Modern Blue and Grey

Hello, poor, neglected blog!  This summer has been so very insane!  But, I've been busy with fabulous projects and am so very blessed to get to work with so many amazing clients!! I hope I can share more regularly soon.

My post today features a brand-new condo.  We started with virtually a blank slate.  My client had purchased a sofa, two accent chairs, a big TV and a lamp.  Otherwise, the place was empty:

My client wanted something modern with accents of blue.  Here's what it looks like now:

I think I may have scared her a bit with my blue color choice, but she finally came around to the idea and now loves the bright pop against the cool grey walls.  A large bookshelf/entertainment unit fills up the family room wall with fun silver and white accessories and baskets to hide storage.  I am a huge fan of the Ikea Expedit units -- you'll see them in a lot of my designs.  They're amazing for storage, inexpensive and come in many colors.  They can be used vertically or horizontally and can be combined to create configurations like this one.
Here's another view of the bright blue wall:

My client uses a door to the left of this console to enter the house through the garage.  She needed a place to put her keys and mail and this piece fits the bill.  Love the white gourd lamps against that blue!!  We will get more storage trays for the smaller openings.

I had a lot of fun with the very blank entry to the home -- just a long hallway:

We added a fun stripe in a darker color of grey, which is used in the hall half bath and added some fun mirrors.  These mirrors started out a boring oil-rubbed bronze, but a quick spray of blue paint gives visitors a glimpse of the decor to come in the rest of the space.  (On a side note, I didn't realize I'd also painted my foot and had a brief panic when I thought I'd lost circulation in my leg later that evening!!)  I think it turned out really cool:

More modern touches were added to the half bath as well.  Those tiny spaces are really difficult to photograph!

    A fun, chevron temporary wallpaper was super-easy to install and adds a great punch to the wall behind the toilet.

 We still have more to go....waiting on some stools for the kitchen and a few more drapes for a dramatic wall of floor to ceiling panels.....hope to be able to share the finished product soon!

Is you home in need of Embellishing?

Ami would love to help!

embellishcville@gmail.com

or

434-465-0738

Dramatic Master Bedroom

This homeowner contacted me to help with her bedroom -- nothing huge needed, just some finishing touches.  The space was transformed with fabric.

Before, the bedding was worn and tired, the windows were naked and that wall behind the headboard needed something.

I created a focal point above the bed and filled up the huge vaulted ceiling wall with a couple of drapery scarves.  Taffeta drapes in silvery blue and taupe stripes dress the windows.  New bedding in gold, silvery blue and taupe bring it all together.

Another view of the dramatic wall treatment.  This was created using a curtain rod behind a cornice valance.  The drapery scarves were hung over the rod and the top layer pulled back with drapery hardware.  The fabric adds warmth and color and texture to the space.

New accessories on the dresser are the finishing touches.  It's so nice to have a finished bedroom to retreat to at the end of the day!

Office Spruce Up: Storage Room

Having a designated place to store things helps to reduce clutter.  This storage space in a downtown office building is a good example.  Without organization, this room became a dumping ground.

It took an entire afternoon, but I went through every box and organized the papers and supplies.  The supplies went in a new large storage cabinet.  I warmed the space up with some paint, plants, a sunny runner, natural blinds on the windows and some vintage-y office art.

 

All of that stuff in here:

An organized, Embellished space!

Orangery

 This makeover is part of an assisted living renovation. Before, the design was very institutional.  And dated.  The dark carpet, vinyl upholstery and floral prints needed to go.

I chose an interesting taupe and green-blue 

leaf print carpet for the floor and neutral tan for the walls.

The beautiful mountain views are now framed with taupe and green plaid cotton drapes.

I developed an orangery theme for the space, featuring citrus decor with pops of yellow and orange amongst the neutral tones.

 A faux lemon tree fills the corner of the room.

Another look at the other side of the room before:

And here it is now:

 The seating area before:

Embellished:

 A nice improvement!

What I did today: Family Photos

I know I've done posts about family walls before, but I thought it might be fun to show you the process when dealing with multiple frame sizes and shapes.  One of my amazing clients I am currently working with has a collection on family photos going all the way to her great great grandparents.  I was so happy to get to work with her to get those photos out of the folders and boxes and up on display!  The Great Frame Up did a terrific job with this project and I think the framed photos and momentos look great in her sitting room -- can't wait to share the finished space!

Beautiful bones in the before -- vintage and custom furnishings, a gorgeous Yves Delorme chandelier and ever so subtle wide stripes on the robin's egg walls.

If you are a visual person like me, this is the easiest way to hang frames, especially when dealing with multiple sizes.

After creating paper cutouts of each frame, I came up with a layout on the floor.  My client has her photos arranged by generation, placing each generation on a different wall.  This wall features great-great grandparents. 

The paper cutouts get taped to the wall in the chosen configuration, evolved from the one on the floor.

 (Note the holiday paper being used -- I purchased waaaaay too much of this stuff!)

It is so easy to hang the photos once the paper cutouts are up!

Such amazing displays -- on the right is my client's great-great grandparents' marriage certificate!

This one's of the grandparents--

The plan:

 The product:

 Almost finished!

Stay tuned........

Want some help with hanging your family photos?

Find our contact information on the tab above!

Savvy Shopper: Medallion Sheer

Shopping for a client today and thought I'd share some savings with you!

Love the medallion print on these sheers:

 "Ambrosia" 

96" L Polyester blend sheer curtain with burn-out motif

$85

 "Princeton Rod Pocket Sheer"

95" L Polyester 

$40

Considering rooms will need at least two of these, that's an extra $90 to spend!

Displaying meaningful items

One of my favorite things to do while decorating a room is accessorizing.  Even better, I love using items that have special meaning to my clients, putting items on display that have just been stored away.  For instance, I found this bag in a box on a bookshelf in one of my re-do's. 

 Filled with pink sand and shells collected by the children from a recent beach trip, they were special enough to keep, but were just adding to the clutter on the bookshelves.

 

By placing them in an inexpensive jar, they become a feature amongst the books.

Want some help displaying your treasures?

Contact Embellish Interiors!