Just give us a sec…..

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If we all had unlimited funds, life would be wonderful. Or would it? That’s a discussion for another time. When it comes to designing a room, while unlimited funds are fabulous, often it just doesn’t happen. We feel one of our gifts is to work within all budgets. We will be the first to admit some things need to be purchased from designer showrooms. Some things can not be compromised. Yet, an entire room does not need to be custom. Take a look at this room….We re-purposed the sofas. We had our upholsterers do their magic on some old, but high-quality, outdated sofas. The sofas seem brand new. We added custom shades and custom drapes on the slider.

The room, while nice, lacks a certain oomph. Our client called us back and asked us to weigh in on some artwork. While we were there we suggested the room could use some finishing touches. We thought she needed accessories and a chair to complete the seating area. She agreed, but was overwhelmed and frankly just wanted the project done so she could enjoy her new space. We told her we would run to Homegoods and see what we could find. Off we went. Boy did we cause a stir.

We found this chair immediately. We thought that perhaps the pattern might be a little strong with the window seat, so we sought out this adorable fox pillow…that’s when we created the stir….This woman ripped the pillow right off the chair as we were putting the big pieces on hold….that just made us want it more. 🙂

Next we did our sweep of the store. We really have it down to a science. We start in the same department and methodically work through the aisles. We loaded the cart with trays, florals, pillows, throws, and vases. Shoved it into the car and off we went.

We texted our client exactly one hour from the time we left. She met us at the door, we unloaded and here you go……………There are still a few pieces missing but within one and a half hours total, she went from …..

this to this

If you build it, they will come…..

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For most school is in full swing. Kids are busier and in turn so are parents. I have always loved back to school time. The air gets cooler, the clothes get comfier, it’s like a new beginning. I have always loved it that is, until I had one leave for college. I keep saying it’s not that I miss the day to day, although, I do, I think it’s more the thought of him moving on that gets me. And let’s be honest, me getting older. Well we have a client who has three kids, 2 in college and 1 a senior in high school. While others in her “predicament” are contemplating how to downsize, or where to move to escape this weather, she decided to finish her basement. Oh what a basement it is…..

Above is how we started. Basements are always challenging because you need to worry about ceiling pipes and support beams. We worked to hide the infrastructure and optimize the living space. Below is were we ended!

The only parameters we were given was the sofa/sectional needed to leather and reclining. We knew that basements can be dark so we didn’t want to use black or brown leather. Therefore this sectional got the call….you’d be surprised at the small amount of light color reclining sectionals (that would fit our space). Once that was selected we chose the flooring. It needed to be stylish, of course, but also withstand if, God forbid, there was ever any water. We selected this gray wood-like laminate floor. It’s both practical and pleasing. We then started sketching the wall of built-in. We love how that turned out…Then off to the kitchen.

and exercise area

We had so much fun on this project. It came together just how we pictured it would.

It was a process, as all remodels are.

Our absolute favorite part of the whole space is the “window” If you look closely you’ll notice it’s not a window at all. It’s a framed mirror made to look like a window. It covers the window well, but is hung like a painting. So you feel like you’re upstairs yet if the owners need to get out, they just remove the frame and climb.

The most important part of this whole project…..remember those 2 college students and that senior? Well they can’t get enough of this room. No need to fear the “empty nest” , when the nest keeps calling them back.

New thrifted chair!

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Of course, we’d always rather be out shopping, but when stuck at the desk, it’s way more fun to sit on a fun chair. Found it on the street, gave it a faux fur seat, and now it’s ready for a showroom!

One of our favorite things

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After years of training, we have become experts at………shopping. Our mother started us early. We can remember as far back as the age of 4 or 5 sitting in countless dressing rooms watching as our mother rifled through hundreds of outfits to find the perfect one. When we reached school age, our favorite time of the year was back to school. We would spend one full day sometimes more, going out to update our wardrobes. Sometimes we would take the train into the city, sometimes it would be trekking out to the vast suburban malls. It was a special day. Time to be together and time to refresh our closets. The funny thing was we wore uniforms.

