Here's a fun redesign I did recently. This space is a daylight basement that is used as a family room, game room, and TV-watching space. These before pictures are actually "Step 2" in the process. When I first came to this client's house, there was very little furniture, one tiny sectional and a few other cast-offs - but the client was ready for a major change. (In fact, she had already put a lot of work into removing wallpaper and repainting before I even arrived.) I consulted on and recommended new furniture purchases. She went out and bought furniture she liked that fit the recommendations I had given her, and then had me back to put the final touches on the room and pull it all together. It's a highly personal space that celebrates the client's favorite college sports teams, but still manages to be warm and stylish - not too "themey". The college team's colors are orange and black - not easy to decorate with - so you'll notice just a few subtle touches of color placed around the room, which keeps it from going overboard on the theme and still looking elegant.
BEFORE
a blank slateAFTER
we left room to add family pictures as the family grows...the house plant adds warmth and softness to the wallBEFORE
a messy built-in bookshelf that was definitely not being used to its full potentialAFTER
we removed a couple of shelves and created a display for all the client's baseball memorablia and keepesakes. Removing shelves in bookcases creates a custom look as well as creates space that didn't exist before for framed or other large art.BEFORE
an old chair, random throw pillows, nothing on the walls...AFTER
removed the old chair, added pillows and throws, clock and wall art...BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
Tomorrow I'll share some of the little details that added warmth and personality into the space...details that translate into any environment and you can easily use in your own home.
I've decided cupcakes are one of my favorite desserts now; the portions are just right, and they're so fun to decorate and look so cute on a buffet table. I didn't use my cupcake stand this time, because it holds 24 and by the time Easter Sunday came around, I only had about 14 (no comment). So I used this antique silver 3-tier stand instead, with pastel jelly beans to fill in, and was very pleased with myself. 
Here are some photos from a recent redesign I did in another master bedroom. I love doing bedrooms, especially for other young, busy moms like myself, because our bedrooms (which should be our sanctuaries) are almost always the most neglected room of our house. This redesign was especially fun because it was so dramatic. The number one issue in the room was improper furniture placement; once we moved a bunch of furniture around, it made a world of difference. This homeowner had gorgeous pieces of furniture, wonderful artwork, accessories, and framed photos to work with. When we started the day, the room looked - well - neglected. When it was finished about 3 1/2 hours later, it looked like a model home (without spending a dime) and I wanted to move in! (But that would have been awkward.) So I'm living vicariously through them and these photos. Enjoy!
Ah...a calming retreat now.
Much better!
We moved an extra chair from the living room into this unused corner of the bedroom, and created a cozy reading nook. This is where we moved the one dresser that we kept in the room, and also moved artwork either from storage or other places in the house to accessorize. A stool from Ikea is repurposed into an end table, and cushions from the family room couch are used as throw pillows, both on the chair and on the bed.
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