Teenage Bedroom, Transformed!!

This was a fun room because we were able to transform this space from a little girls room with pink and butterlies,  to a sophisticated, yet funky teenage space. With new white furniture and a fun color palette on the walls and celing, we were able create a room that she can grow with for years to come!

A must for this room was purple, yet she LOVED her new, teal polka dot bed spread. By painting the ceiling a great turquoise color, were were able to pull it all together while also giving it an unexpected touch of flair (painting ceilings is my new favorite design element!) I chose to paint the back wall a darker lilac color, than the rest of the room, to give the space more perspective and depth.... because everyone know I love an accent wall!

A big thanks you to our teen for letting me invade her space and trusting me to get a little funky :)

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Ekle Master Bedroom

This project is near and dear to my heart, because it is mine, and my husbands master bedroom! It has been a work in progress, but it is finally at a place that I am happy with...much to my husbands relief; )As most of my clients, I am also on a budget for my own design projects. For our bedroom I chose the items worth splurging on (custom upholstered bed and new carpeting), others that I have had since college (ikea dresser and TV stand), others that I had to get creative with (nightstands), and than those REALLY good bargains :)

Now, the before and after picture are VERY dramatic....the previous owners of our house were a very lovely older couple who had not done ANY updating....EVER! (green shag carpeting;) Also, apparently they did not have any clothes because the 1 hall closet size master closet, was not going to cut it for us. With the help of my creative, architect dad, and my contractor, we were able to design and build a walk-in closet with PLENTY of room for both my husband and I. We even got an arch detail out of it to add a nice architectural element to the otherwise rectangular space, and create an "entry way". 

Enjoy!

Before 1

After 1

Before 2

After 2

Before 3

After 3

Before 4

After 4

Before 5

 

Night Stand- DIY project
Check out the tutorial HERE

LOVE my vanity station...it makes for a MUCH easier morning getting ready together!

 Hope you are inspired....try YOUR bedroom this weekend!

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The Art of Rearranging

Spring has sprung, and if you are like me, you want freshen thing up in your home. Like many of you, I am on a budget (thanks to my husband), so I am having to get creative and rearrange what I already have!

Rearranging seems like a simple task, however there is a method to it, which can REALLY help to change up the aethtic in your home, and give it a whole new look without purchasing anything new....just in time for spring!

Here are a few good places to start:

DINING TABLE

The center space is your canvas, and the ends stay clear so there’s room to eat without moving everything

 

Symmetry:  makes for a dramatic but not too formal feeling. Use a large serving piece as the main focal point and add candlesticks on either side.



Asymmetry: If you want to mix and match, add itms of the same color pallate. For instance, if you have a colored candles sticks, try to add the same color flowers in a neutral vase on the other side. Fee free to bunch "like" items together to create clusters!

Pattern and Texture: By doing a runner in a fun pattern or texture, you give  nice contrast between it and the exposed wood/glass below!

BOOKSHELVES

Break up a sea of books with interesting objects and friendly art (faces, animals) and you turn the space into a sort of shadow box that draws people in.

Stacking: move the eye around, create more surfaces for  trinkets, and showcase titles. Make sure to step back and see if there is a balance between horizontal and vertical stacks.

Splash of color: group books that are the same color and create a rainbow on your shelves with pops of colors throughout.

MANTEL

Essentially an eye-level stage, it’s a prime protected spot for showing off a large treasure and indulging in your creativity. Consider the view from a distance as well as close-up.

Art and architecture:  factor heavily with a mantel. Base your palette on the color of the fireplace facade. Choose a large piece to feature, but make sure it’s open or light so it can relate to hanging art without blocking it.

A themed collection:  like items from nature, makes a statement about what’s important to you and is tied together visually. Ceramic and glass are a nice counterpoint to rough pieces. Vary tall and squat, smooth and rough, flat and three-dimensional...think textures!

Layering:  pictures and post-cards creates a casual, unfussy quality, inviting investigation rather than scaring people away.

 

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Coffee Table Know How's

The coffee table is usually the last piece of furniture to finish your seating arrangement puzzle, and with good reason. It is hard to know what size, shape, finish, and color should be used to fill in the gap. Here are some tips to help you decide on what type would be best for your space:

1. The ideal distance from the edge of the sofa to the edge of the table is 18 inches. This is so that  it is close enough to reach for a drink, but far enough to stretch at your legs. 

2. Leave at least 30 inches from the outer edge of the coffee table to the TV stand or main focal point in the room. If the room is really small, you can get away with 24 inches,  but 30 inches is ideal!

3. The height of the surface of your coffee table should be 1 or 2 inches lower than your sofa. Standard table heights are 16 to 18" high but if you have a higher sofa or entertain a lot you can bump it up a little so that is makes it easier to set down a drink.

4. Balance the scale of your furniture. If you have a solid color sofa, try a glass coffee table with chrome frame, and if you have a slim sofa, you can get away with chunkier wood coffee table.

5. If you have kids, a round or oval is a better option. If you need additional storage, find a table that have a shelf below for extra storage

6. Glass tables are less bulky and you don't have to worry about finding a coaster for your drinks. It is also great for easy clean up. If glass seems to delicate for your lifestyle, lucite and acrylic tables are great alternatives.

