Confessions of an Interior Designer
I have to be honest, the design shows on TV, while being entertaining, really get on my nerves sometimes. They come in and look at the space or house to be renovated then go back and sit down, spin around in their chair to a wall of samples and pull out the perfect thing - just like one, two, three!😳 Well, I would love to say it’s that quick but I would be telling a fib!
This is week 2 of the One Room Challenge in which I am a guest participant. I’m SO excited to be part of this event and to be renovating my office space. Now for the confession part - I had to start in February to begin the clean out process of my room to be ready to start in May. Brain storming of design was next. There are always things that you love but then there are things that you love that you can actually afford to do. All of this back and forth takes time, thought and planning. My cabinets are from IKEA. That was not my 1st choice. I wanted to use one of my local cabinet vendors but because everyone is building or renovating, that wasn’t an option. So, after renting a U-Haul, a trip to Charlotte and 5 ½ hours later I had a van full of very thin boxes that would need to be assembled. Thanks again to my brother we got them put together and staged in my Dining room for a few weeks.
Because of this crazy time I was concerned and wanted to make sure that I could get my selections on time so I guess I’ve been preparing for a couple months. But, the space is being transformed in real time. This week my cabinets went in, I confirmed the stain for my table/desk, took the custom made steel legs my brother made to be Powder Coated and selected the window treatment fabric.
There are still decisions to be made. What kind of chairs do I want? What kind and color of rug do I want? How to set up the internet equipment & etc so that it’s not a complete hot mess! So, many more details to come!
Blessings,
One Room Challenge
One Room Challenge Home Office
I’m so excited to join the One Room Challenge as a Guest Participant and partner with some of my favorite vendors to renovate my office space. Everyone has heard the saying that “the cobblers children need new shoes” well it is true. I help my clients renovate & refresh their spaces while mine is stuck in the 2000’s or just a plain junk room/catch all!
In preparation I’ve been cleaning out my space. On TV it is so simple. One shot it is a wreck and the next shot — clean. They don’t tell you about all of the work in between. This process of cleaning out has taken me on a walk down memory lane. I have a hard time letting go. But I’m choosing to pass on things that have collected dust and hopefully someone else will give them new life as I am choosing that for my office space.
When I decided to commit- my mind was whirling with all the lovely things that I could use for my space. I’ll tell you a little secret - designing my own space is much harder that doing it for my clients. I guess just knowing all of the possibilities is just more than our designer brains can handle. So, don’t feel bad when you can’t narrow down your choices. It happens to the best of us.
In this process of deciding what direction I will take I like to look for an inspiration piece. In this project, I found pictures of a couple offices that I really liked. They incorporated my favorite color with white which is what I was leaning towards(brand colors :)). I like to sketch through my thoughts and the possibilities. A mood board is my starting point. I use Pinterest. I pull all the things I love then work on what actually will work best in the space and what I can afford. Yes, budget is always a consideration, even for me.
This process is exactly the way I start pulling ideas together for my clients. I meet with them, discuss their needs, wants and style and then start working on design ideas for their project. I hope you will enjoy coming along with me as I transform my office into a great work space that inspires creativity! It has wonderful natural lighting and even with all of the stuff in there now, it still makes me happy. So get ready for some fun!
Blessings,
Celebrating 18 Years
Today, June 1, 2020, I celebrate 18 years of being in business! I started my business in 2002 so that I could do what I love and also be able to take care of my 1 year old daughter. She is 19 now! Family is one of the most important things for me and as I have gone about doing what I love, I have discovered that it is most important for my clients also. Over the last 18 years I have helped you make your living rooms fit your style, helped you make the choices of exterior and interior finish selections for your forever homes, redone bathrooms, master bedrooms, and your children’s rooms. I have even helped some of you with celebrations when your children got married. What a wonderful ride!
I realize that what is most important is not really how expensive or glamorous your space is, it is how it actually functions for you and your family. One of the best compliments I have ever received from a client was when she told me that our taste was the same. She thought that my personal taste matched hers exactly. Well, that is not quite true. My job as an interior designer is to figure out what is most important to you and what your space needs and deliver that to you. The spaces that I have helped you create are the places that you spend the most important time of your day - time with your families. More than ever that truth is shining through. Combining your needs and my design is a lovely thing.
What are some common requests that I receive when meeting with my clients? See if yours is in my list:
We want comfortable seating
Don’t cover all of my window with the window treatment
When do we pick the paint color?
We want this space to be functional
Where do we start?
So, where do you start? A free 15 minute call with me and we can see if my services can help you. If so, we will schedule an Initial Consultation that lasts up to 90 minutes where we will go through your needs and talk about ideas and start developing a plan to proceed. I encourage people to not get overwhelmed. Take it one step at a time and each decision helps you make the next one. Designing a new space or renovation of an old one can be so much fun! Keep the designing coming and I'll keep the ideas flowing!
Blessings,
Mantels - What to do with them?
It all begins with an idea.
Since we have all been social distancing and staying home more, I have been looking at my home more, particularly my mantels and am so tired of what I see. But I can’t go out to my favorite store or antique shop to find that inspiration piece or fun find. I can find an inspirational photo of a mantle that I love. Pinterest is my go to for inspiration a lot of the time. I went to my mantel board on Pinterest and found a photo that was nice. I liked the gold touches and all of the candles. The greenery in the fireplace box gives a spring-fresh feel that I was hoping for.
For me I needed to clear & clean off my mantle. Confession time- I still had my Christmas mantle stuff there until sometime in March. It was not Christmasy colors, more wintery so I was okay with it. It was not a priority. After I have everything put away it always looks so naked after Christmas and I am ready for something new.
Second, shop your inventory of items. In my inspiration photo they had a piece of art over the mantle. I didn’t have a piece that I wanted to use. So, I left the mirror there because it is gold and would go with the look. I searched my stash of silk greenery and found some things I could use. (I tend to let real plants die.) I started pulling brass candlesticks of all sizes and some books for height because there are some in the inspiration photo and books are always good on a mantle. I needed something green/twiggy and found some silk florals to put in a gold vase for the organic movement and height. I also added some “chicks” (succulents) in mini urns that I’ve had for years and love. I played around with the placement of the items and added my plain white candles to all of my brass candlesticks and just love how it all turned out. I didn’t have any of the items like in the inspiration photo but I did have candles of different heights and sizes, books, frames and greenery. After I was finished it still looked a little naked. So I added the mini boxwood wreath on my mirror with some ribbon. The wreath is actually a candle ring. I really like the touch of green in a very gold/white mantle scape. Greenery is a life giving element that should not be overlooked in design.
I didn’t spend a dime :) and won’t feel bad when I’m ready for a change. I am enjoying looking at my mantle and the personal touches that I added with the special photo of my daughter & I plus the framed word HOPE. She hand wrote that for me on a piece of scrapbook paper. I like that reminder. I think we all need that during these times. We are not alone or forgotten!
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12
Enjoy your people and this time at home!
Love and Blessings,
