Showing posts with label Before and Afters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Before and Afters. Show all posts

Monday, March 19, 2012

It's Monday - Let's do B&A's

It's a two-cupper kind of Monday for me, so how about some Before and After goodness? 

I've been working with my sister to get her formal living room properly zhushed before an upcoming shower she's hosting.  Can I just say right now how much it KILLS me not to be able to do this fun stuff in person?   Oh well, getting to be a part of putting together a great room is still rock 'n roll.

Wanna peek? (Pardon the iPhone pics)

Wingback Before - Sad stuffing, and almost-coulda-shoulda-been-kinda-cool Missoni-esque fabric....
photo

...and After... Make-a-me-SO-happy coral and purply-pink ikat!
sumbera wingback after

X-benches Before (sorry, no real-life photo) - Now, you know I'm not the kind to turn a side-eye to most anything animal print, but these bargain X-benches needed to look....well....not so bargain-y....

So, they found some love in the form of high-quality velvet, and extra tufting.  Oh, the plushness of it all!
sumbera x benches after
What's pulling this all together, you ask?  Why, a giant, colorful print by Cozamia, of course!
sumbera living art
Yep, Monday's lookin' better, already!

Monday, June 20, 2011

We Interrupt this program...for pink velvet and thrift goodness

I didn't think you'd mind me popping in (and bumping the H spot feature 'til tomorrow) for a little update on my sister's dining room - my project numero uno while I'm Stateside.

She snagged these Chippendale chairs a month or so ago, but clearly the pastel plaid fabric wasn't working with our overall theme of I'm not Laura Ashley.
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Meet pink velvet goodness.
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Over that slightly-rugged kilim chevron. Tell me about it, Stud!
DSC_2024

Then there's her bathroom vanity stool.
Before: Disney called. They want their Beauty and the Beast dog back.
photo-1

After: I'm trying to figure out a way to steal it from her without her noticing...
DSC_2027

THEN: Saturday's Thrifting Session took us to the Habitat store where she scored this wingback for forty clams.
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It has a bright future.

As for me, I snagged this pair of mondo lamps. Hard to tell here, but they're actually mercury glass - a bronze color. Not sure where I'll use them just yet, but I thought they were different, and I couldn't pass up the ten dollar price tag.
DSC_2029
*SupportyourHabitatStore, Peeps!*

**Disclaimer: Wish we could take credit for the reupholstering, but we left it to the pros.**

Lots more Little H Spot guest posts still to come. We're enjoying plenty of family and friend time in (crazy sweltering) Texas, but I'll check in periodically with project updates.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Dallas Client's Jump Start to Transformation

First off, thank you to everyone who sent me sincere feedback in terms of what you like about MLHP.
My takeaway was:
1) You're cool with design boards, so long as they are part of a story (i.e. my casa, client's home, etc)
2) If I'm going to slap up an image from a glossy that everyone and there sister is blogging about, then you'd like me to break it down, and talk about how to achieve a similar look. Great - I'd love to do this!
3) You love the He Said, She Said series - Awesome! I'll try to do more!
4) ...and, of course, you all love a good B&A - instant gratification mongers! :)

On that note....
I've been working with an e-client, Linds, who lives in Dallas. She and her hubster just moved from a darling, first-home in Big City Central to The Burbs of Big D. They had hoped to stay in Dallas proper, but the space they craved for their growing family sent them to the sprawls of suburbia. They found a large, charming home, but Linds wasn't taken with some of the builder-grade design, and wanted to get a jump-start on turning it into a stylish place that implemented at least some custom aspects.
So far, my job has been very easy. Linds has a keen idea of what she wants, and has great taste. I've merely offered a bit of consultation, sourcing, and an objective voice when needed.

Long distance design services can be somewhat unfulfilling if the client doesn't send "after" pics - you just have to assume they implemented your suggestions. But, nothing's more fun than getting the updates on spaces, so I was stoked to get some "in progress" pics in my inbox this weekend.

Linds' living room has double-height windows. This is the MLS listing pic of the room.
Encinias living windows before

I suggested making an investment in double-high, double-width curtains. Something to immediately add impact - like this:
HB double height curtains
house beautiful

Having curtains custom made can get dumb-expensive, but luckily, Linds already has a wonderful seamstress who put together her custom baby bedding. Even better is the seamstress doesn't charge a limb, and said she could handle the curtains - sans problème.

Linds wants to go with a blue/rich yellow/cream color palette to coordinate with her existing furniture, and I thought this fabric was pretty great with its slightly Indian pattern. It was on sale for $5.99 a yard, and we cleared them out!

