Before & After: Part 1

I am starting out this post the very way I vowed not to…by admitting the fact that things don’t always turn out the way you plan.  As promised, I’ve got a few before and after pictures for you to check out today…unfortunately the emphasis is on a few.  I won’t bore you with the details, but the bottom line is a few hours before the house we worked on all week was finished, I had to fly out of town to be in a dear friends wedding.  I’m waiting for my brother to send me the remainder of the “after” pictures as I won’t be back in town for another week.   Perfect as he is, he’s still a 22 year old guy with priorities that are different than mine and thus the wait continues.  As I receive the pictures, I’ll pass them on to you.  Here are some to get you started- so sorry for the delay.

The Living/Dining Room

Before

This area was one of the most poorly decorated of this or any house I’ve seen.  I don’t really know where to begin, other than to say do not, for any reason, subject your walls to anything resembling this.  The color combinations, technique, textures (paint over wallpaper…big no-no)…the whole shebang…very very bad.  

After

We went with a warm gray for this space to up the masculine factor of the house and filled it mostly with furniture I’d been storing from my past life living in Miami.  We were able to compliment my pieces (among them the sofa and dining room table) with some very reasonably priced accents.  Keep in mind, we were designing for four boys in their early twenties on a budget who don’t exactly have a history of keeping things in order.  That being said, the main idea for this particular project was to fill in the gaps with the best possible pieces for the least amount of money.  I think that’s a boat a lot of us find ourselves in, so while cheap certainly isn’t always our design objective, it’s definitely an avenue worth exploring.  

We found the wood and glass side tables fully assembled (as well as a few other INCREDIBLE pieces yet to be revealed) in the Clearance section of American Signature for less than $35 a piece.  Keep in mind, the Clearance section is a double edged sword.  While the discounts are substantial and the wait time to take home the item is non-existant, there’s always a reason a piece is there.  99 times out of 100 that reason is the fact that it’s damaged.  Some issues, like the microscopic scratch on one of our tables, are worth turning a blind eye to.  Others, like the amazing leather couch with a six-inch slash down the center, should be avoided.  The key to determining the difference is 1) How noticeable is the issue? And 2) Is it going to get worse?

Our rug was from HomeGoods, as was the picture hanging above the couch.  We got fantastic prices on both items- I was especially impressed with our savings on the rug…it’s really well made and barely over $100!  The deal of the century, however, was the drapes, the MOST expensive of which were $7 from Walmart.  I literally almost fell over when I saw the price.  Now don’t get me wrong….there are some spaces worth spending money on.  The drapes we picked out are amazing for $7, but they’re still chocked full of many of the design flaws you’d expect from a curtain that costs less than a pizza.  If the alternative to Walmart curtains is no curtains, then go for it!  They really warmed up the guys space and made a great difference in the room.  Just don’t be fooled into thinking the effect is comparable to a custom or semi-custom look.  

I’m really excited to tour you through the before and after shots in the rest of the house.  For questions, comments or concerns on the pictures from today, shoot me an e-mail!

Traffic Control

I’m not gonna lie to you…I’m tired…tired but super proud of everything we accomplished over the last couple of days.  I’m sitting in my brother’s new, almost completely decorated house feeling pretty victorious to be honest.  We conquered the wallpaper, demolished the dirt, painted nearly every surface in the house and got some really nice, affordable furnishings and décor.  Check back tomorrow for the much awaited before and after photos…I’m super pumped to post them!  We’ve gotta add a few finishing touches, but boy oh boy is it coming along.  One of today’s biggest tasks was determining a layout for the “common areas”, most notably- the living room.  Here’s a few questions worth asking that you may want to take into consideration.

