design plan: family room with blue abstract art

having an artist as a friend of the family has its perks....in this case, my clients were receiving a large, 2 piece abstract painting as a house warming gift, and wanted to spruce up their family room in preparation.

they wanted to work with a few existing pieces to create a welcoming, family friendly space. here is the design plan that i came up with:

interested in working together?
i am now taking clients for march and april!
email me at autumnclemons@yahoo.com to get started.

before + after: e-design neutral living room (the power of an hour)

it has been a while since i have posted before and after pictures from an e-design. 

one of the great things about the e-design process is that it allows you to have a PLAN for your room, but to move forward as your budget and free time for projects like painting allows.

here are some BEFORE pictures of my clients room:

what my client was struggling with:

*furniture layout. 

*the off center fireplace

*a tight budget, needing to keep all exiting furniture, and for now, the ceiling fans

she opted for the pinterest board + phone consultation and added a deign board, which i posted recently:

what we talked about during our hour conversation:
*moving the furniture so that two zones were created---a seating zone and a desk/secondary seating area zone
*adding a rug to anchor the seating area
*moving the television opposite the fireplace to create a sense of balance
*adding a wall of storage units from ikea to hide cables, games, etc.
*using the two existing chairs together with a table in between opposite the couch
*painting the base of the exiting table gold to update it
*replacing the curtains and hanging the rods wider and higher
*adding a desk behind the sofa, and two matching chairs for an additional seating area
*painting the walls a less gold tone
*adding texture and pattern with pillows

my clients worked pretty fast to get their room in shape! i received some update/progress pictures in late july, and then some "pretty much done" pictures last week!

AFTER:

 the new layout creates two distinct zones in the room, which help the room feel more cohesive and just makes better sense!


before, this part of the room felt odd and "left out" of the seating and tv viewing area. now, it is a useful, separate space.

the new furniture arrangement also helps draw attention away from the off-center fireplace, and creates a more useful seating arrangement.



we kept the exiting chairs, but paired them with a a new table.

the new rug anchors the rearranged seating area.

these besta storage units from ikea provide tons of storage. we dressed them up with some oversized ring pulls.

the table was updated with some gold spray paint.

one "splurge" was a this kelly wearstler pillow. it provides a lot of visual interest in the room, so we felt it was worth it!

interested in working together to make a room (or rooms) in your home more functional and beautiful?
email me at autumnclemons@yahoo.com and lets get started!

have a great weekend!

design plan: neutral, eclectic living room

today i am sharing a very budget friendly design plan that i worked on for a newlywed couple!

my client requested a neutral room with a pulled-together, comfortable, eclectic, grown up look that used as much of her existing furniture as possible.

here is the plan i came up with:

interested in working together?
email me at autumnclemons@yahoo.com and lets get started!
yee-haw!

design plans: neutral residence with touches of green, blue + a hint of modern

sometimes, it can be a smart move to tackle several spaces in your home at the same time. usually, i suggest working on 1-2 spaces at a time (it can get overwhelming for your brain and your budget if you bite off more than you can chew!), but there are instances when working on everything at once is the way to go! 

this particular client had already endured a major remodel on the main floor of her historic home, and had made some beautiful choices. she was looking for some guidance on taking the decor to the next level...adding texture, color, and loved the idea of mixing in a few modern elements with her existing traditional pieces.

we worked together on a "super-sized" pinterest board + phone consultation (she also opted to add design boards) that included her entry, family room, breakfast room as well as a hallway and powder room. 

she was drawn to a neutral, texture rich palette with pops of kelly green and navy blue, and i love that she was willing to "go a little crazy" with the light fixtures! whenever i am pinning ideas for a client, i always try to gather an array of styles, whether it is a chair or a light fixture. some are very safe and traditional, and others are meant to "stretch" a persons design sensibilities...introduce them to something that they may never have otherwise considered. this client was right on board with some of my more "funky" choices, and i think the finished rooms will benefit greatly from her willingness to take a risk.

here are the design boards:

 the new lighting in these rooms will add an updated vibe and help make the spaces feel unique.
adding small, interesting vignettes can take a table from feeling dull... to layered and full of texture and interest!

