Before and After; Rooms and Furniture Given Some Needed TLC

Hello! Hope everyone is having a great day. It was an absolutely beautiful day today. Warm and sunny... I only hope that it is here to stay... I don't like to be teased when it comes to warm weather.

Anyway... I thought I would show you a few before and after photos.  You will surely tell right away that some TLC was definitely needed.


#1 Craigslist purchase for $10

Look how cute this turned out. This chair was completely taken apart down to the  frame. Everything except the frame is new...... Total cost of this project $609.

Compare my clients custom reupholstered chair to a new, store bought chair:

Pottery Barn $899+ shipping

Crate and Barrel $999 ( not tufted)+ shipping

#2 Craigslist purchase for $100

This settee I actually did for myself. It now sits in my family room and I love it!!!!
Total Cost of this project including fabric: $650

Compare my reupholstered 100 year old settee with two store bought settee's:

Ballard Designs: $1159.00 + shipping

Calico Corners: $1479.00 + fabric cost + shipping

So, as you can easily see, choosing to reupholster a vintage or antique piece of furniture will not only fit your room perfectly because you have customized it specifically for your space but, will SAVE YOU ALOT OF MONEY and be a great conversational piece.

Give it a try... I promise, you will be totally amazed and happy at the transformation.



I am constantly talking about how just giving your walls a new coat of paint will totally change the feel and look of your room. It can actually make your old furniture look new. Take a look at a clients house that I recently just finished.  All we did in this house was take down a lighted bulk head, mirror and a few pieces of molding and then added a fresh coat of paint and a few light fixtures. The room looks and feels completely different.

Take a look at the incredible before and afters ( remember I'm not a great photographer)

Before:

Left the moldings up behind the couch

Took the wall mirror and molding down.

That's the lighted bulkhead we took out and replaced with sconces.

Replaced the dining room light fixture.

Another picture of the molding and mirrored wall that we took down.

Front Door

The client had already renovated her kitchen and done a great job. She just had chosen the wrong shade of blue paint. It didn't go with the warmth of the back splash or cabinetry.

After:

The walls in the living room were painted in Sherwin Williams Dormer Brown with the moldings and lighted bulk heads painted in Sherwin Williams Biscuit.

The dining room and kitchen needed a darker, warmer blue to blend better with the tile, counter tops and cabinets. We chose Sherwin Willaims Poolhouse and my client couldn't be happier. Just going with a couple shades darker gave both of these rooms a totally different feel. Before you would walk in these rooms and think how pretty but just felt something was a little off. Now the rooms feel complete. It has a very warm and cozy feeling that makes you want to hang out.

Isn't it just amazing what choosing the right color paint can do to a room. It can make such a HUGE difference for not alot of money.... especially if you paint the room yourself. Give it a try. Start with one room that just hasn't felt right and I promise you you will see and feel the difference.

Take Care,

Stacy

Laundry Room Renovation

It is amazing how having a functional "pretty" laundry room can make doing laundry enjoyable OK, maybe that is a slight exaggeration but it definitely isn't something I dread anymore.  In past posts I have talked alot about how color helps set the mood of a room; well that also holds true for even the smallest of rooms; in this case the laundry room. For my laundry room I used Sherwin Williams Pink Flamingo.

I have always wanted to use pink in my house but never had enough guts to do it. So when it came time to renovating my laundry room I instantly thought: THIS IS WHERE I WILL USE PINK AND I DON"T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS!.. Believe me, I got alot of funny faces from my family but I didn't care; I was going to do pink and I am so glad I did. I LOVE IT!!!!! The pink against the white bead board has such a fresh, clean look that it makes the room, even when filled with dirty laundry, feel fresh and clean. And those questioning family members...... they love it to. They are shocked at how great it looks. Maybe it will entice them to start doing their own laundry. One can only dream.

Before: (This is a picture with the cabinets already out)

During construction phase:

After: (the computer makes this color look red but it really is the color above)

Mark did an amazing job taking out the existing tub sink, putting up the bead board and building the shelves. The layout of the room is so much more functional; very work friendly. The open shelving allows me to see everything I have and it eliminates clutter. The cabinets became huge dust collectors and areas for me just to shove and hide things.

Well, I hope you have been inspired to create your own "pretty" laundry room. It doesn't have to be a huge change, just some shelves and a little bit of paint. What it just might change is how you feel when doing laundry. It has for me.

Oh by the way, have a ........Happy Valentines Day!

Take Care,
Stacy

New York City Trip

This Saturday I went to New York with my oldest daughter Sara and her whole 8th grade class. We had  so much fun! New York is such a great place to find inspiration.

Take a look:

Our first stop was the MET (Metropolitain Museum of Art). I could of spent DAYS  here but we only had 1 hour (can you believe it).

Sara and her friends at the entrance. 

 The buildings architecture was magnificent!

One thing that I was completely amazed with was the elaborate frames. They were definitely an important part of the design of each piece.

The picture behind my daughter and her friend was a painting that had, for whatever reason, not been completely finished. The face was still just a pencil drawing.

Here is a better look.

A three story building front inside the Met! It was incredible.

This stained glass window was created by William and John Bolton. It was one of sixty windows made for a church in Manhattan called Holy Trinity in the 1800's. The church has since been renamed St Ann. The Bolton windows were the first figural stained windows created in the United States.

Beautiful clay pottery

These are two grand pianos built in the 1800's. The first was so simple but beautiful and the second was very ornate. I could picture it a grand pallor filled with people dressed in beautiful gowns and suits.

An 1800's Organ.. What a statement these pieces must of made in a room.

I found such beautiful architectural features in every room I entered.

This old iron wall/gate was truly magnificent.

The rooms below were filled with French antiques. I loved these rooms! Sorry for the dark pictures. I was not allowed to use flash in the MET and these rooms had wonderful drapes on the windows which made the rooms very dark.

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The Met had a roof top garden which I highly recommend if you ever go there. It gives you an incredible view of the city from alot of different angles.

The workmanship and colors used in the tapestries were magnificent.

Love the floor!

Look at the detail of this urn. Amazing!

More architectural fronts of buildings inside the MET. You really need to get there. I am definitely going again!

Another aspect of the city which I thoroughly enjoy, is walking the streets and looking at all the work by local artist. I find it so fascinating to talk to them and listen to how passionate they are about their pieces and what inspired them. 

I fell in love with this piece and my friend with the one below. They are oils done on stretch canvas. The artists name is Arturo Arboleda. He was such a nice man and so excited to talk about his pieces.

While walking around we discovered St. Patrick's Cathedral. Truly breath-taking!  Even my daughter and her friends were amazed. Of course the first thing out of all of their mouths were; "I want to get married in a place like this". Every girl wants to feel like a princess when she gets married and this would sure be a great start!

What a wonderful mother/daughter day. As she gets older there are fewer and fewer of these so I cherish every one of them.

Take care,

Stacy 

 For help designing a room that makes you smile, contact me and ask about my design services