One of the most gratifying things I get to do as a decorator is witness the joy on the faces of those who see their newly-designed rooms for the first time.

There was plenty of joy when I recently set up a reveal for a deserving woman nominated by her husband for a bedroom makeover giveaway.  It was sponsored by a local magazine and merchants, and coordinated by yours truly. Oh, what fun!

In his nomination letter, her husband praised our recipient’s devotion to others, but lamented that it left her little time for her own pursuits. She had attempted to decorate their bedroom with items she’d been given and had found at garage sales, but the project kept getting put on the back burner.  Little wonder! She had been commuting more than an hour to her job as area director for a foster child agency, where she worked over 60 hours per week–and was on call 24/7! Currently, although she works for a child advocacy center closer to home, she and her husband have fostered seven children with special needs, and were also in the adoption process! Can you spell S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D?

This busy mother of three was definitely worthy of a room makeover, he told us. Having moved far from family, she really needed an oasis in her new home. When this selfless child advocate was chosen as our winning entry, we were absolutely delighted to oblige!

My goal was to take this decor from dated and tired to light and dreamy. With a serene gray on the walls, I reserved any “distress” for the mahogany nightstands, which had been refreshed with white chalk paint. Then I visually extended the lamp height with some vintage white shutters.

Every girl likes a little pink, but to keep it from being too feminine, I just used accents of pink and paired it with black in pillows and rug.

Bring nature in whenever you can! Fresh or faux flowers add color and life to any room. And botanical prints are everywhere this season!  You can even download them from the internet and print them out.

Have you tried this trick to give your art more size and presence? Hang it inside a larger open frame (in this case an old window frame)!  I also tied in the black with the gingham platter.  Yes, you can use plates for art anywhere in the house!

It was a delight to contribute to this local project for someone who serves families in our community! Many thanks to the businesses who contributed to make it happen!

Design is my passion! I’d love to assist you with any design dilemma at your house. Let’s talk!

Have some questions? No problem! I offer a complimentary, no-strings-attached phone call consultation.

Email me to book a call time–and let’s start making design fun!