Before & Afters, String Lights and a MCM Design Plan!

 

Well hello it's been a minute... stopping in to share my latest projects! 

I've had some fun client projects recently.  As a Decorator, what are my favorite projects?  Updating any space with paint.  I seriously can't get over what a big impact paint can make and it's so affordable!  Also refreshing bookcases.  Give me a cluttered bookcase and I love to add cohesive style that will make the most of your existing family photos and favorite home accessories.

Before

After 

I helped a friend and neighbor update her kitchen and wow - what a difference!  We used SW - Pure White, love this bright white because it has no odd undertones.  Just perfect if your looking to do a classic white kitchen that will never go out of style.

The gray painted Island is SW Classic French Gray.  We also incorporated new black hardware.  Love this light & bright kitchen!

Before

After

Here's another before & after - a client bookcase refresh!  

All this transformation took was a shopping haul from Target, and many of my clients existing home accessories.  One of the things I love to do in client projects is mix new items with existing items.  This way we can achieve an overall updated look, but still keeps the space personal to the home owners.

You guys, I have wanted to tackle this project for years and finally completed it last year!  String lights on the deck, and it was so easy.  Literally my hubby hung everything in just a few hours.  He really did a great job, and I helped ;) 

I seriously don't know why we waited so long to do this!

Here is a design plan for my latest client project.  This client is renovating a brick ranch in North Charlotte.  When I asked about his style, he didn't really know but likes dark woods.  So I started there and then incorporated nature inspired art, furniture with clean lines, a rug with great texture.  Finally bold color and subtle mid century modern style will bring this space to life! 

Okay always fun sharing my design adventures here, thanks for stopping by :) 

My favorite metal finishes, a modern farmhouse kitchen and a MCM design plan...

 

Ahhh back to reality and some normalcy...right?  

The world is finally opening up, and all I can say is - what a difficult year this has been!  I've been busy this Spring with hourly design consultations and a handful of flat rate interior room designs (room makeovers). It's been so great getting back to work and doing what I love!  Here are a few fun things...

I was so happy to receive an email (above) from one of my clients and it absolutely made my day!  We had an hourly design consultation in their home, and then met a week later at West Elm and found the perfect sofa and club chairs for their small apartment space.  

Today and every day, I am thankful for wonderful clients. 

Our kitchen is finally finished with the addition of new gold hardware and I am loving the look!  

Clients always ask me about which metal finish I prefer for hardware, door knobs etc... For me personally I like to mix gold with dark oil rubbed bronze in my home.  Gold hardware works beautifully in a more traditional home.  However, If your style is more modern, you can also mix silver with dark oil rubbed bronze. 

 Tip:  when choosing oil rubbed bronze, look for a darker one that almost reads black.  Black hardware is another popular finish right now and If you have a white kitchen, bookcase or built-in, adding black hardware is a super fun & affordable update!  

Finally, all the finishes in a home do not need to match. It's perfectly fine to mix and match.

Speaking of kitchens, here's a fun client project - kitchen design board we completed this Spring!  

My client needed to update her kitchen, but wanted to keep her existing cherry wood cabinetry (center).  So we went with a modern - farmhouse look mixing creamy whites, warm woods and black for contrast.  New quartz countertops took center stage, classic subway tile, black lighting & hardware and finally new LV flooring completed this space.  

Current Project

Mid century modern is one of my favorite design styles, so I had so much fun putting this Design Board together.  A beautifully renovated mid century modern home is getting a colorful new family room designed around my clients soon to be delivered Crate & Barrel sectional sofa.  This room has a vintage inspired wood accent wall, as well as a huge stone fireplace, Can't wait to see everything come together!   

So that is what's happening around here guys, thanks for checking in!  Always fun sharing my design adventures here :)

A coast design plan, swivel chair LOVE & our Diy Kitchen Island!

Well hello!  It's been a minute.  With this Pandemic actually it's been almost a year now :( 

I hope everyone is healthy and safe!  Getting through this year has not been easy but praying we're getting close to rounding the corner of this awful virus.  As you know I don't blog a lot anymore.  But I do like to check in a handful of times per year to share my design adventures.  So here are few fun things...

I was so excited for this coastal inspired project above!  

However right when we finalized the design board, Covid made it's awful appearance and we put everything on hold.  My client's existing sofa and art are up top, and I've added a handful of new accessories to give the room a fresh new coastal look! Go here to read learn more about our affordable Room Refresh Services.  They're a lot of fun! 

