A Blast from the Past

A few weeks ago I got the opportunity to work on a somewhat sentimental project. I'm excited to share some of my favorite "After" pics of it; but first -- let's take a short trip down memory lane.

My very first "design" job was in a local wallpaper & fabric store. Doesn't sound very design-ish when I say it now, but it really was. We sold designer wallpaper & fabrics, window treatments, and accessories to designers, builders, and D-I-Yers throughout middle Tennessee. And let me tell you, selling wallpaper and fabric in the late 80s & early 90s was a big deal. If it didn't move, chances are it was covered in wallpaper and draped with fabric -- most all of which had giant cabbage roses or thick awning stripes on it. Every house had wallpaper. It was très chic. I kid you not.

One of our clients at the shop was a developer who built communities across the Nashville area. During construction either he or his buyers would stop by the store to make wallpaper selections for the new homes. Though most of the 25-30 year old homes have long since removed the wallpaper, fabric, and accessories that we sold them back in the day, sometimes I get a glimpse into the past. This was one of those houses.

The homeowners had removed all of the wallpaper except for a striped number in a powder room. So I wasn't lucky enough to catch sight of an antique Waverly pattern from the English Cottage collection, but I did see lots of glorious brass fixtures, mauve-tinged grey paint, and more yellow oak than you can shake a stick at. I also saw something that I've NEVER seen in my life. Take a look at the shower area of the master bath.

Do you see it? Look closer. 

There's carpet on the side of that tub. Really. 

I've been in lots of the houses in this neighborhood and have never seen a tub surround that was carpeted. Carpet on the floors -- sure. But on the side of the tub? NEVER. Most of the tubs either have a matching tile or cultured marble panel on the front. Like this . . .

I asked the owners about it. They swore they had nothing to do with it. Apparently it was like that when the home was completed in 1987.  

My parents recently built a new house. During construction, one of their tubs suffered an injury after it was installed and had to be replaced. The replacement was the wrong color, but the tile had already been installed around it, so the second new tub had to be reglazed. 

My guess is that the tub in my clients' home suffered a similar mishap. And builders being builders, rather than replace the tub, they thew a carpet panel on the side of the tub because it was the quickest and cheapest solution. 

The trouble with this solution is that buyers in today's market do not find carpet in the bath charming or practical. In fact, it's a major turn off. 

To bring it on-trend, I suggested the current number one cover-up for dated surfaces -- SHIPLAP! 

My long-time readers may recall that I am horrible at taking Before and After photos, and this project is no exception. I did get a shot of the transformation; but it's really bad.  You can kinda see it in the corner of a pic I took showing the changes to the vanity. I'm so sorry. It was such a huge part of the project. I can't believe I forgot to take a good pic of it. 

Here's the tiny shot of the shiplap covered tub surround. The photo is not great, but the end result was terrific. 

Now let's take a look at some of the Before and Afters of the entire master suite.  Here's what it looked like when I arrived for the initial consultation: 

As you can see, the master was bland and uninspiring. Furniture lined the perimeter of the room, artwork was too small, the lighting was dark and dated, and the amazing architecture was being ignored. 

To boost the style factor in this room, we implemented four simple solutions: Paint, Lighting, Linens, and Accessories. 

The mauve-tinged grey walls were replaced by one of my favorite go-to colors for bedrooms, Sherwin Williams Sea Salt #6204. Then we emphasized the soaring ceilings by hanging simple white curtain sheers from the ceiling to the floor. We tied the look together by repeating the soft white color on the bed linens.

To show of the room's spaciousness, we removed the small chest of drawers, plant stands, and wicker pieces. Then we placed the dresser on the wall opposite the bed and added a matching rocker to the corner.  

We finished it off with new accessories. First, we ditched the dark, wall-mounted lamps in lieu of more contemporary lamps with lighter shades. Then we added larger, coordinated art pieces to create a soft, harmonious environment. Take a look . . .

In the bath, the oak cabinets and gold fixtures screamed, "Welcome to 1987!"

