design plan: living room with pops of navy + chartreuse

today i wanted to share a design plan for a client who opted to add a design board to a pinterest board + phone consultation. adding this option is really well worth it if you struggle to picture how elements in a room will work together!

a lot of people struggle with mixing tan + gray. 

or silver + brass.  

or dark wood with weathered wood. 

or mirrored furniture and pieces that are more masculine.

i think that interesting and welcoming spaces almost always have a mix of colors, textures, metals, and wood tones. don't you?

this client wanted updated, kid-friendly spaces, and wanted a dash of blue + green, more storage,  and some bold, graphic elements.

want to work together?
email me at autumnclemons@yahoo.com and lets get going!

blog tour

i was excited when kirsten of 6th street design school asked me to be a part of this blog tour! kirsten always inspires me with her fresh and colorful approach to design, and her blog is filled with informative  posts, great DIY projects, and home tours that you won't see anywhere else. 

 her business continues to grow and thrive, and i look forward to seeing more projects from house of jade interiors in the future!

now, to answer a couple of questions about MOI:

Why do I write/create what I do?
i write my blog because i enjoy it. i like the sense of community that comes with blogging, and i like sharing things i have learned, projects that i am working on, and of course,  i love finding and sharing affordable substitutes for expensive home furnishings and decor items. 



How does my style differ from others in my genre?

i like to think of my style as "tailored traditional with a touch of modern". i am a sucker for details like trims on window treatments, contrast welting, and i appreciate clean, simple lines in larger, investment pieces. i love budget friendly decor, but i also believe that every room can benefit from something funky or unique---a great vintage table, a fabulous piece of art, a thrift store frame or a designer pillow. a little splurge can go a LONG way in a budget-friendly room!



What am I working on?
i have been blessed over the past several years to have a steady stream of e-design clients from all over the country, so many hours of my week are spent assisting them with their spaces, which i absolutely love!

i am also working on my personal home. we moved in just over a year ago, and i have many, many projects and rooms yet to tackle! next up will be my 12 year old daughter charlotte's room...i am planning on her room being a fun yet sophisticated hangout for her and her friends, and i hope to accomplish the design a pretty tight budget!
i will be a linking participant in the one room challenge again, which starts next week, so i am trying to finalize some of the major design decisions in the room so i can have everything done at the end of the 6 weeks!


thanks for the invitation kirsten!

to continue the tour, i am selecting a crazy talented and insanely funny blogger that i have long admired...sherry from design indulgence!


when i saw her dining room reveal for the last one room challenge round, i spent about 3 straight minutes just *signing at it awesomeness.

 a gorgeous bedroom she designed. (click here for her portfolio)

besides being complete eye candy, sherry is always "out and about" on her blog, and takes her readers on gorgeous showcase home tours, and to great shopping and antique venues, all with witty commentary that will make you laugh out loud. (for reals. i don't use the phrase "laugh out loud" lightly.)

be sure and follow sherry at design indulgence  next week when she continues the blog tour!

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!

affordable find: 12 light mid century chandelier

this is a good one, y'all!

12 light jonathan adler ventana chandelier
$1602

arc mid century 12 light chandelier
$649

happy shopping!

3 easy (and cheap) accessory transformations

i don't consider myself particularly crafty, but i SO enjoy pulling off a simple, easy DIY project...especially when it yields funky, unique results that save me some serious money.

first up, this super easy crystal  topped lacquered box.

if your idea of a DIY project includes more clicking than gluing, this is the project for you!

the box is from the container store, and cost $20.

the $4 epoxy can be purchased at just about any store that has a hardware section.

the crystal cluster is the only item that took a little hunting. it is from ebay, and i purchased it (including shipping) for $14. 

it was simply as easy as gluing the crystal onto the box!

ta-da!!

this box currently lives in my mini office, on top of a stack of books, and i have to say...i kinda love it. uh LOT.

 next up....
two thrift store finds that i bought because i loved how quirky and unique they were.

the winged pig was pretty adorable, but the pink color and the large  advertisement on the side had to go. i wanted to keep the gold parts, so i taped the wings, feet and ears to mask them, and then gave the whole thing a few coats of glossy black spray paint.

 after removing the tape, i did some touch up with a black pen...

and, here she is, standing guard over some storage boxes in my office!

for the lion, i really liked the crown on his head, but wanted the rest of him to feel more simple.

i taped off his crown, gave him a coat of gold spray paint, and then i gold leafed him.

look how regal and shiny her looks now!

 

to see more pictures of my office, click here!

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!