Ellecor’s Fave 5: Fall 2023

We’re constantly refreshing our store with amazing home decor items, and each season we like to round up our favorites. This fall, it’s Gabe Jackson’s turn to pick his favorite pieces. Jackson joined the Ellecor team in February of 2022 and is one of our interior designers.

1. Brass pinecone candlestick holders

Once the cool weather hits, we love to make our spaces extra cozy by lighting lots of candles. These brass pinecone candles are perfect for fall and add just a touch of whimsy.

Why we love them: Because they’re pinecones, they are a great nod to the season without feeling overtly like decorations. They don’t have to be exclusively for fall, but they’ll fit right in with your fall decorations.

How to style them: Style them on your mantel with other candlestick holders, or let them stand out on their own by placing them on your dining room table.

Price: $12

Reclaimed Wood Book Holder 

Take your coffee book game to the next level with this reclaimed wood book holder.

Why we love it: A coffee book holder lets you highlight your beautiful coffee table books and get more use out of them. Because you’ll open up the books to display them, you’ll be able to change what image you’re displaying. If you change your decor, you can open your book to a page that matches. 

How to style them: Keep things simple and let your bookholder and book be the star of your coffee table. 

Price: $27
Related post: 6 Tips for a Cozy, Minimalist Space

Work by Local Artist Meidi Karampour  

Meidi Karampour is a portrait and figurative artist working in the long drawing tradition rooted in the Renaissance. He’s inspired by the Impressionists and uses an extended color palette.

We are currently featuring a selection of his work in varying sizes.

Why we love it:  Meidi’s use of color means his pieces make quite a statement, but there’s a softness to them that means they work with a lot of different aesthetics. 

How to style them: We especially love Meidi’s large pieces, which work well above a couch or as a focal point in an entryway. 
Price: Prices vary

Candle Snuffer

If you’re going to have fabulous candlestick holders, then you might as well have a fancy candle snuffer to go with them.

Why we love them:  A candle snuffer is one of those small details that makes everyday living feel just a bit more luxurious.

How to style them: Place them on your mantel next to your candle holders. 
Price: $18

Connor Bluestone Dining Table

The base and legs of this table are made from wood, whereas the top of the table is made from bluestone. Bluestone is a natural stone that’s highly durable and used in a wide range of settings.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more stylish, comfortable, and versatile sitting chair than the Stephanie chair from Norwalk.

Why we love them:  Bluestone is often used in outdoor settings, so it’s a bit unexpected to see it used on a dining table. 

How to style them: As you can see, we think the table makes a great foundation for decor. However, we also like to tone things down and create a table setting with ceramic plates and linen napkins. 
Price: $3,402

Looking for the perfect home decor?

Come stop by our store! There’s a lot more fabulous home decor where that came from. Have questions? Give us a call.

Ellecor’s Fave 5: Summer 2023

One of the best parts of owning a home decor shop is sourcing and curating items I love. It fills me with joy to walk into the shop everyone morning and be greeted by beautiful things. And the best part? Our pieces are always changing, so there are often new things to fall in love with. 

This list doesn’t have a specific theme, but they all add personality and warmth to your space.

1. Vintage Rugs

Nothing adds instant warmth and texture to a space like a vintage rug. We currently have a variety of Parisian and Turkish vintage rugs in the shop in different sizes and designs.

Why we love them: They have a lot of color, are well-loved, and feel authentic. They’re a great way to add a bit of color in a neutral space. 

How to style them: Try adding one to a hallway or under a butcher’s block in your kitchen. 

Price: Starting at $550

Coffee Table Books

Looking to personalize a room? Coffee table books are a super easy way to add some personality to a space.

Why we love it: There are beautiful coffee table books about every subject, so you can find ones personalized to your interests. They’re also very versatile, and you can style them in many ways.  

How to style them: You can style one book or a slew of them. Stack them up to create some height on a table or mantle. To style just one, open it flat to a photo you like. You can then switch the image whenever you want, thus creating a piece of art you can change up. 

