Design Shuffle {Guest Blogging}

I’m honored and excited to be guest blogging on Design Shuffle today!  If you have been intrigued with online design and wanted to to know more about the process, pop over to their fabulous site to see the post. See how online design can give you access to an interior design with out the design fees involved.  This up and coming service allows you to design your room on your time & budget!

At Studio Ten 25, we call our online design service HOME AWAY FROM HOME! We would love to talk to you about putting the finishing touches on that unfinished room!

A few of my favorite Home Away From Home Projects

Home Away From Home: Living With Options

I recently finished a Home Away From Home project with two color options for the living room. It’s always nice to show a client how versatile their existing pieces can be with just a few simple changes.  This living room has dark espresso wood floors, a fresh coat of soft blue paint on the walls and a fabulous creme sofa to anchor the space.  Here are the additions we suggested!

COLOR OPTION #1:  GREEN & TEAL

With such simple basics in place, adding a pop of color and pattern will bring the room into the eclectic chic feel my client is after.  The silk drapes bring in a touch of sophistication while the warmer green hue is fun and a great accent against the blue walls.  By using pillows and x-benches to bring in more of the green and teal accent color, this room screams chic!

Drapes

Media Console

Coffee Table

Rug

Accent Chairs

Another accent chair option.

Green Accent Pillows |  Teal Accent Pillows |  Patterned Pillow

X-Benches

Mirror

Side Tables

COLOR OPTION #2:  BLUE & YELLOW

If a softer look & feel is what my client is more comfortable with, this palette is going to be the best choice.  By using an eclectic patterned drape, we are able to set the stage for the blue and yellow accents.  When we change out the rug with something more simple but still graphic, the overall feel stays eclectic.  I love mixing patterns in a room, it keeps you eye moving.  And by keeping the pattern similar in color, they will relate well to each other.

Drapes In Boteh Jade:  I love the fact that we can do the drapes or roman shade.  I also like the white with blue accent roman shade mixed with the drapes.

Rug

X-Bench

Blue Accent Pillow |  Zig Zag Accent Pillow |  Yellow Accent Pillow

Need help pulling your space together? Check out our Home Away From Home packages and fill out our online questionnaire! We would love to help you create the room of your dreams.  AND, all HWH packages come with a 20% discount code to use at Shop Ten 25!

Home Away From Home – Hollywood Regency

Home Away From Home – Guest Room Update

Home Away From Home: First Impressions

Amanda contacted me for help with her newly updated entry and was ready for a major change.  After replacing the worn out carpet with espresso stained maple hardwoods, adding crown moulding and updating the paint she had no idea what to do next. She said the “boxy” entry felt cold and she was ready to add pieces that would make a “wow” first impression. She was ready to bring in statement pieces and go chic!

Since Amanda send me pieces from Shop Ten 25 as inspiration and requested our “home away from home” online design service, she will receive a discount on any purchase she makes from the shop!

So, here is what I have come up with! A space that is classy, chic and full of statement pieces! I’m in love…

Here are a few of the requests that Amanda gave me for the space and the breakdown of the pieces:

* “I’m open to a console table, but really have my heart set on a large piece that can also be used as storage.”

This espresso lacquer and mirrored buffet piece is from World’s Away. It brings in the sophistication and chic feel that Amanda was wanting. We have also resolved the storage concern that she has. This AVA buffet will be the perfect place for anything that Amanda needs to tuck away.

* ” I am open to bringing in art as long as it’s something bright and abstract. I’m really not a landscape / floral type of girl”

Silver Lining from artist Chris Judy is simply stunning and the colors will give us plenty of options when selecting the accessories!  With four sizes to select from, Amanda can work with the scale that fits best in the entry. I  have suggested the 36″x54″ on canvas and if framing the print is not a priority, it will be gorgeous just stretched.

* “As for the walls in the entry, I really really really want to bring in a wallpaper. Something with a pattern but simple, I don’t want to spend money on something that won’t look good if I change things up down the road.”

