MATCH

Before and After: Painting a Commercial Building

2012-02-05T18:53:00.000-08:00

Now I just need to find new metal planters, new boxwood plants and maybe some hanging red flower pots.

Current Projects

2012-01-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

This project is for a non-profit called FLY. I love this organization and all that it believes in. It's been an honor to help them with the new location. I added a picture of my rough space plan. The project is moving very fast. I'm excited! And I love love love the people I'm working with.

These are the bathrooms I've been working on. I'm excited to see them come together. I'm going to have great before and afters. It was one of the scariest bathrooms I've ever been in! The florescent light flickered.

Here are my drawings for the re-model.

Lots of fun and lots of stress working at home with two adorable little boys.

Sunday: Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T21:19:00.001-08:00

(photography by Remi Stoneman- my sister!)

We are still in vacation mode. Sorry for missing all my posts over the holiday. We had a wonderful time. I hope you were surrounded by good food and great people. Happy New Year! xo

Monday: Hope you had a relaxing weekend.

2011-12-12T15:57:00.000-08:00

Besides the super cute boys, our new lamp and side table are pictured.

The side table is from World Market. I hope you all got to relax a little.

Tuesday: Blog designs, you vote

2011-12-06T19:07:00.001-08:00

It didn't work out with Kelly from Fabulous K. We parted ways and she gave me back my full refund in a very professional way.

These headers aren't forever options. I did them tonight in 20 minutes and I'm not a graphic designer! Something temporary until I find someone new. I know the first one doesn't have Match in it, but it does have cool pictures of my four favorite things. I can still put Match back in. Is the second one too girly? Oh, and a shout out to Missy Heid for the photograph of us. She's a really wonderful photographer and captures all those perfect moments.

* I caught the typo.

Wednesday: things that happen when you rent

2011-12-06T18:06:00.001-08:00

We moved the crib downstairs into the living room/office because no one was getting any sleep. So now it's the living room/office/nursery.

Here are some specs:
The sconces are Jonathan Alder from Macy's.com and the blue print pillow is a sale item from WS home. The sheets are from Target by Dwell and the prints are Sharon Montrose's baby animals on Esty. The cute animals in the crib are Fonte (Satchel's) and Oliver (Eero's) from Anthropologie (neither of them have the slightest interest in them, but I keep them around hoping). The blanket is the best baby blanket and it's from SFerra. It's not as expensive as you might think.
*SFerra is a top of the line luxury linens brand.

Lamp dilemma. You know how I posted about the Buster lamp? I ordered it and they e-mailed me saying it was back ordered until February 10th. Bummer. So today I went to my favorite baby store to buy Eero some teething rings and the lamp was there and I asked if I could buy the floor model. It looks the same but I think it's slightly different? They said it was Jonathan Alder but it looks identical and Robert Abbey makes his products I think. So for 20% off I got it for $40 less than it would have been to ship it. However, just as I was about to call and cancel my order I got an e-mail saying the lamp had shipped! And I got a parking ticket today. I hate that. And then my christmas lights weren't working so I flipped the breaker and it shut off my computer and I lost all of my unsaved worked for my blog design from the night before. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be, me and this blog re-design.

Tuesday: Christmas stockings

2011-12-05T20:57:00.001-08:00

I found these at the flea market this weekend. The seller threw in the pink one for free. More of the goodies I found this week.

Monday: Toddler bunk bed

2011-12-05T09:23:00.001-08:00

KEVIN: "I need to build something"

WHITNEY: "OK"

SATCHEL: "Flying Treehouse bed for Firemen and Superman and Swordfighters and puncher-guys?"

IN UNISON: "Oh Yeah"

We saw this picture (Below) somewhere in the blogosphere, and both liked it, it was a similar space to what we were working with.

From here, Lets just say that Whitney and I have different design processes.

She is organized, well planned, thoughtful, and balanced. She starts a process by organizing her thoughts, writing them down, scheduling time to get them done, and realizing that sometimes other things are a higher priority than that project.
For those of you who may be wondering, THIS IS THE CORRECT WAY.

I, on the other hand, drive immediately to home depot and wander for hours just getting more and more confused and stressed, and then realize that there are just too many ways to accomplish a single task, and the only difference is how much money each option costs, and that I don't have as much disposable money as I thought, and that there has to be a better way. And, I haven't eaten or drank in 6 hours.

Then I come home without buying anything, and then start to do all the things that Whitney inherently already knows.

In this case, I tried a different approach.

I did some research. I planned, drew, and then began.

I wanted the modern look of the horizontal slatted fences, so I knocked on a guys door who happened to have a really nice fence. He told me it was IPE wood. So I called a local hardwood and asked for ipe (pronounced ee-pay).

The phone call went something like this,

"Hello, do you carry ipe?"

"Yes, it is $9 a foot."

(Silence)

(More silence)

"Okay, thanks." (click)

Sorry Satchel, unless there is ruby-studded-gold-plated-titanium-laden-cancer-curing edges on this wood, I will not be purchasing ipe. Sorry. But then a quick phone call to a reclaimed lumber place over in Half Moon Bay, CA gave me some hope. The guy on the other end said yes, I have some IPE, come on over.

When I got there, he said, "It's back there" >>>>>>

We walked down the hill by those trees, and had to hang on a branch of a tree to keep from rolling down the hill into a river.

But there it was: ipe. 10 year old moss covered ipe.?? WHAT?? Yes, 10 year old moss covered ipe. But I had done some ipe research, and I learned something. Ipe is one of, if not the densest wood on the earth. It can last for 80 years buried in the ground. It has the same fire rating as steel and concrete. Awesome.

So I took all he had. Oh, and it was $0.65 a foot.

Then, over the next couple of Tuesdays (Project day around here), I made some sawdust. I had to "mill" (Re-sawing each board to be thinner, and cut to size) my own planks, and I only had a tablesaw. There are a number of other faster, easier ways to achieve this, but Novice woodworkers don't always have planers, or bandsaws, or joiners. Oh, and they don't have fancy things like vacuum systems by the way. (But I did wear a mask)

Gluing, and Fastening.

The Facing

I wanted to build it straight into the corner of the room, without any noticeable legs, but then realized that we are still (alas) renting, and sizable holes in the walls were probably a bad idea.

But it turned out, and he loves it. Sleeps up there every night, and stays in his bed finally. The vintage flags and boxing gloves?- Flea market. Dress up clothes?-Dollar store. And the ladder? Found it by the trash can.

Sometimes the stars just align.

Kevin

Happy Friday!

2011-12-02T09:34:00.001-08:00

If your interested, check out my old blog for inspiration too. I love it. It's full of great pictures and great design quotes.

http://the1struleofdecoration.wordpress.com/

These picture are to celebrate my commercial work. I love doing commercial projects. We are working on the building front and bathrooms. I know it doesn't sound very exciting, but I love it. It took a lot of searching but I think I've found the very coolest bathrooms on the internet. Do you love bathrooms as much as I do? Every great hotel or restaurant I have to check out the bathrooms.