All that training has come in handy. We have multiple projects going on and since lighting is changing by leaps and bounds. We thought we’d chronicle our trip to the lighting showroom. We can’t tell you the fabulous finds. LED, updated finishes, cage lights, chandeliers in every room. The updates are fabulous.

These are not the ones we selected, you’ll have to wait for our new post to see the winner. But we had fun shopping, that’s for sure. It always brings us back to those fitting rooms so long ago.

And get a load of this, when we opened our box, this is what we found. Someone was looking out for us. Love!!

We Love Before and Afters!

Posted on January 8, 2015 by realsistersdesign

BEFORE

We do love before and afters. Probably the afters a little more than the befores, but seeing the transformation is always amazing.

Last year a growing family contacted us about their kitchen. The cabinets were in decent shape. They liked their countertops but they didn’t have enough space and they felt the kitchen lacked a certain style. We set out to use what we could while addressing their needs. Space was an issue, they actually had to go to the basement to get their cereal every morning. So first we wanted to add a pantry! See the green tape on the wall…that’s where we decided to house the Lucky Charms and Cheerios…among other things. The island was too small, not only for the room but it provided virtually no storage. So we wanted to add a HUGE island. That opened the issue of finding a stone countertop that would co-exist with the existing stone on the perimeter. Not an easy task but we were eventually successful. Lastly we needed to address the aesthetics. The owners settled on stainless steel appliances and we suggested a nuetral finish for the existing perimeter cabinets and new pantry and a dark walnut finish for the island. Then came the lighting and backsplash.

AFTER

Take a close look around. The island more than doubled their existing counter and storage space. They love to bake and cook so we customized the space to have easy access to the kitchenaid, spices and all other essentials. This angle really shows off our backsplash. We wanted to bring some of the walnut hues to contrast with the nuetral cabinets. We choose three tiles and had them cut in multiple sizes to create a backsplash that’s a cross between a brick pattern and a mosaic. Let’s just say we spent a lot of time with the tile setter. We are thrilled with the way the project turned out. It meets the needs of the family and livens up the house. After all doesn’t everyone always stay in the kitchen.

ANOTHER VIEW

One last thing, there’s the finished pantry and check out those valances over the sink….both the wood and the fabric. Can’t even begin to describe the difference those make.

Is there such a thing as a free lunch?

Posted on October 6, 2014 by realsistersdesign

Last Saturday my son finished his soccer game and was FAMISHED….there is nothing crabbier than a teenager who is hungry….well maybe his mother, but I digress. Anyway he decided he wanted to try the “newish” hotdog stand in DesPlaines. He was told the fries and dogs were every bit as good as Gene and Judes…but they allow you to order with ketchup. He had his plan..Hotdog, Extra Fries and a large Chocolate Shake. So that’s where we went. Ohhh it was crowded. We were about tenth in line. As we inched our way forward, I noticed no one was using a credit card and there was a shady looking ATM in the corner. My eyes darted toward the cash register, then to the windows trying to spot the Visa/Master Card decal. Nothing. I asked the hot dog aficionado in front of me if they took charge..sure enough they did not. I, of course, had no cash. Looking at the crabby boy, I knew I didn’t have much time, so I decided to use the ATM.

“hold our spot I’ll get the cash”