-Do I want an open or closed floor plan?  Meaning, do I want to create a few separated areas or one big area?  Open floor plans may make the overall space appear larger, but they offer less options for seating as the design requires the majority of furniture to be placed against the walls.  When it comes to designing the actual blue print of your house, an open floor plan is the more modern choice, however when it comes to arranging furniture, either option can be executed beautifully.  If your décor has a lot of similar themes, you’re well prepared for an open plan…if you’re messy or seriously value quiet, an open plan could create a problem.

-How do I want traffic to flow?  If at all possible, it’s best to keep the traffic patterns to the perimeter of the room so conversations are not constantly being interrupted.  Walkways require a minimum of two and a half cleared feet.

-What’s my largest piece of furniture?  You may need to place this item first…it makes for a great starting point since it offers you the least amount of options in terms of where it will fit.  It’s placement will affect the balance of the room from the get-go…keep that in mind when deciding where it belongs.

-Where do I want my focal point to be?  Is it a window?  A picture?  A TV?  Decide and plan accordingly.

-Is there a Television in the room?  There’s no need to plan the whole space around your television, but it certainly helps to recognize the fact that that’s where people will congregate.  If there is a TV, be sure to consider the glare situation.  Keep in mind that Plasma televisions are especially susceptible to glare as they are more glossy than LCD’s.  Try to avoid placing a TV directly in front of a window if at all possible and pay attention to where you put your “artificial light” in relation to the TV.  Lights placed near the television should have shades that point the light downward to best reduce glare.  

-What’s comfortable to me?!  There’s no formula, really…it comes down to what seems like a natural flow and placement to you.  For questions, comments and concerns, shoot me an e-mail at Gabrielle.beretta@gmail.com.  Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for before and after pictures from this week’s project!

Painting Checklist

   The word of the day is progress!  I must say, we worked our tails off today but we kicked butt.  The room that was formerly a wanna-be Starry Night knock off with bright blue swirled paint and yellow accent walls (painted over wallpaper, no less) is now a beautiful gray.  Elijah’s bedroom with lilac wallpaper borders that were probably hung before he was born and alternating pastel colored walls is now a lovely neutral tan.  And the list goes on.  We knocked out the living area, two of the three bedrooms, the hallway, kitchen, and the bathroom and gee golly are we tired.  We got most of the wallpaper down last night so we started today feeling great with a good amount already under our belts.  Even so, every room needed to be taped out, spackled, sanded, cut (edges and corners painted), and rolled and all the trim needed to be painted, as well as the majority of the doors and several ceilings.  The to-do list, as you can imagine, was pretty extensive but things are coming along and the ball is rolling!  What I really want to convey today is a clear picture of what you need and what to expect when you start a painting project.  I looked through our receipts from the past few days and was somewhat surprised at how much it takes to get a job done correctly.  Here’s a few of the products we bought:

To remove wallpaper:

Garden Sprayer and Spray Bottles (to distribute wallpaper remover)

-“Paper Tiger” wallpaper removal tool

-Dif wallpaper remover

-Steamer

-Sponges (to remove ALL wallpaper glue- this is a VERY important step!)

-Buckets

To Spackle, Sand and Prep

-Trowels

-Spackle/Joint Compound

-Painting Tape

-Caulk

-Sanding Blocks

To Paint

-Drop Cloths

-Trim Brush/Cutting Brush

-Roller Frames

-Rollers

-Long Roller Poles (so you’re not going up and down your ladder constantly)

-Trays

-Tray Liners

-Paint (I’m even more of a fan of the good stuff today than I was yesterday- we only had to use one coat in a lot of areas because we went with Ben Moore Aura paint!)

    That’s not to mention other expenses like cleaning supplies and trash bags or equipment like ladders.  I’ll tell you what- it all starts to add up!  There were seven of us working all day today (14+hours), the majority of which paint for a living.  As professionals, we were able to knock out a huge chunk of work, but the pace we were moving at is only achieved by years of experience.  I’m not looking to discourage you from a do-it-yourself project, only making sure you understand what it will require of you.  If you have the time to learn painting techniques and complete the project and the money to buy the right supplies, more power to you!  We want to be a resource you can count on to help you accomplish whatever you can dream up.  The worst thing you can do, however, is go into a project ill equipped and that’s what we want to help you avoid.  If you’re not interested in investing in the tools required for your paint job or you don’t have the energy to tackle it, hire a professional. 

