Yesterday was a gorgeous Mother’s Day- second lucky year in a row! My daughter and I went hiking in the Palisades, on the cliffs and in the forest sitting high above the Hudson River. The combination of walking through the cozy green forest with the expansive river views was balancing, while peering over the edge, straight down the cliffs several hundred feet, was quite the opposite. Overall, hiking here was a more cerebral/internal experience for me than last year’s Mother’s Day at the Bronx Botanical Gardens, which was like spending the day inside a massive color wheel. Since we all love color and can always use some inspiration, here’s that post – back by popular demand.
“Most of us know the colors we like and whether or not we feel comfortable in an environment. However, deciding which colors fit our own space, which colors will make the room feel just right, is very intimidating. My advice: Take your camera, and head outside into nature, where the best color combinations exist in abundance and light.
If bedrooms served no other purpose than a place in which to sleep, they would be the simplest of rooms to design and decorate. You would just get the best mattress, pillows and comforter you could afford along with some black out shades, and call it a day-or rather night. In fact, the bedroom is often the most active room in the house. You dress, groom, play, (ahem) read, write, watch tv and generally just unwind in your bedroom- the most personal of spaces. And whether you have a grande master bedroom suite or a small sleeping loft , the bedroom lighting should enhance, not impede these activities. I’m incredulous that even luxury hotels get this wrong. There you are, in bed, finally with the time to read the book you started ages ago , but can’t see the print because the lamp is too short in relation to the bed height- lighting only the nightstand on which it sits! To help you properly light your bedroom, here are some tips… 
by Laura Mannes
6 comments