Before & After

I love transforming existing residential spaces to meet the needs and personalities of my clients. As a designer, it is exciting to walk into a client's home and realize the potential of a room that isn't being fully utilized. While I love the decorating aspect of design, the problem solving facet is also equally intriguing to me. Programming the space to make it both beautiful and functional for the lifestyle needs of the client is extremely rewarding. Recently I had the pleasure of designing for a working mother and her daughter who live close to the city. I was tasked with creating a multifunctional space that had a cottage feel but in a more feminine palette.

Here are the few of the before pictures.... 

The house was warm with earthen tones but didn't quite communicate the feminine feel that these ladies desired. Our main goals included a color scheme update, built ins for storage, incorporating the piano in the design, an update to the fireplace, a new desk space, and to add fresh upholstered pieces in durable yet fun fabrics to create an inviting room for entertaining and relaxing. 

Before...

And here are the after pictures ...

We softened the entryway with an updated fabric and nailhead trim bench, a striped rug with a blue and grey color scheme, a painted mirror, and airy light fixture. We also created some separation of space by changing the cased opening to a French door with a side light.

Photo by Mali Azima

The front living room turned sophisticated yet girly with blues, greys, and pops of purple. A full wall of built ins provides a perfect spot to display family treasures and cabinets provide much needed storage. Conversation chairs from Bernhardt and a large round ottoman encourage entertaining. This ottoman stores books and either serves as a footrest or a cocktail table depending on the family's needs.  The Ikat patterned feminine chair swivels to enable conversation with the desk area behind it.

Photo by Mali Azima

On this portion of the built in wall, a desk blends into the bookcase but provides a space for studying or working from home. Making a room "work" and meet multiple needs enables family to be together. The chair can also be pulled into the living space when more seating is required.

Photo by Mali Azima

In the dining room we kept the client's warm wall color with muted blue ceiling and added a pop of fun and color with this settee covered in Duralee's whimsical birdcage fabric. The light dining table is from Ballard Designs. The wall of plates is a great way to add affordable art to a large wall. If you want to hang a plate without the traditional plate hanger, these plates discs are great just know you have to wait 24 hours before hanging after you adhere to the plate. We learned this the hard way! A rug by Surya in an updated pattern keeps the room casual even with the dressy chandelier by Currey & Company. Wouldn't you like to cozy up on this settee with a glass of wine or maybe eat that yummy coconut cake!

Photo by Mali Azima