How Refreshing!

Isn't it interesting how humans naturally gravitate toward certain skill sets?  I have a cute client, and at a glance, you'd think we were very similar (not to overstate my cuteness).  We have a lot in common, but what comes naturally to her (accounting!) is NOT my cup of tea. Lucky for me, decorating her home is something she needs help with, and I'm happy to offer it!

She called me because she just could not make the furniture that she had bought with her husband for a previous home work in her new house. Instead of trying to convince him that she needed all new furniture (not likely for an accountant to even try!), she instead had me over and we planned a surprise "refresher" for her family room and dining room areas.

{Here is the view when you walk into the living room from the sunporch entry room.}

{Here is the view to the left of the entryway into the living room.}

{And here is the view into the dining room.}

My client inherited some rugs and a cute chair from her grandmother's house that she wanted to try to use, and she also wanted to incorporate some of the great modern paintings done by her husband (see the orangey reddish one above), and a few pieces of art and heirlooms from her husband's family.  We also talked about a few pieces that she'd like to add, and off I went madly shopping for a few hours total to get ready for the installation day.

On Friday, I met my client at her house at 10 and told her to come back at  2:30. Once she was off, I madly started unpacking my purchases and got down to work rearranging everything. This is where personalities diverge, because for some this might sound like a painful way to spend 4 1/2 hours, but for me, it's my idea of a good time!  It was a blast, and I was so excited for her to see her new space.

The most important step was how to configure the 2 couches...sofa & loveseat.  One of the problems in the original arrangement was that there was no way to have a conversation.  The sofas were too far apart, so I created a traditional floor plan with the sofa and loveseat in an L-shaped arrangement.

Now it's easier to have a conversation, and watch TV.  My client had also asked me to purchase a kid-friendly leather chair to add to the living room seating arrangement.  I dressed things up with shimmery silk drapery panels in a deep charcoal blue color that work with the rug I borrowed from the nearby sunporch.

I love the tufted Chesterfield style on the one I found a World Market, and the copper drum side table is a perfect spot for a drink or a Lego project.

{I love how new pillows can bring life to a tired sofa.}

With the loveseat's backside now to the the entry area, there is a newly defined foyer space on that side of the room.

{the new foyer!!! I just love it!}

To further establish the foyer in the living room, I borrowed another rug from the nearby sunporch (sorry you can't see it in this picture, I'm standing on it!) and put it down on the floor right when you enter the living room. Then, I dressed up her grandmother's chair with a vintage looking pillow and set up a newly purchased simple foyer table with a new lamp, accessories, and another floor cushion for additional seating. 

One of my favorite "A-Ha" moments of the day was when I moved 2 antique paintings and this gorgeous pearl inlay table, both heirlooms from the husband's family in India, to this foyer entry nook. I love how the colors and cultures from both families blend so well here.

Hung just a few inches lower, now the husband's artwork is a gorgeous back drop for the pretty new lamp and a few kid-friendly accessories (those are gold bells on the floor...so fun, and NOT breakable).

In the dining room, new drapery panels and sheers with a pretty paisley pattern pick up the colors in the rug.  Buffet lamps add lighting and sophistication to the console table.

And chairs recovered in a modern graphic indoor/outdoor fabric will resist the stains and keep the style going.

This project was so much fun, but the best part of the day was when my client walked in at 2:30 and the changes took her breath away.  Her eyes got all teary and she said, "This is what I've wanted. I'm so happy."  Later she texted me about how thrilled and surprised her husband and kids were. That made me so happy.  I love my job, and I can't wait to spend another day like this.

If you'd like some help with a project in your home, big or small, I'd love to help.  Please contact me.

Virtual Decorating Client Project in Boston

Technology is changing the way we stay connected so much that the pace just baffles me sometimes. As someone who has moved to different cities over the course of my adult life, I love that I can connect with friends of old and keep in touch besides just an annual Christmas card. (Although I LOOOOVE getting those, so keep 'em coming!)

One thing I've really enjoyed in business is being able to help friends with their decorating projects even if they live elsewhere. For example, right now I'm working on my high school friend's ginormous house in northern Virginia. She has a son with special needs, and it has been such a wonderful experience to help her make his room match his feisty and delightful personality. It's a great way for us to stay connected, too. I'll ask her to send pictures soon, because I'm hoping she's hanging the curtains we just ordered this weekend, (right, Theo?)

