Night Stand Makeover for a Good Cause

Who's ready for a three-day weekend?!?  Before we part ways for the Labor Day Holiday, I wanted to share a little furniture makeover I just finished up.  

A few weeks ago I got a call from Cynthia at  the Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga  (HBAC).  The HBAC is putting on a remodeling show in September and she contacted me because they are including a charity auction to benefit Special Spaces Chattanooga.  What is Special Spaces?  They're a non-profit organization that helps children facing terminal illnesses by creating and implementing beautiful bedrooms for them. For such a worthy cause, I jumped at the chance to participate.  They even provided the furniture for me to re-create, which will be auctioned off for Special Spaces.  

Now this is where I hang my head in embarrassment a little.  I forgot to take the expected "before" photo.  Problem is, when I decide to tackle a new project it's usually while I have 3 other things going on at the time - like dinner, laundry, social media maintenance, and - oh yeah- I need to start that night stand project.

Here's the point at which I remembered to take a photo.

You guys are visual people, so I know you can imagine this piece in its original golden brown glory.

I honestly didn't know what I was going to do.  Just painting in a pretty color didn't seem like enough, and even though this piece is for charity, I wanted to do something with it that reflected my aesthetic, which is a little more embellished.

I started with a coat of gray paint (Benjamin Moore Gray Wisp) and taped off a big stripe down the middle.  I also painted the polished nickel hardware with gold leaf paint.

Better, but I'm a "more is more" kind of person.  Inspiration hit me in the aisle of Big Lots when I spotted these

Of course!  I was going to incorporate the sunburst design that's in my logo.  

More Gold Leaf paint was used.  I painted up a bunch of those bamboo skewers, set aside my fears and started gluing.  (Elmer's Wood Glue, if you're taking notes)

And here's the finished piece...

A big thank you to Cynthia and the Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga and also to Special Spaces Chattanooga for giving me the opportunity to participate.

If you'd like to learn more about the HBAGC Home & Remodeling Expo Sept 14-15, click here.  I'll also have a booth at the Home & Remodeling Expo that weekend, so bring me those paint and fabric swatches you've been obsessing over for months.

Have a relaxing, happy Labor day weekend!

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services to happy homeowners in Chattanooga, TN.  If you'd like to experience the joy of living in a well designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

Pimp My Dollhouse - With My Interior Life

Hello again friends!  Today is Monday and you know what that means.  It's "Pimp My Dollhouse" day!  My guest today is Kathy from My Interior Life. 

 Are you familiar?  I thought so!  I'm very excited to have Kathy's participation.  Not only is she a fellow Tennessee blogger, but she has the most extraordinary talent for uncovering some highly coveted vintage finds.  And then styling them in the most fabulous way. 

Kathy's dining room.  Need I say more?

In case you're not familiar with the Pimp my Dollhouse Series, I've invited some favorite bloggers/friends to come up with a plan for my living and dining room using 4 things I know I want to incorporate into the space.

They were told that they had an unlimited budget to work with, that I wanted a colorful and sophisticated space, and that I love Chinoiserie.  The rest is up to my guest posters!

Anyway, I absolutely love love L O V E what Kathy put together for me.  You will too.  Here's Kathy:

Hi, everyone! I'm Kathy from My Interior Life, and I'm so excited Kim invited me over to help her "pimp" out her dollhouse living room and dining room. Working with Kim's existing pieces and knowing her love of color, pattern and traditional/mod gave me a great direction. Plus, we all know she loves some good Chinoiserie pieces. Starting in the living room, I was inspired by her green velvet sofa. I immediately thought of Tory Burch's green living room . . .

And another room designed by Jeffrey Bilhuber . . . 

I thought it would be sophisticated and rich to paint her living room walls the same saturated tone as her sofa . . .

