Montclair Estates Elegance

This past week a had a quick getaway to Arkansas to kick off the summer with my family.  It was an incredible time.  It was eye opening to me to see how my "DecRenew" team took care of everything while I was away!  I am extremely grateful to the contractors that work along side me, they are continually making my job such a pleasure.

 It was hard to come back after being in paradise at Lake Greeson in Arkansas.

My mind was renewed (as much as it can be for a few days away) and I was ready to get back to work the day after we returned.

A wonderful family hired me to decorate their piano room, dining room and entry.  They have been in their home several years now and have remodeled each room.  They just hadn't done any decorating  to their 3 front rooms.  Of course, these are the first rooms guests see first. They hired me to make it look inviting, comfortable, classy and welcoming.  This is Phase I of the decorating.  We will be adding some additional items sometime next month.

 The dining room was already furnished and had all the lighting.  We just added draperies, artwork and accessories.

BEFORE

 Amazing what a difference color, texture and draperies can do to a room.

AFTER

The artwork was inspired by the drapery fabric.  Mary Howe from Divine Inspirations did the painting for us.  I outlined the concept and colors and she did her magic like she always does, such talent!

I created the urns by adding moss to a round Styrofoam ball and then surrounding them with grapevine to give it a really natural look.  I just love using greenery that has lots of branches incorporated.  Truly looks like you picked it off a tree.  The urns were aged with an aging solution.

 My camera died in the middle of taking these photo's so I apologize for the "not so vibrant" shots.

The piano room was cleared out completely.  We kept the piano where it was because it is the star of the room.

BEFORE PIANO ROOM

 AFTER PIANO ROOM

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

  We had the fireplace fauxed with layers of  grays.  It now is more of the focal point in the room and coordinates with the colors in the entry. We added all new custom furniture, rugs and accessories, leaving the piano as the focal in this room.

AFTER

 This oil painting is the mom of my client.  She is perfect for above a mantel in a piano room don't you think?

BEFORE

We created a gallery wall with all of the oil paintings that were done by family members.  Framing them all in the same frame made them a grouping that works together, even though they are all quite a bit different.

AFTER

 I didn't use the oil painting with the fruit because I felt like that one is more appropriate for a kitchen.

Substantial dark frames changed the look of the artwork drastically!  Grouping them together makes it more of a collection.  Spreading them out all over the home would have lost their impact.  Seeing them all together tells a better story and showcases the collection.

I found the glass  lamp bases and changed out the shades with something a little more decorative than plain white.  The muted chevron pattern is gorgeous with the rug.

 These custom chairs are my favorite thing in the room!  The colorful  pillow makes the entire room come together. Well....I love the gallery of artwork too!

BEFORE ENTRY

AFTER

 The entry accent wall was painted a similar color to the fireplace surround,  uniting the rooms together.

 I found the chair at an estate sale and had it painted a light gray.

 Reupholstered the seat to match the pillows in the piano room and united everything together with a  cream Brazilian  hide.

 These Spanish doors were added to the stairway wall and are an incredible statement to the home with their weathered texture and color.

The amount of work that goes into one of these installs in incredible.  It always blows my mind to see the ideas that have been swirling around in my head come together within an 6 hour time frame. Months of preparation and organization.  Such an  awesome feeling to see it all put together.

The reveal is always so exciting and this family all gathered together to do the final walk thru after being gone all day.

The moment you drive away from a client and watch as the family walks back into their home is always such a rewarding feeling.  I love knowing that as they enter the front door, new memories will be created as they have friends and family gathered around for meals around their dining room table.  I can imagine lots of gatherings around the piano too, especially  for holidays and special occasions.

Thank you Lord for the blessing of using my gifts to warm the hearts of others.  It's a gift that comes back to me ten fold.

Are you a fan of painted furniture?