{Pottery Barn Kids}

Recently, my dear friend, Laura, moved from Denver to the Boston area. She bought the most amazing house and asked me to be her virtual decorator. We FaceTimed, and it was a great way for me to receive the grand tour, and then to focus on a few areas where she needed help. The house is new construction, but it fits right in with the architecture of her adorable New England town. The finishes are deeeevine..dark hardwood floors, thick chunky white trim, lots of windows and natural light, coffered ceilings. All the style and charm of an older home, but the modern conveniences of NEW! Her builder, Rob Ticktin, (Laura calls him Rob the Builder) did an amazing job. He only builds one home a year, and you can tell because of the attention to detail.

Laura took me on a FaceTime tour, and I easily got the lay of the land. She wanted to focus on getting her main living space finished. It's in the back of the house where there is a gorgeous kitchen with an eating area opening to a family room/living room.  Laura was ready to spring for some new furniture in the family room, window treatments, and a new rug. I did a little online shopping, we talked some more, and she did the rest!

One of the things we discussed was sofa positioning and overall furniture placement.  Her fireplace is opposite the sofa, with TV above the mantle, so luckily just one focal point. Her husband is TALL, so the double chaise configuration is perfect for their family. To make the room conversation friendly, we placed 2 custom swivel armchairs in a charcoal gray on either side of the fireplace. (sorry there isn't a picture of those) Laura's red console table is a colorful backdrop for the large sofa, so it's backside isn't too overwhelming when you enter the room from the front of the house. To offset the angles, we went with a round cocktail table with a bone inlay top and open, leggy base. The pair of end tables introduce a smooth, shiny surface and tuck nicely into the wide arms of the sofa. We found an indigo striped rug with red, gray and mustardy yellow stripes to pull the subtle palette together. I love how the ikat pillows bring a new pattern into the room.

Back in May, before Laura moved, her talented photographer cousin, Anne, had her home featured on the popular blog, Little Green Notebook.  Laura and I were both inspired by how Anne created gallery walls with seemingly disparate, but meaningful collections. (Read more about that project here.) We especially loved this enlarged old family photo.

{source}

Laura selected a photo she loves of her grandfather with his three brothers and had it blown up on canvas. We decided it would look great hung next to the new curtain panels in the eating nook. (Grandpa is 2nd to left.)

Laura's husband and daughters all play the piano, so we thought it would be fun to frame the piano with a gallery wall. Their collection includes a framed album cover, their Colorado license plate, a large Chinese watercolor from when Laura played volleyball in China, art by their children, and to add dimension and whimsy, a steel steer's head, an homage to Laura's grandfather's dairy farm. I suggested that Laura lay everything out on the floor and mix the shapes up to give it a collected but not too contrived look. I think she did a great job! Don't you?

Laura, thanks so much for sharing these fabulous after pictures. Your home is a beauty, just like you. 

If you'd like some design help, virtual or local, please contact me.

client color update in kitchen and living room

Sara and her husband bought their home several years ago to accommodate their small family. Four kids later (that’s right, FOUR!), they came up for air, looked around and decided their kitchen, dining and living rooms could use some sprucing. Sara envisioned a sophisticated palette of grays and blues, but was stumped on fine tuning her ideas. Of course, we were happy to help!

Sara’s kitchen is huge with enviable storage, but her cabinets were wearing a dated paint effect and the walls were a yellow that just wasn’t working. Here is another view from the opposite direction.

That small desk in the kitchen picture above just wasn’t making the grade. Sara wanted a bigger workspace for the back wall to use as her command center and home office. (The white door leads to the foyer.)

Below are two shots of the living room. We love the gorgeous antique sofa and chairs that Sara inherited from her grandmother, and the fireplace and built-in bookcases have uber potential.

As you can see from all of the tearsheets on the floor, Sara had done her research. She knew exactly “the look” she had in mind. Although she didn’t have beaucoup bucks for new furniture, we knew that some affordable updates could really get her started in her visual pursuits for these rooms.

Since we’re all about frugal fabulousness here at simple-e-design, our recommendation was to update Sara’s kitchen with the biggest design bang for her dollar: paint.  We recommended painting the upper cabinets in the corner area and the doors and cabinetry on Sara’s pantry/appliance wall in Benjamin Moore’s Simply White 2143-70 with a semi-gloss finish. Once we committed to that white “color” (to read more about that topic, click here), we continued with the Simply White semi-gloss on all trim throughout the three connecting rooms for consistency.

