Amitha Verma Interior Design

The counter set the tone for the rest of the décor. I designed a palette of rich golds and pale creamy tones to complement the red, and had a custom Louis XV-inspired cabinet made especially for the room. The hardware was so much fun to select – we were like kids in a candy store! Eventually we settled on this beautiful mismatched antique brass hardware with a natural patina.

Amitha Verma Interior Design

We decided to wainscot the wall to get in a little more stonework and used this amazing border from Walker Zanger with our vulcan red onyx tones and deep gray coloring. It was so decadent, it really fit in with our overall look. On the walls we worked with Segreto Finishes to apply venetian plaster, and this ever-so-slight motif was sprinkled on top of the plaster. Finally, I picked a really subtle Rose Tarlow print for the small window covering, something that would blend in rather than detract from the dramatic red. And here’s the finished effect!

Amitha Verma Interior Design

Bold and luxurious and almost indecently decadent, gold has a real wow factor to it when used in interiors. We’re not talking tacky glittery gold here, but gorgeous textured gold surfaces, dull gold finishes, and soft gold prints. It’s just a little bit showy but still oh-so-elegant…

(Source: Eclectic Revisited)

The foyer above is an extreme example of the use of gold, but I still love how the textured gold walls look, especially with the mirrored console. Such richness and depth! For my Houston interior design clients though, I tend to create more subtle gold tones, like in this kitchen I worked on last year. The stone in the kitchen backsplash had a lovely gold hue. See how the overall look is very ‘gold’ though the surfaces are mostly a warm cream color, and the extra glow is created with clever lighting?

Amitha Verma Designs

The wonderful thing about gold is how luxurious it looks. I adore using gold in the bedroom, for a truly ‘Parisian boudoir’ feel. Wouldn’t this bed heaped with gold cushions just make any girl feel like a queen?

(Source: French Interiors)

I often find that a subtly decorated space is instantly glamorized by the addition of touches of gold. This powder room I designed for a client was mostly decorated in shades of gray and blue, but the addition of a gold carved antique mirror really added a touch of style, I felt. I really love how the gold is echoed in the sheeny scrollwork of the faux finish on the walls too, and in the accents of the moldings on the vanity!

Amitha Verma Designs

In fact, gold mirrors and gold chandeliers are perfect accessories for just about any space – brightening up a foyer, finishing off a formal drawing room, even adding a touch of decadence to a bathroom. What do you think?

(Source: Veranda)

Chances are, you’re thinking about old-fashioned, 80s, monstrously-printed wallpapers and cringing.

Forget that, put it out of your mind. Nowadays when I talk about using wallpaper to my local Houston interior design clients, lots of them have the same reaction. But today’s choices are so much more exciting! In fact, when used tastefully, wallpaper has the ability to utterly transform a space into the epitome of chic!

(Source: Ginger & Gold Design Diary)

Stripes or patterns, big or small – there are so many options when it comes to choosing a gorgeous wallpaper for your home. I love how this subtle leaf print wallpaper has been used with a more detailed big leaf print fabric on the Louis XV chair – and how gorgeous is that white console table?!

(Source: Homesick Designs)

Wallpaper often has the effect of making a room look more formal and imposing. A rich stripe always works well in a bedroom or hallway – here, it’s been used in conjunction with a feminine floral print (a combination that always works!) to create a pretty, fresh country bedroom.

(Source: HomeDecoratingTrends.com)

I have to admit, I like using wallpaper to create real interest and drama in more public spaces like the foyer or dining room, where you make more impact. Even in a bedroom, though, the effect is startling. See this beautifully papered bedroom – it just looks like a study in Parisian chic!

(Source: radioiconica.com)

I simply adore the damask pattern wallpapers, especially in rich, metallic shades. Gold, silver, teal, pink, burgundy and pewter – all these colors look fabulous in damask prints. There’s a real air of regality and grandeur about them.

(Source: Best Home Gallery)

I can’t get enough of the utterly beautiful drawing room above – the elegant sofa, the rich looking wallpaper, even the side table with the miniature lamp is gorgeous! Sumptuousness and glamor and elegance all in one… and I’m sure you can’t even remember anymore why you didn’t like wallpaper!

