From Humdrum to Queen-dom

This project started with an overwhelmed client who couldn't find order in her home office.  Every queen needs to have order in her Queen-dom, so we set out to restyle, refresh and renew her space.  At first thought, the client wanted to throw out the old and begin anew.  I specialize in redesign, so I suggested we keep a few items and start with a modest budget to find furniture that would compliment the room and bring functionality to the space.  Although the client felt the space was small, I assured her it was the paper that was adding weight to the room.  Paper itself is lightweight, but when coupled with disorder, it becomes visually overwhelming.  The client was given an assignment to remove all paper and sort out what was required to function in the office environment.  We categorized stationary, record keeping and marketing materials. The next step was to purchase furniture items that would serve as organized storage.  I envisioned her existing desk, a small table that could house 2 printers, a credenza for stationary, and a dresser with deep drawers that could organize marketing materials. I asked the client to visit her local Habitat for Humanity Restore.  There she found and sent me photos of items.  I chose the pieces that I knew would work for her project.  In less than 1 hour and $100 later she left the store with a credenza, double table and dresser in tow.  Although she was still unsure of my complete vision for the room, she decided to trust my expertise.   It can be a hard concept to understand that adding more does not necessarily make an area feel smaller.  I had to remind her that when paper and clutter disappear, it opens up opportunity to see other focal points in the room.  A functional space instantly feels more light and airy.  This was a 2 day project.  Day 1 consisted of paint, paint, paint!  First, I painted an accent wall that would be a great foundation for the wall art that inspired the room design.  Then I painted  furniture pieces with a pop of color!  Leaving the credenza in its original cabinet stain was intentional to give the room balance.  I found the perfect panels to compliment the windows while the maintaining the airy feel of the space.  Once the curtain rod was installed, day 1 was complete.  On day 2, I returned to stage the room.  The furniture was placed and staging began.  The artwork and panels were hung, and a lamp that was once a storage item became the showpiece display it was meant to be.  I pulled in items that were once misplaced and gave them a new home.  Once the room was fully staged and revealed to the client, she was overjoyed.  She could not believe how large the office space now felt and she was apprehensive about putting things back into the room.  I reminded her that this was now a functional space, so we began moving all of the functional items back into the room.  The desktop computer, printers and a few more pieces of decor.  Understanding that everything now had a place, she could really visualize herself sitting behind the desk, which now looked like a piece of art.  Even though I repurposed quite a few items, it was exciting to see the client move about the room touching and feeling items as if they were all new to her.  In that moment, I knew this was a space she would come to enjoy.  Order had been restored and a room that was once humdrum was now a Queen-dom.

Special thanks for courtesy project design photos, C.J. Gooding, Middletown, DE