From shag carpeting to shabby chick to IKEA, this interactive infographic visualises a history of interior design.

1950s interior design was characterized by modernism and influenced by the Danish design movement, with crisp, sweeping lines and vivid coloring.

During the free love movement of the 1960s, interior designers reacted to the wholesome, traditional family values of the ‘50s with post-modernist riffs on elements of the past (Victorian and Georgian-inspired furniture) and the imagined future (groovy lava lamps).

The 1970s saw the birth of DIY culture, Space Age-influenced styles (like that pod chair), and the hippie movement’s preference for rustic, “natural” furniture of teak and pine.

The 1980s saw the birth of “shabby chic” and the avant garde Memphis Group in Milan, with furniture in bold geometric shapes and colors. The decade of excess also brought plenty of chintzy, ostentatious interiors.

1990s interior design reigned in the excess of the '80s, opting for more minimalism and lots and lots of pine furniture.

The 2000s saw the Ikea flatpack furniture takeover and a bigger integration of tech into interior design, with flatscreen TVs channeling home cinema.

In the 2010s, self-expression has come to define the approach to interior design. So has economizing–the recession has led to smaller furniture with built-in storage.

Inspired by FastCoDesign; Images from Harvey Water Softeners

Use these genius ideas to help de-clutter and hide eyesores in your house.

1. Fancy storage boxes to conceal your router

2. Add wallpaper to the fridge

3. Or give it a coat of chalkboard paint

4. Create a drawer for your printer

5. Use wall art to turn add character to your wires

6. Or build an equally awesome mini-fence

7. Transform a plain door with paint and masking tape

8. Turn a low drawer into a pet-feeding hutch

9. Create a ceiling rope-hung rack instead of your standard garment rack

10. Make over your washing machines with electrical tape

11. Add a fresh coat of paint to your garage door

12. Turn your balcony into a yard with astroturf

13. Spray-paint your folding chairs

14. Stash peek-a-boo plants in your cinder blocks

15. Buy or sew your own crate cover for the pup

Inspired by BuzzFeed; Images from sweetsanitydesigns, erinlauray, amazon, houzz, freshome, kellysmoonlight, apartmenttherapy, abeautifulmess, bhg, neturagrass

When the worlds of contemporary art and high-end fashion collide you know the result is going to be high-octane and glamorous.

Earlier this year, luxury hotel Naumi in Singapore spruced up its guestrooms with Coco Chanel and Andy Warhol inspired themes.

The chic 73-room hotel, which is located slap bang in the middle of Singapore’s central business district, is a stone’s throw away from the Suntec Convention Centre, the Formula One Track and a myriad of inner-city shopping centres.

With chic monochrome and pale green hues, both rooms are decked with designer furnishings, featuring an origami pendant lamp. Artistic interpretations of Coco Chanel’s iconic flower the Camellia grace the walls, alongside lush floor-to-ceiling silk curtains.

The stylish rooms also feature large bathrooms with a powerful rain-shower, and a smokescreen bathroom glass panel that switches from clear to frosted at the touch of a button – how cool! We love the colossal freestanding bathtub.

If high-end fashion is not your thing then the equally glamorous art inspired rooms may just tick the right boxes. A combination of quirky and fun, the rooms bring a playful and urban ambiance.

“Art is what you can get away with,” said Andy Warhol. And artistic license reigns in the Andy Warhol inspired rooms, Eden and Nirwana. Decadently and stylishly designed, with standout furniture featuring the Andy Warhol themed rooms feature interesting shapes and dramatic pops of colour. Specially commissioned artwork by Olivier Henry of the Singapore skyline and Thai artist Pariwat has been sourced to make the rooms standout. Decked out to resemble a swanky New York penthouse, the oversized bed takes centre stage, with a fabulous circular bathtub hidden behind a revolving screen.

Other designer furnishings in the Coco Chanel and Andy Warhol themed rooms include Apple TVs, toiletries by Malin + Goetz, high-speed WiFi and Apple’s AirPlay Mirroring.

The luxury hotel’s Coco Chanel and Andy Warhol inspired rooms are fun, stylish and ideal if you’re looking for a special experience in the heart of Singapore.

Naumi Hotel, 41 Seah Street, Singapore 188396, naumihotel.com

Inspired by Adelto; Images by Adelto.

