It's Great To Be Home

Design Advice: Lackluster Law Office

March 5, 2010 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 10 Comments

The decor in law offices is typically about as exciting as you would expect – tan walls, wood furniture, lots of files and papers. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you get a ficus.

Back in my lawyerly days I was mentored by an awesome attorney, one of the smartest chicks I know. She recently switched firms and wound up in this glamorous office.

But there is a bright side – her firm actually encourages the lawyers to decorate their offices. Imagine my delight when I got an email from my former mentor asking for a little design advice!!

Although she really wanted fun colors like hot pink, lime green and orange, she worried that such vibrant colors might be too much for a law office – so she requested a variety of options, some including the fun colors and others with more traditional “office” colors like warm reds, greens and tans. Keeping a “traditional but not stuffy” design scheme in mind, her only other requests were for a lamp, some artwork and new, matching in/out boxes.

Design Quickies don’t usually include 10 options – not gonna lie, I got a little carried away!! If you have the strength, check out the different goodies I whipped up for her:

Option 1: artwork 1, artwork 2, artwork 3, artwork 4, artwork 5, artwork 6, frames, lamp, shelves, trays (from See Jane Work, no longer available - try this or this instead).

The artwork in this design is a more affordable, somewhat DIY version of a very popular set of art from Crate & Barrel, as well as Ballard Designs.

{ You’ll notice that these floating shelves make an appearance in each design – they are super long and will look awesome on that long wall by the bookcase. I would stagger them so that the upper shelf extends over the bookcase a bit, and the lower shelf is scooted to the left (towards the door) at least two feet. That way there will be room to lean diplomas, add a narrow vase, personal photos, a book, etc. }

Option 2: artwork 1, artwork 2, artwork 3, artwork 4, frames, lamp, shelves, trays.

Option 3: artwork, lamp (from Target, out of stock – try this, this or this instead), shelves, trays.

{ This print is a steal as compared to an almost identical print from Ballard Designs. }

Option 4: artwork 1, artwork 2, lamp, shelves, trays (from See Jane Work, no longer available- try this or this instead).

Option 5: bull dog artwork, basset hound artwork, lamp, shelves, trays.

{ Disclaimer: I definitely didn’t expect her to pick this option, but when I came across these quirky prints I just had to concoct a little design with them in honor of her bull dog and beagle pups. }

Option 6: artwork, lamp, shelves, trays.

Option 7: artwork 1, artwork 2, lamp, shelves, trays.

Option 8: artwork, lamp (base & shade sold separately), shelves, trays.

{ The Bed Bath & Beyond artwork is a an affordable alternative to the Z Gallerie piece. }

Option 9: artwork, lamp, shelves, trays.

Option 10: artwork, lamp (from Target, out of stock- try this, this or this instead), shelves, trays.

Whew! Still with me after all that? If you were redecorating your office, which option would you choose? And speaking of offices, what’s your office situation? Do you work from home, from a cube, from a corner office? Or maybe your office days are behind you? Do tell!!

Click on the following link to snag some design advice of your very own – Interior Design Services.

Sarah Richardson

January 18, 2010 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 20 Comments

Do you know Sarah Richardson?

I’ve admired her interior design work for some time, but I’ve only recently seen one (yes, she has more than one!) of her television series – Sarah’s House, which is now airing in the US.

Have you had a chance to watch Sarah’s House on HGTV?

Truly, Sarah’s House is a show after my own heart – now in Season 2, the series follows the Canadian designer as she chooses a home and then flips it – complete with unbelievable staging. As a Realtor, fellow flipper and lover of design, I don’t think a TV show could get any better than that!! It’s really inspiring to follow Sarah through her thought process, from how to renovate each room to sourcing furniture and accessories to the big reveal. And I think you’ll find that the spaces Sarah designs are completely liveable and approachable while avoiding an overly “designed” look.

This is the Toronto home that Sarah chose to conquer in Season 2 – which she purchased for almost $700,000!

In the episodes that have aired thus far, Sarah and her design sidekick, Tommy, have completely swankified the second level:

The boring nursery . . .

. . . soon became this darling nursery (and I don’t use the word “darling” very often). Ikea drapes paired with a snuggly chair upholstered in cheerful polka dots provide a fun, gender-neutral color palette for this space.

I think it’s particularly smart that Sarah chose to install a picture rail in line with the top of the window frames (with sky blue paint above) to bring the vaulted ceiling down to a more kid-friendly and cozy height.

And, of course, the whimsical alphabet is an affordable and easily-replicated design element that adds tons of character (and an opportunity for learning) to the room.

The home office began just as bland as the nursery . . .

. . . but is now a modern, upbeat space with a hint of femininity brought in through the floral fabric on the bulletin board.

I find that the still shots of these rooms simply don’t do the spaces justice – you should check out these episodes to see the rooms in their full glory.

The master bedroom definitely benefited from Sarah’s decision to steal 27 inches of space (on the left-hand side) from the neighboring nursery.

And I bet you never saw this gorgeous space coming, did you? I certainly didn’t.

The entire color scheme for this master bedroom was pulled from those fabulous floral curtains in cream and gray. The headboard was positioned below the low point of the vaulted ceiling so that one would have a feeling of space and height while lying in bed.

While I don’t know that I could ever be disciplined enough to commit to such a tight and subdued palette, it really is divine, isn’t it?

I always love the look of chandeliers in bedrooms, particularly master bedrooms, but I just don’t think I could take the plunge and part with my ceiling fan – even so, I’m totally tempted to nix my fan after seeing this room!

I am curious, though – does Sarah sell her homes furnished? If not, it seems odd to devote such a large portion of the budget to furniture (some of it custom) and accessories that will, ultimately, need to find new homes. Does anybody know? Have you had a chance to check out the show and, if so, what do you think of it?

