Inspirational Home Design Ideas by Mary McDonald

Ready for a bunch of amazing home design ideas? Mary McDonald is an award-winning, internationally published Los Angeles-based interior designer. She is the one of the stars of Bravo TV’s “Million DollarDecorators” & “Property Envy” series and is consistently ranked as one of House Beautiful’s Top 100 Designers.

Mary McDonald is the author of “Interiors: The Allure of Style” from Rizzoli publishing and has been honored as one of the top 25 designers by Veranda Magazine. Her licensed product lines include an acclaimed fabric collection for F. Schumacher & Company, lighting for Robert Abbey, rugs for Patterson, Flynn and Martin, and furniture for Chaddock Home.

Let’s now Mary better:

A pattern I can’t live without is stripes. They’re so basic and universal; they can be modern or traditional.

There is such a thing as clashing colors, but I can’t say there’s any rule about colors that go together. It’s more about the value of a color, its tonality. You have to strive for balance, so if you’re going to make it clash, make it clash evenly.

My rule for mixing patterns: Patterns don’t have to match but all the colors should work together and they should be all different scales.

Two things that add instant glamour are oversized door pulls and all-mirrored powder rooms.

My favorite room in the world is Nancy Lancaster’s yellow library. Very old-school and weird-old-lady with urns and flowers but so glamorous.

If I had to decorate using two sources only, they would be JF Chen for furniture, and Schumacher showroom for fabric and Patterson Flynn and Martin rugs.

My top three favorite stores in L.A. would have to be Govinda’s, the Hare Krishna store, which sells saris and textiles they get straight from India—and it all smells like incense and vegetarian food. I love the architecture of the Gucci store; the stuff inside is just a plus. I also love Book Soup.alnuts and crackers.

I’m pro scented candles. Especially Manuel Canovas candles, which smell like none other.

The most extravagant purchase I’ve made is a Giambattista Valli ball gown that I have nowhere to wear. I also have bolts of fabric for homes I don’t have yet. Some people call it hoarding but to me it’s just creativity, and it’s much less expensive than owning the actual homes.

My favorite sheets are Frette, D. Porthault, Pratesi, Sferra and Leontine Linens. If I were in a log cabin I wouldn’t mind flannel sheets but I don’t like being in a log cabin.

My signature decorating touches: Even in a modern room, something that has a little old–world glamour like a pair of french fauteuils or paneled walls or an urn. I also tend to use a palette of just two or three colors evenly placed around the room.

Projects:

Let’s see some classic, elegant and modern interiors designed by Mary McDonald, one of the most recognized interior designers of the world. These home design ideas may help you with your own projects.