Since Sara’s kitchen is so big (JEALOUS!), we decided to ground the potentially overwhelming sea of white cabinetry by painting the base cabinetry a darker color. We used Sara’s existing granite countertops to direct our color selection and decided on Stone (BM 2112-40), also in a semi-gloss finish. We find that the semi-gloss finish works well on cabinetry since messy splatters and spills wipe off more easily.

In an effort to improve the visual flow from room to room, we recommended that Sara paint all three rooms the same wall color. We chose Iced Cube Silver (BM 2121-50) in an eggshell finish for it’s serene and sophisticated gray/blue tones. The eggshell finish will stand up to sticky fingers, but contrast with the shiny white trim for the classy effect Sara was craving.

Here is Sara’s gorgeous kitchen after.

Isn’t it an amazing transformation?! The white paint on the cabinetry, pantry doors and trim pulls the whole space together, and the darker shade on the base cabinetry grounds the central kitchen area. Sara reused her existing cabinetry hardware and still longs for a new backsplash, but had to splurge on new double ovens instead. Priorities! The family must eat!

Remember Sara’s puny desk on the other side of the kitchen? Well, this well-deserving mom upgraded to some stylish and functional desk furniture that’s more worthy of a busy domestic diva who is managing four kids and working from home.

In the living room, we suggested that Sara enhance her already stylish bookcase displays by using the leftover Stone paint on the interior backs of the built-ins. Now her collections really pop.

On the opposite end of the room, we eliminated the red tones that the bricks were introducing into the room by painting them the same Simply White. Now the fireplace wall has that smoky, sophisticated look Sara was seeking.

Sara’s inherited antiques are framed beautifully by some glamorous yet affordable silk dupioni drapery panels in platinum. A pair also hangs in the dining room, connecting the two rooms in an elegant fashion.

Impressively, Sara did most of this styling on her own with only minimal online consulting from us. She just kept playing around with different configurations until she settled on arrangements that work.

Sara still has her wish list: a living room rug, a sleek coffee table, new light fixtures, a hipper kitchen backsplash, but we can all agree that with these budget friendly updates, she’s well on her way to achieving the sophisticated, stylish space she had in mind all along. What do you think?

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

Katie's Gender Neutral Nursery

Who doesn’t find out the gender of their baby these days? Sure, all the baby bedding and nursery boutiques out there claim to have "gender neutral" products available, but it sure is tough to find something cute and unique for your precious little one that doesn’t scream BOY or GIRL! Katie is a mom-to-be that wanted to wait for the big surprise when the baby was born and we were thrilled to help because waiting for the big day to hear the news is the best way to find out! 

Dear Lisa,

I have been scouring the internet and the usual baby stores and boutiques for cute nursery ideas, but am having a really hard time finding items that I like that are not too boyish or girlish because I’m waiting to find out what I’m having. I can’t go white neutral because my two dogs, and frankly, my husband, would make the room look a nice dirty beige before the baby even arrives. I also want to avoid the traditional yellow neutrals, although I am okay with some green. I need to find bedding, a chair, rug and some accent pieces to go along with the white crib, daybed and dresser I already have. I’m okay with a couple of “splurge” items, but would love it if they could make the jump to a toddler or guest room. I also need some paint color options for the room. Look forward to seeing what you come up with! ~ Katie

Katie, we pulled together some punchy pastels for your little bambino on the way!

1.  Given Katie’s aversion to yellows, we recommend going with a green and blue palette.  To avoid baby-boy blue, we suggest a bright aqua packed with a little lime punch. Benjamin Moore’s Emerald Vapor (BM 845) is a light and fresh hue that will go perfectly with all of the pink or blue blankets she will inevitably receive. We suggest adding a brighter green as an accent color, perhaps to molding or dresser knobs, such as Stem Green (BM 2029-40). Finally, you can’t go wrong with a plain white trim, like BM’s Decorator’s White to make the colors pop.

2.  A comfy glider is a new mom’s dream seat. We want Katie to feel like she’s sitting on a cloud when she’s up in the night with her wee little one. This glider in aqua from Restoration Hardware is bright and cheerful enough to provide a little energy boost for those late-night visits to the nursery.

3.  There is an abundance of unique artwork out there for children’s rooms.  We fell in love with these alphabet flashcards designed by Patricia Zapata. The best part – the whole set is downloadable for a mere $7.99!

