Furnishings & Accents
Bedroom: Masculine Cocoon
This bachelor was ready to make this space his own. Newly single, he wanted a space that would be sexy and masculine and, most importantly, let him sleep soundly in complete darkness. He also, very specifically wanted ‘layers’. First we chucked out the limp sofa and desk, and made this a dedicated bedroom. Then we completely sheathed the room in fabric - slate grey velvet curtains cover the windows, and the bed itself is surrounded by two layers that can be completely pulled shut, linen on the inside, silk on the outside. This bedroom gives this bachelor uninterrupted sleep and much needed rest so he’s ready to take on the world again.
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Living Room: Urban Awesomeness
This home owner really wanted to feel at home in thier urban house, but rarely spent time in this room because at night it was a corner-lot fishbowl, on view to the world. The first decision we made, after determining that this would be the ‘living room’ area instead of dining, was to add floor to ceiling turquoise velvet drapes. In addition to giving privacy they added gorgeous color and, along with the white shag rug, eliminated the echo in the room. The fantastic sputnik lighting created a focal point and also illuminated the whole room where before it felt dark even with all the lights on. Now the owner has furnishings to match the great architecture of their home, it feels fun and personal, and the drapes can be closed with ease to create a snug urban cocoon.
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Bathroom: Awesome Accessories
It doesn’t much to make a room feel interesting and personal. This bathroom was already stylish, with contemporary bath tile, concrete floors and a floating bamboo vanity. It just needed some personality and color. We simply added a statement Makimoto shower curtain and sassy red and grey towels with a brilliant red rug and voila! and bath to be proud to show off to guests!
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Living Room: Urban and Amazing
This woman was newly divorced and had just moved into her own condo. When she brought me in she was still figuring out her new life and said that the space felt empty and lonely. She wasn’t inclined to have people come over.
She said she wanted to feel excited, alive, and happy. Still, was she surprised when we ended up going for brilliant pumpkin-orange paint and a bold zebra print rug! Rivalee custom-painted art for the space and added a few accessories. The space almost instantly transformed from impersonal builder-boring to alive and incredibly personal!
The change in color and fantastic accessories add the drama to the room, but equally important was rearranging the furniture to create a more comfortable seating space and take the emphasis off the tv (which was also switched out for a slimmer wall-mounted flat screen, freeing up precious floor space).
Total cost for this room? Less than $1000, plus the cost of the new rug and tv.
She said she wanted to feel excited, alive, and happy. Still, was she surprised when we ended up going for brilliant pumpkin-orange paint and a bold zebra print rug! Rivalee custom-painted art for the space and added a few accessories. The space almost instantly transformed from impersonal builder-boring to alive and incredibly personal!
The change in color and fantastic accessories add the drama to the room, but equally important was rearranging the furniture to create a more comfortable seating space and take the emphasis off the tv (which was also switched out for a slimmer wall-mounted flat screen, freeing up precious floor space).
Total cost for this room? Less than $1000, plus the cost of the new rug and tv.
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Living Room: Lovely Rental
This single gal was renting this queen anne condo and couldn’t paint, but still wanted to really make it feel like home. She’d already been there a couple years, knew it would be at least another couple, and decided she no longer wanted to live like she was still in college.
She already had two beautifully reupholstered pieces, a chair and sofa handed down through family. Unfortunately the rest of the room was a mish-mash of unmatched wood pieces, all too small for the room, and a much-too-little area rug with no personality. She asked for a beautiful room where her friends would love to gather, and to make the view and her books the focus of the room instead of the tv.
By bringing in a soft, oversized rug and a contemporary entertainment unit that was more about books than media, adding more seating and fresh accessories, we created the room she wanted without changing the paint color at all.
She already had two beautifully reupholstered pieces, a chair and sofa handed down through family. Unfortunately the rest of the room was a mish-mash of unmatched wood pieces, all too small for the room, and a much-too-little area rug with no personality. She asked for a beautiful room where her friends would love to gather, and to make the view and her books the focus of the room instead of the tv.
