Before and After {E Design Client Progress}

I always enjoy getting progress and after photos in my inbox! Truly makes my day. I have some updates to show you on two e-design projects that wrapped up this past year. First up, is a client who has a mid century modern, eclectic, bohemian style. She wanted that reflected in her living room, which is the space directly off of the foyer. Here is where the room started...

Before

I love the character in my client's home. We kept the gorgeous rug, but replaced everything you see here with new pieces. We felt the furniture was a bit oversized for the space and my client wanted a more streamlined, cleaner look for the room. Here is the design board I came up with for this space...

The Design Plan

She is almost done implementing the design plan! Today, I am showing you a sneak peek of the left corner of the room, where the table and chairs are shown in the pictures.

After in Progress

I just love the way the table lamps bring that eclectic, collected style to the room. I also love the way the gourd lamp compliments the art print above the desk. The room is lighter and brighter and I can't wait to show you more, soon!

My next e-design client was looking to completely transform her living room and foyer. We replaced almost everything in the room and the end result is pretty dramatic. Here is where the room started...

Before

And here is the design plan I came up with for the spaces...

Design Plan

Today, I am showing you a sneak peek of the fireplace wall and the nooks beside the fireplace.

After

The DIY inverted arrows print she made turned out beautiful! I love the way the mirrors add a dramatic focal point and reflect the light around the room. The biggest impact for this space is the lighter paint color on the walls. What a difference! I also think a huge impact is the newly painted fireplace mantel. Painting over the wood stained mantel instantly modernized the room and this whole wall. I promise a full reveal of this space soon!

Great job to my amazing, wonderful clients! Thank you for letting me share your beautiful spaces with my readers. If you are looking to make your home better reflect your style, contact me at simpledwellings1@gmail.com for more info.! I am currently booking for January 2015.

Before and After {Foyer E-Design}

A love a great before and after, don't you? It always amazes me to see how a space can transform with just a few changes! I have a great before and after to show you, today. My wonderful client and I have been working on several rooms throughout her home and she has been a pleasure to work with. Her and her husband have been plugging away at each of the spaces and are truly doing a wonderful job seeing the design vision through. Here is the foyer when we began working together...

Before

We wanted to bring some pattern and texture to this space and make it a fun welcoming area to look at upon entering her house. A foyer is a very important room to consider, since it sets the stage for what's to come throughout a home. I created the foyer design along with the living room, since they are really one big space. Here is the design board I came up with, the foyer design towards the left of the board...

Design Plan

I wanted to create pattern on the walls with a new stencil. This helped to separate the foyer from the living room, while still making it feel like one design. To unify the spaces, we painted all of the walls in both the foyer and living room the same gray/white shade. That really helped to lighten up the spaces and allow the accessories to shine. Here are the afters of her foyer...

After

The stencil and the lighter walls really make the space, don't you think? I also love the way a room changes with just some paint. The door and trim looks amazing painted black! I love the way she pulled this space together. And thanks so much to my client for allowing me to share these photos here on the blog. :)

Tour Through Blogland

We recently got back from a family trip to Washington, DC and I loved it! We had a great time seeing the sights, eating wonderful food and relaxing and spending quality time together. I feel refreshed, energized and ready to jump back into things around here. I am excited to start my first post this week with a little tour through blogland. Beth of the amazing blog Design Post Interiors, kindly asked me to participate in this tour where you get a chance to introduce some of your favorite blogs while also meeting some new ones! Beth has some savvy DIY skills, like this pretty fabric flower pot she made...

DIY Fabric Flower Pot

Before we get to the featured bloggers, I will take a little time to answer some questions about myself and this little blog...

I started my blog a few years back as a way to talk about my favorite hobby... design. I never knew it would grow into more than that. I now have the e-design business Amber B Interiors and I truly love it!

What am I working on right now?
With the summer coming to an end, my client schedule is starting to pick up with amazing new clients and fun rooms to design. I am starting to take on more local projects and I am excited to see Amber B Interiors grow.

E-Design Project: Keeping Room

How does my work differ from others in my genre?

This is a tough one, because I know there are so many talented designers out there with so much to share. I would like to think that I have a twist on my own design style that mixes various eras but also has a collected over time feel to each space. When decorating for clients as well as myself, I try to inject a personal, meaningful style for every room.

Our Dining Room

Our Living Room

How does my creative process work?

I always start with some form of inspiration and that can come from anywhere. Inspiration can come from nature, a great book or even from a piece of artwork.  I also gather the information my clients have given me and constantly think about the space all day long! It's a good thing I love what I do. :) I then start to gather design inspiration on pinterest and get to work creating my design boards.

