Downtown Loft as featured in the Commercial Appeal

Downtown Loft as featured in the Commercial Appeal

Memphis Modern - Business Profile Film

Here's an introductory HD film about Morgan Armstrong and one of her latest projects featuring a very cool condo in the famous Cotton Row district in downtown Memphis. Special thanks to our cinematographer and the crew at www.filmindesign.com for creating our short film, which offers a full HD view of the project!

View on ExposureRoom

Lotus Flower Rug

This Natura Collection Rug by Surya is absolutely awesome. Every rug should be soft under your feet and interesting to your eyes. Rugs over carpet has been a trend that has stuck in the world of interior design.

As cheap as it gets

This is an at home project that anyone can do. I chose a can of leftover paint to paint the turquoise background then used black paint for the trees. Then, of all things, I used nail polish to make the leaves (dots). It was fun to make and is quite the conversation starter.

Simple Art

This is actually a painting of trees inspired by a vivaterra.com birch carving piece of art. I ripped blue painters tape into strips and layered them on top of each other. It really could be several things, since I'm not much of an artist, but it's a great example that even really simple art can be really interesting.

Thinking outside the box

Accessories make all the difference in making any room feel complete. An antique brooch pinned to a satin tufted pillow really adds luxury and glitz to this bedding ensemble. The idea is inspired by designer Nate Berkus who recommends pinning them to throws around your house; This is more functional, in my opinion. Next. you'll see some art that is inspired by a some done in the actress Mollie Sim's apartment. I used letters cut from contact paper to spell out words from a favorite song then painted over them and removed the contact paper for something really

different.

Luxe Bedroom

The bedding is a comination of Williams-Sonoma Home and Nicole Miller paired with dupioni silk stationary window panels from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I took the panels all the way up to the ceiling to exaggerate the height of the room. Vintage egg lamps were freshened

up by ecru linen drumshades and add to the symmetry of the room. I'm a person who really likes matching end tables and lamps on the side of the bed and is a great rule of thumb if you feel like your style isn't quite yet there.

Custom Orchid

A fake Target orchid, Pottery Barn moss and a Zgallerie Mercury glass bowl make a great DIY project that just about anyone can do. As long as you have dry floral foam, from any craft store, moss and an opaque bowl, you can quickly have one of your own. If you're nervous about messing this up, almost any florist can do it for you.

Details

Sheen and texture are added through this awesome satin quilt and sham set. The embroidered throw pillows add just a little touch of elegance to the ensemble.

Four Poster Bed

One of my absolute favorite designers, Sarah Richardson, hates four poster beds because they take up so much visual space in a room, but I couldn't disagree more. As long as the ceilings are tall enough, adding one of these beds can be really elegant. Also, since they are a bit more unusual, you will have a bed that is unique whether modern, transitional (not quite modern or traditional) or traditional. With such a simple way to make a statement, why not try it?

"Camoflauge" by Benjamin Moore is the color that really pulls this room together.

Geometric Screen

This was screen was painted black in the store. Black was way too harsh and high-contrast so it was painted a matte white to enhance the geometric pattern.

Swatches

Here are a few "story boards" featuring fabric, flooring and paint swatches. Many interior designers do this for clients, you may notice that HGTV star Candice Olson does a tray with her selections and does her drawings/ renderings on a similar board.

Fabrics

The coral fabric is one of my latest projects really to be made into pillows. "Queensland Aegean" by Alitzer through Rose Arbor Fabrics is the fabric on the left and will be combined with the plain patina fabric for a custom look. "Patina" is the gorgeous light blue green color that I'm very excited about when working with cool colors. These fabrics will be added to 100% down pillows, a must when incorporating instant plushness into any room.

Discount Find

This once faux finished white dresser is actually an outlet find that I painted glossy white and changed the pulls- a great way to make a huge impact. Adding brushed nickel bar pulls made this older chest into a fresh, updated one. For continuity I paired the chest of drawers with a brushed nickel lamp. The opaque lamp shade is silver with purple undertones- a perfect match to the candlesticks to the right. To add a touch of sparkle, I placed a silver strie (brush dragging faux finishing technique) jewelry box with a slightly Asian pull/lock. The oversized mirror was once navy blue (yuk) and repainted, it so much better, as well as a great way to play with scale.