By bringing in a soft, oversized rug and a contemporary entertainment unit that was more about books than media, adding more seating and fresh accessories, we created the room she wanted without changing the paint color at all.
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Dining Room: Beautiful Built-ins
This family had a gorgeous craftsman style dining set and a Restoration Hardware ceiling light that they brought with them to their new home. We installed built-in white-painted cabinets to serve as a display and buffet next to the table area, and stained cabinets for the bar area off the patio door area leading to the barbeque out back. Opting for painted cabinets for the built-in hutch area set off the lovely cherry dining set they already owned, while the stained wood let the bar area recede.
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Media Room: Play Time
Oh this was fun! This guy had lived in his new home for over a year but had never fully ‘moved in’. He wanted this room to be fun and playful, a space where he could screen movies from his projector system and have a dozen people all lounging around for a night of hanging out. We started by getting rid of all that college ‘decor’ - sheets over the windows, mattress on the floor, and sagging, legless sofa. We brought in his leather corner sofa and draped the windows in velvet blackout roman shades for movie-watching at all hours. Then we layered in a shaggy flokati rug, lots of floor pillows and fluffy bean bags, and added a coffee table that would be easy to use whether laying on the floor or the couch. At the last minute ‘Waffles’ the bear came in - and he turns out to be a great pillow, too! This room went from creepy to cool and he and his friends love it!
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Bedroom: Bland to Bold
This woman had moved into this bedroom after her divorce. She didn’t have a large budget for new furnishings, but it was important to her to create a space that felt grounded, bold, and finished. She had some great pieces to work with and a furniture layout that made sense, so this was really a project about paint and accessories.
We painted the walls a dark, deep charcoal grey, painted the dressers, trim and doors fresh white, replaced the hardware on the dressers to suit the beautiful French Country mirror, and painted the desk to match the new curtains and bed pillows. After we added some new accessories and lighting we spent some time reorganizing the desk and closet for efficiency and created a sophisticated, calm room that makes the owner smile.
Total cost for this room, $200 in materials, 16 hours time.
We painted the walls a dark, deep charcoal grey, painted the dressers, trim and doors fresh white, replaced the hardware on the dressers to suit the beautiful French Country mirror, and painted the desk to match the new curtains and bed pillows. After we added some new accessories and lighting we spent some time reorganizing the desk and closet for efficiency and created a sophisticated, calm room that makes the owner smile.
Total cost for this room, $200 in materials, 16 hours time.
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Living Room: Hiding a big TV
A recent and significant job loss helped this couple take a critical look at their life in general and acknowledge that they were feeling really unsatisfied, especially with the state of their home. It was so cluttered that they felt too embarrassed to have friends come over. It was time for a change. They wanted a room they could be proud to share with guests and that also felt great when it was just the two of them.
They actually had great furniture, but just too much of it for the space. The light yellow walls didn’t do anything but show off all the clutter, and their giant flat screen tv dwarfed everything else. We found new homes for much of the furniture, then painted the walls a medium, warm grey that would help both the furniture and the tv recede. Lastly we added soft, colorful accessories like the rug, drapes, art, and new lighting to create an inviting, cohesive space.
The homeowners now feel proud of the space and never hesitate to invite friends over for a movie or glass of wine.
They actually had great furniture, but just too much of it for the space. The light yellow walls didn’t do anything but show off all the clutter, and their giant flat screen tv dwarfed everything else. We found new homes for much of the furniture, then painted the walls a medium, warm grey that would help both the furniture and the tv recede. Lastly we added soft, colorful accessories like the rug, drapes, art, and new lighting to create an inviting, cohesive space.
The homeowners now feel proud of the space and never hesitate to invite friends over for a movie or glass of wine.
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Living Room: Craftsman Classic
Like many families these homeowners already owned a number of nice pieces of furniture, and also like many families who take on a big remodel, there wasn’t much money left in the budget afterwards to buy new furnishings, regardless.
