Design Tips Archives - Page 6 of 8

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Moody Monday Media

Summer Inspiration from IN-SPACES

Changes in season provide a natural rhythm for refreshing interior décor. With summer still with us, it’s not too late to pick up a few new items to breathe some new life into your living space. Whether you’re going for your usual must-haves or exploring new ways to step out of your decorating comfort zone, change can be very worthwhile.

We found some great eye-catching items on In-Spaces, one of our stockists here at Moody Monday. Our relationship with them began after a chance meeting at 100% Design in London and it continues to be a good collaboration. We are proud to work with a brand that is dedicated to great design and progressive in nature. This love for good design is evident in the products we’re swooning over today.

Vases: Starting off are these vases designed by the Edge Company. We love the interesting textures they both have. Definitely statement pieces for any home!

Lighting: Given we were all over lighting last month, it was perfectly natural to add this hanging lamp to our favourites list. This will undoubtedly add that touch of sophistication and a unique look to the lighting scheme of any room.

Mirrors: Adding vanity mirrors create dimension and interest, instantly lifting the look of an interior especially a hallway or living room.

Cushions: Their extensive range of wall paper and soft furnishings are also worth a look. Be sure to add a fresh splash of colour to your sofa with gorgeous contemporary cushions from Moody Monday’s Secret Music collection.
From home décor, fashion to art and prints, In-Spaces’ mission is to offer quality products from talented emerging and developing designers. They explain their ethos clearly: “We pride ourselves on a passion for design, a true eye for talent and a genuine joy for the work we do”.

With a little creativity and time spent looking in the right place, this summer could bring with it much more than you expected – a better loved home. Visit www.in-spaces.com for more inspiration.

All images sourced from www.in-spaces.com

Posted on July 29, 2015July 29, 2015 by Moody Monday Media

Spectacular paper art – Designer’s Choice

Given paper art has been around for a while, it is always refreshing to see different expressions of it evolve across the globe. We recently spotted incredible work from a very talented artist in New York.

With ingenuity and creativity clearly flowing through her veins, Maude White makes fantastic scenes and stories with intricate carvings on a medium she says is reliable and constant – a sheet of paper. From elephants, birds to faces and magical scenes, this paper-cutting artist’s work oozes a high degree of attention to detail and unique artistic flare we at Moody Monday love to see.

Maude explains that “By respecting and honouring paper for what it is, and not considering it a stepping-stone to something greater, I feel like I am communicating some of the pleasure it brings to me. I am not creating for Art’s sake. I am creating for Paper’s sake, to make visible the stories that every piece of paper attempts to communicate to us.”

For the love of paper, you can find more of her work at http://bravebirdpaperart.com

All images used with artist’s permission.

Via Creative Boom

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Moody Monday Media

Design in Focus: Lighting Installations

Lighting can be more than an accent to a space, it can also be the main feature piece by allowing the light’s design and colour to really stand out from the rest of the space. Ceilings often provide an excellent platform to display unique lighting installations especially in commercial interiors as seen in these restaurants.

We also came across these examples where the lights match the colour palette of the space complementing the overall colour scheme beautifully.

One of the things that stand out about the next set of designs is the way they show off geometry. By being paired with rather neutral tones and muted hues, the eye is easily drawn to the intricate line patterns. It is practicality perfectly balanced with aesthetics.

Great lighting and bridges are usually a beauty to behold. Two great examples are The Solvesborg Bridge in Sweden and the High Trestle Trail Bridge. The Solvesborg Bridge which uses colour-changing luminaries was awarded one of the ten most interesting bridges in the world in 2013. The blue lights at the High Trestle trail bridge in Madrid are certainly mesmerising at night.

There certainly is no limit to using lighting to make a bold statement in design.

Images sourced via

Posted on July 20, 2015July 24, 2015 by Moody Monday Media

Stylish table lamp ideas

Continuing with our lighting theme, today we’re putting the spotlight on table lamps.

