REDESIGN...Before and After...with a few new things

Here was the challenge... I wanted to help a friend freshen up her home on a budget...we thought it would be fun to spend as LITTLE as possible but make a BIG impact.   

See how we did...

BEFORE 

DINING AND LIVING ROOM

AFTER 

To update the color scheme, I used chocolate brown to accent the blue color scheme since the couch had to stay.  Slipcovers were too pricey.

We only had one gallon of $5 "oops" paint so we used it behind the sofa and on the opposite wall for balance.

The other walls got a fresh coat of left over paint from a friend. 

We needed more than one gallon so we added a gallon of "oops" paint similar to the cream in a large paint bucket.

We also purchased some chocolate brown accent pillows from Target.

 I used RIT dye to dye the drapes to a neutral soft tan color and get away from the white.

I painted the rods and invested in metal rings from Target and clipped the drapes up.   

The rings make it easier to slide the 

drapes to open and close them. 

The sofa table was behind the loveseat and was a light wood.   I painted this black.

 This is the wall opposite of the sofa where we added the brown color again.

 I restyled the shelves using what 

I could from around the house. 

 I picked up matching end tables for $10 from a church rummage sale and used my friend's lamps she already owned. 

 In the dining room, I did a white wash to tone down the brightness of the 

blue below the chair rail and removed the wallpaper border.

We also added a fresh coat of the same cream colored paint in the living room.  

 I added some lamp shades and straightened out the furniture.  

We painted the chairs and table legs black and restained the table top in a cherry stain.

 My friend had these silk cream panels 

in her attic!!!!Love when that happens! 

We hung them up just like we did in 

the living room.

We also added an inexpensive area rug form Menards that was about $30.

 I restyled the inside of the china cabinet.

This was a fun redo that I did with 2 of my good friends in 3 days while all our kids were at school....except for my little girl that supervised from her walker.

Working together and pulling resources from wherever we could is a great way to decorate on a budget!

Redesign / One Day Decorating

Here are some before and after shots of a redesign I did for a client.   A Redesign is all about using your  existing furniture and accessories. My client had lots of great things to work with and treasures we pulled out of closets. My goal was to add some color and tweak some of the issues with space planning.   We worked on a living room, dining room, master bedroom, sitting room and office.   We swapped items from room to room and had some dramatic changes in a short period of time.   

Master Bedroom Reading Area

This area felt like an extra twin bed that had no where to go.   I wanted to make it feel more like a day bed or sofa.   The area is used for reading and relaxing. It lacked color and felt too crowded with the chair in the corner.     

 Here is the after...added pillows and throw for color, untied and spread out drapes, created interest on the wall and made it feel larger by adding more to it, added a table to use for a cup of coffee or book, added basket for storing extra pillows and texture to area.

 This is the other side of the room.  It is a very spacious room but it felt unfinished without using the space between the chair and the armoire.  It can be a balancing act with space planning. You have to know when to add and take away.  You know by moving things around and looking for balance and not crowding a space.

 Here is the after....Added black chest, more color with flowers, red quilt at the foot of the bed, red step stool and accent pillows, covered a chair with a cream quilt, opened drapes and added more light with cute accent lamp.  By filling in the center of the wall, the side of the room had more balance and more storage.    

 One Day Decorating is a great way to use what you own and make a big change to your decor.This is an example of what you can accomplish by using what you own.  So many of us have more things to work with than we realize!  Digging through things and experimenting helps to keep your decor fresh and keeps it interesting for you.

Redesign = Instant Gratification