She & Him Project

It's very common that when I tackle a new project for a couple there are differing opinions on budget, logistics and most commonly, style preferences. She likes traditional furniture, tufting, and gold accents. Him? He likes clean lines and mid-century modern furniture. I view it as part of my job to mediate the differences in style preference between a couple and find creative solutions so that everyone can be happy with the final result. It's a skill that was honed in my prior life as an attorney that has proven surprisingly indispensable in my new line of work. 

This project was a bit different. The clients decided that each room would have a clear single voice. No mediation or compromise necessary. A feminine retreat for She. A library for relaxing, reading and book clubs. For Him, a home office, minimal in style with mid-century modern accents and a focus on practicality. 

Let's start with the library. Here is the before:

It was clear that book storage was a priority. It's a necessity for any successful home library. Because the room was fairly small at 10 feet x 10 feet, we had to be smart in how to install seating. Another problem to solve with this older home was lighting, since there was no overhead lighting in this room. Although the room would be used primarily as a retreat, She wanted the option to hold small gatherings as well so I wanted to make sure we kept things cozy but not crowded. Below is the after. 

Beautifully serene yet also very colorful. Since the room is so small, it was very difficult to get whole room photos. I hope these photos give you a glimpse of how cozy and inviting this space is. We briefly considered built-in bookcases but since this room may eventually be used for a different purpose, we decided to stick with the dependable Ikea Billy bookcases. The blue velvet settee sets the tone for the entire space and the gold accents throughout elevate the feel of the room.

I'm going to be honest, I was itching to rearrange the books into vignettes. But I controlled myself. This is a working library with all the books arranged by genre, and in this case, I very much respected the client's need to keep the library categorized as it is supposed to be. 

One of my favorite details is the coffee table. See below. 

It's all about the details. The gold curvy legs of this coffee table are so perfect for this room. Just the right amount of feminine with the modern. Although this room was already carpeted, I installed a small area rug to ground the space. This white shag rug is not only fluffy and welcoming but so very soft under your feet. What about the lighting problem? See below.  

For a room without any overhead lighting, an arc lamp is the way to go short of installing can lights. This is a great temporary solution, providing diffused light for nighttime reading. And last but not least, since She would be hosting friends in this space as well, I thought it might help to have a beverage cart on hand. 

Great right? One can easily imagine this cart filled with snacks and drinks for book club events. I loved how this library turned out and I'm just jealous I don't have one of my own. 

Shall we move on to the home office space for Him? Here is the before. 

Similar to the library, office storage furniture was a priority here. Specifically, file storage was sorely lacking. Although everyone says we're in the digital age, with every office I do, paper files are alive, well and aplenty. 

For Him, he wanted a clear working space and overall a minimalist feel to the office. Here is the after. 

Mission accomplished. The bold Rothko print brings some color into the room and plays nicely against the gray walls. The art cable allows one to display travel mementos and rotate whenever the mood strikes. The beautiful white task lamp is mid-century inspired with the brass stem and clean lines. 

A breath of fresh air. Closed storage is everything for an office. Everything is tucked away behind closed doors. The walnut vertical bookcase not only allows for additional book storage but hides the printer in plain sight as it blends back into the background. The lower closed cabinet is where I put the harder to wrangle items such as packing supplies and smaller miscellaneous office items. 

I usually believe that every room should try to remain cohesive with all other rooms in the house. But sometimes . . . rules are meant to be broken. And more importantly, if the space allows, embrace the true luxury of having a room completely and utterly defined by one's own personal style without any compromises!  

I hope you enjoyed this before and after. Thanks for reading! 

A Colorful Sofa Story

I recently finished a small project, helping a client source a sofa for her formal sitting room. She sent me some photos of her current room and Pinterest pins. After some studying (forever a diligent student), I decided that she needed to elevate her living room by bringing in a jewel toned sofa. She loved the idea and will keep me updated on her final decision. I thought it would be great to share with you my picks and more importantly, how you can choose almost any color sofa and still achieve a calm, neutral and inviting living space.  

A sofa is a big investment. It is understandable that people often choose an off-white or gray sofa because they want to play it safe, and they don't want to tire of a color for a piece of furniture that should last at least 5 to 10 years. But if you have a fairly neutral palette to start, consider amping up your room by choosing a sofa with color. I make two promises. First, if you choose the right sofa in green, blue, yellow, or even pink (!), you'll never tire of it. Second, if you want to maintain that soothing neutral feeling in your room that everyone loves, a colorful sofa can easily be integrated, being both colorful and neutral simultaneously. 

Example? My own living room. Below is a my beloved pink loveseat. 

Since I change my living room fairly often, experimenting with different accessories and furniture, it's important to maintain a largely neutral palette just like most of my clients! The one constant is this loveseat. Yes, it's pink, and not just for Valentine's Day. But in this neutral environment (white walls, jute rug, wood furniture, neutral window coverings) this pink loveseat works. It is well integrated and although it makes a small statement, it doesn't scream "look at me!" The overall feeling is one that is warm, pleasant and collected. 

For this client, since her current room was otherwise fairly neutral, an easy solution for bringing character was through a sofa with a bolder color. Below were my picks:

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I love them all. As you can see, I also threw in a modern take on a traditional Chesterfield sofa (option 3) just in case she wasn't loving the blue sofa choices. But what do they all have in common? They all exude sophistication, timelessness and luxury, everything you want in sitting room seating. 

