Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Living Room & Dining Room Before & After

By Unknown | At 4:00 AM | Label : , , , | 0 Comments
As I mentioned yesterday my friend Erin and I have been working on a design project together for the past few weeks and I'm excited to share the process with you today! 

Our client Sarah has really great taste but she was struggling with her home. Her living room needed our help desperately! 


She knew she wanted to create a beautiful space but she just didn't know how to do it. When we went to her house for the first consult we noticed that she had a lot of beige furniture against beige walls. She had put together some nice pillow combos but nothing in the room really stood out as being truly special. 


 When we talked to her about what she wanted she mentioned words like, "clean, neutral, pops of color, simple, streamlined, modern, not-too-modern, bright and light." Browsing through her Pinterest boards we saw a lot of rooms like this:


Photos: Donna Griffith for Canadian House and Home, May 2013


image via desire to inspire



{Photos: Donna Griffith for Canadian House and Home, May 2013} - See more at: http://www.escapadeblog.com/2013/08/a-modern-canadian-summer-cottage.html#sthash.YPeXDhA1.dpuf

I'm not gonna lie, the lack of color had me a little freaked out! If you know me then you know I love color and lots of it. To say this room was a challenge for Erin and I would be an understatement.  Sarah  did want color but just a few pops of it here and there. I think we achieved exactly what she was looking for. 

Here is the after!



The first thing we did is have Sarah paint her room white which made such a difference.

Sarah wanted a big sectional for the room and her preference was light gray. We had a hard time finding a sectional that was light gray and big in the budget restraints that we had. In the end we decided to go with the Karlstad sectional from Ikea. For the look and the size it was the best we could do. It's not as comfortable as Sarah had wanted but we're hoping with time the cushions relax a bit.


The floral pillows are similar to the ones in my Living Room! The fabric is discontinued now but you can make almost identical pillows using this tablecloth. The gray and white geometric pillows can be found here


The sectional runs along a really long wall and we didn't have a lot in the budget for wall art. We decided to use the Meryl Floor Lamp to fill up a lot of visual space. The room also needed extra lighting because there is no option for a ceiling fixture. We solved the issue of the long wall by doing a DIY art project. I mimicked the art that Bryn did a few years ago. 


The ottoman was a steal! For $259 we bought this tufted ottoman on Overstock. We weren't a fan of the leg color so we sanded them down a little to make them lighter and feel a little "weathered".  


We looked all over for a decent priced t.v. piece but we couldn't find anything long enough for less than $600. We were excited when we discovered the Everett Foyer Table on sale for $249. It was definitely long enough and it was the exact look we wanted. The one downside is that it is not ideal for storage and you can see a lot of wires behind it since it's open underneath. We added the baskets for extra storage and there are also two drawers that you she put stuff in. 


We found these knockoff West Elm baskets at Home Goods for $14.99 each. I spray painted them to give a "dip-dyed" effect and also to break up all the beige tones of the foyer table and the baskets. 


We picked up a fiddle fig tree and the basket at Ikea. The linen chairs were our one "splurge" for the room. They are really beautiful in person. 


The geometric throw blanket is from Home Goods. 


Sarah already had a bunch of beautiful books sitting down in her basement so we used them as free accessories! To glam up the older books we found these rock bookends at Home Goods.


You may recognize the blue fabric from this room reveal. You can buy the pillow here



The ladder shelf is from Target. Erin thought using a shelf instead of an end table would be a good way to add height to the wall because the sofa was so low. We used most of Sarah's existing accessories to style the shelves. The glass vase is from World Market. 



We were super happy with the way the living room turned out. Now onto the dining room...


Once again we were dealing with a lot of warm tones.  To lighten the space Sarah had board and batten put up on the walls and the walls painted a soft light gray. 

Here is the after! 



Erin made the roman shades out of one of my all time favorite fabrics, Zimba in charcoal! 


The table and chairs are from West Elm. 


photography by Britta Anne Photography

The bead chandelier is such a fun touch in this room. I love the little bit of texture it adds to the space and it was the best deal we could find for a statement chandelier. 

Overall we are so happy with how these rooms turned out. It has been amazing to work with Erin and be pushed outside of my normal comfort zone when it comes to design ideas. It was also a fun challenge to design a more neutral space. 

To find out more about local design services contact me at kirstenkrason@gmail.com

DISCLOSURE: AFFILIATE LINKS USED

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Changes to My Blog & Business + Room Reveal Sneak Peak!

By Unknown | At 4:00 AM | Label : | 0 Comments

I feel like owning my own business has always been such a journey. It's funny because I don't really have any idea where I'm going to end up. I just keep trying new things, changing things up and setting new goals all in an effort to keep doing what I love while still getting to be a stay-at-home mom.  I don't really dream of becoming a world famous designer or owning my own firm one day.  Those things sounds nice but in my heart of hearts I know that I really want to be home with my kids as much as possible. I do hope that when they are all in school one day and a little older I'll maybe have a little more freedom to focus more on design work.  

A few months ago I decided to stop taking clients in an effort to focus more on my blog. It was a decision I felt really excited about. To be  honest with you it hasn't gone as well as I hoped. For one thing I started missing design work and the thrill that came with completing fun projects. The other downfall was that it has been harder to find things to blog about when I'm not working on new projects. Most of my inspiration for posts comes from working with clients and seeking out new products and ideas. The other major downside was that my blog doesn't bring in nearly as much money as my design business does. Working with sponsors is so enjoyable for me but even paid posts take way more time than they are often worth for me. So...

