Design on (not even) a Dime!

Many of us want to freshen up our spaces without breaking the bank! My friend Mademoiselle D had an even better challenge in mind as we began to discuss her living room and dining room....could we redo her main living spaces in her home with only using items on hand? No trips to the stores, new furniture, etc. etc.

As my friends know I can rarely resist a great redo...plus she is a dear friend! She also runs a wonderful home...the kind you always want to be in because the food is so good and the company is so warm! She has lived all over the world and has collections from her travels... so this was a fun project.

I thought I would share our work....


Here is the "before" of her dining room....

and then we turned it into a fun sitting room that overlooks her garden....

Her living room before.....

 became the new dining room afterward...



We took artwork and accessories from other parts of the house where they created less impact...

and grouped it all together to make a meaningful collection.....

We even spent some time in her kitchen and created a workable little vignette in between her kitchen island and her kitchen table...a great place for a cup of coffee or a chat with a girlfriend! We placed the table behind the chairs as a nice little station for drinks, etc. for when she entertains. The door outside is immediately to the left of the table and leads to a wonderful stone patio.

The best part of this whole project was the smile on my friend's face as we ended our day! It will also be rewarding when she tells her husband we did all this without spending one penny!

But frankly, the most rewarding aspect of any successful redo is the renewed love of one's space. I loved being able to help create that for my friend who is an aesthetic junkie...just like me.

As I quickly took a few pictures at the end of our day...I missed getting the best picture of all....
a picture of us together...exhausted but exhilarated...high on design!