Coddington Design | San Francisco interior design

October 7, 2011
by Melanie Coddington
3 Comments

Bringing Back Beautiful Dining Rooms

A new report on the future of interior design predicts that dining rooms are headed for the same fate as shag carpets. Under-used and collecting dust, dining rooms are slated to transition into the new space for expanding home offices and household entertainment centers. Actually, dining rooms have been downsizing since the Middle Ages where they started off as the giant dining halls of castle owners to more intimate rooms known as parlors to the eventual dining rooms we’re familiar with today. Continue Reading →

October 3, 2011
by Melanie Coddington
0 comments

Moxie File: Daphne Guinness

She lives off Red Bull and Ensure. She openly admits to avoiding solid food altogether and recently told a reporter ‘she’ll eat when she’s dead’. She claims she dresses for old people who look at her funny in the airport but she is one of the most revered and inspired fashion icons in the world. Her aesthetic has been described as “often futuristic, but she also appears to have come from a bygone age when getting dressed was considered a demanding form of self-expression, rather than an opportunity to wallow in spandex-enabled comfort.” She inspires me in both design and fashion especially after running into a client at Trader Joe’s in my workout clothes. Continue Reading →

September 26, 2011
by Melanie Coddington
5 Comments

Wallpaper Revival: It’s Not Boring Anymore

Does the mention of wallpaper bring up squeamish memories of your dentist’s beige-on-beige office decor or perhaps it’s a reminder of Aunt Beatrice’s homage to Laura Ashley and her prized Hummel collection? Well, I’m happy to announce that wallpaper is back from the dismal years of boring and boring-with-flowers and has renewed itself as an engaging contender in the world of interior design. More than the innovative new methods to apply wallpaper, the biggest shift has been the expanded perspective of color and pattern amongst wallpaper designs. Shake off the notion of wallpaper as rolls of sparse daisies or tiresome paisley and take a look at how technology and craftsmanship has infused new life into this old world design star. Continue Reading →

September 13, 2011
by Melanie Coddington
2 Comments

The Wild and Shiny Fall Trends of 2011

It’s Fall Fashion Week in New York and it’s a doozy. We’re entering a time of bold and bright colors in fashion and that means design is sure to follow. Say goodbye to the days of muted greys and 12 shades of off-white and get ready for boundary breaking palettes like mustard yellow, emerald green and a ton of zigzag chevron patterns. Continue Reading →

August 11, 2011
by Melanie Coddington
7 Comments

Favorite Film Interiors: Interior Design in Movies

Sometimes you love a movie because of the plot and sometimes you love a movie just because James Franco is no where to be seen. For design lovers, our attachment to films is often based around the interiors as they offer inspiration of design & architecture, the innovation of materials or the primal longing to wake up in a luxurious penthouse all your own. If you’re experiencing a drought of ideas for your own clients or your own living room makeover, a quick fix is to crack into your Netflix account and push these favorites to the top of your queue: Continue Reading →

July 11, 2011
by Melanie Coddington
2 Comments

Kids Live Here Too: Designing a Room for Kids

Interior design for a kid’s bedroom? It’s usually one of the last priorities from a budget and a design perspective but including a child’s living space into the grand design of your home is one of our specialties. From nurseries to teen caves, these are some of the most lived in rooms of a home and we love to design bedrooms that flow with the action and change in their lives. Continue Reading →

June 29, 2011
by Melanie Coddington
1 Comment

Ram Heads Are Girly Modern. Seriously.

I should come clean from the start that I am an Aries. We are the spontaneous, action oriented, energetic go-getters of the zodiac wheel and our symbol is the ram. So that may have something to do with my recent growing obsession with ram heads. I know, I know, this is probably conjuring visions of a shaggy wall-mounted taxidermy head in a dusty study but I’m about to change your mind. Continue Reading →

June 17, 2011
by Melanie Coddington
3 Comments

Impossible to Resist: The Glamour of Chandeliers

The most dazzling statement of elegance in a home is, undoubtedly, the chandelier. With its graceful and illuminating presence, it is most often the centerpiece of a room. Chandeliers have a long history: they made their debut in the homes of society’s upper echelons during the 15th century. During that time, keeping a home lit in the evening was a huge expense and the luxury of keeping these ornate pieces ablaze with candles was reserved for the Kardashians of the age. Luckily, chandeliers have become more accessible but it’s still heart-thumping to walk into a home and catch a glimpse of a traditional crystal chandelier like this. Continue Reading →

June 3, 2011
by Melanie Coddington
3 Comments

E-Decorating: Real Design in Two Weeks

click to enlarge

I grew up amongst the redwoods and hemp plants of Northern California. Macrame plant hangers and beanbag living room sets hinted at the non-existence of interior designers in the hippie enclave I knew as home. In my early years, I wasn’t even aware interior design was a career option but as I grew, I became fascinated with the idea of creating environments that were built on inspirations and individual passions. My life in Los Angeles and San Francisco inspired me to transform that feeling into vibrant colors, elegant furniture and striking art for each client I work with.

When I’m out mixing and mingling I’m often asked “what’s new at Coddington Design?” Lately, I’ve been answering with an enthusiastic “e-design!” and then I get the inevitable blank stare followed by “e-what?” Continue Reading →

May 27, 2011
by Melanie Coddington
1 Comment

Guilty Inspiration: Gossip Girl

Inspiration is a designer’s bread-and-butter. It’s the source of good ideas, exciting jobs, and stunning results. Sure, I can find design inspiration in all the normal, respectable places like an untouched landscape, the Louvre, and time spent with a Richard Serra sculpture but my secret treasure trove of note scribbling, heart palpitating sparks comes from a more guilty pleasure, a pre-teen novel turned tv show known as Gossip Girl. Continue Reading →