Way back when, I posted about an e-design giveaway I was hosting with itSums. If you’re still not familiar with itSums, it is a budgeting tool that is the perfect marriage between visual and analytical. You create boards for any project on which you’re working, think renovation to a capsule wardrobe, and keep track of your spending. I use it for room designs for both myself and clients and I love how easy it is to use. You create categories within each board so that you can easily see where your budget is being allocated and not only do you see a pie graph with each category but each item you save to the board is right there in visual form. Don’t like numbers, you’ve got pictures! Don’t like pictures, you’ve got numbers! Win win!
Here is a peek at my home screen when I login (accounts are free!)…
So back to that giveaway…there was a great response and I was so excited to announce a winner but I ran into a problem. I couldn’t reach the winner. I set emails and FB messages and no response. I decided to move on to the next person and had the same problem. I went through at least 3 options and was hitting a wall. I hated for this giveaway to go to waste so I spoke with Carrie, the owner of itSums, and it just so happened that she had a neglected master bedroom that could use some e-design love. Since I had tried everything I could to reach out to the true winner we decided to just go with it!
Here are the before’s of her room…
On her wishlist:
king size bed (that her cat could not scratch)
nightstand for her husband (she wanted to keep her vintage vanity)
art as focal point (they had purchased a piece they loved)
Other than that I was free to work on the design as long as I stayed within a $5000-7000 budget. I set her board for the higher end but inside I was determined to stay closer, if not below, the lower end of her budget.
The windows in this room proved to be a little tricky but I decided that hanging ceiling to floor curtain panels would be a great way to give them a little height and balance them against the bed. And speaking of the bed, I used one of my favorite canopy beds to make a big bold statement. I love that this bed doesn’t feel too feminine (I’m sure her husband appreciated that as well:) ) And because I kept the rest of the design pretty subdued, the bed didn’t feel like too much for the space.
Back to the small awkward windows…although I love natural light, windows like this can be really difficult to address. The curtain panels help create the illusion of a standard size window and the round mirrors also help fill in the gap. The wood trim is another element that can be tricky. Some people would go in and immediately paint it white but I really wanted to preserve it. I suggested painting the room a nice crisp white so that the trim stands out more and then bring in some shades of blue and grey in the textiles.
I wanted to utilize the bench she already owned and keep the window as a focal point.I suggested sconces hung over their existing owl prints to create a more intentional seating area. The Target benches are great “floater pieces”. She could easily use them as side tables or at the foot of the bed. They have a flip up lid for storage so they are super functional. I ordered two for myself after sourcing them for this!
I am happy to report that I came in way under budget! I linked several options for some items, like bedding and rugs so the board doesn’t actually reflect the lower total. If you are looking for some guidance on a room in your house send me an email and we can set up your e-design package! And nows the time because I am bringing back my favorite deal:
That’s two rooms for $250! Shoot me an email to get started!
Happy Monday!