Simple, classic and something that works with everything……can you say Kelly Wearstler Imperial Trellis in Alabaster?! This classic pattern is perfect for Amanda’s entry! The warm alabaster color will compliment the new hardwoods and create movement without overpowering the room.

* ” I know I’ve asked you to help me with the entry but the dining room is just off of this space. Would you be able to suggest a basic dining chair that will blend with my entry? I plan to place the extra dining chairs by the entry console piece, it’s a look that I have been wanting for a while now.”

Amanda did include pictures of her dining room to help me with the selection of the dining chairs. These ivory leather Marilyn chairs work perfectly with the the pieces in the entry and finding a dining table to compliment these beauties will be easy!

I also love these Trina Turk Shanghai pillows in black and ivory too! They bring in a little pattern without creating a graphic over kill!

* “I must have a starburst mirror! I love them and really want to bring one into the space.”

Check!  How about two of them in a warm iron finish to frame out that stunning piece of art?!  I love the way they look over the dining chairs too, very chic!

*”As for accessories, I am really open to anything. I must say, I have been obsessing over the two ceramic parrots at Shop Ten 25…hint hint!”

Now we need a little bit of color to tie in with the painting, I love these Paulette lamps from Arteriors Home!

The finishing touch, the two white ceramic parrots!

Know what you want but not quite sure how to pull it all together? Let our home away from home online design services inspire you to finish your room!  We are adding our home away from home services to Shop Ten 25 very soon! Any online design services will receive a private discount code to use on all purchase from Shop Ten 25!!

Voila!

A few weeks ago, Emily contacted us for help with her backyard patio.  She was hoping to put the finishing touches on the space before a large family event so we had to select items that were available quickly.  See more of her before details HERE.

I was so excited to see the “after” pictures of her patio and couldn’t wait to share them.

Here is the BEFORE picture of the patio. The new cushion fabric was great but the area looked unfinished and lacked a cozy feel.  The furniture arrangement also needed a little rearranging too.

AFTER:  By relocating the chairs, the space feels more open and looks more balanced.

We added a simple outdoor rug that compliments the color from the bricks and stone table tops.  It helps to ground the space and create more of a social area.

I LOVE the pillows that Emily went with, the colors are perfect and the pattern looks great year round. The green garden stools are also a great addition and can be used as accent tables or extra seating.

She used down inserts in all of the pillows because the patio is protected from the weather. A great idea for an outdoor space that is used daily, standard outdoor pillows can be stiff so the down creates more of a cozy place to lounge.

Progress

I recently received pictures from a client showing the progress of their living room mini-remodel. I am so excited to share them because with a few affordable changes, this living room moved from 1970-2010! The living room was dark and there was a horrible glare in the room most of the day. The family spends most of their time here so it needed to feel bright, cozy and be a great place to read a book.

We hired a professional to paint and cover the brick around the fireplace.  Even though we “just painted”, the wood paneling did not give up easily. They sanded, and sanded and primed and then painted. The entire process took about 7-10 days and did created a mess but it was totally worth the end result!

BEFORE: Wood paneling can really make a room feel dark and dated. This room has a great layout but the details needed to be refined and the fire place needed to be the focal point. The brick was the other issue in the room, my clients were ready to see it go!

AFTER: The room is instantly updated and now has the modern feel my client was looking for. The rich leather furniture no longer gets lost in the room.

BEFORE: If this picture doesn’t get the point across, I don’t know what else to show you! Look how bad the glare is in this room.

AFTER:  OK, so these were taken at night, but you get the point. I love how the shutters are now a beautiful feature in the room.

BEFORE: The fireplace is the biggest change in the room.  The dark brick did not work for the new modern feel that my clients were after. It was time to update this area and really make it the focal point of the room.

AFTER: We covered the brick with sheetrock and used a stunning Marazzi marble around the firebox and on the hearth. I LOVE the way this fireplace turned out!  It looks like a shade or two warmer would make a great accent on the fireplace and will really finish off this space.