I am in LOVE with this small scale swivel chair.  It may be smaller in size, but I'm telling you it sits big!  I used two of these for a client project in the South Charlotte area and both my client and I couldn't believe how comfortable this chair sits.  And the color - neutral flax toned fabrics are one of my favorites!

Have I told you how much I love paint color consultations!  

For this project above we used a cool cream (with no yellow undertones) in the main part of the house - entry, up the staircase and down the hallway.  We used a warm gray in the office and a smokey light blue for the dining room.  It's simply amazing how different a home can look and feel with new, updated paint colors.

Space Planner

One of the Services we offer are Flat Rate Interior Room Designs.  This is where we source furnishings & accessories to do an entire room makeover!  

With this service both Design Boards and Space Planning are included.  These help give my clients a visual before the design process begins.  In this space planner above, we've maximized the seating in this family room with two large sofas, two club chairs and even a large ottoman. 

So this beauty above is our latest Diy Project!   

We decided to get new quartz countertops back in November.  But quickly realized if were getting new tops, we need a bigger island.  So my hubby built a new one!  This one is 7 inches wider and 15 inches longer with room for a third seat.  My favorite part is the board & batten trim.  Shout out to my husband for doing an Amazing job.  

Okay guys thats what's been happening around here, thanks for checking in!  Praying the Covid vaccine can get rolled out quickly so we call all get back to living our lives fully again.  One thing I think we can all agree on is it sure has been a difficult time.

New rug in the family room, a client project & The Charlotte Heart Ball!

Hola my Design loving friends!  

Well it's been a while since I've posted here, but glad to be back!  Feels like the older my kids get, the harder it is to find the time for blogging.  And they are 18 & 20 years old now, gah we're about to be empty nesters!!  Okay back to sharing what I love, here's whats been happening around here...

After years of having an indoor - outdoor rug in our family room that was super practical with our kids and dogs, we made the switch to a lighter and more stylish rug from www.rugsusa.com.  

I also added new blue throw pillows to the sofa and now our family room feels soooo light & airy.  Amazing how just a few new pieces can totally change a space! 

Spring is right around the corner!  And when things finally warm up, you will find me here many evenings.

I love this outdoor space and don't think I could live in a house without a screened in porch.  These black and white striped outdoor pillows I purchased years ago from Pottery Barn, and they are still going strong with very little fading.  And I keep them out all year round - I love that!

I had a fun Design Consultation this week in Fort Mill.  We’re doing a Family Room Refresh and the Inspiration is my clients coastal themed gallery wrapped canvas! Can’t wait to get started sourcing throw pillows & accessories for this space. And how cute is this guy Oliver?

Click here to learn more about our affordable Room Refresh Services, where we can give any room in your home a fresh new look! 

Heres a Design Board from my latest Flat Rate - Interior Room Design.  

My client wanted a master bedroom retreat that is light and airy, with all new gray wood furniture. And this solid wood bedroom set from Birch Lane hit the nail on the head!  I also sourced an upholstered bed where my client can finally ditch the dusty old bed skirt. Love how this project turned out, my client is super happy too!  Hope to get pictures soon.

And finally, the hubby and I cleaned up for an event here in Charlotte - The 62nd Annual Greater Charlotte Heart Ball!  My husband recently took a new position for Supply One in the Charlotte area, and they are a contributor for this event.  This was our first black tie Ball and it was such a fun experience and supports a great cause - The American Heart Association!  

So that's all I have for now guys, thanks for stopping by.  So far we've got a great start to 2020!  And look forward to many more design adventures this year :)

 

Back to doing what I LOVE!

Hey guys thought I'd pop in to say...I'm baaaaacckk!

I took a break from my interior decorating business to explore going back to work now that both my kiddos will soon be in college.  And ended up realizing 2 things - selling furniture (and working weekends & Holidays) is not for me, lol!  And NO... I don't want to give up my decorating business that I've worked so hard to build over the years. So now I'm back to doing what I love!  I even have a few new client projects in the works :)

I'm also ready to get back to this blog, so let's get to it!  Here are a few fun things happening around here...

So my last decorating project was such a fun n' modern little update.  Put a round mirror over a rectangle shaped table with clean lines.  Yup, it doesn't get any easier than this.  This table above is from Tuesday Morning and the mirror is from Kirklands.  Easy and affordable decorating ideas like this are seriously one of my favorite things!

Well say Hello to my new little big furiend... this is Duke! 