This is my inspiration:

This week I've been spending most of my time designing and decorating a room for Creches to be displayed for the 24th Annual Bay Area Creche Exhibit. It opens tomorrow and I had the most wonderful time working with the most incredible people. If you live in the area come check it out.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I'm heading to a few estate sales and flea markets. Wish me luck!

Whitney

Wednesday: Bedroom Makeover- how to

2011-11-30T13:36:00.001-08:00

This room was easy because it's always easy to design when you have a great client but especially when there are great bones to the room. The ceilings were high, it had good moldings and trim, a beautiful window seat just begging for a cushion. It also had great storage space.

This is how we started:
I interviewed the daughter and mother together. I had Annie (the daughter) flip through magazines before the appointment and clip out pictures that she loved. She only had a couple of catalogs like pottery barn and west elm but the over all feeling was lots of blue-greens and natural woods finishes and blown glass.

Here is where I made one of my first mistakes on the project. I know Annie really well. Apparently I thought I knew her better than she knew herself! My initial reaction to her clippings was that they were more "Wisteria" and feminine and french and I thought she was more punk, Restoration Hardware, London. I mean, she listens to Jimi Hendrix, Deaf Leopard, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones. She had the most awesome short, red, punk haircut, wears converse shoes and old rock band tees. I thought for sure I was right. But I wasn't and I pushed this style on her because "it is my job as a designer to show her all the things she might like if you knew all the stores and styles that I did". However, I presented with this idea, she went with it, but it eventually it just morphed into all her original clippings. She wanted a calm, peaceful room to be in after a long day of craziness at high school. Lesson learned.

The room specifications:
1. Bed: Restoration Hardware on sale, king for $1000 with shipping and tax.
2. Sheets: Home Goods Calvin Klein. Really soft. $70
3. Blue-green coverlet: Pottery Barn, $200
4. Linen Pillow Shams in Euro size: Pottery Barn, $100 each, 3
5. Desk and Chair: World Market, $400 for both
6. Lamp and shade: Ikea $60
7. Plants: Ikea, $10 each, 5
8. Glass jars: Anthropologie, $4, 3
9. Rug: Carpet Remnant, $500 for a 9 x 12
10. Blown glass hanging from the ceiling: she made at a glass blowing factory in Switzerland over the summer. Cool.
11. Pleated duvet: Ikea, $130
12. Mattresses: old ones from another room in the house
13. Bath towels: Target
14. Orchid: Restoration Hardware $65
15. Keep Calm print: found on the internet, $30
16. Mirror over bed: Home Goods, $99
17. Window seat cushion: custom made by Losa Upholstery, $650

We still need to fix the cords behind the desk, hang Anthropologie lanterns over the window seat, get a frame for the poster, decoupage the lamp shade with dictionary pages, and put up her vintage key collection on either sides of the mirror over her bed.

Tuesday: Blog Re-design frustrations

2011-11-29T21:57:00.001-08:00

I'm feeling frustrated and down about my blog! I love my blog and it's been neglected by me lately because my job/marriage/children/etc. are on the crazy side of things right now. But also because I've been wanting to put my posts on my newly designed blog and have been waiting and waiting...

Back on October 4th I hired Kelly from Fabulous K to give my blog the make-over it so desperately needed. I love her work and she is reasonably priced and it seemed like a great fit. I sent in a rush order for $55 extra so that I could have it done by November 1st. She responded acknowledging a rush order and a few questions and I answered them. Then nothing! I never heard from her. I was getting nervous so on the 24th of last month I emailed her and she wrote back that she was working on it and would send it over ASAP that week. Then nothing again! November 4th, four days after the rush order deadline I
e-mailed her thinking she'd pulled a fast one on me! She wrote back right away and said she has sent me an e-mail with more questions that I never responded to. Okay... understandable, maybe it got lost in some junk mail trap. I didn't care I just wanted it to be finished. So I responded back to her questions 5 seconds later and I've sent her three more since then to the same email address she's been emailing me from and still haven't heard from her since Nov. 4th. Isn't that weird? I don't see any e-mails in my junk mail. Maybe our e-mails are going into some void in the universe but I'm going crazy because I don't know what's going on. I just left a comment on her blog so I'll see what happens. I hope it works out. I was really excited about it! Now I'm mostly just frustrated by the whole thing :(
Any advice?

Whitney

Tuesday: Relatively Cheap and Chic

2011-11-21T13:47:00.001-08:00

I love that this lamp is a very classic design but then the elongated shade adds a little modern sense of humor. I saw it in a store window and knew it was perfect for our family room/office. I finally saved up enough to get something. I desperately want a cozy chair but our room has no light in it besides my two giraffe sconces and I can't see anything! The lamp is from LampsPlus.com. I love free shipping. It's by Robert Abbey. I love that its name is Buster. It reminds me of Arrested Development. And the lamp couldn't look less like a Buster to me.

Tip to try at home: turn off the ceiling lights and then hang out in your room like normal. You will see where you need lamps. I have light by my desk, string lights in one corner for Christmas and the floor lamp will go in the other corner. The next step will be getting a chandelier/pendant for the center.

I forgot to mention! We are still trying to get the blog re-designed. Long story. I'll fill you in on the details later. -Whit

Wednesday: Kitchen makeover how-to

2011-11-13T20:17:00.001-08:00

We've had a lot of requests to share our design process on the blog.

Here's what I do:
1. I start by making a list of everything that needs to go in the room. What is the purpose of the room?
2. I move to the floor plan and do the space planning. (Thinking of traffic patterns, dividing up areas, lighting, etc.)

3. I gravitate to a particular inspirational photo that I've been wanting to use. For our kitchen I'd seen an image in Domino Magazine with the same banquette. Banquettes are the perfect solution for small kitchens/dining rooms. We wanted open benches for storage space. The Saarinen knock-off from Ikea was easy because we already had it! The one in the picture is no knock off. You can tell by the shiny base.
4. Details: The banquette is made of wood and spray painted white. The clock is from Conran USA (an is the most expensive things we own besides our sofa!). The high chair is Ikea, the kids table is Ikea, the place mats are Crate and Barrel from my aunt for our wedding gift. On the counter we have out our juicer, toaster and a ceramic canister for all of our mixing utensils. On the stove I keep out my blue Le Creuset from our wedding because I use it almost every night. The pillows and inserts are from Ikea. The small plants are Ikea, the broom is from Whole Foods and the scooter is a Kick. The curtains are bad and need to be replaced but we haven't gotten around to it. We just used what we had.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Whitney

Monday: Flea Market

2011-11-11T14:55:00.001-08:00

His idea, not ours. Promise....Although at times, I can see the benefits of a little containment while flea-marketing...

What a frustrating day! How do you mentally make it through the week when all you can think about is finding a set of Milo Baughman lounge chairs in the most perfect "pearl" leather and let them slip through your finger tips???

Or see the perfect "British racing green," comfortably worn leather chair, (and ottoman!) for $200, and not pull the trigger on it???

How do you go on living after something like that, right?... RIGHT ?

