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BeforeDecor Options
Dresser - $280Here's what we did: We went with a bold wall color. Don't be afraid of color! A brassy yellow color really makes the room stand out. With such a deep rich color, it is important that you don't oversaturate your room with too much richness. To soften up the walls, we went with a more neutral and color-light sofa, accented with rich green pillows. We kept the rug light too, with the main pop of color as cream with a black border. It looks amazing against the hard wood floors. Instead of introducing new colors in the curtains and lamps, we kept it tonal. Beautiful green and yellow brassy hues that compliment the wall color really help tie the room together. And my personal favorite to brightening up a room is adding white features. It's like a mini facelift to any room. Bright white shelving and country white coffee and end tables immediately make you feel refreshed. Given the space in the home, this room is serving as the living room, music room, and media room. We had to find a way to incorporate it all without it appearing junky or overstuffed. A rich black computer armoire hides the family computer and keeps it central so parents can keep an eye on their kid's internet use. A complimenting black storage bench creates another area for sitting and a place for kids to store their shoes. See-through bookcase shelving keeps the room feeling larger instead overwhelmed with more furniture. And no living room is complete without and inviting red plaid oversized chair; great alternative to the traditional loveseat. Several Items from: Pottery Barn, Raymour & Flanigan, Pier One, Macys, Home Decorators, Christmas Tree Shops. I absolutely love creating and transforming spaces into something magical. Our latest project is the dreaded basement. I will help lead you through some important steps to get you to your intended goal. This is not for a complete renovation or remodel, taking an unfinished basement to a finished one. Rather, it is working with the space you have, whether finished or unfinished. What is your space Before you can go any further, what basement room/s are you focusing on? Start small and then build from there. Don’t try to do it all at once! Analyze your space What do you need your space for? Kids Playroom? Teen Lounge? Office? Storage? A place to hide from your family? Laundry? Figure out what is most needed and most important. In this case, we want a great functional playspace for our kids that will carry them through the years. I love all the incredible ideas out there, but I find myself getting stuck. How do I justify to my husband that I would like to build a tree house in the basement? And not just any treehouse, an eco-friendly treehouse that is made out of discarded Christmas trees?! How do I explain that it would be really cool to have a slide that starts on the second floor of the house (much like the traditional laundry shoot) and opens up in the basement into a giant ball pen. Or a pirate ship that has a putting area for mini golf. I love all these ideas! But really? The kids are only young for so long. Is it worth the investment? And I don’t think our preteen would enjoy showing off theJake and the Neverland Pirates ship to his buds for years to come. But I must admit, I am a little partial to the slide idea… Steps when analyzing your space:
Here is a brief list to get your wheels turning: style: contemporary, classic, whimsical, traditional, minimalist, retro, country, etc. feeling: warm, cozy, soft, hard, linear, flat, fresh, open colors: dark, deep, bright, bold, soft, light, neutral purpose: relaxation, play, bar, social hour, games, entertainment, sanctuary, reading nook Recap:Step 1: What?