I started to panic as the ATM took my information, and basically stopped. The screen showed my information had been logged in but it kept spinning saying “your request is being processed” This went on for about 5 minutes. HUH?…I thought uh oh..this was a mistake….I envisioned my information being decoded somewhere off site and my identity being given to someone ready to do their damage on Amazon. I was in my panic zone, I did not notice anything that was going on in the very crowded restaurant. My son had to give up our spot in line and came over to, I think, calm me down. As he came over, a sheet spit out of the ATM saying the transaction was denied. I felt better, I guess. There was a man sitting next to the machine, obviously watching. He asked me how many people I was feeding and I responded, “just my son.” He handed me twenty dollars. I couldn’t take it. “No”, I said, “thank you, but no”…He tried to hand it to my son. He also said no. Somehow I knew the man wasn’t going to let us leave without buying our lunch, so we took the twenty. I told my son to order. He ordered a hotdog and a Sprite. I have to say I felt a tingle of pride. No extra fries, no shake, just enough to satisfy his hunger without spending too much. We gave the change to the man and asked his name so we could repay him. He said it was his treat, he wanted to help out. We said we would pay it forward. There are kind people in this world, who want to help for the sake of helping. It’s a great feeling. So, try to find me around town, I owe someone lunch.

The Glamorous Life

Posted on September 4, 2014 by realsistersdesign

Have you ever google imaged your profession? We thought we’d take a look. It’s interesting to see how the world perceives what you do on a daily basis. When you google interior design, certain types of pictures pop up, pleasing rooms with sensible color palettes and perfect furniture placements. And when you go one step further and see the actual person that pops up, it’s usually an impeccably dressed female pouring over blueprints and swatches. So today we thought we’d give you a glimpse into our glamorous day…..Here’s Mary and our client…(they have no idea I took this picture ..shhh)

We are at a tile/granite showroom that is very……very……very safety conscious. In all our years, this is the first time we’ve had to wear a hard hat. The nice thing is they are also health conscious so we were provided with the lovely hairnets. After the laughing we were able to find great a countertop and backsplash for our new basement project.

Not to mention we have a new doppelganger……

Ahhhhh Summer…………

Posted on July 31, 2014 by realsistersdesign

It seems as if we’ve been taking a break this summer..at least in terms of our social media postings. We have been busy, but there is something about the summer that always seems to slow things down….at least for us and our business. Our kids are having the time of their lives starting new jobs, playing baseball, interning and possibly the most noteworthy, riding a bike across the entire United States while touching people affected by cancer…..not a motorcycle….but a good old fashioned two-wheeler! We are happy to report she is almost home and most definitely changed forever…With the lives she has touched and have touched hers, I’m not sure she could come out anything but changed..

As for us, we are changing people’s surroundings….! Our favorite transformation this summer was a spruce up for a garden party. Our client throws this gala every year but this year we were asked to help create a new space. We had a fabulous area to work with…The grounds are impeccably landscaped, the pool and pool house rival the best boutique hotel….but there was a patio near the house that had always had some mismatched furnishings…Our client does not like fuss so we chose furniture that dries quickly when wet and is comfortable enough without needing cushions.

There was a crazy front that just rolled in when the furniture was delivered…we are taking the picture through a screen..looks good, seems comfortable, but not ready for a big shindig…we knew without cushions we would need some great accessories to add color and pizzazz to the great bones…so off we went.

We chose green and orange to pop against the grey and brown and complement the hanging plants. The party was a huge success and guess where everyone wanted to sit!!!

Guess who’s coming to dinner?

Posted on July 2, 2014 by realsistersdesign

You’ll never believe who came to our house ….We’ve been anticipating his arrival for weeks. He’s kind of a celebrity in our world and we were so excited to see him. Is your curiosity peaked? Ok we’ll just flat our tell you. It was NATE BERKUS!! Yep….he’s in the building. Wellllll………not really him in the flesh….but his new fabrics arrived.

He really has a knack for interesting color palettes and patterns that aren’t feminine or masculine. We have 3 new books that are dying to be showcased. I guess if Nate can’t be with us for dinner, we’ll have to settle for his designs.

Our Painting Project

Posted on June 19, 2014 by realsistersdesign

Remember a few weeks ago we posted a picture of a dresser we did and a dresser we were going to paint with chalk paint….Well the project is almost finished but we are so happy with the way it is turning out that we thought we’d post some pictures and see what you all think…..give us your feedback, we’d love to hear from you!

THE BEFORE