As an interior designer, I want you, my client, to walk through your front door and gasp with delight thinking, “This is so ME!”. This is all fine and well unless, dear one, you have no idea what “me” looks like. No worries, I can totally help with that.
Kelly came to me in this very condition. She, her husband, and four kids have been living in their inlet view, mid-century home for the better part of two decades. Kelly wanted to pull it all together with a cheery, pretty space where they could gather and spend time enjoying said view, evenings in front of a fire, and each other’s company.
You may now find yourself wondering: How does one create “me” out of thin air? Specifically, how do you represent “me” in furnishings, art, color, and decor? I like to begin with the house itself. My point of departure at Kelly’s place: Mid-century home, newly-painted cobalt and gray walls, and a vivacious, young, and busy family. My goal: Make a space that they actually want to be in. Here is how I translated that into a look.
What went into these picks? Mid-century leaning furnishings, color plus art to equal lively, repeated patterns to keep your eyes moving happily around the room, durability, ease of maintenance, budget-friendly price points, and off-the-rack items from the box stores we love and frequent
We also included things that truly are Kelly. For example, a whimsical duck lamp in homage to her dad who made duck decoys. Into the scheme, we further incorporated art, a starburst clock, vintage sideboard, and a couple of tables with sentimental value. I cannot represent “you” with a scorched-earth design plan that effectively removes all of “you” from your space. (Note: I am equally happy to create a scorched-earth design plan that has us starting from scratch! If you are in an everything-must-go frame of mind, I’ve got your back).
To sum it all up: Don’t despair if you don’t know who “you” are,… I can help with that!
Post Script: Kelly’s family now spends nights playing board games on the coffee table in front of the fire and fighting over the cozy-beyond-words, yellow, fleece-lined throw blanket. Mission accomplished. Next up: The master bedroom. It’s going to be so Kelly.
If you need help figuring out who you are, please connect with me at kristin@christinewerlin.com. Check out the fabulous CW Design & Decor, where I am lucky enough to design my little heart out on the daily. Our CW instagram is gorgeous. If you still have time on your hands, you can find additional design-y stuff as well as pictures of my sweetheart, dumb dog, and nugget-ish kids on my own kristin_alvarado_design instagram and facebook.
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