Diana's New Home

I recently began working with a wonderful new client, Diana. She has just purchased a new condominium and needs a little design assistance. Diana has great style and energy and she is VERY EXCITED about her new home. Given her high energy level, I knew we would have a great adventure designing the perfect space just for her.

Like all projects, we have a few parameters; clean lines, kitty proof, and economical.

After speaking with Diana I believe that she is a minimalist at heart - so not a lot of furniture or clutter, ie. clean lines.

Diana's kitty is a factor in our furnishing selections. Kitty will scratch furniture, carpet, and drapes so we will have to keep that in mind with our selections. (We had to nix the leather sofa Diana liked for fear it would be shredded.) I sent Diana a video on caps for kitty claws (they are actually super glued onto the nail!!!) but I think we have unanimously nixed that idea. No surprise - can you imagine a moving cat, super glue, nails, and fur?

Budget is another factor. We have to try to stretch our decorating dollars, so we will save where we can and where it makes sense, but spend on the items that will make the most impact. So far we have found some great furniture bargains at the Arhaus Loft and we are doing a bit of antique shopping. I think a few funky, fun antique items are going to be perfect for Diana and should help stretch the budget.

We are approaching the project in stages, working on the main areas first, and saving the guest room and loft for a later date. Here are a few things shown below that we have selected thus far.

After our meeting last night, I am off to find fabric for a window treatment (kitty factor??) and to select either a fabulous wall covering or accent paint color for the main wall in the Dining Room. I think it will be well worth the cost for the "punch" we will achieve.

Let us know what you think. I'll keep you posted on our progress.

View of Diana's Kitchen - notice the 4" back splash. It's gotta go. Diana agrees - it's outta there.

Our new glass back splash material by Artistic Tile - Opera Glass. Can't wait to see this tile installed! The glass will reflect light and brighten the area under the cabinets while giving the kitchen a little sophistication and edge. I think we have to also add some under cabinet lighting or Diana's needs a small lamp on the counter to fill the dark space with a little light.

View from the loft. Great vantage point for an overview of Diana's main floor. It has a very comfortable open feel.




Arhaus Deluth sectional. We found this in a soft dark charcoal at the Arhaus Loft and scooped it up! Really great buy!!

We also found this bookcase at the Arhaus Loft - it will be perfect for Diana's entertainment cabinet. She has lots of books so the storage factor is a bonus.

We are leaning toward this Crate and Barrel Pascal Dining Table. The 54" round is a good size for her space. My only hesitation is that the finish has a strong reddish cast. The jury is still out on this pic.

Stylish Alton banquette from Vanguard for the Dining Room. I love mixing up the seating and this banquette with a few chairs will look fantastic in her space.

Here we have a shot of the green chairs that we found for a GREAT price at the Arhaus Loft. We picked up all three - two for the Dining Room and one will serve as a desk chair. Diana can always move the chair into the Dining Room if she needs additional seating.

This is a pic of the area rug by Flor (Interface), Tufted Frond, that we are considering. I think the Flor carpet tiles will be an excellent choice for Diana. Her kitty has claws and loves to scratch the carpets (furniture too.) With the tough Flor tiles the kitty damage should be minimal, and if there is a problem, Diana can simply replace the damaged tile square with a new one. Kitty problem solved!

Awesome Milling Road bar stools - we are getting three - on sale at Baker, Knapp, & Tubbs. The stools have great style and will tuck nicely under the counter and be neatly out of the way.