the holiday mullet

Thursday, December 1, 2011


Do you secretly wish you were married to Clark Griswold (of “Christmas Vacation” fame) when it comes to Christmas decorations but you’re worried about what your neighbors (or family!) would think? We’ve got the solution for you: the Holiday Mullet. You can have the best of both worlds with Business in the Front and PARTY (or tacky) in the back!

We LOVE cheesy holiday decorations (preferably the retro classic plastic Santa and reindeer) but fear the leers of friends and neighbors who fail to appreciate our tacky holiday fun. Thus, we came up with the Holiday Mullet where you can have a front yard with delicate white twinkle lights and fresh garland and a back yard with all the flash and bling that you really love!
Are you on board? Send us some pics of your Holiday Mullet!


If you want to truly love where you live, please contact me about design services.

family friendly makeover

Friday, November 11, 2011

When a hip mom of three boys contacted me to makeover the main level of her home, I was hooked. For almost 8 years, she’d lived with many family hand me downs that were beautiful, but just not her style. Her living room was so formal, no one ever went in there. She felt like she still lived in her parents' house. Our goal was to revitalize the rooms to reflect our clients' modern taste and lifestyle, so that they could entertain family and friends and really use all of their space. Here’s the living room before…

And here is the new loungey living room…

The chairs swivel so they’re perfect for watching TV and socializing, and they’re covered in the most supple leather…mmmm!

We carved out a nook by the front door for a desk for our client. It does double duty as a console when the drawers are folded inward.

In the dining room, we talked about repainting her Queen Anne style chairs to mix with a new table, but since all of the rooms open to each other, we decided to switch out her traditional table and chairs and the ho hum chandelier…

for a swanky new light fixture, sleek glass topped table and creamy white leather host and hostess chairs with nailhead trim.
There are so many things I love about how these rooms now speak to each other. The silk curtain fabric moves our palette from room to room. The newly painted black mod metal iron fixture picks up the glossy black of the piano. The glass table top visually connects with the cool blue on the sofa. This kind of stuff makes me so happy.

In the kitchen and eating area, we updated the blush toned maple cabinetry and French Country table and chairs with bright white paint on the upper cabinets and an earthy tan on the base cabinetry. We also refinished the chest (next to me in pic above) which was a family heirloom, and made my client's mom very happy.


To offset all of the angles in the room, we switched out the rectangular table for a round one that has a removable leaf, and paired it with sleek curvy chairs that pick up on the white cabinets and are a snap to wipe down. A triple locker replaces the former desk area and gives the boys room to store their jackets and backpacks when they walk in the back door.


The family room’s carpet and furnishings had seen better days…


so we added new hardwood floors, a sectional that accommodates the whole family, and relocated the desk area to the nook by the fireplace.


We ripped out built in bookshelves that our client hated because they were too shallow to hold anything and made room for a game table.


Now the family room looks pulled together and connects to the kitchen beautifully.


When I asked our client if she loves her new family room, she said, “I’m never in it! But I love MY new grown up family room. I’m in that room all the time now.”


If you want to truly love where you live, please contact me about design services.

pull up a chair

Tuesday, November 1, 2011


Are you finding yourself extending invitations for dinner over the next few weeks, only to find that the guest list exceeds your seating scenario? Never fear, we’ve compiled a list of inexpensive folding chairs so there’s room for everyone to pull up a chair.
For your Bali inspired holiday dining experience, this bamboo duo fits the bill affordably and might just have an extended life as a romantic table for two on your deck, patio, balcony, come warmer days.
Image courtesy of Target.com
Image courtesy of Target.com
For a more traditional vibe, this reasonably priced pair gives you 15 different fabric seat options so your can blend these babies right into your existing set. I’m digging the lattice patterned back.
Image courtesy of HomeDecorators.com
Image courtesy of HomeDecorators.com
If you’re feeling more contemporary, these blow molded white chairs are priced to perfection (although you need to buy a set of four). Hey, anyone know what blow molded means?
Image courtesy of cymax.com
Image courtesy of cymax.com
This set of four folding chairs in mocha is affordable, sleek, and stores easily. Isn’t that exactly what folding chairs are supposed to be?
Image courtesy of walmart.com
Image courtesy of walmart.com
If you’re fortunate enough to live nearby an Ikea, these “Jeff” folding chairs are a steal. (Sadly, they’re not available online.) At these prices, you’ll be able to afford so much stylish seating that some complimentary guest is sure to ask you to host again next year.
Image courtesy of Ikea.com
Image courtesy of Ikea.com
This lovely option is pricier, sure, but it’s solid wood structure and lacy back make a simple and elegant statement.
Image courtesy of ballarddesigns.com
Image courtesy of ballarddesigns.com
With all of these options, you can afford to be that gracious host or hostess who says, “The more the merrier!” at your holiday gathering this year. Cheers!


