Fresh, modern den/guest room makeover

I visited these clients in the summer, and we discussed updating their newly purchased home, so that it felt more fresh, vibrant and youthful, just like them.

Since these clients are out of town and wanted a plan to follow so that they could do the rest themselves, I set to work doing up mood boards for each room, furniture layouts and suggestions for size and style of furnishings.  Then they set to work with my plans and ideas.

They finished up the den/guest room and I thought I’d share the results.  This is the mood board I developed for them. EISEN - GUEST-DEN-001

And the 3D renderings of the den/guest room.

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We kept things pretty warm and cosy in the rest of the house, but Cheryl wanted a slightly more cool feel for this room.

Here’s the befores, sorry I took really crappy before shots.  But you get the idea.

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Cheryl was kind enough to send me some pictures of the finished room. Drum roll please…..

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Quite a transformation isn’t it?  I am in love with the mural that they had custom painted based on my suggestion for that feature wall. It is the first room off the entry and this wall is easily seen from the hall, so I wanted it to have some interesting feature on it. Since the home is in the country on a beautiful treed lot, I thought this would bring a little bit of the outside  in. We are all thrilled with the final results and this gives you a great idea of how easy it is to do things on your own but with some professional guidance.  Contact me if you’d like to have these kinds of results in your own home, I’d love to help.

Lisa

Transformation from living room to home office

So do you have a dining room or living room that you never use, because you don’t really need a dining room or living room. Well, change it up. A room is just a room, it can be anything that will work for you and your family. Really! A dining room can be changed into a living room, very easily. Some people feel limited by the centre light fixture in a dining room, but why can’t you have a beautiful chandelier or other pendant in your living room, just make sure it’s high enough to not bother any tall people in your family. Think outside of your rooms’ labels.

This transformation did just that. It was finished in spring time a few years back.  Click here to read my previous post on this project and how rooms in your home can be altered to suit you and your family.   Needs and wants change throughout life, and your home should change and adapt right along with you.

My client had this formal living room at the front of her home, but they always used the more comfortable and casual family room for guests and also had a great finished basement for their boys and their friends. So the living room languished with beautiful furniture but no purpose.

With her and her husband working from home, this was the ideal space to turn into a home office for her consulting business. It’s ideally situated right by the front door for client visits and with that large arched window bright and welcoming.

Here’s the finished office.

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And how it looked before the transformation.

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So to recap, the stairway wall and the half wall by the entrance were both closed in to allow french doors to be added to the room.   A trio of long,narrow and frosted windows were added to the now full entrance wall to keep the light flowing between the entry and the office.ff

The first item purchased was the desk with its dark grey wood legs and glossy grey lacquered top, and it help dictate the feminine mood and style of the space.

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Next, the Ikea’s Galant cabinets and bookcases were purchased in grey to coordinate with the desk.  Add, a black and white patterned area rug for a graphic punch and a cosy chair and a half for reading and conversation.  My client’s beautiful new artwork made it easy to choose a colourful purple as an accent.

Lighting is provided by the great sparkly and modern fan that my client found, a modern floor lamp and a glass table lamp that adds a touch more sparkle.

A few more pretty shots.

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My client is thrilled and is now inviting clients into her office. I love how changing just one space in your home can transform and enrich your life.  What room could you transform?

Lisa

 

Using a room’s full potential

Do you use your rooms to their fullest potential?  By that, I mean do you stick with a room’s original purpose or are you willing to switch it up to suit your lifestyle.

I am currently working on a home office for a client.  It was originally  a living room but since there is a large cosy family room just down the hall, this room was looking pretty, but was rarely used.  Since both my client and her husband work from home, they decided to make better use of this prime and sunny location.

Some minor renovations were done first by my client, to ensure a successful transition –

1. Closing in the stair wall that runs beside the room, so that french doors could be added so that the office can be closed off from the rest of the house;

2. changing the half wall, that divides the space from the entry way, into a full wall.  The addition of long thin frosted windows ensures that light will pass through and keep the entry way feeling bright.

Here’s what we have so far for this feminine and practical home office.

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My client found this beautiful ceiling fan with beautiful crystals that make the most spectacular reflections on the ceiling.  Definitely a great find.galant-storage-combination-with-drawers__0148968_PE307332_S4 chair My Home

 

There will be a small sitting area with a television so this comfy chair and a half fit the bill perfectly.

We need to live in our homes and having barely used rooms is really a waste of space, so much better to change it up for your family’s needs.  So have you or would you change a room’s function to suit your lifestyle?

P.S. I’m posting a fabulously quick and delicious weekday meal on the TBB blog today.  Click here to read.

P.P.S. I’m a contributor to the newly launched Brazenwoman,  the only lifestyle Blogazine written by women 35+ for women 35+. Join us for the most current lifestyle tips, trends, reviews and recommendations, all written a voice you can relate to. Click on the link above to subscribe so you never miss an edition.

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Where do I blog?

Censational Girl has set up a Where do you Blog Party?

So in answer to that question here’s where I blog….

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My office is in the loft area of my home – where I look over onto my living room and a couple of windows.  It is nice and airy and open and I love to open the windows to get a nice breeze.

Check out all the other “where do you blog” spaces at the party at Censational Girl!!

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