Step 2: Analyze Step 3: Coming up…. How do I love thee? Even when you are just a wee bit...outdated? Instead of turning you in for something new, how about a mini kitchen redo? Many times it is hard to figure out how to revive what already exists. How do you freshen it up without tearing it all down or starting over? So became the case with this kitchen project. Here were my client’s thoughts during our kitchen walkthrough:
Let’s take a general look at the cost of that. Now this is just an approximation. It includes an average-priced item along with installation cost. Also depends on the size of your space. These estimates are for a large kitchen. Could be less, could be more. Homewyse is a great source to figure out for all types of remodeling costs. I highly recommend them.  For a big chunk of money, the client could make all of these changes. And it would be a fantastic kitchen! But alas, it seems that our dreams are bigger than our budget. But, that doesn’t mean we can’t make our dreams come true! And really, a complete remodel is not always needed! Here’s a toast to dreaming smarter. Think easy. Think simple. Think fresh. Take a look:  See the price difference?! It’s huge! Depending on your taste and budget, you could be spending close to $9500 on the low end when you can really update your kitchen look for just $2500! Savings of approx $7000. And on the high end, for those that want the best of everything…whew! Look out! On the high end of kitchen remodels, you could easily be spending $30,000+ (my numbers are still fairly conservative here). But with some basic changes, you can transform the look of your kitchen for a fraction of the cost and still have your dream result. Many factors went into the final decision, mainly driven by the budget! Not to mention that all the appliances, cabinetry, and flooring in our kitchen are top-notch, albeit many (many) years old. It just didn’t feel right to swap it out with something of a lesser quality and it felt rather wasteful. So we sunk our teeth and money into areas that were easier to control and manage in terms of trendiness, functionality, cost, and ability. Can I tell you how great if felt to freshen up this kitchen for less? Instead of spending four or five times the amount on a complete kitchen remodel, we achieved the same desired result on so much less! See Before & After PhotosKitchen Project!To refresh your kitchen, I encourage you to think big! Don't let your budget dissuade you from your dreams. Choose what you want as if money was not of any concern. This will help give you a better idea of what your really like and what you really want to see happen. Then, you can start the scale back process to find something comparable in your budget. Here, we have a very simple mini-kitchen redo. In their dream kitchen, the client wanted to put in all new hard wood floors, change the cabinet color, update the backsplash and countertops, and change the appliances to a more modern stainless steel. But, they didn't have nearly what was needed for a complete remodel. Plus, it seemed a tad wasteful, especially since these items are a pretty good quality to begin with. They may be a bit dated, but they are still good! How to bring your dated kitchen to life, |
Before Photos | After Photos |
More Kitchen Photos
Summary
The client desperately wanted to upgrade and change their kitchen. They did not have the time, nor budget to deal with the stress of a total kitchen remodel. They were tired of their kitchen, which felt dark, bland, small, and outdated. They wanted something fresh and modern with a french country twist. Instead of changing out the black appliances, we accentuated them with the black french country table and chairs. And the mix-and-match valances were a great Esty find. The light green walls instantly brightened up the kitchen and made it feel more airy, especially with the white floors. The texture from the leather stools give the illusion of warmth. Looks like a brand new kitchen!
The client desperately wanted to upgrade and change their kitchen. They did not have the time, nor budget to deal with the stress of a total kitchen remodel. They were tired of their kitchen, which felt dark, bland, small, and outdated. They wanted something fresh and modern with a french country twist. Instead of changing out the black appliances, we accentuated them with the black french country table and chairs. And the mix-and-match valances were a great Esty find. The light green walls instantly brightened up the kitchen and made it feel more airy, especially with the white floors. The texture from the leather stools give the illusion of warmth. Looks like a brand new kitchen!
It's all in the details.I am obsessed with details! Especially when it comes to cost & budgeting. I need to know EXACTLY what something will cost me. Then, if I need to, I can look for cheaper alternatives.
When you list everything out like I have done here, you can really take a good look at your absolute must-haves, things you might not need, or opportunities for a better deal.
When you list everything out like I have done here, you can really take a good look at your absolute must-haves, things you might not need, or opportunities for a better deal.
Ahh. What a way to relax! Gorgeous soft teal walls lull you into the land of sweet dreams. Natural burlap drapes soften the brightness and boldness of the modern coral-colored lamps. Pottery Barn was definitely a winner here with the bedding! Love it!
Tip: To give the pillows a super full and filled look, use two pillow inserts for each sham. Save yourself some money and buy them at Target. In our case, we used to king pillow inserts in each king sham to really make the sham pop.
Tip: To give the pillows a super full and filled look, use two pillow inserts for each sham. Save yourself some money and buy them at Target. In our case, we used to king pillow inserts in each king sham to really make the sham pop.
Here is what I used for my client:
