Today’s guest post is brought to you by Merida Meridian, a company passionate about innovative and sustainable design. Merida Meridian’s mission is to inspire the design community with unique natural fiber rugs. Merida textiles bring out the natural beauty of the fibers, with rugs made from wool, sisal, jute, abaca, and seagrass. The company’s in-house designer and Massachusetts based weaving and tufting facility gives them endless custom capabilities, as well.

Sometimes using a bold rug can be a daunting challenge, especially with a high-contrast or colorful pattern. With the right mix of patterns and colors, however, a rug’s distinctive characteristics can be vital to pulling a room together.

Celerie Kemble on The Martha Stewart Show

Featuring Merida’s Belted Stripe Abaca from the Celerie Kemble collection, this room showcases a striking mix of bold stripes and an elegant, uniquely patterned wallpaper. The visual buzz of the high-contrast rug is calmed by the flowing, inky greys of the organic backdrop.

This blue and cream striped Barclay Butera rug pulls together the patterns and colors of this bedroom. Various shades of blue and white are anchored by the solid colors on the sisal rug. The stripes engage with the differing patterns on the ottoman and pillows, unifying the room through color.

A second Barclay Butera rug uses a much different pattern, but still works with the striped curtains and chairs. The solid color floors and furniture, once again, let the blue bring together the space, despite the variety of textures. Matching table lamps add to the subtly formal, yet tranquil, ambiance of the room.

The Dune rug’s neutral tone coincides with a pop of vivid blue, reflected in the striped chair. The eye flows from the bright, bold blue stripes to the subtler blue of the rug’s complex interlocking pattern.

A speckle-patterned Abaca rug and two striped pillows couldn’t be more different in terms of pattern, but the cool blue-greens and creamy grays allow the two styles to work in harmony. The neutral wall color and dark floor show off the rug without it becoming visually overwhelming. In the sunlight, the rug echoes the sparkling with chrome and crystal hues. A beige Mediterranean inspired lamp lends a cool, relaxed atmosphere to the room, as well. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

As these rooms show, you don’t have to be afraid to mix patterns or use a colorful rug. We would love to know, how do you use patterns in your home? Visit Merida Meridian for a variety of unique rugs for every room in your home, and complement those rugs with a light fixture or two!

This post is written by guest author, Tehmina, from Interior Design DIY, a blog that empowers you to improve your home and office space by sharing interior design and decor tips.

The kitchen is the heart of any home and the design process requires plenty of planning.  One way to create successful kitchen lighting is to have a balanced interplay of several different lighting types, which in return enhances your home décor. In this post I’ll be giving away a few tips on acquiring the perfect kitchen lighting for your humble abode.

The ideal kitchen should have a balance between practicality and functionality with touches of beauty and form. Lighting plays an important role in creating a comfortable environment; it allows the chef to feel relaxed while he/she spends a considerable part of their day planning and preparing meals.

Types of Kitchen Light

There are three basic types of lighting – general, task, and decorative. Like any other room, the kitchen needs a good level of general lighting that produces the overall illumination. An ideal choice for general lighting would be light fixtures that are close to the ceiling with a flush or semi flush mount allowing ambient light throughout the entire room.

Task lights (utilitarian lights) have the distinct purpose of complementing the function of the kitchen. These are intended to aid specific kitchen-related activities such as cooking, washing, and eating. Direct lights, also known as focused lights, cast a downward beam that sets focus to a specific area. For example, food preparation, most often carried out on the counter-top, is facilitated by under cabinet lights that shine downward and  are not physically visible allowing for a more pleasurable appearance to your kitchen.

Lastly, decorative lights help set the ambiance of the kitchen and add to the form of the room. The beauty of dining tables is greatly enhanced using decorative lights that radiate a warm and welcoming glow.

There is certainly a great collaboration between theses lights – the dining area will probably borrow general light from the work area, while direct lights should be combined with other types of lighting as they do not provide sufficient general illumination. Spotlights can also be easily directed to the most flattering positions of an object, allowing you to showcase impressive items in your kitchen.

A dimmer switch will also help mix and match these lights. It can be used both for a decorative effect and for practical purposes. To understand this point, remember that nobody likes to eat in a dark gloomy environment but one may wish to sometimes dim the lights when eating a midnight snack. A dimmer switch or a rise-and-fall lamp can help control the softness of the light. Remember that a carefully planned combination of lights in the kitchen can help freshen up the ambiance.

Source of Kitchen Light

When it comes to choosing the source of light, the starting place for a designer should be in maximizing the use of natural lighting. Although you cannot control the direction of natural light in a kitchen, your priority should be to position the sink in a sunny area. If, say, your kitchen faces away from the sun, you could always increase the inflow of natural light by installing a skylight or by making a larger kitchen window. Images 1| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Throw one of our pendant lights into your kitchen and create the mixture of lighting that will complete your kitchen today!

