The course for the DIYer, from a designer.

If you follow us on Instagram, you’ve probably heard about our virtual course. The Home Design Coach is designed for those of you who want to furnish your home yourself, but want a little guidance from professionals who choose furniture for a living – in other words, you want to learn how to furnish your home like a designer.

During the 6 week course, we’ll show you how to define your design style, measure and layout your space, source furniture and accessories, and implement your design! You’ll also get access to instructional videos demonstrating how to make sure your furniture selections will work together, as well as the basics of color theory and pattern mixing.

We walk you through all of this with an easy-to-follow curriculum:

Learn how to customize your home so it doesn’t look like it’s straight off of a big-box showroom floor. Make it perfect for YOU!

Each week, you’ll get 2 videos, a download with tips and resources, and a group check-in with a RWD designer! Throughout the course, you’ll also have access to an exclusive Facebook group where you can get further support from your fellow DIYers.

All of this for one payment of $495! Fall semester starts October 1st – don’t miss it!!

Ready to take the first step? Learn more about the course by signing up for an email with information here!

XOXO,

If you have an empty wall in need of art, odds are a nice abstract piece is just what you need! Abstract art lends itself well to many different design styles because it is so versatile! You can choose a serene abstract landscape or a wild dash of bright color across the canvas. Either way, abstract art is the exploration of movement, shape, and/or color and therefore will always make a statement in a room!

Let us know what piece is your favorite and check them out in further detail – all sources are below!

Sources: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15

XOXO,

1. Interior Design is a “Fluffy” Profession

Interior Design is not all about playing with fabric swatches or fluffing throw pillows. Much of what we do involves dealing with how a space functions and is laid out. We also deal with a lot of issues that arise during a remodel, and sort out the nitty gritty details that come along with a design project so that our clients don’t have to. We’re often working on getting replacement pieces of furniture when something comes in damaged, or specifying the exact color and type of grout that should be used in a tiling project. All of these little things have to be thought through carefully for every design project.

2. DIYers Can Do the Same Thing as an Interior Designer

There are many reasons this is untrue. One main reason is that interior designers have resources that others do not have. We have direct relationships with the furniture manufacturers, who also sell to the retail stores that the general public has access to, which gives us more options and control over the furniture we are ordering. We also have sales representatives from these companies, who’s job it is make sure all of our questions are answered – very helpful! Interior designers also often have a formal education in interiors, which is important! We are familiar with building codes and we have a solid knowledge of material properties which clients don’t normally know.

3. An Interior Designer Will Make You Get Rid of Your Great Grandmother’s China Set

No, in fact, we love that you are so attached to your great grammy’s china! A good designer will never push their personal design style into your home, or force you to part with furniture or accessories that are important to you. But make sure you let us know which items are sentimental! We wouldn’t want to spend time (and your money) looking for a new light fixture for your dining room without knowing it once belonged to a great grandparent.

4. You Shouldn’t Tell Your Designer Your Actual Budget

We’ve heard countless people say that you shouldn’t let your interior designer in on the big secret: your budget. This comes from the fear that your designer will take advantage of the number that comes out of your mouth in some way. In actuality, telling your designer your budget is very important! By knowing how much money is available for the project, they can determine if the project needs to be broken into phases, what type of consultation would best suit you, what materials to use, or what contractor would be the best fit. One thing to note, is that your designer is not obligated to accomplish the entire scope of your project within your budget. Obviously, we would love to do so, but if a bid or estimate comes in over what you are comfortable spending, we will let you know right away. That’s where phases come in, or in some cases, we may suggest a consultation for ideas only.

5. Things Happen Quickly

This myth is largely generated by design shows on TV. Design shows are meant to be entertaining, and they have to fit an entire design project into 20 minutes of content. The thing is, most things in the design world move rather slowly. Items are backordered, orders need to be processed, custom cabinets and furniture pieces are built, and things ship in from all over the place! Just to get to the phase of ordering furniture or printing plans for a permit can take 6-8 weeks. If you want to know how long we expect each phase to take, check out this blog post that explains it all.

6. Design is Inexpensive

This is another misconception that has been brought on by design shows. The client on a design show mentions a budget and the designer says, “OK!” and gets to work. Before you know it, the house is completely transformed. Sometimes, dry rot or a roof leak come up unexpectedly and you see the designer break the news to the client over a phone call, during which, the client almost always agrees to the extra cost. No matter the situation, though, the actual expenses are not discussed much. Truth be told, any design project is likely to come in more expensive than you think. We go into budgeting details in this post. It gives a realistic breakdown of what you can expect!

7. Designers Are Only for the Rich & Famous

Although design projects often end up costing more than you would think, using an interior designer is not only something for the rich and famous! Most designers we know got into this business at least in part because they like helping people feel at home in their house! Because we want to help you, we can most often find a way to achieve the home design of your dreams. If your budget will not accommodate all that you want to get done, your designer can help break the project into phases! Also, many designers offer a range of services, and can help you find the service that is right for you! For example, we offer 3 different consultation options, all with different costs. You can check those out here. We would love to meet with you!

Xoxo,

When the daughter of our past client came to us saying she had bought a new home and wanted our help, we were so excited and couldn’t wait to get started! We had no idea just how big of a job we were going to be stepping into.

When we first walked into the home, we knew it was special, and that we had a lot of work to do. All of the living spaces had distinct character, TONS of color, pattern, and some generally funky details (aka the kitchen cabinet pulls) – not at all what our client was looking for.

We’re going to highlight some of the spaces and the crazy design details that are (can we be honest here) going straight out the window as soon as possible. The home is currently in the demo stage, but we wanted to highlight the before story of this home before it gets finished.

We’d like to point out that many of the aspects of this home were custom-made for whoever lived here before our client, and it was probably their dream home… it’s just not ours or our client’s. Let us know what you think!

Entry

This entry space has great flow, and we love the staircase, but the faux wall texture, blue molding, and colored and patterned light fixture are a more than a little bit out-dated. The wall and the trim combo isn’t great, but the light fixture really steals the show – and not in the best way. The colorful, plastic pendants, rainbow metal details, and painted faux ceiling medallion really make quite a statement.

Dining Room

Another funky faux wall texture on the walls, this time in red, but yet again, the light fixture really steals the show. This thing HAD to be custom-made, because we’ve never ever seen anything like this before. The fixture has wavy arms with bulbs at the end, paired with larger, wing-like metal pieces, and some plastic and metal twigs (like that hot pink one). And do you SEE that perforated ceiling plate??

Family Room Bar

We’re guessing this painted rainbow swirl was done by the previous owners. It is hard to see in these pictures, but there’s a heart painted into the spiral on one side – it feels personal. The detail on the bar is pretty impressive, even if it’s not our taste. Just another sign that many of the elements of this home were custom-designed!

Family Room and Bar Details

This crazy sink sits in the bar (there was another similar one in the powder room at the top of this post). It’s actually really fun to use! The water flows out over the small, clear, glass circle and into the bowl. And the fan in the living room gives us major Piet Mondrian and sputnik vibes. As with everything else, very colorful!

Kitchen

This was one of the most surprising details of the house; the “climbing man” cabinet pulls. There are some other strange details in this kitchen, too, such as the combination of the tiny glass mosaic tiles and the faux-finished hood, but the layout was actually really functional! For the most part, we’re keeping the layout of the kitchen and just replacing the cabinets and finishes, but we’ll never forget these nude little men climbing up the original cabinet doors.

We hope you enjoyed this tour through one of our most recent projects! Keep up with us on Instagram to see how we’re transforming this home, and let us know what your thoughts are of this before story.

XOXO,