Price: $10-$150

Related post: Ellecor is a 2022 Commercial Design Award Winner

Artwork by Local Artist John Velo 

According to his website, “John Velo (b. 1992) is a Springfield, Missouri-based contemporary artist who works primarily in watercolor, ink, charcoal, and graphite. His work is a timeless interplay of light and shadows to capture the beauty of the male form.” 

We are currently featuring a selection of his work in varying sizes.

Why we love it:  Velo’s mostly black and white pieces are stunning but neutral, which allows them to work with a lot of different design aesthetics. 

How to style them: We currently have his pieces set up as a gallery wall, which I absolutely love. However, they are strong enough to stand alone as a point of focus in a space. 

Price: Ranging from $250-$1,000

Glass Decanters 

Coming in a variety of shapes and sizes, glass decanters are a staple decor piece that every host should own. 

Why we love them:  They’re great for dressing up a table, buffet, or bar. They feel very “Mad Men” to us, which is a lot of fun. 

How to style them: Create a stylish bar tableau by mixing a decanter with cocktail glasses, books, vases, and other small home decor items. 

Price: $36

Norwalk Stephanie Chair 

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more stylish, comfortable, and versatile sitting chair than the Stephanie chair from Norwalk.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more stylish, comfortable, and versatile sitting chair than the Stephanie chair from Norwalk.

Why we love them:  It’s such a solid staple, and you can order it as a regular lounge chair, a swivel chair, a glider chair, or a swivel and glider chair. 

How to style them: Because you can customize this chair with tons of different fabrics, there aren’t a lot of spaces it won’t work. Throw on a couple of complimentary pillows, and you’re good to go. 

Price: Starting at $1800

Looking for the perfect home decor?

Come stop by our store! There’s a lot more fabulous home decor where that came from. Have questions? Give us a call.

Bring the Outside Inside With Design Ideas for Natural Elements in Home Decor

White flowers on tree branches in a vase from a top view

Using natural elements in your interior design serves several purposes. Natural elements add life to your interior space, contribute vibrant and fresh colors, and create a cheerful feeling during the dark, cold days of winter. Today’s blog from Ellecor Interior Design encourages you to bring the outside inside with design ideas for natural elements in home decor.

Related Post: How to Incorporate Natural Light Into Your Home Decor

Water Fountain

In feng shui, water fountains symbolize prosperity and wealth. Think of the water as money flowing into your bank account. The trickling sounds of water represent a relaxing mountain stream as you wander through unspoiled wilderness. Your fountain evokes images of a serene natural area.

Home decor choices for water fountains run the gamut from small tabletop designs to large, freestanding structures. Some fountains bring in more nature, such as rocks, wood, or bamboo. Others are much more modern with steel and metal elements.

Plants

Real plants are much like water fountains in home decor. You can go minimalist or all-out. Small succulents fit neatly on a shelf or wall, and they require very little maintenance while adding splashes of green at points throughout the room. Larger plants, such as bamboo palms, make for showier displays of green. Bamboo palms grow anywhere from 4 to 12 feet tall.

For colors other than green, flowers are a great choice. Orchids are tropical plants that need warm conditions and lots of light to grow. Lilies, geraniums, begonias, and African violets are also fantastic choices for indoor plants.

Rocks

Rock and stone are natural elements in home decor that add a sense of strength and timelessness. Consider an unobtrusive fossil that sits on your bookshelf to break up the monotony of book after book. If you love colorful rocks, geodes add hues of purple, brown, and blue. These gorgeous crystal formations range in size from a baseball to a small boulder.

The Beach

We all want a beach vacation at some point in our lives. Bring the beach to your home with seashells, especially in your bathroom. Purchase a dedicated plate or tray, and arrange the shells in your favorite pattern. Shells come in mostly earth tones, but some can be blue, green, or purple. 

