I absolutely love working with people that are new to the Dallas Fort Worth area and need to settle into their new homes.

Several months ago, I received a phone call from a client that lived in another state. They had just purchased a home in Southlake and she found my website online. She had been following my blog for some time and connected to my design style and my design philosophy. (This blog really is my voice and many clients tell me that's how they connect with me initially).

Once they moved here, we did a "Walk-thru" consultation to pick all the wonderful paint colors throughout the house. The painters then arrived with their scaffolding and got to work on this GIANT painting project.

I then took an inventory of what she had already and made a list of things we needed to shop for to make each room feel complete and presented her with the Cost Worksheet.

Once approved, we set up a full day install day and I got to work collecting all the items and consulting with the contractors doing the work at the home.

We kept some existing furniture and just added custom made pillows. Other furniture pieces we reupholstered or purchased new.

Isn't it amazing how a pillow can update an antique chair?

I updated a few pieces by adding new hardware. The knobs were wood before but just blended in. Now the piece looks dressed up and is ready to be admired for sure.

BEFORE & AFTER

We put together vignettes with some of the things she had as well as things I purchased. The reindeer candle holder with a chocolate ornament hanging from his antlers, is so adorable.

I shopped throughout the house for items that I could use to complete rooms.

Above I took all her old drapery finials and placed them in a basket with Christmas ornaments. They are having a party this week so I wanted it to look party worthy!

Simple but beautiful.

The client had the mirror but I just enhanced the mantel with accessories. I love finding unique treasures that pull the room together. My client had seen a mantel on my website with similar colors and wanted something like that. Her finished mantel is similar in color but a totally different grouping makes hers unique. We added moss to the driftwood I found and it really looks great combined with the blown glass and ceramic items.

Love the "feathery" florals I found. I knew what I was looking for when I was out shopping but just couldn't find the perfect thing until I saw these. The less fussy the better on a mantel.

I love how it softens the blown glass and it immediately created the height I needed. Don't you love these white porcelain jars with the square lids? I just adore them.

A shell tray layered with books and a driftwood ball. My blown glass birds are special too and are extremely heavy so they won't be easily broken.

I love the rug and we combined 2 beautiful couches with it. 2 chairs of their favorite chairs are being reupholstered as we speak (the weren't finished due to the 4 day ice storm we had). A large family lives in this home and they needed plenty of seating for movie night! I also made sure the coffee table was close enough to put your feet up (it has to be functional right?)

Mixing just the right patterns can be tricky. Of course, when a decorator is working with you, it will be the perfect combination. Notice how the waves in the mirror go with the waves in the rug. Subtle but stunning.

We used their existing coffee table and I think it looks very inviting. I also love using trays on coffee tables so they can be easily moved when the family wants to play games, set food out, etc.

A turquoise throw was placed to bring the colors together and will be perfect for cuddling. My client really wanted a soft, calming space and that it is! The entertainment was painted too. The soft gray on the walls makes this room feel bright and cheery.

This little collection was placed in a niche. I added the sticks and moss and I almost stole this to take home with me. The Christmas ornaments make it festive for the season.

An oil painting that was special to my client was placed in her kitchen.

We found these horses that they had and grouped them with some horse artwork I found in their office.

We found all kinds of unique pieces for the entertainment center. Mixing textures is key. When working with a white entertainment center, you want items that stand out and don't blend in.

Isn't the stone work in her kitchen gorgeous? You can also see the faux cabinets we added to the top of her existing ones. It really makes the kitchen feel much bigger!

Her china cabinet that use to be light oak was transformed with a paint job. A yummy gray that works beautifully with the rug in the family room. We made sure they painted the back the same color as her kitchen cabinets so the items we placed in the cabinet would be showcased. I put family pictures, artwork and some other collectibles in the cabinet. I don't like cluttered cabinets. I want my client to walk by it and notice what is in it.

BEFORE AND AFTER

We painted her bronze chandelier a nice metallic silver and it looks like a brand new chandelier.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when decorating their living rooms is using the wrong scale lamps. They can make or break the entire design of a room. The ones I placed behind these couches are the perfect scale for a room that is very large.

Once the tree is gone, we will put a new reupholstered love seat in this room and it will be the perfect grouping for conversation by the fire.

In their master bedroom, we added a 2 mirrors behind the lamps my client already had. She already had the bedding. We also hung some existing artwork she had but I added the silver metallic medallion to make it all feel to scale.

As you can see, every detail was thought about! The benefit to having an Interior Decorator is that we think of all the finishing touches. It seems that it would be so easy to just shop for the items, however when choosing accessories for each room, they are CAREFULLY selected to make sure they all have the right color, shape, texture, uniqueness and scale to work together in the room.

Mixing old and new, shiny and rustic, glamour and simplicity, masculine and feminine and most of all..... making sure each room flows together and has a WELCOME HOME feel to it - Ruthie Staalsen

This family is ready for a new start here in Southlake, Texas and loads of memories are going to be made in this house that is now a HOME!

As you can see my tag line has changed. "Connecting Life and Home" is really what I 'm about especially after you have read this post! With the fast paced lives we live, our homes are being neglected, and my mission is to change that. I rebel against hectic lifestyles and focus on a slower paced lifestyle so we can enjoy our homes with friends and family. My mission is to make your home a place your family and friends want to be!