We chose colors that would both compliment the new remodel and also perfectly incorporate all their old furnishings into their new home, creating a wonderful space to raise their kids for years to come. The deep pine-forest green on the far wall not only tied in their large area rug, it also grounded the large armoire and made it fit snugly into the room. The rich burgundy in the far room (dining) also tied into the rug in the living room, making the whole space feel thoughtfully planned, warm, and inviting.
We chose colors that would both compliment the new remodel and also perfectly incorporate all their old furnishings into their new home, creating a wonderful space to raise their kids for years to come. The deep pine-forest green on the far wall not only tied in their large area rug, it also grounded the large armoire and made it fit snugly into the room. The rich burgundy in the far room (dining) also tied into the rug in the living room, making the whole space feel thoughtfully planned, warm, and inviting.
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Office: Luxurious Library
This bachelor wanted a cozy, rich library and reading room where he could escape, his own intellectual cocoon. The problem was that the room was not only bare (concrete floors, plain walls, uncovered windows) but it also had an unsightly electrical panel showing, an unnecessary second door to the bathroom and a door to a rarely used closet. We softened the room with a fun black and white shaggy rug and added dramatic bright-coral full-length drapes to conceal the doors and panel. We made the room inviting with generous, comfy chairs complete with a shaggy pillow and cozy tweed throw, and finished it with a graphic piece of art and a great arc light for reading. Now he has a room that can be the perfect retreat for cozying up with a favorite book, and a great place to settle in with a colleague debating their latest discoveries.
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Guestroom: Fun and Fresh
Guest rooms are the perfect place to have a little fun in your home. In this one we wanted to create a space that would be inviting to both adults and young kids, so we brought in both lively lime green and grounded coffee brown, and accessorized with oversized leafy art and some clever frog and dragonfly treasures. We also were able to pull in a number of photographs the homeowner had purchased years ago and, of course, make it all work with the furniture they already had on hand. A great guest room for grown ups and kids alike.
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Living Room: Soft Sophistication
The rich burgundy wine colored accent wall was quite pretty, but this family wanted a change to something more updated and sophisticated. While they were not yet in a position to update the larger furniture pieces, we swapped out the old and too-small rug for a new, larger rug, and exchanged the very traditional coffee and end tables for a more contemporary look. We added a new floor lamp with more substance and a shade that was a better compliment to their existing table lamp, and refreshed the items on display on the mantle to showcase their treasures instead of being spaced evenly in a line-up. Of course, we also changed the burgundy paint to a soft, rich sparrow grey. The result is a room that is more sophisticated and yet less formal, a grown-up, elegantly relaxed room.
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Living room: Going Global
This client was a fabulous woman embracing her new single life. She decided to buy a wonderful house with box beam ceilings, warm wood floors and picture windows, but wasn’t quite sure how to make the most of it and make it really feel like her home. We painted the ceiling and walls in a warm Citrine yellow, enhancing the warmth of the room and showing off those fantastic ceilings! We worked together to select a new L-shaped sofa to create a cozy seating area, then filled the room with accessories she’d collected during her world travels. This project was a wonderful example of client and designer working hand in hand to transform a space and make it really personal!
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Office: Feminine Den
Officially this was the homeowner’s office space, but she rarely spent time in the room because it was just a cold, ugly, cluttered space. She wanted a room that looked beautiful and would be less of a clutter magnet.
We rearranged her office furniture so that nothing blocked the windows and so her back wouldn’t be to the door when she worked. We painted the room a yellow the color of deep summer sunshine, and brought in elegant, comfortable seating where she could linger over a book. That made the space a room of rest, not just work and bills.
We rearranged her office furniture so that nothing blocked the windows and so her back wouldn’t be to the door when she worked. We painted the room a yellow the color of deep summer sunshine, and brought in elegant, comfortable seating where she could linger over a book. That made the space a room of rest, not just work and bills.
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Bedroom: Eliminating Clutter
This couple’s bedroom was overrun with laundry and clutter, leaving no room for rest, relaxation or romance!
