Monday Matters: Thinking, Planning, Learning & Some Fresh Air On This Holiday Monday

Monday Matters: Thinking, Planning, Learning & Some Fresh Air On This Holiday Monday

Getting some much needed catch up work done

Thinking time

Planning time

I need time to sit and plan…

Learning time

I am always reading books about how to improve. I want so much to go back this next week and review my dog eared copy of this book. It’s simply a must read, even if you don’t have your own business.

And some fresh air

As January hit like a freight train around here, I am using the time to get some fresh air & clear my head so we can bring our best for the rest of the year. We are looking at the schedule and wanting so much to make Chats (our 2 hour Verbal Consults) and VIP Days (our 1 Day Package) available to as many as possible….

I love doing Chats & VIP Days but we can only do so many a month. I like being hands on and present at these, not handing them off to one of my Assistants. I am clearing some decks so we can do a few more. 🙂

May today be a blessed day for you and yours

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

xo Ann

Sunday Stewardship: Beauty & Decorating Systems

Sunday Stewardship: Beauty & Decorating Systems

Reminding Myself of what to Steward….

Couture Chateau Decorating Principles

&

Couture Chateau SYSTEMS that work in conjunction with my Decorating Principles

to achieve the home, life, space, decor that works for you, as you are today

Birds have nests, foxes have holes…you know the rest…since we have graciously been given a place to lay our heads at night, we should dwell with delight in our homes….making them BEAUTIFUL places from which we thrive.

And bless those around us…be who we are supposed to BE

These are tried, tested, re-vamped, re-tried, re-tested REAL systems I use every day in this Design + Decorating Business

When they fail…the drawing board is where I go

Why? What needs to change?

What if this…or that…

STEWARDSHIP

I am having so much fun sharing them but sharing is of no value if it isn’t made practical. Sharing is nice, but the goal is not just “oh…that’s nice”…the HOPE is that you and yours create BEAUTY that LIVES in your home because these things are made PRACTICAL. Easy to implement. Easy to steward.

I have never worked so hard out of my area of expertise to get my Systems & Principles “OUT”. I am no code writer. Nor am I a video editor. Or MP3 expert. I don’t even know how to get the label to print properly on the Office DVDs. The systems are here, we know they work…but I need my own expert to steward them into place…

(our “My Catalog Life” Small Group Seminar that worked so well in person is still being morphed for you. How To on Ready Made Retail is STILL in process. I could not give you a less than excellent product. I finally reached out to a true professional, skilled in execution and look forward to getting this off my desk and into your hands)

I know in my heart that these systems are made for you, for us…I don’t want to have wasted a talent or gift because I buried it in my Studio, with a few close clients & in my FEAR. A gift or insight given is only given to bless others…it must leave the harbour…it is not mine to own or hoard…

These are the systems I use to generate Small Group Seminars, VIP Days, Chats…Full Service Design

I am passionate about these because they SIMPLIFY my life & my BUSINESS

But it is scary for me to share them outside the safe + ordered walls of my Studio….

What if?

Then I remember what these systems do for me…daily…

They give me hope that when I can no longer think because the “noise” is too loud, I can rely on Foundational Truth & simple repeatable steps to bring me back to whole

I like simple steps that we can replicate. 1-2-3. A-B-C. 1 through 7. That sort of stuff….Universal & Customizable…

My hope is that they simplify & bless you

And that they are FUN.

How fun would it be to hang out in this room by Kelly Wearstler? Image linked.

That they equip you and me to REALLY live fearlessly as who we ARE

Stewardship.

It’s work. But it’s good work.

And I am grateful.

May today be a day of Stewarding who you are, and creating some beauty around you.

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

xo Ann

Saturday Stuff: How to Achieve Beauty in Decorating

Saturday Stuff: How To Achieve Beauty in Decorating

Simple at it’s core…

I have always loved this quote…

If you’ve been with us a few days, you know what we are unfolding here on the blog:

I am sharing some of my Couture Chateau Decorating Principles

and

My Couture Chateau SYSTEMS that work in conjunction with my Decorating Principles

Today we are on Beauty.

The Historical Chandler Building. When choosing the paint colors, I kept circling back to WHO the building really was…what would make her feel beautiful. Thank God the Owner “got it” or she would have been pale green…just like every other on the block…

Reflected from a home that is safe: physically, emotionally, spiritually

Your proverbial shire…

Reflected from a home that is in order: by type, by scope, by process

Wow. Not my personal preference, but maybe it could be someday…an incredible open air home via Forbes. Image linked.

Beauty that is FOCUSED & HONED by the parameters established above

Beauty that has walked through SAFETY and ORDER to Find Itself…

And is completely FREE because of it

I love this image and what it represents for my Clients. I know, we are not curing cancer here…but getting a home to a place of freedom matters. I know it in my bones…it just does…

NOW, seriously free

No apologies for style or taste or preference or cost

Mar-A-Lago, Donald Trump’s Palm Beach place…image linked.

No apologies for choosing something slightly outrageous

If this is what you love and thrive in, then DO. Image linked. This is from 2009 and I still swoon. Wendy Owen & John Lamos.

Just you. Reflected in your Safe, Ordered, Beautiful space…

Find your beauty and embrace it. It might just become a classic….every classic started in the brain of an innovator…

tomorrow? Stewardship of just that beauty…

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

xo Ann

Frugal Friday: Decorating Principle Systems, Dealing With Order

Frugal Friday: Decorating Principle Systems, Dealing With Order

What does Order have to do with Decorating Principles?

Let me walk you through the next step we use in our Full Service Client systems

Remember: Decorating Principle # 1:

Decorate with no more than seven years in mind

Yesterday we tackled 1) safety

If you are not safe….we cannot decorate the issues away

We address your Physical + Emotional + Spiritual Safety™

Now that we’ve identified measures to protect that safety, we move on to

2 ) ORDER

Tomorrow, we will tackle 3) Beauty

Why ORDER though?

Because if we skip to beauty and just make the space look great for the camera (this is the way it’s been done over & over for years) but don’t address simple things like:

How many shoes do you REALLY have and where will they go?

Whatever you think of Christina, the girl knew how to have a shoe closet! This image from her last house. Image linked.

How many purses do you REALLY have and where will they go?

Prada…another weakness of mine…

Are you messy?

If so, can we come up with simple order systems to help you keep a tighter reign on your tendencies going forward?

Are you a hopeless messy? Then how do we decorate with order to keep a girl from messing up a beautiful new space?!

I love The Container Store…my annual Client budget for this vendor alone warrants a hand written card from some higher up….that said, decorating is more than just picking out systems…it’s using systems that actually WORK for a CUSTOM YOU!….

There ARE ways, but we need to find them just for you….that whole “Live a custom life” thing I teach over & over 🙂

Are you a Professional Athlete & every time you come home you need space to drop shoes….as in 7 pairs of shoes in size 15 that won’t mess your garage or back entry off the garage? Do they need to be in a place your wife doesn’t trip over them?!

Cleats for the 49ers from 2012. Try to create a system to store shoes that does NOT look like a locker room…order…it matters!

ORDER

For the next 7 years what does ORDER look like in YOUR HOME?

Kids? Order looks a lot different than it does for Singles

This image from Traci Zeller Designs. I love how she makes practical use of space and interprets the locker room concept without making it too literal…It’s lovely! Image Linked.

Guest hosting an exchange student? Order looks a lot different than decorating for a new baby

The point is, simple things like this make HUGE differences in Practical Decorating for you

I may want to use a nightstand with no drawer in my Master Suite because I like how it looks, but since I read 15 books at a time and stack them bedside, that is not an option

I have always wanted to use a table like this as a nightstand. How fabulous. Problem for me? Stuff. No room for my stuff…Image linked. Snow Table by AA Studio.

At least it’s not an option if I want to walk into a beautiful space at the end of the day that doesn’t have piles of books I trip over because they fall OFF my pretty but no storage nightstand…

This is a far more practical option. I can hide books! Image linked.

I know many people think I may be nuts with all my Decorating Systems, all these questions, all these processes…but here’s the rub…

Have you ever finished decorating a space & it looked beautiful but it didn’t LIVE beautiful for YOU?

Many people think they love this look…until they live with it. I personally don’t mind shabby slip covers, they remind me of a fabulous English home. Some clients don’t LIVE the daily tuck it in, straighten it out…Image from House Beautiful

Have you ever finished decorating a room & everyone said “wow” but inside you thought “yeech”…& then you had to live with it because you were $10,000 – even $200,000 into it?

Inside of Versailles. Do you ever think someone along the process here thought…uh oh…not sure this is working ;)?! Maybe we should scale back on the gold just a bit?…I mean I LOVE Gold, even did a post on how I love gold, but this = too much

Have you ever decorated a space & thought “if I did it over, I’d do this differently…”

There is nothing frugal about that

No systems = poor planning + waste + poor purchases = yeech & sad face

Ever done that?

I have created these Systems for short term, long term, near term & far term

I literally have binders of systems in the Studio

Many of my seminars teach other decorators how to use my systems

I created them to make my life EASIER

I love this quote. We can layer pieces of life to make it “thicker” but at it’s core…there is beautiful simplicity underneath. I create systems to get to that CORE…it delights me & hopefully blesses you

So my employees + Team could (can) walk alongside Clients with success

So we could (can) wade in shallow waters & dive in deep if needed

It’s my inner nerd, hiding behind a fabulous pair of designer boots!

Robert Clergerie Hut Patent Ankle Boot. Image linked.

Point is if we honestly address these things, what are our REAL needs for ORDER over the next 7 years, then we can make practical (frugal) decisions & purchases

Think about these things…let me know what comes to mind!

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

xo Ann

Thursday Spotlight: Practical Applications, How To Make Couture Chateau Decorating Principles Work In Real Life!

Thursday Spotlight: Practical Applications, How To Make Couture Chateau Decorating Principles Work In Real Life

So you have a Decorating Principle in front of you

Seems logical

Let’s start with # 1:

Decorate with no more than 7 years in mind

I mean, Decorate for 7 years…good idea

Now what?!

Safety + Order + Beauty™

(Yes, another one of my Trademarked Processes)

I mean, how do I make this practical?

Three things, in this order:

1. Safety

2. Order

3. Beauty

It’s the SPOTLIGHT we put on every PRINCIPLE when working with Full Service Clients in that order

 #1 = Safety

Addressing safety, especially emotional & spiritual safety in decorating provides hedges. Pleasant boundaries that make a house a HOME. They can be many things to many people. The point is, if we address them, we can manage them & decorate a space to deal with them…

Therefore, we address every component of SAFETY in their life with respect to the PRINCIPLE at hand

Example: For the next 7 years….what do I need to do to be safe

Physically + Emotionally + Spiritually

What does YOUR safety look like in each of those areas?

Setting up residence overseas? Happen to be a diplomat? Physical safety is a component of our Design. Spiritual as well – there may be things we need to be cognizant of if someone is in and around volatile religious situations

Diplomatic Residence in London est 2017. Image linked.

Young kids? Infants? Safety can be about latches, locks & electrical outlets AND buttons on tufted sofas…..

Safety is simply not something we should overlook!

Troubled child moving home? Safety can mean no bar in the guest house & a video camera at the end of the property. It can also mean simple clean and calming interior spaces that are designed to heal…the right colors, textures…

I love this space by Mary McDonald. But I probably wouldn’t translate this boldness into a space for someone who is struggling…and those are conversations best had at the outset of a Decorating job. Trust me. You’d be surprised at how much we can fool ourselves into thinking…”oh, that would be fine…my son is coming back from rehab, but I don’t think it matters what the front room looks like…” Ummm, yes, it does!

Safety can mean many things – and you’d be surprised how many detials get overlooked when you don’t address these things

Remember, I created these Decorating Principles to equip me to best serve my Clients

With years of working alongside many different types of Clients in many different situations, I noticed that the Diplomat & Stay At Home Suburban Mother had more in common when it came to the PROCESS of finding the right Decor than first glance

Universal + Customizable

The process we use is the same for both = Universal

The outcome or answers are different = Custom

I love sharing these – my hope is that they will bless you!

Tomorrow? Step 2 in this process (Frugal) Order…

Hang on – this is going to be a fun walk thru with our Decorating Principles!!

And once we get through the top 10, I will let you know how we will make the other 20 available to you

Fun!

Spotlight

Shine it & LIVE!

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

xo Ann

Wednesday Style Points: Couture Chateau Decorating Principle # 8

Wednesday Style Points: Couture Chateau Decorating Principle # 8

Couture Chateau Decorating Principle # 8:

Great Decorating EQUIPS Living, it doesn’t ECLIPSE Living

Equip: /iˈkwip/

A verb: To supply with the necessary items for a particular purpose

I thought this was a fun quote. We are equipped to do things. YOU are equipped to help me do what I cannot or choose not & I am equipped to do the same for you!

I happen to think that’s my job as a Decorator

To supply YOU with the necessary items

Encouragement

Teaching

My Seminars are in small groups so people can learn together! We will share 2013 dates soon.

Design

It looks so easy doesn’t it…just try it! I always counsel nervous clients to try and then call me…seems to work ;)! This image from The Skirted Roundtable with Alexa Hampton

Decor

Training

Not to worry – I’ll be here when the phone rings…& will gratefully, graciously walk along side…

Procurement

We use Studio Webware to make sure Client’s jobs run smoothly

The Right Sofa

There is a look for everyone. We just need to find yours! Versace here…for which I have a weakness…a terrible terrible weakness…. Would this work in my real life today? No, but I can interpret elements and make them relevant

Processing

Follow up

For a Particular Purpose

For You to Live a Custom Life!

Versus:

Eclipse:/iˈklips/

A verb: To obscure the light from or to

How sad would it be if you hired a Decorator and they left ‘you’ out of the space…when all you saw was “them” after they were finished…

I don’t want my Decorating to eclipse YOU

It should EQUIP (enhance…)

Style Points

YOU have them

I have them

Great Decorating is simply a transfer of gifts that equip

Love this principle

You know what I’m talking about if you think about it

In Fashion, it’s the person who wears head to toe Burberry because it’s Burberry

In Theater, it’s when you remember the set and not the play

Design IS a process…there is nothing static about it. The Decorator who wants to create a static place is staging for a photograph, not decorating for a life…..I want to decorate for life…

Tomorrow we are going to spotlight the PROCESS we use to PRACTICALLY APPLY our Decorating Principles…

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

xo Ann

Tuesday Tidbit: Decorating Principles = A Living Habit

Tuesday Tidbit: Decorating Principles = A Living Habit

One of the things I like about Tuesday Tidbits

Bite Size Nuggets

Research has shown that Tuesday is the most productive day of the week

From SME Mentor. Image linked to a fun article on Tuesday productivity!

I want to keep these short & sweet so you can get back to kids, work, walking, yoga…whatever it is you do best on Tuesdays

This is SO not me…….but I know it’s for you Tobi, Denise and Brittany…;)

My Decorating Principles are Living Habits in Disquise

They are not about mixing the right shade of blue with white

What color is “in” or “right” for your skin tone

I am all about making sure we stay current, but there is so much more to Decorating than being “on trend”. One of my biggest aha moments years ago: “If I’m not innovative enough to be outside of trendy & still relevant, then I’m just an order taker, not a designer”…that is a founding cornerstone of Couture Chateau

There are other people, Designers, Decorators who are great at teaching those things

I am passionate about my Decorating Principles because my Full Service Clients often communicate that THESE stay with them into the next phase of life

Even as our blue + white addiction turns to a pink + green addiction

From The Daily Crushes Blog. Image linked.

Or our skin tone changes color with age

The Decorating Principles Process we journey together is what sticks

For a life of living well

For today…be true to who you are TODAY (& for enough time after today so as not to arouse suspicion about your sanity ;)….

As them

As YOU

Isn’t that what life is all about anyway?

The couch needs to work, for certain. It needs to be beautiful. Absolutely

I have a weakness for Red Chesterfields…I just do…

But don’t belabor it

Do you want a Knole sofa? Then buy one or let’s have a custom version made today for you…image linked. If you have no idea what I am referring to, click and get a quick history lesson 😉

Couture Chateau Decorating Principles…a living habit

Universal + Customizable

Today?

Couture Chateau Decorating Principle # 8: Great Decorating EQUIPS Living, it doesn’t ECLIPSE Living

(more on this one tomorrow…it’s a fun one…on Style Points Wednesday!)

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

(Tuesday Tidbit = under 400 words….yeah!)

xo Ann

Monday Matters: Getting Through The Week With Patience Not Panic

Monday Matters: Getting Through The Week With Patience Not Panic

Designing a space or Decorating a room requires Patience

I like this image. Great Design requires patience as well.

So does getting through a busy week of work

These columns remind me daily of how patience pays off. Gorgeous Patina comes from years of use…

Sometimes we get so excited about a new project

or product

that we rush

or skip entirely required steps

not building a solid foundation

You know the analogy – building your house on the sand instead of the rock…

Building on a rock means so much more than this…it means we do the work we need to do even when we don’t want to do it. I have the privilege of reading The Four Hour Work Week right now. There are delightful nuggets in the book to be sure, HOWEVER, real life is more than just being “happy”. There is beauty that comes from walking through the process & being edified

As we look at the week ahead, what do YOU need to patiently address?

In your Home? In your Work? With your Family?

Will you panic?

This makes me laugh out loud! My nature? This. Why do you think I reset each week on Monday & insist that the entire Studio does with me? Because my nature must be molded into something far more productive & beautiful

Or calmly address the situation

Two proverbs I keep close at hand: “Calmness can lay great errors to rest” and “Do not leave your post in times of trouble”

An example from our Studio

We have been cleaning & organizing, reducing & reusing

Now? Monday Morning a pile of papers that MUST be shredded awaits

I could panic

The piles are huge

There is DESIGN WORK do be done besides shredding

I LOVE Design Work. Designing Lives, Houses, Product….all of it…but I am made better by deadlines, borders, parameters…they hone my skills & bring me back into the practical application of daily living. I am blessed by them. It is why I embrace the pain of this so called drudge work.

Or I could patiently set out the three shredders, make that great coffee, put on some music & hand everyone in the office a stack of stuff to get through

Is it glamourous?

No

Is it necessary?

YES

So some of Luxury Design Work = drudge

YES

What do I do to lift myself & those around me while we tackle this task?

Am GRATEFUL we have the Clients to generate things to shred

I am grateful.

Am GRATEFUL we have the Work that generates things to shred

Gratitude can be learned. Just like anything. Trust me. If I can learn to keep a tidy desk….ANYTHING can be learned ;)!!

What is your Monday Matters?

What is your drudge for the week?

Can you lift it out of the ordinary?

How so?

With an attitude of gratitude? A dash of music? Some great fresh coffee?

Sometimes life isn’t all that glamorous, but it still DESERVES to be lived

WELL

Life should be lived well

I like this. I had to learn this. My nature is to be invisible so I don’t do, ask or move forward. I used to think that was the right way to be. To essentially disappear….so as not to bother anyone with me…. I now know you can DO with KINDNESS, ASK with GRACIOUSNESS & MOVE FORWARD with JOY. Is this something anyone else has to learn? It is daily for me. It is one of the reasons I write the blog…….hopefully a kind, gracious & joyful blog…

So we are off to do the things we SHOULD because it’s the right thing to do

Louboutins? What do those shoes have to do with Monday Matters?!

Hello Monday cheerfulness!

Great for shredding. I mean, a girl can sit down & shred in style, can’t she?!

Monday Matters & so do YOU!

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

xo Ann

Sunday Stewardship: “Pick Pieces That Transition Well” our Feature on ivillage

Sunday Stewardship: “Pick Pieces That Transition Well” our Feature on ivillage

Yesterday we shared our Headboard featured on ivillage.

Today in honor of Stewardship, we show a project where EVERY item was purchased with an eye towards other uses

This fun high contrast Dining Area for a 20 Something was designed using our VIP Day Service

This Feature is DIY High Style, Low Cost

For the project below our goal was 3 fold:

1) Fab

2) Practical

3) Less than $3,500 including Design Fee of $1,500

We came in well under budget!

Here’s How:

I chose a three color classic combo that packed punch

Black + White + Turquoise

Here is the post from ivillage:

Pick Pieces that Transition Well

Ann McDonald designed this dining room for a 20-something who loves to entertain. She wanted a strong visual punch and had a good-sized space to work with, but not a lot of money. Ann decided to design the space with items that could do double duty later if her client moved out of the apartment and into a house. They started with an outdoor rug from Cost Plus and ended up running with an outdoor theme thinking that all these pieces would work well on a porch some day. To create a room divider and block off the apartment’s laundry area, Ann’s client created a large curtain panel using outdoor fabric she found at a discount chain for $15 per yard, plus a curtain rod and rings from Ikea.

Dining Room

The first design choice we made was the rug. It’s an outdoor room size rug from Cost Plus that was in store only.

This classic Damask Outdoor Rug is from Overstock.com. I love using bold pattern outdoor rugs, especially when the budget is tight. Why? Because you can pack a punch while using well priced nice quality basics (the CB2 Table, a Stripe Drapery…) that will transition life with you.

Since the Client is in her 20’s & enjoying apartment life I wanted to spec something that could easily transition, handle wear + tear & make a statement

STEWARDSHIP!

Entertaining traffic? Not a problem! Spilled drink, pets or spots wash out with soap & water.

The second choice was the white classic table. No, it’s not an original Saarinen 🙂 but the style is classic and at $199 from CB2, absolutely unbeatable.

Odyssey Table by CB2. $199. This is a classic style that packs a punch. Saarinen’s replica version is available at Design Within Reach for $1,800 + depending on size. We simply didn’t have the budget to spec DWR’s version.

Truth? I have one just like this in the Design Studio. It gets used constantly!

I had originally specified Kartell’s Victoria Ghost Chair in Blue at $330 each, but found these Turquoise Chairs at Home Goods for $ 65 each. Savings too good to pass up. Designer + Client Happy!

Kartell’s Victoria Ghost Chair is a classic.

They are simple, classic and strong for an inexpensive chair. The color is what really takes them over the top.

For the drapery (room divider) I spec’d out reversible panels of outdoor black & white striped fabric with a leading edge band in beige dots.

So the Client may re-use the drapery fabric at some point for an outdoor awning, I specified flat panel. This also made it possible for savings on custom labor costs – she is a terrific seamstress and sewed the panels herself.

By making them reversible, she gets the same pretty view from the Laundry Area that she does in the Dining Room.

Suntex Sun Duck Fabric in Black & White Stripe, about $18/yard on line. Client was able to secure for about $15/yard locally. I did specify a custom leading edge band out of a beige outdoor dot which coordinates with the wall color (out of frame).

Drapery Hardware & Clips are from Ikea

Ikea Syrlig Curtain Rings hold the flat panels in place. We spec’d a simple tie back so Client wasn’t drawing drapes constantly to get in and out of Laundry area.

Client handled installation themselves

Matte Black Dishes from Target

Dishes from Target. The matte finish looks incredibly high end and for a custom signature, we paint the underside of mugs in matching Turquoise! Hand wash the mugs please…& if you do DIY this custom trick, use proper paint from craft store.

Custom Napkins by Couture Chateau out of hand dyed black Belgian Linen

Custom Hand Made Napkin Rings by Couture Chateau

I found this DIY from Wood Turning Online. Absolutely stunning, I love using hand fabricated napkin rings. Image linked. You can also source custom napkin rings from my FAV site: CustomMade.com. Tell them Ann McDonald sent you ;)!

Sunday Stewardship: Are you planning a DIY Project this weekend?

What about one where down the road you can TRANSITION an item into another space?

Let us know!

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

********************************

Not EVERYTHING we do is large scale 🙂

This DIY Project was achieved from a simple VIP Day, $1,500.

Here is the link to our website where you can read a detailed description

As you know from my Frugal Friday posts, VALUE is important to me

We DO design single rooms and remote projects. Don’t hesitate to contact us. Who knows, your project may end up featured on the Blog!

ccstudio@couturechateau.com

 

Saturday Stuff: “Think Outside The Headboard Box” our ivillage Feature!

Saturday Stuff: “Think Outside The Headboard Box” our ivillage Feature

I love ivillage

I read it long before being asked to contribute so am always grateful when I can share projects. Please pin, like, share! We’d love to do more.

This Feature is DIY High Style, Low Cost

Not EVERYTHING we do at Couture Chateau is large scale 🙂

This DIY Project and the one we will share tomorrow were Designed with Client’s using VIP Days which accommodate all budgets

As you know from my Frugal Friday posts, VALUE is important to me

If you have a smaller or remote project, contact us. We’d be thrilled to chat via email. Who knows, your project may just end up featured on the Blog!

ccstudio@couturechateau.com

For the project below, 12 Foot Sloped Ceilings were presenting issues and the Client did not have a large budget. The room doubles as office & guest room.

Here is the Description from ivillage

Think Outside the Headboard Box

Many bloggers have shared step-by-step tutorials on how to make upholstered headboards, which are an affordable, albeit labor-intensive, way to spruce up your bedroom, but Ann McDonald of design firm Couture Chateau came up with an even better idea. When she found a 3-section divider made out of coconut shells at Home Goods for $39.99, she knew it’d make the perfect headboard for her client’s guest bedroom. The ceilings are over 12 feet high at one end of the room and Ann’s client wanted something that would make a strong visual statement. Ann loved the divider’s textural quality and lucky for her, it was a perfect fit for a queen bed and worked well with the casual vibe of the room.

Guest Bedroom Suite, Doubles as Low Use Home Office

The Client handled the installation themselves. The 3 screen panel is attached with a cleat system from Home Depot and can easily be moved

The Coverlet is Barbara Barry from Tuesday Morning

Barbara Barry Quiet Curve Coverlet & Toss Pillow in Sea Glass. I love how the color of the coverlet plays against the strong browns. You can find this same coverlet on ebay & other re-sellers. Client found it new at Tuesday Morning. Image linked to ebay

Barbara Barry Coverlet from House of Linens. Notice this one has a different stitch pattern. I love her pre-fab coverlets because they are well priced + classic. About $150 depending.

The Shams are Ralph Lauren Home Collection, Wool with Velvet Trim

The shams pictured here are European Square, Ralph Lauren. The ones we used are no longer available, but the price point is similar about $130. We splurged on the shams because we saved elsewhere. Ralph can be found on line or at major home stores like Macy’s.

The Prints are antique architectural renderings framed by Aaron Brothers

This is from All Posters. Image linked. We used antique renderings the Client already owned. I specified Aaron Brothers  custom framing using a stock frame. By paying only for the labor & upgraded preservation glass the framing costs per print were less than $150 each. Turn around is about 3 weeks.

The desk ( barely in frame) is from a consignment store and we changed handles for a more contemporary look. Couture Chateau custom lining on inside of drawers with patterned fabric over board so guests would feel special!

I don’t often use animal prints, but custom lining the inside of drawers in “wow” fabric in Guest Suites is one of my trademarks. So fun! This fabric is a chenille and runs about $23 per yard. Image linked to Fabric Domain website. Easy to DIY with heavy cardboard & good glue.

Because this space functions as both an office and guest room, the Client needed a place to keep office items. Since I specified to custom line the drawers, wasn’t keen on a bunch of pens possibly leaking. Solution? A shadow box frame that opens from the front! The Client can clearly see pens, paperclips, sim cards and simply pick up the box when guests arrive.

No cleaning out messy drawers. Happy Everyone 🙂

These are from Exposures. Image linked. The real trick here is to use a shadow box that isn’t too heavy and opens from the front. It one of those tight space design tricks. No cleaning out drawers last minute before a guest arrives. Just pick up your box and leave!

Saturday Stuff: Are you headed out for a DIY Project this weekend?

Let us know!

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

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Tomorrow: Stewardship Sunday, “Designing with Transition in Mind”