Painted Furniture Update

Let me introduce you to a little design job that I'm working on. It started as a color consult and has turned into  a bit of a redesign. My client has a daughter in college and a boy that's a  high school senior. 

This is his bedroom.

Her and her husband are very close to becoming empty-nesters and they want to update a few areas in their home. They are starting with the boy's bedroom, keeping in mind that this is probably going to be used as a guest bedroom in the very near future.

Here is the scope of the job:

The bed and bedding stay. The two small shelves stay (but can be re-located). A desk area would be nice. 

The stained doors and moldings stay...and the dressers stay. 

These are the same dressers that I posted about on Friday. I suggested painting  the dressers to give them a fresh and updated look.

I started out by removing the hardware and giving it a good sanding and by me I mean my very wonderful husband who is always willing to do some of the grunt work when I get too busy. I did prime it and then...

I painted the body a chocolate brown  and the drawer fronts a creamy white.

It now has an updated look inspired by designer Tobi Fairley and Hickory Chair.

Next, I have to decide on hardware. The bottom pull is the original pull with the original finish, the top pull is the original pull with some Grecian Gold Rub-n-Buff.

Now, here I'm showing the original on the bottom but the top one with Pewter Rub-N-Buff. 

What do you think? Which do you like better?

I want to exhaust several options using the original pulls before I rule them out and opt for new ones. Twenty are needed and that will add up!

So what do you think:

A.) Pewter

B.) Gold

C.) Original Finish or

D.) Something new

Here's my inspiration photo:

Painted Furniture: New Life For An Old Piece

We had some unseasonably warm weather this week and the weatherman warned that the warm weather would not be sticking around and this time he was right! That forecast earlier in the week left me feeling a little anxious - like it's now or never for spray painting outside. I think I single-handily burned a whole in the ozone with all of the spraying that I did today- I'm just kidding of course, but I did go through five cans! 

I re-painted the settee and chair for the music room. It was black- it is now cream and there will be a post about my change of heart soon. I've put the music room on the back burner while I finish up my office. Speaking of that, I painted the rug yesterday- as bizarre as that sounds! I can't wait to show it to you in an upcoming post.

Isn't this an amazing piece. It's dramatic yet simple in it's styling. 
The wall covering is the perfect backdrop. 
Tobi Fairley

I currently have a couple of design jobs that require me to paint some furniture and that's mostly what I've been working on. {On a side note, I got the blueprints to the client for the addition that has been consuming sooo much of my time. IT FEELS GREAT to have that job behind me! Woo hoo!}

One of the items that I'm painting for a clients redesign is a dresser, well actually there is a matching pair. They are for a teenage boys room. I don't know about you but I love Tobi Fairley's clean, fresh style and I have been waiting for the perfect job to interject a little of that style into. 

via Home Decor

I think that what is behind these dressers, in this case, the stripes, 

is the key to making the dresser really work.

Red Hen Home

Well isn't this pretty?

Horchow.com

Before I decided on the design for the dressers I'm painting, I considered doing stripes. The above vintage dresser looks upbeat and whimsical but not very masculine.

madebyhickorychair.com

Here's a stripe that is masculine and classic. I'll have to keep this one filed away- I really like it.

saragilbaneinteriors.com, House Beautiful

Not for this job, but hopefully a job in the future. Maybe my future lakeside home that I dream about.

I'll get pics up on Monday of the dressers that I'm working on.

What a great way to give new life to an old piece of furniture!

Don't you agree? 

Purple: Not Just For A Girls Bedroom

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Happy Monday! Are you ready for a blast of purple. It's funny how colors emerge in popularity. You start hearing that a color is popular, you start seeing a picture here and there and then Boom- you spec the color purple for two different clients over the course of two weeks. Well, at least that's how it happened for me.

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To be honest- I'm not a huge fan and I think I'm probably doing the color a disservice by posting so many purple rooms one after another. I do like a little bit of purple. I have an image of a purple powder room in my mind that must have really left an impression. I searched all over for it but couldn't find it. It was a small powder room with a Venetian mirror accompanied by two sconces with black shades. Sound familiar to anyone?

via Julianne Moore

I do remember that is was the foggy, purple color that Julianne Moore used in her own living room (above). It's subtle and when paired with gray and hits of black (or a Venetian mirror!) it is so very sophisticated.