Since Kim is not afraid of color and I know she loves green and yellow from the fabrics and accents she's used in other rooms in her home, I decided to go for it in the living room and make it into a little jewel box. Also, since it's not a room she uses every day, I decided to amp up the drama a little and give her a great geometric area rug and a beautiful Coromandel screen with a colorful pagoda scene. The brass lamps tie in with the gold in her wheat sheaf table, and the yellow and blue furniture and accents play off the colors in her fabric which I used for pillows on the sofa. With all the color in the room, I decided to go simple with cream or white drapery panels with a little Greek Key trim. 

What better way to transition from the yellow and green in the living room than to lead into a beautiful De Gournay-wallpapered dining room (it's great working with no budget, right)? With such a bright space, I tempered it with black cabinets, black Klismos chairs and black and gold knot mirrors. I brought in a few modern accents with the brass and black Sciolari chandelier and the brass Mastercraft host and hostess chairs in a beautiful blue velvet. The blue chairs and accessories also complement the blue in her Chinoiserie fabric which I used on the Klismos chair seats. A little Asian influence in the burl wood credenza and Blanc de Chine goddess lamps ties in with the Chinoiserie-themed hand-painted wallpaper. I chose to use the same drapes in the dining room to create a sense of continuity between the two rooms. 

Thank you so much, Kim, for inviting me to participate in your series. I had such fun with your "sky's the limit" budget. I hope you enjoyed my interpretations of your space and furnishings!

Jaw-droppingly gorgeous, right?  So many individual elements I love in her plan - like the Klismos chairs, the knot mirrors, the cormandel screen.  And what?  De Gournay?!?  In yellow?!?!?  I die.  But I think even greater than the individual elements is the "look" as a whole. It sophisticated, it's dramatic, it's completely lovely!

Kathy, thanks for Pimping My Dollhouse. I'm making notes!

What do you like best about Kathy's plan?

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services to happy homeowners in Chattanooga, TN.  If you'd like to discover the joy of living in a well designed  home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

Big Style, Little Price

Today I want to share some stylish finds that can easily fit most budgets - even mine! 

Home Decorators "Wuchow" Filing Cabinet

I may have to find a place for this in my home office makeover, if that happens during my  lifetime.  And I'm having my doubts.  But that's a whole different post.  Back to Wuchow.  It's well-priced at $269 and I think the tomato color would look smashing against mint walls.

Kirklands Parker Cognac Settee

Am I crazy or does this handsome settee have a Ralph Lauren feel to it?  Currently on sale for $399, too!

Kirklands Crushed Glass Star Pendant

Now these lights ... wouldn't it be fun to flank your bedside night stands with these instead of table lamps? 

C Wonder Leopard Dinnerware

With plates this pretty, everything you cook could taste a little bit better.

And that concludes our shopping trip for today.  Any favorites here?

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services to happy homeowners in Chattanooga, TN.  If you'd like to discover the joy of living in a well designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

Pimp My Dollhouse - With Tiffany Leigh Interior Design

Happy Monday!  Today I have another guest designer/blogger who is participating in my "Pimp My Dollhouse" series, and I know you're going to love what Tiffany put together for me.

In case you cut class last week, let give you a quick run-down of what we're doing.

I've enlisted the advice of several talented designers/bloggers/friends to help me create a plan for the living room and dining room at my place aka Project Dollhouse.  

The items I want to incorporate into the design of these rooms are shown below.  All participants have been told that the sky's the limit as far as the budget is concerned (as if).!! The spaces should be sophisticated, colorful and have a trad/mod mix. And they also know that I love pattern and some Chinoiserie. 

Got it?  Good, because today I'm thrilled to have the lovely and talented Tiffany Leigh in the house!  I love following Tiffany's blog and seeing her design school projects and progress.  She is a seriously talented young lady and I'm so happy she's helping me out here at the Dollhouse.

Hello to all of Kim's stylish readers! This is Tiffany of Tiffany Leigh Interior Design and I am so excited to be here today helping to Pimp out Kim's living room and dining room. One of the biggest challenges a designer can face is incorporating a client's existing furniture into a design. Obviously with Kim this was no issue, since she has absolutely fabulous taste. It was so much fun!

