What a great install we had yesterday!

I put a Design Plan together several months ago for a client that wanted a Dining Room, Family Room and office transformed "using what she had" as well as incorporating some new pieces. We had the install yesterday so here are the before and after's. I was quickly taking snapshots so sorry my pictures aren't as clear as usual. It was getting dark out too and I was trying to finish up so we could do the big reveal! My clients were waiting next door anxiously.

BEFORE

Previously Formal Living Room

My client wanted to change her existing formal living room into her dining room. They never used this space and she needed an office. We made her old dining room into a great space for her now to have a desk.

AFTER

NOW the Dining Room

Painted this room and her "new" office (across the way) a dark rich blue/green. We transformed her existing chairs by painting them a soft distressed grey. Her china cabinet got the same treatment.

BEFORE

Chairs and china cabinet BEFORE.

She had the parson chairs in storage so we had those reupholstered for each end of the table. I tried to use as much as "what she had" as possible to save on the budget.

AFTER

Painted and waiting to be picked up to be re-upholstered in a great red fabric.

It not only saves on the budget but it gives us the "collected over time" look that I love so much and what my clients usually request! The table has an extension so we painted and reupholstered ALL the chairs so they can be pulled out when entertaining.

BEFORE

Old dining room

AFTER

NEW DINING ROOM where formal living use to be. You can see the china cabinet peeking out. Sorry it's not a great picture but you get the idea.

Grandma's silver tray was put on the table and a blown glass vase was added along with the flowers.

Added electric wall sconces and a chandelier. We kept the existing rug and added new draperies and the large mirror. I love how now the mirror reflects the chandeliers in both rooms beautifully.

FAMILY ROOM TRANSFORMATION

BEFORE

Goodbye yellow paint! Their family room needed personalizing. The "matching" set of leather furniture wasn't working for the room and made it feel very dark, especially since they have wood floors throughout. We decided to keep the entertainment center and the large leather couch. The rest of it got put in another room and we added lighter wall paint and brighter colors.

AFTER

Our rug was the inspiration for the color scheme we went with in this room. The new custom draperies really add style and height to the room and added the color and pattern we needed.

I had the two club chairs made from scratch and they turned out beautifully and are extremely comfortable. New pillows and some lamps and the room is good to go. A round coffee table is coming soon.

I asked my client to clear the rooms before I got there and create a shopping room for me. As I worked throughout the day, I shopped in that room for items to place that were important to their family.

I was so pleased with the chairs and they go beautifully with the rug and draperies. I found these pillows on one of my shopping excursions and thought they brought in the brown from the leather couch and pulled the room together nicely.

BEFORE

AFTER

The fireplace was painted a darker color and the green dated fireplace surround tile will be replaced eventually with a nice slate tile when the new carpet goes in upstairs.

BEFORE

See what I mean about everything being the same color? It made it boring and dull.

AFTER

Now it's light, open, fresh and stylish. Much more like the homeowner's personality! We add that island light fixture in the background too!

Getting darker outside by the minute. My client was scared of this fabric because it resembled an animal print. However, she trusted me when I told her that it would be the star in the room and she was pleased to see that it was!

Crazy over this lamp.

If you follow me on Facebook, you saw that I posted about this little side table. The base of it was a cherry wood before, passed down from the family. My client wanted to keep it for memories sake so we gave it a makover.

A peppermint candle filled the air during the reveal and these little wooden handpainted birds were a gift from me.

We had it painted this wonderful metallic silver with a turquoise undertone. Placed the heavy marble on top and it looks fantastic in the room now and totally updated.

The inside of the lampshade has a leopard print that is to die for.

These velvet embossed down filled pillows are one of my favorite things in the room.

BEFORE

AFTER

Added this beautiful console under the stairs and stacked some of their favorite artwork.

I used their existing buffet that was in the dining room in their "new office" and it makes a nice welcoming statement to guests who walk into the entryway! This rustic metal mirror makes the traditional space feel less stuffy and pretentious. I wish I had been able to take some photo's of their new office but the lighting wasn't good by that time at all! I'll have to go back and snap a few.

I found this glass candlestick holder that was filled with potpourri in one of her rooms and got rid of the potpourri (a dust collector by the way) filled it with moss and artificial floral stems. No vase needed now and we "used what they had".

BEFORE

AFTER

I learned a wonderful thing during this install!

I was disappointed that I didn't get good pictures because of time and it getting dark. However, when the client came to the door to see the big reveal they were so overjoyed, tears and all. The neighbors came over and we walked from room to room talking about all the items that had been passed on from family or painted by special people in their lives, I realized something

at that moment..........

I don't need pictures to capture that moment! An even better thing to have is that memory of making their house a home for them. The memory of their reaction (yes it was like on HGTV) will always be in my heart and that is way better than a picture any day. That's why I started DecRenew Interiors in the first place. I wanted to be able to use my gifts that God gave me to help others make their humble abodes feel like a place that they want to spend time with friends and family. No picture can ever capture what I felt last night and it was a special gift and a reminder of the blessing of my business. It was a good way to start the Thanksgiving break with my family.

I drove home with tears filled in my eyes feeling truly Thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I'm taking the week off to spend with my family!