Recent E Design Process

One of our latest projects was an "E Design" for a client who was moving out of our travel range for our full service design.  She asked for a consultation in the existing home she was moving from so we could advise her on which pieces we thought she should move to her new home.  There was very little she wanted to take to her new home, just some basics, which would help free up her budget for new purchases.  This is such an exciting time for homeowners and I love that she had us in on 'the ground floor' to develop a plan for her new house.

I went to consult with her and got a feel for how they live with their three children and three dogs; essential research for designing their new home. In addition to sendingher a questionnaire prior to my arrival, I asked her to start a Pinterest board and 'pin' things she likes.  I told her of our process and how we can create a virtual computerized room plan for each room, so she has a road map for future purchases, on her own time and budget, which was her desire, and to help avoid buying mistakes. The plan is essential to creating a well designed home.  She subscribed to six room plans and then we drove to her new home, which was the model in a beautiful rural neighborhood. 

The theme she wants is a contemporary coastal feel with aquas, beige, cream, blues and greens. All the rooms were painted to her liking and she didn't want to change the paint.

I made best use of my time and sketched the ideas as they came to me in each room, and measured her windows, etc. so I could give exact window treatment and room details as a shopping guide. She also wanted DIY suggestions.

First I created room layouts to help her in furniture placement.

Then I spent hours sourcing products online and dropping them into our design program to create completed rooms.  For the living room, I designed 2 looks; Cabana Casual (using a striped accent rug and dual facing sofas) and Sophisticated Coastal, with one sofa and 2 chairs and a more formal elegant look.

I created a detailed description of the finishes and accessories in each room and also a suggested shopping list of where to purchase the items on the plan.  Also window shade dimensions, drapery sizes and hardware choices were listed to aid her in making her own purchases.

As you can imagine you can get quite carried away with creating a fluid design throughout the home, so I added suggestions for the entry, and other rooms she did not sign on for.  Of course if this was a full service client, I would be doing the shopping and not bother her with these details, but this gal wanted to do it on her own over time. 

The boys room has a New England Patriots theme, so I gave her DIY instructions for painting the accent stripes on the walls and using a decal as a focal point.

She wanted to repurpose some nightstands and I helped her envision a 2 person study desk inside a long (unused) closet in the basement media area. 

Since she is new to the DIY scene, she wanted links and tutorials which were easy to pull from our blog and Pinterest.

This was really alot of fun and I was thrilled to mail the box of 6 plans this week, each in their own folio with

a floor plan, room designs, shopping list and detailed instructions. It arrived on her birthday!  I will follow up with a phone appointment in about a week, where we discuss each plan and make any necessary changes.  (We allow one edit with the fee.)  

[This "E Design" is actually an abbreviated version of our "Design Care Package" where we include paint, flooring and fabric swatches and greater details, including hand renderings.]

For those of you designers who may read this post, I love to share our process, since I learn so much from your great ideas shared through blogs, Instagram, High Point Market, area networking events, etc.  We all benefit!   If you are a client/homeowner hopefully this process shows how important the room design plan is as a starting point instead of trying the 'hit or miss' method of decorating.

I'm happy to answer any questions or discuss our process further, just email us at info@powellbrower.com.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

E designs lately

We've done a few kitchen E-Design plans lately we'd like to share.

Powell Brower Interiors

The first scenario is a bachelor who wants an updated but slightly masculine look to his kitchen makeover in his log cabin.  These are the inspiration photos we shared with him:

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The second scenario is a 1930's craftsman home with a 1950's kitchen addition made out of an attached screen porch.  Time for new cabinets, raised ceilings, combining the mudroom and kitchen space by demo-ing a wall between the two, and adding new flooring.   She loves subway tile and open shelves.

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Surprisingly these two clients have wish lists similar in nature: painted cabinets, wood elements, black, grey and white colors, updated lighting and fixtures.  Here are some product recommendations for each of them.

Powell Brower Interiors

Powell Brower Interiors

There are so many things we love about each of these.  The clients now have a road map to follow as they tackle these projects on their own. 

By putting the plan on paper and visualizing the final result, they have confidence in making sound buying decisions resulting in a custom, up-to-date kitchen design.

Working with a designer can help you avoid costly mistakes and save you time and money. We can't stress enough the importance of a design plan.  Whether we consult in person or through calls and email we will provide support throughout the project. 

Living inspired,

E-design client process

We were contacted by a friend of Bethany's who built a custom home years ago. We went to visit her when she moved in, and this home, perched on a hill with mountainous views, huge windows, lots of light and beautiful custom touches, is one I never forgot. It is a home I would move into in a hot minute.

She just wanted some slipcovers for her existing sofas, and a new rug.  We told her about our Room Design Plan, not just focusing on the sofa or rug, but pulling the whole room together, and she signed up.  Here is a before picture of her living room.

The existing multi colored clock on her mantle was her inspiration and our interview with her lead us down a color path of turquoises, blues, rusts, saddle browns.  We came up with these three looks, and honestly Bethany ran with this one in a big way, so I thank her for her vision and hard work.

Along with the plans, we offered her a roadmap on how to execute the look she chose, and it began with:

and adding pops of color:

We presented these boards to her and created the vision in her room with several props that we brought along, like vases, a fiber rug, and turquoise garden stool.  She fell hard for the scheme with the turquoise over-dyed rug mixed with a saddle brown leather sofa, and turquoise accents.  

This is a client that wants to try to pull it together on her own, now that she has the plan. Although we gave her detailed instructions, we will be at-the-ready if she needs help executing any of it.  It was so fun nailing a look she was happy with. It wasn't hard convincing her that reupholstering old furniture wasn't cost effective so we were happy to enlighten her with several better options!

The best design advice we can give is always start with a plan!