In Houston, contact Amitha Verma Interior Design for fine wallcoverings.

Historically, ceilings were once the most inspirational areas in churches, palaces and homes. They played out the drama between man and God, and were representative of an inspiring place, the heavens. Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling is maybe one of the most famous ceiling in the world. Domes, murals, frescos, plaster friezes and cornices, thick luxurious wood trims, ornate panels of tin and unbelievable amounts of gold leafing create the magnificent design that inspires millions of yearly visitors.

There was a period when ceiling art and decorations in many countries fell out of fashion and they became an almost invisible architectural element. After a dormant hundred years or so, without the attention they deserve, ceilings are once again being dressed in many glorious ways. Some of my most exciting projects involved making the ceiling an incredible work of art.

Houston Residence, Interior Design by Amitha Verma

Beams
“In the olden days”…beams were actually part of the structural support. These beams lacked the machine finish and were crudely cut and used as supporting material. Nowadays we spend a small fortune to get this authentic, hand hewn distressed look in our projects. A great addition to add coziness and warmth to any room.

Houston Residence, Interior Design by Amitha Verma

I LOVE this mixture of herringbone stone layered with the beams. Pecky-cypress was used here to get a more golden tone in the beams.

House Beautiful February 2011

Faux Paint
What a unique ceiling treatment! This gingham inspired design was painted on canvas by Silvere Boureau and applied to the ceiling.

Fretwork

I just visited this restaurant and loved the idea of using fretwork to add design to the ceiling, it was so gorgeous!

This was a combination of many different elements to accentuate the dome. There were layers of mouldings all hand finished in a gold leaf effect. The floor medallion was custom designed to incorporate the colors the homeowners loved.

This was a combination of many different elements to accentuate the dome. There were layers of mouldings all hand finished in a gold leaf affect. The floor medallion was custom designed to incorporate the colors the homeowners loved.

This homeowner has a stunning and beautiful collection of modern/impressionist style artwork, so I wanted to keep the dome simple, without too much pattern. We did a faux finish that give as an “effect” rather than a design or pattern to see. From the bottom you see the beautiful design of the balloon inspired lantern.

There we did a beautiful stone medallion under the dome. We did not do any pattern here, just a faux finish.

I love to make the powder room in the homes I design a focal point where the personal style of the homeowner shines through along with the use of one of a kind treasures. The idea for the pretty powder room shown here evolved over the many months of the project, as I got to know the client. Starting out with only a shell, and a box built out for the vanity, we collectively gave the powder bath time to evolve into what it would eventually become, a focal point of concentrated beauty. Every detail was considered to give this room a unique design.

Not wanting plain straight panel doors, I started out by designing the powder doors with the lovely curves and moldings you see here. They are French-inspired from around the Louis XV period, when designs were very curvy and organic, slightly reminiscent of the Rococo style.

The tile in the backslash is hand painted with a blue and green motif in the design, which I added for a little bit of decoration behind the sink and to add an additional layer of color with the countertops and wall finish.

The antique mirror was my favorite find! I always look, hunt and dig for the right pieces to put in my powder bath designs, and found this incredible antique French frame. It was so tattered; I wasn’t sure the frame could even hold the mirror, but full of hope, I took it my local frame shop and they fixed it all up, secured the frame and put the mirror in for me. The patina of the mirror’s frame is reminiscent of the green in the walls and once hung is absolutely gorgeous.

Last, but not least, we considered the floors and the ceilings. We added a small border of mosaic stone around the bathroom, and included small 2” x 2” inserts with the same painted tile. In the ceiling, we used a little chandelier. At one point, we were considering changing the red crystals to another color, but once it was all done it was the perfect bit of contrast. There’s that old design adage that every project should have a touch of red! We also did a beautiful hand painted design on the walls, exaggerated the pattern and it made the powder, which initially felt small, feel really open and airy.

Decorative faux finish available through interior designers. In Houston, contact Amitha Verma Interior Designs.