Dining Room Makeover

This is the left side of the room, the second part of the Living Room Makeover I posted about!

The photos were taken with my phone and are a bit grainy in the "Before" and a bit dark in the "After" but they show the difference pretty well, still!

 

 

 

We had already moved the bookshelves and started the job when I remembered my camera. What we did in this room (besides move bookshelves!)

1. Painted the paneling a warm cream

2.Moved all the office supplies to the (surprise!) office.

3.Hung a wreath in the window to echo the circle shapes we used in the living room.

4. Added more lighting to the dark space by spray painting a $3 thrift store lamp in matte black and adding a modern drum shade.

5. "Borrowed" a beautiful cloisonne pot from the backyard for the beautiful jade plant that just wasn't as beautiful in it's black plastic nursery pot.

6. Painted the stained white canvas chair seats (more on this below)

7. Mostly? We did a lot of accessory swapping and re-vamping!

 

Notice how dark the room was, even in the mid-morning:

 

 

 

Ta-da!

 

 

 

 

 

The white cotton canvas seats on the chairs were stained from years of use. (Why do furniture manufacturers use such impractical material, anyway?!) We talked about re-covering them in a new fabric which isn't very difficult. I've often recovered seats, and it only takes some time, attention, and a good staple gun. However, in this case we were dealing with time and money constraints and I decided to simply paint the cushions. You know how when you drip a little latex house paint on your jeans and it NEVER, ever washes off? The answer is yes, you can paint fabric and it lasts forever, is super durable and even scrubbable, once dried!
Since I know the client well, I knew she'd like green...and it tied in well with her green kitchen which is adjacent...and I happened to have the perfect shade on hand, since it was leftover from my own kitchen!

 

The trick is to use latex paint (acrylic is too watery) and apply it in two thin layers instead of one thick one (therefore, no streaks or bumps) and this type of cotton canvas is the perfect material for this method because it absorbs so well. Oh and to save time, tape off the wood with blue painters tape instead of removing the seats!

 

 

Home Office Organization

Making your home comfortable and inviting is more than painting the walls and hanging artwork! That's why Fresh (re)Design is more than decorating, because I love to organize a room! Maybe you enjoy what I call "the frosting" adding those pretty touches to your home, but the clutter is distracting from that great look you had envisioned?
If you need some hands-on help, someone to come in, roll up their sleeves and help you tackle that overflowing closet or office space, I'm your girl. Don't be embarrassed, either...I have three sons, and seriously, there is no amount of mess that fazes me! (I've seen and smelled some rough things, let me tell you!)
Today's post is about a Client who wanted a little help re-designing her office space.
Check out this Before and After!

There are exciting plans for this home, and especially for this combined dining room/office area. New paint, flooring, window treatments and more (that I cannot wait to show you!) With holidays around the corner, this family wisely chose to wait until the New Year to start the (re)Design. No problem. Except, wait! Out-of-town family will be coming for Thanksgiving dinner...and this is their view from the table! The Client and I quickly decided to break her project down into two jobs, and make Stage One happen NOW. I tied on my super-decorator cape and swooped over for the afternoon, reassuring her the whole way that we really could fix this, even  without purchasing anything new.

This home office serves a busy homeschooling family with three children, and Mom also needs to run her small business out of this area. It easily gets cluttered, with so much going on each day!
The challenges:
1. The space is only about 10 by 12 feet across and the entire area in front needs to remain clear as it is a walkway to the kitchen and the backyard.
2. A non-functioning fireplace on one side (that drips) and large windows on the other.
3. Not enough storage. The oak bookcases are large but without doors they hide nothing. The owner doesn't necessarily love their style, but can't afford to replace them just yet. On the plus side-they are sturdy and high quality and "almost" fill the back wall.
4. Two computers and two printers that are all used daily, but the long desk to hold them all had become a clutter catcher, with constant piles on its long horizontal surface.
5. Homeschool paraphernalia and art, while adorable, had taken over the walls and bulletin board, leaving no room for Moms photography business to really shine!

Are you ready to make some changes in your home but feeling limited by a tight budget? I can help you tackle your large projects, and am thrilled to work with you in stages.

 

After three hours or so of working together? A much calmer space...all ready for Turkey Day!

 

To meet the challenges of the space, The Client and I worked together and:

1. Replaced the long L shaped desk with a wonderful antique oak table the Client already had. Putting the computers in an L around the top loading printer made a tight but efficient workspace that will prevent clutter from piling up. In order to fit the second printer in the space, I borrowed a small sewing cabinet she had in her dining area and tucked it into the corner.

