Living Room Makeover - Part 1

When I first meet with clients I ask them why their current space is not fulfilling their needs.  We discuss function, colour & style preferences as well as how they would like to 'feel' when they enter that particular room.  Like anything in life it is important to understand why you want to change something before you look at initiating that change. To see more about questions asked during the consulting stages,  click here to read my post about 'Where to Start'.  

When I first met with Dorothy and Geoffrey their living room was painted a dark green tone & there was no fixed lighting in the room.  They wanted the room to be brighter & wished to update the decor by using some of their  beautiful antique items and introducing modern furnishings as well.  

We discussed what furniture was staying, what could be re-worked and what was going to need replacing.

A large tree outside their window blocks a lot of natural light from entering the room.

We discussed how many people they typically entertain for so as to clarify what seating was required.  To address the lighting issue I suggested placing sconces on the wall by the fireplace and adding secondary lighting with floor and table lamps, as drilling into the ceiling was not an option. 

The fireplace had hand painted floral Portuguese tiles and if they were to stay, they would have limited and dictated the style and colours for the room.  It really was essential to replace these tiles to update this room and give it the face lift my client's desired.

Carrara Marble Tiles with the brass insert gives this fireplace a clean, classic and polished look. 

The floor had some damage to it so it was sanded down and re-stained with a natural look finish.  An area rug is a great way to add softness to a room and will help ground the space.  However, until one has been chosen, my client's are enjoying their gorgeous hardwood floors! 

Prior to finalising the paint colour I recommended painting 18" x 18" samples with the 2 colours that they liked best and place then on a larger white background on the wall for 48 hours.  It is important (and surprising) to see how colours change throughout the day and into the evening, so I always encourage this exercise prior to applying the paint.  I know people say 'It's only paint' but by doing this and getting it right in the first place saves a lot of time and headaches in the long run.

  Paint - Benjamin Moore- HC99 - Abingdon Putty.  Still to come -wall art, a rug, coffee table & accessories.

As you can see, the room has been totally transformed and looks stunning.  My client's are thrilled with the way it is coming along and so am I.  We started work on this project in September and were fortunate to have all of the upholstered pieces and draperies completed and recieved before Christmas. 

When ordering customised items it's important to be aware of  timelines for delivery in order to manage expectations (yours or your clients) thoughtfully and carefully.   As I've mentioned before, HGTV makes this business & the process of Interior Design look quick and easy -that just isn't the case.

To see the professional photos - which are stunning!! - head here to the portfolio page of my website.  

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New Years Resolutions for my Home Decor

Happy 2012 to you! 

January is a time to reflect on the past year, look forward to a promising future and set goals for the year ahead.  My personal goals are pretty standard - eat better, lose weight, exercise more and continue to focus on building my business. 

We all have the pieces to get to where we want to be, we just have to put them in place.

Soon I will be publishing a post called 'Renovate or Relocate'.  This is a topic my husband and I have been wrestling with over the past few years.  This year we are seriously contemplating a move and need to start thinking about what projects to focus on in the house to make it more 'sellable'.  Therefore, I have made a second list of New Years' Resolutions for improving my homes' decor.

In my post about  Home Staging I addressed the importance of having your house appeal to potential home buyers and some of the key elements that should be looked at prior to placing your home on the market.  I know the earlier I start getting things organised the less stressed I will be when the right house comes along and we want to put the 'For Sale' sign on our front lawn.

#1-  Complete the basement renovations.

My husband is doing a great job creating these built ins that I designed.

The other half of the basement is as good as finished but is unlivable until the other side is completed.

We are lucky that our basement is so large and I am confident that it will be a great selling feature.  Once it's finished we may change our minds about moving, because I know it will look fantastic and function much better than it did before.

#2.  Placing hardwood on the stairs.

As we live in a Bungalow, the only stairs we have lead to the basement.  Despite having the carpet professionally cleaned, over the years you can see where the dirt has set in.  Pulling up the carpet and staining the natural hardwood will make them more hygienic, practical and pretty.

#3.  Tiling the floor in the bathroom.

If you are not prepared to go all the way, sometimes you have to do your best to work with what you've got

It's no secret that bathrooms and kitchens sell a house.  Since moving here seven years ago, we have done some major renovations including the kitchen and a full bathroom in the basement.  Although we did do some updates to the main floor bathroom, we never got around to completely gutting and redoing it.  In my opinion, the best thing we can do now is simply re-tile the floor.  Currently the floor has those nasty and cheap stick on linoleum tiles. By updating the floor this will be a fairly easy and inexpensive way to improve the overall look of the bathroom. 

#4.  New Window Treatments in the Kitchen.

In this post I asked if you were making the mistake of not incorporating the cost of window treatments into your budget when re-decorating.  I have to confess that I have not updated all of my own window treatments, but always try to leave room in the budget for draperies or blinds when working with a client.  Window treatments really are a necessity for giving a room its 'finishing touch'.  I am leaning towards the idea of fabric roman blinds like the one in the picture below to update and add softness to my kitchen space. 

I may go with a patterned fabric but need it to be transitional in style

#5.  Continue to purge and keep things tidy.

This makes me feel happy

Keeping storage areas like closets, drawers and even kitchen cabinets organised is essential to ensure these spaces remain neat and de-cluttered.  When potential home buyers walk through your home you can bet they sneak a peek behind these closed doors and it's not  just to be nosey.  They are also looking to see what storage space is available for their things - so the more effective you utilise these spaces the better.

Although there are many more ideas that I have and could do in the house, I must stay focused on these top 5 as a priority.  Being passionate about interior decorating can be a curse when the ideas just keep on coming, just ask my husband!  

If you are thinking of doing any renovations this New Year and would like professional advice, please contact me.   I offer a free initial consultation and would be more than happy to help make your dreams for your home a reality.  You can e-mail me at the following address to make an appointment:  claire@creatingcontrastdesigns.com.