Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Well I know it seems as though I’ve fallen off the face of the earth after being MIA for the past 6 months…but I have a pretty good excuse…

I promise to be back in action soon, but right now life is sweet and I’m enjoying every minute. Being pregnant, being room mom this year for my BIG kindergartner, and moving in January has really put Urban Farmhouse at the bottom of the barrel on my priority list in the last few months.

Never fear….I see lots of nursery inspirations coming soon and definitely plan to be back in the saddle designing soon. In the meantime, I’ll try to be a better blogger!

Merry Christmas to you and yours and Happy New Year!

Cheers!

Kristen

Kelli’s Salon Suite Gets a Glam Makeover

Hello there, Blogland! Sorry its been awhile since I last posted. Truth is, I’ve been enjoying my summer with my little man before he goes off to kindergarten in the fall. I’ve really slowed down my work schedule for the next 2 months to soak up these precious days.

Don’t worry though…once school starts, its gangbusters again. In the meantime, thought I’d share another project I’ve had in the works for some time now.

My amazingly talented hairstylist, Kelli, just opened her own salon suite this spring. She has been doing hair since she was a teenager and it was a dream come true to finally branch out on her own. (Check out her web site here) Sooo, I was totally thrilled and honored when she asked moi to design it for her!

Since the space was just being built, we had a blank canvas to work with. She really wanted the space to have a glamorous feel to it without doing the obvious…pink.

Here’s the mood board that I came up with for her. She loves gold and turquoise blues (a girl after my own heart!). The space isn’t huge so each piece really has to serve a purpose.

Here is what it looks like today!

She found this three-drawer chest at a discount store but it was an ugly country green. After I applied a weathered gold finish, it completely changed the look and feel of it.

 

The mirror was a lucky find while I was downtown with my family browsing the back room of an old furniture store. Again, great lines but outdated finish. After giving it a turquoise and gold patina bronze finish…it makes it look like an expensive antique.

 

Okay, now for the big reveal….do you remember this rococo chair that I scored from a thrift store last spring? It was so over-the-top that I knew the minute Kelli asked me to do her suite, it would be the inspiration for the space.

Before

 

wait for it…

 

Bam! (told you it was gonna be good)

 

After getting a champagne finish and new upholstery job…this worn out old chair with the broken arm that was dumped at the thrift, became one of my favorite pieces of the year.

I have to share one of Kelli’s ingenious ideas with you. Look at how she displayed her make up brushes? She bought a glass container at Homegoods and filled it with coffee beans that she spray painted gold. I loved it so much that I copied it and now have one in my bathroom on my vanity too. (thanks Kelli for the inspiration!)

I have been having so much fun lately doing design boards for friends and clients. Soon I’ll be advertising these services, so if you’d like a design done for your space, give me a shout at FarmStyleStudio@gmail.com

Stay cool at the pool…Happy Summer!!!

Dining Room Transformation Revealed

I’ve been so excited to show you my clients’ dining room…it’s finally finished! When Kerri and Tim asked me to help them with the makeover, they literally had a blank slate and just a table to start with. Below is a before shot of the room and the mood board we worked from.

 

Drumroll Please…..

I absolutely love this room and wish it were my own! A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into the making of it, but the end result was well worth it.

I think I’m the proudest of the fact that all of the furniture is second hand cast-offs I found while thrifting.

The dining table was a thrift find that Kerri and Tim purchased before hiring me to design the room. After refinishing it in a driftwood style, this solid wood table looks like a piece from Restoration Hardware.

 

I have to say my favorite element in the room would have to be these chairs. This is by far one of the most satisfying transformations I’ve done. Check out the before pic of these rickety little cane back chairs that were headed for the dumpster at my local thrift store.

 

After a good scrubbing and some heavy duty wood glue, these ugly ducklings got a muddled metallic finish. Then they got a major upholstery job and nail head trim to give them a high-end, modern edge. I knew they had star potential!

 

 

The china hutch was a must for Kerri as she wanted to display sentimental family heirlooms. Another thrift find, I knew the clean lines of this hutch would work perfectly with our design plan.

 

I refinished it in bright white, and Kerri and Tim added a modern gray fabric backboard to give it an even more custom feel.

 

Custom drapery and a gorgeous crystal chandelier really gave the room its finishing touches.

 

It was such a pleasure working with Kerri and Tim. Its so exciting to see a room come to life with second hand furniture transformed.

Happy Summer!!!

