Master Bedroom Design- Montclair NJ interior designer

If you haven't yet worked with an interior designer I'd love to go over in more detail how the process works when a client is interested in having me be their interior designer / decorator.  The first step is that I ask them to fill out my questionnaire and send me some photos of their space so that I can learn more about what their needs are.  We also usually have a quick chat on the phone as well before scheduling the consultation. If you are in my travel area (45 minutes from Wyckoff NJ which can mean towns like Montclair, glen Ridge, Westfield, Morristown or any town in Bergen County or Passaic county) then we set a date for me to come to your home.  If you are outside of my travel area then we can do the consultation remotely via Skype or email.

Consultation
++  This is for living room, bedroom, office, dining room.  It's a different process for kitchens and baths so that will be a different post)

At the consultation we will go over what you currently have in your space and what you are looking to accomplish.  I love to see photos of what you like and I can show you photos as well so you can let me know your taste.  I also bring along all of my Benjamin Moore color samples so that we can discuss paint ideas.  I'll give ideas as to furniture arrangement and we may even take measurements too.

After the consultation is where the real fun starts because now I can start on creating a design plan and shopping for everything.  I will present to you an initial concept board with several ideas to choose from.  Once you narrow it down I can proceed with the rest of the items. 

Here is the final design plan for a master bedroom that I can't wait to show you!! The items are all ordered so now we await delivery at my client's home!

If you would like to set up a design consultation just fill out the  contact page and we can pick a date for me to come to your home.  

Before & After living room - Bergen County NJ interior designer

PAINT is the easiest and most affordable way to make a BIG impact change to any space!  For the price of a couple of gallons of paint you can really transform a room from blah to WOW!  I shared an example of this in an earlier blog post but it's time for a reminder :)  I came across this photo from Left and Level and it's the perfect illustration of what paint can do to a room. Of course I also love the warm and cozy leather chair and patterned rug which are paired perfectly together:

Source

Who is ready to take the plunge and change a paint color in your home?!  If you are in my travel area (45 minutes of Wyckoff NJ) then contact me to set up a design consultation so that I can come to your house with my Benjamin Moore swatches and find the perfect color for your space. If you are outside of the Bergen County NJ area, I can still help you via email/Skype. 

If you have an idea for a future blog post topic, leave it for me in the comments!

Top 3 Paint Colors- Bergen County interior designer

I love picking out paint colors and through the years have found that I have a "go-to" short list of favorites! All are Benjamin Moore.

1. Titanium
I first discovered this color years ago and have used it in my spaces in my own home and for clients as well.  It's a soft clay that can read blue or green ever so slightly depending on the light. 

from Christie Adams Design

From http://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/

2. Swiss Coffee
This is such a creamy white and perfect for when you want white walls that aren't BRIGHT white. This palette really lets your art work and accessories shine.

from Studio McGee

from Christie Adams Design

3.  Bone Black
I fell in love with this color when we used it on our kitchen island and then used it again in our guest bath.  It's got a little more depth to it and looks great with black accents.

from Christie Adams Design

from http://rowhouserefuge.blogspot.com

I'm excited for a busy week ahead with an E-design living room project, paint color consultation and a master bedroom consultation.  If you are in the Bergen County area I would love to set up an in-person consultation to help create your dream home! And if you are outside of the area I'd love to work with you on an e-design project!

When to splurge and when to save? Bergen county interior designer

I love mixing high-end pieces with steals! For this guest bath, the Pottery Barn vanity was a bit of a splurge but after months of searching for a less expensive option, I couldn't find anything that I loved as much as this. So I decided to go for it and I used my Pottery Barn rewards credit card.  The following month I received a gift certificate with my statement as a result of the vanity purchase and that gift certificate paid for the mirror- SCORE!!   

I knew that I wanted a black matte faucet but didn't want to spend a fortune on one for this guest bath so I actually found this one on Amazon which had lots of great reviews and was a fraction of the price of the Pottery Barn faucet.  And finally, the light ficture.  I knew I wanted something with a glass dome and I had narrowed it down to a few choices from Rejuvenation and Pottery Barn. But in the end I found exactly what I was looking for on Amazon!!  And it was under $50. WOO HOO!! 

I think that now when you come into the bathroom you have no idea which items were high-end and which were budget finds. And for a bathroom if you are going to splurge on only one item I do think the vanity should be that item. You don't want to have a vanity made of poor construction as that will be very noticeable.

Everyone knows that I am obsessed with my Currey light fixtures in my kitchen.  Those were a big splurge for me but they are show stoppers and works of art.  No regrets here :)   And PS:  all of the hardware for my kitchen cabinets are from Amazon!

But when it came time to shop for light fixtures for my mudroom, I knew this wasn't the place where I needed to go all out.  I found these gems on  Amazon and they did not disappoint!  They were under $60!

As an interior designer, I love mixing high end with budget items in a way that everything flows together seamlessly.  If you are in the Bergen County area such as Wyckoff, Ridgewood or Glen Rock, I would love to help create your dream home.  Or if you are outside of Bergen County NJ, I offer e-design services and can help you remotely.  I'm also available to work with builders and developers in the Ridgewood and Wyckoff area to help maximize your profit with my design services.