Sanya Arts Space

There is a fine line between playful and silly, and it can be difficult to determine where exactly that line is sometimes. If you want to incorporate playfulness, whimsy and fun into your modern interior without going over the top, we’ve got some tips for you.

• Inject some youthfulness with bright colors. Yellows, pinks, purples and oranges are all fresh and funky colors that can be playful if used as accent walls, throw pillows or lighting fixtures.
• Use patterns in conjunction with bright colors for even more playfulness. Striped sofas and dotted rugs can go a long way in bringing some fun into your home.
• Consider wallpaper. While not the supreme trend lately, patterned, playful wallpaper can bring new life to a room that’s a little on the dull side.
• Go for some contrast. Add surprising flashes of yellow amidst an all-white space, or a shag rug on a smooth wooden floor.
• Think retro. Retro-mod is inherently playful. The bubble chair, bead curtains, and yes, even wood paneling can bring some nostalgia as well as playfulness into your home
• Go on the hunt for cute accent pieces. Check out your local thrift stores and farmers markets for some whimsical accents, like carved wooden birds or wind chimes.

As with anything, keep moderation in mind. When you add playful elements to your home, it’s usually best to start small and increase from there, in order to let things grow organically.

Check out our Modern Furniture collection on PadStyle Shop.

Want in on a secret? Trendiness isn’t necessarily what’s “new”. Right now, a growing trend in interiors, especially in bathrooms, is giving everything an antique glaze.

Antique bathrooms can be subtle in their approach, or they can be a complete blast from the past.

Take cabinet styles for instance. You can create an antique look simply by adding a distressed finish to your current cabinets, especially if they are made from wood. Just be sure to safely apply the varnish and coatings to be sure to preserve your cabinet.

Cabinets can also be completely redone to get that antique look. Think beautifully, ornate, carved wooden shelves lining your walls, in either a rich brown or light neutral.

If you want to just dip your toes in the water of antique bathroom style, you can try upgrading your fixtures to reflect the dated-but-trendy look you desire. Rubbed bronze is always a good bet when going for the antique look.

Other accessories can give that antiqued feel too. Try adding a detailed, vintage, framed mirror above your sink. Going to anything gilded in gold or bronze can get you just the effect you’re looking for.

When redesigning your bathroom in the antique style, try to purchase sturdy, good quality pieces. Although flea markets and vintage shops can offer great finds, don’t be afraid to really test out the merchandise before buying. If the pieces are truly antique, you don’t want to buy them just for their style only to find out that they have no substance when you get home.

Check out our Modern Furniture collection on PadStyle Shop.

While the picture above might be a little bit over the top, stainless steel is almost a no-brainer when it comes to kitchen appliances. Sure, you have other options, but why not go for the classic yet modern, sophisticated yet stylish, stainless steel?

It’s always in fashion, and it will, nine times out of ten, match whatever decor you surround it with.

So what is it about stainless steel that is so appealing?

First, it is a sophisticated material. Your oven, refrigerator, dishwasher and, yes, even your garbage bin will enjoy a glean of sophistication when you choose to have them done in stainless steel.

If you are able to get all of your appliances – the large and the small – in stainless steel, your kitchen will have a posh, unified look that will verge on the ultimate in style.

Stainless steel is a clean look, one that makes its surroundings look neat and organized as well. The crisp lines and reflective surface would be a luxurious addition to any home.

Although stainless steel will make your appliances stand out more than if you chose to conceal them, they’ll stand out with a bold, beautiful punch. Stainless steel is the material of bold designers who want to accentuate their stylish flair.

If you’re looking for a way to bring together your kitchen in sophisticated, timeless, yet ultra modern style, stainless steel is the way to go.

Check out our Modern Furniture collection on PadStyle Shop.

Bringing nature indoors is a great way to stay ahead of the curve of interior design trends.  Because of the new eco-friendly wave that is hitting everything from cars to soda cans, you can now find many ways to “go green” in your own home.   Potted plants are a great way to enliven your living space, as they will not only clean the air around them but they are also great at tying a room together with a warm, inviting atmosphere.  When adding large, leafy greens to your home as accent pieces, you’ll notice the vibrant energy right away, and you can expand on this by playing with greens and earthy tones to highlight the natural elements in your decor.

Check out our Modern Furniture collection on PadStyle Shop.

We’ve all seen the typical urban-industrial loft highlighted in the glossy pages of interior design mags (or splashed on the front page of design blogs), but much of the design ethos of loft living is seeping into the everyday. Take this relatively recent trend: eco-friendly, sustainable concrete slabs as countertops. These can be made as rough or as smooth as one desires, and they really are quite a durable surface. You can use them as kitchen counters or as bathroom accents, and they’ll bring that industrial vibe into your home in a lasting way. The above pictures are of a poured concrete counter with color inlays and recycled glass chips (above) and a polished but rough kitchen bar (below). For information on how to create your own concrete countertops, check out NaturalHandyMan.com, or visit The Concrete Network for inspiration.

Check out our Modern Furniture collection on PadStyle Shop.

