Creating a Sophisticated Home Office
Who says a home office can’t be sophisticated? Even if you still show up for work in your bathrobe.
The office in these photos is vibrant and sophisticated but still very functional. The bold red on the walls, contrasted with the white trim and black accents is inspirational and energizing. Even though there are several different patterns in the room, the look is cohesive because all the patterns are in black and white.
To save space in this small room, the closet was removed and a computer desk was built into the space. To bring natural light into this area, a mirror was placed on the wall to reflect the light from the window at the opposite end of the room.
The furnishings selected are functional but also dressed up to create a sophisticated and elegant space.
The addition of a comfortable chair and ottoman offer a place to relax and put your feet up when not working. By using traditional bookcases in a contemporary space, it creates a timeless look as if the room was created over years instead of weeks.
Accessories and artwork are selected to complement the decor and bring a sense of fun! Just because it’s a place where you work every day doesn’t mean that you can’t feel good in the space! I hope this room inspires you to create your own sophisticated home office.
Not Your Grandmother’s Wallpaper
Want to add a splash of glamour to your Dining Room?
Try a modern wallpaper on just one wall. The bold damask pattern in this wallpaper draws your eye up to the vaulted ceiling and the metallic background adds a sophisticated glow to the room.
In just a few hours you can transform your dining room!
Renovation Update on a Small Budget
Recently I was asked to do a design consult on the Living/Dining Room of an older home that desperately needed an update. In this case, the homeowners had a very limited budget (under $3000) so we had to make decisions about where to spend the money.
Before:
The space needed some work done to the hard surfaces (e.g. painting, removing paneling on the wall, converting the fireplace & updating it, etc.).
However, the couple decided to just do a face lift for now and use their resources to improve the room without doing any of the major renovations.
We used the couple’s existing sofa, love seat and chair as well as the antique dining room set that she inherited. But everything else in the room is new.
When I first saw the space, my impression was of a dark, cold, & uninviting room that had very little appeal. But with the addition of a few key pieces of furniture and accessories, we were able to turn it into a warm, cozy and fresh looking space. Ir really is that easy to turn a room from “drab” to “WOW!!” when you know where to focus your resources.
After:
To add some warmth to the room and to provide our colour palette we added a beautiful wool rug in soft greens and blues. This really is the design focal point of the room – the accessory that brings everything together.
We added a round coffee table and 2 end tables that are big enough not to be dwarfed by the size of the soft furniture. The dark wood tones complement the soft shades of the rug and furniture.
Next we added some pretty cushions and a throw to soften everything and add that warm & comfy vibe. We also added lamps to give a soft glow and to lighten up the dark room.
Some artwork and accessories finish the rooms nicely. In basically one afternoon we took this room from boring and unfinished to sophisticated and comfortable. Easy!
The homeowner was thrilled with her new rooms – and that is what it’s all about. My job is done!
I would love to hear from you so let me know what you think of this transformation! Your comments are always appreciated! Bye for now!
Townhouse Renovation Project
This project has, for all intents and purposes, been completed. We are only waiting for some tables in the Living Room which should arrive in a few days.
Here are a couple of pictures of the Living Room now that the sofa has been added to the mix.
So, what have I learned from this project?
1. Only use sub-contractors that you have worked with before and know how they perform.
2. Don’t sweat the small stuff – reno’s are made up of delays and emergencies. You have to be able to weather both.
3. Keep your clients informed of any of the above so they are fully aware of changes to the plan.
4. Do whatever you can to stay on budget (unless your client asks you to go beyond it).
5. Some key changes like new paint and lights can make a huge difference to a room.
Well, the next project is underway so stay tuned for my next post.
Townhouse Renovation Project – Day 22
Well this project is just about at an end except that we are waiting for a couple of pieces of furniture in the Living Room (these should arrive this week). I’m finished dressing the rest of the townhouse and it is looking pretty good.
Kitchen:
Living Room/Dining Room:
Townhouse Renovation Project – Day 21
Whew! I can’t believe that we are nearly at the end of this project. A lot has happened in the last few days. The carpet was installed and it looks great! Our second choice worked out just fine. The garage was completely cleaned and the walls, shelves and floor were painted. It is a thing of beauty! Wayne, you are great as usual!
After all of the ups and downs of the past couple of weeks, it was great to arrive at “Move In Day” yesterday. Things were a little crazy but they managed to empty out 2 pods of furniture and boxes by mid-afternoon. Everything is pretty much in place today so I was able to go in and start to “dress” the rooms.
I started with the Ensuite upstairs. I think it turned out quite nice. I would love to hang out in this bathroom. The new counter top, lights, faucet and tile floor look great and all of the accessories really make a difference in this room. See the ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots below.
Before
After
Next I moved on to the Master Bedroom. We painted the room a soft green, replaced the floor with solid wood and added a ceiling fan. My client’s furniture looks great in this room. I added the drapes, a new chair and some artwork and accessories to finish the room. See some more before and after pics below.
