Before and After: From Frumpy to Fab

Hello, friends! It's October, I've got my Starbucks Maple Pecan latte, have started my Halloween decorating, and am enjoying the first book in the All Souls Trilogy: The Discovery of Witches. All I need is autumn weather!

Before I get to my room makeover, I have some wonderful news to share. I am truly humbled and grateful to announce that I've been featured in Luxe Lifestyle Magazine's October/November issue! It's crazy, I know! They did a beautiful, six-page spread on me and my work. I got to have my designs photographed by Brie Williams, who has also photographed the work of Barrie Benson and Joanna Gaines! It was such an honor. The flowers included in the shoot were by my all-time favorite florist, The Flower Diva in Pineville, NC. A big thank you to Maxine Breedlove for telling my story in such a clever and entertaining way! If you'd like to read the article, you can do so by clicking on the photo below.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way (although I would really love if you read the article!), it's time for the room makeover!

I know a lot of people who say they are afraid to have an interior designer to their house for fear that they will be judged for their home's current state of design (or undesign?). Let me tell you, most designers have at least one or more rooms in their own home that are giving them heartburn. We lived in our current home for more than three years before I finished decorating our bedroom and dining room. Why? Because like most people, I had to save up to invest in the furnishings and decor that I really wanted. No shame, friends. Quality furnishings can be pricey but are worth it. Even if you are independently wealthy, it always makes sense to spend one's money wisely.

I also like to live in a home and get a feel for my needs before finishing all the design work. I start off with a solid plan but sometimes it gets tweaked along the way.

Speaking of my bedroom, let's see the sad before photo.

This was our old bedroom set that we purchased when we were first married and my husband wanted espresso brown everything. I was a psychologist at the time. Even though design was important to me, it was more important that I got along with my hubby and that we had a place to sleep. The quality of the furniture was good and it went well with our starter home so it was fine. But as you can see, it didn't suit our new home! The scale of the nightstands were too small, the furniture was too dark, and it was all very matchy-matchy.

However, I did like the wall color and drapes so I knew that anything I designed would need to work with what was already there. I also knew that my husband would not appreciate anything that looked too feminine. I did manage to get away with more "girly" stuff than anticipated.

The first thing I did was find a starting point, which was this glorious fabric from Osborne & Little.

This photo doesn't do it justice but it's gorgeous. My husband vetoed it but I overruled and made it into custom pillows (he appreciates them now). :) It's good to be queen.

Now with a starting point, it was much easier to pick out the other items. I knew I wanted an upholstered headboard so I chose a marine blue, hardworking, washable velvet from Designer's Guild.

Once that was done, I picked an aubergine fabric for the bolster pillow and added trim in a white and gray trellis design. We needed a new dresser, which we found at a now defunct, local, vintage furniture store. My husband, who has very strong design opinions, wanted it painted blue and I wanted it painted white. I found a compromise--a chameleon-like, very pale gray that in some lights casts a blue undertone. I had the original brass hardware buffed and they looked good as new!

Because the scale of the old nightstands were way too small for our bedroom, I custom designed new ones. They have lots of great storage space and look much better in our current home.

I knew I'd need a bench for functionality but didn't want to put something at the foot of our bed since it would restrict the flow of the room. Instead, I opted to put one by the large window that overlooks the beautiful Vitex tree in our backyard. I had it custom made by a local upholstery shop, Privette's Upholstery in Monroe, NC. I often use local companies, both to support the local economy and because I often find the quality is much better than mass produced furnishings.

Since we have hardwood floors, we needed a rug to keep our tootsies warm on chilly days and soften the look of the room. A hand-knotted rug from Stark worked perfectly with my design. We also added architectural detail to the room by adding picture frame molding.

Once I had all the furnishings, it was time to pull the room together using art, accessories, and lighting. We like to keep clutter to a minimum so I didn't need to get too much to finish the look of the room. Our nightstands are often graced by stacks of books we are reading or art crafted by our 8-year-old daughter.

Luckily, our bedroom was included in the article in Luxe Lifestyle so I have some great "after" photos! Feel free to pin them for inspiration. :)

The waterfall bench from Privette's is covered in a Designer's Guild fabric.

Our new bedroom is so light and airy. The beautiful colors make me happy!

So what does my husband think about the master bedroom after? He LOVES it! It has become his favorite room in the house. He even enjoys the colorful glicee by local artist, Marissa Frandsen (of Mia Malcolm Studio), that I hung over the dresser. Originally he wanted a mirror but I insisted on the bold art to bring some drama to wall opposite our colorful bed. He agreed it was a wise decision.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my master bedroom "Before and After!" If you have questions for me, please submit them here and I may include them in future blog posts. If you would like me to help bring happiness to your home with custom interior design, you may contact me here. And if you haven't already, you may subscribe to my blog here.

Don't forget to check out the Luxe article!

XOXO,

Claudia