Interior Designer Photoshoot of Molino de Agua Condo in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

A modern espresso dining table is surrounded by orange chairs and Japanese blue and white dishware. A bold patterned orange and blue linen fabric is used for the drapery.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

A view from the modern chaise to the ocean and Banderas Bay.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

View from the dining table to the ocean.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

A large driftwood piece serves as the natural artwork for the space. Striped blue, white and green Sunbrella fabric was used on the modern double chaise. Coconut palm pot.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

White and blue star fish slipcovers make it easy to clean these outdoor modern dining chairs. A ram stone console table with a antique reclaimed wood door serves as the table top.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

White and blue star fish slipcovers make it easy to clean these outdoor modern dining chairs. A ram stone console table with a antique reclaimed wood door serves as the table top. A large driftwood piece serves as the natural artwork for the space.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

A stone side table sets between two blue and white slipcovered chairs.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

View from the living room to the terrace. A linen covered custom sectional and bold patterned occassional chair. Accent lighting on the ceiling provides a glow around the perimeter. Custom zebra wood coffee table.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

A linen covered custom sectional and bold patterned occassional chair. Accent lighting on the ceiling provides a glow around the perimeter. Floating shelves house a collection of Mexican sculpture

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

A linen covered custom sectional and bold patterned occassional chair. Accent lighting on the ceiling provides a glow around the perimeter. Floating shelves house a collection of Mexican sculpture

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiorsil

Detail of Mayan figurine collections

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

A linen covered custom sectional and bold patterned occassional chair look out to the terrace.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

A linen covered custom sectional and bold patterned occassional chair face a set of two modern abstract paintings

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

Walls are covered with a stone veneer to create texture to the entry and hallway.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

A daybed sits a top a cow hide rug. Cobalt blue Venetian plastered walls create texture and a back drop to the white slipper chair.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

Detail of the brass cross that is on the cobalt blue Venetian plastered walls.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

A linen upholstered bed sits in front of a Venetian plastered focal wall. Frosted glass doors are the entrance to closets lit from behind.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

View from the bed to the master bedroom sitting area and master bathroom.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

The jacuzzi tub is framed by two pale blue coral linen patterned drapery panels. The tiebacks are made from seashells.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

Master bathroom accent wall is covered with a school of brightly colored fish artwork. Slipper chairs are covered in a white terry cloth fabric.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

The guest bedroom has a faux painted linen focal wall done in a vibrant blue. A white upholstered bed sits in front of it. A custom roman shade is bordered with a blue linen.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

Molino de Aqua - Puerto Vallarta - Christopher James Interiors

Blue and white Japanese dishware sit a top a modern dining table.

Puerto Vallarta Interior Designer

We recently just completed an interior design project in Puerto Vallarta at Molino de Agua.  Molino de Agua is one of the newest and most luxurious condo properties available in Puerto Vallarta at the moment and it is convenient and close to everything in Old Town.    If you are visiting for the first time, I would highly recommend this property since many of the owners there rent them out.  It has great security, a private pool and is only steps to the beach, restaurants and shops.  Designing a condo or home in Puerto Vallarta can be a challenge since there are not many places to go for furniture and fabrics like there are in the United States and Canada.  There are a few interior designers in Puerto Vallarta but not many.  Our first job there several years ago required many months of research and a lot of time in both Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara finding sources to select furnishings for our clients.  After finding  woodworkers, upholsterers, contractors and visiting the Guadalajara Furniture Show we were then able to offer our clients more options than they would have had otherwise in Puerto Vallarta alone.  Many of our clients purchase homes or condos in Puerto Vallarta and don’t have the knowledge or know how to complete a newly purchased property.  This is where our experience comes in and we can save you a lot of time, money and headaches if you haven’t owned in Puerto Vallarta before.

The Interior Design Style for Puerto Vallarta Project

For this interior design project we used a lot of blue and kept the furnishings modern and streamlined yet comfortable and casual.  We used slipcovers on the terrace chairs for easy cleaning and used fabrics and decor that included sea life, coral and seashells.  We also combined old and new pieces such as the stone and coconut palm pots.  An antique door was used as the table top for a pair of stone ram bases and a collection of Mexican figurines were used on the ET center and floating shelves above the TV.  Walls were given texture with the use of Venetian plasters and stone veneers.  We added strip lighting in the ceiling to add a nice glow and light at night.  Take a look at the finished interior design project and let us know what you think.