A relatively new trend on the modern interior decor scene is incorporating the relaxing atmosphere of a spa into your bedroom. Any master bedroom can be given an aura of calm with a little attention to detail. Add some over-stuffed chairs, subtle aromatherapy, mood lighting and even an indoor waterfall to really bring out the chill. You don’t have to have a masseuse on hand, but if you work a little creativity into your decor, you can make your bedroom a place that’s more than just a bed and a good book – it can be the go-to-place for all of your relaxation needs.

Check out our Modern Furniture collection on PadStyle Shop.

The German-based Schub Laden is a modern interior designer to watch. They create chunky, modular and squared-off furniture that will appeal to anyone who wants to add a playful yet sturdy touch to their home.

Most of Shub Laden’s work features at least partial natural wood grain in its texture. This is often mixed with pained wood in whimsical colors like lime green, to give the piece an eclectic air about it.

You’ll find plenty of dressers, drawers and cabinets of all sizes on this designer’s web page. If you’re looking for a bold statement, the above-pictured large dresser drawers would do the trick. They feature reclaimed drawers with a variety of different textures, patterns and hardware, all combined in a single standalone unit.  Altogether, Shub Laden has found over 800 drawers to include in the many dressers they plan to create.

The process that Shub Landen uses to create their found works of art is quite unique. Rather than measuring everything out and trying to squeeze in the reclaimed drawers, they first choose the drawers to work with and then create the casing and tracks around them. They normally use painted MDF for the body.

If you’re looking for a completely unique piece of furniture that has a great back story attached, check out Shub Laden.

Check out our Modern Furniture collection on PadStyle Shop.

Metallics have been a favorite in modern interior design for a few years, and that’s not likely to change in the near future. They have a certain edge that adds attitude and sophistication simultaneously. Metallics come in many forms, and they can be overdone if you don’t know what you’re doing. So we’re here to help!

As with any new interior accent, you should start small if you haven’t done metallics before.

Try changing some of your hardware first – this will be subtle and almost never is overpowering. The kitchen and bathroom are the most likely places that you’ll see metallics in any room, so why not upgrade your cabinet handles and even some kitchen appliances to stunning chrome or silver?

From here, you can branch out if you like the look of the metallics you’ve incorporated thus far.

Candleholders are a favorite here at the Padstyle office. If you add a few metallic candleholders to your dining room table, they’ll stun guests the next time they’re lit. The bouncing flame reflecting off the mirrored metallic surface is a sight to be seen. When choosing the type of metallic candleholder, keep candle color in mind: cool candles like blue and green should be paired with silver or chrome holders, and warm candles like red or orange look best with gold or bronze. White candles look great with anything.

Metallic vases are also another accent piece you could consider. They come in all shapes and sizes, from tabletop vases for a single flower to floor vases.

Successfully decorating with metallics just takes a little creativity and a willingness to experiment.

Check out our Modern Furniture collection on PadStyle Shop.

The kitchen has seen some major changes in style over the past few years. Appliances are getting bigger, stainless steel has become a centerpiece of fashion, and unique materials like granite are making waves. However, concealed appliances don’t get nearly as much attention as they should.

Concealed appliances can make a kitchen feel like any other room of the house. By hiding your refrigerator, oven and other appliances, you can transform a “kitchen” into an all-purpose room that is open and inviting.

Appliances signal a room that’s off-limits to guests. It’s a room that is only used for cooking, and should be kept that way. But you won’t have that walled-off feeling if you conceal your appliances in cabinets and the walls.

It’s quite easy to conceal your appliances, especially if you’re in the process of renovating. They are all already up against a wall, so it’s only a matter of either building a cabinet around them or moving them into a nook or corner. Just be sure that you make them accessible, but invisible.

Concealed appliances can also save space. By encasing your dishwasher in a kitchen counter, for instance, you can use it as a chopping board or surface space when it’s not in use (and even when it is!).

Concealed appliances can make your kitchen appear more inviting, and they even go so far as to equip it as a dining room, if you have a large enough space. You can bring in a table and chairs, and eat right in the kitchen without feeling like it’s the kitchen at all.

Check out our Modern Furniture collection on PadStyle Shop.

Folk and ethnic-inspired decor have been making a comeback in the modern design world lately, and they’re moving from the livingroom (in the form of richly embellished throw pillows, bead curtains and earthy rugs) to the bathroom. Here’s a few tips on how you can capitalize on the richness, depth and intrigue of folk and ethnic bathroom decor.

Think of folk/ethnic as global influences. This, in essence, is a very diverse and nearly “anything goes” approach to interior decorating. You can pick a particular region and culture of the world that you would like to emulate, such as North American Native or maybe Ancient Egyptian, or you can go for a more eclectic look that gets its influences from a variety of places.

If you want to start small, try adding ethnic touches to some of the accents in your bathroom. For instance, you can find plenty of embroidered hand towels that feature detailed trim, or small accessories that you can place around the bathroom. Try a folkloric wooden bird or painted vase on your windowsill.

It’s also possible to bring in some reclaimed wood furniture in place of your bathroom vanity if you want to make some more major changes. Or, you can do a complete renovation – paint the walls a rich golden hue, install bronze-trimmed light fixtures, bring in a matching tub, basin and toilet, and completely transform your bathroom to a folk and ethnic masterpiece.

Check out our Modern Furniture collection on PadStyle Shop.