My biggest inspiration for the design was the fabric Kim gave us to work with, which set the stage for my color palette of teal, olive green, and a hint of red and pinks. I loved the fabric so much that I decided to frame some of it over the couch as a graphic piece of art!

When I saw Nancy and Bethany's contribution to this series last week, I couldn't help but smile when I saw that they too had selected an art deco chinese rug for the space! Great minds do think alike, afterall. I considered switching up my design for a brief moment, but then I realized that it must be a sign Kim ;) - You need one of these! The rug I chose really compliments the art and adds some brightness to the room. Set off by classic elements like the herringbone hardwood floor, it really pops!

In the dining room, I went more traditional to compliment Kim's gorgeous existing table. I added some personality (and chinoiserie - Kim's fave) with the chippendale chairs, ginger jars and fab pagoda lantern.  The silk drapes amp up the formality in this space and tie in the color of the velvet sofa in the adjoining living room. The seating in the dining room - from the teal chairs with the same great fabric on the seats, to the leopard x-benches - also compliment the living room. I always love a little leopard in any room, as it works as a neutral while adding an additional pattern. Actually some may say I'm a bit leopard obsessed at the moment! Too add a little more fun to this space, I've dressed the antique sideboard as a glamorous bar - Bring on the Party!

Thanks Kim for inviting me to this series! I had a blast putting all of your elements into a new space and seeing that using many of the same elements as other designers can result in a very different feeling space. I can't wait to see how it actually turns out in real life!


Okay, did she nail my style?  Chinese Chippendale dining chairs, the Chinese Deco rug AND some leopard pillows and x-benches?  Completely lovely!  I also need to know where those black armchairs can be found?!?  

Tiffany, thank you for participating and for creating such a beautiful plan for my home!!!

What do you like best about Tiffany's design?

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Pimp my Dollhouse - with Powell Brower at Home

Hello!!! If you tuned in on Thursday, then you already know that I'm launching a new blog series today called "Pimp My Dollhouse".  In case you missed that post, let me bring you up to speed on how it's all going to play out.

This all came about because I'm about to embark on the design of my formal living and dining rooms and I'm enlisting the help of some very talented designers and blog friends.  But before I let them run with the ball, I've given them 4 things to incorporate into the design of these rooms.

I've told all participants to keep in mind that I love color, pattern, Chinoiserie, and that I wanted the rooms to be slightly sophisticated but not stuffy. Oh, and no budget worries - just design me up some fab spaces.

Let me just say I'm still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor after seeing what these ladies have cooked up.  And I'm sure you know them.  They're the super talented design team of Nancy Powell and her daughter Bethany Brower .

See for yourselves....

Thank you, Kim for inviting Powell Brower at Home to participate in your Pimp My Dollhouse series! What a fabulous idea. I loved this challenge because #1 there was NO budget and #2 you gave us the items you wanted us to work in, all which have your great personality, style and color consciousness.   Here is my vision:

 For the living room I have chosen an antique 9 x 12 chinese art deco rug.  Once I saw that, and knew the $15,000 price tag wasn't an issue, I designed the whole room around it. Knowing how much you love color and a good mix of traditional and modern, I layered in brass light fixtures to compliment your vintage wheat coffee table, colorful  fine art, and exquisite green silk draperies.  The dual golden yellow chairs bring in more color in a cozy conversation arrangement. Your fabulous fabric is made into two custom pillows for your velvet sofa.  Here's the adjoining dining room:

Another fabulous room size vintage chinese art deco rug adorns the dining room bringing in some of the dark blue colors in your Chinoiserie fabric that we upholster on the back your dining side chairs. Blue and white porcelains compliment your Duncan Phyfe table and antique console. Contemporary art and statement accent chairs give his room a collector's touch.  A contemporary brass chandelier finishes the look.

These rugs are really the main event  in each room, and are like artwork on the floors.  It was so much fun designing the room around these.  Thank you Kim for letting our imaginations run wild! It was so much fun, I wish I could help you install this!  Now, go buy a lottery ticket!