We learned many lessons on flea market shopping last weekend. The hard way. I was very close to tears on our way home. What a silly thing to almost cry about! What a silly thing to waste time thinking about all week.

But we did.

What we learned:
*Have a list of anything you might be looking for with measurement and a measuring tape.
*Go with your gut and move fast.
*Offer 20% lower than the asking price. Then, take what they counter-offer.
*It won't be there when you get back.
*And if you catch sight of something from the corner of your eye from a half a block away, then you probably love it. And you will find a place to make it work. Or you will resell it.
*Go with your gut, go with your gut, go with your gut. *ALSO, speaking of going with your gut......Choose you truck-vendor burrito wisely.

sad face after loosing our chairs

These are the only pictures we have from the trip. Can you believe it? Why didn't we take pictures of those amazing chairs? And take video for the blog? And take a picture of the view of San Francisco across the bay?!!

It may have something to do with wrestling two little boys.

Written by:

Kevin and Whitney

Friday: Before and After

2011-11-03T23:51:00.000-07:00

This project was so great because it was for my brother and sister-in-law! I know the before and after is hard but the window you see in the before is the same window on the right side in the after.

Why I love this project:

-my family has excellent taste

-my brother can make anything (ex. the bench/coffee table, the bookcases, the easel, the mirror over the sofa) Is there anything left? :)

- It's an old student housing apartment and it looks great!

Here's a break down.

-Desk chair, overstock

-computer desk, jimmy-rigged from ikea stuff

-rug, ballard

-sofa, macys.com

-bench by window, ikea (holds niece's toys)

-easel and art both done by brother

-wood framed mirror, brother

-arc lamp, overstock

-side chair, brought with them

-bookshelves, materials from home depot

-lamp, target

-plants and pots, ikea

The break down in price is around $3,000, including making the bench and shelves but not the mirror or easel and art. Those were made a few years ago.

This was our inspiration.

Monday: Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T11:58:00.001-07:00

(Us at a friend's house setting up for a Halloween party.)

We have some new posts to look forward to this week!

-Before and After of a 1970's student housing apartment.
-Picture hanging in our entry.
-Finding the perfect wreath for the front door.
-Framing our floor mirror.
-Answering questions from our readers!

Thursday: Project (Remembered)

2011-10-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

(Sarcastic Header and Picture)

Gone are the days (for me, though they shouldn't be) of hand planing, drilling holes with a egg-beater style drill, hand nailing, and pencil and paper sketches.

I have been reflecting on my life lately, and how dynamic it can be. Dynamic meaning that it is a fluid thing. Some areas improving, and some declining, always trying to strike the right balance. I have noticed that my DIY skills are getting better in a lot of ways, but I am relying more and more on the technology that can sometimes replace good-old-fashioned-thought and planning.

Years ago I saw the OEUF Classic crib, and I knew that it was "the one for us." Unfortunately, the price tag was "the one for someone else"

So my first child furniture related DIY had begun.

I first decided that I would need to buy a good router, then find a way to measure all of the openings in the crib, then build a template that the router could follow, then etc.blah,blah,etc.etc,blah,etc.

THEN I FOUND SHOPBOT

In this particular case, it isn't a matter of skill, or great craftsmanship, but rather the realization that computers are better than me.

WHAT I REALIZED IS THAT THE DESIGN IS THE HARD PARD. THE FABRICATION IS MANAGEABLE.

STEP 1

DRAW CRIB ON COMPUTER.

STEP 2

PUT SHEET OF MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) on shopbot table.

STEP 3

Push ENTER.

STEP 4

PAINT

STEP 5

ASSEMBLE

STEP 7

ADMIRE AND BLOG

I am sure that I have Blogged about this before, but the reason that I have chosen to put it up today, is because I have a couple other DIY projects in the works, and I have noticed that when the Computer does all the work, things are easy. The latest project will go up soon, and I will explain what I mean. I have to give credit where credit is due. The computer did this project, and when I do it, things aren't quite so smooth. I'll post it up soon.

Tuesday: Backyards

2011-10-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

They proved you can have a camp out in any backyard regardless of its size! Poor Satchel is still sick. Kevin was spending some much needed Daddy time with him. He loves his dad very very much.

Monday: Update on Boys Room

2011-10-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

We moved the boys into the back room because of light and noise issues in the front room. Too many windows for nap time and too many kids playing outside to go to bed at night. We moved the Ikea bookcases upstairs to go on either side of the window. We brought the train table back out because it has spent that magical 6 months in hiding where Satchel now has a brand new toy to play with. Kevin is currently building him a toddler bunk bed/hideout in the pop-out in the corner of the room that you can't see. Eero will sleep underneath on the bottom bunk when he moves out of the crib.

Notes on room:
-carpet is from a carpet remnant store in San Jose for $80.
-Train table is Melissa and Doug. $100 I think.
-Frames from Ikea.
-Chair free on Craigslist with upholstered fabric from Ikea ($4)
-Bookcases Ikea. $130 each.
-Dresser. Hand-made by Kevin.
- Frame on dresser- Pottery Barn kids, elephant from Moma store. $25.
-Lamp HomeGoods $20.
- Cooler on bookcase- vintage. Kevin's grandparents.

Lots going on around here. Still in my PJ's and it's 2:45. Been working all morning with two sick kids. But the best part of sick days are we all slept in a little later because we were all up all night, and then getting to watch a movie with Satchel on the couch and pancakes for breakfast. We also went on a walk, hunting for pumpkins and got an M&M every time we found one. Terrible diet for being sick, I know. But I am in survival mode.

Hope you are all off to a great Monday.

Friday: California!

2011-10-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the comments! Happy Friday!

Thursday: Before and After

2011-10-20T18:46:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the two who commented on the last post! I will try all of those suggestions. Thank you.

We've had a busy week. Tomorrow I am meeting to work on two commercial spaces re-designing the lobbies. I am also working on finally designing my living room for the first time instead of things just ending up wherever. I'm excited.

This before and after was a blast! The clients were amazing. Budgets, deadlines, decisive! Every designers dream come true. It was an honor to work with them and a pleasure every day. And we still have more work to do so the fun will just keep going.

Before:

After:

Paint color: Elephants Breath FB match

Paint color: light blue FB match

Monday: Survey

2011-10-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

Today I am skipping Top Ten and asking if you would be so kind and participate in a survey we are doing for Match. As we are forming our business we would love to know what you (our clients!) really want. Please feel free to leave your comments anonymously.

Survey Questions:
What type of design work are you looking for if you were to hire an interior designer?

What price range seems appropriate to design a room?

How much would you be willing to spend on interior design services?

What kinds of blog posts are you most interested in?

If I could help you with any tips or advice or shopping what would you most appreciate?

What would you like Match to offer you that we aren't currently?!

Don't be afraid to be completely honest! I know we are all on small budgets! Don't be afraid of writing too much or too little! I want this blog to be something that you love coming to each day and something you find extremely useful as you work on your own home.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!!!Whitney

image via GOOP

2011-10-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

Thursday: Before and After

2011-10-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

This house belongs to a dear friend of mine. She was my very first client in Palo Alto almost three years ago! I just finished taking some portfolio pieces of her home and I think they turned out really nicely. Isn't the house beautiful?! I'm so glad I was able to be her interior consultant. We still have some finishing touches but it's coming along so wonderfully. Hope you enjoy. By the way, it's almost Friday! We have a fun video for all of you to watch. Can't wait!

Wednesday: Designer Tip

2011-10-12T07:40:00.000-07:00

We've had a request about paint colors!

Paint colors are overwhelming to me too. We painted our third rental about 10 times. We have sworn that no amount of money is too much to hire a painter for next time! Yeah, right.

Here is my advice:

I am very snooty about paint colors because of experience! I think of myself as having a very sharp eye when it comes to color but paint and how the light affects it and how it goes on the wall and how much darker or lighter it looks when you use it has been a bad experience for me every time I have used ANY color besides Farrow and Ball's. I am sure that there are plenty of very beautiful colors other places but I have always had great luck with them. I also really like Ben Moore's super white, decorators white, cloud white and patriotic white. My favorite F&B colors are: pointing, clunch, skimming stone, stony ground, bone, mouse's back, elephant's breath, london clay, citron, blazer, book room red, hound lemon, cooking green apple, olive, saxon green, minister green, vert de terre, light blue, cook's blue, chinese blue, drawing room blue, hague blue, down pipe, pelt, tanner's brown, green smoke, off-black. Even though I think every single color is absolutely brilliant.

Oh, and one other tip! Go Matte on pale colors, and eggshell or semi gloss on darker colors. You can do anything with white. If it's a small, dark room, add some shine to it.

TUESDAY CHEAP and CHIC (Desk Organization Edition)

2011-10-11T15:46:00.000-07:00

UNDERSTOOD: Cheap has varying definitions.

NOTED: Some people don't think that $30 is cheap.

But, these couple of desk items may be the pick-me-up you need for the start of the "occasionally gloomy" season.

All found at the MOMA STORE,

The Kangaroo Desk Organizer, ($38)

The Broccoli Card Holder ($24)

And the Elephant Book End ($32) (We own and love this one)

Things like these are a great way to add a little new life to a frustrating but necessary part of life: Stuff.

Monday: Top Ten

2011-10-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

Thursday: Project

2011-10-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

Learn how to turn an Ikea easel into something more functional for the little ones.
Untitled from Whitney Lundeen on Vimeo.

2011-10-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

(image via keepcalmgallery)

I know it's the second post of the day but I had to tell you that we have been mentioned in a few blogs and are excited and surprised and so happy about it!

Yesterday on Ohdeedoh, and last week on Desire to Inspire, Welcome to Heardmont, and Design Mom.

AND, we started our blog re-design yesterday! On november 1st you will all get to see it! We are excited. It is bad right now. Real bad.

We also need a photographer in the bay area to photograph our family. I am wanting some artsy/fashion style for the shoot. Let me know if you have any leads!

Wednesday: Designer Tip

2011-10-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

"Movie stars have known this for decades. Looking good isn't just about the body or face you have; it's all about presentation. The setting, the pose, but most importantly, it's all about the lighting."

Lighting is an element of design that is often overlooked and under-purchased. That light that hooks to your ceiling in the middle of your room is NOT your only light source!

Do you recognized how pretty you look in the Anthropologie dressing rooms? Do you feel hideous like I do in a TJ Maxx dressing room? I don't know if I have ever bought something I tried on in that store! It's all because of the lighting. Light coming from the ceiling is not flattering (fluorescents)! In Anthropologie, two eye level sconces are placed next to the full length mirror. They are blushy tones and make you look incredible because there are no shadows on your face. Also, good hair salons have great lighting because it's at eye level.

Renters usually can't put lights on dimmers so here are a few tips:

1. Soften the lamps (design term for light bulbs) by buying pale pink bulbs and mixing them with regular bulbs throughout the house. They flatter all skin types. I usually buy 75 w bulbs and 25 w for smaller fixtures that I barely want any light coming from. But always think about what the purpose is for each fixture and buy the bulb accordingly.

2. Choose lighting from a mixture of sources, including table lamps next to the bed, wall sconces, or chandeliers over a seating area.

3. Use candles. They are very romantic and extremely flattering. Have dinner some nights with just candles!

4. One last thing to consider is where the light is coming from. Level with your face is ideal, so a table or standing lamp will serve your purpose well. You may want to consider using several points of light to even out the shadows and to provide a soft glow throughout the room.

I personally love table and floor lamps and think they should be all over the house! And IF we use ceiling lights (besides chandeliers) they should be on dimmers or very low watts.

Tuesday: Cheap and Chic

2011-10-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

We would all love to buy the originals from all the classic designs we see across the internet wouldn't we?! My design philosophy has always been the same as Billy Baldwin's, "Buy the best you can afford." For some of us, $75 per chair is the best we can afford.

Overstock impresses once again. These chairs are $150 for both of them. They were designed to imitate Ray and Charles Eames molded plastic series. They are both a great design and affordable.

Monday: TOP TEN

2011-10-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

Every home needs a wingback chair. I see it in a corner with a floor lamp, ottoman, cozy blanket, small side table with a mug of cocoa and a good book. Don't you think every house needs a spot like that?

Here are some of our favorites. It's worth saving up for!

Which one would you buy? The bamboo one just needs a small cream back pillow. We are saving for the womb chair and I really love the lines on the wheat triton too. The piper is amazing but out of our price range. Maybe some day!

Thursday: Decorating Tips

2011-09-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

"Each room needs to connect to another, not specifically in color like one might think but aesthetically. Each rooms needs to be its own but also part of a whole. There needs to be a thread that ties all rooms together."

For people who are trying to design their home and want it to feel cohesive I think the natural instinct is to think color. Each room must have some yellow or red in it somewhere. What you learn studying design is that spaces need to be harmonious but not the exact shade all over the house. I like the word harmony because when you think of it in music the plain melody being repeated is still nice but a bit boring don't you think? It's the same in a room or house. True beauty in music and interior design comes from simple harmonies. Each note (or furnishing) is different but complements the other.

"Just think of a summer garden, not one color matches any other, but can you think of anything more satisfying?" Billy Baldwin

Study these images. The are designed by interior design legends Sister Parish and Albert Hadley many many years ago. See how each room is it's own but the home is harmonious as a whole.

Now, how does one actually do that?! Good question. I'll explain more next week in my new weekly decorating school.

Happy Friday! We are doing something really exciting this weekend but it's a surprise so I'll tell you about it on Monday. Can't wait!

Couldn't help myself. I'm missing New York.

2011-09-28T15:17:00.000-07:00

(this is my favorite restaurant in New York called Perbacco in the east village)

I LOVE New York City. And I especially love it in the fall. I have a great list of my favorite things to do that I will get around to posting but over at A CUP OF JO I found she posted hers and it made me want to jump on a red-eye tonight. It's a magical city. Not as much when your super poor, don't know the people and places to see and live in Harlem (that was Kevin and I's very first experience.) Check out her link, I think you'll love it.

Click here. An afternoon in New York. A CUP OF JO.

Once the boys go to bed I'm gonna watch You've Got Mail and make some herbal tea I got at Dean and Deluca to get my Manhattan fix.

2011-09-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

Our oldest is 3, and our youngest is 6 months. (No, there isn't one in between, I just accidentally made it sound that way.) But we are finally seeing the possibility of having friends come over again, now that the dust has settled a little. Many of you have seen our Front Room, and for those of you in the same boat ((1.) Rental Space, (2.)Not that big, (3.) Not huge amounts of Storage), you can relate to the fact that sometime you just don't know where to have people sit.

We love our couch, and when it is just us, we sit there. We love our Eames Chairs, but what if there are more than 4 people. (When everyone is a couple, it also adds a difficulty factor)
I stumbled upon a post about extra seating from 4 years ago, and still feel like we have yet to really nail it for our space. Here are some of the pictures from the post.

So we went to the drawing board.

Here are our thoughts... for us and for you....

1) What is the feel of your space? Who might actually be sitting there? What will the content of the conversation be? Floor is appropriate for close friends, not for the occasional work meeting. (Remember, each room may have a different feel)

2) Realistically, how many people will ever really need to be comfortably seated? (I know that I am much less popular now than I used to be)

3) Do you want people to see the seating? Are you comfortable with 4 folding chairs in the linen closet?

4) Is it really necessary? (We have recently thrown out directors chairs, plastic chairs, folding chairs, etc... we just didn't need them, or like them!)

WHAT DO YOU DO?

HOW HAVE YOU SOLVED THE EVER-PRESSING ISSUE OF EXTRA SEATING?

DONT GO HIGH TECH!!

You wont take the time to switch back and forth.

DO! Embrace the Seating need. Show it off.

DO! If this is all you can afford, make it flashy. And keep it clean. Eat outside when you can!

DON'T! Unless you are better than I am, Benches just gather clutter and when guests come over, and you need a place to seat them, that clutter gets thrown on the bed or the floor. Then more work later!

IF THIS IS YOU, go for it. Just remember the informality of this type of seat.

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE MADE WORK!

What's your Architectural Style? Minimalist-industrial.

2011-09-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

A few times each month Kevin and I will feature inspiring architectural styles. This amazing interior is CODE, a salon in San Francisco. It's one of my favorite salons.

I was in one of those moods where I really needed a change. A BIG change. So I told my stylist to do whatever she wanted! She gave me "fringe" aka bangs (that word is so 80's apparently) and colored my eyebrows and eye lashes. Goodbye mascara. It was AWESOME.

(red eyebrow-ed after tweezing.)

(I grabbed a picture while in the dressing room. I thought these aprons were so fashionable!)

(Me and Amanda, the magic maker for eyes. She was adorable. )

Cheap and Chic

2011-09-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

Overstock should be a renter's best friend. Each week I'm going to share some of my favorite things from stores that have great design for an affordable price. All of these rugs are under $500 except one. It will probably be your favorite one, right? Most of them are under $200! Which one is your favorite? I would love to know. You can click on the links at the bottom to find them.

This week: Overstock rugs

purple rug
yellow and cream rug
chevron rug
missoni look-a-like rug
pink and green stripe rug
yellow strip rug
yellow and gray rug
purple and green rug
burberry look-a-like runner
green chevron runner
blue medallion runner
blue flower runner

Watch us find hidden treasures!

2011-09-20T07:05:00.001-07:00

Untitled from Whitney Lundeen on Vimeo.

Behind the scenes of Match. Would you like to meet our family?

2011-09-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

Untitled from Whitney Lundeen on Vimeo.

Designing with Children

2011-09-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

Eero, five months

I took my son (Satchel) to our favorite children's store that had opened a second location specifically for furniture. The entire time I was grabbing those glass pebbles out of his mouth from the coffee table's jar and the sale's clerk was asking him not to touch this and that. The price tag on the pillows he was leaning against on the sofa was over two hundred dollars. I was puzzled until I realized the owner of the store did not have children herself.

Families today are designing for children. They are the center of our lives. Everything revolves around our boys. When we are designing our home, we are constantly thinking about how the design will function with them on a daily basis. I always think of the late Sister Parish (one of my design heros) and how one of her signature touches was placing a child's chair in each of the living spaces.

What a wonderful idea. In our home we believe children should be honored guests.

On a very sad note: please read this link for Ruby Jane's family. I am so sorry for the pain they are going through. Children are gifts. Let us all cherish them everyday.

2011-09-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

NOW WHAT???

I like to make sweeping generalizations about what Men and Women are supposed to like. I also like to start posts with bold statements like that to prove a point. A good friend of mine in college (who now lives in a remote african country) would probably be able to tell me the name of this writing style, and how to change it for the better.

Anyway, as a guy, I got a very late start on figuring out what I actually like. Sometime in College, I realized something. I actually needed creativity, beauty, and personalization in the spaces that I lived in. Many Women have had more years on that road of awareness, and therefore, make up the larger population of designers, fashion professionals, and for that matter, Bloggers.

Whitney and I have changed the furniture in our house about 27 times in 5 years of marriage. The interesting thing is that every single time that we do it, we look at each other and say..."We really nailed it this time"..."this one is perfect." The point is, design is an evolution, and the sooner that you accept that, the more comfortable you will be with your space, your spouse, and your couch.

The above picture is a good starting point for what many couples are dealing with. I am sure that because I (KEVIN) chose the "She likes" pictures, that maybe they aren't the best representation of WHITNEY'S actual likes, but that is not the point.

WHEN TWO PEOPLE WITH GOOD TASTE AND DIFFERENT LIKES, CRASH INTO EACH OTHER IN A ROOM, WHO WINS? WHERE DO YOU START?

1. BREAK DOWN THE ROOMS THAT YOU BOTH LIKE INTO THEIR BASIC ELEMENTS. DECONSTRUCT "WHY" YOU EACH LIKE WHAT YOU LIKE.

(Is it just the color you like? is it the single art piece, and you really didn't notice anything else? Is it just a really good photograph??)

2. Start BIG. Rooms take shape because of large signature furniture pieces. These come in two varieties. The "HEY LOOK AT ME!" Couch, Picture, etc, or the "Don't mind me, I am just here to blend in. Focus on something else please." Whitney and I error on the side that Physically Large Purchases should blend in. Change a $20 bold pillow, or paint some picture frames white. Keep your head on straight when you begin.

3. Be Brave. Change is scary. New is hard. Don't project your fears, anger, frustration, or anything else onto anyone else. Don't design too late at night, or when you are hungry, or with palpable stress in the room. This is an adventure in every sense of the word. Make it so.

WHERE DO YOU START? LEAVE YOUR INSIGHT IN THE COMMENTS. HOW HAS YOUR DESIGN PROCESS WORKED?

Our (rented) Home Makeover: the boys room

2011-09-07T20:41:00.000-07:00

Everything was done on a super tight budget. 50% pottery barn drapes, free chair on craigslist reupholstered in $4.00 Ikea fabric, craigslist kids kitchen, and the rug is a carpet remnant! Sheets are blue gingham, $10 at Target.

Our Home Makeover: the kitchen

2011-09-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

Our Home Makeover: the family room

2011-09-07T20:36:00.001-07:00

Mother of Two

2011-09-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

Only have two hours?...We are glad to help.

2011-09-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

Picture Perfect

2011-08-31T20:37:00.000-07:00

Where in the Selby have I been??

2011-08-31T20:05:00.000-07:00

Did you think I was gonna drop this blog like the rest of them?

2011-08-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

No way. I've just been gone ALL summer. Lots of vacations (San Diego, Colorado, Northern Arizona) and lots of swimming in warm Arizona pools.

I've got some exciting news. I'm working on re-designing this blog. I'm currently hunting for a great blog designer and think I've found the perfect one! Let me know if you know anybody too.

I wanted to post our family room (only room) in our tiny little place. Have I mentioned how much I love our tiny little place? I love small homes. Intimate, cozy, easy to clean, and appropriate for a family of four.

The room is mostly chaos because you know the two of us can't keep anything in the same place for longer than a few months. We did it on a small budget. Everything is Ikea. The basket is Target, the chair is CB, the sofa is RH, the Eames chair is from Herman Miller and the rug is HomeGoods. Isn't it amazing? 100% wool, made in Spain, and $99! The rug and the desk chair are the only things I bought since moving here. I want to get an arc lamp by the desk and put up my Jonathan Adler sconces over the sofa.

BEFORE:

Another DIY post. (You sick of these yet?)

2011-05-24T21:48:00.000-07:00

So Satchel needed a dresser.

~~Dressers are expensive.~~ Well designed dressers are expensive.

So I went to the garage to see what I could come up with. I have had some luck with a Bassinet, and a Crib, so my confidence was relatively high.

We were inspired by a lot of things, but needed to keep a similar theme to the Lacquer White and Walnut of the Crib, and so that is where we started.

I wish that I had a picture of my garage, because is not what you would imagine. It is a single car, detached garage, with just about everything that we own (that we can't find a place for) in it. I am not known for my organization, and many times have had to sort through sawdust to find a router bit, or anything with ink in it to make a mark on something. I won't go into how many fingernail marks, key marks, or even the always accurate "stare at the mark while you walk to the table saw to cut it" mark. The fact that anything can be produced in that garage, is maybe my most impressive feat. I am always so envious of the perfectly organized workshop that I see in well produced youtube or woodworking site videos.

Anyway. Here we go.

The finished Product, (in our old apartment)

The clear-coat is less reflective in real life than it looks here.

Having never really build a dresser before, I though that it would be much harder to figure out. After a little research, it turns out that they are just boxes.

Easy enough right. Well, kinda.

I actually tackled the drawers first, not quite knowing where you start to build a dresser.

I had some extra walnut (Solid planks) left over from the crib, so I started to hack at them a little. I cut them in half lengthwise, and widthwise, having to cut it once from the bottom, and once from the top to make two thinner widths, then cutting them in half to make roughly 4 equal pieces. I still didn't know what the drawer would look like, and how many drawers it would have at first. Then I ran the planks through a Planer to get the right thickness.

Once I had the three (thats what I decided on) planks for the drawers, I started to build the drawer boxes.

1/2 inch Plywood for the box, and a thin 1/4 bottom, set in a small groove cut at the bottom of all the sides.

Once they were glued and done, I moved to the mockup of the whole thing.

Flush drawer fronts? or overhang the bottom so that the drawers appear bigger?

At one point, I thought a hutch would look good. VETO.

Changing table on top? VETO

(Also, ignore the wall color. It was a test phase for us. The apartment was sold, and going to be torn down soon, so we went crazy. We liked to call this color "Jamaic-in' me nauseous." We would not recommend it.)

How much Spacing on either side and in between drawers?

What to do for legs?

Anyway, it was about this time that I got distracted. I saw a craigslist post for a free desk, a free dresser, and a free highchair. I snatched them up for a quick turn around for some cash. A saturday of sanding and painting gave yielded us $800 dollars for the price of gas to pick the free stuff up, paint for them, and a few drawer pulls, and we sold everything within the week.

My wife's idea for the paint job on this one. Beautiful right? Sold in about 2 hours on Craigslist.

and the knobs? Anthro of course. (We did spend some cash on them though.)

Dresser? Sold in 1 day. I upholstered the chair that we also got for free, but we liked it too much to sell. We have since reupholstered in another great fabric, and it is in our sons room.

I think that good craigslist staging may be one of Whitney's greatest talents.

High Chair was also a big hit.

Also, I built a couch when I was in College. Out of boredom mostly, but also thought that it would be a good project. I really love to Sew for some reason, so it was a good project for me in that regard also. Oh, and when you are obsessed with a Skate Company (2003 I think it was) you have to sew a pillow to declare that to the world, right?

It started like this, above,

Then morphed to this (thin arms and elevated)

Then to this, (but I ran out of steam before I could finish, and actually threw it away. It had run its course.

Anyway, back to the post. I just thought I would also chronicle the way that we operate. We don't waste many Saturdays when there are projects to do. I may be a little obsessive this way.

I decided to go big on the Drawer Glides, and bought a pair of self closing smooth operators.

WE LOVE THEM.

I would usually paint the inside, but I took a page out of the pro's book and just did what you would see. And, I was lazy.

With a Drawer this big, dividers were a must. (Sorry, poor lighting cell phone picture.)

A test fit after the first coat of paint was looking good.

And the drawer pulls and legs were all that was left. And remember that Hutch I was going to make?

It ended up a bookshelf.

Trying to see what would look good in the room.

Yep, white tapered legs were the decision, and wooden drawer pulls. We were very happy with it. And now, with two boys, we are really glad they have something nice to keep their stuff in.

Now, in its current home.

Thanks for humoring us while we try to show some of the things we love.

It's all in the details

2011-05-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

I'm loving these stamps from The Postal Store.

We're back!

2011-05-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's taken us so long! Yesterday marked six weeks since sweet Eero was born. We couldn't be more in love with him. I've started two new projects and am back in the swing of things. I even got in a jog and a shower yesterday morning! Small things are big deals these days.

Today I was thinking about all the filler furniture. The pieces that don't scream you but are necessary for the function of the room. Don't spend a lot on those. I think West Elm is one of the best places to find great, modern filler furniture for a great price.

*filler furniture to me is a simple, modern desk. Maybe you don't have two thousand saved up for your dream desk so you buy a filler piece and on top of it you put your favorite books, your favorite art above it, a great lamp and a vintage chair you found at a flea market.

I love the idea of mixing inexpensive modern pieces with vintage finds at thrift stores and romantic florals. Then to really jazz it up, adding some great art. Even if it's your husband and son underwater at the swimming pool. Oh, and you can't forget a really great lamp.

Monday I'm going to have Kevin do a blog post on the dresser he made for Satchel. Everyone: don't be afraid. Start doing DIY projects. You can do it!

Sorry, we've been busy! We had a baby boy!

2011-04-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

2011-04-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hanging Art

2011-03-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of questions about hanging art. To be honest, we never learn how to hang art in school. It's just something you have to figure out and use the element and principles of design to get right. Proportion, scale, repetition, and balance are good ones to remember. I found an article in Elle Decor that I thought might be helpful. Let me know what you think.

Hanging Basics

• Use picture-hanging hooks, rather than heavy nails or screws. Although they may seem dainty, they are very secure. “It’s all based on shear weight,” says Kassel. “The picture hooks go into the wall on an angle, like a cat’s claw—it’s a whole different set of physics.”

• Buy the right type of hook for your artwork’s weight. “There are basically three types,” says Kassel. “A one-nail picture hook holds things that are 30 pounds or lighter. A two-nail picture hook holds pieces that are about 50 pounds. A three-nail picture hook holds pieces that are about 75 to 100 pounds.

• Use two picture hooks per artwork. Not only does this provide added security but it helps art remain level over time, compared to items hung from a single point.

• When possible, install two D-rings, rather than a wire, on the backs of frames, to hang from the picture hooks. “Then it’s stationary, and not swinging on a wire,” says Kassel. “There’s no pendulum effect involved.”

• Use a level and ruler to ensure that both the picture hooks and D-rings are aligned when installed.

Stylish Arrangements

• Recruit a helper who can hold pieces against the wall before you begin hammering in the picture hooks. “Then you can take a step back to see what the space is going to look like with the piece there,” says Kassel. “You get a sense of the proportions and colors, and see it against all the other design elements.”

• When hanging a single piece on a wall, the center of the picture should be about 60 inches off the ground, which places it at eye level.

• When hanging a pair of works, one above the other, treat them as one large picture (whether they’re the same or different sizes). Find the center point between them, and use the same 60-inch rule.

• For spacing between art on the same wall, “Generally, we’ll use two inches between larger pictures,” says Kassel. “If they’re all smaller family photos, we might use an inch and a half between them.” That goes for the spacing above, below, and on either side of each frame.

• When arranging multiple pieces, don’t just think in terms of a grid. “What’s really becoming popular are salon installations—a group of often disparate images or frames,” clustered together, says Kassel, who notes that such installations often stretch from wall to wall and floor to ceiling. “There’s no right or wrong way to do it,” he says. “We just start in the middle and work our way out. It’s something you feel proportionally, or you can decide based on whether Aunt Rose should be next to Uncle Jim.”

Another great post coming soon: Kevin's crib project

2011-03-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

BEDROOMS

2011-03-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

images via elle decor and met home

I think that the master bedroom is the first place to start when redesigning/decorating a house. It's the first place you wake up to in the morning and hopefully where you spend a good amount of time at night winding down. Some people associate peaceful bedrooms with neutral, muted colors and others find peace in texture and color. The first four images are by one of my favorite designers Vicente Wolf. Check out his blog if you haven't already. The last two are Kelly Wearstler. She's incredibly talented and brave in her color/pattern/texture choices. I would love to stay in all of these bedrooms.

Sometimes being an interior designer is a lot like being superman.

2011-03-12T12:09:00.000-08:00

A designer really needs to be able to look into the future in a lot of ways. When I meet with my clients I try and think about meeting two different people. The one who is telling me what they want as we sit and discuss ideas- aka the "young client" and that same client if we had time to take them to every showroom, every flea market around the world, every museum, castle, architectural monument and had the time to teach them all about fibers, fabrics, furniture construction and lighting- aka the "educated client". Some clients are very educated to begin with and some are very, very young!

As interior designers, it's not our job to meet just the "young" client's needs. A good designer will satisfy what you asked for and give you so much more. All the things that you couldn't put into words. We also must look into the future to see what the client's life will be like in 5, 10, or even 20 years, all while still pleasing the "young" client (who may have a difficult time understanding your solutions) but designing for the "educated" client. It's not an easy job!

Maybe I could build that....

2011-03-09T13:20:00.000-08:00

I think that in the near future, we will have to have a "Meet the Bloggers" post where we try to add some personality and familiarity to us, as we push along this exciting business. For now, I will say that I (Kevin) have the ability to see many things as parts, and not necessarily as whole objects. I don't usually look at a design or product without trying to figure out what it is made up of, and how those parts fit together. It probably stems from a little bit of arrogance, thinking that somehow I am equally as good of a craftsman as the person who originally made it. That is of course wrong, and I am nowhere as good as the original craftsman. But it doesn't keep me from trying. You may have seen a couple of things that Whitney and I have tried to make for our little boy, (Crib, Dresser, Chair, etc). I must give credit where credit is due. I did not design all of these things. I saw things that were very well designed and tried my best to recreate the looks. As many people know, that is where the fun begins, because projects evolve as they progress. The latest, (fun and frustrating) project was to recreate a bassinet for future "chitlin's."

As you can see in the post below, The bassinet is really four parts.

A welded steel base
A bent wood form
A bent wire frame with handles, and
A fabric insert.

First, I had to build the form, to bend the 10 layers of veneer (Sheets of thin wood) over.

*Here you can see the form, an elaborate rounded box, hollow, with supporting wood throughout. I covered it with a blanket to try to eliminate imperfections.

Next, after painstakingly gluing all 10 sheets of wood, (8 sheets of inexpensive, sandwiched between two real nice pieces of Walnut), the fun part starts. The wooden form, and the flat sandwich of veneer sheets, are all placed in a large vacuum bag, which is hooked up to a large vacuum pump. (Found at a local wood working shop where you pay by the hour to use their equipment).

*Below is the bag pulled tight, with paper over everything to keep the glue squeeze-out from ruining the bag.

*The bag sits overnight, allowing the glue to dry.
*In the morning, (after lots of prayers and finger crossing....) the bag is removed and the 10 flat sheets have now been bent over the form. First time success is awesome, and very cost effective. Veneer is not cheap.

The
process is not without a small casualty. I guess that hundreds of pounds of pressure is too much for MDF and some thin sheet wood. The form is busted, (but just the bottom)

*The bent Plywood is trimmed and cut to size, as my helper looks on.

* The welding process begins. I had never welded before, so the whole thing was a great learning experience.

Bending, heating, and cutting metal is much more approachable than you think. Don't let it intimidate you... Oh, and get real good help, like I did. Thanks Greg.

WIth the base finished, the wood is dry fit on top. Pretty good. A mock-up of how to bend the handles is below the base.

*Things are starting to shape up

* Handles bent and fitted, base mounted to wood. Everything is lining up nicely.

Next is the part that makes or breaks the project. The fabric. I actually have as much or more sewing experience as I do wood working. It was also a task, but a fun one. I think that we are there.

*Thanks for following along. This will eventually be put to use somewhere, and has been a great experience to learn some new things. We will continue to do document as best we can, as we create our own home, other peoples spaces, and whatever else comes our way.

All the best,

Match Interiors

Stay tuned...

2011-03-07T12:26:00.000-08:00

Kevin is going to post on his bassinet project soon!

Another teen makeover

2011-03-04T11:16:00.000-08:00

This sweet girl went from tomboy to Taylor Swift in just one quick year so we needed a fresh new look. We worked with a small budget and turned things around really quickly. We used the same bed just painted it, and moved furniture from other parts of the house that worked better. The after photo's still don't have the art, mirrors or lamps in yet but it gives an idea of what painting furniture and walls can do for a cheap room makeover.

Before photo:

After gray paint went on the walls, a carpet remnant was put on the floor, the bed got new paint and white linens, and white furniture got brought in other house furniture. The fact that I didn't fix the bed skirt for the picture is still driving me crazy.

I always like to leave flowers and a candle when I finish a job.

Do you remember this room?

2011-03-03T12:32:00.000-08:00

image via elle decor

I presented my concept yesterday afternoon to my young client and her mom and it was just what she wanted. It feels so nice to go in with a strong idea and then get so much positive feedback (a lot of time you MUST have a rendering for the client to ever except a bold or "different" design concept). I did have a rough sketch and that helped. We are doing that exact paint color, pre-dawn sky from BM. I got the floor plan approved by both mother and daughter. So next is paint and ordering FF&E. Just incase anyone is curious, I have spent 9 hours so far on the project. I still like to keep track even though I have moved over to a flat fee. It's good to make sure your time is matching your fee.

Here's what else I found for the room. Most everything I found from either Ikea, West Elm, or Urban Outfitters.

We meet for the next three weeks and our timeline is to have it finished by the beginning of April. I'll keep all of you updated on our progress and/or hiccups along the way. Wish us luck!

Family Photos

2011-03-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

This is my son, me and Kevin a year ago in Skye Johansen's studio.

Good photographs are so important in a home. I don't always mean paying a lot of money for a professional either (like the one above). Real photographs that capture who people really are. Here are some of my favorites that I am working on converting to b&w, framing and covering a small wall.

These photos were taken by so many different people. A lot were just me or Kev. Our friends Missy and Juice took some and they are really good photographers. Each photo has a special place in our heart.

This is our new kitchen.

2011-03-02T10:28:00.000-08:00

We had to get this design thrown together fast because we worked on it very last. I'd wanted a banquette for a long time and we both thought the space was ideal for one. We found the idea in Domino's book. We already had the Ikea table so Kevin built the benches and pony wall in a matter of hours and by the time we had moved our stuff in the paint was dry! He also finished the baby bassinet but that deserves a whole blog post of its own. The table top accessories are Crate and Barrel, the pillows are Ikea and the broom is cheetah print from Whole Foods. The cuckoo clock is from Conranshop.com. We have two and bought them back when we were in college. The scooter is by Kick and it's still, by far, our best toy purchase after a year and a half. After taking a tour of Bing nursery for Satchel and seeing all the kids doing projects at small tables we felt super guilty that Satchel didn't have anything kid sized to do art projects on. He loves it and it's great for when friends come over. The table and chairs were $20 at Ikea. We love the kitchen and I spend a lot of my morning in that nook reading while Satchel eats or paints.

Before the makeover:

I love before and after photos!

AND THE LUCKY WINNER IS...

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MOMMY WATSKY!

CONGRATULATIONS AND WE CAN'T WAIT TO WORK WITH YOU! (We will be in contact soon.)

We will keep everyone updated on the project. Once we are in contact with each other we will work out the details.

We are so excited.

Thanks to everyone who commented and for all those who have been sharing our blog with friends!

DON'T FORGET!

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Our free design give-a-way ends this friday! Click here to add your name to the comment list. Good luck!

kristenbuckingham.com.

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A great designer in L.A. Image via Elle Decor.

Isn't this the perfect San Francisco kitchen?

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The image is from Elle Decor. The owner is one of the heads for William Sonoma.

Jen Delonge

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I have loved her furniture design for a really long time. I just came across this nursery that I have admired for years and realized it was her design! I love kid sized furniture.

I'm crazy about...

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This adorable Jonathan Alder rug. It would be great to hang on the wall.

Anything can be inspiration for a room concept.

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I ran across this image and thought about how beautiful the colors and textures were. I think it could be made into a magical room. I love the mix of old and new. Isn't that blue amazing?!

LATEST PROJECT

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I'm working on a design for a girl in middle school who wants bold, pattern, texture, and lots of color! Her favorite colors are orange, aqua and purple. She requested a day bed, sofa, dresser, rug and fuzzy pouf. This is just where our inspiration has taken us so far but I'm so excited to have a project with some flair. Not many clients want color right now so it's refreshing and exciting to get to work with so much.

I'll keep everyone updated on how the project progresses over the next few weeks.

Buy this room

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This room was just advertised on Jonathan Adler's site for $27,500! I would love to do it this for a cheap home makeover!

WE ARE DOING IT!

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We just launched our new blog- Match Interiors. It's still under construction.

We will be offering two services:

Quick digital boards via e-mail for $100- any room in the house.

Kevin and I will be doing one-day room makeovers for $1,000.

Also, we are doing our first project for FREE!! This will include our services for the day for any room with whatever budget the winner has to work with. Comment on this post and we will draw a comment number on friday, february 25th.

We can't wait! Send this info to as many people as you want!

MATCH TODDLER ROOM MAKEOVER

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The apartment bedroom started out like this.

This is after the room had been cleaned out. Let's figure out if our space planning on paper works in real life...

After a few small adjustments like moving the mirror from behind the chair to next to the closet and moving the frames from over the kitchen to behind the chair. Everything fits great!

I wanted people to know how we started to design the room. I always start with a floor plan, making notes of what we have already and what will be needed. Then I decide from the existing furniture what the options are for color palettes. I was really in love with a Crewcuts catalog last fall so I used that as my inspiration and it worked perfectly with what we had. Just a quick note on the room so everyone knows where things are from-

1. Toddler bed- craigslist

2. dresser- Kevin made

3. Art above dresser- Ikea's map of Manhattan

4. Laundry basket- ikea

5. Crib- Kevin made

6. Sheep mobile- Giggle.com

7. Green drapes- super clearance at Pottery Barn. We cut apart, re-sewed, steamed and took the hems out.

8. Baby blanket on chair- Dwell for Target but bought at a Goodwill for $2 in NYC.

9. Pillow on chair-on sale at Anthropologie

10. Chair- free on craigslist, kevin painted with white lacquer and reupholstered in ikea fabric for $4.00. We were going to sell it to make a profit but it works for the bedroom right now.

11. Frames of Satchel- ikea

12. Basket for books- free on side of road

13. lamp- Home Goods- spray painted with white lacquer

14. Elephant- Moma store

15. Kitchen set- craigslist

16. Rug- carpet remnant for $60.

17. Side table- Ikea 7.99. The Ikea things are the only things we bought for full price!

18. There is a full size mirror that rests on the floor next to the kitchen set. We bought it from ikea for our first apartment but spray painted it with orange lacquer.

*Nothing but the drapes and chair fabric were bought for the new house. It's amazing how different a room can look with just two new colors.

LARGER THAN LIFE ART

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KIDS ROOM INSPIRATION

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