Demorest Designs

Craig's List and Creating New Spaces!

2012-02-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

So I sold my first piece of furniture on Craig's list and it was quite an experience. I have friends and family who have sold many items on Craig's list and I often advise others to post furniture on this site but this was my first experience. I listed my table and about 2 weeks after I posted it, I finally sold it to a sweet family that live in Broad Ripple. However, I learned a little bit about scammers along the way. I had 4-5 people contact me saying that they for one reason or another could not come look at the table themselves but wanted to purchase it and would send their movers to pick it up. It was highly suspicious because they kept asking me to KINDLY send them my address or info. so they could have someone pick it up. SO lesson of the day is that if you list a larger item be aware of people trying to scam you. I still think Craig's list is great and what is ironic that we might buy a table from the family that bought mine.....

Like some of you, our home has a more formal space that does not get used very often (well, at our house it doesn't get used how it is suppose to get used) Most of the time during the winter, all the tables are pushed against the walls and the kids are building forts and playing football in the open space. So, I have decided that I am going to sell everything in this space and redo the whole entire downstairs both form and function! This process could take a while because my goal is to sell everything and then use the exact same amount of money to redo it all.

I plan on moving my office into our little room downstairs that has been a play room, Josiah's nursery, and currently is housing a college kid. Side Note: If you notice in all the pictures of this room that almost all the lamp shades are bent and broken....that is due to the hours of football that takes place in this space! What am I suppose to do though??? .....we have no basement! lol!

I haven't decided if these shelves will stay....maybe in a new location???

I hear from my clients all the time that while they want change, sometimes it is hard to say good-bye to the old for one reason or another. Sometimes it is a treasured piece of furniture that is well past its prime or some trinket that their best friend, husband, or the mother-in-law gave them that they are afraid to not use. Well, guess what, I am the same way. I bought this table and chairs in Virginia and it was once one of my favorite pieces of furniture (now its not my preferred style but it is still classic and beautiful) probably because I purchased it from the Pottery Barn Outlet near our house and I had to keep making trips every week to see if another chair had come in....(good thing the outlet was only a mile away)! As I helped to load it up yesterday part of me wanted to say, STOP What am I doing:? My house was done, finished, complete and now I am going to start over? The good news is that once the new design is in place I will love it and how it function fits the needs of our growing family....but yes, I hear ya, it is still scary and hard to say goodbye to something that you love and have many memories of...

$200.00 can go a long way!

2012-01-19T19:37:00.000-08:00

What I love about good design is that you don't have to spend a lot of money to get big results. It's about knowing what to spend money on and making it all work together. I helped a single mom who had recently moved redo her daughter's room for around $200.00. Here is how we spent the money. (I am not including the paint in the $200.00)

Below: Window Wall Before

After: Window Wall After
Mirror: Ikea $20.00, Curtains: Bed, Bath, and Beyond $40.00, Wall Decals: Ikea $10.00 (used the same bookcase) Black Baskets came from another room in the house.

After: Bedding: Bed, Bath, and Beyond $30.00, Lighting: Ikea $10.00, Bedside table: Ikea $10.00, Decorative Pillow: Ikea $4.00

Before: Dormer Window

After: Dormer Window Her daughter loves music and requested that I do something that reflected that love. I thought this window would be the perfect place to relax and listen to her favorite songs.
Curtains: Bed, Bath, and Beyond $40.00, Vintage Records and Clock $5.00, Pillows: Ikea $15.00, Lighting: Ikea $10.00

Decorating this room reminded me of why I started working as a designer in the first place. This family has been through a lot and having her room beautiful meant so much to the mom and the daughter. When we revealed her room to her, the daughter almost fell over with joy. You would have thought we spent $2000.00 not 200.00 with the reaction we got! That is why I love good, intentional design!

The Harvest Is Plentiful

2011-11-23T10:09:00.001-08:00

Some of you might remember that last year I helped make a food and vegetable bar for Taylor's Thanksgiving Chapel. I was asked to help out again this year, but to keep it different and interesting we used only apples. It is always fun to be able to use my creativity for things other then houses! Here are some pictures from Chapel that Taylor's professional photographer, Jim Gerringer took. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I took this picture and although I think it looks pretty good, it does look more grainy compared to the others.....