* There’s more to come for this series but, since most of the episodes haven’t aired in the US yet, I don’t want to spoil it for you!

Sarah’s House airs on HGTV at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday nights. Images courtesy of HGTV Canada.

Design Consult: Freshly Fabulous

March 11, 2009 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 7 Comments

Ready for the first-ever Design Consult??? Here we go!!

Lauren’s cozy home is filled to the brim with her husband, beautiful baby girl and Chihuahua-mix pup, so it’s no surprise that Lauren and her fam are desperate to move to larger digs within the next few years. Lauren contacted me for a few inspired (and affordable) ideas for making her home both livable for her family and attractive to potential buyers.

Lauren requested that the TV, leather furniture and large bookshelf stay in the room and said that she would love a rug and curtains with a traditional, Pottery Barn-feel with splashes of color. Here’s the “before” of Lauren’s living room:

Lauren’s living room already has very traditional bones with a brick fireplace, beautiful crown molding and warm wood floors, so that was a great jumping off point for this project. After taking Lauren’s requests into account, here is her custom design plan:

As you can see, the foundation of the design plan is a neutral, beige wall color with fresh and inviting splashes of a bright, mossy green. This color palette will give Lauren’s living room an updated and welcoming feel, while still staying neutral enough to appeal to those potential buyers.

Here’s the plan for putting this custom design into action:

Layout. The layout of Lauren’s living room is begging for an easy switcheroo. I’d love to see the chair moved from the bay window to in front of the window where the couch is now – the little side table will stay right where it is, the perfect place to set a drink while reclining in that comfy leather chair. The couch will then slide in front of the bay window, facing the fireplace and leaving enough room to walk between the sofa and the bay window. That glass-topped coffee table’s new home is centered in front of the couch, in line with the leather chair. The bookshelf by the front door will disappear, while the bigger bookshelf next to the fireplace will relocate to the left of the chair, near the bay window. The console table is already in the perfect spot, so it’s staying right where it is. Here’s a little visual of the new layout:

That recessed area in front of the bay window will serve as the new home for all of the baby’s goodies – toys, rocking chair, etc. One or two woven chests like this one would be perfect for storing loose toys and books for a clutter-free look. When the house is ready to go on the market, switch out the kiddie toys for a simple wooden desk and chair with a table lamp to show potential buyers that this living room can also function as a home office.

Rug. I love, love, LOVE this rug. It is unbelievably priced for its size (8 x 10), and its simple geometric pattern and jute fibers are new and fresh-looking, while the pattern of light and dark fibers will look amazing with Lauren’s dark wood floors and leather furniture. This rug is neutral in color, so it will work even when Lauren decides to move. And as the mom of a young one, Lauren will love that this rug is fully reversible so spills and scuffs are no big deal. The rug should be positioned so that the front legs of the couch and chair are resting on the rug.

Windows. Lauren hates the mini-blinds that were left by the former homeowner, so I’m bringing in bamboo roman shades. The warm wood tones of these blinds will look beautiful with Lauren’s wood floors and leather furniture, and will bring a natural, cozy feeling into the room that you just can’t get with mini-blinds. Some of the windows in Lauren’s room are at varying heights, so the blinds should be hung at a consistent height throughout the room to give the appearance of uniformity. This means that the blinds over the shorter bay window will be “cheated” up just a bit, but you won’t even be able to tell once the blinds are hung.

These white sheers are ridiculously inexpensive and will really pop from Lauren’s tan walls and warm wooden blinds. The curtains will look amazing hung with the curtain rod at the same height as the top of the blinds, with about 12 inches of curtain on either side of each window. The bay window is a little pesky, but I would recommend hanging a curtain panel on either side of the large bay window, and only one curtain panel next to the two smaller windows in the bay window. This will give that little nook a cohesive and unified look. This curtain rod is a great black/brown that goes with Lauren’s color scheme, and can be shortened to any length with a cheapo tool.

Throw pillows. These pillows (1, 2 & 3) are really what brings this whole room together – the punchy, summery green is the perfect balance to the rich, dark leather of Lauren’s couch and chair. TIP: when shopping online for pillows, keep an eye out for whether the price of the pillow includes the pillow as well as the pillow cover.

Accessories. Bright, mossy green is the accent color for this room, and beautiful little accents like this vase can typically be picked up for a steal. I would love to see the tan lampshades on Lauren’s three lamps switched out for new ones in either bright white or green to match the pillows. And while we’re talking about lamps, let’s take that floor lamp that was near the couch over to the left side of the fireplace – the wooden piece of furniture that’s there right now can switch on over to the right side of the fireplace. And all of those books and movies that are in the bookcase would look amazing with this simple trick – just organize them by size and color. Now Lauren’s books and movies will make a visual statement and have an element of both style and function.

Artwork and photographs. Lauren has really beautiful artwork and photos. I would love to see the floral painting that is currently above the console moved to the right of the leather chair, centered between the edge of the curtains and the doorway. The Paris photos that are currently to the right of the sofa would look amazing hung in a vertical line (with only about two inches between them) on the right of the fireplace. The photograph that is currently to the right of the couch near the bay window would look great to the immediate right of the front door. Finally, Lauren’s photos on the console table would have awesome impact if they were hung in an abstract grid pattern above the console table. This collection can be supplemented with other framed photos, and mismatched frames can be spraypainted on the cheap for an easy, cohesive look.

That’s it!! Lauren, I hope you love it and I can’t wait to hear what you guys think! (And don’t be shy with those “after” pictures when you’ve put the plan into action!!) Click here for your very own custom design plan.

Images courtesy of West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Pier 1, Target, Ikea, and Pottery Barn.