50 Decorating Ideas Inspired by Sarah Richardson {Part 2}

Let the Sarah Richardson parade of lovely continue with Part 2 today! Canada-based Sarah Richardson has been a favorite interior designer of Hello Lovely’s audience for many years, and we began with Part 1 in this series and continue now with the second installment of 50 decorating ideas inspired by her decor choices and unique sensibilities.

50 Decorating Ideas Inspired by Sarah Richardson

21. Avoid Over-accessorizing.

Her hex marble tiles show up in her own master bathroom, where she has combined two other tile patterns. I love the restraint in terms of the home decor in here where she allows the tub, flooring, luxe finishes, and elegant lines of the chair and ottoman to shine.

22. Make Every Visitor to Your Powder Room Smile.

Unexpected color and personality in a powder room! Sarah often treats the powder rooms she designs in such a way, and notice the exquisite millwork and panels. Attention to detail in a room which could easily get low priority is always delightful.

23. Fill a Bedroom with Humble Treasures.

Remember when Sarah got very bohemian and fleamarket friendly in the design of country bedrooms like this one with the green tufted velvet settee? Back then, we rarely saw a sheepskin draped on ANYTHING, and she surprisingly did not paint the poster bed with chalk paint (truth be told, this was before the Annie Sloan takeover).

24. Study Designer Details.

Look mom, a new build kitchen with no recessed lighting.! In Sarah’s own modern country kitchen in her off-the grid house, she plays with geometry everywhere, resulting in a freshened spin on Midcentury Modern cool. Notice the little extra bands of contrast she added to the floor between the wood and stone and just below the range hood. They somehow don’t add busy-ness because they are subtle in their contrast.

25. Incorporate Your Loved One’s Favorite Color.

I read an interview with Sarah where she mentioned that using red in her homes is for her husband who loves that color. Ever since then, whenever I see it repeated in her designs, I can’t help but think of how beautiful it would be to honor your favorite person and the love you share each time you introduce the color red.

26. Customize an Old Family Piece.

Sarah is a master of sweetness, and these birds and whimsical dots in a hall’s home decor prove it. I don’ t know about you, but I have not seen many vintage benches given this sort of comfy treatment with a hefty custom comfy cushion and a beautiful mix of patterned pillows. What a wholesome welcome to this home.

27. Don’t Paint Every Vintage Treasure.

We have all seen vintage cane chairs and pedestal tables like this at tag sales and the fleamarket, and Sarah Richardson demonstrates you can snag them and use them as is (except for maybe adding a cushion or two). The vintage “Lunch Served” sign must have caused a celebration dance for the designer as it’s so perfect for the corner!

28. Go Out on a Limb Whim.

You want me to paint gigantic stripes of periwinkle in the red bedroom? Yes, indeed. (An imaginary conversation which surely may have transpired between Sarah Richardson and her painter.)

29. Paint Your Entry Your Signature Hue.

This sunny mudroom has surely inspired thousands more across internetland with its hushed blue painted paneling and open shelves.

30. Nude Windows are Allowed.

For many decorators, foregoing window treatments are simply out of the question. Yet when privacy is not an issue, and unobstructed views of nature are the priority, naked windows are the GOAT.

31. Granny Style with a Twist.

Throughout Sarah Richardson’s off-the-grid home, we see these charming wood stoves which in addition to being functional (and necessary in Ontario!) are highly suggestive of a simpler time when folks still opened up a newspaper and spent more time sipping tea. I hope we begin to see more nods to the past as we begin to intentionally reclaim the goodness of the past which can maybe be resurrected.

For an alternative to cement floor tile with the same look, these ceramic floor tiles might do the trick:

32. Stretch Your Imagination in a Tight Space.

In a small tucked away powder room bath in her own home, Sarah mixed a number of design elements including a custom vanity base with reduced depth, star floor tiles, marble wallpaper on the ceiling, brass wall-mounted sink faucet, and what appears to be re-purposed vintage windows as mirrored doors for a recessed medicine cabinet.

33. Incorporate Vintage Finds.

There’s such a cozy, homey warmth to this entry in Sarah’s farmhouse which has all the function and beauty one would desire in a country house entrance. Stone floors, vintage home decor pieces, and rich color combine for timeless style.

34. Mismatched is Magnifique.

Within this cottage style dining area in Sarah’s seaside cottage, she mixed a rustic aged bench with custom upholstered wing chairs and wood dining chairs for a casual mix at the farm table. Love that mosaic tile in her kitchen? <–affiliate link won’t cost you extra and I may be compensated.

35. A Non-contrived Look.

One of the charming things you can’t miss about the interiors in Sarah Richardson’s off the grid new build in Ontario is that they feel personal and not stuck in any one design genre. Is it modern country? Is it traditional with a twist? Classic with contemporary? Yes. But it doesn’t seem chained to any single identity. How is this accomplished? Color seems to be an important consideration, and she’s a goddess when it comes to mixing them. She also seems to honor traditional architecture to which she expertly adds contemporary finishes, colors, patterns, and furnishings. And when she adds character-filled vintage pieces to the mix, she arrives at a unique noncontrived look that doesn’t feel showroom-ish or stiff.

36. Develop Your Eye.

I recall the early episodes of Sarah’s first television series where she essentially educated her audience about how to mix patterns fearlessly and successfully. I learned so much from those lessons way back when! You truly can develop a keen eye for colors and patterns.

37. Let Your Heart Be Light.

Sarah Richardson has a wonderful sense of humor, and buoyancy to her spirit that is reflected in so many of her design choices. This chaise above in her daughter’s green bedroom in their off-the-grid house is upholstered in a cheery, fun fabric that makes a vivid statement which is sure to be etched on her daughter’s fond memories of home.

38. Timeless Fixtures + Trendy Accents.

Stick to neutrals for the permanent fixtures in a space, and then treat yourself to accents that are anything but neutral. By wallpapering only this accent wall, it can change over the years. Visit this laundry room story for more inspiration.

39. Design a Room to Evolve.

What I love about the home decor in Sarah Richardson’s “Belvedere” (which is a rooftop lounge area with a beautiful view in her country house) is that while it feels fresh, young, and ready for a girl’s night in, it could easily morph into a more classically traditional mature space with quick switch-outs.

40. Re-imagine a “Formal” Dining Room.

I had never seen this image before of a dining room in Sarah’s farmhouse (with peeks of that unforgettable entry and breakfast nook), and I think it speaks to the freedom to put casual, slightly rustic furnishings in a formal dining room.

Visit Sarah Richardson for more Sarah goodness!

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Peace to you right where you are.

-michele

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