4.  Our latest obsession in the nursery and bedding arena is Serena and Lily. Just looking at their web site makes us want to redecorate every bedroom in the house. These pillows will easily transition from the nursery to a toddler or guest room – definitely worth the investment!

5.  This lampshade, from PB Teen in mint and light blue, will offer some cheerful, soft light for the nursery. To keep it safe for tiny hands, we recommend pairing it with a sturdy, white wood base.

6.  We hit the nursery-bedding jackpot with Carousel Designs!  Seriously, their web site is incredible; it allows you to design your own crib bedding in a neat-o build-it-yourself online feature. We love the lime stripe and polka-dot combo to compliment the aqua chair and pillow for Katie’s nursery.

7.  Every baby needs a soft rug for crawling and playing. This chenille oval rug from Pottery Barn Kids will fit the soft and gentle bill, and the color should help hide any rogue dog hairs from Katies’s pooches.

Here's Katie's after pic!  It was a GIRL! :)  Congrats and thanks for sending in your picture! xoxo!

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

surprise! happy birthday honey

I have a friend who is awesome. She works hard, is tons of fun, and makes her family a priority. She has 3 kids, and when the youngest was just 1, she was called to serve in Afghanistan for a year. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been. Just last night, she told me she would have to miss the planning meeting for our kids’ upcoming school auction, because she had to work late; she was pulling chicken bones out of an 84 year-old man’s lungs! (She’s a pulmonologist). I have to admit, it was the best excuse I’d ever heard for missing a PTA meeting. She has a great perspective on what’s important in life, and I’ve learned a lot from her.

So when her husband asked me back in December to help him to surprise her with a bedroom makeover for her birthday, I could not wait to get started. Here is their bedroom before:

He wanted a place where his wife could relax that had REAL furniture, cool art, and reflected their preferences for simple lines and a mid-century aesthetic. Since I'm a design pleaser and am always up for a mid-century vibe, we pulled in two dressers from this collection at Room & Board. The simple, clean lines and the airy base were perfect for their tastes and the smaller size of the room.

Source: roomandboard.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Even though my clients’ design preferences are far from traditional, I wanted to change the arrangement of the furniture into a more symmetrical layout with the bed under the window flanked by matching nightstands. These hipsters from West Elm were a slam dunk…

Source: westelm.com via Lisa on Pinterest

To soften the straight lines in the furniture, we needed bedding that had an organic quality, but still retained the hip, modern effect we were working toward. This Marimkekko collection was a perfect match.

Source: crateandbarrel.com via Lisa on Pinterest

The husband and I schemed, planned, emailed, and texted for nearly 2 months until we had orchestrated every detail. I stored everything in my garage until the big day when she went off to work, and we got to work! Something we didn’t plan on was 6″ of unexpected snow, but the movers showed, and we made it all happen anyway.

When my friend got home from work, her family couldn’t wait for the big reveal. She walked into the bedroom and screamed! Later she told me she hasn’t been that surprised since her seven-year old birthday surprise party. But even better, she told her husband that it was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for her. Sigh!

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

home office goes from drab & dreary to bright & cheery

If you’re a visual person, like me, then it’s hard to get down to business in a home office that’s dreary and uninspiring. Your office should be a reflection of you, so you can get to work in a comfortable and motivating environment. My lovely, upbeat, hardworking client used this hallway walk-in closet as a home office for 18 years!

Suffice it to say that there was nothing about my bright, cheerful, put-together client that was mirrored by her office. Our goal was to brighten and lighten the space (but you probably figured that already!). Wallpaper was our jumping off point because we couldn’t remove the paper that was there before. My client has very traditional tastes, and I wanted to honor that, but get her out of her comfort zone just a tad. A simple, clean and graphic pattern was what I had in mind. I was so excited when she said yes to this one.

{Seabrook Wallpaper 21273}

It’s pretty, feminine, bright, fresh; everything her prior office was not! We freshened the desktop and shelves with white paint, and added some office and media cabinetry from Pottery Barn and a sleek desk chair from Crate & Barrel. Now the office is so fresh and lovely I want to work here!

Doesn’t it look so much bigger? Here’s another shot where you can see how my client continued the pink and white color scheme with these cute boxes and magazine files she found on One Kings Lane for organizing her paper work and photos.

To give her eyes a rest from the pattern, I put together a gallery of some of her favorite artwork from around the house, and ta da! She can start off the new year inspired by her surroundings.house, and ta da! She can start off the new year inspired by her surroundings.

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

family friendly makeover

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.