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"Weekend Updates"

I find it pretty amazing how much you can get done in a weekend.  Sure, I'm beat, but I'm
totally feeling accomplished. I was able to check two big items off of my furniture upgrade list this weekend and it actually happened way faster than I thought it would. 


One of the first furniture pieces I purchased when I moved in my current home, nearly nine years ago, was a TV armoire.  It has served me well and while it's in perfect condition, it just no longer suits my current tastes.  (BTW, I'll be listing it on Craigslist soon.)


Back at the start of the year, I spotted this beautiful Asian-styled armoire on the Lenoir ReStore's Facebook page and loved it.  As it turned out, nearly four weeks later, it was still there!  So I hit the road this weekend to go pick it up.


At the same time, I'd be giving this coffee table base I picked up at the Habitat ReStore in Hickory a lot of thought lately.  When I purchased it, I wasn't sure if I'd use it for me or a client.  I just knew it was too good to pass up.


After getting it home back in August, I decided that it may just be a little too large for my space.  I've been storing it in the garage ever since. 

After deciding to reupholster my current coffee table/storage ottoman, I knew I would need a stand-in in the meantime, so this gold lovely seemed a logical replacement.  I carted it off to the Karsey Glass on Friday and they were able to cut glass for me in a matter of hours.  


I couldn't get home quick enough to start styling. 


I couldn't be more pleased with them both.  The coffee table was the perfect way to lighten things up for Spring/Summer (yeah, I'm a little early).  I purchased this cozy Pottery Barn rug a few weeks ago as a Fall/Winter alternative to my favorite braided chenille and jute, but I'll be bringing it back out in the next couple of months. 

 

While the table is much larger and taller than the ottoman, the glass actually makes it take up less visual space so it works much better than I thought it would.


As for the armoire....


I couldn't love it more.  It also took me NO time to join the droves of folks that collect blue and white porcelain (although I said I wouldn't).  I've got to admit, its a pretty classic element that's very hard to resist.


I can't tell you how many times I've had guests ask, "Where is your TV?"  I love that it's tucked neatly away in a beautiful piece of furniture. 
I was able to get everything back in order just as the sun was setting on Sunday evening and I can't wait to come home in the evenings to this space.  This may just be my new happy place! 

"Upholstery Makeover: Ottoman Upgrade"

Well, it's that time again.  Time for another upholstery project. 

McCreary Modern

Sometimes it takes a while for me to get going on a project.  It's really a bit strange when you consider that other times, I can't move fast enough on getting things completed.  Whatever the reason, I'm finally addressing my coffee table/storage ottoman.  You may recall when I picked it up on one of our ReStore shopping trips to the Catawba Valley ReStore.  I blogged about it HERE


It was a great piece of McCreary Modern furniture with tons of storage and it was a steal.  I purchased it with the intention to have it recovered, but honestly the longer I kept it the more used to it I became. 


The dolphin gray color doesn't exactly work with my current color scheme but it also doesn't fight with it either.  It's sort of an afterthought and I'm ready to fix that. 


Originally I thought I'd used this ottoman with a contrasting strip that I spotted at High Point Market as my inspiration.  I was thinking I'd add a huge dose of color with a graphic fuchsia stripe down the middle.  However, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to select something that would work for years to come.


Ultimately, I decided to go with the same fabric that I used on my camelback sofa makeover several years ago.  I figure having the two act as a set will allow for changes later on and produce a grounding affect that will allow my other accessories to take center stage. 

Of course, just covering it with a piece of golden cream fabric doesn't seem like much fun so I'm going to punch it up a notch with a nail head trim.  I'm thinking about getting a little fancy here.


Zinc Door
I've been pinning some ideas and hope to make a decision and send this one off to Baity's Custom Upholstery soon!

Pantone's 2016 Color of the Year

Hi guys!  Hope you had a great MLK Holiday Weekend.  I sure did.  It culminated with a little volunteer time at one of our local Habitat ReStores in honor of the MLK Day of Service.  I'm always so excited to give my time to honor such a great man's life and legacy.  You can read more about it on the Metrolina ReStore's blog.

Today I thought I'd drop in to chat a little about this year's Pantone Color of the Year.  If you think about it, January really is the perfect time to announce a new color that will drive the trends for the remainder of the year in everything from fashion to design.  For most, a new year brings new possibilities, new adventures and for those of us who love design...new color inspiration. 

Each year, Pantone, the nation's foremost authority on color, anoints a Color of the Year. What is the color of the year? According to Pantone, its "A symbolic color selection; a color snapshot of what we see taking place in our culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude." 

It's become a bit of a tradition for me to blog about the colors.  In fact, one of my very first posts featured Tangerine Tango, the 2012 Color of the Year.  It's pretty fun to take a look back at the past Colors of the Year.

2012 Color of the Year Post

2013 Color of the Year Post

via Pantone
2015 Color of the Year Post

The selections always create quite a buzz in the design world and Pantone shook things up even more this year.  For the first time ever, they introduced not one, but two colors as this year's Color of the Year; Serenity (Periwinkle) and Rose Quartz (Soft Pink). 


These two soft and feminine colors are a big departure from last year's Marsala, which was met with mixed reviews.  There were actually a number of hints at the Rose Quartz selection at this year's High Point Furniture Market.  There were tons of blush elements and features in 2015.

