"Leveled Up Living"

There comes a time when you realize it's time to level up and that include your home.  That was exactly the case with my clients.  They'd recently moved to a larger home and were looking to create a space that was more indicative of their style and frankly more...elevated. 

We'd actually worked together in the past on their bedroom and I was very familiar with their aesthetic.  They tend to be drawn to earthtones and while the wife likes a bit of a natural, global feel, the husband prefers a bit of a more polished look.  We set out to give them both.  Using oranges, teal and touches of warm neutrals, we created a plan for their formal dining, living room and eat-in kitchen area.  

The dining room had furnishings but otherwise was a blank slate.  We decided to go bold here with a York Wallcoverings dragon wallpaper.  I'm always amazed by what wallpaper can do.

We're actually going to be switching out the dining table soon, but it's still a pretty dramatic change.  In the living room, we needed to upgrade the furniture and give the entire space a more elevated feel while remaining family-friendly. 

The space is a bit awkward in that it's a long and narrow space.  We addressed this by creating a couple of seating areas and a walkway behind the sofa. 

So much warmer and cozier!  Revolution Performance fabrics were used on the pair of chairs and the sofa and I'm obsessed with these custom swivel chairs by Sylvester Alexander furniture, the manufacturer of the Belle by Cheryl Luckett collection. 

 We didn't want to overlook the entry. So we created a little landing in the small nook, which became the perfect place to drop keys, display photos and get a last look as you head out the door. 

The eat-in area off the kitchen was a bit small and awkward when we arrived.  The current scale of the furniture was tiny and it needed to be a continuation of the living space we'd created.  

The large scale art, appropriately scaled furniture (BTW, the table extends to accommodate additional guests) and patterned drapes completely transform this area.  

I'm so glad my clients recognized the value of creating a home you love.  They've already remarked about the number of times they've entertained family and friends in their new space.  Hearing that makes me so happy.  After all, that's what it's all about.  

Finish Strong!

How it's mid-December, I'll never know but here we are at the end of another tremendous year.  Today is particularly significant because today I'm making my very first licensed product line available for sale to the public.  I mean, if you would've told me in January that this is where things would lead by December, I wouldn't have believed you.  But as always, God has exceeded my every expectation and for that I am grateful. 

After an amazing launch at this fall's High Point Market, it was time to think about next steps.  I knew from the start that making the product available to the public was important to me.  After all, my followers and fans are the main reason I was even approached about the opportunity.  I'm so very pleased with how each and every one of these Southern-inspired pieces turned out.  Each one truly is a little piece of me.  If you've been following along here for any length of time, you know how important home is to me.  Over the years, I've carefully added furnishings to my own home that I can grow with, and that I know will stand the test of time in terms of quality and style.  So when it was time to create my own, both of those factors were of utmost importance. 

Belle by Cheryl Luckett High Point Market Launch Party

October 2018

My friend Erika Ward, Atlanta-based designer, referred to the collection as "heirloom" furniture, the type of pieces you pass down for one generation to the next.  When I read it, I couldn't help but think about the formal furniture at my grandparent's home; How I loved the fanciness of it and how it remains in the same place it's been my entire life. 

Me circa 1980s on my grandparent's fancy sofa

My how proud they'd be to know that their granddaughter had a line of her own "fancy" furniture (a piece that even bears their name). 

The Anderson Banquette (inspired by and named after my maternal grandparents)
Seen here in fabric by Denise McGaha for Design Legacy-Continuance in citron 

Today is indeed a special day and I couldn't be more proud to share it with you.  I started out this year ready to take on the design world and after months of crazy hard work, even crazier opportunities and achievements, I'm ready to finish the year strong!  Help me do just that. Head over to www.dwellbycheryl.com/collection to check out the line and to see the hand-selected fabric options we've made available just for you!

And just in case time should get away from me (as it often does) and I don't get to blog before the holiday, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season!