Decorating in Southlake, Texas

 
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!

 

 
 
Visit my website DecRenew Interiors to see my Design Portfolio
 and ready My Story.
 

New Dining Room & Family Room and a time to be thankful.

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!
 
 Visit my website at DecRenew Interiors to see more before and after photo's as well as my Design Portfolio.  Let me make your house a home!