Have You Heard of A Virtual Designer?

With the rise in home and garden television shows, the popularity of internet shopping, and a budget conscious society, homeowners are more knowledgeable with home decorating and design options.  Although dressing a space may still be overwhelming, for some, a push in the right direction is all that is needed.  This has changed the traditional way interior designers/decorators work with clients.  There are more ‘a la carte’ services, making it more affordable for anyone to use a professional.  One 'a la carte' trend on the rise is to hire a professional virtually to pull a room or multiple rooms together.  I call this a Virtual Designer.

So how does a Virtual Designer work?  This service is mainly done on-line.  Through e-mails and phone calls,  a unique design plan is created that sticks to the budget set by the client, and can include paint colors, space planning, and a list of products that can be purchased on-line or locally.  This gives homeowners a ‘map’ to a finished space that they can work on within their own time frame.  Below are two examples I have done working on a tight budget:

AND

Of course traditional face to face client-designer/decorator meetings are more personal and room planning is more thorough, but for the more confident homeowner or renter, this is a great option.  People now have access to hire designers from any where and dwellers of all income levels now have a way to get a designer space.  Tip-make sure you hire an experienced professional who you can reach by phone to clarify questions.  

Kids Camp Barn Makeover Part 2

This is the kids camp.........

That has the white barn...........

That hasn't been used in years.....

And this is the group of gals that cleaned it up for the kiddies!

please note that not all the volunteers are pictured above and I want to thank each and every one!!!!  It was another worthy cause that gave us reason to help and bond with pretzils and music from my nano that not everyone appreciated (you know who I am talking to ;) .

Using only donated paint and fabric, and many helping hands, this very old barn received a little facelift that will be perfect for indoor use when it rains.  After we left lots and lots of fun kid friendly game tables and furniture was added. 

Drama/Creative Room

Before

AFTER (minus the furnishings)

More Camp Transformation:

Game Room

Before

After (minus the furnishings)

This blog entry is part 2 of an earlier entry I wrote.  To find out more about the fabulous volunteer Tikkun Olam team that worked on this camp, click here.

I Spent My Day In A Basement And Then Updated My Own

I spent today re-designing a basement for Lisa and Matt, two hard working parents of an adorable 2 year old in Freemansburg. They finished their lower level, bought a few things for it, but are stuck with how to use the space to its greatest benefits.  They gave me their wish list of functions for the space, which is a pretty tight area, so every square foot counts. I call that prime real estate. So in order to have the all important TV watching, adult socializing, game night with the guys, and of course, a spot for their little one to have fun, careful planning is vital.  We used our muscles pushing furniture pieces around, stretched our creative thinking for storage, and came up with a really great layout.  The color scheme is blue, red and chocolate, which are not only hot colors right now, but fun powerful shots of color for a basement-it's that fire and ice look I adore. 

We had a very successful day. Along our journey I found out Lisa has a little secret. She is a picture frame addict. As we walked around her home looking for pieces for the basement, I noticed frames in every single room; black, brown, white, small, large, and all……EMPTY. Lisa and I are going to work on filling each frame (and not with photographs because that is too predictable).  OK, when the basement's final touches are done I will post the before and after pics, with tips on how to make the most of your prime real estate....and show you what we do with the frames!  


p.s.-I just received an e-mail from Lisa.  Here is what she said "Hi!  I had a great time re-designing our basement.  I can't wait to get the furniture and finally have a family room that we'll enjoy!  Thanks so much for all of your help.  You are amazing!" - That made my day Lisa-aaawwww!

Meantime, here are photos of where my own basement remodel is at. The last time I shared pics, I had zoned out areas, sheetrocked, and painted (click here to see that blog entry). Now the laminate floors are in but the trim still needs another coat of paint and caulk everywhere, and the playroom is missing the custom blackboard and bench cushion. I am aiming for a contemporary beach glam feel.  Just a casual space to hang with enough bling to make me smile.  It is a slow process due to a busy schedule right now, but until the basement receives the attention it deserves I am filling it up with possibilities.

This built-in is my favorite addition to the basement.  It is large and in charge.  And very streamlined like the rest of the place.  I can't wait to add all our books and read stories to my daughter here.  I have had this Crate&Barrel table and chair set for ten years.  I am going to repaint it and add funky cushions.

I was very pleased with the paint colors because they really brightened my walls which don't get much natural light; And the large mirror creates openness (what a find!).  The sconces add the glam factor.  And I can't say enough about this sectional.  We have already fallen asleep on it - it barely fit down the stairs.  VERY IMPORTANT TO MEASURE YOUR ACCESS DOWN TO THE BASEMENT WHEN LOOKING INTO BUYING LARGE FURNITURE!

I am still waiting to come across the perfect chairs for my counter, but until then, I will simply stare at my custom drapes-'hey, I have one large window in the whole place, so it deserves to get all dressed up for the party'.

Directly across from the large window is my bar - my jewel, my bling.  The glass tiles are from Lowes, the counter is from IKEA, and the cabinets are from Home Depot- painting them and adding new hardware (IKEA) turned these stock pieces into one hot bar.  Lighting is essential in a bar area.  It really creates a mood.

The playroom is not complete yet but that isn't stopping my daughter from playing in it. 

Storage is key key key!  Create it where ever possible like in this alcove which nicely hides the toys from the eye.

My husband gets to pick the game table that will go here, but I get to choose the hanging light above it.  Yes, I am a lighting nut, but different lighting options create different moods.

What do you think of this beachy chic lamp?  I purchased them for a steal and I LOVE them but my husband is on the fence- Note that the plastic is still on the shades.

We even worked in a gym with a wall mounted TV.  I plan on cranking up 'It's Raining Men' and running my little heart out one day :)

Stay tuned for the finished photos :)