Thought you might want to see this wonderful secretary transformed into a beautiful new & updated piece.  Painted  SW Rembrandt Ruby it is now a gorgeous piece that will look amazing in my clients piano room.  As you can see, it was dated and need to either be donated or renewed.  You know that if I see a good piece with great bones, I usually recommend keeping it and revamping it.  That's what we did here and it turned out beautifully.  Professionally painted inside and out! 

This china cabinet was beautiful but felt so formal and all the pieces matched in the room making it even more formal!  My client really wanted a more relaxed feeling in her dining room.  We had it custom painted in this wonderful soft gray and it transformed the piece.  The antique blue china is now showcased and it wasn't really noticed in the room before.

 I just loved her blue antique china!

BEFORE

This mantel looked so formal and stark. The family that lives in this house is not formal and wanted a more relaxed feel without totally redoing their mantel ($$$$)

AFTER

Painting the entire mantel and the surround, including the trim, made it look more masculine and smart!  Works beautifully with the new furniture we placed in this room.

 

Mixing masculine and feminine pieces is one of my trademarks.

 BEFORE

This formal dining room furniture was painted (the chairs) and moved to the formal living area.  We painted this red room and made it an office so she could meet with clients when she needed to downstairs (see after below).  Now she uses every square inch of her home.    Who uses formal living rooms anyway?

AFTER

(previously the dining room - see above)  We moved the chandelier from her entry into her new office and it worked beautifully.

This is her new dining room (use to be formal living room).  We painted her chairs and mixed it up a little by adding parson chairs.  She wanted an eclectic mix which is more her style.

Ruthie Tip:  When you have picture frame molding in a room it is hard to know how to hang pictures.  My suggestion is to ignore the molding and hang large scale artwork, or in this case a mirror, and it makes it work.  Eliminate a bunch of things hanging in each section, this makes it look crowded and cluttered (see below before)  Keep it simple and tailored.

BEFORE

AFTER

Fresh and new without having to get rid of the family table that got passed down to them.

Are you a fan of painted furniture?

I definitely am!  However, I do think that you can go overboard.   You don't want every piece in your home to be a bright bold color or all the same color.  Keep if fresh by having a few painted items and mixing them with antiques and other finishes.  This will keep it from looking too "trendy" and your home won't have to be "updated" every few years.  You don't want too much of a good thing!

My friend Christian at Noteworthy Home is doing an amazing job locally with transforming old pieces into NEW gorgeous works of art!  Check out some of their cool pieces!

My friend Jennifer in Kansas at The Magic Brush is another company that is so creative!  Her blog is filled ideas and inspiration.

Visit DecRenew Interiors to see my design portfolio.

If you haven't read Traditional Home's "Great Kitchens" Special Edition, it's really awesome.  I'm featured on page 42 Traditional Home.

House Beautiful in a day.

 

I always enjoy my ONE DAY installs.  My client and her husband just moved to their new home and hadn't a clue where to start with all of their decorating.  They were consolidating homes and had a bit of this and a bit of that and a lot of wonderful collections too!  They hired me to "use what they had" to make their home beautiful.

 

 

I met with them for a "Walk-thru" consultation first and I helped them select paint colors for certain rooms.  I then took an inventory of the items they had and made a list of some accessories that we could add to their mix to make the final reveal look more complete.  Doing "One Day" installs is one of my favorites, it's my passion!  I want everyone to be able to have a beautiful home and it doesn't always mean purchasing ALL brand new items.  Mixing it up and adding some creativity to your home is what makes it personal! 

 Isn't that what Pinterest is all about these days?

 

 

On the day of the install (a week later) I made them leave for the day (so they could be surprised) and we got to work!  Half way through the day, I heard the front door open and it was my client, she couldn't wait and wanted a peak....I immediately told her she wasn't allowed to peek :) and sent her on her way :)  She was just so excited and thought I'd let her see a glimpse into what we were doing.  I was just as excited :)

 

BEFORE

 

 AFTER

 

My team and I went through each room and pulled things from other rooms, shopped in closets, the garage, and even the patio.  We also placed some new items (lamps, accessories, pillows, wall art, mirrors, etc.) as well.   These three niches are something you see a lot in new houses. I don't like them because they limit what you can do and make new homeowners that don't have a clue about decorating even more frustrated!

