GIRL'S ROOM: IF YOU LOVE PAISLEY + PINK

"I want to make it beautiful for her. With all the transition she is experiencing right now she deserves it," my client explained. I could hear the concern in her voice. "We're moving her to the guest room, the new baby will take her old room, she's starting kindergarten in the Fall and I just don't want her to feel left out." As I surveyed the adjacent rooms I could see this concern for her daughter had also kicked her nesting instincts into overdrive. Her growing belly also indicated that time was of the essence. She needed my help STAT. It was time to purge the guest room and create a space for Little Big Sister with room to grow.

The inspiration for this room came from a duvet she'd originally purchased from Pottery Barn kids. It was nice, but the colors were very muted. For the direction we were headed this room needed more punch. Pale pink became intensified pink! We kept the walls neutral with Duron's Mushroom Basket and focused on lots of color, pattern, and pom-pom fringe!

Remember the story about the canopy? The moral of the story had more to do with client satisfaction than anything else. Little Big Sister's choice of canopy overruled my recommendation. Lesson: Some five-year olds do in fact have good taste. I'm in love.

When sunlight floods your child's room at 5:30AM you, like Nesting Mama, should also request blackout drapery. Windows dressed in double layers delay the sunrise and help your wee ones to get a good night's rest which in turn decrease morning crankiness.

Blackout drapery = Mom's best friend.

B/O drapery + coordinating tie backs + pom pom fringe = Designer's best friend.

Even when your budget is slim, buy the best window treatments your money can afford. Window coverings, without a doubt, help to make a space feel complete!

My favorite clients are one that trust me. Little direction was given here, but there were many clues to guide my decisions along the way. Little Big Sister and her family take lots of photos. With these customized fabric corkboards, she can display her favorite pics/artwork and change it up at her discretion.

Lastly, what's a girl's room without a touch of BLING? It's like offering a cupcake to someone without the icing. Just plain wrong. Well, I'm only half kidding but adding a reflective element in a space is always a winning idea. The best part about it is that you'll hear a gasp from the unsuspecting client, one always seems to escape their lips.

So fortunate to have another satisfied client in Little Big Sister, but there is one thing that worries me. After a few more thank yous and a big warm hug, she abruptly stopped and warned me not to make the baby's room prettier than hers [oh the pressure!] Unsure of the blacklash that may ensue if I fail to take her warning seriously, I promised her that his room wouldn't be pretty at all. Handsome, not pretty, is what I'm trying to achieve. I hope she's convinced.

Are you in transition right now? Is your home crying out for some TLC? Contact me. I can help.

BOOKCASE DONE.

I had lots of fun with the last bookcase inspiration post and even more fun carrying out the design.  In case you forgot here's a before shot...

I desperately needed a closed storage solution that would also bring a unified look to my bookcase.  I headed back to Ikea for inexpensive items from the KASSETT, FLYT, and BARNAS series.

And here's the final look...

The decorative items are there for placement until I find something that really tickles my fancy. As you've probably noticed, I gave that dusty stereo set back to my husband and instead enjoy music from my laptop.  I also removed a few of the jackets from my books for a cleaner look.  Other paperbacks are stored in the magazine files and boxes.

The baskets below are a great addition to the bookcase and provides textural interest. The old storage boxes found a new home in my kids' closets.  Again, I used my wallpaper treatment to glam up inexpensive cardboard magazine files. I love the reflective quality of the print and how the leaves shine in the sunlight.

So now all I have to do is label my files and maintain my new organization system!

My goal was to create a lighter look that's clean, well-sorted, and pretty.  Mission accomplished, don't you think? Be sure to meet me back here tomorrow. I can't wait to show you my most recent office DIY project!

Marie's Office Makeover

Marie, with the help of Erika Ward Interiors, learned how to use the furniture and accessories she already had to create a space she now loves. In case you missed the process, in a previous post I discussed 4 Ways to Save Money on Your Design Job. With each step, I demonstrated how I was able to help Marie achieve this transformation:

Here is one project I forgot to mention in the previous post. I purchased 1 yard of this fabric from Lewis and Sheron and used this tutorial to take her dull office chair from drab to fab!

Marie's new curtains look great in her newly transformed space. She can always add decorative trim to the panels if she wants to give them a customized look.

Marie is so satisfied with her new office, we are now moving on to her guest room....

Here are a few take home points when designing your own space.

I hope you enjoyed following me through this process! Is there anything here you would like to try in your space?