Sneak Peak

2011-11-22T04:39:00.001-08:00

I am so excited to post pictures of the Yordy's House, but there are still a few finishing touches that need to be done so this is just a sneak peak. I will have TONS more pictures soon.....

Sitting Room Before

Sitting Room After: When I made a presentation to the Yordy's I suggested that they use this space as a Grandma's Corner/ Kid's Nook. We found these bookshelves at Ikea and actually took off an inch or two from the bottom of them so that they would fit under the windows! I love how the storage is both functional and beautiful.

Family Room Before

Family Room After (still a few thing to finish up....)

A little goes along way!

2011-11-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

My husband told me the other day that it would be nice if we decorated for the fall season and Thanksgiving this year (long pause)! Yes, apparently, the past couple years due to the craziness of football season, my design business, BASSYCSJR. etc.... I have skipped decorating during the fall and gone straight to Christmas. Last weekend, I was asked to make a few decorations for a football brunch for mothers and coach's wives and after the event I was inspired to pull out a few fall decorations. I am a big believer in not going crazy with seasonal decorations because they can quickly clutter up a space. So to keep it simple, I change my table decor as well as place one or two pops of the season in each room, I do love to bring the beautiful fall colors inside. Here are a few tips to remember when decorating for different seasons, that a little goes a long way! Don't tell anyone that I have 5 Christmas trees though!!

2011-10-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

Fred and Linda's House

One of my favorite clients gave her mom a gift card for my services last Christmas. Below is the email I received from her mom after she opened her present.

Hi Beth! There hasn't been a present in a long time that I have been so excited about! I cried on Christmas morning when I read the certificate that Traci typed up!

Here are pictures of our living room, dining room, family room, kitchen and foyer. My wall colors are Martha Stewart....... Georgica Beach and Westport Tan. They're probably not available anymore for you to look them up. They're kinda sage/tan. The accent wall in the kitchen looks orange in the picture but it's rust. I am VERY content with the colors and would prefer not to paint but I'm also not opposed to it if you think we should change colors. I definitely would change the accent wall without thinking twice.

So, I headed to Michigan in February for a weekend makeover. Here is what we were able to accomplish.

Linda had great overall style and accessories but needed some help with furniture lay-out as well as bringing some warmth to the rooms with layering of accessories and especially some different window treatments.

Dining Room Before: I needed to create some warmth with paint and curtains because the furniture color is light and there is little contrast in the room so it seems a bit boring. My client didn't want to spend much on this room so we moved the furniture around providing more balance, a warm color on the walls, a new chandelier which also helps create some texture in a pretty simple room.

Dining Room After: This picture was taken before we finished hanging pictures!

Family Room Before: Again Linda had great pieces but the room felt a bit disjointed and lacked a real focal point. I moved furniture around and created a seating area that is truly beautiful and functional. My favorite thing is how we took the two chairs and put them together to create a love seat/satee. It really helped balance out the room and gave the whole room a pulled together feeling.

We added new pillows, switched out the coffee table for a smaller one, and hung some new curtains. Linda also painted the week after I left (I tried to honor her wishes to not paint but after seeing the house realized that paint would make a huge difference!)

This is the only picture I have of the entire room and it doesn't really do it justice but that is the problem when the client is in Michigan =) We also bought new artwork that is pictured above and below. Love the canvases!

2 chairs pushed together to balance out the room make a huge difference!

Entry way Before

This was so simple yet adds so much.

This room we just added some interest by purchasing the large picture to use as the focal point in the room. We also rearranged the furniture a bit to bring some balance and although you can't see it we also added some texture and interest with new curtains.

Serenity House

2011-10-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

When I heard about this house, I knew it was something that I wanted to be able to help out with in anyway I could.

It is a home for 18 -21 year old girls who are coming out of foster care or other living situations and need a place to call home until the next stage of life begins for them. I was honored to donate my time and talents to help design a place that is warm, comfortable, and can be a home for the girls. It was great to have the freedom to be creative and to keep this home young yet beautiful!