Bookshelves not only store all your favorite books, but they also give you a place to display decorative accessories. 

It gives you a chance to bring in color, texture and personality to a room. And that can be accomplished even when the shelves are only holding books. Here are seven decorator ideas to help you create beautifully arranged bookshelves.

Decorating Bookshelves

1. Use bookshelves to carry on your color scheme. Unify the look by adding accessories that repeat the main colors of the room.

House to Home

2. When lining up multiple bookshelves with adjustable shelving, vary the heights of the shelves in each unit. This will add movement and visual interest.

Sharon Portnoy Design

3. To give bookshelves a sleeker more polished look, add glass doors. The doors will also help cut down on your dusting.

Houzz

4. Create a stylish and unexpected display by hanging artwork and other decorative items from the front of bookshelves.

Houzz

5. Make your built-in bookcases standout by painting them in a contrasting color from the walls.

Houzz

6. If you have lots of colorful books and accessories, bring in some black-and-white artwork to break up all the color.

Houzz 

7. Don’t overload bookshelves with lots of accessories. Keep things simple and it won’t look cluttered. Take time to step back and view your display to see if it’s balanced and visually pleasing.

Better Homes and Gardens

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Hop on to the Couchelo iPhone App to see our many unique, vintage and contemporary decor items to decorate your bookshelves with. 

1. Glee star Jayma Mays and actor Adam Campbell in the living room of their Los Angeles home. 

Click here for our post on Jayma May’s Los Angeles Home.

2. Mary Kate Olsen and Olivier Sarkozy’s $13.5 million, 8000 square feet Turtle Bay Garden Home

Click here or image for our post on Mary Kate Olsen’s Home.

3. Jonathan Adler’s Kaleidoscopic New York Apartment

Click here or image for our post on Jonathan Adler’s Home.

4. Ellen Degeners and Portia De Rossi’s horse ranch home in Santa Monica Mountains.

Click here or image for our post on Ellen and Portia’s Home.

5. Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynold’s Ex Establishment. The Buff & Hensman designed “Wong House” was built in 1969 in the Los Feliz hills.

Click here or image for our post on Johansson and Reynold’s Home.

2014 may not be the year of emerald according to Pantone but the Couchelo team still loves all shades of green when it comes to decorating the home (it is our signature colour afterall!). In honour of St. Patrick’s day, we’ve rounded up our top unique ways of incorporating green into your home:

1. Green wallpaper

We love this unexpected forest photo print wallpaper for any living space which evokes a sense of tranquility and brings the outdoors inside

2. Green headboard

If committing to an entire green wall is too much for you, why not try changing the headboard of your bed and there’s a million and one possibilities in terms of colour and fabrics to play with.

3. Green chairs

Bright green chairs with a neutral dining table is an easy way of adding a pop of colour to the space. We adore the sculptural shape of the chairs here as well.

4. Green statement carpet

Don’t just confide green to the walls, have green carpets line a white stairwell or star as the centerpiece in a white room to keep things looking fresh. The matching emerald lamp in the corner is a nice touch too

5. Green kitchen appliances

This mint fridge is retro-chic but fits in perfectly with in the clean lines of a modern Scandanavian-designed house like above. 

6. Green cabinets

These chic olive cabinets will never go out of style and complement the rustic wooden bench perfectly.

7. Greenery

Succulents are the latest in house plants right now, not only are they strangely beautiful but very low maintenance as well, perfect for those without a green thumb.

Text by Jessica Li. Images sourced from Fresh Home; Because It’s Awesome; Keltainentalorannalla; Life as a Moodboard; House Beautiful and the Brickhouse

Season 7 of Mad Men premieres on April 13 and the Couchelo team are waiting impatiently for the return of Don Draper’s antics, gorgeous 1960s fashion and most of all, the retro-chic home and office furnishings. The use of bold colours, crazy textures and clean lines makes Mad Men our favourite source of décor eye candy on TV.

So let’s take a look through the past seasons for 5 timeless designs elements that you can incorporate into your office space today:

1. The burnt orange sofa with clean lines 

Technically, there are two elements typical of mid-century design we love here (three, if you count Don’s trilby): the burn orange palette is something we’ve come to expect from the era and the clean lines and button-tufted sofa adds a simple pop of colour to the monochrome space.