    All that being said, we’re finishing up our painting and starting to decorate tomorrow.  I’m beyond excited about it.  I’ve got some good stuff coming for you on room layouts, controlling the flow of traffic in your house and other design tips so stay tuned.

What's the Plan, Stan?

This week is dedicated to pure practicality…believe me, there’s good stuff ahead.  I’ve got a crazy, hands on, big time project ahead of me and I’m taking all of you along for the ride, so buckle up.  I started my morning by picking up my Mom and one of the most talented members of her crew from the airport.  For those not in the know, she’s the founder and owner of Lillian’s Paintbrush, an amazing decorative painting company based out of Moorestown, NJ.  She flew in this week to head up the “team of redecorators” that will be turning my brother’s new house from hot mess to home in a week or less.  We’re rolling up our sleeves and getting to work…and even though we haven’t made a big dent just yet I’ve got a sneaking suspicion the before and after pictures I’ll be posting Friday are gonna be out of this world.  We got started this morning by coming up with a strategy for how we’re going to prep, paint, furnish and decorate eight spaces (three bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, a hallway, a living room and a recreation room) in less than five days.  The battle is won in the planning as they say (Do they say that?  If not, they should cause it’s true).  It’s extremely important to gather as much as you can for a project before you start…information, materials, any and everything really.  Think as many steps ahead as you are able…what do you need?  How much do you need of it?  Do you understand the technical aspect of what you’re doing?  How long will everything take?  Plan, plan, plan to the best of your ability.  

Before we could come up with a color palate, we had to pick out a few key items to base our colors on.  When you’re ready to paint sometimes it’s tempting to just jump right into it, but make sure you’re not working backwards.  Even if you have a color in mind, wait until you have a good idea of exactly what’s going into the room before you paint.  We picked out bedspreads for each of the rooms and a couch for the living area and went from there.  I’m crazy about our color selections (can’t wait to show you)!  We went withBenjamin Moore’s Aura paint because it’s the best all around…self-priming, easy to apply, and quality that will last.  If there’s one thing you should take away from today’s post, it’s that all paint isn’t created equal.  Every brand has something to offer…while the ones with rock bottom prices may tempt you with the offer of leaving a few extra dollars in your pocket, know that your painting experience will be a difficult one.  We’ve pretty much tried them all, and our favorite brand is Benjamin Moore.  You should know we don’t gain a thing in terms of endorsement from saying that…it’s just the truth.  Now, I’m just going to level with you- their Aura paint is around $50 a gallon which isn’t cheap as far as paint goes, but the benefits are extensive.  Just to name a few…

-It’s available in over 3,300 hues in a Matte, Eggshell, Satin and Semi-Gloss finish.

-It’s made of 100% acrylic latex with proprietary resins to give it extraordinary performance properties.  

-Because it’s self priming you should never need to apply more than two coats

-It provides a mildew resistant coating.

-It’s no color rub-off Color Lock® Technology offers long lasting color and maximum durability.

-Stains wash off easily.

-It’s easy to touch up.

-It’s certified under the GREENGUARD standard for low emitting products and the GREENGUARD for Children and Schools product certification programs.

-It contains low VOC’s, so it’s low odor, good for the environment and good for your family.

The bottom line is that even from a fiscal standpoint it pays to spend a little more upfront.  Not only will you get your money’s worth in a better painting experience, but you’ll need less coats and your paint job will last substantially longer.

After getting all our materials (we’ll talk more about that full list tomorrow) we set some really specific goals to make sure we completed the project before my Mom heads back to New Jersey this Friday.  There’s a lot to be done and some long days ahead but we know we can do it.  So wish us luck and check back tomorrow for some more tips!