Bedroom Before

Bedroom After

Library Before

Library After

Dining Room Before

Dining Room After

Loved the serious furniture with the fun accessories in this space!

Here is our tree again

Family Room Before

Family Room After

I love the storage ottomans. They are great for so many things. I also love the small round ottomans for drinks and for extra seating. This room came together with items from Dillman Furniture, Home Goods, Jo Ann's, Target, Ikea, & Pier1.

I wanted something in the hallway that could bring interest to the large space as well as be a symbol for all who live in this house. I love the verse that talks of the tree that is firmly planted by the water . It is perfect symbol for the growth and love that will take place in this home.

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After: New Appliances, countertop, and flooring plus a new paint job on the cabinets.....

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After

Bedroom Before

Bedroom After

Bedroom Before

Bedroom 2 After

Contemporary Home Office

2011-06-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

After: Window Wall

Above Before: Window Wall

When I first started working on this photographer's office, I thought that this room was impossibly small for the amount of things that my client wanted to be able to do in this space. She wanted a room where she could bring clients to plan sessions and view photographs as well as a space for her office and computer where she spends countless hours editing. She also wanted to be able to store her equipment and various props as well as showcase her work and inspire her clients to think outside the box when ordering their pictures. Last but not least, we both wanted the room to reflect her branding and of course to be beautiful. It was a huge goal but I am happy to say that I think we nailed it and we both love it. Check out her work at www.tracifalderphotography.com. She's amazing!

Before

After: Client Meeting Nook

Before

After: Client Meeting Area

Before

After: Desk and Editing Center

Before

After: Contemporary Home Office

Traci Falder Photography

Shabby Chic Girl's Room

2011-04-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

My client was a 4 year old little girl who loves all things sugar and spice. So we decided to give her a sweet shabby chic room every princess deserves. This room was empty except for the bed which was in the other corner of the room (my before pictures were lost....so sad but imagine a big empty room). Because the room is a bit small for such a big bed, I didn't want the bed to over power it. So, I placed the bed in front of the window and made a custom window treatment out of a shower curtain that helped balance out the scale of the bed. I knew that by making the window treatment expand past the window, it would trick the eye to make the window seem just as big as the bed. It was a great solution to a large bed in a small room.

I worked on lots of items in this room myself including this mirror and the letters. I used fabrics and modgepodge to cover the wood letters and adhere them onto this mirror which I painted green. I think it's a creative way to bring some color into the room and also personalize it. I also had the pillows made and added little bits or ribbon and pearls here and there. Below you can see a custom wall treatment I did.

If you look really close you can see the tone on tone wall treatment we did to the wall. Since the window wall has the bed on it we wanted to create a little drama on the other walls to add interest. I took the wall paint and added a little bit of white paint and glaze and then used a stencil to apply it to the walls.

A dress-up corner was a must for this little girl!

This beautiful chandilier was the perfect finishing touch.

Army Themed Room

2011-03-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

We had several goals at the start of this room. My client is a 7 year old boy who needed his room to be functional for school work and projects but also meet his sensory needs (not over stimulating as environment plays a huge role in his everyday function). The room also needed to allow space for other theraputic tools like a trampoline and rope swing so I wanted to make sure that the furniture we placed in the room was against the walls to allow space for him to move around. I was very exited about the challenge and I think that we nailed it by using the placement of high impact accessories like the camo net above the desk area. This holds a lot of interest but does not "crowd" the senses. Also, the ladder that we used for the bunk beds requires more focus and physical energy then a regular ladder (also goes better with our theme), so it is a form of therapy for Jonah as he climbs up and down it.

Before: We moved the bed to the opposite side of the room and it made a huge difference in balancing out the room. In addition we to help with balancing out the bunk beds we installed a desk with 2 tall storage towers (purchased from Ikea) to hold all of Jonah's books, toys, and of course his collection of authentic Army gear. (pictured below)

The picture of Jonah that you see on the wall was our inspiration for the whole room. Also, one of my favorite things in this room is the back lights that I placed behind the camo-net. I love how it adds light and dimension to the space as well as highlights the airplanes and accessories!