Like in the bedroom, we reminded the owners that paint, new fixtures, and dazzling accessories can mask a multitude of sins. The cabinets were painted with Sherwin Willims Foothills #7514 in a satin finish. The fixtures were replaced with new lights in a frosted gold finish to tone down the brass while still coordinating with existing cabinet knobs and door trims. Then a simple arrangement of white tulips was added to provide a cohesiveness to the entire suite. I think it is a stunning transformation.

Here's the gorgeous finished product. The owners and I were very pleased. What's more, it had tons of showings and offers in its first week on the market!

Living (and Dining) with a Plan

I don't know how you spent the past weekend, but I spent the long holiday break getting inspired. I took the extra day away from the office perusing design sites and beautiful images. I fell in love with Laurel & Wolf's blog and Pinterest boards. Those gorgeous rooms gave me a spark of creativity to really dream about the possibilities for a recent project.

You see, last week we worked on a home that was in dire need of design help. The homeowners had simply given up on their attempt to get style and function to intersect inside their 1970's rancher. Faced with the same long, narrow living room/dining room combo that many homes of that era feature, the owners had no idea how to create a stylish, dual-function room. So they did what a lot of you do. They panicked and ran to the nearest wholesale club to buy the biggest, most awkward sectional sofa they could find. The space was adequately filled with very comfortable furniture, but style, beauty, and function were no where to be found.

Where It All Began

Of course we helped restyle this room. And the home got multiple offers in the first weekend on the market. I will share some "Before & After" photos very soon, but for today --- I'd like to illustrate the potential a room like this can offer.

Long, narrow dual-function rooms are a very common design dilemma. We see them at least once a week. From a design standpoint, they can be scary spaces, for sure. But with a little planning and help from sources like Laurel + Wolf, Pinterest, design magazines, or wherever you see beautiful things, rooms like this can be transformed into truly gorgeous and functional spaces that everyone will love.

To get started, you need to think about the room's purpose and layout. I decided the best option for this room would be to return it to its original intent -- a living room/dining room combination. The dining room would sit at the far end of the room, closest to the kitchen; and the formal living space would be located next to the foyer. This would give owners the ability to entertain large groups in a single space.

It is also important to consider the type of events that may take place here. With a family room located just a few feet away and a finished basement below, this room does not have to house a lot of media elements. It is, however, the only place in the home that can seat more than three people for dinner, so returning the dining function to the room is a must.

With a new layout in mind, it's time fill the space with the basics, beginning with color. Lightening the room with a soft, sea salt color on all of the walls helps to open the room. Because the ceilings are low, visual space can also be increased by hanging white curtain panels from ceiling to floor.

From there, a dining table and living room seating group are obvious choices. The trick, though, to making this space function well while looking beautiful is SCALE. A huge sectional sofa is not a good choice for this space. With low, 8 foot ceilings and a narrow dimensions, furniture pieces should be kept on the smaller end of the size spectrum.

Finally, to make the dual functionality of the room make sense, the space needs to be stylishly delineated. Rugs and subtle room dividers can help accomplish this task.

Take a look at the new floor plan . . .

You can see that along with the rugs, a storage buffet is also used to separate the dining and living spaces. 

With the plan in place, it is easy to fill the room with the proper furniture and accessories. Starting with a console that allows plenty of room for traffic on both sides, the sofa size can be determined. In this case, a small three-seater sofa was chosen. Sometimes these are referred to as apartment sofas because of their compact size. Along with the sofa, matching chairs complete the grouping. Then a small coffee table with a little metal bling was added to the center, still allowing room for traffic flow. 

A glimpse from the entry. Soft tones, mixed patterns, and some bling from silver and gold elements.

An interesting thing about each of the items in the living area, all of the pieces have skinny legs and open bottoms. This helps to make the area seem more open and spacious. In fact, the only item that does not feature an open bottom is the console, which serves to divide the space. 

In the adjacent foyer, a pair of matching ottomans are tucked beneath the entry table. This is a clever way to add extra seating for large gatherings. The side table/stool beside one of the chairs also  offers additional seating. Now this room can comfortably seat 14 guest without bringing in extra chairs. It's so much better than the 8-person seating offered by that bulky sectional!

Yes -- you can tastefully tuck a TV into a room. 