this was a large living room, with a fireplace, french doors going to a porch, an entry from the entry hall, an entry to the kitchen, as well as several windows. rooms like these can be challenging to lay out. we discussed layout options, and the one we both agreed would work the best created three different ZONES in the room---the main seating area, a reading/bookcase zone, and an office area.

my summer is nearly booked, but i still have some spaces left in august! feel free to email me at autumnclemons@yahoo.com to set up a consultation!
you can read about my services here.

now offering:
* the pinterest board can now be modified to fit needs in SEVERAL rooms! for instance...you may need a new light fixture and drapes in your dining room, need paint suggestions and new hardware for your kitchen, and some new pillow and art ideas for your living room! (minor needs, but several rooms)  email me for more information if you are considering this option.

living room refresh in the works

welcome to my living room.

this is the first room that you see when you walk in the house, and i have some big plans for it. when we built the house, we literally cut out anything that didn't NEED to be done, so this room is truly a blank slate. no trim. no window treatments. no fireplace. heck, we don't even have blinds for the windows yet! since we need to stagger costs, i will be working on this room slowly over the next few months or even years. i have broken down the changes i want to make into phases.

phase 1:

*hang something on the walls, for petes sake! (what is wrong with me?)
*get some new pillows
*bring some additional accessories and books up from my basement. (i have some great things that have been hiding in boxes since we moved, waiting for the bookcases to be built on either side of the fireplace. since that may be several months to a year away, i figured i should try a little harder to make this room look and feel a little more lived-in.)
*get a new side table for the couch. i have FIVE round tables in this room, so i would love to bring in something...well, something that isn't round!


phase 2:

*add blinds. i think we have gotten our moneys worth out of those  $3 paper shades from the hardware store. yikes.
*recover the ottomans
*add some curtains
*refinish the larger table near the window. it desperately needs to be redone.
*add some art to the other walls
*possibly refresh the plant urn


phase 3:

*get new chairs. we have had these chairs for over 10 years, and before we moved to utah, they had always been in a family room or bonus room. it makes me CRAZY that they are in my living room right now! they have been great, but i am SO ready for something new.
*get a new sofa. see everything i wrote about the chairs above? it's ditto for the sofa. ugh.
*add coffee table? i am not 100% sure i want one in here. i am still deciding.


phase 4:

*add coffered ceiling
*add fireplace + custom built-ins
*paint walls...maybe even add grasscloth to ceiling

i already have phase 1 well under way, and will be sharing some pictures soon!

living spaces:modern country/eclectic

no matter what interior style you like,

there is no denying that

this is one gorgeous

vignette!

that wallpaper is calling my name!

and the graphic pillows against the white upholstery is beautiful.

and can you see the zebra upholstery on the office chair?

loving the trim on the window treatments.

i'm s sucker for little details like that.

also really liking that 

giant tub o' moss 

on top of the armoire!

great mix of black + white + red.

i want that desk.

ok,ok i'll take the chair too...

if you insist.

love this fun room!

i really want to hang out in here.

are those bobbin chairs?

i love them.

i thought it was intriguing that

the curtain panels are the same color as the walls.

and for a room with so much "dark",

it still manages to look "light".

a totally fun room with

a definite lake/water/camp vibe.

the black welting on these white couches

really makes this room come to life.

hello greek key trim.

would you like to come to my house

and make something beautiful?

please?

living spaces:coastal

paneling 

+ lucite legs 

+ woven blinds 

+ graphic rug 

= yum.

soft and soothing.

love me a good sisal rug.

mmmm....

i want to take a nap here.

lovely white welting on those soft blue chairs.

like the blue on the inside of the kitchen cabinets--
a great balance to all of the warm tones in the great room.
fun fabric on the sofa!

that wall color is killing me!

so perfect.

and i love the touches of orange on the pillows.

nice layered window treatment.

great linen slipcovers.

love the metallic garden stool.

how fun would it be to have all of those
paper lanterns in a room?

great framed maps.

i can't take my eyes off the greek key throw,
and i love all the white upholstery and
cow hide rugs.

i heart coffered ceilings.


back tomorrow with more living spaces!