Looking for an Interior Designer in Puerto Vallarta?

If so, we are interior designers in Puerto Vallarta don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss your interior design project.  Christopher James Interiors has completed several properties in Puerto Vallarta over the last few years and we are able to design your place in a variety of different interior design styles from traditional Mexican to coastal modern.

Add a little bling in your wallpaper

Wallpaper has come a long way and can be a lot of fun, especially when you want to add a little bit of bling or sparkle to your walls. Today I set out to look for wallpaper at Design Center Associates in Santa Ana. They have a great selection to choose from so searching for the right one was fairly easy. The design look for our client is calling for something contemporary and modern, with just a touch of sparkle or in our case we were hoping for a metallic or chrome element

Ronald Redding Wallcovering

After flipping through several books from many popular designers and companies, I narrowed it down to about five books. There was some wallpaper with geometric motifs, textured looks, and groovy shaggadelic designs.  I opted for a simple but interesting design. I came across a line from Ronald Redding Wallcovering and there on the first page was what I was looking for. It’s a textured single color wallpaper, beautifully encrusted with small pieces of mica that has a beautiful reflective and rich quality to it. Even though it is a single color it appears as though it has many colors in it because of the depth that the mica creates.  It comes in four different colors…Copper, Silver, Charcoal and Beige. We will most likely order the copper or the beige.

There are others we can select from in case we don’t decide on the Terra Mica samples.  DCA (Design Center Associates) allows us to check out their books which makes it much easier to coordinate all of our fabrics and materials.

Terra Mica Wallcovering

So whether your design is conservative or wild, modern or traditional, keep in mind that a little bit of twinkle or sparkle can go a long way when putting your look together. Think of it as the icing on your cake. Check out Design Center Associates website for wall coverings, furniture, fabrics and accessories in Orange County, CA.

Barbara Becker Wallcovering

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Bathroom Design and Kitchen Design in Orange County

If you haven’t visited Fixtures Living at the OC Mart Mix in Orange County you are missing out!  This showroom opened about 6 months ago and is one of the best kitchen and bathroom showrooms I have ever come across.  It’s located about 5 minutes north of South Coast Plaza.

Grey Stained Kitchen Cabinets at Fixtures Living

Upon entering the store you will be greeted by someone standing at a coffee bar offering you a selection of specialty coffee drinks or flavored teas.  Then you can explore the large showroom which showcases kitchens and bathrooms in a range of different design styles.  All of the faucets, showers and varieties of hardware are all operable so you can see how they work.  Everything is arranged and displayed beautifully and many of the top brands such as Viking, Wolf and even La Cornue are available and displayed.

Modern Kitchen Design Vignette at Fixtures Living

As a kitchen designer in Orange County this is a perfect place to meet with clients and show them your kitchen and bathroom designs.  They offer private conference rooms for you to meet with them and discuss the project.

Modern Stainess Fridge at Fixtures Living

Laundry Vignette at Fixtures Living

Check it out and I guarantee you’ll be inspired.  Whether or not you’re looking to redo your kitchen or bathroom you’ll enjoy stopping by to check out this showroom.

Enjoy and let me know what you think if you do stop by.

Your source for modern upholstered furniture in Orange County

If you are looking for modern furniture in Orange County you have stumbled upon the right place.  Christopher James Interiors has a large selection of modern upholstered furniture that can be customized using your own fabric or selected from our vast collection of fabric options.  We can resize items for you so they fit perfectly in your space.  We’ll even come to your home to consult with you and guide you step by step of the way to ensure proper scale and size of your furniture.  You’ll also be able to view fabrics in your current surroundings to make sure what you are ordering is exactly what you want.  We offer upholstered headboards, beds, sofas & couches, sectionals, dining chairs, occasional chairs, lounge chairs, benches, ottomans and barstools.  Here’s some of our favorite items….

Modern Upholstered Beds and Headboards

The Davide Bed has a modern tufted headboard surrounded by a wood frame.  The chrome legs give it another modern touch.

The Hunter Bed has a modern design and is available with storage drawers in the bed platform.  The photo shows the bed in a striped fabric bordered with leather and accented with nailheads.

Modern Upholstered Coffee Table Ottomans and Benches

 The Eastwood coffee table ottoman has a very modern look with a beautiful detail on the top.  Put your feet on it to kick back or place a tray on top to set drinks on.