We spent a day sorting and clearing, going through every piece of clothing and through every drawer. We painted the walls a lovely island-waters blue and had our contractor flip the door so it would open out of the room instead of in. As a result we could rearrange the existing furniture so the headboard no longer blocked the window. Then we accessorized with gauzy white curtains, recycled mirrors, the homeowners’ art and knickknacks and some new throw pillows.
We created an island-inspired retreat in less than three days and for $1150. Two years later, they’ve still maintained their new, clutter-less lifestyle! To quote the delightful words of the homeowner, they’ve gone “from Piglet to Peace.”
We spent a day sorting and clearing, going through every piece of clothing and through every drawer. We painted the walls a lovely island-waters blue and had our contractor flip the door so it would open out of the room instead of in. As a result we could rearrange the existing furniture so the headboard no longer blocked the window. Then we accessorized with gauzy white curtains, recycled mirrors, the homeowners’ art and knickknacks and some new throw pillows.
We created an island-inspired retreat in less than three days and for $1150. Two years later, they’ve still maintained their new, clutter-less lifestyle! To quote the delightful words of the homeowner, they’ve gone “from Piglet to Peace.”
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Living Room: From Suburban to Urban
This couple wanted to turn their bland, outdated family room into a cozy, interesting lounge for hanging out and watching tv. The challenge was making a long, shoe-box shaped room feel cozy and inviting while keeping it functional as the ‘hallway’ from the garage to the rest of the house. The additional challenge was to have a big bed for their great dane without a traditional, stuffed dog pillow. After the walls were freshly sheet-rocked and the carpet updated to a neutral and easy-to-clean frieze, we painted the walls a combination of dark charcoal and wasabi green. This made the room cozier and more textural, although it made the homeowners nervous to have such dark and ‘weird’ colors on the walls. Then we centered a large chocolate brown sofa in the room, put an oversize vintage chair in the corner for the great dane, anchored the sofa and the coffee table with a sisal rug, and accessorized using the treasures the homeowners had on hand. While the homeowners weren’t so sure about the colors when we first suggested them, or even once they were painted, they absolutely loved the results once the whole room came together!
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Media Room: Man Cave
This client hired me to makeover the tv room as a gift to her husband. They wanted the space to feel fun and easy-going, but updated and much cozier.
When we started this basement room was painted white. While white paint might feel like a ‘safe’ choice, it can’t create a cozy a room, combat the chill of a daylight basement, or help hide clutter and big tvs, all of which this man-room needed! We covered all that white paint with warm grey on the walls and ceilings and updated the room with golden oak flooring. It was important to showcase the sports collections and to keep the room masculine, so we tied all the colors together with a bold rug, suede pillows (just a few) and hefty wood lamps, and reorganized the collection of Seahawks and Mariners items to show them off more fully.
The result is a masculine, comfortable media room that pays homage to the homeowner’s favorite sports teams without resorting to cliche and expected sports-team colors for the walls and accessories.
When we started this basement room was painted white. While white paint might feel like a ‘safe’ choice, it can’t create a cozy a room, combat the chill of a daylight basement, or help hide clutter and big tvs, all of which this man-room needed! We covered all that white paint with warm grey on the walls and ceilings and updated the room with golden oak flooring. It was important to showcase the sports collections and to keep the room masculine, so we tied all the colors together with a bold rug, suede pillows (just a few) and hefty wood lamps, and reorganized the collection of Seahawks and Mariners items to show them off more fully.
The result is a masculine, comfortable media room that pays homage to the homeowner’s favorite sports teams without resorting to cliche and expected sports-team colors for the walls and accessories.
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Guestroom: Handsome Retreat
This urban bachelor used this tiny loft space as a ‘guest room’, and wanted to create a space that would make his guests feel more at home - a little more privacy, a place to put their glass and a book next to the bed.