That brings me to a big decision that I've made recently for my business. I've decided to take clients on again. In order to do this to the extent that I want to I've also decided to take on a design partner. One of my best friends Erin (@erin061286) has an incredible eye for design and she also knows how to run a business. Her and I have started taking on projects together and so far it's been amazing! Right now I am still doing my own projects but for most of my newer projects she'll be helping me. We are splitting up the work evenly which has been such a relief for me. With two kids I just don't have the time or means to take on new projects the way that I want to. 

Erin and I are specializing in quick projects. With both of us we are able to tackle rooms from start to finish in a matter of weeks.  Our goal is to create an entire design plan in a week and then hopefully shop for the room and install the room within 2-3 weeks.  By myself rooms can take me months to complete but with Erin we are able to quickly make and execute decisions. Not only am I more efficient with her help but it's also so much more fun! 

Here is a sneak peak of our first finished project. I'll be sharing all the fun details tomorrow! 


To all of my readers, thanks for being so patient with me through all the growing pains of owning my own business. I'm excited to bring you great new design content. Because I'll be focusing more on my design business blog posts might be a little fewer. The good news is I'll be striving to bring you more unique posts that are mostly updates and reveals on all the projects I'll be working on. 

I have so many fun things in store! 

Monday, October 28, 2013

Last Week's Links

By Unknown | At 4:00 AM | Label : , | 0 Comments

1 || Obsessed with this girls room and I am DYING over that upholstered bench.
2 || This idea of revamping old trophies is so genius.
3 || Everyone needs this list of five minute hairstyles.
4 || I always love a beautiful pencil skirt
5 || I'm totally using this list of Craigslist Search Keywords.



6 || How smart is this art solution for above this bed. 
7 || I love lots of things about this house tour
8 || This sweater is cool and comfy looking. 
9 || Jett is loving these stickers that let you turn a cardboard box into an airplane! 
10 || This trench coat is adorable and cheap! 


DISCLOSURE: COMPENSATED AFFILIATE LINKS USED

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Loving For My Clients Lately

By Unknown | At 4:00 AM | Label : , | 0 Comments
I've been keeping pretty busy with clients lately and I've been finding some fun things that I wanted to share with my readers today....


 If you follow me on instagram  (@kirstenkrason) you know about this novelty planter that we found recently for a client.  


This headboard is going in a little girls room who loves pink! 


I love the idea of this porthole mirror in a little boys' room. 


I want to use these x benches under a console table. 

I adore this ottoman. It's so beautiful in person! It's seriously such a good deal for the look. 


This chandelier is amazing in person and such a good deal for a beaded chandelier. 


We looked everywhere for a console table and the Everett Foyer Table is the best price for the high end look! 

Monday, October 21, 2013

Last Week's Links

By Unknown | At 6:55 AM | Label : | 0 Comments

1 || This little bedroom is so cute. I love the artwork!
2 || This super cute placemat printable would be great for Thanksgiving.
3 || This little dress is so super sweet.
4 || I am always looking for a good charcoal paint color.
5 || This sweater has "me" written all over it.


6 || I am so in love with this fireplace. I wish it were mine. 
7 || I have always had a weird feeling about Martha Stewart and this only verifies my feelings. So sad.
8 || This giant list of indoor kid activities is going to save my life this winter.
9 || I can't wait to be able to use these tooth fairy note printables.
10 || This looks like the comfiest sweater of all time.


DISCLOSURE: COMPENSATED AFFILIATE LINKS USED

Friday, October 18, 2013

Feature Friday: The Painted Hive

By Unknown | At 4:00 AM | Label : , , , , | 0 Comments



I am in love with this feature friday today! Kristine from The Painted Hive is so talented with DIY projects and creating a lived-in but well designed home. Here is what she says she loves most about her home: 

Our little brick ‘cottage’ is nestled mid-way up a long, undulating hill in a semi-rural pocket just outside Melbourne, Australia. It’s a modest brick veneer with simple bones and small proportions though for now is perfect for our emerging little family. Surrounded by rolling hills, sweeping views and native Aussie bush land, we’re lucky to count kangaroos, echidnas and blue-tongue lizards amongst our many friendly neighbours!
I am passionately decorating (and then re-decorating!) each space with a focus on creating a beautiful yet liveable home on a budget. With two small children, the unpretentious nature of our cottage style interior makes for comfortable living - practically, nothing is too perfect or precious, aesthetically, there is warmth and personality. Although still very much a work in progress, our home still makes me smile, and will continue to evolve whenever time and motivation allows.

Enjoy! 


Vintage Style Entryway Makeover

Jute Rug

Apple Blossom in Glass Canister

Vintage Style Entryway Makeover

Read more about this space here


Cottage Country Living Room with Brown Leather Sofas | The Painted Hive

Country Cottage Living Room | The Painted Hive

Cottage Country Living Room with Brown Leather Sofas | The Painted Hive

Cottage Country Living Room with Brown Leather Sofas | The Painted Hive

Cottage Country Living Room with Brown Leather Sofas | The Painted Hive

Read more about this room here

Fresh Cottage Style Dining Room

Country Style Rustic Dining Room

Country Cottage Farmhouse Dining Room

Cottage Dining Room

You can read more about this room here

Master Bedroom Mini Makeover

Card File Drawers, Fern Fronds and Glass Bottles

Master Bedroom Mini Makeover

Master Bedroom Mini Makeover Green Farmhouse Bench Seat

Read more about this room here

















Read more about this room here


Home Office After

Home Office Cabinets

Home Office Bookshelves and Gallery

Read more about this room here

Thanks so much to Kristine for sharing her home with us! Make sure you check out her blog! 




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