Client Design: Update

With the move-in date for this family approaching quickly, I have been focusing on the decor and furniture for this home.  The finishes, lighting, paint, flooring, and cabinets have been chosen and installed, and now it is time to focus on the furniture as the last few details come together.

I love seeing all of the finishes come together and be installed in new construction.  It is one of my favorite parts of construction.  But now I am very excited to set my focus on the interiors and the pretty details that will make this house a home.

The main focus, at this point, is the Great Room.  This is the main family room, hang out area, and tv room.  So it needs to be a showstopper, yet still casual and livable.

This is the Great Room fireplace and built-in bookcases as it was in progress.  This is the main focal point of the room.  This area sets the tone for the rest of the space -- transitional, bright, and casual.

I chose Amazing Gray by Sherwin Williams for the main color throughout most of the room, with some additional paint colors in the bathrooms and bedrooms.

I use this color ALL THE TIME in homes!  If you are looking for the perfect warm gray paint -- look no further!!

A better look of the space I am working with -- way back in the early days of construction of this home.

I LOVE that this space is lined with huge windows.  There are even more windows on the opposite wall of the fireplace.  It is going to be so bright and beautiful!  Natural light makes any room look better.

A sneak peek of how the fireplace is coming along.....still needs some grout at this point. 

I worked with the client on what she envisions for the furniture and decor of the Great Room.  Our goal is to keep it beautifully designed in mainly neutrals, yet livable.  With 3 young kids, durability and comfort is very important! 

Inspiration for the space......

HGTV Dream Home 2015

from My Sweet Savannah Blog

from Decozilla

from Homebunch

from Chic Coastal Living

I have to mention that you see this room as you walk in the front door, even though it is at the back of the house.  So, it is important to add interest and lots of pattern to draw your eye in. 

You will also get a glimpse of the dining area before your eyes hit the Great Room.  So, all of those factors have to work together and all of the spaces have to work together in their own unique way.

I am pretty obsessed with this light fixture we chose to hang over the dining table!!!!  Oh, and don't mind those toilets!  They have since been moved to their appropriate places.  But you can see how open the space is from room to room.

Before I started furniture shopping it is important to look at the size and exact dimensions of your space, so that you don't buy pieces that won't fit in your space or that are even too small for your space.  Anyone can make a simple furniture plan like this for free online HERE.  

This is the basic furniture plan for the Great Room.  I now know what size sofas will work in the space.  A large sofa and smaller love seat will be perfect for this family of five.  I know that two smaller accent chairs with a small accent table between the two are needed to help balance out that symmetry.  And there is even space for an additional occasional chair in the corner with a small table and floor lamp.  This shows us what a 9'x12' rug looks like with all of the furniture.  And shows that we could even do a larger rug if we wanted to, but definitely nothing smaller.  Clients love seeing this because it really helps them visualize the new space. 

 My client and I both fell in love with this little table as soon as we saw it walking into the store.  The simple style and driftwood colored wood was perfect for the space.  It was a must buy!!

I love the style of this simple accent chair.  It wasn't too big to have two in the space, but big enough to lounge in and be comfortable.  Just had to find the perfect, fun fabric for it!

I knew this sofa would be perfect for the space because it is traditional enough to look beautiful in the space, yet casual and comfortable at the same time.

Choosing the fabrics for all of these pieces are my favorite part!

This is what we ended up getting for the space (minus the rug -- this is just one I like for now).  I think it looks very similar to our inspiration photos, but still unique and its own space.  I would never want to copy another design nor do I create the same design for multiple clients.  Each space should be unique and a little different to make it their own.  So excited to include some accessories and finishing details to this space.  Stay tuned!

Collins on Zulily

I've posted and preached and shouted from the rooftops how much I love the work and art of FOR THE LOVE OF LETTERS a local artist and shop created by Erin Barrett.  I always get SO giddy when her signs go on sale at Zulily that I just HAD to share what I purchased today!

What to know about For the Love of Letters on Zulily.......

-->   the sale will actually be from Collins.  This is the manufacturer (I think) of the signs.  So on Zulily, look for Collins to find these signs.

-->  you can get email notifications a day in advance for your favorite Zulily brands.  I am fairly new to shopping with Zulily, no kids!  So, I was pretty excited when I figured out the 'heart' next to the name of the item saves it to a favorites list and emails you a notification when that sale is arriving again!  Thanks for the heads up! 

-->  not everything on the Collins sale is created by Erin Barrett from For The Love of Letters.  I know her handwriting style by now, I have bought so many of her pieces, so I can usually tell if it is her work or not.  Look for her initials on every piece if you are unsure.

-->  i am a zulily affiliate, so you can always shop through my website! :)  zulily banner is always on the left-hand side

What I bought today on Zulily from Collins!!

Gold Arrow Wall Sign

"Be Brave' Wall Sign

"She is Clothed in Strength' Box Sign

'Rise and Shine' Wall Sign

"Wash Your Hands' Box Sign

These will all be for clients and projects that I am currently working on....not sure which ones yet, but they will be put to good use.  I have a couple of kids' rooms and nurseries (yes plural!!) so these signs are going to be perfect for all these rooms I am working on for the little ones! Can't wait to show them in the spaces!

