Sometimes we can all use a little help, right? Whether you’ve just moved into a new home or are tackling a redo of your current, these charts will make decorating it easy-peasy. Pin them for future reference!
What do you think? I’d love to hear! Comment below đ
Fresh? Clean? Bright? Still cozy? That’s Studio McGee. Started in their spare bedroom, this husband and wife run business delivers rooms that are right on trend. If you’ve spent anytime on Pinterest, you’ve undoubtably seen their work. I was lucky enough to hear Shea McGee speak earlier this year and she did not disappoint. Let’s take a look at some of their most memorable rooms. Enjoy!
When you love Football and Interior Design (like me!), this can be the best time of the year! What better way to spruce up your home than to give it a Football Facelift? The real question is, can you actually add a few touches to your home without it looking super tacky? I think so! The key is to keep it light, general and not too heavy on the actual team. For example, if you love the Florida Gators (like I do!) then adding orange and blue touches throughout, with a few key Gator pieces, is enough. Everything doesn’t have to be logo-ish. Know what I mean? Restraint is your friend. Let’s walk through it together! (Make sure your scroll all the way down, the best is saved for last!)
source: b8sypaint.com
Do you decorate at all of football season? Any other sport? Id love to hear about it! Please comment below đ
Have you ever seen something that just blew you away? It starts with- what IS this, why haven’t I ever seen this before? Then it quickly moves into- I have to have this, ALL of this! I’ll never forget the first time I saw Lillian August furniture and design in general. Fresh out of college, still learning the ropes, I stumbled upon her showroom at High Point Market in North Carolina. I was overwhelmed! Traditional but fresh, luxurious but not stuffy.  I had the pleasure of meeting Lillian herself years later and she did not disappoint. Gracious, talented and just lovely all around. I have followed her design over the years and it just gets better and better. She has furniture lines, a design firm and stores.  I was lucky enough to visit her store in Connecticut recently. Amazing! I had to buy a pillow as a souvenir and cram it into my carry on for posterity. Well worth it!
Lillian August is a brand I go to constantly for inspiration and to see how they translate the current trends in a livable way.
Here are a few of my favorite images. Enjoy!
All photos via Lillian August
How exactly does online Interior Design work? Let’s follow an actual project I completed last year and find out! The home is in Greenwich, Connecticut and I’m in Florida, but no problem. We worked together for 10 days and the result is amazing! Happy client, happy designer. Boom! Let’s walk through the process together.
A fun, young family moved from hip San Francisco to very traditional Greenwich, Connecticut, they wanted a room just as lively as they are. Typically known for a very traditional design aesthetic, we wondered, can you DO color in Greenwich? Yes, yes you CAN and we are here to prove it!
Flooded with natural light and open to a beautiful view, this Family Room serves as the center of the home. Â They wanted something not too serious, not overly fancy, but still sophisticated. Pulling from a navy and orange color story, Evans Construction & Design created a perfect hang out spot for watching TV, playing games and entertaining.
The entire design process was handled online from our office in Florida to their home in Connecticut and took 10 days. We started with their floorpan.
After receiving a floorpan and a few inspiration images, Evans Construction & Design got to work on the initial concept board. A mix of overall inspiration images, colors, textures and actual pieces, this concept board serves as a starting point for discussions to make sure everyone is on the same page.
After the thumbs up was given on the Concept Board, we moved into the actual design of the room. The Design Board shows each item we are proposing and how everything works together. The client and I went back and forth until she was completely happy with everything.
After 10 days of tweaking, we settled on a final design. I love, love, love how it looks! The client then received a Final Design Package with a floorpan, instructions for setting everything up and a shop-able list, with links to order everything.
Over the course of the next month or so, everything arrived and client followed the setup directions to a “T”. Let’s see how the room turned out!
So are you ready to try online design for yourself? Let’s do it! Find out all the info to work with me here. It’s super fun and easy, and less expensive than you might think! đ
Your bath should be a retreat, an oasis. Something you look forward to coming home. But, what if it just isn’t? This fun couple in Gainesville, Florida had this exact problem. They called us to help and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Fresh, clean and traditional. Perfect for them!
Check out the before, the process and the after below. Click on the links at the end for all the sources!
Cabinets | Countertops | Sink | Faucet | Tub | Tub faucet | Lighting | Marble wall tile | Floor tile | Shower faucet | Accessories
What do you think? I’d love to hear your comments below.
You’re sick and tired of looking at your same boring room that you never really liked. I get it. You had grand plans for this room, remember your Pinterest board…it was going to be AWESOME!