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Pair purple with other shades of purple like the photo above and wow- that's really making a statement. 

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Purple shrouds the room above - almost like a purple haze. The little bit of black and cream upholstery take the sweetness out of the space. 

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Here's another space with the same color scheme. It works!

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I said take the sweetness out of the space and this is what I mean by that. For me, seeing a really purple room is like eating a brownie- I need  a glass of milk. Colors like white, gray and black serve the purpose of a big glass of milk. Another color that plays well with purple is a mossy green.

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I've shown this image before. I just love it!

Yellow is the complementary color of purple so this, of course, creates drama.

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Look at that wall color! It's probably called Gorgeous Eggplant or Ridiculously Beautiful Plum!  

Again- paired with silver, white, gray and hits of black - practically mandatory, make it chic, chic, chic.

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I thought this was fun! Do you like it?

Here are a couple more rooms accessorized with purple elements:

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...purple chairs

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...graphic purple rug

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Of course purple is probably most commonly used in girl's bedrooms but I hope I gave you some inspiration for using it in the more public rooms of your home. 

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I would love to hear what you think about this color. Passing trend? Design is so accessible these days that I think we are all looking for something a little different. I think using purple will be thought of as different for quite a while and when paired with classic elements- it has a timeless appeal.


Update: I just found this pic and I have to include it in this post- it's too perfectly purple not too!

HDF

Home Office Inspiration Projects

Is it November already! October went out like a LION. It's been a while since I last posted but you may remember that I was trying to get my new office looking somewhat finished and organized before the big family party to celebrate my son's Halloween birthday. 

Two weeks ago we installed the custom shelving unit
and every thing got a coat of white, shiny paint.

As you know, design doesn't happen in a vacuum...so you do the best that you can with what you have and the time that you have! The birthday boy was sick all week leading up to his party. Throw in a late night road trip to pick up the sick college girl. Then spend the next day sitting in a waiting room while she has emergency surgery to extract four wisdom teeth- (yes this is the same daughter that just fractured both elbows in a business class!) Throw in worrying about the college boy driving through a nor'easter down to D.C. to run the Marine Corp Marathon and you think- I'll be happy if I can just run the vacuum before everyone gets here!

I did manage to collect everything that was stashed around the house, all of my drawing, drafting and art supplies, and get them into my new space.

Believe it or not there was even more stuff packed onto these shelves but last week I purchased a black four drawer file cabinet from Craigslist for twenty bucks. Even though I filed most of my building materials books and catalogs away, it still feels cluttered to me. I think that painting the storage boxes a coordinating color will help. 

Check out my inspiration photo below.

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Yes! That's the look I want but...being a color consultant and all, I also fell in love with the storage boxes below.

I don't want my office to feel so tranquil that I feel un-stimulated! 

A few pops of color should help.

Speaking of inspiration, here are some more of the projects that I need to tackle, accompanied by their inspiration photos, before this project will be considered a fait accompli.

Lets start with my old lamp. 

My inspiration and.......................... What I have to work with.
{Inspiration photo via }     

Isn't that a gorgeous lamp?! 

The one on the left of course- I cannot wait to do this transformation- I actually have two of those lamps! 

...And then I want to jazz up the old buffet that the lamps will be sitting on! 

Loving the stripes.

My inspiration and.............................What I have to work with.
{Inspiration photo via}

Changing out the blackboard for a corkboard will be an easy fix. I have found that as much as I like the look of a blackboard, it's just not as useful as a corkboard- especially since I want to use it as an inspiration board.

What I want..................................What I have.
{Inspiration photo via}

The inspiration board may be easy an easy fix but the trunk will be a challenge. 

What I want.................                                     What I'm working with!
{Inspiration photo via}

Last but not least- a painted rug!

    What I want.............                                     OMG, What I really need to paint!
{Inspiration photo via}

Fingers crossed- no more medical emergencies. 

Just lots of design work!

Which project do you think will be your favorite?

Decorating With Variety {Guest Post} Susi from Design Shuffle

I have a special treat for you today. Design Shuffle contacted me a while back about doing a guest post and I'll admit, at first, I got very protective of my little ole blog. After contemplating it for a few weeks I thought why not? Design Shuffle describes itself as Facebook for the design community. Designers can upload their portfolios and everyone else can look at image after image of amazing inspiration! 

