s ultra comfy, too!

I’m always inspired by my surroundings for design - there is something about the fresh green hues that our lovely mother nature has to offer that allows my heart to flutter and feel extra inspired for our projects.

So how do you take your green? Would you implement it into your home environment or would you rather keep it in your festive beer?

With love & design-y dreams,

Admiring green natureStanley Park, Vancouver, BC Canada — Admiring green nature
Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC Canada

DESIGN PROJECT | A CUSTOM CAPE DUTCH HOME

December 12, 2018 in DESIGN PROJECT, INSPIRATION

We just started working on a new custom residential home that is being built in sunny St. Petersburg, in the Snell Isle neighborhood. We absolutely love the start of a new project, meeting with clients, learning their styles, about their families, hobbies including everything that goes into a happy home. I joke often, but it really is a lot like dating - going back and forth, understanding likes and dislikes. Here is the vision we have created for this breezy upscale property.

A DREAMY FAMILY HOME INSPIRED BY CAPE DUTCH ARCHITECTURE

Vision board created by Lisa Gilmore Design for Custom Cape Dutch Style Home

BRITISH WEST INDIES MEETS DUTCH CAPE VIBE: POLISHED AND ELEGANT WITH MIXES OF NATURAL, APPROACHABLE AND DURABLE ELEMENTS.

Monochromatic tone all over incorporating the use of contrast to make it fresh and modern.

Wow factors throughout: uses of interesting tile, lighting, architectural details, all shaking hands with supporting characters to create a beautiful and cohesive design.
High end resort feel: lush greenery, indoor & outdoor drapery, lovely & durable textiles and unique furnishings. Everyone comes to your house for a great time and they can leave their worries at the door, as if they were stepping into a Slim Aarons photograph “I'm concentrated on photographing attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places”- Slim Aarons

Fashion influences: posh and tailored with an approachable feel, not trying too hard, luxury style that comes at an ease and makes heads turn.
Modern art mixed in with modern and traditional furniture: a curated vibe, nothing will feel matchy, as if you picked up a side table on a trip to South Africa, a painting in France and a light fixture in New York.

Rendering of Cape Dutch custom home by ClearPH

The home was designed and is being built by our friends at Peregrine Construction. We are so excited to break ground January 2019, follow along with the progress in our social media. #lisagilmore #capedutchmodern

SOUTH AFRICA DAY 1:: CAPE TOWN | BO-KAAP | TABLE MOUNTAIN | CAMPS BAY

September 27, 2018 in INSPIRATION

THE MOST COLORFUL VACATION IN CAPE TOWN

Some of you followed my vacation to South Africa on instagram & facebook this September. (Thank you for all the excitement as I journeyed there!) It was truly such an amazing experience! I decided to break apart the adventure into different segments, so you can see more details (and tips!) of my time spent there.

Up first, Bo-kaap.

So here is the deal. I got to Cape Town late Saturday night, if I can recommend anything to you, do it that way - arrive late and get to bed ASAP! If you can get the first night of sleep in, I think you will be set on your trip and beat jet lag. So I did just that, got in a full night of sleep (yay!)

When I woke up Sunday morning, I just really couldn’t believe I was actually in South Africa. My heart was fluttering with excitement for what my first day would hold.

*It wasn’t a 27 hour dream - I was actually spending Sunday morning in South Africa!*

My hotel Protea Mowbray, was just outside of downtown Cape Town, which I really loved. It was quiet and calm and not overwhelming at all. It was a really great place to rest and rejuvenate and the staff was incredibly lovely. When I walked out of my room to start my adventure, this was the first view of my day. Quickly, I was smitten.

*View just outside of room, looking over toward Table Mountain*

I will definitely do another blog entry on the actual hotel, the design was the best. For now, I want to focus on other areas of the day!

So, after some coffee, off I went to the colorful streets of Bo-Kaap. I knew I was in for a colorful treat, thanks to some trusty instagram sneak peeks, but I had no idea it would be this colorful! Every corner I turned there was some kind of magical color blocking moment happening - and bonus points, even some funky vintage cars that just completed the whole vibe.

If Lisa were to have a house in Bo-Kaap. It would certainly be the green one!

After exploring all the colorful eye candy and walking the streets of Bo-Kaap, I found my way to the cutest and most delish little cafe for a bite to eat and a latte.

My heart skipped a beat when I walked into this vibrant but airy space. It had so many natural elements and the plant life suspended from the ceiling - genius! I am definitely remembering that for an upcoming project!

And, can we just talk about this glorious little hand painted moment? Swoon.

After my lovely stop at Batavia Cafe, I headed over to Table Mountain, in hopes of some great views. Well. It didn’t work out in my favor. While the view up was amazing, the very top was completely covered in clouds! Still, it was a fun experience.

I ended my first day over in the Camps Bay area. It was truly breathtaking. The waterfront views, the teal blue water, stunning architecture and an eery view of the clouds rolling in. It had this very moody feel to it, that I couldn’t get enough of. To top it off, quite the array of restaurants to choose from as well!

So there you have, day one in South Africa. Stay tuned as I share more elements from this amazing trip!

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