 

 

 

I recommended they paint the insets Sherwin Williams "Foxy" to go with their rug and other furniture they have in the house.  In the past, I've wallpapered, faux finished, tiled with a metallic pearl tile, stenciled, etc. but for these niches it was more cost effective to paint them.

 

 

The  homeowners had a formal flair to their decorating style and I suggested that we break that up a bit. Adding old and new items, formal and casual, makes a room feel a lot warmer and more inviting.  I want rooms that I decorate to be spaces that people actually go in and enjoy!  Their house needs to have "lived in" spaces not just "for show" rooms.

 

 

Adding the rustic panels to two of the niches added the casual, comfortable, rustic flair.  For the middle niche, I added three antiqued & distressed mirrors in gorgeous frames.  They look really stunning with the  buffet lamps I purchased for them.  

 

 

Their family Bible that has been passed down for generations was placed between the lamps because that is the one thing the homeowner really wanted!

 

 

BEFORE

 

 

The dining room was painted a wonderful sage green. 

 

AFTER

 

I took a leaf out of the table as it was way to big for the room.  The leaves can be added with no problem but for every day, it needed to be smaller. 

 

 

I grouped special artwork that was done by family together on one wall.  I added a few embroidered throw pillows for color (the same red that is in the entry niches) and they made this dining room come alive and united this room with the entry.  An "all natural" arrangement added to the table and it looks fresh and updated now. It brings me great joy when I can incorporate things that have special meaning to the family.

 

 

I spruced up their family room too.

 

 

 

 

I found this old window in their garage and decided it would be beautiful on their mantel.  Again, breaking up the formal feel and adding a bit of character and "old world" charm.

 

Rearranged the bookshelves and added some height to the room with artwork and wrought iron.

 

 

The butler pantry got a new look with her collection of baskets.  We hung them on the wall because they are all so beautiful and did not need to be hidden in the closet.

 

 

 

 

The Master Bedroom got an animal print throw pillows to add to the mix and broke up the "matchy matchy" of her duvet set.

 

 The couch back pillows were getting worn and had lost their form so I got rid of those.  I then took the floral bed pillows off their bed and added them to the couch and I  must say it looks wonderful. I made a nice quiet reading/chatting space for the couple to sit and have coffee each day together.

 

 

It's amazing how a few throw pillows can "update" a space instantly.

 

 You have to have those things that are special to you close to you.  Placed this treasure on "HIS" side, so sweet and obviously hand made with LOVE!

 

 

The baby room got a few throw pillows and we moved things around a little.

 

 

 

The upstairs rooms got some freshening up too.  Their children come home a lot to visit so they wanted them to have some personality based on what each child likes.  Again, we "used what they had" and made it work beautifully. 

 

 

Ruthie's tip:  If you buy a "bed in a bag" mix it up with other pillows so it isn't so matchy.  I brought in the plaid pillow and the round pillow from another room and it happened to work perfectly.  It isn't always that easy but buying a few pillows that didn't come with the set is a great way to mix it up.

 

 

 

Found the large flowers in another room too and thought they deserved to be more of a focal point with these purple vases they already had.  I've made a shopping list for a few things the upstairs rooms need and will place them in Phase II of the project.

 

 

The pillows are stunning in the "Architects" room.

 

 

 

We had the theatre room painted a rich espresso and the columns got a nice silver metallic finish on them.  We hung new posters and this room is ready for the show to start!

 

 

It was a fun, exhausting but a very rewarding day! 

 

If you need help with your decorating, visit my website,

 DecRenew Interiors to see my Design Portfolio.

  Remodels, updates, one day decorating, hourly consultations and much more!

 

 

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