Blue Bedroom

The pintucked organic cream duvet looks great with the dark chocolate tones in the modern wood in the room. Dark wood and modern lines are very masculine and really complement the bedding. I did three pillow shams instead of two king sized pillows, this adds instant plushness to the bed. The paint color is "Stone Mason Grey" by Benjamin Moore. I love the "X" shaped lamps that have silk cream square lamp shades.

Elegant Bathroom

"Rugged Suede" is one of my favorite Valspar colors. It has a slightly purple hue that adds a regal feeling to this bathroom. Even bathrooms need art! Anything can be art- this is an

inject printer mistake that really turned out well enough to have matted and framed. Two chunky silver candle holders flank the bathtub and really look great with these amber colored candles. As a rule, I really like white candles because of their crisp and clean look, but these candles are a great contrast to the rich wall color.

Simple Dining Room

Simple dining rooms are great, because we use them for so many functions like

paying bills or homework. This client wanted a masculine area so we did a color called "Atmosphere" by Benjamin Moore. I centered a simple Christmas plant, inspired by Nate Berkus'

apartment, on the table. The woven chairs especially make this room ecletic because

of their masculine design, perfect for dining rooms or breakfast nooks.

Modern Chandelier

I think this modern chandelier is perfect in almost any dining room needing a face

lift. Clean lines are so different than most fussy dining room chandeliers and are refreshing

to see in even traditional dining rooms.

Vintage Chandelier

Chandelier circa 1950 from the home owner's original house. The crystals are actually plastic, you can go to almost any established antique shop to find little goodies like these.

Bedrooms- Four Poster Bed

One of my absolute favorite designers, Sarah Richardson, hates four poster beds because they take up so much visual space in a room, but I couldn't disagree more. As long as the ceilings are tall enough, adding one of these beds can be really elegant. Also, since they are a bit more unusual, you will have a bed that is unique whether modern, transitional (not quite modern or traditional) or traditional. With such a simple way to make a statement, why not try it?

Sheen and texture are added through this awesome satin quilt and sham set. The embroidered throw pillows add just a little touch of elegance to the ensemble. "Camoflauge" by Benjamin Moore is the secret to pulling this room together.

Chic Contemporary Design

Chic Contemporary Design is so much fun! It breaks all the rules and let's you mix modern styles with classic eras.

Before, this demilune (half circle console table) was a very traditional black, trimmed in gold, painted fruit piece of chaos. I kept the asian pulls on it to keep it eclectic. The oyster-colored paint was done in a strie (brush dragging) technique sealed with a sheer shimmery top coat. Don't be afraid to paint furniture. If it's in my house, I don't care if it's from a famous designer. If I don't like it, it's not worth keeping.

The lamp is done by Uttermost and the mushroom colored lampshade color coordinates well with the modern chair on the right. You may not think that placing a modern chair next to a European bergere is even an option, but that is the definition of "transitional design". A lotus-patterned rug by Surya's Natura Collection helps separate the two seating areas. Olive and icy grey raised flowers add pattern, color, and texture as well as another layer of softness to the room.

The fireplace tile is done in an offset pattern similar to subway tiles. An antique fireplace screen and horse are a nice contrast to the new tile.

People still aren't sure about putting rugs over carpet. The reason this is done so often is to introduce another layer of softness and pattern into a room. Here's a close-up example of how good it can look.

"Gold Swirls", a giclee by Lisa Kowalski, provides a little personality to the once traditional olive velvet sofa. I had the couch fully reworked for a more modern feel. The back cushions were cut lower as well as the t-back shape changed. Also, most people don't think of having a skirt removed but it can quickly update the entire look. This is a simple change that makes a big difference. Skirts make furniture appear heavy, especially dark upholstered pieces. Removing them can really freshen up your space.

These green lily pad plates by Global Views are some of the most unique plates that I've seen on the market. I love how whimsical they are and the half-circle pattern really helps emphasize that point. Orchids also fall into the same theme of whimsy. Recently, I went to market in Atlanta and orchids seemed to be everywhere. They add to that same whimsy evoked through the lily pad plates and both nod to the sculptural elements in natural design. The orchid is simply mounted into a rich moss in a silver glass bowl.