I am also loving some of the brand new product For the Love of Letters has introduced......such as these banners!!  

Shop the COLLINS sale HERE or zulily anytime HERE!  

(i am a zulily affiliate and get compensated for sales, but i love their products and do not get compensated for posting and sharing my favorite items)

World Market vs. Restoration Hardware Lighting

Do you love Restoration Hardware as much as I do.....but can't necessarily afford to buy everything in their stores like we would all like to do?!?  I will admit, I think some of their items and furniture are great prices because of what you are getting -- amazing quality and one of a kind pieces.  

But for other items, if you can find something similar for hundreds less, I might just go for the one that is hundreds less....after all, it is all about attaining that high-end style at an affordable budget! 

Lighting is like the jewelry of an outfit....someone once said.  It takes it to the next level.  Gives it that glam and sparkle every room (outfit) needs.  It completes a space.  Lighting is SO important to a space, and the design and style of lighting is even more important.  It can make a room a completely different space just by changing the light fixture.  

I am sharing some of my favorites from Restoration Hardware today.....but showing you a copy cat version, for much, much less from World Market! 

Obviously, there are additional details and quality and grandeur that comes along with the Restoration Hardware lighting and their higher pricing.  We are definitely not comparing apples to apples here.  But if you LOVE RH lighting like I do, and don't have a huge budget for their lighting, WM is definitely a great alternative until you can save up for the real thing! 

All of these lights were hand picked and put together by me.  This is a collection of some of my favorite lighting from World Market and Restoration Hardware.  I made sure to compare lighting with the closest dimensions for most accurate price comparisons.  All links to purchase lighting are included.  

$795

FOUCAULT'S ORB CHANDELIER FROM RESTORATION HARDWARE 18"

$150

METAL ORB CHANDELIER FROM WORLD MARKET 18"

$695

SPUTNIK FILAMENT CHANDELIER FROM RESTORATION HARDWARE 21"

$250

13-BULB CLUSTER CHANDELIER FROM WORLD MARKET 20.5" SQ.

$595

MODERN FILAMENT PENDANT FROM RESTORATION HARDWARE 14" SQ. 

$100

FOUR-SIDED GLASS HANGING PENDANT FROM WORLD MARKET 14"

{World Market light in my niece's playroom}

$1295

SALVAGED DRIFTWOOD GLOBE PENDANT FROM RESTORATION HARDWARE 24"

$250

DRIFTWOOD ORB CHANDELIER FROM WORLD MARKET 23"

$1195

PARISIAN WOOD & ZINC CHANDELIER FROM RESTORATION HARDWARE 31"

$150

GRAY VINTAGE CHANDELIER FROM WORLD MARKET 27"

{World Market light shown in client's kitchen}

$3595 Sale Price $2525

WELLES CLEAR CRYSTAL ROUND CHANDELIER FROM RESTORATION HARDWARE 28"

$129

ACRYLIC DRUM PENDANT LAMP FROM WORLD MARKET 20"

$425

ROUND SHADE PENDANT FROM RESTORATION HARDWARE 20"

$90

BILLIE PENDANT LAMP FROM WORLD MARKET 18"

There you have it!  Another great way to save on lighting.  By saving hundreds of dollars on lighting, you will definitely be comprising some quality and details of the more expensive choice.  So just know what you are getting, read reviews, and understand that you get what you pay for.  Check out some other High vs. Low posts including Restoration Hardware HERE.  

Have a great weekend and stay warm!!  

E-Design to Guest Bedroom

An E-Design (design services through email) is perfect for those outside of the Indianapolis area or even for those of you wanting to complete the decorating yourself and may not want to spend the money on hiring a full-time designer.  This is a great chance to decorate a room all at once or at your own pace.  It allows you the opportunity to visualize the space with all of the pieces together before spending a lot of money on them.

I helped this client design their entire home as you can see here.  So when it came to the Guest Bedroom, they weren't ready to completely design it right away.  Instead, I decided to create a Design Board of the space for her, that she could shop from at her own pace.

This is the first Design Board I put together.  I chose Dutch Tile Blue by Sherwin Williams for the walls and the client asked for coral accents.  I love the combination of coral and blues.

I then came across this duvet cover from West Elm, on clearance, so the Design Board was changed to work around that.  I thought about different drapery options at varying prices -- high and low.  Left curtain in the chevron pattern was from West Elm and the one of the right is from Target.

I started to feel like there was too much blue.  So I switched to these creamy white curtain panels from Target and changed out the accent pillows when I fell in love with this Greek key pillow from Target.  This is the final Design Board I sent to the client.  With this, she received a precise shopping list to buy these exact pieces to create the room.

You can see the living room, master bedroom, and master bathroom I designed for them here.  

And some of the other design process for this home HERE and HERE.

Here is how the room is shaping up......

If you have been wanting to try a blue wall paint in a bedroom or bathroom, I would highly recommend this Dutch Tile Blue from Sherwin Williams.  I loved the color, yet softness of this paint.

{found out more about my E-Design services HERE!!


{photos are not best quality as I snapped them quickly with my phone!}