Duke is a 90 lbs. Newfydoodle.  Half gentle giant Newfoundland and half standard poodle.  We got Duke at 4 months old, a few months after our beloved Ginger & Bear passed last Summer.  He is simply a LOVE.  Smart, loving, and loyal...he's a wonderful addition to our family!

I chose these Sherwin Williams colors above for a client paint color consultation this Spring.  One thing I am NOT a fan of when decorating is using too much gray.  I like gray undertones, as you can see in these colors.  But I am not a fan of painting an entire house gray. 

I like to mix warm and cool colors in a home to create balance and a nice flow from room to room.   Also cream (with no yellow undertones) and farmhouse whites are some of my favorites!

So here's the thing I most wanted to share today, we're running a new promotion here at The Collected Interior!  For a limited time we're offering $25 off all our hourly design consultations.  This includes color & home staging consults as well as regular design consultations too. 

Go here to see a list of all our Services. Thanks for stopping by guys, it feels great to be back!  

25 years, a Design Board and saying goodbye to our Ginger & Bear :(

Hey guys, stopping by to share my latest.  And I can't believe my hubby and I have been married 25 years!  

Yes you read that right, a quarter of a century.   We celebrated with a quick and very rainy trip to Charleston.  This man, who I met in high school is my rock and soul mate.  What a journey this life has been with two precious kiddos, five fur babies, four cities and five houses!   

Ahhh black, white and warm woods...this is one of my favorite color combinations!  This is also where I make my coffee every day.  Yes and on some mornings, I couldn't start my day without it!  We also added a new tile backsplash to our kitchen.  We opted out of the gray grout trend, and instead chose the textured subway tile.  

Need a houseplant to add a little exotic flair to your home?  Look no further than Bird of Paradise!  This is my new favorite plant.  Love how it can fill up a large empty corner perfectly. 

Our precious Ginger passed away in July at the age of 15.  She had a vestibular attack, similar to a stroke, and was paralyzed in her hind legs.  This girl was so special to us, she was our first rescue and a true one of a kind!  Even sadder her brother Bear, who was also 15 passed away just 3 weeks later.

There are dogs that make their way deep into your heart.  Ginger and Bear did just that.  They were loved beyond measure and we will miss them dearly.

Sharing a Design Board I recently made.  One of the services I offer are Flat Rate Interior Room Designs, which are basically a whole room makeovers.  With this service space planning and Design Boards are included, so my clients get a visual of their space before the design process begins.  

This is what I love to do!  Design overall traditional spaces with a few modern updates and clean lines.  Add in texture and a new color scheme and boom...you've just updated your home with our affordable design services. 

Okay thanks for stopping by!  Love sharing my passion for design here, as well as updates on new things happening in and around our home :)

A Happy Fiddle Fig, Bookcase Refresh & a 2018 Houzz Award!

 

Hey guys popping in to share my latest!  Things have finally slowed down here in January and February and I'll be honest, it's been a nice break!  One of the things I love about running an Interior Decorating Design Business is the flexibility in the hours, and the natural ebbs and and flows of design work.  

Okay so let's get to it, here are a few of my latest decorating adventures...

My Fiddle Fig is officially a year old!  

Now don't worry I haven't turned into a crazy plant lady ;)  But when I purchased this guy a year ago, I was worried he'd be too temperamental and that basically I'd kill him.  Well no concerns over here because this guy has been easy to maintain!  I just keep him in a well lit corner and water once a week.  Yup, that's it!  

So here's a recent client project above in Charlotte.  This big white sectional was feeling like the white elephant in the room for my client.  And with a baby blue pillows and rug, nothing was grounding this piece.  So we added texture and earth tones for a warm and inviting update complete with new rug, pillows, lamp. 

Truth is I naturally gravitate towards neutrals if you peruse my designs & Instagram page.  But every now and again I have a client that wants some fun color!  Here's a home office - guest bedroom combo recently finished with accent colors in teal blues and olive greens.  Loving this color combination!

I refreshed our built-ins the other morning.  Specifically I added more frames and family pictures to the mix!  I use many design elements when styling bookcases including texture, contrast, and nature inspired accessories and plants.  

For me it's all about combining the old with the new for an overall collected look that naturally came together over time.  Never bought all at once off a show room floor!

And finally I'm saving the best for last.  The Collected Interior received another "Best of Houzz" Award for client satisfaction this year for 2018, Wahoo!  And this is our 4th year receiving this award.  This makes me so happy...to know that our clients are happy!  

Thank you Houzz for the honor, I am grateful!  Okay guys that is what's happening around here, thanks for checking in!