Once the basics are in place, it is simple to find beautiful accessories to expertly fill the room by simply keep the scale and color scheme in mind with every selection. You'll notice that the color black is repeated in both areas within the room without things being "matchy-matchy". In fact, the look is a bit eclectic with varying design styles, wood tones, metals, and shapes. It works because each separate space has elements that recur in the opposite space. 

Here are a few more virtual renderings of my design plan for a long, narrow living room/dining room filled with traditional, transitional, modern, and antique elements all working together . . . 

A view from the dining entrance. Notice how the soft panels, hung ceiling to floor,  help increase the visual space.

Simple, elegant dining room with a big piece of art. Every room can use great art!

If you're looking to spruce up your living space, but have no clue how to get started, don't fret. It can be easily done, so there's no need to wait any longer. If you're in the middle Tennessee area, contact me for a personal consultation. For those of you not in the area, send me a message and I'll help you virtually layout your dream room.

What Is This Room?

Let's play a game. I'll show you some photos. Then you guess what room of the house it is. You know, like bedroom, bathroom, living room, etc. Sound easy? I bet that I can stump you. Are you ready? Let's get started.

1.) What room is this?

 

 

2.) What room is this?

 

 

3.) What room is this?

 

 

4.) What room is this?

 

 

5.) What room is this?

 

 

6.) What room is this?

 

Think you know the answers? Well, if you guessed things like office, play room, or game room, then you're wrong. Here are the correct answers. . .

 

1.)  Dining Room

2.)  Dining Room

3.)  Dining Room

4.)  Dining Room

5.)  Dining Room

6.)  Dining Room

 

That's right. Each one is a dining room. Are you confused? Well, so were we. Now imagine how a buyer must feel when they walk in to what should be a dining room only to find Kids' Kingdom. It's a bit of a turn-off, huh?

 

The thing is, designing a home for living is a lot different than designing one for selling. When we work with clients to design environments for them to live and work in, we focus on functionality, personal tastes, and needs. When it's time to sell though, those considerations are secondary at best.

 

A home on the market needs to be spectacularly simple. It needs to stand out to buyers, not scare them. When a dining room is set up for anything other than dining, it sends a message to buyers that the home lacks space, organization, and functionality.

 

One of my dearest friends recently turned her dining room into a family hangout and media room. Although I cringed when she asked, I consented to helping with the transformation -- with one condition. I made her promise that when she got ready to sell her home, the room had to return to dining room status. Take a look at what she did . . .

 

 

I have to admit, I LOVE what she did in her former dining room. In fact, it is a great example of how and why to change a dining room's function. Before the change, it was unused space. Now it is a functional room gathering place for her house full of boys. But when it comes time to sell, she better wave her magic wand and change it back to something like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put Your Home on a Diet

Having trouble attracting buyers? Maybe it's time to go on a diet.

Homes that languish on the real estate market rarely do so because of a lack of buyers. Generally there is an underlying reason certain homes are consistently dismissed by buyers. Sometimes it is an issue of poor maintenance, other times its bad location. Our experience though has shown that most properties stagnate on the market because they are too heavy.

A home can be too heavy in lots of ways. When every room is painted in a different and very saturated paint color, the home is too heavy with paint. The same is true for wallpaper. Tons of different papers throughout a home can cause it to be too heavy in pattern. Big, overstuffed, and excessive furniture results in a room that seems too heavy with stuff. And when books, papers, cleaners, toiletries, collections, and personal items cover surfaces throughout a home, the space is made heavy with clutter.

Take a look at these heavy rooms:


Room is heavy with super saturated paint & upholstery colors, big, oversized furniture, and tons of knick knacks.
 

This room is heavy with a large furniture item that doesn't fit the shape of the room
 

This small room is heavy with excessive patterns, and clutter.
 

Room is heavy with saturated paint and large elements (the plant) that chop up the space.

Putting your home on a diet could be the key to sparking buyer interest in a sluggish listing. With really very little effort, a slow listing can become a sleek show stopper. Reducing excessive large furniture items, removing abundant patterns, getting rid of clutter, and improving lighting are all easy-to-do things that can transform your listing from blah to SOLD in no time. Take a look at these "after" photos of rooms that went on a diet.

Room was lightened by removing excessive items (coffee table, patterned throws, & clutter) and adding better lighting. The look was further improved by altering the furniture arrangement. Pieces now fit the scale of the room.

