A popular trend that has been popping up in home décor magazines and websites alike over the last few years is none other than the sleek, classic and sophisticated stripe. We’re loving this trend so much that we’ve been toying with the idea of using stripes somewhere in our house (whether it be in the near or distant future).

For those of you who know me, you know about my obsession with I Love Lucy. So when I think of stripes, I immediately recall the episode where Lucy and Ethel decide to wallpaper Lucy & Ricky’s bedroom without the help of a professional. They were doing DIY projects looooong before DIY was cool. Let’s just say it didn’t turn out as they had hoped. But with zany Lucy in the mix, it was to be expected…

Almost 60 years later, thanks to networks such as HGTV and The DIY Network, we’ve learned the how-to’s and the how-not-to’s.

Needless to say, there are many different ways to use stripes in your home, so we’ve turned to the world wide web for inspiration and here are some of our favorites:

The high contrast and bold colors alone make this guest room a delicious piece of eye candy. The striped carpeting brings an extra touch of whimsy that makes the space that much more charming.

Here’s another bedroom space that perfectly demonstrates the stylish use of stripes. As you know, we love gray walls. The deep gray used in this space plays as a great canvas for the lighter furnishings.

Why limit the use of stripes to the indoors — or walls for that matter? Check out this outdoor patio space. I’m loving the bold choice to carry the stripes from the wall to the ceiling. Genius. This combination with the rich kelly green furnishings and glamorous light fixtures brings home an “old hollywood” vibe.

Now for something a little more on the rustic side: painted plank floors. The white-washed planks gives this otherwise sparse entry an eclectic shabby chic feel.

Another space that’s a little on the “shabby chic” side is this picture-perfect dining room. The stark white walls adorned with horizontal cool gray stripes is to die for. It really brings the entire room together in an awesome way. The linear stripes are juxtaposed perfectly against the round pendant lights.

A little more on the modern side are these thick brown and white striped walls from Elle Decor. Using the same chocolate brown paint in the ajoining room really ties the two spaces together.

So whether it be thin, thick, bold, subtle, horizontal or vertical, stripes have the ability to totally transform any space, and they might just be that “something” your room is needing to make it simply perfect.

I Love Lucy image found here. Inspiration photos found here, here, here, here, here and here.

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Black Friday marks the first day of the Christmas shopping season and has been deemed the biggest shopping day of the entire year. While thousands of people are standing in line at Target, Best Buy and Toys R Us, we are busy moving furniture into the house (happy dance!). But today on the blog, we’re having our own fun Black Friday by way of interior design inspiration.

I’m a big fan of dark black accents in a room. It has a way of making the other colors in the room pop. But what about bringing black in your space in a bigger way? We’re talking about wall color. You would think it would make the room seem a lot smaller and cramped but here’s some inspiration photos that prove different:

Photos courtesy of Benjamin Moore, Elle Decor, Lonny Mag, Christina Murphy Interiors and Decor Pad.

Inspiration for a room can come from anywhere: a favorite outfit, a frequented vacation destination or even your favorite movie. I’m not talking about themed rooms, though. I’m talking about textures, colors and details from your favorite things or places and use them in your space. Just to show you what I’m talking about, I’ve matched up a few things with rooms that I feel could have been inspired by them:

Favorite Outfit. It’s your go-to outfit when you want to dress to impress and feel good about yourself. It gives you that I’m-lookin’-awesome feeling and an extra pep in your step. All the more reason it would be a good idea to use your favorite outfit as inspiration for a room in your casa:

The vest is very tailored; similar to that of the furniture in this living room. Also, if you look closely, you’ll see a grid pattern detail in the vest. These clean lines and taut fabrics juxtapose perfectly to the the graphic wallpaper design, which mimics the flowery look of the shirt. And lastly, the colors: gray and canary yellow. This is a very literal translation of the colors, but it definitely works in this situation. If the colors make you feel good, there’s no reason not to bring them into a room you spend a lot of time in.

Vacation Destination. Why not bring a little bit of your vacation home? For many years, one of my family’s favorite vacation spots has been Nantucket Island. Its serene, peaceful atmosphere and picturesque setting is a great source of inspiration:

On Nantucket Island, most houses are decked out with bright white trim, so it’s only natural that a Nantucket-inspired kitchen be adorned with white cabinetry. The white subway tile used as the backsplash and the stainless light fixtures reference the old-fashioned charm that graces the cobblestone streets of Nantucket. The wood used for the kitchen island is similar to the color of wet sand and serves as the perfect anchor in this light and airy kitchen. And you can’t forget the details! Hydrangea is a near-constant fixture on Nantucket Island and is the perfect finishing touch.

Favorite Movie. Luxurious. Sophisticated. Glamourous. These are the characteristics of Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in the 1961 classic, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Her high fashion style and laissez faire approach is great inspiration for a fun and glamourous room:

Aside from the obvious Tiffany’s blue wall and ceiling color, this room screams “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” without being too literal. The fun color combination of yellow, green, blue and a touch of pink are reminiscent of the early 60′s vibe that is evident throughout the film. The black accents represent Audrey’s iconic “little black dress” and brings in the needed depth to ground the surrounding light colors. The chandelier is the pièce de résistance of the room and brings the whole “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” vibe home. This goes to show that you don’t have to hang a huge movie poster on the wall to have a movie-inspired room.

For me, inspiration often comes from either a color combination or some sort of graphic pattern. I don’t know if it’s because of my background in graphic design or my abnormal obsession with color combinations. A few weeks ago, while searching for some unique wall art, I found this awesome concert poster designed by the talented Dan Padavic of Vahalla Studios…

Greg and I absolutely love the color combination, and we plan on using it as the inspiration for our living room. It’s fun, lively, and somewhat unexpected. Used with the right pieces in the right places, this color scheme can translate into an eclectic yet sophisticated union. (By the way, if you are wondering who Feist is, they are the super cool band that is featured in the “1234″ Target commercial.)

We’re going to bring this awesome palette in the room via accessories while keeping everything else pretty neutral (including the wall color, which we painted Martha Stewart’s Cobblestone). For example, I’m currently in love with a certain yellow-hued accent chair from Room & Board that may become an addition to the living room at some point.

Isn’t she lovely? We’re going to call her Ethel — as in Lucy Ricardo’s BFF on “I Love Lucy“… only the best show ever.

Photos courtesy of House Beautiful, Fossil, Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce, Decor Pad and IMDB.