Sand is another beachy element that works well for natural interior design. Look for a stylish hourglass filled with sand. Better yet, take that dream vacation to Costa Rica or Hawaii, fill a Mason jar with sand, and bring it home to set on your dresser as a reminder of the fun you had. Indoor zen gardens bring it all together thanks to a tray filled with sand, small rocks, and maybe even some moss.

Related Post:  How to Turn Your Bathroom Into a Spa Getaway

Ellecor & Home Interior Design

Need more home interior design inspiration with your favorite natural elements? The pros at Ellecor can provide many more tips and tricks for your home. Contact us or call (417) 720-2602 to start the conversation.

How to Incorporate Natural Light Into Your Home Decor

Ellecor Interior Design Natural Light

Natural light does wonders for your home. Not only does it make your home more cheerful, but it can also save on your utility bills by reducing your electrical use for lights and even your furnace during the winter months. Today’s blog from Ellecor Interior Design showcases how to incorporate natural light into your home decor.

Related Post: Interior Design Tips for Making an Area Look Bigger

Make the Most of Your Windows

When it comes to windows, you have to make the best use of your existing home design. Whether you have ordinary windows, huge bay windows, or a wall of windows, make the most of them in your home decor. If you want a small window to provide extra natural light, consider lightly-colored sheer drapes that gather sunlight and create a warm glow around the window.

Bright or Dark Colors

Bright colors reflect more light and keep a room cooler. Dark colors absorb more light and generate more heat. As such, bright colors will enhance the natural light from your windows and make the interior space look brighter. Darker colors have the opposite effect for home decor. You can achieve either result with paint on the walls, carpeting, or furniture.

Mirrors

Mirrors offer a great way to increase the natural light in your room. Mirrors also create the illusion of more space. The more mirrors you have, the more you can play with the natural light. Wall mirrors work great for this, but you don’t necessarily need a huge mirror to make an impact. A small mirror opposite of your windows can make a difference in your home decor using natural light.

Brighten the Most Occupied Rooms

During the day, the most occupied rooms in a family home are the living room, kitchen, and dining areas. Think about maximizing the use of natural light in these places for home decor. Think bright or sheer curtains, minimal window treatments, and mirrors. South-facing walls are particularly good if you love natural light.

Related Post: Interior Design Tips for Small Rooms

Home Decor & Interior Design by Ellecor

Want to maximize the use of natural light in your home? We have some suggestions! Contact Ellecor Interior Design today or call (417) 720-2602 for more details on what we can do for you!

5 Home Decor Trends That Are Making a Comeback

Retro living room design

There are some elements of interior design that are simply timeless, so they keep coming back into style decade after decade. Design trends from the 70s and 80s are making a major comeback as we move ahead into 2020. When you draw inspiration from classic designs that never go out of style, you can dramatically change the dynamic of your home. In today’s blog, Ellecor Interior Design lists five home decor trends that are a blast from the past.

Related Post: Ellecor Interior Design: Paint or Wallpaper?

Textured Wallpaper

Wallpaper is making a resurgence and becoming much more popular in modern interior design. Rather than settling for monochromatic paint, wallpaper allows for fun and intricate designs that can transform a living space. Millennials are the ones to thank for this comeback home decor trend. There are textured wallpapers like bamboo, silk, and linen that will make any room stand out among the rest.

Wood Paneling

Wood paneling gained its popularity in the 50s and wasn’t considered ‘outdated’ until the 80s. At one point, you could find wood paneling in just about every house across America. This 60-year-old trend is back with a new, modern approach. Wood paneling has more of a rustic, farmhouse feel than it did in the past. There are endless options for wood finishes these days — from traditional cherry stains to distressed pastel paints — so you are able to incorporate lots of subtle color in your wood paneling. If you are looking for an interior design utilizing reclaimed wood, look no further than Ellecor Interior Design.

Wicker and Bamboo

Home decor trends come and go, and trending styles in furniture change too! A great example is the renewed popularity of wicker and bamboo in modern trends. From Bohemian bungalows to Minimalist penthouses, bamboo and wicker are making a comeback. From deckchairs to headboards, from bamboo bonsais to wicker storage baskets, these natural elements are making a big comeback!

