Recently we packed our bags and headed to the city that never sleeps for a big ole dose of inspiration! Specifically, we were going to the Architectural Digest Design Show, a celebration of the best in interior design, furnishings, handmade decor, appliances, and more. But let’s be honest, New York City is a design muse in itself. We’ve returned invigorated and excited to share what we experienced while we were there.

This sign by one of our favorites, Frank Lloyd Wright, really captured the trend and tone of the show and beyond. This blend of inside and outside themes, intersecting and collaborating in strikingly cohesive ways. Organic patterns, lush, moody colors and wood grains happily mixing with hard lines and architectural vibes. Very otherworldly, but not in the least overwhelming.

At the show, Diffa Design, which stands for Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids, enlisted a range of companies and designers to decorate tables, raising funds for its cause. Many embraced the inside/outside theme, and others just had fun with it! Here are some of our favorites.

Herman Miller + Studios Architecture

Studio TK + Tarkett + Hunstsman

Novita Communications + Maiarelli Studio

Gensler + Knoll + Evensonbest

We ventured out to the New York Design Center, another place with just so much raw inspiration.

This window in particular really struck a cord with us. The idea of the “New Traditionalist” is something we feel like we embrace with every project we work on. Updating, making modern, while embracing and never forgetting the history and tradition. Like this chair, with its modern lines, traditional tartan and pop of millennial pink- a mixture of genres to make the perfect piece.

Took a stroll through Restoration Hardware resisting the urge to sit down and pretend we live in this New York loft. So many floors of effortless elegance!

We had to visit the Beekman Hotel, known for it’s beautiful architecture and design. Click here to see more!

It would be a missed opportunity to visit NYC and not enter an art gallery. So we did! Pop culture at its finest.

Back at the AD show we came across a section of independent craftsman and designers. We had some great conversations and heard some truly inspirational stories. Very unique designs!

More than just the most organized pantry you’ve ever seen, this one features the open air drawers for fruit and veg storage. We’ve been learning a lot about proper food storage, who to separate and who gets along. Something we are definitely going to incorporate!

A green fridge, yes, please! True coming out with residential refrigerators, super heavy duty and amazingly beautiful!

And rounding things out with a breath of fresh spring air- this tablescape!

So long, NYC…. until next time! XOXO, E&B

Let’s talk dark paint colors! We are absolutely loving all the brilliant blues, enchanting greens and even the moody charcoals. We’ve been adding them to a number of projects lately and thought we would share some of our favorite shades with you! BENJAMIN MOORE: CRISP ROMAINE

This is the master bedroom from #TheRambler. The homeowners were a bit reticent to go with this gorgeous green, but boy are we glad they decided to! It’s crisp and colorful and just perfect here. BENJAMIN MOORE : HALE NAVY

Brandie used this mood-setter on an accent wall in her own home. It creates instant ambiance, and pairs so well with the wood and brass tones it’s almost ridiculous. BENJAMIN MOORE : DARK HARBOR

The name sounds so dramatic, and it’s definitely an intense color, but it leans happy here in a bedroom. With a warmth and coziness, this shade of blue/green has been known to change depending on how the light hits it. BENJAMIN MOORE : EVENING SKY

Not that we want to spoil #ArtdeVivre’s big reveal, but this is the perfect time to show off the dark blue color we picked for the mudroom walls. Not only a style statement, it’s actually super practical in a room like this with heavy traffic.

You can’t go wrong with any of these choices, they are a great guide to going dark!

As the year comes to an end, we always get a bit nostalgic looking back at everything we have accomplished, and how thankful we are for every opportunity. This year Ember & Brune was featured on a number of blogs and publications. In case you missed them, we’ve put together a little round up of some of our favorite features for the year!

Top Knobs featured #TrestleWilliams on their blog, highlighting their Brixton Series hardware we used in the project. Click here for the full article.

Greenfield Cabinetry featured #BerylGlen on their blog, highlighting the beautiful custom painted cabinets.

GE Monogram Appliances featured #SmithBarrow on their blog Save Room for Design. It’s still such a good story from start to finish, click here for the full article.

#SmithBarrow was also chosen as one of four homes featured in the Glen Ellyn Infant Welfare Society’s 2018 Housewalk, an event we also sponsored. Touring the home with others was surreal but amazingly fun!

Brandie herself received a couple notable accolades this year. She was named one of 2018’s Top 50 Innovators by Kitchen & Bath Design News! Read through the full article here and here.

Brandie was also interviewed by Voyage Chicago Magazine for their Inspiring Stories feature. It’s a fun look back at where she started and how far she’s come.

Tabula Rasa is the idea that we all start with a blank slate. #TabulaRasa, the home, really epitomizes this concept. It is new construction, in a new development, and is our client’s new dream/forever home. We were brought in as interior designers for this project, we’ll be doing all the interior finishes and furnishings. Below are some plans and inspiration for the design of the space.

The dining room:

The breakfast nook:

The living room:

The style is sophisticated and slightly nautical, full of fabrics and furniture with texture and dimension.

Follow along with the hashtag #TabulaRasa for all project updates, as well as the big reveal!

We know you’ve been waiting with bated breath ever since we teased this project here and here. Don’t worry, this one’s worth the wait. What started solely as a master bath project soon spiraled into working with the homeowners to redefine and remodel most of this split level home.