So now you've chosen that perfect colorful sofa, now how do you integrate it into your neutral room, keeping it classic and soothing? Example images are the best way to show how this works best. See below! 

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The key to making a colorful sofa work in your room?  Keep the rest of your room fairly neutral. You don't have to exclude all other colors, but be thoughtful and if it's a neutral room you're trying to achieve, make sure that additional colors are just accents not competing with your colorful sofa. I deliberately chose example images that varied in style to show you that it can be done in any room no matter what your aesthetic preferences may be. 

A couple of tips on choosing the right color.

• Choose a color you love. This will go a long way in making sure you won't tire of it.
• Pay attention to the hue. For example, there a million different blues out there, cobalt blue, baby blue, periwinkle, etc. Most of the time when choosing colorful sofas for my clients, I gravitate towards color hues that are rich and jewel toned. They often work best in most rooms instead of colors that are say pastel in tone.
• If you're unable to view the sofa in person, order a swatch prior to ordering! This is important not only to make sure you love the color, but also to feel the texture. And don't forget, if you have kids and/or pets, pay attention to the type of fabric making sure it's durable and practical.

Settled on a color? Don't forget to consider factors such as craftsmanship, quality and durability, you can find great and informative articles here and here. 

If you're in the market for a new sofa, I encourage you to go forth and think outside the box! Be brave, a colorful sofa may just change that drab room into one infused with personality and charm. 

A Dreamy Denver Project. A Progress Report

It's been a bit quiet on the blog, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been busy, it's more of a sign that I've been too busy. But I'm happy to be busy when it's with things like the Dreamy Denver Project. 

I'm so unbelievably excited to share this project with you. The lowdown, these clients bought their new home last fall. Prior to purchasing this home, they made do with furniture that was past its prime. These clients decided that moving into this new home meant it was time to invest in furniture that they loved. 

We've already ordered the majority of the furniture. And because I'm always candid here and about the process, the first four deliveries from different vendors arrived damaged! Proof that the before/after posts you see on this and many other blogs don't convey how long and stressful a redesign process can be. It looks like magic online, but trust me, it doesn't always work that way. I've been told that it must be easy to be a designer since I'm neither spending money that is mine nor designing for a space that is mine. This couldn't be further from the truth. For my own home, I'm happy to let mistakes happen, and it's actually a place where I can try out new ideas. For my clients, I know that my services are often a luxury and I try to make sure I deliver a perfect product down to the coaster. Sometimes to get there, this means a ton of phone calls, emails and negotiations with vendors/contractors, but at the end of the day I'm happy to say it's usually worth it. And I'm grateful for patient and understanding clients! 

I plan to go to Denver in late February for the final install and to apply finishing touches and styling. For now, here is a brief rundown of the design scheme for each room. Here is the exterior of the home. 

I mean talk about curb appeal. How beautiful is this home? Clearly, no improvements need to be made here. Step inside with me to the living room. 

This living room is big and open. Right off the foyer, it's the first room to greet guests. The furniture pictured in this room and the other rooms were most likely done by a staging company. Staging companies have a challenging job, they need to furnish a home in a way with the broadest appeal with their own inventory. But as you can, the room suffers from too much brown and other muted tones. It definitely needs some color and life. Below is the living room board and the design plan I created for my clients. 

There have been a few edits to this board, but largely the general feel of the room feels the same, a neutral palette with saturated pops of color in navy blue and hints of yellow. I have yet to install this room, but I'm already in love. The marble coffee table offers some texture diversity. The linen colored sofa along with the gray side chairs are cohesive and collected but doesn't feel too matchy. 

On to the dining room. 

Similar to the living room, the furniture in the room pictured above brings out the wrong tones. With the greige paint, there needs to be more contrast, and the rattan chairs are far much too casual for this elegant dining room. Although the chandelier is perfectly fine, I think this room would benefit from a light fixture that would bring in more sparkle and shine. Below is the board for the new dining room! 

The dining room adheres to the clients' preference for an updated classic look throughout the house. However, I've updated the look a bit with a more modern chandelier, dining room chairs with a curved silhouette, and a blue rug that should help offset the dominant brown tones in the wood molding and walls. Since this room is slightly more formal, we opted to go with all chairs instead of using a dining bench. The scalloped wall mirror adds a touch of whimsy and will help the light bounce off the new chandelier. 

Last but certainly not least, the master bedroom. 

Again, like the living and dining rooms, this room also suffers from furniture that is a bit dreary. The furniture also feels a bit dated. With such a large wonderful space, I'm excited to see the final outcome. 

So serene right? Like the furniture pictured in the master bedroom photo, the board shows a design scheme that relies on a neutral palette, but you can see/feel the difference between the two right? The furniture I have chosen although neutral utilizes more whites, especially in the rug, allowing for some brightness to seep in. Also, the gray and blue throw pillows will help change the look and feel of the room, providing great contrast between the walls and the furniture. 

Fingers crossed that the rest of the deliveries arrive safe and sound. I love that this house looks and feels so different from the homes I usually do and although long distance projects are often challenging, they are often the most rewarding. I can't wait to install this project in person!

Thanks for reading!