Retro Appliances

When you are redesigning your home, you want efficient and reliable appliances for your kitchen. If you want the vintage appeal of antique appliances with the reliability of the 21st century, you are in luck! Many mainstream appliance companies are beginning to design products with vintage styles that also offer all the benefits of modern appliances.

Metal Accents

Copper, brass, and stainless-steel are becoming more common in home remodels and home decor. This metal trend can be seen in kitchen cabinets, light fixtures, doorknobs, and even in modern furniture pieces. Out of all of the metals that are regaining popularity, brass is the most intriguing. This clean and bold material can add flair to any design, for a modern style with vintage appeal.

Related Post: How Interior Design Has Changed Over Time

Envision Your Style With Ellecor Interior Design

If you are looking for a home design transformation, Ellecor Interior Design can help. Vintage home decor ideas are making a major comeback, and they offer endless inspiration for amazing designs. So contact Ellecor Interior Design to create something truly special. Our gallery gives a great look at the transformations we have completed, and we want yours to be next!

Interior Design Tips for a Cozier Bedroom

Your bedroom is meant to be a place of rest and respite, so you want it to be as comfortable and as cozy as possible. There are plenty of interior design techniques you can use to turn your bedroom into your own personal retreat. Today in the Ellecor Interior Design blog, we’ll give you some tips for a cozier bedroom.

Use the Right Colors

When it comes to making your bedroom cozier and more peaceful, your color palette will play an important role. You don’t want any loud, statement-making tones. Save that for areas of your house where you plan on hosting a lot of guests.

In your bedroom, you should aim for soft, earthy tones or even pastel tones if you’re looking for something a little brighter. Colors like blues and greens instill a sense of calm. Dark greens and browns also bring out that soothing, earthy feel we mentioned. Pastel colors can give your bedroom a soft, airy feel if you’re looking for something more like that.

Use the Right Lighting

Creating a cozy atmosphere requires the right lighting. If you have overhead lighting, consider changing them to lights with dimming functions. Lights should be soft and low. You can even do away with overhead lights entirely by strategically placing lamps, lanterns, and even candles all around your room.

Related Post: Decor Tips for an Elegant Dining Room

Add a Rug

If your bedroom isn’t carpeted already, a rug can add a real sense of warmth. Get a soft rug that you’ll love to step on when you get out of bed in the morning. Even carpeted rooms can benefit from a good rug. It ties the room together and can add some color or complement existing colors in the room.

Decor

One of the most important aspects of making a bedroom feel cozy is making sure it feels like your bedroom. You want to add decor that gives your bedroom a personal touch and makes you feel at home. Just make sure to not go overboard with wall art or other types of decor. Making your walls and shelves too busy can take away from the comfortable atmosphere you’re trying to create.

Related Post: Home Decor to Modernize Your Home’s Style

Choose Ellecor Interior Design

If you’re looking to redesign your bedroom, or even your entire home, Ellecor Interior Design can help. We specialize in creating custom spaces that are perfectly tailored to your style. Contact us today to get a free estimate and get your new design underway!

Types of Faux Painting

A new coat of paint can really bring life to a room. Sometimes, you want that fresh coat of paint to be something unique and eye-catching. Maybe you don’t even want it to look like paint at all. That’s where faux-painting comes in. Faux painting is a type of finish you can use on your walls to make them look like a different surface entirely. Today in the Ellecor Interior Design blog, we’ll talk about the different kinds of faux paints.

Granite

Granite adds a touch of elegance to a room, but the stone itself can be expensive. Using a granite faux paint technique can give you that unique patterned look of granite that’s so desirable. You can even choose between several different colors for your granite look.

Concrete

You can use the faux painting technique of concreting to give your walls a more modern touch, without feeling too industrial. Whites and grays help to give your walls the appearance of concrete.