But, then, you know…that sofa was such a good deal… you didn’t love it, but you couldn’t pass it up. Then those pillows, I mean they’re cute, right? The rug…it was from your old house, but it kind of goes. The stuff on the walls… its ok, maybe? You’ve ended up with a bunch things you sort-of like and a room you really don’t. Your husband has a nice big TV and recliner, so he’s happy. You’re not.
I hear you! We can do better! And you don’t have to spend a ton. Over the past 20+ years I have seen more rooms in need of a facelift than I can count. Honestly, all of them could have used this 10 step process and been given a whole new life. Were going to approach this as LAYERS. Here we go!
Take everything off every surface. Like everything. Nothing messes up a room more than clutter all over. Take the prints off the walls, the curtains down, every single thing. Take a good, hard look at what you have  to work with and let’s start from there.
My guess is the room could probably use a fresh coat of paint. Instead of the current color, why not ramp it up a notch and go with an actual color-color? You can read more about color selection here. I mean it’s just paint. Live a little. If you don’t like it, you can always repaint it.
Your red floral sofa may be the problem. It may be too busy for the room and just throws everything into disarray. A nice neutral slipcover can solve a world of problems. You can find great ones here and here. Now that we have a rich background and a neutral upholstered pieces, let’s inject some personality.
Your rug is probably too small, I’m guessing. Your rug should really go UNDERNEATH the furniture pieces, at least the front legs. If it’s floating out in the middle, its making the room look smaller and choppy. You can ground the space with a nice, new, big rug for not that much. A woven seagrass rug always looks good and can be found very inexpensively. Check here and here. A soft, patterned rug to add some pizzaz doesn’t have to cost a fortune either. Target.com (really!) and Wayfair.com have a ton that don’t break the bank.
Drapes can really make or break a room. What’s worse than no drapes? Cheap drapes. You know the kind…thin, lifeless, too short, just bad. You don’t need to overthink this, it’s easy! My go to formula is to choose a nice neutral drape, double them up and then hang them as high and wide as possible. So, you want them to go all the way down to the floor and probably double them up on each side. This creates a rich look, even with a Target drape. đ French rods are my favorite, since they don’t interfere with the room. You can find them super cheap here.
Is your furniture lined up on the wall? It shouldn’t be. “Conversational grouping” is your new go-to term. You want to create an area for people to sit and have a conversation easily. Place the rug in the center of the room, maybe centered on the fireplace or TV if that makes sense. Then put your table in the middle, again centered. Then place your sofa, love seat, chair, whatever around this. Does it leave room behind the sofa? That’s ok. I know its scary, but give it a try, you just might like it. You can practice online with websites like this one, or just move things around your house.
Because it’s at eye level, whatever is hanging on your wall is of utmost importance. You definitely don’t have to spend a ton here to create something unique, interesting and perfect for your room. I dedicated a blog post to exactly this subject that you can read here. My favorite frame is $18, for goodness sake! If you’re looking for “art-art”, take a look at these sites. They have basically everything you could ever want, in every size you can imagine. Art.com and GreatBigCanvas.com
Here’s where you can have a little fun. Add some personality here with fun, colorful pillows. Pick up on the wall color, the rug or even the artwork. Mix patterns and go crazy! My formula is typically a pattern, a solid and a geometric. Keep the color ways somewhat cohesive and you’re in business. Â Great pillows don’t cost a lot but have a major impact on the room. If you can swing it, down inserts instantly upgrade everything. Check TJMaxx for great deals!
Lighting is key and having the light not just come from the ceiling creates a soft, balanced room. Lamps solve this problem and look great while doing it. Even with a more traditional style, a clean and modern lamp always looks great. Again, Target.com and Wayfair.com have just what you need for like $40. Boom!
To finish off the room, display a few things you already have or grab a few new ones. Just think about it before you throw everything in there. A few well placed items always looks better than a bunch of “stuff”. Stuck? Here’s my go to formula…For your coffee table, buy a nice tray, place a few coffee table books on top, add an object on top, then plop candle to the side and finish it off with a plant. Done and done! Looks amazing! đ
So there you have it! Ten steps to a completely made one room for not too much money! What do you think? I’d love to hear your comments below.:)
I’m not typically a huge fan of “themed” rooms…you know the ones…It’s a “pirate room” so everything is pirate-y, it’s a “beach theme” so the light switches are sea shells. Yuck. We can do better!
For this boy’s nursery in Gainesville, Florida, I wanted to incorporate many different ideas and tie them together with a cohesive thread. I find this much more interesting than a theme. Navy blue, gray, cream and touches of orange would be the color story. Industrial elements, preppy pieces, (very light touches of) the Florida Gators, baseball and football would be the players here. Some new pieces were used, some existing plus a few sentimental elements like his older brothers’ used baseballs. I love how it turned out! Click the links below the photos for each item.