Chinoiserie Chic

Lately I’m a push over for anything Chinoiserie. I’ve been searching for a faux bamboo chair for my desk for years and still haven’t come across a vintage one at a reasonable price.

via Décor Pad

I love these glass top bamboo nesting tables!

via Décor Pad

Or better yet, mirrored round top!

via Madison Ave Gifts

After years of searching, I did manage to find a faux bamboo wooden chair while out thrifting. I hate when I forget to take a “Before” picture! It was in a dark wood finish with dingy upholstery. After a new finish and upholstery job….Voila!

AFTER

I decided to do a metallic finish to make her a little more modern.

Unfortunately she doesn’t fit well under my desk, but I’m still smitten with her and may end up using her in my new living room.

Hope you have an inspired week!

If you’re searching for a specific piece, give me a shout at FarmStyleStudio@gmail.com

Living Room Redo

Sorry I’m just now getting back to blogging. It’s been a rough couple of weeks for me personally with the passing of my grandfather, almost a year after my father passed. I also found out that I have some medical issues going on that I’m sad to say will have to slow my work schedule down for the time being. Nothing too serious thankfully, but with that said, its been nice to take it easy and relax more often. 


I get so excited about design work that I tend to ignore what my body’s trying to tell me. So, with the time off from work projects, I’ve been able to put a little energy into my own home for a little updating.


We’ve been in our house for over 7 years now, and things have definitely gotten a little outdated. I guess I took this picture around Easter a couple of years back judging from the cluttered mantel!


Before



The room is no where near completion, but I have made some headway on a few accent pieces. First off, remember this little castaway I found while out thrifting?


Before



After



She is definitely brought back to life in a fun ikat-style gray linen fabric.




The area rug is actually an indoor/outdoor rug that I snagged for a steal...$120 at Homegoods! I love that it’s a rich navy blue instead of black.


This cigarette table is a reproduction of the classic Maison Jansen design.




My newest thrift score is this Asian-inspired console table. It was originally in a beat-up light golden oak stain with a wooden carved top. I popped out the carving and had mirrored glass cut after refinishing it in Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy. A large ottoman that I added caster wheels to, rolls out when more seating is necessary.







The glass coffee table was another thrift find for $10! It was brass but after a refinish job, it looks much more modern.




 


Virtually all of my accessories are also, yep, you guessed it, thrift store finds for dirt cheap. My son loves this little wooden elephant that came as a set of two. He may be moving to his room as a bookend eventually.




 

This silver swan bowl is all tarnished but I’m starting to like the look of it this way. I’m thinking it’ll be a great vase for bright watermelon colored peonies or carnations.





It’s definitely not finished, but I do feel like my living room is much more interesting and inviting now. I’ll try to post more pictures as I add more layers to it.


Hope you’re a little inspired to go out hunting for some character-building finds this week too!

Tranquil Master Bedroom Makeover

I CANNOT WAIT to show you this extreme transformation of my friend, Pari’s master bedroom. It really is quite a dramatic difference. She was kind enough to let me come in and tear apart her room over the course of a few weekends.


Take a peek for yourself…









The only thing missing is of course the jewelry for the room…a chandelier that will replace the ceiling fan. With a little photoshop magic…voila.




They were ready to make some big changes and sold their old bedroom set on Craigslist.


 


 


You can see in the mood board of the room below, how just repositioning furniture can make a HUGE IMPACT! It really opens up the space this way.




By mixing old and new pieces, we were able to achieve a room with character and balance. This industrial table made out of pipe legs from an old factory in New York City was the first piece purchased for the room at a flea market. It was really our muse for the entire design concept.




An old, beat up dresser similar to this one I found while out thrifting, was given a French makeover.




 

Do you recognize the chair in the corner? Yep, its one of the infamous spider back chairs with a new upholstered seat and metallic silver weathered finish!





 

I am SO envious of that fireplace! Can you imagine on a rainy day, curling up in bed next to that thing? I may move in…




Incorporating a gallery wall solved the challenge of how what to do with the massive wall opposite the bed. The added bonus is that it brings personality to their space.






  
 


We tried several different rugs in the room but when Pari found this one, she knew it was the perfect fit. I think I might have to find a place in my house for one now too.




We found this lantern lamp out in Canton.




and of course….the infamous Seahorse Wall Art that I made using leftover wood floor boards…phew, that was such a long project!


 


I hope you love their retreat as much as I do!


I’m in the process of getting my new web site ready with all of the details on design services available.
In the meantime, if you have a space/spaces that are in need of a design help, send me an email at FarmStyleStudio@gmail.com