Like floor lamps, they are super easy to add to a space and can provide an instant change to a room. Combining function and tasteful design, well designed table lamps can create a practical lighting accent for any space.

Read on for a few ideas to get you started on your lighting adventure.

Go mid-century

If you’re looking for something with a modern take on mid-century design, these desk lamps from Delightfull Lamps are perfect for any contemporary living space. With their industrial design, they add style and a pop of colour to an office desk, side table or worktop.

The beauty of simplicity

If you like the minimalist look, you could opt for one with a classic contemporary look like these examples which show off beautiful design and thorough craftsmanship.

Creative origami

Lampshades take a rather creative turn with this lamp collection based on the traditional Japanese art of Origami. Designed by Sharyn Dunn, these lamps diffuse light in an elegant way and are a luxurious addition to enhance any interior. We’ve been doing some exciting collaborative work with Sharyn on a fusion of 2D and 3D for the Synchronise II exhibition at the National Centre for Craft & Design. Click here for a sneak peek.

Here are some more origami creations by Ofir Zucker & Albi Serfaty, in collaboration with origami artist Ilan Garibi

We can’t forget the more common table lamp design you’ll find in most homes. The white lamp is practical yet simply divine. This interesting take on the tear drop style with the lamp on the left particularly caught our eye.

These luxurious lighting ideas can provide a convenient way of changing the ambience and mood of your space.

Images sourced from:

http://www.delightfull.eu

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com

http://www.7godslighting.com

http://handandeyestudio.co.uk

http://www.sharyndunn.com

http://www.pinterest.com

https://www.trendy-products.co.uk

http://www.jonathanadler.com

www.aquagallery.com

Posted on July 15, 2015July 9, 2015 by Moody Monday Media

Fashion meets food – Designer’s Choice

When we found these, we couldn’t help but feature them on the blog. Just like us, have you wondered what else you could do with colourful, health-giving foods apart from ticking them off your 5-a-day list?

Meet Gretchen Röehrs, a talented artist making waves on Instagram doing something rather special. She is a San Francisco-based illustrator who uses food to create stunning fashion illustrations proving that playing with your food is not such a bad idea after all.

We’ve handpicked a few of our favourites to get your appetite going.

For more creative delights, follow Gretchen on Instagram

Images sourced from: @groehrs

Posted on July 13, 2015July 10, 2015 by Moody Monday Media

Creative Ways of Using Standing Lamps

Lighting in interiors plays a very important role, and it can determine the focus of the room, as well as setting the tone for the ambiance and ‘feel’ of the room. This is why in this blog post, we’re looking at standing lamps and floor lamps, which are easy to add in any space.

We really love how these over-sized desk lamps are transformed into floor lamps, adding an innovative and stylish look to bedrooms and living rooms.

They also look very stylish and daring in an office setting, as we’ve previously seen when we discussed the layout of the Leo Burnett office in Moscow:

If you are looking to create a richer light effect, the use of floor lamps of different heights works like a charm. Two of our favourite examples are these lighting systems one in a more traditional shape (left) and the second in a modern design (right):

Yet another style that is gaining popularity in specialty articles are the hanging floor lamps, and for good reason. We think they work great for areas looking to create a calmed down, relaxed surrounding, ideal for reading corners and living room spaces:

Regardless of the preferred style, floor lamps can complement and emphasize the design of your rooms, for furniture to floors and wallcoverings.

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Moody Monday Media

Luxury Tableware – Designer’s Choice

Tableware – and cutlery in particular – is one of those ‘details’ that gets easily overlooked in interiors, but we think having a luxurious set on the table makes the entire dining experience more enjoyable and unique, be it at home or in a restaurant. For this blog post, we decided to do a bit or research into high end cutlery sets available on the market, and we were quite taken with one in particular:

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We found the set on Amara’s website and found it is designed and sold by Portuguese manufacturer Cutipol. We liked this particular design due to the colour mix and modernistic shapes of the cutlery pieces; a simple yet impactful set, with a powerful contrast. Definitely a statement piece on any dinner table!

