A Home Living Project

Last post I promised lots of before and after photos were on the way. I haven't forgotten. Today, I give you round two of The Summer of Before & After . . .

A warning first: This project is NOT before and after images from a home staging. This is a home living project. A few months ago we helped the homeowner's sell their old home. So when they moved, they asked us to help them create a design plan for their new place.

Creating a space for a client to live in is vastly different than helping them stage a home to sell. Design for living must take into account the homeowner's personal tastes and belongings. Great Aunt Helga's crocheted doily that we made them pack away when the house was on the market is probably going to be on display in the new home. Or bold wall colors that would never fly when selling a house, will now have to be incorporated into the design plan. Essentially, designing for a client long-term involves taking their conglomeration of stuff and personal taste, and finding a way to tie it all together in a pleasing fashion. This project is an example of doing just that . . .

 

We first visited this sweet couple just two days after their move. Things were still in boxes. Nothing was on walls. There was no lamp light. And it was really hard to see the home's potential. What we did notice, though, is that the client had unknowingly established a color palette. The primary color they inadvertently chose was a very deep blue with grey & green undertones. They had also established through upholstery and paint choices the secondary colors of brown and green. So even though things were in total disarray, we had a starting point -- Blue, Brown, and Green.

We gave the couple our thoughts about furniture placement and items they still needed like rugs, bedding, and a pair of club chairs. (Every home should have a matching pair of club chairs!) We also established a budget and list of shopping items that we would source in order to make their existing items come to life in the new home.

Dining BEFORE

In the dining room we started out with their existing, very traditional Thomasville table, chairs, and china cabinet. The client also had a small antique buffet. The mirror was a bit of an afterthought. It was a piece they'd had for years and nearly forgotten. It sort of stood out among the accessory items stored in the garage, just begging to be hung in the dining room. The rug was a purchase we asked them to make before we arrived for the final installation. Look at the detail in the rug. Without realizing it, the homeowners kept choosing the same blue/grey color to establish the color palette.

 

Dining AFTER



To complete the dining room, we purchased a large pair of complementary botanical prints. It's difficult to see in the photo, but the mats in the pictures repeat the colors of the rug. We also added the skinniest pair of buffet lamps we could find in all of Nashville. The size of the buffet and the two-tone mirror dictated the need for skinny, gold lamps. We were thrilled to find those amazing lamps. Up close, the posts look like gold beads. They were the perfect amount of bling to dress up the dining room. Finally, we added a pop of bright berry and green colors to table through a floral arrangement the homeowners already had. With that floral, we reinforced the secondary green color, and added a third secondary color with the berry tone.

In the family room, we tackled one of our most hated obstacles -- THE SECTIONAL SOFA! Our regulars know why we abhor sectionals. If you missed it, you can find out why here.

Family Room BEFORE

Despite our distaste of a sectional sofa, it was staying and we had to deal with it. There was no moving it to a better location. It was in the only place it could fit in the room. Really, the only thing to do was to break up the massive brown span of knobby upholstery -- but how? A RUG and PILLOWS! We lightened and visually separated the gigantic brown "L" with a light rug and pillows in natural tones. Then we added some accessories to the table, brought in a floor lamp, and dressed up the bookcases with the client's favorite things.

Family Room AFTER

 

Family Room AFTER

Opposite the sofa, there was this small, plain, boring wall. The homeowners had an extra dresser, so we told them to place it on the wall when we were there the first day.

Family Room BEFORE

The homeowners also had a pair of really cool lamps, but the shades were old, tired, and PLEATED. We purchased new shades for the lamps, a potted plant, and an amazing piece of art. With just three accessories and a nod to our blue, brown, and green color palette, we completely transformed that little boring wall.

Family Room AFTER

The huge breakfast room is one of the most used rooms in the homeowner's new home. Their existing table sets a Chinoiserie tone in the room, yet the other antiques are very Americana. We needed a way to tie the various furniture genres together.

Breakfast Room BEFORE

Breakfast Room BEFORE

We removed the chargers, placemats, and mirrored tiles from the table. Then we played up gold metallic tones on the accessories -- the Chinoiserie hurricanes on the table, the lamp on the console and the picture above it -- to tie the room together. We are still on the hunt for some art for the back wall, but you can see how the room is coming together.

Breakfast Room AFTER

And now for my favorite transformation . . . The Master Suite. Basically we started with really dark walls and tons of furniture lining them. There was nothing soft or relaxing about the room. In fact, it was kind of depressing.

The first thing we did was advise the clients to buy softer & lighter bedding, a rug, and a pair of club chairs. When we returned for the installation this is how things looked.

Sitting Area BEFORE



Bedroom BEFORE

Bedroom BEFORE

We wanted this space to be an inviting, relaxing retreat for the owners. It already had a very dramatic color, so we needed to match the drama while softening and lightening the room. We also wanted to drive home the drama using the secondary palette colors of berry & green. Remember the dining room? Those same colors were ideal for adding a dash of pizazz to the master suite.

