Design Gathering: Before and After

Before and After Chairs

I am so excited about these chairs! I found them and could not pass them up! A new coat of paint and a great fabric will totally revitalize them. Now I just have to decide what color paint and which fabric will suit them best. I have been searching for inspiration on how I will refurbish these beauties. They would be acceptable for outdoor chairs, but I think they have so much more to offer! So, the "after" of these chairs is still to come....but, these are some pictures I found of other "reborn" chairs that I love, and am considering for inspirational ideas,

These are my chairs......

These are the inspiration.....

{via: Janis}

{via: Susie}

{via: Kirsten Design Sponge}

{via: Nancy}

{via: Danielle}

{via: Jesse}

{via: Jessica}

{via: Susan}

High oh Style
(A few weeks ago I did a post on a before and after project I did about a year ago. In the midst of all this newness and unfamiliarity to creating and posting, I accidental deleted the post. In case you have already seen this, apologies for the repeat occurrence. And in the event you missed it, here is your chance to view it now! )

I have had the luxury once of flying in a private plane. It was like a dream driving up to the airport, walking in and having your very own personal pilot waiting for you. No lines. No tickets. No body scans. The pilot took our bags, we walked outside, climbed aboard and took off. We arrived on the island of Martha's Vineyard just under an hour later.

This euphoric occasion prepared and inspired me when the opportunity arose for me to submit a bid on the East coast's premier private airport facility. Ah ha, I thought, I can relate to this (on a very teeny tiny level!) And so I dove right into the project and [laugh] tried to put myself in the shoes of the clientele who would be waiting in the waiting room---as if it was even likely for them to wait? What did Kelly Rippa expect to see when she walked into this newly designed space? Where would Bon Jovi desire to sit? Would he want his privacy on a disconnected grouping of chairs? Or would he rather sit face to face to a complete stranger?

These were the kinds of questions I was faced with--a far cry from the standard "how many people need to face the television"? And so, I created a retreat for the rich and famous, submitted my bid and found out a short 3 months and 27 days later that I won the bid. Phew.

Nevertheless...

BEFORE

ROOM CLEARED

AFTER

Of course, there were so many other things I wanted to do with the space, like more pops of red, area rugs and lamps, but this is a commercial space and well quite frankly my exaggerated design ideas were laid to rest and the practical, possible legal issues were debated instead....like: someone might trip on a lamp cord or area rug corner and fall. Or the sun might fade the red fabrics over time....

Still bitter, I know. It's a designer thing. In the end it all come together, and I know they were pleased. Plus, it has since then captured the attention of the press (see article below).

Facility: First Aviation at Teterboro Airport
Where: Teterboro, NJ (12 miles outside NYC)
Furniture: Ethan Allen
Fabric: Ethan Allen
Floral Arrangements: Riasa Distinctively
Art and Accessories: Ethan Allen

Recently the airport was awarded the cover story in Meadowlands USA magazine where you could learn all about the types of planes and the enormous state of the art hangers their kept in. Click here to view the article written by Rich Frtizky.

______________________________design gathering_____________________________

Basement Makeover
Our basement was in pretty bad shape when we bought our house. They called it "semi-finished". Luckily we loved the rest of the house so much that the basement really didn't matter. And we knew we could rennovate. I tried to keep the family room a little masculine, knowing that my husband would be spending the most time there! I used a chocolate brown paint, black leather and black and white architectural prints. However, I still wanted it to be warm and inviting so I added a light wood floor with a cream shag, some patterned throw pillows and a faux tin ceiling just to give the drop ceiling some interest. The guest bedroom and bath were just all about incorporating furniture we already had and creating an inviting bedroom for our occassional house guests.

BEFORE: Staircase Area