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With every new season comes the itch to swap out home decor items like blankets, florals, and pillows. The shift from Winter to Spring is one of the more dramatic ones in my view, and the perfect time to introduce softer colors and more whimsical floral patterns. My husband might say I "horde" pillows but I like to say that I "collect" instead and consider them an important component in any styling arsenal. Shoppe Amber Interiors has the prettiest selection of unique and one-of-a-kind pillows so I thought I'd go ahead and show how to mix & match some of them. Bonus...shop with my code MSTARR15 and get 15% off! My top tips for pillow styling? * Incorporate different sizes & shapes. For example, 22" square with 18" square or square with lumbar. * Think about scale. Mix small patterns with medium or bigger ones. * Pair contrasting patterns such as florals with stripes or checks. * Use colors that don't clash but complement. What tones you can pull out from a favorite patterned pillow? If you want a more subtle look, go with the neutral tones. If you want something bolder, go with the more colorful ones. * Solids don't have to be boring, think about using ones that have texture to them to add visual interest. * Use an insert that is at least one size bigger than the cover. So a 20" cover should be paired with a 22" insert. left / middle / right left / middle / right left / middle / right left / middle / right Did you know that you can use my code MSTARR15 anytime at Shoppe Amber and get 15% off any order?! Happy shopping. emily PS. Don’t miss a post. Subscribe to our newsletter! Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links which means if you purchase a product I've linked to, I may receive a small commission at NO additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business. mStarr design is a lifestyle studio that provides interior design and content creation services, inspiring others to embrace character and real life by helping them elevate the everyday through charming & curated details. We’d love to work with you! 0 Likes

above: a Photoshop mockup of our Big Room with mini flush mounts I've long struggled with how to address the ceiling in our Big Room (what we call the open concept room that houses the kitchen, dining, and one of our living areas). Meaning I've always wanted to do something. Before we moved in, I was dead set on planking the whole ceiling. And truthfully, it's still a possibility but there are some real challenges to doing pretty much anything: a structural column & a beam that extends into the kitchen cabinets, a vaulted ceiling on one half of the room (an addition at some point), and various small walls, nooks etc. But after almost 2 years in our house, I still can't shake the feeling that the ceiling feels incomplete. Enter a concept I've loved for awhile AND that can kill two birds with one stone...mini flush mount lighting. Because an additional challenge in this room is that it is lacking in the lighting department. And what it does have is, well, not great: 2 island pendants, track lighting on the vaulted side of the room, and 3 randomly placed recessed lights. Now people tend to feel strongly about recessed lighting (also called can lights)...they either like it or they don't. I'm somewhere in the middle. I do think there's a place for it depending on the style & age of your home, the type of room, and your overall needs for said room. With that said, I'm a big fan of ambient lighting and creating a cozy & inviting vibe in your home with wall sconces, pendants & chandeliers, table lamps & floor lamps. And given the age of our house (it's from 1898), I'm certainly not looking to add any more recessed lights. My plan is to remove the ill-placed existing ones in the room and replace them with mini flush mounts that will add visual interest and more consistent lighting. The existing lights are all on dimmers and the new ones would be too. above: Heidi Caillier's Portland Project / photography by Haris Kenjar above: Jake Arnold's Brentwood Villa Vendome / photography by Michael Clifford While I do think bigger lights can look good and be a real statement (see Studio McGee's project below), I'm thinking more in the 5-7" (both width & height) range and a TBD layout. Maybe 4 in the living side of the room, 1 in the kitchen area, and 1 in the dead zone, pass-through area by the basement that leads to the entry. The non-vaulted side of the room is pretty standard 8' and I don't want the lights to blend in per se, just to add a beautiful detail that also happens to provide a functional purpose as well. There are so many ways to achieve this and so many lovely options out there to use. above: Studio McGee's Historic Charleston Remodel above: The Misfit House Plum Nelly Project / photography by Kristin Karch above: Jean Stoffer Design The Madison / photography by Stoffer Photography I'm really excited to get the electrician over and vet this out more. I know the look isn't for everyone but I think it'll be exactly what this room needs. I'm hoping that because the ceiling is already hardwired, it won't be a massive job but we'll see! Note: I'll most likely replace the track lighting on the dining side of the room with a few armed sconces (these ones from our last house) or nicer looking track lighting that doesn't look like track. Below is a list of some great options I found (many from Etsy!) including a couple I'm leaning towards. The best part is that many of these come in a variety of finishes and you can choose which bulb to use which changes the look. from left to right, top to bottom one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight / nine / ten / eleven / twelve / thirteen / fourteen / fifteen / sixteen emily PS. Don’t miss a post. Subscribe to our newsletter! Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links which means if you purchase a product I've linked to, I may receive a small commission at NO additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business. mStarr design is a lifestyle studio that provides interior design and content creation services, inspiring others to embrace character and real life by helping them elevate the everyday through charming & curated details. We’d love to work with you! 0 Likes

