{Finalizing} Wes' New Bedroom

I've been doing a lot of work on Wes' new bedroom these past few weeks.  We cleaned out tons of toys, I sold his bunk bed, had the carpet cleaned and painting starts this week.  I also found a local artist to do a great paint treatment on his desk.  I can't wait to see how it turns out!

I found this chest of drawers at my local Home Goods by total accident.  It was such a bargain and was exactly what I needed, so I couldn't pass it up.  I love the drawer pulls, but may need to change them to ones with a more vintage feel.  We'll see.  Wes loves them!

I couldn't justify spending a lot of my budget on custom bedding, so I'm combining custom with this blue quilt I found at Target.  The stripe fabric will be used for the bed skirt and a pillow.  The neutral sheets will help to keep it simple.  I'm still undecided if I'm going to do any type of fabric treatment on the window.  If I do, it will be something very tailored.  The airplane art is one of three we're using...somewhere.  Their vintage (old) pieces I picked up at an antique shop last summer.

I tested two paint colors - I'm going with the one on the left.

Wes will be with his grandparents for a week in July, so I'm planning to finish two major projects (featured on a previous post) while he's away.  I broke down and hired someone to help me with these, too.  I'm finally learning my limitations and DIY projects are one of them!  I'll let you know how they turn out when I do my final post on this project. 

 
While doing a little accessories shopping for clients, Wes picked out a few goodies for his room.  He was really excited to find these little treasures.  

Wes told me he wants his room to be a place he can go and "just think about things".  I can't wait to make that happen for my favorite person in the world!

Thanks for reading,
Jennifer

Back Porch Livin'

I just finished up a screened porch I've been working on since the spring.  Not that we were doing anything extraordinarily custom that would require this long, it just took my clients a lot of time to make decisions and commit to ordering.  In their defense, they warned me up front this would be the case, so I'm not complaining.  I'm so happy with the finished result I wanted to share the project details with you.

The clients had an existing dining table they wanted to use and great light fixtures already installed.  I put together a floor plan to give them a place to eat, as well as a conversation area.  Their porch is very narrow, but I was able to fit in everything they wanted.  I found three furniture collections that worked well in the space and with their existing dining table.

They selected the second grouping and then we were set to finish off the rest of the room.  We ended up changing the dining chair cushions to red ones which gave some much needed accent color in an otherwise all blue space.  I then found some great accent pillows for the sofa.

We decided not do a rug as it defined the seating area too much and closed it in.  Instead, we added curtains around to really help soften it up and give it a feeling of a real room.  The clients are using this space more often than ever before, even in the heat of Tallahassee!  Here are few final photos I took after the draperies were installed.  

If you are ready to create an outdoor space of your own, give me a call!

Thanks for reading,
Jennifer
  

Chez Sois {take one}

I'm starting a new job and I'm hoping to bring you all along on the design journey with me as I help my client transform her townhouse from a seventies gem into a true reflection of herself -  "a totally feminine home".  It's a top to bottom renovation - flooring, walls, cabinets, lighting, etc.  We're even tackling new furnishings.  Every surface (inside and out) will be changed and I couldn't be more excited about the possibilities.

The first phase in doing a project like this is creating an overall design plan.  I go room by room, making a list of what the client wants done, what needs to be done and what I think would make the space amazing.  I review my initial notes and the photos I take at the initial consultation.  It's crazy how much you see in photographs that you miss during the first walk-through.

Here's a little taste of what the place looks like today and you can see lots of inspiration photos here on my Chez Sois Pinterest board.  The client put together some great idea books on Houzz and I pulled from that to create the Pinterest board as we move through this project.  I'll continue to add to it, so please follow.  It's going to be a fun ride!

Family Room - The dining room is on the other side of that railing.

Family Room - look up and this is what you see.  A window into a bedroom.

Kitchen - I can't wait to get my hands on this.

Kitchen - Need I say more??

Front Exterior - Paint colors are in desperate need of a change.

I hope you will continue to follow me on this project and see the transformation that will take place over the coming months.  Oh, did I mention we have a September deadline?!?

Thanks for reading,
Jennifer

Colorful Kitchens

I've been working on a lot of kitchens lately, a few are new and one is a remodel.  Designing a kitchen is one of my favorite things to do.  From the floor plan, to the all the finishes and down to all the details that make it unique.  I love it all!  

While doing research for my projects, I've noticed a lot of color being introduced into kitchens with unique cabinet finishes.  I'm not sure I'm ready to specify a strong color, but I'm all about breaking out of the "white zone" when it comes to my clients.  

This kitchen is really bold, but will stand the test of time.

Love this great punch of color in a kitchen.

This cottage style kitchen is so bright and cheerful.

Here is a great way to get color without committing all the way.

If you are ready to add some color in your kitchen or in any room of your house.  Give me a call!

Thanks for reading,
Jennifer

Glynwood

I had the privilege of working on a project with some great clients, who are also my great friends!  I'm always nervous to work with family or friends because inevitably something goes wrong, but this time the curse was broken and I pulled off a successful re-design of their dining room and family room.  My clients purchased their house about five years ago and hired me to specify new furniture and wall decor, quickly.  I was moving to another city and they were moving in with no furniture!  It still looked good, but it was time to make a change.

We started this project because my clients wanted to "lighten and brighten" the rooms and make their house their own.  So, we painted the walls, added trim, replaced lights, changed the sofa, installed a new bookcase and brought in all new accessories.  Sounds easy, right?  I would say overall it was pretty painless, even having to do it long distance.  I had a great team of tradespeople that helped me with the transformation and very patient clients who put up with having a disorganized house for about three weeks!

I have lots of before photos, but my computer is on the fritz and I can't access them right now.  So close your eyes and imagine...Overall the house had a dark feeling and lacked personality.  The light fixtures were ho-hum and hung way too high over the tables.  The paint colors were a little on the drab side.  The family room fireplace lacked character, as well as the trim in the dining room.  The windows also needed fabric to soften the plantation shutters.  

Here is the existing cabinet right before it was banished to the garage.  Don't get me wrong, it's a great cabinet, but it overpowered the room.

New cabinet in a painted with glaze finish.  I'm not sure what I love the most!

The fireplace had brown granite tile that we replaced with mosaic travertine.

The only new thing we added, furniture wise, was the sectional sofa and side table.

The dining room got new paneling installed, new accessories and the chandelier got some much needed shades.

We also replaced the existing draperies with new custom ones.

The foyer was updated with a little wallpaper love and a new light is coming.

I can't wait to have it professionally photographed later this summer.  I just couldn't wait until then to share this with you.  

Thanks for reading,
Jennifer