Marie Burgos Design Blog

What is a coral?
A coral is a rocklike deposit consisting of the calcareous skeletons secreted by various anthozoans. Coral deposits often accumulate to form reefs or islands in warm seas.
They can come in red-orange, pinkish, or white colors with a variety of  shades and are used a lot to make jewelry and ornaments.
Adopting the [...]

“Country interior design style is very welcoming and comfortable.”
Country interior design is all about lived-in comfort. The emphasis is on natural materials, handcrafted features and time-worn charm. I find it very cozy.
Your color palette can vary widely, but country decorating gets inspiration from the surrounding landscape. That’s why you often will see color schemes centered [...]

Ottomans can be used as foot stools to accompany a comfortable armchair, for extra seating, a bedroom bench, or even as a coffee table.
Ottomans come in various sizes, shapes and textures. Some of them are oversized,  but they all most of the time both functional and practical.
Here are some great examples of ottomans.
Which one is [...]

Bookshelves and Libraries are a wonderful place to display everything from collectibles and photographs to books and boxes.

If you happen to be a book lover or a voracious reader, it is likely that you have built up quite a collection of books over the years. Home libraries help you organize your book collection, make it [...]

Design your home by dipping it into chocolate, warm browns with toasty overtones that delight the senses and create a comfortable and inviting atmosphere.

Interior decorating trends are warming up to chocolate. Rich mochas, dusty cocoas, and deep coffee shades are cropping up in homes, bringing a depth to pallets that had previously been rather cool [...]

Design by Marie Burgos
So many NYC apartments come with old and ugly parquet floors, painting them white or black is a really great option.
The rooms feel so fresh, clean, and bright. White floors are so bright and airy and cheerful. They also really help bounce the light around and give a feeling of space.
Here are some [...]

If you love animal prints or have an exotic theme to your room, an animal print rug can, piece of furniture or accent can be the finishing touch that really brings the feel of that theme to the room.
Animal print is a fun accent in a room, but it can be overpowering if you use [...]

“Visual balance is the key to a classical interior design style.”
With a nod to the architecture and imagery of the Greek and Roman empires, classical interior design is based on order, symmetry and balance.
A primary element in classical style is the use of a focal point around which visual balance is achieved. A grand, marble [...]

“Arts and Crafts Style brings together clean lines and fine craftsmanship.”
Arts and crafts style interior design revolves around finely crafted furniture and interior features – usually of wood.
In the United States, a variation of this style that became popular through the years is called Mission Style.
Arts and Crafts interior elements feature prominent straight lines and [...]

“Tuscan interior design recalls the good life of a golden age.”
Tuscan interior design evokes the sun-kissed fields and vineyards of Italy. It’s a warm, old world look that makes you feel instantly at home.
Maybe that’s why it’s a favorite of so many people who choose it as their dominant interior style. The good news is [...]

Sandrini Scale
It may not lead to heaven but if you design your staircase with some creative thought it can look the part!
A custom built staircase is only limited by the designer’s imagination, and can make use of a wide variety of materials to produce what are often strikingly original forms.
Most of us probably take our [...]

A little bit of Silver adds some sparkle and life to almost any room in your home. Dressers, light fixtures, accessories and mirrors all fit the bill; and this is not a passing fancy. Silver furnishings have been featured prominently in well-designed interiors for many years. Original antiques can can be pricy but there are [...]

Striped walls is by no means a new trend.  Striped wallpapers have been around for over a century.  However, updated stripe styles are making a resurgance in today’s modern interiors.  Here I have created a gallery of various striped walls with descriptions.
My belief is that if you are going to stripe it up, you might [...]

“Gustavian inspired, Swedish interior design is light and sophisticated.”
A bit of history….
Sweedish Interior Design style is characterized by a look that is light,airy and elegant. Whether classic in emphasis, country or contemporary in direction, this style underscores an elegant and refreshing atmosphere.
Despite originating centuries ago, the Swedish Gustavian style is a look that is still [...]

“Tropical interior design emphasizes natural, exotic elements.”
Surrounding yourself with a tropical interior design scheme is one way to indulge your taste for exotic lands.
Feel the essence of old Bombay or the breezy majesty of Martinique as you spend time with family and friends.
A tropical interior design scheme can be developed through the purposeful mix [...]

“ Less is more to create modern design lines”
Modern style is a clean, streamlined furniture and architecture style from the 1930s with roots in the German Bauhaus School of Design and Scandinavian modern design. It’s characterized by polished surfaces, strong geometric shapes and asymmetry. Expansive, unadorned windows marry the interior with the exterior landscape.
Colors – [...]

photo “Traditional Home”
“Traditional interior design brings the warmth and elegance of the past into the present.”
Traditional interior design is perhaps the most popular style in America today. It has roots in earlier generations but still manages to embrace the present with style and comfort.
The shapes in this style setting are typically very graceful. Curving lines [...]

When choosing a color scheme for your home, a variety of factors must be considered; is this a home with young children where use of bold colours would stimulate the senses or are you after a contemporary look and a harmonious colour palette.
Where to Start
A first step when choosing a color scheme is to determine what [...]

The living room is considered the social hub of the home. It is an area to receive and entertain guests as well as a room to relax and unwind and get together as a family after a long day of work,.
It is important to make this area of your home comfortable, safe and balanced so [...]