above: the Morning Room Over the holiday break, we spent a day in Newport, Rhode Island. We ate, we drank, we shopped (I got some beautiful art at Anne Hall), we saw a killer sunset. And we went to see The Breakers all decked out in her holiday glory. If I have been to The Breakers (and I'm truly not remembering), it would've been a long time ago and I probably wouldn't have appreciated the design, details, and just overall grandeur. If you're unfamiliar, The Breakers is the most well-known of Newport's summer "cottages" and was built from 1893-1895 for Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt II. Richard Morris Hunt, a premier architect during the Gilded Age (1877-1900), was commissioned by the Vanderbilts to design the home in an Italian Renaissance style and with brick, steel, and limestone to make it as fire-proof as possible. The home remained in the Vanderbilt family until 1972 when ownership was transferred to the Newport Preservation Society. Bottom line? She's a beauty. Breathtaking in not just size and splendor, but in materials and millwork, down to the small details such as hardware and textiles. We only had an hour to get through the grounds and the house so while we weren't rushed, I certainly could've spent more time taking it all in. Max was particularly cute snapping pictures of everything just like her mama (she got this camera over the holidays) and both Bill and I loved how into it she was, finding angles and specific items to capture. Note: we went about an hour before it closed for the day and it was a beautiful time to go...the way the sun was filtering in was mesmerizing and added to the whole vibe. above: look at those oval windows! above: the color palette here has my heart. above: the Upper Loggia was originally used as a semi-outdoor sitting room and had wicker furniture, rugs, and an abundance of plants. above/below: my most favorite room was Gertrude Vanderbilt's bedroom. The 4th of 7 children, her room is a visual stunner with bold floral patterns, intricate millwork, and feminine textiles (fun fact: she founded New York's famous Whitney Museum). above: I can't get over this bedspread. above: our little photog. above: that kitchen island. no words. above: the built-ins in the Kitchen & Butler's Pantry are just so beautiful. above: the green wall panels in the Guest Bedroom haven't been touched since they were installed. above: THAT TUB. It has faucets for hot & cold fresh and salt water. above: plush damask covered furniture provide such a striking contrast against the ornate stonework and metallic accents. above: I'm just so inspired by the layout of this closet (not to be confused with a dressing room which is where they actually got dressed). I absolutely love the grid design. above: it's all in the details. What's your favorite detail or space? emily PS. Don’t miss a post. Subscribe to our newsletter! Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links which means if you purchase a product I've linked to, I may receive a small commission at NO additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business. mStarr is a lifestyle studio specializing in approachable interiors, virtual design, content creation, and creative direction. We’d love to work with you! 0 Likes

DSCF5876-2 061 DSCF5876-2 1/8 mStarr design is a lifestyle studio that provides interior design and content creation services, inspiring others to embrace character and real life by helping them elevate the everyday through charming & curated details. Massachusetts-based, virtual services available worldwide. mStarr was born out of a passion for, and a need to create. At the core of who we are is a belief that small details and intentional moments matter. That character and charm are rooted in those small details, and that they often make the biggest impact. This is a common thread through all of the work we do and the things we create. ​ Let us help you create an inspiring and inviting space. find us in SEE MORE "The details are not the details. They make the design." Charles Eames Featured Project The Pandemic Office/ Guest Room SHOP FAVORITES FROM MY HOME INSTAGRAM & LTK / #FARMHOUSEDIALFANO / AT HOME / LITTLES / BEAUTY + STYLE shop Mixing & Matching Shoppe Amber Interiors Pillows...My Top Tips Plus Shop With My Everyday Code! Mini Flush Mount Lights...an Alternative to Recessed Lighting A Visit to the Historic Breakers Mansion in Newport on the blog see more

the Fall shop

the Easter shop