Modern Upholstered Occasional Chairs

The Kinetic Chair has a very modern design with chunky wood arms and legs.  We love the contemporary and modern lines of this chair.  Upholster in leather or fabric and choose from several wood finish options.

Let us know what you think of some of our new designs.

To view more of our large selection of modern upholstered furniture you can visit the products section of our website.

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Beach, Nautical and Coastal Interiors

Decorating interiors on the beach is always one of my favorite locations to work.  You can’t get much better than working on the water.  I am so inspired by the water, sand and sea life that comes from this type of living.  If I had to choose just one place to work…it would have to be the beach.  There’s something serene and peaceful with the sounds of ocean waves crashing and seagulls squawking.  As an interior designer in Orange County, California, my work has taken me to several homes near the water.  From East Hampton, New York to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  When designing a beach house or home on the water it only makes sense to bring the water elements into the interior design.

If you are wanting to create a comfortable and laid back look to your coastal interior design project then read further for some key elements of coastal interiors.

Take a look at some of our completed projects on the beach (click on the links below to view)…

East Hampton, New York

Emerald Bay, Laguna Beach, California

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

If you have never experienced the beach on a personal level, look at magazines dedicated to coastal destinations, or better yet, contact a Coastal Interior Designer to take all the guess work out of it for you!

Key Elements of Coastal Interior Design

Furniture

Coastal interiors and decorating on the beach mean different things to different people when it comes to choosing the furniture style.  The most important thing is to keep the design casual and simple.  Use materials such as reclaimed wood, bamboo or wicker furniture and keep in mind certain types of wood aren’t recommended for ocean air.  Try to incorporate stripes and patterns that relate to the beach.  For example, use navy blue and crisp white for that nautical look.  Linen fabrics are also a good choice for drapery and pillows.

Walls

Keep your wall colors light and airy.  This will help bring the true coastal experience into your home.  Soft color palettes work best for homes on the water.  Although I don’t typically like white walls…on the beach it gives you that clean, crisp feel.  White also works well as an accent on such architectural details such as wainscoting.

Windows

Less is better when considering a coastal interior design style.  However, if you are seeking privacy there are many window treatments available that can marry the two together nicely.  White shutters are a good choice as they will not only compliment the wainscoting, but will also provide you privacy when needed.

Flooring

Stick with hard surfaces when decorating on the beach by using hardwood floors or tiles.  Clean and simple and uncluttered is best.  Lighter colors for hardwood and throw rugs will help bring the room together as well as hide the sand that may be tracked in from the beach.

Accessories

This is a great area to bring in the details of coastal interiors.  Add small touches here and there that will bring these elements to life.  Add a net, use some rope or bring in some shells.  Stay on the lookout as you’re walking on the beach…an old piece of driftwood that has weathered from the constant beating of the waves is a great accent.  Use some live tropical plants such as giant birds of paradise or a kentia palm.  Use images of sailboats or rope in your artwork as shown below.

Nautical Artwork

Lighting

Rattan or wicker works nicely with lamps, or add another type of texture that reminds you of the coast, like sea shells.  Wrought iron is also a good choice to bring an element of metal to the room.

Coastal interior design is not only a fun and creative way to decorate, but it can also bring an element of Feng Shui into your home as the ambiance can be cathartic to your soul.  You will just breath easier in your new coastal interior surroundings as they remind you of the care free days at the beach.

Do you have any favorite tips or ideas that you like using when it comes to decorating on the beach?  Share some inspiration from your coastal interior design projects.  Send in some pics and comments…I’d love to see what you’re up to!

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Hello, I’m Joanna and I am a blogger for Arcadian Lighting, a premier online source for captivating interior and exterior lighting fixtures. My days are spent searching the web for beautiful interior design images and ideas to share on interior design blogs.  I’m honored to be writing a guest post for Christopher James Interiors.  Today I’ll be focusing on summery orange spaces. This hue translates well across all styles from modern to traditional.  It works well with many accent colors such as turquoise or pink.  I’ve collected images of several rooms below.  Be sure to comment and let me know which is your favorite.

An Asian inspired living room is dressed in vibrant orange and turquoise. The wallpaper ties the decor together beautifully.

Summer is in full bloom in this sunroom with deep orange walls and pink and white modern furniture. A hint of orange in the rug would be nice to anchor the colors.

A modern space is layered in orange hues with just a hint of pastels in the artwork and rug. The pendant lights are especially pretty.

A transitional dining room gets its own hint of orange on the tufted dining chairs and colorful artwork.