2.  The “tulip” table and “mushroom” lamp in Roger’s Office

Roger Sterling’s office is a light and bright minimalist space where he spends most of his days drinking and contemplating the future of his on-again-off-again love affair with vixen Joan. Styled by his ex-wife Jane, we particularly love the mod-signature pieces such as the white Saarinen Tulip table and the Artemid Nesso desk lamp featured above.

3. The conference chairs in the creative’s lounge

The makeshift copywriter’s conference room reflects the young and progressive crowd who occupy it. The Saarinen Executive Conference Chairs provide an appropriately professional touch to an otherwise eclectic mix of furnishings.

4. The gold chinoiserie folding screen

Folding screens were all the rage in the 1960s and this oriental design was no doubt the influence of eccentric partner Bert Cooper’s obsession with the Far East. We like how the folding screen’s bold print provides a welcome distraction from the heavy use of solid colours in the space.

5. The wooden bar cart in Don’s office

And what post about Mad Men would be complete without an ode to the excessive drinking that Don Draper and Co. take part in at the office. Situated conveniently next to his desk, the wooden bar cart is simple and functional, with everything Don needs to make his Old Fashioneds.

Text by Jessica Li. Images sourced from: GQ; Elle Decor; Modern Digs; The Office Stylist; Be Colorful and The Good Men Project.

About to get your long weekend drink on? Check out these quirky and creative upcycled bottle racks to stash your wine :D

1. Milk Crate Wine Rack

Got Milk?

2. Film-inspired Wine Rack

Nordstrom keeps it classy with this gorgeous film-inspired wine rack

3. Bicycle Wine Rack

It seems crazy to combine the idea of riding a bike with wine, however this clever invention makes us wonder why someone didn’t think of this sooner?

4. Tin Can Wine Racks

Find some jumbo tin cans — the kind used for coffee grounds or crushed tomatoes — and turn them into this color-blocked wine rack

5. Tree Wine Rack

What a neat concept!

6. Wooden Pallet Wine Rack

Here is a fantastic way to utilize a small patch of wall to get your wine out on display and easy to access

7. Ski Wine Rack

You do not have to be a wine connoisseur or an expert skier to appreciate this innovative way to display your favorite vino

Say goodbye to emerald, it’s time for Radiant Orchid, Pantone’s Color Of The Year 2014, which Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman of the Pantone Color Institute, describes as “an enchanting harmony of fuchsia, purple, and pink undertones.”

We absolutely love this bold color which inspires creativity and ingenuity - one that may appeal to design-focussed, tech-savvy people in their 20s and 30s. “Radiant Orchid reaches across the color wheel to intrigue the eye and spark the imagination,” says Eiseman. “An invitation to innovation, Radiant Orchid encourages expanded creativity and originality, which is increasingly valued in today’s society.”

So what does this mean when it comes to interior design? Well, if you’re a fan like we are, use these ideas to incorporate a vibrant splash into your home decor.

1. Dining Chairs With Subtle Charm

Whether you choose a traditional/eclectic or a highly modern layout, apply a combination of colors, fabrics, textures and lighting fixtures to make your place feel like home.

2. Romantic Throw Pillows

Pillows in this colour work perfectly with neutrals as well as adding a romantic feel to any bedroom or living room.

3. Modern Interior Delight

Pairing shades of purple and maroon against white walls provide a sophisticated feel in a modern interior.

4. Complimentary Colors

Pink and yellow are both stubborn yet complimentary colors - yet they can look so awesome together.

5. Patterns and Prints

We are sure to see even more patterns and prints in this eye-catching color in the months ahead.

6. Accent With Nature

Flower color trends tend to follow those in fashion and decor too. Expect to see radiant orchid in weddings and special events in the coming months.

7. Vibrant Furnishings

Modern fresh, yet has roots to its tradition which is so inviting.

8. Upholstered and Homey

Upholstered dining sets are comfortable and homey and make it easy to linger over breakfast newspaper or a conversation.

9. Brass Tones

Pairing this tone with brass tapware is a winning combination, its the type of color that works well with both traditional and contemporary fixtures.

10. Got Art?

A centrepiece artwork in this expressive and exotic color invites confidence and warmth.