It’s All About You When I meet with a client for the first time, I always try to find out their personal motivation for their decorating project. Sometimes my clients want a cozy family room with lots of seating for all of their friends and family. Often times I am asked to create a ‘comfortably elegant’ living room that can actually be used instead of just being ‘for show’. Other clients want to create a piano room in lieu of a formal living room. Whatever the space may be, the bottom line remains the same….IT IS ALL ABOUT YOU. Do you like to entertain? Do you have pets and/or children? Do you have large gatherings like cub scout meetings or Super Bowl parties? Does your family play one or multiple musical instruments? Do you work the nightshift and need black out window treatments since you sleep during the day? Or maybe you like to read, like the homeowner featured below, and need a quiet retreat in which to do so. When I arrived at this Northern Virginia home, I was greeted by Stella, an adorable, but full of drool, bulldog. We will get back to Stella in a moment. Stella’s Mom led me upstairs to her master bedroom sitting area, which was essentially a blank slate. She told me that the old and oversized sofa needed to go but she needed a comfortable place to escape from everything else and find herself immersed in a good book. Being a high school English teacher, this client’s ‘ME time’ was to curl up with a good book and her companion Stella…drool and all. So comfort, good lighting, and of course style, were all requests of me and my plan. But the last detail that she asked of me was to please make everything very durable and easy to clean since Stella, and her drool, would be spending a lot of time up there. I quickly learned that Stella was actually in charge of this household, as are many of our pets, right? So, Stella got everything that she wanted, as did her Mom. A rich chocolate sofa, that is extra deep, anchors this room. It is the perfect spot to lounge or take a nap and is very durable since it is made out of fabric that is deemed, ‘kid proof, puppy proof, life proof’. The perfect fabric for a highly used piece. She can kick up her feet on the plush cube ottomans that sit in front or choose to curl up in the sleek chair and ottoman by the window. Both seating areas have task lighting situated next to them in the table and floor lamps. I was asked to give this client a ‘pretty’ place to keep her many books. After all, they are the reason she comes into this room. Instead of using two bulky bookshelves, I chose to implement two open and stylish etageres and mix in accessories with the books to lighten the look. Now she has an attractive home for her books, an incredibly comfortable and eye catching chair and ottoman or a plush, deep sofa to curl up on with Stella, and of course good light to read by. This room is not very large and to balance out the bold pattern on the chair, I used a color blocked pattern on the draperies, which go all of the way up to the ceiling to maximize the height of the room. The color block design is a modern design element and one that gives a lot of look in a simplistic style. It is important to note that this room was designed with all of the requests of my client in mind. A sleek looking room that she could be comfortable in while relaxing with a good book and created using fabrics that would all stand up to her four legged friend, Stella. I was able to give her everything that she was looking for and more by combining function with style. It is important to create beautiful spaces and make them usable and long lasting as well. Your home should be a reflection of you and it is my job to find out who my clients are and what they are ultimately wanting to achieve with each project. It is also important to note that as an interior decorator, I do not impose my style into your home, rather I match your design style with your lifestyle. It truly is ALL ABOUT YOU! If there is a room in your home that you would like to make all about you, let me know!
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