Before: Room lacked interest and design!

After: Finding the perfect bedding for this room was important to bring it together without if feeling too "themed" and over the top. We had custom pillows made to complete the look and also framed an army picture to provide a focal point above dresser.

Before: Closet door and dresser. The wall with the dresser is now where the bed sits.

After: Shadow boxes worked together to be interesting artwork!

Here are a few close-ups of some of the accessories that we used for the room.

Decorating with Food!

2011-02-02T17:28:00.000-08:00

This past November, I was asked to help decorate at the Taylor Thanksgiving Chapel. We had the idea to do a fruit and vegetable bar since it is so popular at weddings and parties right now. It was a blast to work with food and I love how it all came together. They decided to donate all the food to a local food shelter after the chapel so it was all for a good cause as well. As some of you know, I don't love lots of the foods I was working with, however, I do find lots of inspiration by looking at all the colors and shapes in these gorgeous foods. What about you...What grabs your attention? I love the different shades of green we find in food; from the deep artichokes, to the yellowy green pears to the bright limes. It's amazing that when God created the world, he put all of this color and beauty into the design of the food that we eat everyday that gives us life. Hope you are inspired too. Call me if you need a color consult to spice up your home!

Color Theory or Color Therapy?

2011-02-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

I have many people ask me my thoughts on color. I often state to my clients that there are really only 3 basic colors (primary: red, yellow, and blue) and after that only 3-4 secondary colors (primary colors combined together to get a secondary color. ex. red + yellow = orange) so when you think about colors think about SHADES of colors as well as how you want the room you are decorating to respond to colors. Here are a few tips I have picked up along the way.

The important thing you always want to remember about color is use it wisely. First and foremost think about what emotion you want to evoke within your room. Colors like red, yellow and orange are vibrant and evoke a sense of energy. If used in too many places it can be overwhelming for some. Colors like blues and greens depending on the shade can be very relaxing and calm. Then you have those rich colors like chocolate brown and deep purple that evoke a sense of comfort and warmth.

You can see that by adding color to this room that we were able to bring out the warmth and beauty of the fireplace. I kept the color on the walls a deep nuetral so that it would not compete with the colors in the fireplace but compliment it. Then we added the suttle blue color through the pillows, candles, pictures and other accessories to pull together a warm, beautiful and inviting space. Also notice how we removed the blue sofa and replaced it with more nuetral furniture. If you want to see more of this makeover go to my post from 2009: http://demorestdesign.blogspot.com/2009/04/keim-family-room-and-dining-room.html

If you want to be a little more bold, then painting a room with a more intense color is a way to get a more dramatic use out of color. However, I will warn you that if that is all you do, there will be a disconnect between the walls and the "stuff" in your room. It is important to focus on bringing in the color and also shades of the color with things like pillows, blankets, vases, flowers, art, rugs, etc. The best thing about keeping this in mind when you decorate is that if you grow tired of the color then if you keep your larger furniture pieces neutral you don't have to spend the money to buy new furniture if you decide you want a change. All you need to do is change out your accessories and put new paint on the walls for a cost effective way to create a new space and a new feeling for the room!

A work in progress

2010-12-01T20:06:00.000-08:00

Michelle and I started working together a few years ago after they moved into their new home. We have worked on her home in stages. This picture shows the window treatments and some staging we did with the built-ins.

Below, you can see the new furniture that we just puchased that fits the space perfectly and brings it all together. We also added new lighting and pillows that brings together Michelle's contemporary home with her ecletic style.

We added this tile back splash last year to bring a pop of color into Michelle's warm kitchen. It is such a great way to add a punch of color in the kitchen.

In the Dining Room, we have added the tableware, paintings, mirrors, custom seat cushions, and table runner. I love the way it all came together and I have loved working with Michelle over the years. Michelle is a great example of a client who works on things as she has the time and money. Design doesn't have to all happen at once but with an intentional plan can happen whenever you and your family are ready for it.

Design Pricing Guide

2010-12-01T19:27:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of some of the services I offer along with my fees. If you need more information about any of them, please email me at demorestdesigns@gmail.com.