This contemporary bedroom is dressed in crisp white with not-so-subtle orange accents. The headboard is particularly interesting.

An Asian-inspired space boasts deep orange walls with light green panels.  Suzani print pillows tie the room’s colors together.  The nail head accented tables flanking the bed are a nice feature.

A stunning bedroom has so many lovely elements such as the floral-infused walls and ceiling and the plethora of fabric on and surrounding the bed.  The orange hues cover the spectrum from pumpkin to the softest peach.  The beautiful pendant light mimics origami.

This minimalist bedroom gets a jolt of energy from the bold orange on the walls and bed.

Orange is the perfect color for summer, so which one is your favorite?  Comment below and be sure to visit Arcadian Lighting for more helpful style and inspirations.

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I’ve recently started a new interior design project in a beautiful gated community of Orange Hills in Orange County, California.  My client has asked that I begin the design for the family room, dining nook and kitchen so that they can move in as soon as possible.  I’ll continue designing the rest of this 7,000 square foot home once the main areas are designed.  I wanted to share the interior design project and some before photos, conceptual design ideas and the floor plan to journal my progress from beginning to end.  The family room is approximately 18′ x 29′ and the ceilings are 14′ high.  Decorating a large room can be a bit challenging and I need to make sure the scale of the furniture is not over powered by the oversized space.

The Design Concept

Family Room Mood Board

I’ve decided to go with an elegant and sophisticated design.  The furnishings are transitional in style with very clean lines.  The furniture pieces have an arched leg and the fabrics, rug and accessories have a circular theme.  My clients taste is very neutral…tone on tone.  So I’m keeping things neutral on the walls and introducing a pale blue to bring in some color.  The finishes on the furniture will be a medium brown and very clean with no distressing.

The Canvas

Side Window Wall

Family Room - Bar Area

Family Room - Fireplace Wall

The walls are a ginger yellow and the floors are a polished cream marble.  I would like to add a grass wallcovering in the recessed squares on the ceiling and also on the fireplace wall.  I think this will help this large room with contrast, texture and giving it a more intimate and cozy feel.  The window treatments on the far wall are going to be tricky because of the size.  I’m thinking a very large motorized woven shade flanked by non-functioning drapery panels and a soft, box pleated valance in the same fabric as the side panels…a striped silk.  The blue rug will set the furniture off of the light colored marble floors and bring some color and softness to the space.

The Floor Plan

Family Room - Floor Plan

The Furniture Details and Budget

Sofas – Custom – $6,628 each – 33 yds fabric required for both

Sofa Fabric – Stroheim & Romann – $160/yd

Chair – Custom – $3,906 – 9 yds fabric needed

Chair Fabric – Beacon Hill – $168/yd

Coffee Table – Fremarc Design – $4,037

36″ Lamp Table – Fremarc Design – $3,987.50

Benches – Baker Furniture – $2,535 each

Lamp – Arteriors Home – $540

Barstools – Century Furniture – $2,490 each (w/ leather)

Rug – Surya (Custom 12′ x 15′) – $5,040

Window Treatments – $9,670

Total Family Room Cost - $62,258.50

I’ll keep you updated on the progress of this interior design project.  I’m estimating 6-8 weeks to completion since most of the furniture is customized with sizes, fabrics and finishes.  What do you think of the interior design concept?  Do you have any special tips for decorating large rooms?  What interior design projects are you working on?  I’d love to hear from you!

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There’s nothing like the combination of turquoise and orange to make a room come alive.  Although not a color combination you see every day in the interior design world, if you want that pop of color, this just may be the color scheme for you.  These two colors tend to take me to the beach.  They also remind me of a Caribbean trip I took a few years back to Old San Juan, Puerto Rico with the vibrant exteriors of the homes there.  So whatever it is, I’m drawn to it and when I find my perfect dream beach bungalow (pictured below…I wish!)…these two colors are going to get a room all to their own.

Turquoise and Orange on the Beach

What a life!  Can you imagine waking up here and having your morning coffee!?  Here are a few beach inspired interiors using turquoise and orange…

I love the pale blue walls in this room with the black and white artwork.  These two colors work great as just an accent against the bright white wainscoting and sofa.  Gives it such a crisp and clean look.

This is a color palette from design-seeds.com.  This is a great website to come up with some beautiful color palettes.  This butterfly fish has all the colors in it to inspire and create a colorful beachfront retreat.

