Sunday, April 13, 2008

weekend redo



Well, this was such a fun project. Candace is my friend that I blogged about with the dilemma of mixing existing, lighter wood furniture pieces with new, darker furniture. She liked some of my ideas on pulling it all together, and we embarked on a weekend decorating adventure to put them into action. First we sized up the space, came up with a new floor plan, made a list of what was needed, and discussed future items to look for while shopping. Within several hours and the boundaries of the $500budget we found: 2 rugs, 2 ladder bookshelves, a gorgeous wall mirror,several accessories,and fabric to recover the dining chairs.

Back at home, we moved the sofa to its new spot, laid the chocolate brown jute rug under the dining table, and began assembling the book shelves. By early evening we had the space arranged how we wanted it, and called it a day. On Sunday, we spent a mere 2 hours recovering the dining chairs. This is where we got biggest bang for the buck: $20 of fabric that covered the dining chairs and two pillows, adding some much needed color and pattern.

Before, the living room lacked a focal point, small insufficient storage pieces cluttered the space, and the only resident enjoying the view of the water was Munky the cat. By purchasing larger shelves,flanking the TV with them, and floating the sofa between the dining and living areas, we solved these issues. In its new position, the sofa works to cozy up the TV viewing situation and acts as a partition, creating a more intimate dining nook. The rug in the dining room defines the space and adds texture and contrast. Centering the wine cabinet on the wall in the dining room, hanging a large mirror above it, and topping it with a color coordinated vase and photograph gives that beautiful piece the presence it deserves. We tied the two spaces together by seeking out green toned baskets, vases and fabric. A small round natural woven run in green and straw kicks off the color scheme in the entry.

Throughout the weekend, we talked about the elements of interior design: color schemes, focal points, layering with texture and pattern, the form and function of furniture, and adding personality with art, fabric and accessories. Admittedly, Candace caught the decorating bug. She later purchased a fantastic green all- weather wicker chair and an orange and green accent pillow for a corner of the dining room. She can pull it up to the table for dinner parties,out on the deck to watch the sunrise over the water, and into the living room for additional seating. Better yet, she was surprised that she actually liked sitting in that corner- she realized it was a great spot to take in the view! She might even get a second one for Derek. Way to decorate, Candace!




5 comments:

Anonymous said...

i think you did a really nice re-design. i think the biggest difference is the recovering of the chairs and the repositioning of the couch. (i'm a friend of Candace's, she told me about this project you two undertook) now if you could come help me with my sad little space in Minneapolis, haha...

Betsy said...

It's true, just a little rearranging can really change the dynamic of a space. And, FYI,I can help you with your place in MN via email: bchicdesign@gmail.com Thanks for the comment!

Anonymous said...

That green fabric makes such a difference! Great job on your re-design. It is a beautiful transformation! Can you help me out from a distance? - Chicago is pretty far from Bremerton, WA!

Betsy said...

Aimee, I can help you! Just email your questions to me at bchicdesign@gmail.com. I'll respond as quickly as possible through the blog! Betsy

Helen A. said...

I never knew that reupholstering chairs is that easy?? Please tell me more!

I'm also wondering about my own design issue. My apartment has HIDEOUS, beat up linoleum. But I don't own the place, so I don't want to pay to replace it. I just read that you can paint linoleum. Any thoughts on this, B. Chic?