If you want to truly love where you live, please contact me about design services.

Jen's Bedroom Gets Symmetry & Style

Thursday, September 15, 2011


After ten happy years of marriage, Jennifer is ready to treat herself to the master bedroom she and her husband deserve.  Here’s her letter:
Dear Lisa, My husband and I just celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary, yet we are still living with relics from our single days in our master bedroom. My husband’s bedside table is leftover from his service in the military. My bedside table and our dresser are part of a set I bought right after college. We are ready to “reinvent” our master bedroom to create a more pulled together look, but with one caveat: the paint color must stay. We just hate to paint, and it’s the same color I’ve used in our master bathroom addition, so hopefully you can work with it. Also, I’ve already picked out a few things I’d like for you to incorporate. I love this Marimekko bedding and also the headboard, and perhaps, a dresser from this set. Otherwise, we’re open to new window treatments, furniture, accessories, lighting, and any other ideas you have. Thanks, Jennifer
Jennifer's Master Bedroom Before
Jennifer's Master Bedroom Before
Ten years is definitely cause for celebration, and what better way to toast the one you love than to recreate your master bedroom retreat. Like a good marriage, a master bedroom needs balance and compromise, so we’re going to infuse this space with complementary textures, colors and finishes to achieve symmetry and style. Here we go!
Jennifer's Master Bedroom Mood Board
1. Jen has given clear direction on establishing a color palette. Her wall colors appeared purplish at first, but they’re actually Graytint (BM #1611) which is a lovely pale gray. Jen’s choice of bedding, a plum colored Marimekko pattern with white accents, works beautifully with the gray walls. We’ll accent with fresh, milky white and hints of flax and oatmeal to create a setting perfect for breakfast in bed (albeit a healthy one).
For room layout, we like the new bed positioned under the window as she currently has it. Her new dresser would go on the right wall where the current dresser resides, but the taller shape of the new one will bring much needed height to the room and take up less floor space. Bonus! We love Jen’s oversized floral prints in purple and green and suggest that she hang them one on top of the other on the left wall to the right of the window, again, working the illusion of height into the room.
2. Did you know that “tin” is the ten year anniversary gift? Neither did we! Who comes up with this stuff?! Nevertheless, we’ve got a way to add some tin-type sparkle into Jen’s bedroom. In addition, we want to give the room a more pulled together appearance by establishing a balance of symmetry without succumbing to that “matchy-matchy” look. This mercury lovely will work beautifully as a pair of bedside lamps. Their height will keep them from getting lost as is the case with Jen’s current bedside lamps, and we love their shimmer. Jen can find great white lampshades to top them off here.
3. This trio of mercury glass candlesticks is the perfect accent to grace Jen’s new dresser. They’ll draw the eye upward, giving the illusion of more height in the room.
4. Jen’s bedroom has a gorgeous view of their backyard garden. These textured linen window panels will provide light and airy privacy without shutting out the view. Their flax color and linen texture will bring some natural elements into the space to balance the mercury shimmer. Jen can use her existing curtain rod, but we also love this collection which is currently on sale.
5. With the new dresser freeing up some floor space, we have room to incorporate this fun accent chair. We love how its clean lines work with the new bedroom furniture, the flax linen texture complements the window panels, and the nailhead trim picks up the other metallic accents in the room. Plus, doesn’t every bedroom need a chair to catch those clothes you’re just too tired to put away?
6. This handmade purple accent pillow will provide a dose of color to the accent chair and subtly picks up on the leafy pattern in the bedding.
7. No bedroom is complete without a cozy throw for some added warmth on a cold night. We like the luxurious texture of this one. It could live happily at the foot of the bed or draped over the accent chair.
8. To perpetuate our theme of symmetry with shimmer and style, we are nothing short of obsessed with this sunburst mirror in an antiqued silver finish. We would like to see a pair of these hanging above each bedside lamp with about six inches between the top of the lamp and the longest bottom “ray” of the mirror.
9. This purple stoneware tray brings another earthy element into the room and will be a perfect spot to corral change, jewelry, and the other odds and ends that breed overnight on the top of the dresser.
10. The simple stripe on this rug will bring new pattern into the room without fighting the scrolling leaf pattern in the bedding; a perfect compromise, like in every good marriage. The khaki and white color combination coordinates nicely with our plum, white and neutral palette.
11. A pair of these euro shams in white will enhance the plum and white bedding.
12. We think a pair of these white bedside tables will be the final fabulous dose of symmetry chic in Jen’s new master bedroom. Their white color will pop against the gray walls and plum bedding. Their nickel hardware will shimmer along with the other metallic accents. And, they’ll be a perfect base for the pair of lamps and sunburst mirrors above.
One final design note. We would love to see Jen splurge on some plantation shutters to finish off the high window that sits over the headboard. Their clean lines in a crisp white finish would look beautiful above the bed.
Jen, we hope your new master bedroom will bring you many, many more years of wedded bliss. What kind of shape is your bedroom in? Need some design help? Don’t hesitate to ask.


