Wow Home Idea

The Room BEFORE Courtesy of Tuvalu Home You'd think that soaring ceilings in a room would be a blessing, not a burden. But, for a young family with small children, their living room with high ceilings proved to be a problem. "The main challenge was to make it feel cozy with the ceiling height," the designers, Laurie Alter, Wendy Grand Pre, and the Tuvalu Design Team recall. Also on the clients' design wishlist? They wanted the room to showcase the breathtaking views of the lake next door, plus have a space that was perfect for casual entertaining. "We wanted this space to be casual, yet still traditional, combining some rustic pieces with more classic looks to really give it a summer lodge feel," says the design team. The Room AFTER Courtesy of Tuvalu Home To create a feeling of coziness, the designers were strategic with furniture placement. "Everything is placed close together with enough walking space between pieces to make the space feel collected...

Getty Out of all the perfumes in the world, there's only one Chanel N°5 . The original fragrance brainchild of Coco Chanel has become synonymous with luxury, gracing vanities all over the world for the past 96 years. While most people are familiar with its sparkling floral scent, there's more behind this best-selling bottle than meets the eye. Here are five little known facts about the classic perfume. 1. It was inspired by women. Getty After coming up with the idea to create a perfume for her fashion brand during a meeting with friends in Monte Carlo, Chanel reached out to master perfumer Ernest Beaux. She wanted the scent to be one of kind while also resembling her style and personality. Her goal was for it to reflect the sensuality and complexity of the modern woman. The result: A seductive multi-faceted floral unlike any other perfume on the market. 2. The number "five" has significance. It's been said that Chanel picked the fifth sample Beaux presented h...

PATRICK CLINE There's a lot to consider when choosing a color scheme for your home. Will it look good? Will it make you look good? Are you going to hate it? Are professional designers going to hate it? There are no guarantees in this crazy color game, but one thing's for sure: Choosing a single color is certainly easier than trying to pair two (or more) together. Designer Sasha Bikoff's latest project offers proof. Here's how she nailed the monochromatic look in one Manhattan bedroom, and how you can, too. 1. Start with the carpet. "I like to set the tone of the color palette for a room with the carpet," Bikoff says. "You can deconstruct the colors in the carpet and spread them around the room." Patrick Cline 2. Consider the mood. Once you have selected your ground color — in this case, an African violet found in the carpet, pillows, vanity chair, and stools — you can build a palette upon that, she says, explaining how she brought in softer c...

CLINIC 212 If you've ever found yourself watching a line of plump, baby ducklings waddling across the street, then you've certainly felt your heart leap into your throat at that  "oh no!" moment when a car nearly clips them.  The Tiny Road Sign project is the brainchild of two men in the city  Vilnius, Lithuania, and taps into our desire to protect (and snuggle) the animals around us. The pair placed  miniature crosswalks and signs throughout the city, hoping they will remind people that creatures more helpless than ourselves live in our midst — so we should treat them kindly.  The men also work for CLINIC212, a creative marketing agency — so, yes, the signs are a bit of a publicity stunt, too. We're not sure how many teeny hedgehogs are actually crossing the road in Lithuania on a daily basis. But the project's message is certainly valid (and cute!) one.  Take a...

Courtesy of IKEA Mats Nilsson has spent his career designing the Pinterest-perfect rooms you would love to call home.  The former window dresser worked his way up through the ranks at IKEA stores and offices in Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Italy, and the United States, now working as  the brand's Lead Interior Designer, deciding which direction the brand's furniture will take each season.  Nilsson, who now lives in Sweden, recently spoke with ELLEDecor.com about his celebrated career and how to break into an industry where your job is to design beautiful things.   When I was growing up in Sweden... All students were offered the opportunity to complete an two-week internship of our choice when we were 12. It's up to each and everyone to find the internship – people go through connections, or sometimes school helps you and so on, but in this case, I started actually calling who I thought at the time was the best stylist in t...

New Orleans Airlift Everyone knows you can play the piano, but did you know you can play your house? These pop-up homes from artist collective New Orleans Airlift double as instruments: In one, stepping on different floorboards creates a deep, loud bass. Another house uses an elaborate pulley system to control a series of fans, all whistling at different frequencies. All together, the musical "shantytown" — called the Music Box Roving Village and located in New Orleans' City Park — provides enough extraordinary instruments to create an entire alternative orchestra. The village is connected with wooden walkways and an overhead electrical system, bringing lights, sound, and a true city feel to the tiny makeshift town. Some weekends, New Orleans Airlift hosts musicians from all over the country who play the homes in concert — but other times, guests to the park can try their hand at playing the musical house. New Orleans Airlift New Orleans Airlift [via NextCity More ...