Room was improved by removing the oddly shaped desk and excessive clutter. A more spacious and airy feel was created thanks to the white curtains and open blinds.

Although some pattern remains, the room was improved by significantly reducing visual clutter & excessive patterns.
The room also benefited from improved furniture placement.  

Room has lighter and open feel because the dark saturated paint was replaced with a neutral color. Items blocking the space were also eliminated. Light elements were improved by opening the blinds and adding a light-reflecting mirror.

If you need help putting your home on a diet, contact Bradford House Consulting today! We can help you lighten up interior spaces and turn your home in to a sleek, sophisticated space guaranteed to wow potential buyers.

  

A Bonus Room - OR - Storage with a Mortgage?

In the 1980's, residential architecture changed significantly as architects began including undesignated living space in many new home plans. They called this extra space a "bonus room".  Clever, huh?

The bonus room revolutionized residential design because prior to that time, most homes lacked auxiliary space. If an office or extra bedroom was needed, owners usually had to add on to the home. Such additions were costly, inconvenient, and not always in keeping with existing design.

The function of the bonus room was purposely undefined by architects. This allowed homeowners to decide how the room could be used to best fit their needs. What architects did not envision, however, was that the bonus room would be a catch-all space for so many homeowners.

A bonus room should be just that -- a BONUS. Unfortunately, most bonus rooms we see during our staging and design consultations are far from being termed a plus. Our experience has been that most bonus rooms fall into one of two categories. The first is a bland, nearly vacant space with little character, scale, or purpose. The second is what we refer to as storage with a mortgage. It is a room crammed so full of stuff that it cannot function aesthetically, efficiently, nor effectively.

Take a look at these rooms and consider whether, as a buyer, they would seem like a bonus to you . . .

Transforming an underwhelming room into a real bonus is not difficult. Really all it takes is some decisiveness. Simply choose how the room should function and stick to it! If the room is to be an office, don't let it turn into an office + workout station + kids kingdom + media room + storage center. And if the room must do double duty, limit it to no more than 2 functions per 1000 sq. ft. 

Recently we tackled a bonus room that wasn't exactly sure what it wanted to be. It pretty much fell into the first bonus room category of bland, unbalanced, and needing purpose. Take a look . . .

Bonus BEFORE

Bonus BEFORE

Because the room was really only used as a hangout for teens, it was pretty much an afterthought to the homeowners. No art was hung, more light was needed, and the room just wasn't in keeping with the rest of the home. Simply -- it was probably not the bonus that buyers in this price point were seeking.

To show off the room's amazing possibilities while at the same time keeping its function as a teen hangout in tact, we had to rearrange and accessorize. First we separated the huge sectional to form a more symmetrical conversational grouping. Breaking down the large sectional AND opening the drapes helped to achieve better balance in the room. It no longer felt as if the room was weighted on just one end.

Bonus AFTER

We counterbalanced the large furniture grouping by adding a console table at the opposite end of the room.

Bonus AFTER

Finally we brought the room to life by adding art, accessories, and light elements. 

Bonus AFTER

The room remains true to its primary function as a teen hangout, yet the design is sophisticated enough to appeal to adults and wow buyers. The transformation is a real bonus that will never be mistaken as just storage with a mortgage.

The Affordable Dorm: A Decorating "How To"

I love this time of year and seeing the photos of college kids moving into their new digs. Some of you are so creative and stylish!

With so many great examples of gorgeous dorms, it's hard to imagine how dorm design can perplex so many -- but it does. Trying to make the most of small, cramped, bare spaces really overwhelms some of you. Perhaps it's because the furniture is rarely in the best arrangement when you first see it. Or maybe it's that everything looks the same. Whatever the issue, lots of people want to know how to take that stark, drab, and utilitarian and turn it into something fabulous.

My son is in his 4th year of college. Which means that not counting my own dorms back in the day, I've got 4 consecutive years worth of experience decorating the modern dorm, fraternity house, and apartment bedroom. I've learned all sorts of tricks too. For less than $200, I can show most anyone how to transform a plain-Jane dorm into a stylish and functional space.

STEP ONE:  Before you buy the first item for your room, you need to establish a theme. Whether that be a particular color combination, a favorite sports team, or whatever -- decide on the theme first!