So without further adieu- say hello to Susi!

Hi, I'm Susi, a writer for Design Shuffle, a fantastic place to find and share design ideas and inspiration with designers all over the world.  One of the best parts of being a guest blogger is seeing all the amazing (and cool) projects people are doing.  So I'm excited to be visiting Inspirato Design today to share some inspiration for decorating with variety.  Variety is so important to creating visual interest in interior designs.  I've pulled pics of eight rooms that I think do a great job using variety.  Hope you enjoy!



Decorating with variety can mean so many things. This room has a variety of patterns on the chairs, credenza and carpet that all work together through color.



Boho style is all about variety, as if every piece was individually collected over years and travels abroad. This kind of variety might be too much for you, but it shows how well different styles can work together to create a very interesting room.



Variety should be found in textures as well as colors, patterns and accessories. Love the thick cable knit of the throw against the quilted coverlet on this bed and the jute rug on the floor. What a gorgeous bedroom design.



When adding variety to an interior design, think about shapes in the accessories. Love the mix of circles and squares in this living room.



While all of the frames are painted the same color, the variety of the shapes is what gives them added interest in this stylish décor. Love the dark frames against the pale wallpaper.



Love the variety of white accessories in this living room.  The white unifies the look of the eclectic group of objects.



Love all the variety in this bedroom.  A colorful headboard is paired with patterned pillows, vintage artwork and a natural nightstand. Love the horse head too!



Art and wall décor are great ways to add variety to living room designs.  Hang a variety of different types of art or a mix of frame styles for a lively gallery wall. [ Images 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 ]

This post was created by Design Shuffle, a social-media networking site that is dedicated to showcasing the talents of Los Angeles interior designers, New York interior designers and more!

I was thrilled when I actually saw this post. One of the rugs was just the inspiration I was looking for! I'll tell you more about it on Friday!
Thanks Susi!

Steamer Trunks & An Office Makeover Update

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Just guess what I've been up to! You've got it -the home office makeover- painting, painting and more painting! Isn't it funny, I've had a nook in my bedroom that I've been using for twelve years- it's been a little crowded at times but it has worked. Now I have an 11x13 foot room, all to myself, and I can't figure out where everything is going to go. Before I show off the new shelving unit I made to help solve that problem, I want to show you some amazing old and new trunks. I love the vintage-y feel of old luggage and trunks. Even though they were originally meant for lugging around our belongings, they don't scream out - "Hey, I'm storage! when you use them as part of your decor. While they hang out in your room looking pretty, they can hold an enormous amount of stuff!

Ralph Lauren Home via saks.com

horchow.com

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danmartydesign.com

This last one is the one that has really inspired me. I love the wood tones with the white. If I was a really good blogger I would have thought to take a picture of my trunk when there was actually some natural light in our room. I'll spare you a bad pic- trust me, it's getting a makeover before it goes into the office. 

{I promise I'll remember to take a "before" pic.}

Speaking of the new office....

I have to tell you I could not sleep a few nights ago trying to figure out where everything is going to go and feeling frantic because the house has been turned upside down by this little project AND we are having one of those big family parties in two weeks! {My youngest was born on Halloween} I've always had stuff in about five different places in our house and when working on a project I would have to go upstairs, downstairs, in there, under there and so on but now...YEAH, it will be in one place! I hope! 

The bottom pieces are all painted and I added the few pieces of molding that were never added when I originally made them. Later this week I'll show you them from the back so you can see how simple they were to construct. I'd show you now but again with the bad blogger thing- no pic on hand ;)

The enormous wall section was put together on the floor using 1x12's and screws. We're not talking fine cabinetry here! That's what is nice about a "lower level" office! I just cut the pieces to size with a circular saw. The ends have a very simple curve at the bottom that I made using a jigsaw and a plate for a template. 

I had some storage boxes that I kept in mind when figuring out how to section it off. All of the wood we had on hand from other projects. I just screwed the pieces together with drywall screws. My husband mounted a couple of ledger boards onto the wall- making sure that they were level and securely fastened to the studs because, as you can imagine, this thing is heavy!

See all the shiny white furniture :) It's getting there!

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