The Ultimate Space Planner
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place.... Pslam 8
I wanted to take a quick moment to welcome you if you are new to my blog. Thank you for checking it out. I believe homes provide safety for loved ones as well as friends we have yet to meet. They are a tool to show grace and peace to the world, reflecting God’s love. Plus- I am working on my Masters in Theology....hmmm a seminary student who is a designer? A Designer Pastor? A Decorator Preacher?
Somehow these blogs are a combination of Jesus and Design. (Side Note - I put these “Side Notes” in almost all of my blogs.:)
But, if you think about it, God loves design. He spaced planned an incredible earth for us with breathtaking mountains, oceans, farmland, and forests. Then, He styled it with stars in the galaxy, delicate flowers in the fields, and sweet shells on the beaches. He made a home for us! I hope our homes reflect our stories. A place where we throw open the door to welcome neighbors in for a cup of coffee.
Hmmm- think about it...that is just what Jesus does for us. He throws wide the door and welcomes us in- regardless of our past,or present. He simply says "You are welcome here!"
Today I wanted to share an incredibly fun transformation. This client wanted to update her home to reflect her style, but it needed to be budget friendly, and as a full- time teacher she lacked the time and energy to do it alone. I was honored to come along-side her to transform her space into a lovely retreat after long days with kindergarteners.
We wanted to make her fireplace a focal area in her living room. The mantel was too high, and the tile felt dated.
This incredible mantel from Wayfair was just around a hundred bucks. It is real wood and it was easy to install with the help of two people. Next the tile- I ordered some sample tile stickers from Etsy but decided against them. They looked pretty fake, and I thought they would compete with the rug. So after reading other great blogs like this one, I decided to paint the tile. We painted the surrounding molding with Decorators White by BM and then wanted a slight warmer contrast to the tile, so Dove White BM did the trick. Can you believe the change?? I love the way it turned out!
The mirror is World Market, and the fireplace accessories are HomeGoods and Target! (Side Note- No one pays me for writing about their products. Gosh-wouldn't that be nice?)
Over the sofa decor is challenging- the sofa is wide, and if ceilings are tall then many clients throw their hands up and find a big picture. With large rooms and tall ceilings the art has to be scaled, however often time clients position their art too high to try to make up the difference to the ceiling. But, no need- just anchor them to the sofa- they will visually feel more attached and help the room feel cozier. We decided on a gallery wall for this client.
We used up more hozontal and vertical space with this gallery wall. The homeowner wanted to incorporate this sweet wreath onto the wall which really became the inspiration for the whole room. This whole wall cost about $150 through the magic of etsy downloadable prints and Target frames.
She loves color so we decided on this more subtle navy and pink pallate. We used most of her original furniture but added color through this beautiful rug from Target. I intially ordered a pretty rug from wayfair-but the tone was too cool. She needed warmth with her creamy walls. TIP: Some sights like Wayfair do not offer samples- but returning a big 8 x10 rug is a HASSLE. So, order a small 2x3 rug check it out and then return it when you order the larger rug. Colors can be deceiving online- I was super happy not to lug a huge rug to UPS.
Pillows are Kirklands-they have some beauties now!
xoxo,
Michelle