Before
After
Before I pooped out for the day I managed to also style the other Bathroom upstairs. This room got quite an overhaul – new tile floor, new vanity, lights, faucet and mirror. The room is much larger now and looks quite classy I think.
Before & After
Tomorrow is another day so stay tuned – there are more rooms to style.
Townhouse Renovation Project – Day 17
A couple of hitches in the plan today – but I am still smiling! My clients are feeling a bit beleaguered but every design problem has a solution. This is just how things go in the world of renos.
Yesterday, the long anticipated new stainless stell GE appliances were delivered by Sears.ca – yeah! Not so yeah! The fridge they sent was the larger version so it didn’t fit. The stove was also too big and damaged, the microwave was too big and the hood fan didn’t even show up. The only thing that worked was the dishwasher. I have so far kept out of the whole appliance order but today had to intervene and see if we could get the right sizes delivered. Still waiting for a delivery date. Whew! Not a good day for my clients.
Second problem – we were supposed to get the carpeting installed today but that did not happen. The installers showed up on time this morning and installed all the under pad but when they started to unroll the broadloom they noticed a black line running through all the pieces. They quickly called me and said they couldn’t install it. Sad little room with no carpet (below).
I called Jason from Ramcoflooring.com and we discussed our options. My clients’ are all set to move in on Saturday so we just have to get this carpet done asap. If we ordered the same product again it would take a couple of weeks to get it delivered and installed. That wouldn’t do. So I hoofed it out to Langley and chose another “in stock” carpet and arranged to have it installed tomorrow. So here’s hoping there won’t be a problem with carpet choice #2.
We also have lots of other little hiccups along the way. The ceiling fan that I ordered for the top of the stairs had a flaw in it and the same one is back ordered all over town. I have to run to a couple of showrooms tomorrow to see if I can get a similar one without having to order it.
I also found out that all of the drapes that I purchased are two short (they were off the rack – more budget friendly) so I had to run all 16 panels to a seamstress to have the hems taken down 3″. Another thing to pick up on Saturday (also have to pick up the rug for the living room).
Rob is working away trying to get all the lights up and the closet doors hung and the bathrooms finished. Lots of little finicky tasks to do before things are finished. But we are still more or less on track for the weekend. Here are some shots of the new lights and areas that are more or less finished.
Steve and Trish and Troy showed up again (they are so faithful) to clean up the garage (it is getting painted tomorrow) and Trish is finishing up the painting on the tiles (I love you Trish!).
I have hours of billing and administrative work to do to wrap this baby up but try to just get through one task at a time.
Let’s hope things go better tomorrow!
Townhouse Renovation Project – Day 16
Well, it has been a few days since I last blogged about this project. Things are moving ahead but slower now since we are into the small, detailed stuff before the big move-in on Saturday.
The lights are mostly up now and the rooms are looking finished. The carpet goes in tomorrow so that will really be the finishing touch on the place.
We had a cleaner come in again yesterday to get started on the bathrooms. She worked all day and really only got one bathroom cleaned but boy did she do a good job! That shower stall gleams and sparkles now. Good job Cathy!
Hopefully Rob, our general contractor, will be able to get to some of the little things that are still outstanding today.
We painted the tiles in the kitchen, which turned out to be a much bigger job than we hoped but thanks to the artistic skills of Trish (what a godsend!) they are looking really good. One more step in the process and they will be done.
I’ve been busy with other projects and a couple of new ones so have had to split my time up a bit. I met with a lovely urban couple in Newport Village.net in Port Moody on Saturday. They live in an great condo right in the village. We discussed some ideas for their new home – looked at colours and talked about flooring and lighting, etc. Lots of exciting possibilities there!
I am meeting today with another new client – they are building a really big house (over 4000 sq ft) and need to choose some colours for inside and out. Should be fun!
Tune in tomorrow to see pics of the new carpet and lots of other new stuff!
Townhouse Renovation Project – Day 12
The painting is almost complete except for a few touch ups. Virtually everything in this place has been re-painted including the walls, doors, baseboards, and trim. Wayne and Doug are taking a few days off before they start on the Garage. Well done guys!
The stair railing was painted shiny black to match the spindles and Wow! what a difference that made. It is very classy looking now. The black really stands out against the Bluffs #CC338 @ www.benjaminmoore.com wallcolour.
My weekend project is to paint the little blue tiles that abut the new Travertine #3526-58 @ www.formica.com countertop. Wait til you see that transformation. I am well armed with all the DIY steps so looking forward to trying it out.
We are waiting for the lights to be replaced throughout the house which will be the finishing touch to al the rooms.
See you next time!
Townhouse Renovation Project – Day 8
Today was the start of another week of renovation and it was exciting because the new wood floors were installed in the Living/Dining Room and upstairs in the Master Bedroom. Brady Cheng and his partner did a great job and the floors look awesome!
Wayne and Doug, the painters are still painting but the lower floor is almost complete and is looking really good. They still have quite a bit to do but they are working very steadily.
Later Steve and his son Troy came again tonight to work on the new baseboards and door casings. Things are really getting finished up and it’s very exciting.
See you soon!
