So I know I've promised a before & after blog on our new house for a while. We closed on the house in late April and spent our first night in our new house on May 13th. So- here's the story of how we made the house our home!
First off, we knew we wanted a cohesive "flow" through the house as far as colors or themes. We aren't afraid of color, but each room was a different color and none of it really matched with our current furniture or decor preferences. I also knew I have some china that was my grandmother's and I wanted so badly to be able to display it. I also knew that every time I tried to come up with an idea for a design, I became overwhelmed and wanted to cry. So what is your average, midwestern Kansas girl to do? Call in the A-team, of course!
I enlisted the services of an interior designer! I knew I was in over my head and needed help and I was SO thankful to know of an interior designer based in Wichita. I e-mailed her, and explained that I had a pretty tight budget (having just written the biggest check of our lives on the down payment, we didn't exactly have a ton of money for a re-haul!), and asked if she'd be able to help out in any way. She got back to me right away and together we talked about what my inspiration pieces were (the china, mainly!), what I did and didn't like (using google images as references), and then e-mailing her pictures of my house and of the furniture I'd be using in it. She was able to create the design having never seen my house- and I couldn't be happier about the outcome. Room by room she held my hand with everything from paint and curtains to the little details I would have never considered on my own. She even e-mailed me pictures of items I should be on the look out for (chandeliers, rugs, knobs and curtains) so that I could do my own leg work to find exactly what I wanted at a price I was comfortable paying.
It was painless and fast, and we were able to move forward quickly. Here are the before/after pictures of our new house with a bit of description about what we did:
Before (above)
After (below)
The living room & entry way got paint and new curtains.
Before (above)
After (different angle, below)
Better view of the paint and curtains:
Dining room, before (above)
After (below)
New paint, chandelier, rug, and window treatments:
Master bedroom before (above)
after (below)
New paint for both bedroom and bathroom, wall decal:
Madigan's room before (above)
and after (below)
New paint, wall decals, curtains and big girl bedding!
My personal favorite! The kitchen. Before (above)
After (below)
New paint, curtains, and knobs. The second
picture shows my grandmother's china hutch with the
china that was my "inspiration" in it!
We are so happy with the results! I also know I owe most (if not ALL!) of that to Trina, because without her help I would have floundered around miserably trying to make a decision!!
My point is: if you think you can't afford the help of a designer, you're wrong! You almost can't afford NOT to have input from a professional! Even in small-town America, I was able to find someone who understood my budget and worked with me- and I couldn't be more pleased!
Anyway- I wanted to post a link to her business page,
deezeyener.com, in case you are interested in having an e-mail consult like I did. Trust me, you'll be glad you contacted her!!
So if you're in my neck of the woods, please stop by! We'd love to show you around our home!