Related Blog: Custom Furniture and Creating a Timeless Piece

Strie

This technique is used to create streaks of color on a wall that are fabric-like in appearance. This can give your room a softer, more relaxing atmosphere.

Marbleizing

Marble is certainly a luxurious material, but not everyone can afford marble walls. You can create the appearance of marble with the right faux-painting technique. Marbleizing can be difficult, so make sure to follow a guide or video on how to do it.

Stenciling

Stenciling is another popular faux paint technique. Using painter’s tape, you can create the exact patterns on your walls that you want, paint the wall, take off the tape, and voila – you have a patterned wall. This is a great way to add some personality to any room and make it your own.

Distressing

Giving a newer piece of furniture a distressed, antique look is a great way to add a rustic touch to any room. By using a sander and different colors of paint that are similar in shade to the original, you can give your newer piece of furniture a worn-down look that adds a lot of personality to your room design.

Rag Rolling

To make a big impression in a room, you can use the rag rolling technique. You roll your paint using a rag, pulling it off and pushing it on occasionally, to create an effect that adds a dramatic touch to any room.

Choose Ellecor Interior Design

These are just a few of the faux painting techniques out there. There are plenty to check out and try to see what’s best for you and your home. If you’re looking for a professional interior designer, choose Ellecor Interior Design. We do everything from one-room designs to entire homes. We even have a furniture store to browse. Contact us today for more information and to start designing the space of your dreams.

Related Blog: Interior Design: How to Create a Bohemian Space

First Impressions: How to Decorate Your Foyer or Entryway

Beautiful foyer

If you want to wow guests from the moment they walk into your home, you need to have a beautiful entryway. This will be everyone’s first impression of the interior of your home. Not only that, but who wouldn’t want to come home every day to be greeted by an elegant, functional entryway? Today in the Ellecor Interior Design blog, we’ll give you some ideas for decorating a foyer or entryway.

Storage

The foyer is actually a great place for some extra storage space. While storage doesn’t sound too stylish, it can actually be both beautiful and functional. If you have kids, you can add some built-in hardwood cubbies for them to keep their backpacks, shoes, coats, and more. As an alternative, you can have some hooks or a unique coat rack for you or your guests to hang their coats.

Related Post: Interior Design Tips for Making an Area Look Bigger

Brighten Up the Space

A bright entryway feels welcoming. There are a few ways you can brighten up your entryway. The best way is to get natural light from windows, so make sure to use sheer or light-colored window treatments. Of course, it’s also good to have some chic light fixtures to add a little extra light and create some variety in the decor. You can also use accent mirrors to make the entryway seem both brighter and bigger than it actually is.

Flooring

You can make an entryway more unique by implementing a patterned hardwood floor. Or, if you want to keep it more traditional, you can go with regular flooring and add an elegant runner to elongate your entryway and make it feel more like a grand entrance.

Related Post: Wood on Display

Decoration

Your entryway is the introduction to the rest of your home, so make sure it reflects your style. You can include some furniture in your entryway, like a comfortable bench or a side table. You should also add some wall decor, whether it be family pictures or paintings. Typically, with an entryway, you don’t want to make the decor too busy. Keeping it fairly clean and minimal will lend an air of elegance to your entryway without sacrificing your unique style.

Related Post: Home Decor to Modernize Your Home’s Style

Choose Ellecor Interior Design

If you need an interior designer or interior decorator, choose Ellecor Interior Design. We offer a full range of personalized interior design services, and we specialize in creating beautiful, functional spaces that you’re sure to love. No matter which room or rooms you want to work on, we can help. Contact us today for more information.

Interior Design for a Basement

Working on a basement

A finished basement is typically a large, open area. Having a good interior design plan is essential to giving it a cohesive look. When coming up with a design for a basement, you have a lot of flexibility and options, so it can be a little overwhelming. Today in the Ellecor Interior Design blog, we’ll give you some tips for basement interior design.

