1.06.2011

:: playing designer

For years now, I've thought about going back to school for interior design. I love to decorate & over the years I've helped all of my friends buy furniture, fluff and rearrange their homes, I've even helped in their friends homes...but I've never actually gotten paid for my help. 

Well, that's all changed now. I've officially gotten paid for my first real design job. My new friend/client is a client of my husbands, and friend of his sister's who suggested that she give me a call. She's a real sweetheart, a busy working mom who needed some help decorating her house. 

I first thought I would be going over to help do more of a fluff job, but nope...this is full on bottom up decorating job {yee}. Before the holidays we picked out flooring & a wall color, and over the holidays she had her new flooring installed, and she had everything painted. I've helped her pick out a new Sofa, rug, entertainment center, coffee table, side table, and an adorable phone table for her kitchen. We still have the kitchen, dining room, and master bedroom to buy for. It can be hard to stay on track with so much to do, but I'm trying to let her see one room put together at a time.



This is the room I laid out today in photoshop. { please excuse any wonky pictures & bad perspective } 

No...I don't plan for the chairs to be facing this way, crazy huh. In the end they will be facing the sofa for a comfy cozy conversation area. I need her to see what the chairs I'm thinking of for the space will look like with everything else. I also wanted to give her a good visual of what her room will look like once we get some accessories and curtains up.

Here's another version with a different set of chairs and a swing arm lamp instead of the coral based lamp {which I love}. Man Oh Man, the hardest thing is not turning around and buying all this great stuff for myself. Luckily though I get to live vicariously through her. Not to say that some rooms around here aren't on my agenda this year ; ).





Here's the living room before. Her house was under a good bit of construction when I first started, she had popcorn ceilings replaced, and the walls were being repaired and smoothed out, you can see here she still had her carpeting down. {we had already purchased the rug and coffee table before I remembered to take pics }


Here's where we are today. So you can see this is the image that I added my furniture and accessories to. Now, I'm not the best at Photoshop layouts yet , so some of my items in the first image are probably a little out of proportion, and the perspective is off too, but I still think it will give her a good idea of where we are going.

Now you know...best laid plans and all. The room may not end up looking that much like the first pic, it just depends on if we purchase the items I have pictured, and of course whether or not she even likes what I've put together...so we shall see.

Anyhoo, this is what I've been up to lately, and it really feels good to have a somewhat real job again. We'll see if it leads to more. I think I could get used to this. 

Hope you all have had a wonderful week so far.

:: peace, love & hugs ::
Carrie
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12 comments:

  1. Whoa...I was making myself a mood board last night with the exact same chair from Pier 1, and if I'm not mistaken, the wooden side table in the first photo as well, is from World Market? Because I used that, too! Maybe we are design-twins, seperated at birth?
    Can't wait to see more of the progress, as time moves on...
    How exciting!!
    Good luck,
    Jenny

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  2. I lake it, beautiful room!
    Can hardly wait to continue, kisses Zondra Art

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  3. Congratulations to you! It's awesome to get paid doing something you love. I'm so happy for you.

    xo
    LeAnn

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  4. Great job, Carrie! I like the first set of chairs best. They have great style, and they also look comfortable. I hope she goes that route. Even with the little wonky things, I got a good visual of how the room will look. I'm so glad you got paid to help her with this.

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  5. so pretty, carrie. you're such a talented gal!

    xo
    ~molly

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  6. Carrie -IM SO excited for you, how much fun..So Far i love what your doing, and love the first 2 chairs-
    Im re-decorating our home-never know you could do that with photoshop-

    (do you just take the picture w.no furn. -then go pick images of furn. your liking and add them in)??
    Thanks for the Inspiration and Ideas.
    Karryann

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  7. Thanks everyone for the positive words of encouragement. The tufted back chairs are my favorites too. I'll be sure to keep you updated on the progress, and of course the finished results. Hugs

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  8. You lucky duck! I am just a semester or two short of getting an interior design license. I went ahead with a business major/art minor though, geesh, 14 years ago. I LOVE to help others design/find stuff, but like you, have never been paid for it. Have a great time!

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  9. Good for you!! This is how I started too and I still do jobs by word of mouth from friends. It's so nice to get paid for doing something you love!! I also enjoy spending someone else's money but admit at times I want to keep things I have bought for them! Have fun!!

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  10. wauw, that's great, i know the feeling ,always helping other people, but a real project with money! that;s great, maybe in a few years you are so famous that we can tell everybody we saw her first job!

    greetings

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  11. Carrie,
    Need an assistant? He, He! Good job! Good luck to you in the future. Why not get paid for your work. That would be a fun job. Hugs, Liz

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  12. Sounds like fun!! Congrats!
    Ashlyn

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I love seeing your lovely faces & reading your sweet comments. Thanks for taking the time to visit me : ) * I do my best to respond by e-mail, if I miss you please forgive me. peace & love * Carrie

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