Late Summer Update…Home Away From Home

Emily’s back porch is absolutely gorgeous but in need of some serious color. She recently had her existing patio furniture recovered but wasn’t sure what to do next. The space felt awkward and plain so she asked me to pull together a few ideas to spruce the place up.

The brick floors and columns create plenty of texture against the white house so we needed a way to make the space feel connected to the architectural elements.

I created two floor plan options for her to try. I suggested that she try each one, photograph it and then take a look at the images to select the layout that feels more comfortable.

Options #1: Blues and greens brighten up the muted cushion fabric while the mix of pattern, stripes and a solid compliment the white graphic pattern.  I know the garden stool is somewhat cliche  but it brings in interest, color and can be used as a side table. Emily LOVES Jill Rosenwald’s Hampton Links earthenware and I think they are perfect coffee table accents.

Option #2: Reds and greens. I think this is my favorite scheme because the warmer color palette ties in perfectly with the brick and stone tops on the iron coffee and side table.

Home Away From Home – Chic Master Retreat

Jill & Blake wrote to us for help with there STUNNING master bedroom. They were married earlier this year, just purchased their first home together and are trying to agree on how to decorate their master bedroom. Here is there letter:

Hi Abbe,

We just love your website, design style and the chic touch you add to all of your rooms. We can’t afford to have a designer at the moment but are in serious need of help. We were hoping your home away from home service would finally lead us in the right direction, especially where our master bedroom is concerned! The bedroom is large and we have no idea how to make it feel cozy. We only have our king mattress and box spring (on the floor) and our flat screen and are now ready to purchase the furniture and accessories we need.  We had the hardwood floors re-finished to a warm chocolate walnut color, added crown moulding and scraped the popcorn off the ceiling for a more updated look.

I would say our style is a refined, eclectic & chic feel. We love the fresh feel that white furniture has and are open to  anything things that will create the perfect mix of feminine and masculine.  We have decided on a grey/taupe/soft yellow/white color palette and would love to have an upholstered headboard. I would love to have the walls painted and am a big fan of the grey/khaki color, I think it looks great with white furniture. There is a bay window in the room and I have always wanted to have a chaise with lots of pillows where I could curl up and read or watch television. My husband and I are open to any ideas you have and are excited to see what you come up with.

Looking forward to seeing your ideas!

Thanks,

Jill & Blake

Baby Hope’s Nursery – Home Away From Home

Baby Hope is on her way!  In preparation for her arrival this winter her mom and dad are itching to complete her nursery and asked us for help. Since they are struggling to mix both of their styles, we combined the best of both to give baby Hope a hip, chic and stylish place to dream! Take a look at their letter and Hope’s nursery finish board!

Hi Abbe,

My husband and I are expecting our first child this winter and with our busy schedules, we have had no time to shop for Hope’s nursery!  I have to admit that we are putting it off because we can not agree on the style of the items we want. My husband wants simple but I want a bit of frill. We need your help to complete her nursery before she makes her big arrival this winter.  We tried to start on the room and the only thing we have been able to agree on has been painting the room a warm beige color.  I want to keep the walls neutral, as Hope grows up and we change her bedding I really don’t want to repaint the room. We both love some color but are unsure how to pull things together without it looking crazy.  Here is a list of what we want for the room:

1. No pink, we want to go with a brown and green color scheme

2. We love the “modern baby” look of clean lines, white furniture and wood accents (We need a crib, changing table & rocker)

3. A few “girlie” touches please. I am drawn to more frilly things and my husband wants things more natural and simple. Helps us combine our two styles. Enclosed is the bedding we have purchased, it is white with a floral pattern. My husband let me win that one!

4. We need a bit of art to hang in the room and help with a layout. Three of the four walls in the room are full. The first has the closet, the second has the windows and the third has built-ins.

We are so excited to see your ideas and know you can help us resolve our style differences so baby Hope will have a perfect nursery!

Thank you,

Brandi & Jeff