For my third adventure as a Calling It Home One Room Challenge guest participant, I will be making over one of the hardest working rooms in the house ... our laundry room! We transformed a small bedroom on our 2nd floor into a full size laundry area quite a number of years ago. We put up freshly plastered walls, plumbed for a laundry sink, and pretty much stopped right there after moving in our washer and dryer. Unfortunately, the room never underwent the proper organization needed to function efficiently. And now that our boys are old enough to do their own laundry, we really need a better system in place to handle the constant use.
My goal over the next six weeks is to set up this room as it should be and add some decorative touches along the way. I am pleased to announce that I am going to take advantage of my new position as a virtual designer via the “Design with Lowe’s + Decorist” online design program to do as much as possible to finish up this space. Come back next week to check out my design plan that will incorporate items specified from the brands available via the Lowe’s website. I will also show exactly how this newly launched design platform can work for others hoping to receive professional advice, at a great price, for their own home makeover projects!
Have a room in your home that you would like to transform? Book me at this link and I will be in touch!
Check out my office makeover from the Spring ORC here.
Good luck everyone!
Media Partner:
Before consultation: room lacked design details
I really enjoy when I can give my clients the design direction they need to make decisions on their own with confidence. Sometimes just an hour or two of consultation time – plus some follow up emails or phone calls – is enough to make a big difference without having to invest a lot of money.
For this design makeover, a client wanted to update the look of her living room (pictured above) and she had already begun the process with a new sofa and a pair of lamps. She wanted to add more style to the space and pull the look together but wasn’t exactly sure how to go about doing that. We met in her home, I gave her a list of design to-do’s, and she got the job done (beautifully!)
The end result looks modern and bright
New paint color on walls: Benjamin Moore Stratton Blue HC-142 (it looks a little lighter in this picture than it is ... always bring a color home and see how you like it in your space with your lighting)Step 2: Style
Newly painted brick fireplace (white is much more modern looking). Although hesitant at first, she was so happy she followed through with this step and wished she had done it years ago.Step 3: Contrast
The room was further brightened up with a light textured carpet to contrast with the smooth medium tone wood furnishings, plus a set of white floor to ceiling natural fiber drapes were also added which contrast with the rough texture of the brick.Step 4: Edit
Less is more when it comes to decorating. Photos were removed from the mantel and just a few pieces were left. My recommendation was to find objects that reflect light.
Step 5: Add a touch of black
Especially in a pale colored room, a touch of black can visually anchor the space. The new black fireplace screen that my client purchased adds character to the overall look of the space.We have now moved on to tackling a couple of other rooms that were also in need of style updates. I will keep you posted of her progress!
If you are having a hard time trying to figure out how to design a room in your home, give me a call at 617-899-1226 to schedule a coaching consultation. I also work via email for those interested in virtual design plans.
designvignettes on polyvore.com
While watching some of the amazing highlights of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, I have been drawn to the green and blue graphics that have been used to brand the winter games. Looking at them, I am reminded of the color palette that I have chosen for my oldest son’s room. I have added a lot of orange to my palette (the same bright color as seen on the Olympic mascot’s knit cap), warm beige and a muted gray-blue. I want the room to look spirited, not overly coordinated. Just like Shaun White and the U.S. snowboard team, this room will be decked out in warm flannels, slick finishes, and a touch of good ’ole red, white and blue.
Energetic fabrics and bold prints
play upon the xtreme theme.
Currently our oldest son shares this room with brother number three (we change the line-up often around here depending on who is getting along better with who). Our first born loves to snowboard, skateboard and do anything that makes my stomach drop! I have learned to live with his extreme lifestyle (he was riding his bike without training wheels by age three) but I usually try not to watch. Although sometimes I find myself enjoying the exposure to this super-charged world – a world I never would have taken much interest in if it weren’t for my brood of boys!
Cool graphics are a definite must-have
when decorating a boy’s room.
With a team of four boys living under one roof there tends to be a lot of wear and tear on our surroundings. As a result, my husband and I often delay final completion of design projects figuring the longer we wait the better chance we have of furnishings staying in one piece. I am hoping that now is an age-appropriate time to push ourselves towards that decorating finish line! Without fear or hesitation : )
Here is a quick tour of some before and afters ...
Before ... original (to the previous owner) baby blue walls without architectural interest were given a dropped picture frame molding and a newly insulated/plastered ceiling.
After: The high ceiling was painted Benjamin Moore Bennington Gray to “bring the ceiling down” and make the room feel cozier. Manchester Tan highlights the trim and coordinates with the Smith & Noble wooden blinds. Walls are painted with Woodlawn Hills Green. I LOVE this color. It gives the room so much visual life. It looks fresh and new and it serves as a good distraction when the room isn’t as neat as it should be (who sees the floor when the walls are this vibrant?!)
Before: the closet. This will be a study area when it is complete. We store all of the boys clothes in a separate laundry room (that will be a topic for another post!)
During: New upper closet doors and trim have been added. My job right now is to get motivated to finish painting and maybe find some interesting door pulls.
Designer confession: at a certain point, a mom of four boys stops seeing random graffiti like you see on this headboard. At least whomever did this (I have a good idea) stuck with my chosen color palette! I have since had this cottage-white bed painted a shiny black (photo to come). Much more appropriate now that the boys are older and the markers are no longer under lock and key! Check back later for the final “after” photos. My plan is to have the room completely styled and photo-ready before the first of April (if I write it down here, I will have to do it!)
Achievable goals ...
• add unique lighting
• create a study corner
• dress the beds
• hang new art
• train the boys to
keep it clean!