What do you think? Did we nail it?
Bare walls? Eek! No excuse! Your walls, along with your entire home, should tell your story and reflect your life. Big, empty walls really bring into focus an unfinished room. I can help!
There are lots of ways to fill up a large wall, but today we’ll just focus on framed artwork.
Did you know you can print out A LOT of prints for FREE online? Yes, it’s true. Good quality, designer prints are yours for the taking. A few of the best sites are here, here and here. Print them at home or take them to a local printer. Either way, you can create a wall full or artwork for super cheap.
Now, for the frames. You don’t have to spend much for great frames. Target, Wayfair and other online retailers have every option imaginable. I like to stick with clean, authentic materials. If it looks like wood, it should be wood, metal should be metal, etc. Light or white frames put the focus on the print or art inside. Dark or black frames put the focus on the structure and layout of the arrangement. A few of my favorite with links below.
So, you have the artwork, you have the frames, now where are you going to hang them? You need a plan! If you’re feeling super ambitious, you can cut out templates of your sizes with paper and try a few arrangements on the wall. Here are a few to get you started.
Want something a little more creative? Try framing something unique to you. Favorite scarves or shopping bags always look chic. Kids artwork can look extra important framed and grouped together.
Family photos instantly tell a story. To keep things current, try frames with an extra wide mat and keep the photos either all black and white or all color. Consistency is key. Another way to go is blow them up nice and big, with no mat. Both look fresh and not like your Mom’s house. đ
Ready to take it up a notch? Mix frame sizes and materials, maybe even pop in a mirror. The mix of textures and colors makes for a very interesting mix.
So, no excuses for a big empty wall! Calculate a plan, buy some inexpensive frames (my favorite are $18.99!) and print out some artwork online. Mix in a few of your existing pieces and boom, you’ve got a super chic wall!
What do you think? Which style is your favorite?
You’re excited, you’ve got your ducks in a row, your Pinterest boards are full, your Houzz account is overflowing with images⌠you’re finally building your dream home. Exciting! What could go wrong?
Iâve been in the home building business for 20+ years now (please, donât do the math) and I must tell you the 3 things that happen EVERY SINGLE TIME we build a new home that surprise the client. Seriously, every single time.
I know this, I preach this, but guess what? When we built our last personal home, I went to my lovely husband, the General Contractor extraordinaire, and informed him that our slab, was indeed, too small. He laughed. I cried. We measured. Guess what, it was exactly correct. How could I doubt my dear husband? The lesson here is, for whatever reason, the slab will look tiny, but itâs still correct. I know, I know. How can you possibly take a shower in that teeny tiny rectangle? Itâs going to feel much larger once the framing goes up. I promise.
Color is funny. By funny I mean tricky, mean-spirited, and anxiety inducing. Youâve researched this color, pinned this color, bought samples, dreamt about itâŚwhy does it look so different now that itâs on the walls? Several reasons.
First, looking at a color in FRONT of you is very different from having the same color SURROUND you. Imagine looking AT a large red wall, now imagine being INSIDE an all red room. Itâs a completely different experience. Give yourself some time to adjust.
Second, you’ve gone from the whitest-white plaster everywhere to a rich, beautiful color. The shock of that alone is enough to put you in panic mode.
Lastly, thereâs nothing in the house to help balance (aka suck out) the wall color. Cabinets, flooring, tile, fixtures, trim paint…they all bring color into the space and help balance out the walls.
Take a breath, stick to your original choice. Youâve researched it to death, remember? đ Once everything goes in, it will become the beautiful masterpiece youâve envisioned. Pinky promise.
Lovely image, isn’t it? Youâve worked with the landscape designer, selected just the perfect amount of shrubs versus flowers versus trees. Itâs going to be a garden for the ages!
Then they deliver the sod. What is this shit? Why are you ruining my dream home with this? Take it away! Get it out of my sight!
Relax! It always looks a little, umm,âless than perfectâ when delivered. Maybe it was the long trip, maybe it was the installation, who knows. Once itâs laid in place, watered, and starts to âtake,â it will magically transform into the green lawn youâve always dreamt of picnicking on in a few short weeks. đ I swear.
Well, there it is. These three things have happened on every single house weâve built. I even fell into the trap of the slab being too small after preaching this for years.
Take a breath, relax, stick to your guns, and trust those pinterest boards full of ideas you’ve been creating over the years. You got this!
What surprises have you encountered while building your new home or remodeling? Please share below! Iâd love to hear or talk you off the ledge if needed. đ