2. Swapped the contents of the black chest of office supplies (that they use frequently) to board games (used less often) and moved those to a different cabinet which the kids can open more easily. (A big part of my job is learning how YOUR family uses a space, and helping you to do that more efficiently) on top of this chest, each child has her schoolwork in a separate bin for daily use. The big chest also hides the ugly, open fireplace and underneath it was a perfect spot for storing the large rotary mats and guillotine paper cutter the Client uses for her photos.

3. Tidied up bookshelves and decluttered baskets. Hung the clock a little higher and added some personal touches to the middle shelf to catch the eye. Examples of Moms lovely work now displayed above the mantel and a soft light above the bookshelf and ahh...

Mobile Home Makeover

Most of us don't live in our dream home, do we? Very few of us have the financial resources to make our house "ideal" with stunning architecture, expansive square footage or sweeping views. But just because its smaller or older than you may like, doesn't mean your home can't accurately reflect YOU, and be a warm welcoming haven for your family. This is my goal, when you hire me for a redesign job. I spend time learning who you are, how you use the space and what makes YOUR heart sing. A cozy, serene space that brings lively comfort to all who enter? That doesn't come from architecture, nor views. You don't have to wait for your "dream home". It can be achieved in a short time, on a very tight budget, and I can help. Here is a great example...

Though the client had a beautiful collection of art and accessories, she was frustrated with her dark and dated manufactured home. The combined living and dining room is a great floor plan, but arranging furniture in such a way as to not block the many walkways had been a frustration.
Enter Fresh ReDesign! The "Before"

 

 

 

 

 

One day of work and around $100 in supplies later, we had this:

Issues addressed in this area:
1. Brightened the room by painting the back walls a warm, creamy neutral color. The client didn't want to paint ALL of the paneling, and it didn't need it. Just doing the back wall made the room feel much more expansive and became a bright focal point.

2. Rearranged the furniture for better flow, including swapping out the TV table for a smaller one from the dining room. Then hung a coordinating fabric behind the table in order to hide the many electric cords and neaten up the area..

3. Edited out extra accessories and limited the color palette to mainly red, cream and black for congruity.

4. Added layers of texture to counteract the many smooth surfaces (TV, paneling, windows, coffee table) by adding plants, baskets, throw blanket and more light. Most of these extras were purchased at the Goodwill for very little expense.

5.Broke up the many rectangle shapes (again, in the TV, windows, tables, mirrors, posters) by adding the three round plates above the television, then repeating that shape via the Japanese sun in the art print hung nearby.

6. Painted the old black wood stove chimney in the ceiling to help it visually "disappear". This worked far better than the blue paper parasol the client had tried to hide it with formerly.

7. Added the large area rug from another room to soften the space under the coffee table. As you can see, a big part of the re-design is "shopping the house" in order to restyle using what you already have and love, just in new ways!

8. Removed a large, dated mirror from the back wall and re-purposed it in another room. (to be shown tomorrow!)

The very best part of this day was the clients reaction when she walked in and saw her new room! This was my first paid job (despite years of fun playing house for myself, brave friends and desperate family members)  Hilary had believed in me so much that when she heard my hesitant-but-hopeful talk of doing it as a job, she had jumped up, pressed money into my hand and exclaimed "Do it! And I want to be your first client!" She had so much confidence in me, that it gave me boldness to move forward. And now the job was done, and I'd had fun...but would she like it? If she did, it meant yes-I could I actually pursue doing something that was so fulfilling and fun for a real job.

Her tears of happiness and exclamations of disbelief was such a joyful relief to me. They fanned the little spark of hope in me into a bright flame! Hence, this blog and the business Fresh ReDesign was born. Thank you, Hilary, for trusting me with your home, and believing in me! It was great fun!


"Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life." 
 -Warren Buffet

My home on the web.

What makes a home welcoming?

(my three sons "home" built with their Dad and Grandfather by scrap wood in patient trees!)
Is it the colors, the arrangement of the pictures, or the wide smile and enthusiastic greeting of the friend who throws the door wide open to your knock?
Well, this pretty little blog is the brand spankin' new "home" to my current business adventure. Consider these little tapped out words to be the equivalent of my pulling out the coziest seat and offering you an iced tea!

What is Fresh ReDesign? It's an affordable decorating service that offers consulting...rearranging...shopping...painting...sewing...organizing...and mostly? Fresh eyes and new vision for your design challenges! That room that is frustrating you, the decorating decisions you might be stuck on, the area you've tried to rearrange to no avail?  I love that! Seriously.
Love it like nerds love pocket protectors.

For more information, including my design philosophy...check the "About Me" page.

If you live locally, check out the "Get Fresh" page for more information about just how I can help you, fees and a consultation page.

And don't forget to check this blog frequently for clients before and afters, tips for decorating on a budget, DIY projects and more! Thanks for stopping by! 

Welcome!

Welcome to my new adventure!