STEP TWO:  Know what the room looks like. What are its dimensions? What furniture pieces will be in the room? How large are the windows and doors? How high are the ceilings? What size bed you have. Is it a twin, twin XL, full or full XL? Be sure you know that because it makes a big difference.

Above all, ASK QUESTIONS. Call the dorm directly and to gather information. Tour rooms when you are on campus. Look at photos; the school website AND from people who lived there in previous years. Once you have gathered information and really know your room's possibilities and limitations, you can use room planning software to create a great design.

STEP THREE: Find your bedding. Aside from a small fridge or television, your bedding is likely to be the single most expensive purchase for your room. So start early so you can get the best deals. Use coupons if possible and combine them with sale prices. You'll be shocked at how easily you can get a $100 bedding set for about $50. 

To further stretch your dollar, look for COMPLETE bedding sets. Get a set that at a minimum includes a comforter or coverlet, sham(s), and bedskirt.  Really great buys may also include items like matching sheets, pillows, or curtains/valances. The more you can get in a single package, the less you'll have to purchase separately.

STEP FOUR: Gather the character. Decide what additional elements you need in the room. Things like lighting, storage, window coverings, art, etc. Start purchasing or making those items. Look around the house for things you already have. For the items you don't have, scour the sale racks, garage sales, Craigslist, or wherever you can get stuff for a discount. Try to match your color scheme or get things that can be inexpensively altered with fabric or paint.

STEP FIVE. Be flexible and RELAX! Move-in day is stressful no matter how many times you've done it. Try to not let the crowds and chaos sour your mood or creativity. Expect there to be hiccups in your design plan and make the best of it.

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Now that you know the steps to executing an affordable dorm room design, let me show you how we created a really great look for under $200. . .

For our "step one", my son requested a grey & orange scheme with subtle University of Tennessee elements. Once that was decided, I started planning and shopping -- hunting for the best deals. I also studied online photos of the model apartment and called the complex four different times to ask about ceiling height, particular pieces of furniture, etc.

When we first walked in we were greeted with this. Pretty bleak, huh? There was a full XL bed, a chest of drawers, a desk, and a chair. And remember when I warned you to be flexible on moving day because there will always be a hiccup in your plan? Our hiccup was that high platform bed. We were expecting a normal box springs and mattress set.


Before

Before

We started by rearranging the furniture to gain a more open and spacious feeling. Rather than have the head of the bed and chest of drawers on the right wall, we moved the chest beside the desk and placed the bed beside the window.

Next we put the bed together. I found a simple grey bedding set which included a comforter, shams, bed skirt, and two throw pillows. The best thing about it though is that it was super affordable. Just $60 for the entire set! We introduced the second color in the design scheme with orange throw pillows and sheets.

What really pumped up the bedding style is the padded headboard. Using a 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby, I was able to get enough fabric to cover the headboard (which I made from plywood) and make a small pillow for just $14. The entire project cost just $35.

The black end table was another steal deal I found at Kroger Marketplace -- only $28. Trouble was, it was a weird yellowish pecan color. Obviously that wouldn't work with our grey & orange scheme. But with a coat of black spray paint in a satin finish ($8), the table matches the décor perfectly.

The lamp, hatbox, and state flag in UT colors were free finds from around the house. The hatbox was black and the lamp, navy blue. Again, with the magic of spray paint, we transformed those items to match the design scheme.

The curtains were added to soften and lighten the look of the room. Guys tend to want to pick out really dark things -- especially when it comes to bedding and window treatments. If we'd hung grey curtains, the room would've seemed dark and small. Instead we went with white, trimmed in orange. We saved money by using two flat, twin-size sheets -- just $4/ea at Walmart. We customized them with strips of ribbon sewn on the inner edge of each sheet.

By far, my favorite element in the room is the Smokey silhouette pallet art. That was so much fun to create and probably one of the easiest projects ever. Just $9 to make, but it packs a huge punch of charm.

Take a look at how much the entire look cost . . .

For under $200 we added incredible style without sacrificing space, light, or organization. It was so easy. With just a little planning and some smart shopping, anyone can have a great looking room at a truly affordable price.