Here's how they turned out (pardon the glare). Aren't they incredible? Me and amazing curtains - we be good friends!
IMG_20110225_182017

Linds is making more drastic changes in the kitchen. She didn't dig the faux-Tuscan cabinetry, but struggled over the decision to paint them the white she so badly wants. I think she probably received a lot of unsolicited advice about how she just, "can't paint those wood cabinets!"
My opinion is this: Wood is nice, but wood is not sacred. If it's a white kitchen you want to live with, then by all means, paint the damn things and LOVE it!
Fullscreen capture 2282011 84503 PM.bmp

...So, she did.
IMG_20110218_095020

Bought new hardware and lantern pendants, too. Good girl.
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Encinias kitchen new hardware
We still have some details to decide on, but this is shaping up very nicely!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

What would I do?

Do B&A pics draw you in, almost addictively? I'd venture to say my interest has some sort of sadomasochistic twist, since I have precious little opportunity to partake in Before and After fun - what with the lack of resale/Habitat/Craigs down here in Brazil. (Do I hear violins?)

Anyway, I still spend hours conjuring up the What Would I Do's when I see something begging for a facelift. Lately, I've seen some very snazzy images of cane back chairs taken from sads to shaZAMZ


So, when I spied this little 'ol lady (one of a pair) on Houston Craigs, I immediately thought of giving them a new lease on life for my sister client.
Of course, fabric and color selection depend on room, personal aesthetics, and for me, mood. Here's a few fabric and paint combos I put together:
Colorful Classic lineup_edited-1 copy
Yellow Ikat via L&S + Glidden Rich Navy

Subtle-Elegance-lineup
Flowering Branch via CC + Francesca by Martha Stewart Paints

Sophisticated-Darling-lineu
Sudan by L&S + Behr Premium Ash Violet

Tailored-Trendy-lineup
Formosia via L&S + Glidden Deepest Wooden Green

Posh lineup_edited-1
Jamil via L&S + Glidden True Turquoise

What would YOU do?
*Psst...if you don't know, let me help you! email me at: atexski@yahoo(dot)com

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Coffee Table Quickie

Hope that title didn't mislead you into thinking this was going to be something risqué ;) Unless, of course, you consider a coffee table styling something provocative...

Over the last few years of having a toddler around the house, my coffee table scheme has wavered somewhere between boring and depressed. Like many moms, I just grew tired of having to remove anything that could be harmed, or cause harm to the kiddo.
DSC_1210

This past weekend, though, I tried to hone my non-existent table styling skills to make it at least a tad more presentable...
DSC_1216

There's a formula for this, but I haven't quite got it down.
DSC_1217

Still, the right angle makes all the difference. (As does having a hubster put his two-cents in)
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Guess what else happened this weekend?
9 month old birthday 2
Baby Girl turned 9 months old! Crawling like a champ, and pulling up on anything she can, so you know this new table scheme's days are numbered.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

I'm Lovin' It: Nursery Glider B&A

We picked up the nursery glider from the upholsterer's yesterday. It has already brought me a good dose of happiness. BUH-bye blah brown.
Casa Giese

Thursday, August 26, 2010

B&A Ecstacy!

A little over a year ago, my good friend Carrie said they were ready to take on the redo of their master bath. A pic I'd seen in Coastal Living struck me as something they might like, and sure enough, it served as a stepping off point for the bath remodel.
Over the course of the year, Carrie and her hubster, Scott, added a third son to their family, studied for work promotions, and nursed another kiddo's broken leg ALL while Scott gutted the bathroom. As Carrie has proudly said, this project has taken Scott well-beyond simple "handyman" status as he did all the work himself.

I know you all like a good B&A, so here ya go - feast your eyes on this transformation!
master vanity before
Standard, 80's builder-grade vanity and garden tub

master vanity after
Replaced with a rustic Craigslist console-turned-vanity, vessel sinks, and modern cultured marble counter that does a stunning job of mimicking Carrara.

vanity close-up after
Oh, and gorgeous wall-mounted gooseneck faucets!

The most challenging aspect of the project was Scott's plan to reverse the shower stall and tub placement, to take advantage of unused space in the tub's window seat.
master shower before

master tub before

Where the old shower stood, there's now an inviting claw-foot tub.
clawfoot tub after
Would you believe it's fiberglass?

DSC_1540
Eye candy for a fixture junkie like me!

And, where the garden tub made inefficient use of space, there's now a multi-spray shower with plenty of room for a built-in seat. I can't say what I love more: the river stone floor, or the showerhead combo!
DSC_1541

view into shower after
Crazy gorgeous, my friends! (Um, can I use your bath next time we visit? ;)