.jpeg)
What exactly is a.l.r Interior Home, aside from a resourceful blog about all things how-to and homey, and what do I do? Well I’m glad you asked. As many of you are aware I L.O.V.E to decorate spaces. Big ones, small ones, bright ones, dark ones. I’m sure this (let’s call it what it is) addiction to design ignited in my childhood, and passed directly to me from my mother: aakamartha.
But let me tell you, she was much more extreme than I. We used to laugh about the times we would leave for school in the morning & come home to find our front door was no longer located in the same spot we passed through just hours early. Walls would be moved inside. Oh, you thought your room was on the right side of the house? Well it’s on the left now and we have a new dining room where it used to be. Surprise! There was nothing my mom wouldn’t tackle when she had an idea, and there was nothing my dad wouldn’t build her to accommodate that idea.
My remodels are mild in comparison: a new rug or two, moved furniture, something painted; but the windows, walls, & doors don’t move. Yet. However, I have found that moving the walls and doors is not always necessary to completely change the look and feel of a space. Small details work in a big way when you are able to think outside the box. I admit I have a particular style when it comes to decorating in terms of color palettes, textures, and go-to accessories but I am always thinking of new ways to finish a space. My husband says he always knows when I’m thinking about changing something because I get “the look”. Apparently, that consists of me staring intently at the subject area with my hip popped, an elbow in one hand and my chin resting in the other, usually fidgeting with my bottom lip in some way. He has come around a corner in our house plenty of times to catch it and typically pipes up with “oh boy” or a quiet chuckle. Anyway, although many of you may not be privy to The Look when it happens, you do get to see the outcomes either first hand or via social media. And you all are so gracious with the comments and compliments (Thank you! They are appreciated.), and there are usually a few that are some version of a request to come decorate your homes. I will repeat exactly what I say there – I would love to decorate your home, it’s my favorite thing to do!
Enter a.l.r Interior Home.
Decorating a space isn’t always easy, as I assume you know by the requests to have it done for you. It’s not necessarily a hard thing in terms of physical exertion as you could easily do it yourself, but it takes a vision and a plan to really make it effective. I’m always happy to offer suggestions to those who ask, but it’s going to be a suggestion of what I would do, of MY particular style. That doesn’t always translate to what would work in YOUR home and with YOUR lifestyle. In order for me to know what would work for YOUR home and YOUR lifestyle, I need to know what that looks like.
For example, I already know the traffic pattern in my own home, I know who is using the spaces and how they are being used, and I know what our likes and dislikes are. I also know the full inventory of furniture, finishes, and accessories that I have available to me for a project, and I know how much I can afford to spend on things I might need to complete it. These are super easy details that can be figured out with a quick conversation, and that’s what the programming is all about. The consultation brief is ALWAYS free. It’s at this step that we determine the scope of your upcoming project and what services, if any, would be a fit to make it a reality.
I realize that most of you are creative individuals fully capable of decorating your own homes, but sometimes we just want a little help, or maybe a lot of help, and that’s where I’d like to come in. The biggest obstacle that I have come across when it comes to decorating and design is visualizing the outcome: “I can’t picture it.” All of my services are designed around providing you with a visual representation of your project. Maybe you are just looking for a color palette to go with your favorite SW wall paint or your beautiful new piece of accent furniture. Colors can be tricky and having a visual representation of multiple colors that go well together, and in what amounts, can easily be accomplished with a mood board. As can textures, textiles, and finishes. For some people this is all they need, a little picture of the details to confirm if their mind’s eye had it right or not before they execute the project on their own.
Another situation is the prospect of how to put it together. Maybe you already have your color palette, you’ve decided on some major pieces that you like, and you know the general idea of what you want to accomplish but you aren’t exactly sure how to get there. What do most of us do in this situation? We look at a picture for inspiration, but how often does that picture the same pieces of furniture that we do? Sometimes it can still leave you guessing and end up prolonging the length of your project as you go back and forth looking for specific accents & details until you find exactly what you are looking for. Do these side tables play well in this sofa style? Does this rug match the wall color? What fabric would best fit the mood I’m trying to create? A fully conceptual design takes the mood board to another level mixing your specific pieces with possible options of furniture, accents, and materials to pull your entire project together. It also offers a few tips on how to arrange them, but ultimately provides you the creative freedom to put the space together knowing the final project will be a cohesive masterpiece.
What’s that, you don't want to figure out the arrangement of the furniture? No problem, but that is honestly half the fun! Sometimes figuring out a new arrangement with your existing furniture can be tricky because eyeballing if something will fit in a particular space just doesn’t always pan out. What happens then? We have to lug the sofa/recliner/bed/dresser back over to where it originally started from and not only did we just waste time but we might have slipped a disc in the process. Another unfortunate situation is getting excited about that fancy new piece of furniture only to find out it's too big, or too small… I’m pretty sure I measured? Can I even return this? With spatial planning I can give you an overview of what works best for your space, both for function and aesthetics, based on measurements and traffic flow. No need for the furniture slider discs, not pulled muscles or strained backs, no emotions running high when you rope your significant other into helping you all day just to find out it didn’t work the way you thought it would. IYKYK.
Still not quite enough?? I can arrange the big stuff, the little stuff, and everything in between for a complete paint by numbers to decorate your space. Realistic 3D renders of your space give you the option for exact placement, layering, and ultimate visualization. These can be especially nice for new builds and long-distance planning. I agree it’s preferable to be in the designated space when you are working on a project, but that’s not always an option. With a 3D render you can go into as much or as little detail you want. For new builds: not sure where to put the electrical sockets? I’ll show you. Should this door be moved 3” for better easement? I’ll show you. For restyles: Should I put a nail in the wall 2 and ½ ft above this dresser or 2 and ¾? I’ll show you. Will the paint color in this room look good from the other room? I’ll show you.
Get the picture? I’ll show you! You can head over to my Portfolio and check out some of the concepts & renders completed to date, and then peek at the Design Services for a full scope of what we offer.
I have recently started painting again as well, so restyling aside if you are looking for some one of a kind artwork (because really, I can’t make the exact same thing twice) check out the shop. If I could hang it all in my own house I would, but alas.
I will also be featuring local, handmade art from other artists in the area so keep checking back or subscribe for updates! We all love to shop locally. Hopefully this answered some questions about what a.l.r Interior Home is all about and if you are interested in any of the services offered just reach out. As I said, the consultation brief is ALWAYS free. Until next time my friends!
Comments