Inspiration gathered and noted || A learning tour || A Mercedes Ave. Home

I'm so excited to bring you some inspiration from a beautiful friend's home.  This is my second post in the new series I began called "Inspiration gathered and noted" (see first home tour here).  This series, is basically a home tour where I will try and identify different sources of inspiration that have caught my attention and that I would like to file away as lessons learned for any future decorating or designing projects.  I hope they will be inspirational to you as well.

This friend's home is stunningly decorated.  She lives for that special find in antique stores and for the hunt on the web, and has mastered a style I would call 'eclectic elegant'.  Let's take a looksy and see what we can learn:

1 ||  Make your entry exciting.  A home's entry is very important because it welcomes guests and sets the decorating tone for your home.  This black and white tile definitely add excitement and intrigue. (Two companies that makes this kind of tile- here and here)

2 || Grab an idea and make it your own.  I know you are all so good at this - taking what you see on pinterest and doing something similar with a way smaller budget.  I love it! And this is exactly what my friend did here.  She loved these Hugo Guiness prints where a small print can easily go for $450. Celebrities love his work as evidenced here.  Well, they were a bit out of budget so naturally she went on Etsy to see what she could find with a similar vibe.  And she found these beautiful prints above that are very similar in style from this shop.  She added different sized, colored, and shaped frames and made the coolest gallery wall ever (of course the sofa and rug play a large roll in the beauty of this shot as well!).

3 ||  A pop of color can go a long way.  Never underestimate the power of a perfectly placed pop of color.  It can make you week in the knees.  For me, this is the home's most perfect corner.  If I lived here I don't think I would ever leave this day bed.

4 ||  Contrasting trim adds depth and interest.  My friend is a pro at this.  Many of her rooms have contrasting trim in combinations I would not have thought off and they really warm up the space and add a layer of richness that is not easily identifiable. 

5 || Paneled doors turn a regular hallway into a beautiful space.  This closet door is just a normal wood door that they paneled to inset those four art pieces.  They just added trim around each piece. What a clever idea!  You could also try this with wallpaper to make a regular door more sophisticated.

6 ||  Its all about the frame.  I love me a good frame so I was loving this wall from the moment I saw it.  I love the differing sizes and colors of the mat around each piece and .  Even though the pieces displayed are small, the matting and frame really make them stand out.

7 ||  Sconces or chandeliers with crystal add magical light to any room.  The beauty that comes from rays of sun hitting crystals and refracting the rays into many colors is magical.  I'm sure it helps one's disposition and helps create positive energy.

8  ||  A grey room is always perfect.  Did you know that grey is associated with humility and reflection?  What a great color. It is elegant, inviting, and calm.  The perfect color for a formal living room.  (And you all know how much I am loving it lately. If you want to read some of my past posts on grey go here and here).  Grey looks so beautiful with the white marble fireplace, the white ceramic stool, and white chair.  Perfection.

So there you have it, eight lessons learned from a beautiful friend's home.  I hope you gathered and noted some new inspiration ideas.  Which are your favorites?

I hope this is the start to a wonderful week for you!

[all images by me for Mimosa Lane ]