This home is a quintessential mid-century ranch. Opening things up in the kitchen not only helped with the flow of things, but you get a wonderful view of each room when you walk in the front door. And who wouldn’t want to walk into this?

The cabinets are book matched walnut, which means the grain from the tree lines up from drawer to door. Now that you know you can’t look away, right?

The kitchen is flanked by dining areas, a breakfast nook on one side and more formal dining room on the other- both with spectacular views.

Heading to the master bedroom and the original remodel plan, we created a hallway with plenty of closet space and a master bath.

If you didn’t above, definitely take a peek at what this area looked like originally, here. An awkward dressing area was transformed into this spacious hallway lined with enough closet space to make anyone jealous.

The master bath now has a walk-in shower, a tub and style to spare. There are so many elements of design in here, but they work together so well it doesn’t feel the least bit busy.

We also remodeled a hall bath and powder room. This is the former, a sleek style in keeping with the mid-century vibe.

This is another view upon entering the home. We just adore these hanging sculptures found by the client. The original stone stairs and iron railing paired with a custom cement planter and gorgeous wood sculptures create the most perfect pathway between floors.

What do you think? Let us know on social by tagging #EmberandBrune and #TheRambler!

#BrickandGable has a truly well-balanced design. It has all the charm this historic house started with, but with some clever space planning, we were able to eliminate the challenges. It has modern moments, but when you add up all the classic details, settles into a more timeless narrative. Click here to see how far it has come!

The kitchen received the biggest makeover. Space was added with the elimination of a stairway and pantry. A new back entrance was incorporated with large sliding doors and an exterior stairway.

The arched wall leading into the kitchen is a nod to an old architectural detail of the home. A wall similar to this had to be removed during remodel, so it was recreated it here.

The tile breathes life into the kitchen! Made by Walker Zanger, this hand-painted Moroccan mosaic creates that special kind of design depth we love! It definitely adds dimension, offsetting the clean white cabinetry and countertops.

Since a kitchen pantry was eliminated, we did have to be creative with storage. In addition to the cabinetry, floating shelves make this little nook extra functional.

Since this side of the kitchen doubles as an entryway, we added extra storage and a bench to switch shoes Mr. Rogers style.

We bumped into the dining room a bit to make room for the double stairway. During demo we found a few things that required us to move the new staircase approximately 10 additional inches from the wall. We turned lemons into lemonade and added this beautiful built in bookshelf!

And this is the view from the front door, we’ve come full circle!

Just wait until you see the bathroom remodel, coming soon!

We love clients who aren’t afraid of bold choices, and the owners of #BerylGlen certainly fit the bill. Their kitchen needed an update: walls had to come down, storage added, increased functionality, etc. Click here to see how the kitchen looking originally.

When choosing cabinetry, they were happy to entertain the idea of a bright color. We ended up choosing Greenfield Cabinetry’s color matching cabinetry in Benjamin Moore’s Bavarian Forest. Isn’t it ah-may-zing??

This kitchen is such a stunning focal point within the open floor plan, acting as a gateway between breakfast nook, dining room and living room.

We also designed a custom concrete hearth piece for the fireplace. Click here for the Before/After, it’s a transformation! Chicago Concrete Studios does amazing work, we love collaborating with local artists.

In the midst of the kitchen remodel we also renovated their master bath. The use of space and strikingly simple design choices makes it feel extra roomy and relaxing.

Photography by Stoffer Photography Interiors.

Our newest project is here to show us all how amazing a galley kitchen can be. Art de Vivre translates to “the art of living”, the knowledge of how to enjoy life. If their choice of materials is any indication, these clients really do know how to enjoy life!

This kitchen has a very “classic vintage” feel, from warm wood countertops and brass latches to the beautiful blooming wallpaper and blue cabinetry in the butler pantry.

Follow the hashtag #ArtdeVivre to keep up to date on this project!

You’ve met #TheRambler, but you may not recognize this particular angle. The original plan was to open up and enlarge their master bath (read through the plan here). When we finished that, the homeowners loved it so much they decided to add the kitchen to their remodel!

We are going to open up the space in a big way, so the flow of the living room, kitchen and dining room is more cohesive. The kitchen is getting a super style upgrade with some natural black walnut with a brand new touchless matte black finish that feels like velvet. Modern bliss!

We are so excited to show you the finished kitchen AND master bath. Continue to follow along with the hashtag #TheRambler to keep up to date on this project.

We are so excited to announce a new addition to the E&B team! Meet Bea (pronounced bee-ah). Bea is our Junior Designer. We did a little Q&A so you can get to know her a little better.

Q. Tell us a little about yourself. A. I am a young design professional. I have a degree in Interior Design, as well as Fashion Marketing, so I enjoy everything about interiors, fashion and everything in between. Q. As Junior Designer, what will you be doing for Ember & Brune? A. As Junior Interior Designer for Ember & Brune I will utilize my creative eye to select materials, finishes and furniture, create drawings and 3D rendering images to communicate the design to the client and assist with the client interactions. Q. What do you do for fun?

A. When I am not working I enjoy exploring the city, admiring the architecture, enjoying the cuisines, and attending a concert, a comedy show or a farmers market.