Mid Century Bohemian E-Design

Chic & Glam Foyer E-Design

How do I write/create what I do?

With the blog, I used to have a schedule and post every week about a certain topic. I have drifted away from that a bit and now write about what comes to me naturally. This works better for me at this stage, because I don't have the pressure to post at a certain day. I do like the idea of scheduled posts and topics and may get back to that at some point. I will happily take any suggestions you might have! ;) When I am working on client projects, I post about that process. And anytime I am trying out something different around our house, I will post on that, too.

Our new kitchen chandelier

With the design work for clients, I literally think about the space all day long. Eventually, something just hits me and the flood gates open. It's kind of funny how it happens... I just get an idea and start running with it. Once that initial inspiration hits, the room starts to come together pretty quickly. I build all of my design boards on Olioboard {which I love} and create my floor plans electronically through an on line floor planner. During the design process, I also take a lot of pen and paper notes, so my desk looks like a mack truck hit it! But it is all just organized piles of paper that makes sense to me. I have started thinking that I may need a better organization process soon, so my office can look more presentable. But this works for now!

And now the fun part for me... I get to introduce you to some of my favorite bloggers! I love their creativity, fun personality and their crazy amazing DIY skills!

Pam from the blog Simple Details has such an inspiring blog that is stocked full of design ideas to try. I am always checking out what she is up to next and she always amazes me with her vision on a project.

Hi there Simple Dwellings fans, I'm Pam from Simple Details. I dove into blogging almost three years ago, passionate about design, but hesitant that I wasn't tech savvy. Turns out it was simple, sometimes! I live in a little 1938 cottage in Denver, with my husband, son and our fur babies. Interior design and DIYs are my passion, oh and I should mention I have a bit of a Craigslist addiction. In fact, I could head up a support group!  Thank goodness for my clients and readers, they are the best excuse for my Craigslist stalking. While it leaves my family confused, to me it is all so simple:  stalk, locate, repair, paint, style, love, play musical furniture, and repeat! I also share my love for entertaining, gardening, fashion, and the Simple Details that make all of our homes and lives more beautiful.  

I love so many of her projects, but her foyer reveal might be my current favorite!

foyer reveal

Next up is Cassie from Primitive and Proper. I have followed Cassie's blog for a long time and I am always blown away by her DIY projects. Her warm personality is just icing on the cake. When you read her blog, you already feel like she's your good friend! Cassie and her partners run Sweet Clover, a vintage home decor and handmade marketplace in Maryland. She truly lives life to the fullest and is following her dream, which I just love!

I am in awe of her DIY Pipe Shelves...

DIY Pipe Shelves

I hope you enjoyed the tour through blogland! Make sure to check out these amazing bloggers and their talents!

E-Design Before and After {A Client's Gallery Wall}

You may have read some of my previous posts about my love for gallery walls... especially asymmetrical layouts around a television. Not only does it allow you to bring in color and pattern to a space, it's also a great trick of the eye to help conceal the TV. One of my wonderful e-design clients recently completed an arrangement on her media wall and I can't wait to show you the impact it made! Here is the before picture of the television wall...

Before...

Here is the design plan I came up with for the whole space...

And here is the media wall mock up I made for the gallery wall...

We incorporated her taxidermy art and her lamp, but added some fun new art pieces and a hint of brass in the mirrors. Here is the after...

After

I am so proud of the progress she has made!! You can even see a glimpse into her foyer on the left, with the gorgeous wall stencil. The boot umbrella stand, shown on the right side of the last picture, will go in the foyer. She is almost finished with the spaces, so there will be another reveal coming in the future. Thank you so much to my amazing client for allowing me to share these pictures here. She always has the sweetest things to say and it has been my pleasure helping her enjoy her spaces that much more! We also recently wrapped up her kitchen and dining space, so more designs to show, soon.

Before and After Updates {A Client's Living Room}

I have some wonderful updates of a client project to show you today! A little while back, an e-design client contacted me to help bring a more eclectic, bohemian style to her living room. This space is directly off of the foyer and is the space they gather when entertaining and spending time with their family. We kept some of her current furniture pieces and accessories, but added many new pieces to finish the look. I showed you the design plan a few posts back, but here is a refresher..

The Design Plan

Here is her reading nook {the top left corner of the room} before...

Reading Nook Before

And here is the after...