If you want to truly love where you live, please contact me about design services.

Stacey's snappy sunroom

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Stacey tapped us to inject some color and style into her long and narrow sunroom. Here’s her letter:
Dear Lisa: Our family is wrapping up a big home renovation. Now we are stumped on what to do with our sunroom. It’s a long and narrow room that is accessed off the kitchen and houses our pantry/storage closet. We walk through it to get to the master bedroom on the right and our outdoor patio on the left. We need this room to function as a home office for me, as well as a place for our two kids to do crafts and homework. Also, we have two dogs who regularly use the patio door, so we’re dealing with a lot of family foot traffic. Since the room is open to our kitchen we’d like to tie it in with the colors we have used in there (Benjamin Moore Coastal Fog on the walls and red and blue accents).  We want this to be a creative space with some style instead of white oversized hallway. Thanks for your help! Stacey


Stacey, what a blank slate you have! This room is ripe for a reinvention. We hope you love your snappy new sunroom. Here we go!

1. First of all, kudos to Stacey, for using Benjamin Moore’s Coastal Fog (AC-1). It’s one of our favorite neutrals. The greeny undertones in the beige work with almost any palette, plus the contrast with the white trim and doors will make them really pop. For an accent color, we would love to see Stacey paint the back wall with the plantation shuttersWaterfall (BM 2050-50). This beautiful turquoise leans more toward the green side of the fan deck, so it works well with the Coastal Fog. An accent wall will add an unexpected splash of color once you enter the room, but won’t be totally visible from the kitchen. To complete the palette, we’ve added some fun doses of red, white and turquoise throughout the room to blend with some of the colors Stacey is using in the sunroom’s adjoining spaces.
2. These embroidered red and white curtain panels have a cool, bohemian vibe. The Moroccan-inspired pattern will soften the many angles in the room, reduce noise and frame the two windows that overlook the patio.
3. In a narrow room like this, Stacey’s already done a great job of creating two zones: one for her desk, and one for the kids’ workspace. It’s a smart use of the space; what busy mom doesn’t want a desk near the kitchen? Stacey would like a bigger work surface for herself, and we dig the open and airy look of this console desk. With this design, Stacey has tons of room on top, and the open compartments below can store books, storage bins, files and decorative nick-nacks, too.
4. This rug looks like sisal, but it’s made of olefin and bordered withSunbrella fabric, so it’s a great choice for a busy sunroom. Stacey can use this dog-proof, spill-proof, kid-proof indoor/outdoor rug to further divide her two work zones. The 5′ X 7′ size, positioned with the short ends centered between the patio and master bedroom doors, should workhorse perfectly.
5. We love the turquoise splash on this affordable ceramic gourd lamp. There will be plenty of room on Stacey’s desk surface, and it’s much prettier than your typical utilitarian desk lamp.
6. These fire engine red barstools are the perfect perches for the young artists, scientists, writers and mathematicians that live in Stacey’s house. Their super glossy powdercoated finish beckons with fun and creativity. A set of four will slide neatly under Stacey’s current round table.
7. To counter the shiny gloss of the barstools, we think this wood veneer pendant lamp brings a natural element into the room in a funky, industrial way. Just imagine how it will pop against that turquoise accent wall. Mmmm…love it.
8. While her kids are busying themselves at their new work/craft station, Stacey will be large and in charge in this white swivel armchair, multi-tasking all over the room without ever leaving her seat. Sounds fabulous…and kinda fun.
9. We love how the angles on this bookshelf mimic the angled ceiling in Stacey’s sunroom. The open style speaks in kind to the desk on the opposite side of the room. Positioned just to the left of the master bedroom door (facing), this unit will provide storage a plenty for crafts, games, school papers and more.
10. When you’re working round the clock (and what mom isn’t, we ask?) the official timekeeper may as well look good! This retro cool clock will keep the troops on time and look stylish right above Stacey’s desk just to the left of the curtain panels.
11. These affordable and durable canvas bins are perfect for stashing and corralling the unsightly business in both work zones. They’ll add color and style to the bookcase and desk, plus they come in multiple sizes and have a space for labeling.
12. We love how this pair of prints beautifully ties all of the colors in the room together. After curtains are hung and furniture is positioned, Stacey can keep this pair together side by side, stack them on top of each other for a more vertical look, or split them up. We think they would look gorgeous on any of the walls painted Coastal Fog.
Stacey, we hope you have as much fun in your new sunroom as we had pulling this look together for you.

