e-design after: sonoma valley vacation home

over the years i have beed blessed to work with so many amazing clients. each client brings a personal perspective and vision for their space and assiting them to reach that vision is what i love about my job. each experience is new. each client is unique.

some clients are paralyzed with fear, and need and want a LOT  of help. they want a design, presented to them, which they can follow to the "t" and be assureed a great outcome.

other clients need general guidance and ideas that they can run with. they benefit from having a trained professional tell them "go for it!" having someone talk them through possible improvements in their room opens their eyes to possibilities and gives them a fresh perspective.

other clients just need...nudges. they need what i like to call "back-up". they already know what they want and just need a little guidance to get there.

this beautiful home is the investment property of a repeat client of mine. she and her husband have been dreaming about acquiring a retreat property like this for many years, and when the timing was right, they jumped on board. the home did not need major remodeling, but it did need a more pulled together and updated look, and all new furnishings and light fixtures.

she hired me as her "back-up'...i sourced lighting and furnishings, we consulted on furniture placement, window treatments, paint colors and trim details. we bantered about where to place art, the different feel of each room, and how to give the space the updated, casual vibe she wanted.

oh, and did i mention she was on a budget? 

almost ALL of the furnishings were sourced from the following places:

-overstock

-kirklands

-ikea

-world market

-cb2

-pier 1

-decorators best

we also managed to score a few things on clearance at restoration hardware.

who wouldn't want to spend a leisurely weekend here?

and, for reference, some before pictures:

(the fireplace had to be removed)

if you are interested in staying at this home, and for more pictures, you can visit the listing on VRBO!
http://www.vrbo.com/498985

where am i? (again.)

i walked in an eatery last weekend, and was really impressed with the finishes.
can you guess where i am?

 hmmm. classic subway tile with dark grout....

 white carrara-like countertops with light gray shaker type cabinets...

 darker gray walls with ribbed glass inserts...

 reclaimed/distressed wood tables, classic metal stools.


fun metal detail on tables.

 
wood paneled walls...

brown "leather" seats with top stitching and metal legs...

 cross hatch/strie laminate tables with geometric print upholstered banquette backs.



 

HAVE YOU GUESSED YET?
no?
need more pictures??
ok.....

 red bar stools and tall tables...

 long glass and metal light (i think the glass is made from recycled coke bottles!)

i really loved the details on the inside of the women's bathroom!

ribbed glass...


red penny tile with gray grout...

there was also this fun low kids table area, complete with little stools:

LOVED the ceilings!

have you guessed yet??

ok, how about a wider shot?

and finally-----!

chick fil a!!
who'd a thunk it?
not me.
way to go chick fil a. i am super impressed.


now that you know where i took these, here are a few wider shots of the place:

inspiration is everywhere!!

what do you think?
have you been in any fast food restaurants lately and been pleasantly surprised by the finishes and attention to the design of the interiors?
(i blogged about another fast food resaturant that caught be pleasantly off guard here...)
do nice interiors make you want to eat at a place more often?

How to furnish your Rental Property (a guest post)

With the UK rental market set to experience further growth in the formative part of 2014, landlords are looking to expand their portfolios and profit accordingly. There are also a growing number of aspiring landlords who are hoping to enter to buy-to-let market as a result of this growth, although this bring new and exciting challenges that must be addressed. One of the most significant challenges is creating a desirable property for potential tenants, as this is crucial if you are to prosper in a competitive market.

Furnishing your Rental Property: 3 Tips for Novice Landlords

With this in mind, what practical steps can you take to create a popular and viable rental property? Consider the following: - 

Source Cheap and High Quality Furniture

If you have advertised a fully furnished property, then establishing the layout of your home can be an extremely costly and time-consuming exercise. This is unless you identify affordable and reputable suppliers, however, who can sell you furniture in bulk and at a competitive rate. Suppliers such as the Trade Furniture Company can meet this need, while also providing you with access to a wide and diverse range of domestic products.

Use Colour Sparingly

Colour is something of a hot potato among buy-to-let landlords, as there are conflicting opinions as to how rental properties should be presented. While traditional landlords would use bland shades such magnolia or cream to embellish the interior of their properties, contemporary trends are more focused on the application of bold colours. With this in mind, modern buy-to-let landlords are more inclined to strike a balance between these two extremes, using one or two vivid colours to create a theme that runs throughout the entire property. While this can be a challenge, warm colours such as terracotta are ideal as they illuminate your property without having the potential to overwhelm potential tenants.

Create the Illusion of Space

With the British construction industry more prosperous than at any point since the global recession, there are a wealth of residential housing projects currently being undertaken throughout the UK. While this is primarily good news, it does create an issue in that modern new-build properties are becoming increasingly compact on pressed for space. As a buy-to-let landlord, your task is therefore to make the most of the space at your disposal, by adopting a minimalist design ethos and de-cluttering every single room. By optimising the floor layout and embracing open-plan designs were possible, you can create the genuine illusion of space and justify a higher rental price.

design plan: global living room

a look at the design plan for a full room design that i recently worked on with a fun-loving, professional couple who love to travel the world. they wanted a neutral backdrop with some accents in bold yet muted colors. we brought in global vibe with the interesting shapes and textures of many of the supporting furniture pieces.

interesting in working together to create a more beautiful and functional space?

email me at autumnclemons@yahoo.com to set up a consultation!

before + after: the power of an hour-a clients formal dining room

a couple "before" pictures of a clients dining room before our phone call + pinterest board consultation:

before:

the walls had recently been painted, and my client wanted to keep them the same color (if possible)

(unless the color is 100% NOT working, i always accommodate my clients requests to keep their existing paint color. i thought the color here was really nice, and acted as a soothing backdrop to the fun bursts of color.)

this client looooves color!
as you can see, she already had her seat cushions covered in schumachers chiang mai dragon. (yummy!) she was looking to add a touch of chinoiserie and wanted to bump up the style and add a touch of chic to this formal room.

here is what we discussed during our phone call:

* adding a larger buffet to the back wall, and painting it a kelly green. to keep costs down, we talked about this piece being a craigslist find.

* adding an ornate vertical hanging mirror, some vase prints and some blue and white china (using the fabric on the chairs as inspiration for the color palette) on some shelves above the buffet. (i had a fabulous inspiration picture that i pinned to her board that she used as a guide.)

*replacing the lamps with larger ones...simple sculptural lamps with black shades.

*adding a zebra rug for a touch of chic

*replacing the light fixture

*changing out the bar cart for the existing buffet.

*adding a ceiling medallion 

*removing the fake tree

after:

these pictures were a treat to get in my inbox!

sometimes i will wait months or even a year to get "after" pictures of e-design projects. this client sent the after pictures within 3 weeks of our consultation! i was blown away, to say the least. way to go, kathleen!

isn't this vignette fun? 

the esty pagoda prints are perfect with the ornate mirror.

and check out the great craigslist dresser that she found! before, she had a fun dose of green in the lamps, but they were too small, and the green was a little less elegant. now, the larger, green dresser really anchors this wall and the sculptural new lamps with black shades add some sophistication.

the zebra rug really adds a style punch to the room!

and finally, the flimsy, dated bar cart was replaced with the buffet that used to be on the back wall.

the size and color of this piece are perfect here paired with the colorful art...and the best thing? this simple yet dramatic change didn't cost a dime.

if you want to get a peek at the pinterest board that i created for this client, you can click here. (she also had some questions about seating for her family room, so there are a few additional pins...

have a space that needs help? interested in working together? 

contact me at autumnclemons@yahoo.com to set up a consultation!