We started by warming up the space with a coat of paint (Benjamin Moore’s Pashmina) and installed a smoked and tinted glass wall to provide some privacy and a sturdy headboard. We hung pendant lights from the ceiling so that there would be adequate light but it wouldn’t eat up precious table space, and installed triangular corner shelves as night stands. Then we dressed the bed in deep grey sheets and fresh white linens, and tossed in a couple throw pillows, natural art, fresh flowers, and a spare blanket for richness and texture.
We started by warming up the space with a coat of paint (Benjamin Moore’s Pashmina) and installed a smoked and tinted glass wall to provide some privacy and a sturdy headboard. We hung pendant lights from the ceiling so that there would be adequate light but it wouldn’t eat up precious table space, and installed triangular corner shelves as night stands. Then we dressed the bed in deep grey sheets and fresh white linens, and tossed in a couple throw pillows, natural art, fresh flowers, and a spare blanket for richness and texture.
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Living Room: Rich and Inviting
The living room had looked like this for years as the homeowner focussed on being a single mom. Once her daughter was grown she wanted to create a living room that would make her excited, not embarrassed, to invite people over. She wasn’t sure where to start, but had found a painting that she loved, so we keyed the colors off that inspiration piece.
We started by removing the old mirror tiles from around the fireplace, then we faux painted the brick to make it a richer espresso color to match the hearth. We painted the walls olive green and then accessorized the room with deep chocolate and vivid red furnishings, giving the once-bare room bold, intriguing and rich flavor that made the homeowner feel eager to be at home and share the space with her friends and family.
We started by removing the old mirror tiles from around the fireplace, then we faux painted the brick to make it a richer espresso color to match the hearth. We painted the walls olive green and then accessorized the room with deep chocolate and vivid red furnishings, giving the once-bare room bold, intriguing and rich flavor that made the homeowner feel eager to be at home and share the space with her friends and family.
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Bedroom: Natural Zen
This woman had lived in this 80’ bedroom since her divorce years prior, but had focused her time and energy on single-handedly raising her daughter. Now her daughter was grown and it was time to create a sanctuary for herself. She asked for a space that was clean and contemporary but still soft, welcoming, and warm.
The room was plagued with popcorn ceilings, outdated and broken fixtures, buckling carpet and a bad wall texturing job left over from the previous homeowners. We started from scratch, re-sheet rocking the walls, eliminating the soffit over the bed, and getting rid of the flimsy doors, lighting and trim. We painted the room soft buttery yellow, installed shogi-style frosted glass doors, and laid ecofriendly cork flooring that would be soft underfoot but less allergen-friendly than carpet. Then we finished the room with beautiful new linens, furnishing and accessories, selling the old ones that were salvageable on Craigslist.
The room was plagued with popcorn ceilings, outdated and broken fixtures, buckling carpet and a bad wall texturing job left over from the previous homeowners. We started from scratch, re-sheet rocking the walls, eliminating the soffit over the bed, and getting rid of the flimsy doors, lighting and trim. We painted the room soft buttery yellow, installed shogi-style frosted glass doors, and laid ecofriendly cork flooring that would be soft underfoot but less allergen-friendly than carpet. Then we finished the room with beautiful new linens, furnishing and accessories, selling the old ones that were salvageable on Craigslist.
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Living Room: Southwest Modern
The owners of this home just purchased this beautiful contemporary sofa, but needed help complimenting it with the right accessories. We added a beautiful new area rug and laid it horizontally in the room to reduce the long skinny feeling of the space, then placed an accent chair, Naguchi-style table and colorful accessories to create a warm, cohesive, contemporary living room.
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Dining Room: Simple Softening
This couple owned a beautiful home and already had great furnishings, but the dining room felt cold and unfinished.
We warmed up the whole room by painting the walls and ceiling a deep camel color, and softened and grounded the space with a generous, luxurious area rug. We eliminated the glass chandelier with its hard square edges and replaced it with a round fixture with a linen covered drum shade, and updated the chairs with new fabric to compliment the new paint and carpet.
There was no need to overhaul this room - we just took what they had and helped to complete the look.