Today we are visiting London based interior design blog, ESI.info Interior Design! Their blog is full of new ideas and products for architects, interior designers and other design professionals in the UK.  ESI.info is a product comparison website for architects, interior designers and other professional specifiers in the U.K. Their goal is “helping you create better environments for living”. Right now, Jenn is over there chatting it up about design inspirations of contemporary lighting. We hope you enjoy the post. Feel free to drop by ESI.info’s interior design blog and read on! Here’s a quick excerpt:

Traditional lighting has reigned supreme for decades but it’s only been more recently that designers have looked outside the lightbox and reinvented a myriad of lighting fixtures – today there’s no shortage of contemporary lighting to choose from. Created like works of art and used as task as well as accent lighting, here are eight modish fixtures that demonstrate the wide range of stylish possibilities.

Spidey-Sense

H on over to check out this London based company’s lovely  lighting selections now! Thank you so much Owen for letting us guest post on your blog!

We had a guest post graciously hosted for us by Johanna at her blog, House on the Hill! Johanna is a Boston native who has a love for interior design, fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Her blog is definitely something to flip through for inspiration! Right now, Susi is over there chatting up about design inspirations of interiors that are Stylishly Cozy by the Fire. We hope you enjoy the post. Feel free to drop by Johanna’s blog and read on! Here’s a quick excerpt:

Hi, I’m Susi, a writer over at Arcadian Lighting, a great source for lighting fixtures, ideas and trends.  Today I’m so happy to be over here at House on the Hill guest blogging about cozy style by the fire.  Fireplaces are so lovely on a cold night, or a gray winter day.  Here are some of my favorite stylishly cozy rooms with fireplaces.  Enjoy!

Thank you so much Johanna for letting us guest post for your blog! Head on over to read the post now!

Today we are over at Linda’s Seaside Style blog and Jenn is chatting it up about some great inspirations she’s seen with Turquoise rooms…Linda is a recent empty nester who shares her advice and opinions on interior design and decor on her blog each day…with a seaside twist to it. Enjoy our post titled Turquoise by the Sea. Here is just a short excerpt:

Hi all! I’m Jennifer and I write for Arcadian Lighting. I’ve been writing about home decor and design since graduating university and have loved it ever since. I’m addicted to patterned fabrics, Jonathan Adler, chaise lounges, old doors, milk glass jars, antiques, and chandeliers. Having grown up in South Florida I’ve always loved burying my toes in the sand, feeling the wash of the waves over my feet and taking in the endless ocean views, so you can understand my obsession with Seaside Style. I am thrilled to be writing this guest post on fab turquoise spaces (one of my fave colours).

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 Thank you so much Linda for allowing us to contribute to your Seaside Style blog! Head on over to her blog to the post out!

Etsy (via)

Check us out today over at Organized Design for a guest post on “Pretty Ruffled Lights.” Need ideas on how to transform a boring lamp shade to something fun, flirty and stylish?  Visit us today at Organized Design to see our favorite ruffled lights and shades. Thank you so much, Jen, for letting us do a guest post on your blog. Until next time my fellow bloggers and readers…

Cheers!

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Now that summer is just around the corner what has been on your “Must Read” list? If you’re a fanatic of fun & fearless designs, then Kelly Wearstler’s books are a MUST! Just picture this…The beach, the sun, and your favorite noontime read! Dive right on over to Beach Brights for some of the must – haves that should be on your list. Thank you, BB, for letting us do a guest blog on your blog!

Cheers!

Esther

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Looking to redecorate your living room? Are you a fan of modern styled interior design? Come check out our friend Melissa’s blog at Melissa Hon. Thank you so much, Melissa, for letting us do a guest post on your blog!

Cheers!
Calvin
ArcadianLighting

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Need ideas on how you can customize your interiors with fabrics? Want to know how fabrics can spruce up your interiors besides using it to reupholster old and antique furniture? Come check us out today at our friend Tennille’s blog via Beautiful Habitat. Thank you so much, Tennille, for letting us do a guest post on your blog!

Cheers!

Kenny
ArcadianLighting

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Want to do something with that non-working fireplace and mantel? Come check out our friend Alice’s blog at Bohemian Hellhole. Thank you so much, Alice, for letting us do a guest post on your blog!

Cheers!

Calvin
ArcadianLighting

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Low on budget? Have you ever considered using natural objects to decorate around the house?  Check out our friend Valorie’s blog at Visual Vamp. Thank you so much, Valorie, for letting us do a guest post on your blog!

Cheers!

Calvin
ArcadianLighting

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Do you love simple changes around your home that have big design results? Ever wonder how to redecorate your home without breaking the bank? Check out our friend Silvia’s blog at Casa Bella. Thank you so much, Silvia, for letting us do a guest post on your blog!

Cheers!

Kenny
ArcadianLighting