Cutipol design the set in a golden variation as well, with black or white handles, as shown below:

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While we like all three variations, we have to admit the former is the one you would be most likely to see on Moody Monday’s dinner table, as it would be a very good match for our line of luxury coasters and placemats:

Images sourced from and property of Cutipol.pt and Amara.com

Posted on July 6, 2015July 6, 2015 by Moody Monday Media

Styling Candles

What better way is there to change the mood and ambiance of a room than with lighting? From cute tea lights to taper candles and the ubiquitous pillar candles, these nifty items can be an effective way to tickle the senses with inviting beauty and gorgeous scents.

We’ll start the week off exploring one of our favourite lighting accessories – candles. We’ve rounded up a few ways to style these effortlessly.

Spruce up the coffee table: Candles arranged alongside vases, books and other decorative accessories add that extra personality to a coffee table any day any time. We like the visual weight created by the collective presence of the items.

Create an inviting bathroom: With the warm, fuzzy glow they give, candles transform these bathrooms into tranquil sanctuaries. Using candles of the same colour work particularly well to create harmony.

Make way for beautiful dining: Let’s not forget the dining room. Whilst candles might not always be used for all mealtimes, their presence especially at night may be just what you need to enhance your dining experience.

Posted on June 29, 2015June 28, 2015 by Moody Monday Media

Adding Texture with Plants

Another unique way of adding texture to your interior design, is through the use of plants and flowers. The foliage in these all-white interiors add texture and a splash of colour. By providing additional visual interest, the plants help soften the crisp, clean lines and prevent these spaces from looking sterile.

The wall colours and furniture in these rooms provide the perfect backdrop for using indoor plants to add extra character and style. With varying heights and shades, they also show how good placement can be to create a very cosy feel especially for those who can’t get enough of them.

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Clearly, a few plants can liven a space but why not make a bold statement with a vertical garden. With the perfect assortment of textures, sizes and shades, they show how plants can easily offer a unique texture of their own and fill a room with exuberant life.

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Posted on June 24, 2015June 13, 2015 by Moody Monday Media

3 Ways to Use Mosaic in Interior Design

Dating back to the 3rd millennium BC, mosaic is a technique of decorative art or interior decoration. Most mosaics works are made of small, flat, roughly square, pieces of stone or glass of different colours, known as tesserae; but some, especially floor mosaics, may also be made of small rounded pieces of stone, and called pebble mosaics.

Yet as ancient as this technique may be, mosaics can be used to create modern and luxurious interiors as well. Below we present 3 ways of using mosaic in contemporary interior spaces.

1. Mosaic walls

Due to this technique entailing the use of many small pieces to create patters, it is sometimes recommended to use this decorative style on small areas, creating accent walls:

Depending on the space, mosaics can also be used to cover large wall surfaces, especially in rooms that do not typically have lots of furniture or accessories, such as hallway or waiting areas: Blog-2-large-mosaic-walls

2. Moroccan mosaics

Use this style if you’re going for a bright, lively look for your space. Do keep in mind that due to the use of rich patterns and contrasts specific to this particular design, you should use less bold accessories in the interior, to create a visually balanced space: Blog-3-moroccan-mosaic

3. Mosaic accessories and surfaces

Not surprisingly, the mosaic look has been adopted in the creation of diverse home surfaces and accessories, such as tables, lamps, candle holders, coasters, etc. And it works great, as these items add liveliness and colour to the interiors. A few of our favourite examples include:

If you thought mosaics are old fashioned and out dated, we hope this blog post has helped prove the opposite. We think that, used tastefully, mosaic accent walls can add that extra dash of uniqueness to an interior, in a new, contemporary and modern interpretation.

Category: Design Tips