CR Laine

Tobi Fairley for CR Laine
 

Pantone says, "Rose Quartz is a persuasive yet gentle tone that conveys compassion and a sense of composure. Serenity is weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, bringing feelings of respite and relaxation even in turbulent times."  It may seem that Serenity and Rose Quartz are obvious choices for girl's rooms or nurseries, but the colors are actually more versatile than you might think. Check out a Houzz ideabook I've put together for some inspiration on how these two soft and soothing colors.

So what do you think?  I could see working these into some of my designs this year.  How about you?  Do you like the selections or are you already looking forward to what's next for 2017?

One Day Design Plus

Hi friends!  I'm super excited to have added a new service offering this year.  It's called One Day Design Plus.  You many recall me sharing with you my first One Day Design project last fall.  One Day Design is essentially a service created for clients who just need the value of my expertise for a single day.  It's a pretty flexible process and could include anything from selecting paint colors  to actually shopping, all during the span of a six hour period. 

Given the extensive waiting list we currently have, this service also allows clients quicker access to our services.  Sure, it doesn't include any of the custom furnishings that full-service clients receive and it also doesn't include a detailed design plan, but it is a way to quickly pull together a space with the help of a designer.  As was the case with my latest project. 

The client was a referral from a previous client and she was looking to quickly pull together a guest suite for holiday visitors.  After a phone consult, we soon met for a One Day Design service appointment. 



The day began with a tour of her gorgeous home (That rug!).  Upon arriving I concluded that she was a bit of a design junkie since there was a dogeared copy of Erin Gates' Elements of Style book. (LOVE that book!) It's always nice when a client knows what they like.

A quick chat and we hit the ground running; shopping for a headboard, bedding, drapery, seating and accessories.  Yep, it was a pretty tall order for a six hour day. Surprisingly, we were able to get a number of things checked off the list. 


However, as our time began to wind down, she realized that it would be great to have the benefit of my expertise to actually pull it all together.  So, she requested a second One Day Design service.  I gladly obliged and we set up another time.  However, given the fact that I now knew where we wanted to go with the space, I felt the need to have some flexibility to make some purchases on her behalf.  So we set a budget and agreed that I'd pick up things between then and the next appointment. 



I also knew that we'd need several things installed, so I offered to schedule my installer for the next appointment day and thus One Day Design Plus was born.

The guest room was literally a blank slate.  No really, there was nothing. 




We were able to pull everything together in our short time together and I think it turned out great! 


  
 
  
 


So, what do you think?  Not bad for two days and a little shopping in between.  This space is a great example of how things don't always have to be custom to be beautiful.  Everything seen here was purchased retail,  (Sorry, as a courtesy to my clients I don't share sources for their projects.) but I think the mix makes it look so much more custom. 

What do you think?  I've already scheduled my next One Day Design project and I'm thinking it's going to be a great addition to my service offerings this year.  You can find out more about both services on the Dwell by Cheryl Interiors website. 

Until next time...

"I Want it ALL!"

Today's the day.  Yep, it's the day that we go back to the grind with new energy, new goals and renewed focus.  And as tough as it is to pull yourself out of vacation mode, there is something nice about a fresh start.  It's....well, refreshing.

2016 is going to be a BIG year for Dwell by Cheryl Interiors and I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.
Before the start of each new year, I take some time to sit down with my friend and professional organizer, Jennifer Burnham of Pure and Simple to strategize for the upcoming year. 


Jennifer is not only a wiz at organizing spaces, she's also great at helping businesses get organized too!  I like to get away from the hustle, so we typically travel to a fun, semi-local place and do a little business planning retreat.  It's been really effective for three years now.  This year, we traveled to Aiken, South Carolina.  Yep, Aiken.  After doing a little research (with the help of a friend), I was super impressed with this small town located only about 2 hours away from Charlotte. 


I'm a bit of a hotel snob (sorry, not sorry), so we opted for the well appointed Wilcox Hotel in downtown Aiken.  The property is a historic home and has been in business since the late 19th century.  It was simply beautiful.




I was sold on the accommodations and knew it would be a nice, quiet and beautiful place to get things DONE.

We were able to outline some new service offerings, update communication materials and set some BIG goals for 2016.  I couldn't be more grateful for Jennifer's help.  With a full-time career, design school, my Habitat ReStore commitments, and life, it's essential for me to have solid business practices in place.


With the technical aspects of 2016 out of the way, I spent some time this weekend vision planning for the new year.  I'll admit, I'm not the biggest fan of Pinterest, but one of my goals for this year is to get better at it.  It's hard to be an expert on every social media outlet, but you at least need to be active on the big ones. 


You can check out my board above and be sure to follow me if you're on Pinterest.

Lastly, yesterday's sermon entitled "Partial Is Not Enough"  (Joshua 18:1-10) totally struck a chord with me.  Perhaps it's because I sense that BIG things are on the way.  I won't run down the sermon notes here, but essentially it focused on the move from Good to Great.   I don't know about you, but I'm at a point in my life where Good just isn't good enough.  I'm longing for Greatness. Sure, it will require some effort. It will also require that I surround myself with the right people.  It'll mean that I'll have to take some steps based on faith, but I know, in my heart of hearts, that it'll be worth it.  I think I've just gotten to a point where I realize, now more than ever, that partial just isn't good enough.  I want complete.  I WANT IT ALL! And guess what...

I'm gonna get it.
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