7. Wood brings warmth to a space, but tend to be bulkier. I prefer wood coffee tables in larger rooms with higher ceilings, and a lot of windows.

8. If your room already has a lot of wood already, a metal table or a glass table with metal base can be a nice compliment. 

9. If you want to add a bold pop of color, lacquered tables come in almost any color imaginable. If this is the route you go, make sure to keep the rest of your large furniture pieces more neutral color.

10. Try to think shape with shape. If you room and seating arrangement is more of a rectangle than go with a rectuangualr shaped coffee table. 

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Step Up Your Stairs

Stair can be a really fun way to add some pizazz to your home. Because there is just a small area to work with, you can really get crazy and add color, bold, prints, or even some whimsy. Here are some ideas that you can do yourself to step up your stairs!

Paper the Risers:

Yes, that is wallpaper.....Pick a bold print that will make an impact but make to seal it with a water based sealer to protect from scuffs

 

Paint a Numbered Runner:

Count your steps and feel free to use different colors

Share Your Thoughts

Have some thoughts you want to share, or is there a quote that you LOVE and would like to see everyday....Paint it on your stair risers

Use Chalkboard Paint

Can't decide what you want to put on your risers? Use chalkboard paint so that you can switch it up whenever you want. Chalkboard paint now come is tintable colors so if black is too harsh, ask your home improvement stores about the available colors

Tile Away

Visit your local salvage yard and pick out some unique tiles that could add a global feel to your home

Painted Runner

Any color will do but paint both your risers and your treads to give the continuous look

Paint the Treads

This allows you to still add color but in a different way

Stripes

Give the eye some visual candy and paint stripes to add movement

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Easy Ways to Renew Your Bathroom Without Remodeling

Bathrooms often come up last in remodeling considerations. Since these rooms tend to be tucked away out of public view, it's easy to let your budget go to the more visible parts of your house first. But a lack of remodeling funds doesn't mean you can't update your outdated bathroom and make it worth spending time in.

1. Play With Paint
Painting walls, shelves or a vanity can be an inexpensive way to update your bathroom without having to make any other big changes. Use a water-based primer which will keep moisture off your drywall and prevent mildew. You'll also want to look into a mildew-resistant paint – I suggest using a semi gloss paint because it repels moisture and is easy to clean.

2. Paint your Ceiling

Paint the ceiling the same color as the walls — as long as they're not white. This makes the bathroom feel warmer, because the color visually makes the ceiling fade away and does not give your eye a stopping point. It is a continuous look

3. Break up the color

For a quick design element with a custom look, add wainscoting around the room and then using a different paint color above and below it. This breaks up monochromatic walls and adds charm.

4. Lighten Up
Even a great bathroom can feel drab and depressing when the lighting isn't right. Start with the least expensive lighting fix. Trim thick shrubbery outside your windows, or replace thick curtains with some that let in light while retaining privacy.

5. Upgrade Your Accessories
Changing hardware and bathroom accessories may be the easiest and most inexpensive way to spruce up your bathroom. Choose drawer pulls in bright colors or unique materials to make a bold statement on a plain vanity.

6. Simplify Storage
Half-empty bottles of shampoo, abandoned beauty supplies and perfume samples pile up fast, taking up valuable space in bathrooms. Storage solutions aren't always attractive, so save yourself time, money and space by editing your bathroom supplies. Take a realistic look at what you really need each day, and store or get rid of the rest.

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Color Palettes You Can't Get Wrong

When it comes time to pick a new paint color for your home, do you find yourself up to your ears in paint samples not knowing what direction to go? Do you find yourself admiring design ideas online and trying to figure out how you are going to accomplish that look; but inevitably conclude that it is too overwhelming so you will just paint everything a nice cream color? That is the same for most people, because there are so many colors, hues, tints, tones, and names that the whole process becomes so overwhelming and seem like a hopeless endeavor. 

It doesn’t have to be!

Even though color and paint is my FAVORITE was to spruce up a room, and something that I love selecting; I myself get overwhelmed sometimes when the colors just aren’t working with me.

For those of you who want to take the first step to color, here are 8 full proof color schemes to help you get started:

1. Yellow and Blue: As primary colors, they share an uncomplicated, elementary quality that keeps them in sync.

2. Black and White: No Brainer, right?! It's dramatic, sophisticated and as classic as you can get. In any room, in any amount, it's absolutely fail-safe, and you can mix in dabs of whatever accent color appeals to you.

  

3. Pink and Green: Think about nature: pink flowers atop green stems, blooming from shrubbery, surrounded by foliage.

4. Navy and White: A starched white button-down topped with a navy blazer never goes out of style, and neither does a navy and white room.

5. Yellow and Gray: Yellow helps somber gray to lighten up; gray calms yellow down and keeps it from bubbling over. It's a win-win.

6. Red and Beige: Temper the bold of red with a swath of beige to create a rich, inviting, but still mellow space.

7. Blue and Orange: They're opposites on the color wheel, and paradoxically that means they go well together. I usually opt for more of a turquoise and coral color, to tone down the hue and make it more appealing and not so harsh.

(Go Broncos!)

8. Lavender and Brown: The key is to keep the lavender from getting too bright — a chalky pastel shade works best and looks luminous against deep brown.

 You can do it! Grab a bucket, or two, of paint and get started!

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