My First Decorating Job!

First off, let me apologize for my morphed wide-lens photos and black circle photos, still learning this new camera!  My friend Debra has decided to sell her home and move to a condo.  These are the only condos in our town, and rarely become available, so now was the time for her to decide to downsize, and I think it will suit her.  She has asked me to be her decorator and help her with color choices, tiles and furniture placement, and I couldn't be more excited.

As you can see, it is very peach! Debra is lucky in her reno to be able to have a contractor and painters so everything will be done lickety split unlike my reno which I am doing myself.  When I walked in, I saw her color choices for the room, all with a yellow base.  Not gonna happen!  We have now chosen the color "Walnut" by Ralph Lauren, a rich, deep golden brown, with "Linen" by Ben Moore as the trim and ceiling.  

Debra had already chosen wide hickory boards for the flooring without the sheen, very natural and light.  These floors will be ripped out after painting is completed.

I brought with me my "go to" sources of books, catalogs and paint chips.  This is so much fun!  Much more fun than the deposition I had this week of a CPA, for sure!  Debra has a swatch of her chair fabric on the wall, which was a big help in choosing the colors.  It is a toile print from England, almost has a leopard pattern feel.  Her style is very different from mine, but that lets me be creative and have fun with something new.

It took some convincing, and I don't believe her sister who was there, Judith, is with me on this, but the fireplace mantle will be painted in a metallic paint called "Black Pearl".  Debra was laughing, but I convinced her if she hated it, I would buy a can of paint and re-paint it, it's that easy to change.  I think it is going to be a beautiful focal point with her brass fire screen and black and white painting above.

I also convinced her to keep the wall of beveled mirrors, which will look fantastic with her antique sideboard in front of it.  She has antique fox sconces that will go on the mirrors on either side of the sideboard.  Let's hope they don't crack the glass!

This is Tessa, Debra's new rottie rescue girl.  When I met Debra 20 years ago in Georgia, she had seven rotties!  She is now down to two.  She is downsizing in every way.

Her kitchen will still be red, but a brick red and not this pinky red.  She ordered stainless appliances and took a slab of my Silestone countertop home to see how it looks.  There are also two bedrooms, two baths, a laundry room and office which I did not photograph that will all be painted in a soft gray. 

In the corner of her bedroom is this beautiful mercury glass, hand blown light that she and her sister hate with a passion.  I'm sorry, but this light is an art piece.  I tried to convince her to hang it in her foyer area, and that was a definite NO.  She has a little closet bar off the living room that has glass shelves and is going to be painted the black pearl like the fireplace.  I may have convinced her to hang it in there and change the white cord to black.

All I can say is if she hates it that much and decides not to hang it, she is giving it to me, and that is payment in itself!  Don't know where I would hang it in my home, but I'll take it!  Next photos should be of the place painted, so my blog will have two renos going at the same time.