Over this past New Years weekend my hubbie and I flew to New Jersey for my good friend’s daughter’s wedding. Well, we didn’t actually fly into New Jersey – we flew to Philadelphia and drove to Avalon, but that’s neither here nor there.  But, let me tell you…..what a treat we were in for!  We’d never been there, in fact, we’d never even heard of Avalon until our friends and their family went in together to build an incredible three story vacation home there.  (Which is a-ma-zing by the way, but I’ll concentrate on that on another post)

The wedding and the reception were at a charming hotel called the Icona Garden Inn right on the beach in Avalon.  It was recently updated and the décor and the atmosphere was instantly inviting, fresh and “happy” from the moment you entered the lobby.

Of course, like most designers, I look for and admire good design wherever it may be and this was no exception.  So I thought I would share it with you in case you need some fun inspiration and design ideas for your own home or business.

Royal navy blue and white is the color palette throughout the space….and it is very upbeat and refreshing.  Sleek, transitional pieces like these were tucked here and there with a hip, modern flare.

But, there is also an eclectic mix of other interesting styles sprinkled throughout as well.  A mix that makes it “beachy” yet classic at the same time – as noted with this blue and white pottery on this fun bleached wood table.  The round shell mirror lightens the mood and makes it youthful and fun.  Nothing seems too heavy or “over-serious” (like some hotels – if you know what I mean).

This is great idea for your own home on an entry wall or any large wall that needs some sort of embellishment.

This sleek tufted sofa with its blue and white pillows and fresh painting above is serene and settling.  The simple style of the dark X-back chairs across the tables is a nice compliment and balance to the sofa. Again, nothing too heavy or serious with the mix of textures and styles.  It makes for a very inviting space.

Some of the sitting areas had the reverse of the royal navy blue seating.  These white tailored chairs with the royal navy pillows also very fresh, fun and beachy.  And, yet, again, very timeless and classic.

Wouldn’t these styles and colors look great in your own space?  Imagine your living room or family room with these pieces?  This fresh, happy color combination?  Only I’d be sure and paint the wall behind the white sofa a royal navy, too.  How pretty and striking would that be?

Cozy seating by the much needed fire.  Notice here they have more traditional pieces on this great navy and cream rug.  I rather like the idea of two sofas across from each other in front of a fireplace.  It makes for a nice conversation space.  We clustered together here many times throughout the weekend.

A softer blue in a more traditional style here with some squishy blue and cream stripe pillows.  And, next to it is the round, cream tufted ottoman.  The beachy shades of blues and whites sprinkled throughout the space.  Comfy and complimentary of each other.

Love the artwork against this soft white paneled wall.  That would be another fun idea to steel from this hotel and apply to your own home.  I know the whole world is into shiplap right now, but if you can dare to broaden your horizons this is a great look, too.

Here’s an idea for you to consider, too.  Designers do this sort of thing all the time with the banding down each side of the drapery panel.  Now picture this navy blue panel without the banding…….not as fun and fresh is it?  This sort of thing completely changes the personality of a solid fabric.  If you can’t afford to have this sort of thing custom made consider purchasing ready-made drapes and purchasing the border separately.  You can sew it on, use stitch witchery to iron it on or a fabric glue to adhere it to the panel.  This would be a way for you to freshen up your drapes without breaking the bank.

This simple addition makes the drapes much more interesting and lends much more impact to the space.

And, last but not least, how about this cool carpet?  If you’d like to add color and texture something like this might be perfect for your space.  This would look great in a game room or a media room.  Or even on stairs like they have it here.  And, it would certainly hide a multitude of sins!

A fun weekend – not just because of all the new design ideas…..but, because of the great peeps we were with….

Some are missing from this picture, but I’m glad some of us found a little time to go for a stroll on the beach before the rain hit.

By the way there’s still more on the wedding weekend to come so don’t forget to check back in!  Can’t wait to show you this incredibly beautiful town and their phenomenal house. You’ll die!

(And, in case you’re interested I actually just did a post about her bridal shower in November if you’d like to check it out here).

The allure of blue and white……always a classic!

The allure of a fun wedding with great friends…..irresistible!

Happy Decorating!