If you long for a life on the road, but prefer to travel light, you'll definitely want to meet the Gidget Retro Teardrop Camper. Though diminuative, it houses literally everything you need when you're not at home. The tiny camper is truly proof that looks can be deceiving. Its unique design opens up to reveal enough space for a queen-sized bed, and the back boasts a full kitchen, complete with a cooler, burners, and a sink. But we really love this travel home for its quirks. The smile-inducing teardrop shape mimics similar campers from the 1960s, and the designers were clearly experts at squeezing in storage space (a team after our own hearts). And there's even with a skylight perfect for stargazing. Unconvinced? Here's a sneak peak at what this small wonder coming to life. Watch the video for the full tour. Courtesy of Gidget [via href='http://www.littlethings.com/tiny-retro-camper-gidget/' target='_blank"> Little Things '] By Emily Dabau

Getty; Houlihan Lawrence In 1956, Marilyn Monroe and playwright Arthur Miller wed at a French Country-style residence in Westchester County, and now the home with an illustrious past is on the market. The four-bedroom house, which is listed for $$$$5 million with Houlihan Lawrence, is directly across from the sixteenth hole of the Waccabuc Country Club in Waccabuc, New York, about 50 miles north of Manhattan. Scroll down for a look inside. Monroe and Miller were married at the White Plains courthouse in a four-minute ceremony, and they held their reception here. Houlihan Lawrence The home, built in 1948, belonged to Miller's Hollywood agent, Kay Brown, who hosted the 25-person affair in 1956. The property is 4.16 acres. Houlihan Lawrence The pool house next to the 22-by-48-foot pool includes kitchen and cabana. Inside, many of the architectural details remain. Houlihan Lawrence The parquet floors, French doors, leaded windows, and European-style fireplaces are original, and the...

Hivehoney 1980s homes can present a design challenge, since cramped kitchens (with lots of honey-stained wood) were in vogue during that era. But when the Boulder, Colorado homeowners behind the blog Hivehoney looked at their 1984 kitchen, they were able to see beyond the rows of light-blocking cabinets, worn laminated finishes, and, frankly, a distinct lack of any style at all. Hivehoney The first step was to let the space breathe by removing the wall separating the dining room and the kitchen; this airy concept would be key to the new look. Ditching the upper cabinets allowed for lighter floating shelves instead, and ample closed storage would exist below the counters. White tiles set in a herringbone pattern and a Carrera marble countertop also make the room seem bigger and (of course) so much more modern. Creamy pantry cabinets pair stylishly with slate gray lower cabinetry, and glimpses of wood add an element of warmth to the sleek space. Overall, we can't imagine a more im...

SCAU ARCHITECTS A proposed hotel is set to add something entirely new to the Parisian skyline, should it be approved by city officials. Conceptualized by SCAU Architectes, the carnival ride-inspired hotel — that is, a rotating ferris wheel taller than most buildings in the area —  features rooms where the seats usually are.  Visitors will be able to spend the night rotating around the structure  and view the "City of Lights" from various vantage points.  The ride would move relatively slowly — one full rotation every half hour. Take a look: Each pod-like room will feature a fully padded sleeping chamber as well as a bathroom, and a large window to provide unobstructed views of the city. According to Apartment Therapy, the team at SCAU plans for the hotel to be a temporary fixture in Paris, as they intend to bring it to other large cities as well. "The idea is to put it up temporarily on the banks of rivers i...

Getty The cost of home ownership is hardly just the cost of the house itself. Life in even in a cheap place can add up to be quite the pretty penny when you take things like utilities and commuting costs into account. The experts at Trulia know this, and they analyzeds data on those two factors in conjunction with the average mortgage costs in Metro areas across the country.  In some areas life is quite steep (sorry San Francisco) — take a look at a list of priciest locales here. But there are certainly many options for homebuyers with a more limited budget. Specifically, Ohio.  According to Trulia, Ohio is the most affordable place to be. Five out of 10 of the cheapest cities (what Trulia calls "the bargain belt"), were in the Buckeye State. Take a look for yourself: Trulia Intrigued by the data? Trulia has lots more where that came from. Take a look at their full report to get an economist's viewpoint on how much it really costs to live...

You may find yourself in awe of the main character's stunning suite when watching a film, or find that the hotel setting of a scene blends in so seamlessly with the script that you barely notice it, just as the set designer and director intended it. Booking a room on a Hollywood set has never been easier – here are the hotels best known for their starring roles and stellar service. 1 Lost in Translation (2003) Bill Murray's character, Bob Harris, meets Charlotte, played by Scarlett Johansson, at The Park Hyatt Tokyo in this Sofia Coppola film. During the filming, which took place over the course of 27 days in 2002, one suite was used for the setting of both characters' rooms: Charlotte's room was the bedroom, while Bob's was actually the room's seating area. The hotel's Peak Lounge and Bar, Club on the Park spa and gym, main entrance and banquet rooms were also used in the filming. 2 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011) The David Fincher directed adaptati...