 

Starting in the sitting area, we had the clients purchase a pair of matching club chairs. Fortunately they chose a light, almost white, upholstery. It worked great with the monochromatic accessories in the room, but it was tough to make it work with the existing skirted table. We solved the problem with multicolored pillows. Those little accent throw pillows introduced the berry color, green, and a pale yellow. That's how we arrived at the color on the table skirt. We repeated the blue and berry color using a lamp that the owner already had. We gave it an updated appearance by replacing the dated, pleated style shade with a more on-trend barrel style. Then we moved the owner's undersized art from above the bed and placed in the sitting area to once more add a pop of green. A little table top accessorizing with some berry & blue hardback books and the sitting room was complete.

 

Sitting Area AFTER



Around the television cabinet, we repeated the soft cream, pale yellow, and light blue colors with artwork and a plant. So simple, yet so impactful.

Bedroom AFTER

Finally, we finished the dramatic transformation of the master suite by having he homeowner buy a new bedding in a soft, creamy white tone. We repeated the berry and blues on the bed with throw pillows. We further softened the look with a pale grey and cream rug. We added bling and more color with those gorgeous abstract prints and mother of pearl lamps. Then we tied the bed area to the sitting area by filling the odd shelving unit built by the previous owners with simple all-white accessories. The result is soft, relaxing, and beautiful.

 

Bedroom AFTER

 

Bedroom AFTER

If you'd like to learn more about achieving a cohesive and beautiful design using your existing furnishings, please send us a message. We can help with all aspects of interior design needs.

Overcoming Oversaturation

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted -- we've been really busy. The upside though is that I have lots of Before & After photos to share with you.

I'd like to start with one of my favorite transformations of the year. I'm fond of it for many reasons. First, the client trusted us and she worked super hard to execute our suggestions. Secondly, the results illustrate concepts that we preach to sellers all the time: 1.) Keep it neutral, 2.) Turn up the light, 3.)Clear surfaces & declutter, and 4.) Use fewer, but bigger accessories. Mostly, I love this project because it sold really quickly.

By far, the biggest change we got the owner to make in this project was painting. I wish I could convince every client to paint when they need to, but so many dig their heels in and let dark, saturated colors turn off buyer after buyer. Fortunately, this client was able to detach from her preference for bright, desert colors and offer buyers a soothing neutral color palette. Take a look . . .

 

The very first room we saw upon entering the home was the dining room. It was an alarmingly bright, saturated yellow-orange color -- hard not to notice it. The color was so strong that it caused the furniture and art to appear dark and red; almost muddy looking. It was just an unflattering color choice. We feared that buyers would see this right off the bat and make one of two choices. Either they would mark the home off their list of possibilities entirely -- OR -- they would see the room as a big project and start deducting from their offer. With twelve other rooms still to see, we couldn't have buyers lowering their offers at the front door. It was essential to neutralize the color.

 

 

We suggested the homeowner neutralize the interior with Sherwin Williams' Ramie paint color (SW 6156). Ramie is a really dynamic color. It is neutral, yet it is constantly changing. In the bright light, it is soft and soothing, but in the evening it becomes a deeper, more dramatic tone. Plus, it works well with most any wood, metal, or art choice.

 

We also had the owner paint the wainscoting in a traditional, all-white treatment. In doing so, the room actually seems larger . . . and buyers LOVE large spaces. Cha-ching!

 

In the family room we found similar issues -- saturated wall color and low light. We also saw an abundance of little accessories, photos, and gigantic furniture. At no time did we notice the spaciousness of the room. We were so distracted by the stuff in the room, that we couldn't see its potential.

 

 

Like in the dining, we asked the owner to paint in the soft Ramie color. Then we removed the photos, leaving only one grouping above the sofa. We moved the furniture just a few inches, and actually added LARGER end tables. Then we accessorized with large/chunky accessories, green plants, and lighter pillows. What a difference. The room looks larger, warmer, and coordinated.

 

 

In the master suite, we again found dark oranges and low light. A coat of Ramie paint, new pillows, and a little art swap brought the room in balance; offering buyers a peaceful retreat.

 

 

The master bath was also in need of a cohesive color scheme.

 

 

We started by having the owner bring the Ramie paint on into the bath; eliminating the multi-colored walls. Then we asked her to replace the zebra print shower curtain with a pair of light-colored curtain panels (hung as close to the ceiling as possible). In the baths, white/light colored linens help to achieve a fresh, clean, spa-like look, so the dark rug was removed and loads of white rolled towels (not pictured) were added. Even the art's magnolia blossom helped to incorporated the soft white scheme.

 

 

The uber-saturated color trend continued on the second floor of the home. In the massive upper-master bedroom, the walls were painted in one of the deepest purples I've ever seen. It may be perfect for a teen suite, but when trying to appeal to a wide range of buyers, maybe it's not such a great choice.

 

To appease buyers AND the teens who live there, we suggested lightening the look with a soft lilac. Then we highlighted the spaciousness of the room by simplifying the art & bedding, and improving the lighting with a new, very feminine, acrylic lamp.

 

If you're planning to sell your home, or if it just feels as though you're living in perpetual chaos, try softening your wall colors. A simple, cohesive paint scheme will help give your home continuity and simplicity.

 

If you'd like a color consultation for your home, send me an email (bradford(dot)house(at)comcast(dot)net) and we'll put you on the schedule today!