Services and Pricing Guide

Initial Home Design Consultation…………..........................…..….$100.00
• Phone Consultation to learn about your project, goals, budget, style and function of your space and the various ways we can work together to achieve your design goals.
• 3 Hours of In-Home Consultating discussing paint colors (Up to 2), furniture lay-out and floor plan, accessorizing, and overall design plan.
• Consultation includes up to 3 rooms in your home.

Multi-Color Consultation..............………………………......…..….$85.00
• In-home consultation to discuss colors, overall design plan of home and how color fits into the plan. Discussion of trim, ceiling, flooring, and paint sheen options.
• Includes up to 4 colors.

One Room Remix…………………….....................…………….….$50.00
Need to update your family room, bedroom, or favorite sitting area but want to use what you have around your house? This design remix is one of my favorite ways to bring new life to your space. Includes 1.5 hours of in-home consulting.

New Home …………………………………….…......…starting at $400.00
• Together we will help build and implement an intentional design plan that will transform your new house into a beautiful, warm and inviting home.
• Clients will bring samples and together we will select your flooring, lighting, colors, finishes, cabinetry, siding, brick, etc…
• Includes up to 5 colors and 10 hours of design consulting.

Hourly Rate………………………...................……………….…….$35.00
This rate is used after a scheduled consultation as agreed upon with the client. *References available upon request
*Sometimes, especially for very large projects, the client will prefer to pay me a negotiated flat fee for designing and managing the entire project, plus 20% of purchases made through my company to obtain my discounts.

Needham, Storey, and Wampner Funeral Home

2010-09-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

A year later.....The funeral home makeover took a little over 3 months and is one of the highlights of my career so far. It was a lot of work but the end result was well worth it. I was asked to create an atmosphere that the president of the bank and the average joe could both feel comfortable and relaxed in. I was given a budget and asked to do SOOO much with it and I am proud to say that we were able to accomplish our goals. It was a complete makeover and included all new carpet, wall paint, ceiling tiles, chandeliers and lighting, furniture, and accessories. We made over the lobby, offices, conference rooms, cafeteria, 2 large chapels and the bathrooms.

Before Lobby
Before: Conference Room
After: Conference Room
New ceiling tiles, chandelier, wall color, carpet, and accessories.

After: Lobby Entrance to Chapels

Before: The bathrooms were a disaster! We did not have the budget to do a complete makeover but were able to improve them by removing wall paper, changing the vanities, lighting, mirrors, and hardware. A little did a lot in these outdated bathrooms.
Before: Ladies sitting area in Bathroom
After: Ladies Sitting Area
Love this satee' it is from Pier 1!
Before: Cafeteria
After: Cafeteria
New Window Treatments, ceiling tiles, lighting, furniture and accessories After: I tried to create areas for flowers and gifts for the family that were warm and inviting.My Inspiration: I bought this painting when I first talked to the funeral home over 2 years ago. It represents everything that I wanted the funeral home to be: calm, serene, and relaxing.

I was bummed because one of the non-negotiables was the lobby T.V. I didn't like that it was the focal point but was able to dress it up by putting a wood frame around the t.v. and then placing a gorgeous bombay cabinet underneath it. It is totally functional and still has tons of style.
Seating for the friends and family was important too.
Guest book area...I love this piece! One of my favorites of the whole project.

From Perfectly Traditional to Trendy and Transitional

2010-09-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

More Pictures to come....
I helped Carrie when I first moved to Upland to accessorize her family room in the traditional style she already had. We added the swag curtains, mantle pictures, greenery and some interesting red accessories. It is/was a beautiful room and is very warm and inviting. Recently, she decided that she wanted to open the room up a bit so we decided to move things around and also update her look with a more contemporary and modern style. By keeping some of her traditional elements and pairing them with some new items like the grommet currents, a shag rug, mirror, and accessories. We combined them to make a comfortable transitional style room.

Before: Family Room Focal Wall
After: Family Room Focal Wall.
We moved the red couch to the front reading room and added leather chairs for a more contemporary look.