Powell Brower at Home

Is everyone dying over those rugs like I am?  And that's just for starters. I love all of the gorgeous artwork, the little hits of brass, and of course the yummy color palette.  I love the idea of using my chinoiserie fabric on the backs on the dining chairs too.  So many great ideas and I know I would feel completely at home in these spaces.

Thanks so much for participating in the "Pimp My Dollhouse" series!

Make sure you come back next Monday, because the lovely and talented Tiffany Leigh is going to work her kind of magic in my living room/dining room.

Can't wait!!!

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services to happy homeowners in Chattanooga, TN.  If you'd like to discover the joy of living in a well designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

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New Blog Series - Pimp My Dollhouse

Hello friends! 

One of the things I find so interesting about design is how two or more people can look at the same space and take it in completely different and yet fabulous directions.  It's been a little over a year since we moved into The Dollhouse and I still have lots left to do - but my living room and dining room really need to get finished!  Since I have so much on my plate right now, I thought it might be fun to get some fresh eyes on those rooms and maybe even go in a direction that I normally wouldn't have considered. Isn't that why people work with designers?

And so the "Pimp My Dollhouse" series has been conceived and will kick off  Monday. Participants have been given the following info for the design of my space.  

The "Before" 

The slate doesn't get much blanker than that.  This image was shot from the foyer looking into the living room and beyond into the attached dining room. The opening on the right wall of my dining room leads to the kitchen.

And below are the room's dimensions and foot print/s.

AND, there a few things I want to incorporate into these rooms.  

Behold:

My wheat sheaf coffee table.

A hunter green velvet sofa.  Mine is a vintage tuxedo sofa but the color and the clean lines of the sofa above make it a darn good stand-in.

My double pedestal Duncan-Phyfe dining table. I've had it forever and cannot justify replacing it at this point in time. So it stays.

And finally, 

5 yards of this chinoiserie fabric.

Participants were also told that I like a trad/mod mix, and that I love color and pattern.  And Chinoiserie.  You knew that , right? These rooms are meant to be more formal than the rest of the house, so something a little more sophisticated but certainly not stuffy.  Oh, and there are no budget constraints.  If I can't afford it, I'm always up for trying a "look for less".

And so now my blog besties are taking the ball and running with it and I can hardly wait until Monday!

First up will be Nancy and Bethany from Powell Brower at Home. I just know this mother/daughter design team is going to knock our socks off come Monday, so be sure to come back and check them out.  I may not sleep until then.  

Oh, and if you'd like to cook up a plan for this series, please leave me a comment below or shoot me an email!

Until Monday....

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and  Design Services to happy homeowners in Chattanooga, TN.  If you'd like to discover the joy of living in  a well-designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

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Still Here!

In case you think I've been spending these last few weeks of summer lounging poolside, let me assure you I've been a busy (tired) girl.  I'll give you a quick rundown of what I've been up to.

First, we took a last-minute vacation to Washington, DC. Have you been?  This was my first trip there and it was one of my favorite vacations ever!  The highlights:

We visited George Washington's Mount Vernon - a lovely historic mansion on an impossibly beautiful piece of property on the Potomac River.

We also spent a busy day at The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History 

and we had the good fortune of being able to witness The Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

Closer to home, I finished painting Shelby's room and moved in her furniture.

And I have to give her props - she chose the wall color (Sherwin Williams Meander Blue), the paint colors for all the furniture, the bedding(from Target) , the end tables and the lamps. #futurepartnerinthemaking .

AND finally, I saved the biggest most amazing/exciting news for last.

This little guy is the newest member of our family as of Thursday afternoon at 4:13!!!   We are already head over heels in love with Rylan and thrilled that he, my daughter Alyssa and her fiance are going to be staying with us for the next few weeks. Is there anything more wonderful than having a baby in the house?  

I also have some client project updates to share with you soon, so stay tuned for that. 

Life is good!  Hope you are enjoying your last few weeks of summer!

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design services to happy homeowners in Chattanooga, TN.  If you'd like to experience the joy of living in a well-designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com