Let's Get it Started

I’m happy to report that by the next time I sit down to write a post, my brother will be living here!  Between all the wallpaper removal, painting, and decorating that needs to be done in his new place, we’ve got quite the project ahead of us next week.  I can’t wait to share the before and after pictures…I already know it’s gonna be an amazing transformation.  If you’re contemplating re-doing an area in your home make sure you visit design-muse next week and visit it often!  We’ll be sharing really fantastic, practical tips on removing wallpaper, choosing the most appropriate paint, picking neutral colors, finding a starting point in a space, and much more.  So take this holiday weekend to do a run through of your house- what areas need some attention?  Make a list and come up with a timeframe for when you can tackle them.  If not now, when?!  I can’t wait to share our adventure with you next week.  Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend, and get on that list!  You’ll thank me later. :)

Hunting for Headboards

What is it about a really striking headboard that makes a room sing “I am complete”?  As furniture goes, headboards are somewhat of a luxury since their only purpose is cosmetic…but man oh man can they make a difference in a space!  Whether you’re looking to add a patterned element, a texture, color, or shape- you can accomplish it with the right selection.  If you’re not interested in a traditional headboard, there are still a ton of options you can try!  Consider grouping pictures, hanging tapestry, or painting a headboard straight on the wall.  I’ve spent the last few days gathering pictures you can use for inspiration…hope you enjoy!

Trend Watch 2010

Happy September 1st!  As today is my self-proclaimed first day of Autumn, I felt it would be a good time to share the up and coming Fall 2010 home décor trends.  If there’s one source I know I can wholeheartedly trust when it comes to reporting what’s hot in both fashion and home design, it’sNeiman Marcus.  Those of you who have accompanied me on a shopping adventure in the past know this to be true as it’s not uncommon for me to consult the Neiman Marcus website (via iPhone, in whatever store I happen to be in) and list aloud the trends I intend to participate in.  Trends in home design are a little trickier to navigate than those in the world of fashion because they require a little more commitment.  If we changed our mind about our sofa at the same rate we change our mind about our trousers (gotta be Bootcut…no!  Skinny jeans….no!  Harem pants…) we’d be in trouble (and broke).  Nonetheless, indulging in a few home design trends can be a lot of fun.  Some may end up being timeless, others the equivalent of Avocado counters and orange shag carpet, but all give you the opportunity to let your home make a statement about you.  The key is to determine what you want yours to say.  This year’s trends are pretty broad, so chances are you’ll find something that strikes your fancy.  All I can tell you is I’d like to shake the hand of the trend forecaster that picked out these styles because whoa…job well done.  And your Fall 2010 trends are (drum roll please…) 

Femme Fatale

Think Gothic Baroque, elaborate design, dark colors, high glamour, and high gloss. For an extremely affordable chandelier in the “Femme Fatale” style, check out High Fashion Home. This 24”x23” six-armed piece is just $131.

French Industrial

Think rustic, romantic, soft neutral colors with dark and light wood accents…bordering on Shabby Chic.  For a fun accent piece, visit apfelstrudel’s Etsy shop and pick up this one of a kind decorative box for $110.

Soft Focus 

Think mirrored furniture, lamps and accessories, as well as brushed silver, pearl, and crystal textures with light fabrics.  This mirrored dresser from Pottery Barn is a must have.

Spice Market

Think bohemian, ethnic, jewel tones and brights, golds and coppers, dark wood, and“Arabesque” patterns.  These Marrakech curtains from Anthropologie are $108-$168 (depending on size) and encapsulate the look beautifully.

Natural Zen

Think Asian influenced, clean lines, geometric patterns, wrought iron, with accents of natural wood textures.  Stacks and Stacks has a fantastic room divider that reeks of Zen for $129.  Pair it near some driftwood accessories and you’re golden.