After

I love the new light wall color and the way her chair and bookcase fit into the design plan. The corner gallery wall is fun for a space like this. It adds depth to this side of the room, giving the illusion of more space. The woven ottoman adds interesting texture and is a great way to break up all of the upholstery pieces seen in the seating.

She also made progress on the fireplace mantel. Here is the before...

Before

And here is the after...

After

The mirror and waterscape vases bring a more eclectic, unique vibe to the room, which was exactly what she was looking for. The room had great bones, but it was more traditional in style than she wanted. We removed the oversized chairs and replaced them with more streamlined, modern seating. I can't wait to show you more progress to come!

Thanks to my amazing client for allowing me to share these sneak peeks and her great progress!

The Foyer is Almost Done... You've Gotta See This!

I am so thrilled to show you this {almost} reveal, that I couldn't wait until all of the pieces were in place. My client and blog friend, Anne, moved into her newly built home and is doing a fabulous job making it her own. The finishes and pieces she has chosen so far have made this house an incredible work of art. She contacted me to help her put finishing touches on the foyer, dining room and living room. I originally wrote about the foyer here, but let's re cap...

Here is Anne's foyer before...

Stunning, right?!? Here is the design plan I came up with to add a touch of modern glamour to the space and complete the look...

The Design Plan...

And here is the {almost} reveal of the foyer...

That stencil is seriously everything!! Anne did an amazing job with that project. It adds fun texture and pattern to the space and is a great way to introduce the home's style as you enter through the front door. The Beach print from Furbish brings together the home's color palette and is a whimsical accessory to the foyer. Here is a close up of the amazing print...

Sandwiches on the Beach

We will still add a couple of accessories and an ottoman for putting on/taking off shoes. But I just had to show you the progress. Amazing job, Anne! Thanks for letting me share your gorgeous space!

E-Design - A Client's Foyer

I love it when I am working with a client that loves design and gets just as excited about the project as I do! One of my recent e-design clients who is also a blog friend, has contacted me to help her pull together the foyer, dining room and living room. In my last post, I shared the plans and progress of the dining room. My friend and client, Anne, has an open floor plan on the first level and we are making choices that all work well together and create continuity and flow. The color palette will remain the same for all spaces... mixing grays, blues and corals for a modern and fun design! Here is a snapshot of the foyer we are working with...

Her Foyer Before

As you can see, we are already working with a stunning space. This girl knows design very well! We will keep the pretty wall color, rug and chandelier. Anne recently bought the console and already had the hexagon mirror. We are incorporating it all into the plan. Here is what I came up with to bring this space together...

The Design Plan

We will add a stencil to that one wall, create a fun gallery wall using her mirror, add an ottoman for putting on and taking off shoes and include some chic accessories to the top of the console. I cannot wait to see the space come together and that stencil up on the wall. It is already a stunning space!!

Make sure to check back next week, as we move onto the living room! The 'before pictures' are gorgeous on their own!

E-Design - A Client's Dining Room

I am excited to share this e-design project with you today! I was asked by a great blog friend to help put some finishing touches on her dining room, foyer and living room. Today, I will share the design for the dining room. My blog friend Anne, has moved into this gorgeous newly built home and has already done an amazing job selecting finishes and furniture for every space. I am so envious of her stunning chandelier in the dining room, which you'll see later on in the post! Her style is a blend of modern/traditional with a bohemian/glam flair. I love mixing design styles and absolutely love this combination. My client already had the dining table, credenza, chandelier and rug. Here is what I came up with to finish the space...

The Design Plan

I love to mix up the seating in a dining room, making the head chairs more substantial and stately. The wing chairs paired with clear acrylic side chairs is a fun, unique combo that Anne loved! I also thought it would be fun to add a bar cart on casters. That way, she can easily bring the cart to the kitchen and back into the dining area when entertaining. Here is the style board I came up with for the bar cart...

Bar Cart Styling

The accessories on the right side will go on the top shelf. The bottom shelf with have a blue/green demijohn filled with wine corks. They can add to it as they entertain and use it as a fun way to remember happy gatherings! It is also a subtle way to incorporate more texture in the space. The inspiration image shown on the left of the board can be found here and is a great example of the vision for this zone. Here is the progress Anne has made so far...

Progress

Isn't that Meurice chandelier stunning?!? It requires a whopping 30 bulbs that will soon be added to the fixture. I know the Ming Dragon fabric will be so amazing on those windows! I love the way the acrylic chairs look around her table and cannot wait to see this space come together. Great work, Anne!

Next week, I will show you the plans for the foyer and living room. You won't want to miss this gorgeous home tour!