Create a Media Room

One of the most popular uses for a basement is creating an amazing media room. A basement is the perfect place to set up a big screen TV, sound system, and comfortable furniture for movie nights and watching the game. Basement media rooms are practical and functional, but they can also be very stylish. Using an open concept design can make the space feel open and airy.

Related Post: Interior Design: Creating the Perfect Entertainment Room

Include a Mini-Bar

Since there’s so much space available in your basement, it’s common to have a bar and a kitchenette. This is especially useful if you’re planning on using your basement as an entertainment area. The best part about mini-bar design is you can make the space as unique as you are.

You can go elegant, with bistro lighting, granite surfaces, and stainless steel. You can go sporty, with hardwood surfaces, mounted TVs, and pennants from your favorite teams. Or you can go professional, with a wine cooler, a draft beer system, and all the accessories of a real cocktail bar.

Family and Play Area for the Kids (or Teens)

Another good way to utilize a basement is by making it the primary play area and family hangout. This contains most of the kids’ mess downstairs so you can keep the upstairs clean and tidy. With all kinds of organizational built-in options for storage, you can keep your basement area relatively tidy. Family play areas are great for all sorts of fun, such as video game systems, board games, toy boxes, and all the other activities you and your family enjoy. You can even throw in a pool table or foosball table for more entertainment value.

Related Post: Design Ideas for a Kid’s Room

Fitness Area

If you have extra space in your basement, you can always make a fitness area. This keeps all of your workout equipment downstairs and out of the way. This works best when you have a separate room so you can keep it out of the main design while also giving yourself a quiet enclosed area to focus on your workout.

Choose Ellecor Interior Design

No matter which room in your home you’re looking to design, Ellecor Interior Design can help. We offer a variety of personalized home decor and interior design services. We strive to create beautiful spaces for our clients that perfectly fit their personality and lifestyle. Contact us today for more information.

Interior Design Tips for the College Student

Stylish dorm room

Interior Design Tips for the College Student

Nothing is quite as bleak as an undecorated dorm room. Blank white walls with a bunk bed and a few computer desks can start to feel like a prison after a few hours of study time. Just because your dorm room is temporary doesn’t mean you can’t have an inspired, stylish space. Today, the experts at Ellecor Interior Design will share a few tips for dorm room interior design to spruce up your living space!

The Rug Really Ties the Room Together

Stepping on the cold, bare floor in the dead of winter while getting ready for an 8 a.m. class can be enough to make you want to call the whole day off. A throw rug in the middle of your dorm room will add some much-needed texture and warmth. Remember, interior design is supposed to be fun and comfortable. Don’t be afraid to experiment with a few colors and patterns to find what is best for your space.

Invest in Your Lighting

Many dorms feature harsh fluorescent ceiling lighting. This lighting casts a cold, blue light that is hard on your eyes and your room’s style. Instead, opt for floor and desk lamps. This is an inexpensive way to create warm light that makes your room feel more spacious and comfortable.

Show Your Personality on Your Walls

Blank walls are the death of interior design. Decorating your walls will make your room feel larger, and give you the opportunity to really express yourself. Whether it is a poster of your favorite band, pictures of your friends and family, or a print of your favorite Edward Hopper painting, use your walls to show what makes you, you.

Related Blog: Inexpensive Home Decor Ideas for Your Apartment

Use Curtains and Bedspreads to Add Color

Most dorm rooms do not allow you to paint your walls. As such, many dorm rooms can feel like a sterilized doctor’s office. Your curtains and bedspread are one of the few places you can really add color to your room.

Visit Ellecor Interior Design for Inspiration

Following the above steps will have you on your way to a beautiful, stylish dorm room. If you want to truly create an amazing dorm room design, we’d love for you to visit and come talk with us. Ellecor Interior Design is located in Farmer’s Park on Republic Road in Springfield, Missouri, and we’re always happy to have college students visit. Or if you just have questions, contact us directly at 417-720-2602!

Related Blog: Interior Design Tips for Making an Area Look Bigger