This is so beautiful!  I’m liking the color of these walls too…with the embroidered sea fan on a piece of burlap in a shadow box as artwork.  The driftwood gives it a natural and organic feel.

Another color palette inspired by a grouping of seashells.

This vignette has such an eclectic feel with the combination of unique pieces. The orange elephant legged console table stands out beautifully in front of the aqua blue and white striped walls. The seashell lamps give just a touch of a coastal feel.

A modern take on coastal interior design with the streamlined white lacquered console table and frames showcasing sea fans.  Walls in a dark brown faux linen finish makes these lighter pieces really stand out.

This is a great new feature that I found from Sherwin-Williams paint company.  Go to www.letschipit.com and drag the “chip it” button to your toolbar.  Now you can turn any picture, on any website, into a palette pulled from over 1,500 paint colors.  Pretty cool huh!?  So I took the picture used above and clicked the “chip it” button and voila, you’ve got your paint colors.  How about “Obstinate Orange”?  1. (adj.) obstinate firmly or stubbornly adhering to a purpose, opinion, or course of action.  I guess this orange is on a mission!  Orange ya glad I pointed this out!?  Okay focus again…

Asian Fusion Interiors using Turquoise and Orange

This bedroom design uses the color combination in a bold and vibrant way.  Compared to some of the other interiors that go on the lighter more subdued end of the spectrum.  I like both, and this room has a zen-like Asian flare with the use of the figurines and the pagoda style lamp base.

Here’s an Asian inspired living room design, but this palette is  much softer and serene looking.  The Chinoiserie throw pillows are set atop a classic french style sofa covered in a casual burlap style fabric.  The gold bamboo coffee table adds another element to the interior design.

Bedroom Interiors using Turquoise and Orange

This bedroom design uses the blue on the walls and accents with orange pillows and drapery.  Just enough without overdoing it.

This bedroom has a lot going on but I love the dark brown walls and the striped ceiling.  It has a tropical feel  with the palm linen print headboard and drapery, white caned bench at the end of the bed and the zebra rug.

A complete contrast to the previous bedroom design, this bedroom sets off the colors using the bright white walls and floors.  Very clean, crisp and fresh!

This vignette brings the ocean inside with the use of shells on the table.  The zebra ottoman introduces an African flare.  Kind of a juxtaposition of styles but it works.  Where’s the turquoise you ask…I know…so we’ll just say there’s a drop of blue in the wall color! 

I absolutely love the color of this door! This is the type of vibrant color you see in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Again, I used the “Chip It” button to create the palette for this photo.

Another vibrant combination of these colors. Most of the rooms using this color palette do the turquoise on the wall but if you want to get bold try reversing it. This room looks like it wood be on the other side of the door above.

What a great painting to backdrop this white sofa. This is inspiring me to get out my canvases and paint! Just in case you’re not inspired yet, here are a few mood boards to get you going…

Turquoise and Orange Inspiration

Love the drapery in this room with the coral border design. Pillows with a great pattern and some gerber daisies to complete the look.

Turquoise and Orange Fabrics

These fabrics are from the Indoor/Outdoor Taza Collection…a lot of great designs for your outdoor furniture.

So with all of this turquoise and orange inspiration, I know I’m ready to start a project using this color palette. Have you used these two colors in one of your projects? I’d love to see what you’ve done using these two beautiful colors.

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Image Sources: Pinterest, Houzz, House of Turquoise, Morgan Harrison Home, Lonny, EJ Interiors, Emily Followill, House Beautiful, Design Seeds, Elle Decor

Spring into Summer

It’s time to start getting the barbecue fired up and the outdoor furniture cushions out of the garage. Summer is just around the corner so get outside and start enjoying the outdoor air. Here are some outdoor spaces and courtyards that are inspiring and beautiful to get you going.

Contemporary Spanish Courtyard Design

Contemporary Spanish Courtyard Design

This Spanish style home is built around a shallow pool with river rocks and a fountain in the middle .  I love the reflecting pool in the courtyard of this home.  Surrounded by planters with cacti, stone based columns and exposed rafter tails beneath the roof line creates movement in this courtyard design.

In the desert, a reflective pool in the courtyard can create a cooling effect on the micro climate of a home. The stucco walls provide thermal storage for heat during the day and releases it back into the atmosphere at night.

Modern Courtyard and Pool Design

In this home, two wings are connected by a long open breezeway.  The pool sits in the center of the courtyard, and a visual axis takes your eye outwards to the landscape.

