GIVEAWAY: Cutting Edge Stencil

•• Sorry, but entries for this giveaway are no longer accepted •• 

Are you looking to spruce up your home for the Holidays? Wall stencils are an easy, fast and fun way of adding some spark to any room and an emerging hot decorating trend that is getting more and more popular as DIY decorators discover the ease and versatility of stenciling. They're a great alternative to wallpaper especially since you can do it without the hassle and mess of wallpaper installation. Another plus to stenciling is that you can personalize the design by choosing any color combination to match your decor. Cutting Edge Stencils is a wonderful source with an amazing and diverse selection of wall stencils designed by professional faux finishers and decorators. And today, they would like to share their love and expertise with TheDesignerPad readers by sponsoring this giveaway, where a lucky reader will take home one of their gorgeous creations (follow the instructions below to enter). BTW, they also have a helpful step-by-step video that walks you through the simple process of using their stencils. Happy stenciling and good luck to all!

Congratulations to Malka
for being the lulcky winner of this giveaway!

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Trash To Treasures

This fun series of vases was created literally with trash found in the streets of Holland and later cast in naturally colored, creamy porcelain. The saturated pastel colors and the chalky, matte finish make for stunning handmade vessels that you can use to hold flowers or simply display as a collection. They come in the shape of a lotion bottle, dish detergent bottle, motor oil bottle and yogurt bottle. Aren't they great? Here's where you get them. For sure, these would make a fabulous Christmas gift.

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Tastefully Casual

After eighteen days, four cities, four different languages and three currencies, I'm back from my European adventure. Actually, I've been back for a few days, but it has taken me some time to get back into the groove of things. But now, I'm ready to share with you a few treats I discovered. One of the things I enjoy most about traveling is experiencing a city like a native and finding hot and trendy spots frequented by locals. Baldaszti's Grand is one of them: a beautifully styled eatery in Andrássy Avenue, one of Budapest's main tree-lined boulevards where you can find big-name designer shops, the Opera House and several of the city's museums. This lively, cosmopolitan bar and international bistro kitchen is a wonderful place to enjoy an assortment of the world’s leading gourmet products and a wide range of Hungarian specialities with amazingly friendly service. The decor is rather casual with a sophisticated flair. I particularly loved the inventiveness and simplicity of the pendant lights intertwined through branches, and the cozy lounging area on the second floor. It was the perfect spot to spend a quiet Sunday afternoon after hours of walking.

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New York Glam

With impressive views of New York City's skyline, this magnificent loft by husband and wife design duo Bob and Cortney Novogratz offers a delicious marriage between the old and the new. The living area is perfectly designed literally around Family, a fun area rug that's part of the couple's first line of accessories. Taking advantage of the lofty ceilings, they created an oversized chandelier by grouping six Copper Shade pendants by Tom Dixon at different heights (one of my favorite pieces in this pad). The Novograts successfully put together a perfect mix of vintage and modern furniture, expensive and inexpensive pieces and colorful surrealist works of art, creating a timeless and glam atmosphere — a trait they're well-known for.

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Sweet Holiday Fun

After months of planning, shooting and designing, the Holiday Issue of Sweet Paul Magazine is finally here. Woo hoo!!! This is their biggest issue yet, with 172 pages jam-packed with tons of eye candy, holiday inspiration, gift ideas, delicious baking and finger food recipes and so much more — all done in typical Sweet Paul style. So if you want to get a jump start on your holiday planning, take a few minutes to indulge yourself with this gorgeous issue Sweet Paul has put together to help you get in the spirit. Enjoy!!

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The Depth of Simplicity

• Written by guest blogger Alvina Lopez, a freelance writer and blog junkie.

I love visually busy rooms. They are far from boring, and I believe they appeal to a subconscious human instinct to take in diverse information. Before we were in neat, organized homes, humans were outside surrounded by the infinite variability and complexity of nature. With this logic, I believe we all like complex patterns in our interior designs. However, as much as we like complex information in our designs, it is entirely too easy to have a room (and its occupant) suffer from over-stimulation. For rooms with gritty urban cement walls or detailed brick patterns, you need to carefully arrange a room with simple, smooth, and minimalist furniture. The furniture then serves as a smooth palette to contrast against the busy walls and floors, thus turning a confusing room into a unified, cohesive one.

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Capturing The Past

Extraordinary in design and unique in character, the Dream Downtown Hotel (located in New York’s Meatpacking District) signals an exciting and imaginative new concept in full-service luxury travel. Frank Fusaro of Handel Architects has gorgeously renovated the iconic Albert C. Ledner building, originally designed in 1966 for the National Maritime Union. While capturing and modernizing the surreal aesthetic that has become synonymous with the Dream hotels brand, the architects preserved the building’s distinct character, including its unique block-like structure and portal windows.

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A Model of Duplicity

This beautiful house is chock full of clever details and tailor-made solutions. Located in Trondheim, Norway, the pad is home to architect Ingrid Habberstad, her husband and her four children. In order to make the space work for her family, Ingrid went for a simple, yet functional decor as she believes that every interior should be practical and inviting. She's all for using pieces that can have double functionality, like the gorgeous wood burner that serves as a room divider between the living and dining areas. With this idea of duplicity in mind, and a few planks of rescued wood, Ingrid built several benches and coffee tables that she uses interchangeably. The quiet palette of black, white and grays gives the space a balanced and serene feeling, ideal for her simple design philosophy.

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