We warmed up the whole room by painting the walls and ceiling a deep camel color, and softened and grounded the space with a generous, luxurious area rug. We eliminated the glass chandelier with its hard square edges and replaced it with a round fixture with a linen covered drum shade, and updated the chairs with new fabric to compliment the new paint and carpet.
There was no need to overhaul this room - we just took what they had and helped to complete the look.
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Office: Work-From-Home Den
As a loving gift to her recently-laid-off husband, this woman asked me to salvage their home office so that he could feel the possibility of success again and have a space where he could possibly build a new business from home.
Together we emptied the room. It took two full days of sorting to figure out what would need to go back in... by the time we were done we discarded three garbage bags of trash, filled the recycling container twice, and taken two full carloads to Goodwill. They were troopers and we were all worn out by the end!
Then came the fun part. We painted the walls pear green, replaced the old overhead fixture, brought in the storage towers that were unused elsewhere in the house, uncovered his grandfather’s old desk, and arranged the room to feel like a cozy, warm library. We brought in a leather reading chair from the living room, and added a new chocolate shag rug, oversized clock, and two woven framed mirrors.
We didn’t have to buy a single piece of furniture for this room - it was all about purging and then making the most of what they already had on hand. Total cost for makeover (including the sorting and organizing time) $2100. Since this project he had built a successful business and has in fact hired others to work with him! That’s success!
Together we emptied the room. It took two full days of sorting to figure out what would need to go back in... by the time we were done we discarded three garbage bags of trash, filled the recycling container twice, and taken two full carloads to Goodwill. They were troopers and we were all worn out by the end!
Then came the fun part. We painted the walls pear green, replaced the old overhead fixture, brought in the storage towers that were unused elsewhere in the house, uncovered his grandfather’s old desk, and arranged the room to feel like a cozy, warm library. We brought in a leather reading chair from the living room, and added a new chocolate shag rug, oversized clock, and two woven framed mirrors.
We didn’t have to buy a single piece of furniture for this room - it was all about purging and then making the most of what they already had on hand. Total cost for makeover (including the sorting and organizing time) $2100. Since this project he had built a successful business and has in fact hired others to work with him! That’s success!
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Guestroom: Beautiful Makeover
This guestroom suffered an identity crisis - the elegant artwork didn’t go with the youthful bedding and stuffed animals, and the ironing and holiday decor was turning it into a storage room. We painted the walls a buttery yellow and replaced the mat on the artwork to a softer, more elegant color. We kept all the same furniture but rearranged it so that the bed could be approached from either side, making the room feel more spacious. We hung long violet colored silk drapes and gauzy sheers to camouflage the flat skinny window, then dressed the bed in soft eggplant colored linens with playful throw pillows in poppy reds. Simple de-cluttering, new paint and accessories, and the room got a whole new life!
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Dining Room: Paint and Accessories
This bachelor owned beautiful mid-century furniture but hadn’t been able to make the space feel warm or personal. Simply painting the walls in several shades of warm grey, reupholstering the chairs from office tweed to navy leather, and adding some modern, masculine accessories, and the room went from cold and impersonal to warm and inviting, without every feeling ‘fussy’.
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Bedroom: Teal and Chocolate
This bachelor had bought bedroom furniture but had never decorated the room in a way that showed it off, and though it was kept neat and clean it felt crowded and messy. He wanted a space that felt ‘finished’ and would feel inviting sould he invite guests over.
We rearranged the furniture so nothing blocked the windows or closets - that took away the feeling of being crowded. Then we painted the walls chocolate and aqua, color pulled from the painting he had in the room, and hung coordinating curtains to soften the look. Aside from a new duvet and pillows, paint and drapes, we didn’t have to add anything new to make this transformation. Easy to maintain, easy on the eye.
We rearranged the furniture so nothing blocked the windows or closets - that took away the feeling of being crowded. Then we painted the walls chocolate and aqua, color pulled from the painting he had in the room, and hung coordinating curtains to soften the look. Aside from a new duvet and pillows, paint and drapes, we didn’t have to add anything new to make this transformation. Easy to maintain, easy on the eye.
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