There are several clever design ideas here. The placement of the angled wooden lounge chairs along solid, stacked stone walls creates a beautiful contrast.  The open, recessed, covered loggia on the left is mirrored by its opposite, solid stone walls.

Classic Courtyard Design with Arches

This courtyard has a fountain centered on the arched opening to the lawn, and the contrast between white stucco and trees creates a beautiful look. The design sets up a nice sequence of spaces intended to integrate the house with nature.

Spanish Courtyard Design

This next home has a courtyard surrounded by walls on all sides. The gate acts as the front door of the home, where the first room one enters is outside. This is fairly common in Spanish influenced homes to secure the outer walls of the hacienda compound, as the real entrance is found within.

Tuscan Design Exterior with Fountains

I love the entrance to this next home with its fountains framed on both sides of the walkway to the main entry door.

Modern Courtyard Design with Fire Pit

Modern Courtyard Design with Fire Pit

The courtyard for this next house is both casual and asymmetrical, making it a perfect space to spend evenings with friends and family. The full length sliding glass walls can be entirely opened. Monochromatic color tones of the architectural elements allow the furnishings to be the accent color. The fire pit is a bit more casual than a traditional outdoor fireplace and serves as a great place to warm your hands and  make s’mores.

I love the smooth dark gray river stone that is used to separate the concrete terrace into smaller areas with lines extending from the geometry of the house.

Modern Courtyard Design with Wood Tiles

Courtyards are typically paved using stone or gravel, but this one uses interlocking wood deck pavers.

The courtyard house plan integrates the use and relationship of the exterior with the functions of the interior, and allows light and air flow into all primary interior spaces.

So I hope you’ve enjoyed some of these beautiful outdoor spaces and courtyard designs.  Maybe it will inspire you to get outside and start moving forward with your own outdoor living space.  I’ve gotta go…the sun is setting and it’s time to start throwing the shrimp on the barbie.

Image Sources:  Houzz.com

Do you know what Search Engine Optimization is?

Well don’t feel bad, we didn’t either until a few months ago.  So let me give you a brief introduction of what Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is.  Basically, SEO means that a website or pages on a website are created and optimized so that search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo can find them when someone is doing a search for a specific keyword.  Proper search engine optimization of your website over time will generate more potential clients and leads to your business by reaching a higher placement in the search engines when a keyword is searched. For example, since I am an interior designer in Orange County California, we had our site optimized using specific keywords like “Orange County interior designer” and incorporated these words into the content and tags of the pages on our website.  Not only did this help the search engines find our pages easier, but the pages were “optimized” so that our page lists at the top of Google for a particular “keyword”.  Here’s a video that explains a bit more about search engine optimization (SEO)…

It is important that you focus on a list of keywords that are relevant to your business and to the market you wish to attract. There is a science to this that continues to change and evolve based on the search engines algorithms and formulas. There is a lot to learn about all the different strategies used to get you listed on page one of the search engines for a specific keyword.  That is why our design firm turned to SEO for Interior Designers for some help.  After doing a bit of research, what we realized is how important it is to keep a website constantly changing and evolving with new content.   This will keep our customers coming back to our site to find fresh and new things.  We selected SEO for Interior Designers over many other companies doing SEO simply because they tailor and customize websites and SEO campaigns especially for the interior design trade and architects.  Click on their logo below to learn more about the company we can’t stop raving about.

Here’s what they do:

They research relevant keywords for our design firm and create “Search Engine Optimized” pages using those keywords.  These keyword optimized pages have driven more traffic to our website and business as they are designed to rank in the top 10 spots on Google searches.

They also trained us to manage our own website.  We used to have to call our web designer to update everything.  We couldn’t add or delete a product or even a photo to our portfolio.  Because of the difficulty in making these changes, our website became stagnant and outdated.  For many years our website was simply lost in cyberspace and really only visited if we handed out a business card with our web address on it.  Now after a few training courses from SEO for Interior Designers we can blog, add and delete content and keep things new and exciting for our customers.  In just a few months you can see the amount of traffic that we have generated.  As a matter of fact our visitors have doubled every month since we began 3 months ago and leads and phone calls have followed.  From nothing 3 months ago to now 3,039 Pageviews!

3 Month Traffic to our Website

SEO for Interior Designers offers affordable internet marketing services and web design for interior designers nationwide.  So contact them today and they’ll get your website generating leads for you!  It worked for us and it will work for you.

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