Before & After

Before

The problem: This client had purchased a brand new dining room set and was having trouble figuring out how to accessorize the hutch - what to buy, how big it should be, where to get it, how to arrange it. It didn't need to be used for storage, only display. The dining area is open to the living room, so they wanted to make sure both ends of the room worked together.  

The solution: We looked to the colour of the dining chair seats for the colour scheme - green, rusty red, and a hint of gold. Step one was shopping in the client's home - they had a set of old dishes packed away that fit perfectly with the colour scheme. Green and golden yellow ceramic plates and bowls that were just sitting unused in a cabinet.

 

After

Step two was heading out shopping for the rest of the pieces needed to fill in the gaps. I found some large square plates in the colours of the dishes we had taken from the homeowner's cupboards, and used them behind the stacks of dishes to give the displays some height and tie things together. Without the plates behind them, the stacks looked incomplete. I also found a great trio of candle holders (top right corner) that were exactly the right colour - putting them on the top shelf spreads the colour evenly so no particular spot is off-balance.

We added a few family photos in matching black frames, and word art that the homeowner spray painted black to match. Now it co-ordinates with the rest of the room and makes a great focal point.

A Budget Kitchen Makeover

A while back I did a blog post about our ugly kitchen (you can check it out here) - the previous homeowners had re-done the kitchen with things they liked, not worrying about whether or not they went together (they didn't). We did a quick makeover to keep me from crying every time I walked into the room - a temporary fix until we were ready for a bit more work.

Here are the original before shots - busy backsplash with dark grout lines, orange wood, ugly brass handles...

And the in-between fix - painted the busy backsplash to get rid of the headaches, added a valance (made with $4 placemats!).

I still didn't want to spend a lot of money, and the cabinets and counters were in good shape. We painted out the wood trim, changed the cabinet hardware (29 handles...), painted the walls and backsplash, and added some new accessories. The entire thing was done for less than $200.

Final Results:

Now I actually don't mind spending time in the kitchen - it feels much cleaner and more open!

Bedroom Before & After

 

This bedroom was a blank slate - the homeowners wanted to buy new furniture, bedding and accessories after moving into the empty room.

They found a bedding set they liked, then called me to choose accessories and accents and a paint colour to tie it all together....







The result is a restful room where the homeowners can relax after a busy day.

A soothing palette of greens and blues makes the room a peaceful place to curl up with a book or get a good night's sleep.

The homeowner also decided to replace their smaller window with a set of doors opening onto their back deck, which makes the room seem more spacious and allows them a great view of the backyard.

Before & After - House of Bras

Just got back from taking after pictures at House of Bras (on Wilson Avenue in Timmins) - I loooove how it turned out! I wanted to stay and look at it all day.

A bit of paint (deep purple and lime green) and some faux brick made such a huge difference! The store is much more warm and welcoming, and the new look really shows off their gorgeous merchandise.

Before:

After:

Quick & Easy Living Room Makeover

This client called me immediately after moving into their new home - the current wall colour did nothing for their sofa and they wanted to change it right away. The first thing I noticed when I walked into the room was the yellow-beige of the sofa vs. the pink-beige of the wall. An easy fix!

The solution? A rich brown to offer contrast. Now the couch stands out instead of blending-in-but-not-quite! The client's bolder artwork finishes off the wall. A simple change and a gallon of paint resulted in a much happier homeowner!

Kendall's Room - the Transformation is Complete!

We found out Wednesday that we would be able to have the house for the weekend to get Kendall's room done. After a lot of running around gathering supplies and finalizing donations, we managed to pull it off! Over Friday and Saturday, the project took 23 hours, 4 group members, and a few family members helping with various assigned tasks - we're very pleased with the finished project and hope Kendall will enjoy it :)

Before:

After:

More pictures from the project are posted on my website: http://www.stylishsolutions.biz/Charitable_Makeovers.html

Quick & Easy Bathroom Makeover

The main issue with this small bathroom: the client hated their bland colour scheme. Throw in a floor with pink undertones and a way-too-orange vanity, and the result is less than pretty. As the home's only bathroom it's always used by visitors, which made the homeowner cringe...she wanted a prettier room that wouldn't have her afraid to offer drinks to houseguests!

The solution? We started with a gorgeous shower curtain (Martha Stewart), then drew our other colours from that. Walls were painted a much more interesting red (Benjamin Moore's hot apple spice) and the vanity was painted out in davenport tan (now it's no longer the first thing your eye goes to when you walk into the room). The plain mirror was updated with wood trim - also painted davenport tan.

The result is a room the homeowner loves - done quickly and easily on a budget!

Quick & Easy Kitchen Makeover - On a Budget

This kitchen had several things that bothered the homeowner (aka me!)...the previous owners had chosen everything they liked without considering whether or not they went together (they mostly didn't!). The biggest problem was the backsplash - the contrasting grout

and the pattern on the tiles made the room look way too busy. Since a full kitchen makeover was being planned for a couple of years from now, all that was needed for now was a quick fix to make the room bearable for the homeowners who frowned every time we entered the kitchen.

Our quick and easy solution? A quart of paint (Davenport Tan HC-76) covered the backsplash and got rid of the busy lines, instantly making the room seem less cluttered. And a few $4 placemats were used to create a custom valance for the window.