If you want to truly love where you live, please contact me about design services.

Decorate in stages

Tuesday, August 2, 2011


Ever since I started decorating for pay and blogging about the topic, I've been slightly paranoid about my home. I'm worried people will walk in and expect perfectly appointed rooms, styled just right without a dog hair or pile of school papers in sight. I do have visions of how it should be, but time and money seem to make it impossible to pull it all together today! Is that true for you too?
So to make us all feel better, let’s get a little perspective and break this down into smaller stages. At each stage, the goal is for a room to look and function well. To illustrate, we found images of  a family friendly living room with great potential.
Stage 1: This room is overly neutral, but has the makings of a great space: a cozy sectional, a nook for office space, and great architectural details like the French doors that open to the foyer and the fireplace.
Image from bhg.com
Image from bhg.com
Image from bhg.com
Image from bhg.com
Stage 2: With the addition of some fun striped drapery panels, a color palette is emerging. The round table formerly in the office nook is now replaced by a more functional desk. The table now finds its home the opposite corner. A rug anchors the seating area, and some whimsical accessories liven up the mantle.
Image from bhg.com
Image from bhg.com
Image from bhg.com
Image from bhg.com
Stage 3: Now, some of you may be thinking, “Stick a fork in it; this room is done!” But watch what happens when new paint is splashed on the walls, and some new furniture pieces are acquired.
Image from bhg.com
Image from bhg.com
The pale blue color on the walls makes the formerly boring beige sectional really pop now. Additional throw pillows bring some new patterns into the room.
Image from bhg.com
Image from bhg.com
The office nook now sports a custom desk and bountiful concealed storage. The pumpkin color on the wall differentiates the area, but still works well with the blue on the surrounding walls.

Image from bhg.com
Image from bhg.com

A new coffee table and TV stand have been added, and the former TV stand now functions as a console behind the couch with storage for games and other family room essentials.
Hopefully you’re now breathing a sigh of relief. It’s great to walk into a room that’s “done”, but for most of us, decorating is a process. So take your time, change your mind, stop and start; do it in stages. That's my plan on the homefront, too.


If you want to truly love where you live, please contact me about design services.

Colin's Cool New Crib

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

For a recent school auction, I donated some time to help reinvent a student’s bedroom. Along with the design consult, the auction package also included a muralist, a seamstress and paint and painting services. Colin, a rising sixth grader, was the lucky winner of these services, thanks to his parents’ winning bid. 
Like many boys his age, upon meeting with Colin, it was clear that his passion is sports. He loves baseball and basketball. On the color spectrum, his preferences lean toward light blues and reds. To that end, his parents recently splurged on a bedroom set for Colin which includes a bed with storage underneath, a desk, a nightstand, and a bookshelf. In addition, Colin’s mom was ready to pull the trigger on a closet organization system. We recommended the Elfa system at the Container Store for some customized storage for sports jerseys and aging Pokemon card collections.
Here are a few before pics of Colin’s room …
Colin's Room Before
Colin's Room Before.Colin's Room Before
Colin’s room was ripe for a transformation of impending teenage proportions. The challenge for me was to use the resources won in the auction to give Colin a new room that will grow with him over the next several years. Remember those teenage glory years when the priorities were study, sleep, and socialize? Although perhaps not always quite in that order!  The goal is to infuse that combination with some style so that this room renovation will transport Colin through the exciting years ahead.
Colin's Cool New Crib
1. When we chatted with Colin about his style preferences, he said his favorite colors are blue and red, and he’d love a sports themed room. As a Denver native, Colin’s a fan of the Colorado Rockies and Denver Nuggets, but he also likes the NY Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. When it came to making a color selection, we gave Colin the paint fan deck, a temptation most kids can’t refuse! His pick was “Chicago Blues” (BM #804) which is a gorgeous deep saturated blue, but we feared it was a bit too deep, so much so that his new blue furniture might disappear. So we’re recommending that Colin head north on the fan deck two stops to land in another famous sports town, “San Francisco Bay” (BM #802), for a rich medium blue that will provide good contrast to the deep blue in the furniture. We also aim to amp up the cool factor in the room by adding some metal pieces to our traditional red and blue color palette. Read on to find out how.
2. What do you get when you put boys and their smelly sports equipment together? Lockers! That’s right! These locker style storage bins will help to organize the goods and stash the clutter on Colin’s bookshelves. We suggest at least 3 or 4 of these sturdy bins for Colin to use as he likes so that his space doesn’t end up looking like a locker room.
3.  One of the biggest challenges in kids’ room renovations is making choices that will grow with them. You have to make decisions about what is an easy item to change if it’s outgrown, and what’s more complicated. Choosing affordable bedding to sport one of Colin’s favorite team logos is a guilt-free option just in case he may be rooting for another team or even exploring a new past time a few years down the road.
4.  When Colin needs some inspiration for that first line to his latest essay, this mini basketball hoop is a slam-dunk for inspiration. We love its authentic look and his parents will appreciate the easy-on-the-walls basketballs that come with it.
5.  As his homework load increases, (sorry buddy, but it’s true), Colin will need more storage in his dedicated study digs. We dig this galvanized storage shelf because the chalkboard labels suit the ever changing moods, plans, needs of a tween/teen. It could hang out above his desk making use of the vertical space on his walls for stashing study essentials and displaying few trophies to boot.
6. One of the generous contributors to Colin’s room reinvention is a seamstress who offered to make pillows and a valance. We found thispreppy madras fabric which will complement the colors in the Yankees bedding nicely and soften up the window in a tailored manly way.
7. Colin’s room has a neutral wall to wall carpet, so we thought a layer of stripes underfoot would bring some additional color and pattern to the room. To keep the rug from slipping around, a rug pad designed for rug over carpet use is essential.
8. This chrome desk lamp will give Colin lots of bright ideas when he hits the books.
9. Another organizational essential, this magnetic bulletin board works with tacks and magnets to post game schedules, photos, homework assignments and Colin’s special mementos. Hanging it over the desk and under the galvanized steel cubbies would be a slam dunk.
10. This bedside lamp with its unassuming style should suit Colin for light years.
11. Colin’s bedroom set is fantastic, but in a small space, the pieces don’t look that interesting when they’re lined up on the wall. We like this affordable round steel nightstand for Colin to use, replacing his current nightstand. The round shape and steel finish give some contrast to the other blue furniture elements. The lower shelf gives him some storage for his stack of summer reading books.
Our last element is how best to use the talents of the muralist’s services. We want to honor Colin’s request for sports, but also consider the teen, fun, cool factor. So we’re recommending that the muralist paint one entire wall like the floor of a basketball court. There are lots of images to use for inspiration.
Colin, I hope you like your room reinvention, and like all the accomplished athletes out there, don’t forget to thank Mom and Dad in your acceptance speech. Can’t wait to see the “after” pics!


If you want to truly love where you live, please contact me about design services.


