Designing From the Heart

Well, I know it's been a while since I posted, but between the end of school and lets just say life, I've been a little preoccupied.  I've also taken on a new project and I wanted to share my new adventure with you. I can't say this is something that came out of no where, but this is the first time I am making something happen.  I have been given the opportunity to help a mother and her daughter at our church make there house into a home. Our church recently had a service day for the community and our motto is "Serve where you are gifted". I thought...hmm, I would love to use my creative design skills some how to help brighten someone's life, and God did just that! He gave me this sweet family and I am thrilled to be helping them.


When I first visited this home, immediately it didn't match the vibrant, loving, and giving personality of this mother and daughter! It was very depressing! Picture this: dark rooms, lots of clutter, white walls, hunter green and dated "ivy" everywhere! 
Well here, I'll show you.

Dark and dingy breakfast area! Yikes, she needs more storage! We'll have to get a storage cabinet for containing the clutter. Dark yukky colors need to be brightened up with happy colors!

The Kitchen...

Dull, Dark, and Dated!

Let's make it light and bright!

The dated cabinets with ivy stencils have to go! Ivy only belongs in the garden...I'm just sayin'! Lets update by painting them all one neutral color and add new hardware to give them a fresh look! A cute valance, a dash of happy color, and a way to contain the clutter!

   The Living Room...

Living room looks more like a storage garage!

The Design Plan

The living room looks more like a storage garage than a warm and inviting place to hang out as a family. I propose a warm color on the walls, comfy sofa, rug and some lamps for that warm homey feeling! We need a good entry catchall piece for bags and shoes and some curtains with color will soften the room.

The Little Girl's Room...

Buy, buy depressing dark cluttered room!

My daughter came up with this plan all on her own! Now it looks like a little girls room!

The little girls room is soooo depressing and doesn't reflect her personality at all! Let's bring in some color and function to make this a place for her  and her friends to hang out. I picked a soft teal blue for the walls that will grow with her...not pink!

BTW, my 10 year old daughter designed the little girl's room plan! Can't wait until she old enough to go into business with me! 

Mom's Space...

Looks like mint chocolate chip ice cream!

 

Tranquil and serene will be soooo much better!

Mom especially needs a place to relax that is tranquil and warm! I love using warm grays and lavenders to achieve this! I will start with a simple quilt bedding set from Target and build around that! I like to bring in that grown-up sophistication with a hit of silver and mercury glass for a little sparkle. Every girl needs a little sparkle!

I am very excited to be doing this for this family and I hope you enjoy watching our progress! We will be painting on Saturday. I will be sure to keep you updated on the transformation!

5 tips to tackle any room on a budget!

I love using natural elements like jute rugs and woven blinds as a economical way to bring in warmth and texture.

We all have rooms we love to hate! But who has the money to make it over? Well, you do and you just don't know it! I did my living room using some of these tricks. You would think I spent a lot of money, but in actuality I didn't! Even on a small budget you can take your rooms from blah to beautiful, by following these 5 budget-friendly tips!

1. Devise a plan!

Never start a project with out a plan! Go through magazines and cut out pictures of things that inspire you and then go from there. Even an inspiration shopping trip can spark your creative juices... just snap a shot of things you love! Because when you have a plan you won't spend unnecessary $$$!

Keep your inspiration photo's in a folder for easy access!

I like using cork boards to pin up photos and ideas.

2. Shop your home! 

You never know what you have lurking in the attic or in storage ready for the next yard sale. Put on your creative goggles and take a "new" look at your "old" stuff!

For instance, the 80's called and wants their lamp back! But wait you can't have it, because with a little spray paint this guy has great potential! 

I primed him first with Krylon spray primer.

Look for things with good bones and classic lines and repaint them!

Look at me I am now! A beautiful lamp with classic lines and a new linen shade! All I did was spray paint him all over with a dark bronze paint and and added classic linen shade. Now he's happy to be in 2012!


3. I love this one! Customize your store bought finds!

I am all the time seeing beautiful ready-made drapes in the stores. But what is the deal with them all being 84"... that's a big "no-no" in the design world! But I don't let that stop me, because all you need to do is add a coordinating fabric to the top or bottom and you've got a high-end custom look that didn't break the bank!

This hand-me-down dining room was the perfect place to do this trick!

When I did this room for the homeowner, I was told at first that they didn't have the budget to do it! But being the first room you see when you walk in, I felt like I had to offer them some economical ways to make it beautiful. We found these ready-made drapes on mega sale at a local fabric store and she loved the pattern. But they were 90" and we needed 96"! All we did was add the brown to the bottom and they worked beautifully! Slip covers for grandma's chairs and a new rug made this hand-me-down boring dining room ready for guests!

If you can't sew, your local tailor can do it for you for usually around $20!

One more trick I use! I used some left over fabric from the curtains and made coordinating pillow by simply making a band around a plain gold lumbar pillow. I even added a trim to give it that high-end custom look!


4.  Can't afford art for your room? Make your own! 

Check out these idea's for inspiration and then make it all about you! After all, isn't that what your home should be about?!

Unexpected objects keep a room from feeling too formal and fussy!

My husband and are wine lovers and we recently took a trip to Napa and came home with these wine crates with our favorite labels. We picked them up for $5 at the wine shops. I stained them a darker tone and then hung them on the wall to display our favorite bottles. I added a butterfly plaque at the top to complete the vignette.

 

Use your vacation finds as art! My kids love to scour the beach for shells, but we end up with buckets full! So before I threw them out, I came up with this idea. I just glued them to burlap and left the glass off of the frame for 3D art!  Now I am reminded of our family vacations every time I look at them on the wall.

Frame pretty paper!

This one is soooo easy! With all the myriad of scrap booking papers available, there is no excuse to not use those beautiful prints in a room to pull your colors and look together. Even wrapping paper and wall paper can make for beautiful and unique art!


5.  Let nature be your guide!

I love using natural elements in a room. So when I am looking to finish off a design, I hit the yard with a basket and cutters in hand! I love using simple branches and greenery from the yard, even moss and lichen add great natural texture to a room! I also use natural woven shades and natural jute rugs as an economical way to design with texture!

Tea Olive branches in small bottles give my entry table new life!

A simple glass hurricane is filled with a birds nest.

As much as I love a glass vase filled with flowers, I can't afford to have them around the house all the time! So I use things from the yard like branches and bushes to fill them in the interim. It's organic and adds life to a room.  I will even simply fill a glass hurricane with a nest or moss, too!

I know that you can do these things! All you have to do is get creative and you can create a beautiful room regardless of your budget! HAPPY DESIGNING!