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Tonal variation
Whether you lean towards the calming greens of jade, moss, mint, apple and emerald for your bedroom or would love your living room to be awash with blues that are as deep as the ocean or as light as the sky, decorating with these colours tone-on-tone will evoke a connection with nature like no [...]

1. The most important Feng Shui tip of all: clear the clutter! Ask yourself two questions about every item in your home: Do I love it? Is it useful to me right now? You need a YES to at least one – preferably both – of those questions to retain the item. Otherwise, it’s not [...]

Too little space is often an issue in this high traffic area, so keep entry furniture compact without sacrificing style or warmth. A 12″ deep chest is ideal for tight spaces, especially one that blends plenty of storage with rich hand-painted finishes, or calm Zen-like styling. furniture chest with cabinet doors conceals what you want [...]

Here we come to country home decor.  This style is commonly used by people who are extremely warm and friendly.  The more company, the better!  You have a place in your home and your heart for anyone and everyone.  This look is charming, comfortable and welcoming, just like you.  You enjoy nothing better than having [...]

Those who are crazy about shabby chic decor are often romantic at heart.  This style exudes a soft and airy feeling, with a romantic look.  Pastels and a worn or washed look add old charm to this style.  Furniture is often whitewashed and worn around the edges.  Chandeliers, plant stands, candles and all other accents [...]

When it comes to home decor, everyone has different tastes.  Some love modern or contemporary, while others love country, rustic or the romantic style of shabby chic.  What does your favorite decor say about you?   More than you may think!

If you love modern styling, you are more than likely a no nonsense person who likes [...]

The science of Feng Shui started in ancient times and was originally the study of the life of people and of the universe and how this all related to each other. Today, Feng Shui home plans are the starting place to creating a Feng Shui home. Feng Shui principles are incorporated in the actual design [...]

 
 
Count your Blessings like gold. 
Take a few moments every evening to think about all the good things that happened to you today and to express your gratitude for what you have received. Small things count, too, it doesn’t all have to be spectacular. It’s not what happened that’s important; it’s getting in [...]

 
Growing wealth will involve good placement in your environment but it is also very important to address your own personal thoughts and behavior towards money. Wealth starts with attitude.

Pay attention to how you handle money every day. 
Do you keep paper money neatly sorted in your wallet or money clip, or [...]

Add a healthy plant with round leaves 
According to the Bagua, the wealth area of your home or office is associated with the wood element. Wood can be represented by a wooden piece of furniture, the green color on any surface, plants and fresh flowers.
The Chinese community has been using for decades certain specific plants to [...]

 
 
Use the element of Water to enhance your wealth area.  
Aquariums, images representing water and water features like fountains are a boost for the wealth area of your home or office.
A lot of Chinese restaurants showcase aquariums or fish imageries at their entrances. An Element of water at the entrance symbolizes new [...]

 
Accent your money areas with the colors green, red or purple. 
Green symbolizes vitality and growth
Red brings energy and power 
Purple is the best color for wealth. 
Gold signifies luxury. Donald Trump uses a lot of gold for his properties. 
You can place a big chunk of purple amethyst in your wealth area and have [...]

 
 
Enhance your area with symbols of prosperity:
 
You can place a bowl of coins (add your loose change to it every day), a “lucky bamboo” plant, or anything that symbolizes success and prosperity to you. 
There are lots of Chinese luck symbols available, but you don’t have to use them unless you want to. 
A [...]

 
Your Front Door can Enhance Your Wealth: 
Is your front door hidden? Does your home or office face away from the street?
If your entrance cannot easily be seen from the street, opportunities and income have a harder time getting to you.
Invite chi to your front door by placing lights or moving objects or colors along the way. [...]

 
To enhance Your Wealth Area you need to:
Clear out any clutter from these important areas.
 Clutter is a sign of stagnant energy, and clutter in your wealth areas can clog up your cash flow. Getting rid of clutter is one of the most powerful ways to shift the energy up.
 
Fix things that are [...]

 
 
Feng shui associates prosperity with the back left corner of any space. Stand at your front door facing into the house; your wealth area is at the back of the house on the left-hand side. There’s also a wealth area within each room: facing in from the doorway, it’s the corner area in [...]

 
Make a list of things that you desire or want to achieve. Doing this helps you clarify your intentions. So be bold! Take a notepad or open a new document on your computer and make a list of 108  things you want to do or have in your life (It sounds like [...]

 
  
Know what you want: The strength of your intention is what makes your success with Feng Shui. If you are enthusiastic and excited with an idea or a project, your energy level is so much higher than if you don’t really believe in it. When you focus on an unsatisfactory situation, your energy becomes stuck [...]

 
 
The term “bagua” is derived from the book of the I-Ching, a sacred text used to tell the future. But while the word may sound foreign or unfamiliar to you, ‘Feng Shui Bagua’ is one of the most basic and fundamental tools of Feng Shui.
An ancient Chinese term “bagua” means “eight areas” (“ba”=eight, [...]

 
The Metal element is a very positive yang element. It is usually represented by hard, flat, shiny surfaces that encourage Chi energy flow to circulate faster and easier. The Metal element is also a very supportive element that carries the water element. Imagine a river supported by the crystals and natural [...]

 
 The Earth element is a very grounding element, useful for helping with decisions taking and the thinking process.
Earth element is associated with yellow, beige, tan, all the family of earthy colors. Those are cheerful and joyous colors, great for lifting your spirit and  stimulating your intellect.
Yellow is an inspiring color and can [...]