Showing posts with label Client Projects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Client Projects. Show all posts

Dining Room Before and Afters

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about this fabulous house I've been working on in Crestline.  If you recall, I posted pictures from a photo shoot we did of the living room.
Here's the full post -  Project Living Room II.


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Today, I wanted to show you some dramatic before and after pictures of the dining room which is off the living room.  We completed it just days after the shoot, so I was not able to include it in the initial pictures. 

Here is the Before . . .

The window treatments and chandy were left by the previous homeowner and were just not the style this  young couple was going for in their home.

And here's the After . . .
Sorry the pictures are a little blurry -  A couple of them are from a real estate website (I'll explain a little later), and the rest I snapped when I was last there.

Again?  Before . . . 

And After . . . 


Here are a few details about the space.
The couple inherited the midcentury modern dining table and chairs and really wanted to keep them for sentimental reasons.  So, I recommended a lime wax for a fresh new look.  I think the table now blends with the more traditional furnishings in the home.  Liming is one of the quickest, most cost effective ways to breath new life into an old piece.


And thanks to these great clients who took pictures of every step in the process, I'm going to post a tutorial on how you can lime wax a piece of furniture.  I promise to share this with you later this week.


We also discussed whether to paint the bamboo chairs.  I saw some amazing pictures of examples in their original state.  So, we opted not to paint and simply changed the chocolate linen seats to faux cream leather for a hip vibe.
For the full scoop on this read my post - Trend Spotting - Natural Bamboo Chairs.


The pair of conte' portraits in the image below also have sentimental value.  They are of the client and her brother when they were children.  All we did was give them a bit more presence in the space by adding the chain detail. If you would like more information on how to do this, you can read my tutorial here - Picture Hanging Detail.


Lastly, we created drama by adding some pattern and color to some ready made window treatments with strips of fabric.  This is a great, inexpensive way to give your draperies a fresh new feel.  If you recall, the living room included turquoise IKAT and cut velvet accent pillows, so we pulled a bit of that color into this space to help the flow of the rooms.



We finished the backs of the strips with a drapery liner and used leather ties at the top for even more texture.



I mentioned earlier, a few of the pictures of the dining room were from a real estate website.  Well, as is usually the case - you finish your house and go on a walk and WHAM!  You find another house that needs some tender loving care.  This cute couple has found their forever home and are moving on.  Their fabulous bungalow has just gone on the market, so if you're interested, here's the listing!  Crestline Bungalow Listing.  Have a great day. M.

Project - Living Room II

Here are pictures from a living room project I've been working on over the last year or so in Crestline.  For those of you outside of Alabama, Crestline is one of the four villages or areas in the city of Mountain Brook.  It's a lovely area with lots of gorgeous homes ranging from large tudors to small cozy bungalows all within walking distance to lots of fabulous shops and restaurants.

My clients live in a cozy bungalow that has tons of character.  They are young and hip and not afraid of color.  In this case, we embraced the fabulous Heriz rug they already owned.  We played up the putty brown tones in the rug and used them on the window treatments (which my client made) and upholstered pieces.  We then pulled out the grays and teals of the rug by way of artwork and accent pillows.  That's the wonderful thing about a Heriz - you can always find a color in them you love.
photo by Alison Gault

We also mixed traditional and modern elements in the space.  This allows the interiors to blend and "fit" with the style of the house (which is rather traditional) while still reflecting the more modern personalities of the couple who call this space home.
photo by Alison Gault

My clients love to entertain, and they use every single room in their home.  They also have two small children.  So, the goal with this project was to give them affordable high style (by using lots of items they already owned) while keeping it comfortable and kid friendly.  
photo by Alison Gault

Here is just one small example of all those elements.  This accessory is made of brass which is totally current and modern.  It was also not expensive (under $35).  It looks very fragile - but truthfully, you can throw it across the room, and it still looks great.  So all the elements exist - affordable, high style, kid friendly.
photo by Alison Gault

When planning this design, the goal was to make every piece in the space count.  The buffet acts as storage while giving us a fabulous secondary focal point.  It also brings in a rich wood which every space needs.  The coffee table while beautiful is still large and sturdy enough to act as an ottoman where you can actually kick your feet up.  Lastly, the ottoman in front of the bergere' chair acts as additional seating during a gathering.  Make every piece count. 
photo by Alison Gault

This mirror is very old and has been in my client's family for years.  By layering some modern pieces on top of it, we have created a current look.
photo by Alison Gault

Believe me - You really can have affordable high style that is also comfortable and accessible.  It just takes some thoughtful planning.  M.

Project - Living Room

I just finished a photo shoot for a couple of my recent projects!   

The one I am sharing with you today is a project I did for a dear friend, Amy.  She is so fun and easy to work with mainly because (in all honestly) she is totally trusting and let's me do whatever I think looks best (within the budget, of course).  Gotta love a client like that! 

For this project, Amy's parents were downsizing (actually moving to the lake full time) and she got to pick her favorite pieces from her parent's house, most of which were too formal for the lake.  

My goal was to make it all work and look as though it had been a part of the room from the beginning.  So, I put together a design plan using many of her current pieces along with some of the fabulous additions from her parents.   I also used some fresh fabrics for pillows and the tablecloth to finish the look. 

This is all you get to see today!  There are more, but we must pace ourselves.

  I also need to mention all these beautiful images were taken by the oh so talented Alison Gault.  Alison is a portrait photographer by trade.  You would not believe some of the images she has taken of children in motion!  I talked her into trying her had at some interior shots, and I really love how these turned out.

 If you would like more information on Alison and her sitting fees, I would love to share her information with you.  Just drop me an email!  Alison is another lawyer turned something else, just like me.  It's amazing how many of us there are out there.  M.