After: Front Reading Room- was empty before so we added the book case and moved the red furniture here.
Sorry, I took these picture myself...This room was suppose to be photographed by my professional friend but I had to interrupt the photo shoot when Josiah accidentally burned his hand on a fireplace. He's fine but hopefully, I will be able to post some better ones soon.

Hayden's Fishing Room

2010-09-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

This little boy loves to fish and wanted a room that reflected his hobby. I worked with his mom to create a room that was tasteful and not too fishy...

The Faulder Family- New Construction Job

2009-10-05T11:59:00.001-07:00

This is a client that turned into a great friend. Traci Falder (yes, she is the photographer that takes all of our great family photos!)and I met and got to know each other while picking colors and accessories for her house. It was an interesting job because she had a lot of family heirlooms that she wanted to incorporate into a contemporary yet ecletic space. We used several items her inlaws left to their family after they passed away a few years ago and it was nice to mix the old with the new. One heirloom was the picture on the fireplace. We used it as the inspiration piece and pulled everything together after that. It was also fun to take the colors that Traci likes to wear and incorporate them into her house. The great thing about how it turned out is that Traci looks fabulous in her home.

I have a few before pictures but I have to find them (they were lost when my computer crashed!) But just picture a blank slate since this was a brand new home with white walls when they moved in.

My House!

2009-10-05T11:49:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots of my family room. I have had it like this for almost 4 years now so I am really tired of it and ready to redecorate, however, I know that is not wise financially so I am just going to have to stay busy with other people's houses. I did just buy new curtains that I found on clearance (that is the bad part of my job- I always find incredible deals) so these pictures are already outdated. Anyway, I love this color combo it is calm and relaxing. Someday, I will have a new kitchen =)but for now I am practicing contentment.

Keim Family and Dining room

2009-04-20T11:32:00.001-07:00

I really enjoyed working with the Keim family on this project. As we started this project, we had two design goals for this space. The first was to give them an updated, elegant, and functional space where they can entertain their friends and family. The second was to create an area where they could homeschool their twins. I also wanted to showcase the architectural details in their home while softening the space with lots of different textures and warm colors that would highlight the stone fireplace and beautiful molding around the windows.
Makeover Included: New light fixtures, formica table top, recovered dining room chairs and window seat, lamps, window treatments, sofa and leather chairs, coffee table and side table, floor rug, wall art and accessories.

Before: Family Room looking into Dining Room After: Family Room looking into Dining Room
Before: Fireplace
After: Fireplace Screen I don't have a shot of the fireplace straight on. I will have to try and get one and post later. You can see the complete fireplace in the picture above.
Before: Family Room-Piano Wall.
After: Family Room-Piano Wall Close-Ups of Individual Spaces we created with-in this room.
Home School Area:
Window Seat: This might be my favorite element in this room. Before this space was lost and hardly noticeable, now it demands that you pay attention to it. We used the same fabric that we covered the dining room chairs in for the seat cushions and and then brought over the same pillows from the seating room so that the two spaces are really tied together.

Family Room Seating Area: New Rug, furniture, fireplace screen, and accessories.
After: View from stairway

Hyman Kitchen and Dining Room

2009-04-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

When I first met Chris Hyman and we discussed her design plan, I don't think she thought we would be able to do everything we did, with the budget we had. I give Chris (my client) all the credit though because she was willing to put in the hard work to paint her own cabinets, install the laminate, and tile the back splash herself. The reward of her hard work is this amazing makeover for an incredible budget.

Makeover included: Painting kitchen cabinets and installing new hardware, new laminate flooring,new kitchen sink, new lighting in kitchen and dining room, new counter top, new tile back splash, removing wallpaper and painting, and all new accessories.

Before: Kitchen Corner and Refrigerator After: Kitchen Corner and RefrigeratorBefore: Kitchen Sink After: Kitchen SinkAfter: Close Up of Kitchen Countertop and Tile Before: Dining Room After: Dining Room Before: Dining Room and Desk Area

After: Dining Room and Desk Area

Before: Desk AreaAfter: Desk Area

Close Ups and Unique Angles of Makeover: