It was the meeting that almost didn’t happen.
The relationship started with a call from Nena, the matriarch of the family. After booking an appointment with me to redesign her house, Nena’s “mom kindness” got the best of her and she gave her consultation to her daughter Callie. Nena explained that Callie needed a lot of help in her home, and when I arrived, I could see what she meant! Callie’s starter home was decorated with exercise equipment, sparse furniture, and her bedroom mattress on the floor. Callie had a fantastic job and just didn’t spend much time at home.
“With some love, attention and great design, we took this cookie cutter home to a custom look, and you can do the same. Here’s how we accomplished our task.”
PERSONALITY
Part of what makes a home seem custom is adding the homeowner’s personality throughout. No one wants their space to look just like their neighbors! For Callie, we accomplished this with initials all along the back wall. Adding “C” in every shape and size took me shopping all over Texas!
Another great way to add personality is with a fantastic photo gallery wall. Callie’s family is tight knit, so we collected photos of her grandparents, vintage and current, and finished them in gold frames of every shape and size.
ADDING SHELVING
The biggest change came when we removed one side of the kitchen cabinets and added open shelving. The exposed pipe and wood shelving elevated the kitchen from basic to custom! This home had no backsplash, so adding a snazzy star tile also customized the kitchen and gave Callie a lot of visual bang for her buck.
LIGHTING
You don’t have to settle for builder grade lighting! Even smaller homes can look grand when the lighting is right. We replaced all the drab flush mount lights with interesting and fun pendants and chandeliers. Even the new fan kits have way more personality than the ones that came with the house. This small change can make a huge impact!
“This home had no backsplash, so adding a snazzy star tile also customized the kitchen and gave Callie a lot of visual bang for her buck.”
USING PAINT
Callie is an adventurous soul, so I knew she would embrace pattern and color. Since she loves farmhouse style, I took the plunge and painted her home office with the big bold pattern in black and white. Sweet yellow details, like a large handpainted art print, round mirrors, and a cherry yellow rug warm up the space.
“The guest room furniture was passed down as a family heirloom, so because these were sentimental antiques, we simply updated the decor around them. Its okay to keep and use old furnishings— just freshen them up with current details. We did this with colorful bedding, bold patterns and great lighting.”
before
after
The bedroom was Callie’s favorite in the reveal. It is not hard to understand why when you look at that before photo (right). She was sleeping on a mattress on the floor! She may have felt like she was still in the dorm in college, but Callie deserved a grown up bedroom, and that is what I gave her! A beautiful chandelier, fluffy blankets, and a plush rug underfoot— this space was transformed into a peaceful retreat.
Callie has always been active and has a whole bedroom dedicated to working out. I was so impressed with her regimen! Since working out is HARD, I wanted to add some entertainment to the space. I covered the wall with chalkboard paint and gave her a place to write some inspirational messages to keep up the good work. (My four year old started her out by drawing a car like Lightening McQueen- which is totally okay, because it is just chalk! It comes off Shew!!!).
“Callie almost couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the transformation of the house. (Wanna see it? The video of the reveal is at CourtneyWarren. com) It is truly amazing what paint, shelving and lighting can do! What small upgrade can take your space from cookie cutter to custom? “
I know Callie and her friends will have fun with this new addition. And if it makes working out a bit more bearable, well…my work has been accomplished.