Susie's pretty and pleasant parlor

Friday, July 8, 2011


Susie needed help with making over her living room which no one ever really uses in her house. Here is Susie’s letter and her “before” pictures:
Dear Lisa,
I’d LOVE some help with my living room. This is probably the least used room in our house. We mainly use it for holidays or for when I host Bunco or book club. Sometimes the kids or I will read in the green chair. I really like the loveseat and the yellow floral table. For new items, I’d like some new window treatments, but the room gets pretty dark, which is why I went with such a light color on the walls. I’d love some new accessories and stuff for the walls. For style, I really like French Country with some cottage style mixed in.  I like florals and lean more toward traditional taste. I think this room is considered more formal because it is connected to the dining room, but I don’t know that it has to feel that way. My dining room has a few nice pieces and nice drapes but the table is still casual and overall it doesn’t feel super elegant, which is fine.  My life isn’t really like that—my kids are messy, they can’t remember to take off their shoes, my dog sheds everywhere and chews things under the dining room table!!!  Fancy doesn’t really go with me these days, and I’m good with that. I would like the room to feel comfortable, pretty and pleasant. Thanks for your help.  Susie
Susie's Living Room Before
Susie's Living Room Before
Susie's Living Room Before
Susie, sister, we hear you about the messy kids and shedding dogs, and we love your honesty. Sounds like a dose of real life to us! You need a relaxing space for yourself to unwind that doubles as a grown up space where you can entertain friends. The good news is you’re already well on your way to creating that. So here are just a few final touches to pull this room together, making it the pretty and pleasant parlor a busy mom like you deserves. Read on for Susie’s mood board and it’s break down.
Susie's Pleasant & Pretty Parlor
1. Rarely do we not suggest paint for a Room Reinvention, but the pale yellow on Susie’s living room walls works well and looks fresh, so we are going to maintain her current palette of pale yellow, rose pink and sage green. These colors are lovely together and tie into the palette she has working so nicely in her adjoining dining room.
2.  One of Susie’s favorite pieces in her living room is the loveseat, and we agree. It has a great combination of color and pattern. We think Susie should hang this gorgeous mirror with a ribbon motif centered above the loveseat. Curvaceous and elegant, this golden beauty will fit right in with Susie and her stylish girlfriends.
3. Susie wants to allow for natural light in her living room, and we’re on board with that. She can frame and soften the three windows with these classic and feminine window treatments which will still allow for lots of light to filter in. The moire check brings a subtle and fresh pattern into the room and is in keeping with our color palette. To top off the window treatments, Susie can select the balloon fringed valance for a more billowy look (as featured on the moodboard), or she can opt for the lined and layered valance (shown here) in rose with green buttons for a more tailored look.
4. We love this tall statuesque bookcase as a place for Susie to display framed family photos, treasured heirlooms, books and accessories. It will look perfect on the right side of the loveseat and provide height and balance to that side of the room. With the loveseat now framed by the newly dressed up window on the left, the bookcase on the right and the mirror above, it will get the attention it deserves. Susie, if you need help arranging your goods on the bookshelf, read our post on that very topic right here.
5. This affordable pair of framed fern prints would look lovely hung between the two windows on the wall opposite the dining room. Their green color and botanical subject matter are a perfect complement to the florals and colors Susie already has working in this room.
6. Susie confessed that her current coffee table is a family heirloom (or is it a hairloom?) that she is ready to replace. We love how this oval coffee table works with the other wood finishes in the room. We also love the free shipping and price point on this baby. It’s solid stature is sure to withstand the roll of some Bunco dice.
7. This green vase made of recycled glass doubles as a candleholder. It is sandblasted with flowers and vines, so it complements our botanical mood perfectly and will look lovely on Susie’s new bookshelf or filled with flowers on her new coffee table.
8. It is our strong belief that every queen of the castle needs her throne, and this bergere chair suits Susie’s French Country parlor perfectly. It’s a cozy, elegant and comfortable way to bring more seating into the room. We recommend the walnut finish in the Abramo Tan pattern for it’s subtle, textured look. We’ll be the first to admit that this chair is a splurge, but we’re still frugal girls at heart, so we found a WAY less expensive version of this type of chair here. (Susie, if you can live with the fabric option available on this cheaper one, we say buy two!)
This is a great time to mention furniture placement and how to best use Susie’s existing pieces. As we mentioned above, with the new bookcase to the right of the loveseat, we suggest moving the round wood table to the left of the loveseat placing it in front of the window. (The trunk currently in this corner should find a home somewhere else in the house. It’s super cool looking, but doesn’t seem to work in this space.) Bring the table lamp (currently on the floral painted table) over and place it on the round wood table.  The floor lamp can stay to the right of the loveseat positioned about a foot out from the wall. We like the cozy reading nook Susie has created for herself (and her kids) in the corner. We suggest pulling the chair and ottoman out of that corner just a bit so it looks comfortably placed in front of the new curtains on the left window. If she can spare it, we think Susie should steal the lamp from the pretty desk in her dining room and use it as a reading lamp on the floral table. The floral table should stay put, centered between the two windows. Susie can pull out the ottoman from the reading chair and use it for extra seating when she’s having friends over.
9. These 20″ square silk Dupioni decorative pillows are a STEAL and will provide the final luxurious touch for Susie’s parlor. The solids in cranberry, sage and chablis will complement the loveseat throw pillows nicely. Susie can mix up the pillows on her loveseat, new chair and reading chair to bring the color and patterns throughout the room.
Susie, we sure do hope you are pretty pleased with your pretty new parlor. Nothing in there is too precious, so it’s still family friendly, but it finishes off the classy look you’ve started in your dining room.