Melissa and her hubby knew what they liked, they just needed some clearcut direction on how to get the ideal familyroom put together. We also worked on the foyer. You can see from these pics that a very bad faux finish was in place. It was there when her hubby moved in the house and he didn’t bother to change it. That was one of the first things I addressed and advised them to paint out that foyer one color, the same color that was flowing up the stairs.
AFTER
And here is the AFTER, foyer table in place and the artwork. She added a new lamp and a few new accessories here. She picked up this other smaller companion oil painting for the little nook going into their bedroom and they both make a nice statement.
BEFORE
BEFORE: This is the room as it was when I first met with them, except the old rug was very neutral, with no color. This is already the new rug in place. I told Melissa that once everything that was needed was purchased and in her house, I would come back over and we would empty out the room and I would put it all back together again. Just like on TV! And that’s exactly what I did.
BEFORE: Wall on right coming into the familyroom, a set of Pottery Barn bookshelves with a fountain in the middle.
AFTER: Melissa already owned the olive green sofa pictured here, so that was brought in and the rug was the only other thing she purchased for this room. I brought back all the accessories and shopped other rooms in the house to fill in where it was needed. We talked about colors to bring in and decided to get a rug that had olive greens that will pull into their diningroom, as well as working with the olive sofa. I told her I would like to bring some blues into the room and she was very excited about that, so made sure the new rug had blues in it. We used all her things and just moved them all around. That’s the fun part about a redesign! Notice the fireplace here. It got a makeover too, per my instructions, and they did that after this redesign day.
BEFORE: The red brick fireplace was a little blah and needed some major perking up. I advised them to glaze or paint the brick to tone it down & make it flow better with the contemporary feel of the room. She ordered a fireplace glazing kit and they did it themselves. I also told her to paint the mantel black. Notice the changes above the fireplace too, when you see the “After” shot below.
AFTER: The newly glazed fireplace looks great! Since their dogs are a big part of their family, I brought this dog pic from another room and it’s Melissa’s favorite pic, so why not highlight it over the fireplace? She had this pair of faux plants and I added them up there for some visual height and fun.
ALL AFTER: This shows the Pottery Barn bookshelves moved to another wall and pushed together for more impact. This area was great for displaying all their collectibles. I used all their artwork, just moved them to different areas.
The bookcase was moved to this large wall, where it takes center stage in front of the sofa. It’s a very pretty piece and looks much better on this wall where it can be appreciated. The blue fish on top was brought in from the bedroom and she already had the mirror, I just added it to the mix. The plant up there is real and looks pretty trailing along the top. Those 4 prints are original photographs that her hubby took.
Back to the bookshelves, I arranged all of those with pretty books they had, along with collectibles and family photos for a very pleasing look. All the pops of blue really add a nice contrast to the black shelves, as do the photographs on the wall above.
I loved the & sign and decided to display it in the middle. They had some nice pieces to work with that meant something too. You can see the pops of blue in the accessories, which really work well in the room.
I added a sofa table behind the sofa, with a lamp (brought in from the bedroom), accessories, and the artwork that used to be over the fireplace. See the pops of blue in the candles and single pillow on the sofa? Works well to bring in that color around the room.
They have large windows in this room that bring in a lot of light. I advised her to just leave them open with no other window treatments since this room is casual. They have blinds so don’t really need more fabric in here, so we’ll just leave them alone. I love the big real ficus tree in the corner.
You can see what a colorful rug she found and I thought it was perfect for them. This was one case where I sent them to do the shopping, since they already know what they like. That worked best in this case and then I came in and did the redesign of the room to pull it all together. I just loved using what they already had to completely change the space.
Melissa sent me the sweetest email:
Rhoda, thank you so much for yesterday. I have enjoyed my room SO much! This morning I got up at 6:30 to just sit in there and drink my coffee. It is so peaceful which is what I was looking for. Now, I can enjoy my home! Thank you so much. This was more than just a room re-do. I can’t tell you how much peace it gives me and totally eliminated conflicts. Thank you, you are heaven sent! You had the greatest ideas, and pulled them together with expertise and ease!!
Now, THAT makes my day! Hope you enjoyed the redo! I sure enjoyed orchestrating it. Thank you Melissa, for allowing me to come in your home.





Rhoda, This looks so nice! And those foyer walls! Thank God you can to the rescue!
Rhoda, you did such a nice job with this redesign. Sounds like the client is a happy camper, too. Isn’t it wonderful to help someone have a nest they can truly enjoy? Way to go! I love happy endings. 🙂
Hugs,
Sheila
Oh I love all the changes….I just wish I had that eye of yours. I really need some major help in my new house. Boy maybe soon I can figure what to do and where. I am reading a lot lately. Thanks for sharing!
What a nice family room & it looks so comfortable. It seems to reflect their personalities really well.
Good job.
I didn’t realize you were taking on clients. You did a great job on their house and I’m sure the owners are enjoying it.
I especially love what you did in the foyer.
Great job Rhoda! It is so much more warm and welcoming. It just goes to show that you don’t have to purchase expensive pieces, just use what you have properly. The transformation is awesome.
Rhoda, the makeover looks lovely!
Rhoda, The makeover was great! And I was impressed that you used most of what she already had! 🙂
~Rhonda 🙂
You did an AMAZING job, you are so talented and have a great eye for these things. That comment you received make me love you even more. You are not just about aesthetics, but about comfort, providing a peaceful haven and personalizing a space for the person you are working with. I wish I could have you help me with our house… just for a day! (It takes me forever to do one little thing and then I often agonize over whether I did the right thing).
Nice job! It was great that you used what they already had – just moved things to a better position. And I love the foyer – it looks so much more inviting and less cluttered.
Wow…is it too much to ask you to try out for DESIGN STAR?…or is it, who needs the aggravation when you are already building a happy clientele? 😉 Bo
Rhoda,
I enjoyed reading through and looking at all the photos in this post. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Layla
The Lettered Cottage
WOW!!! Rhoda, what a GREAT job! The room looks so inviting now.
That’s a great redesign, Rho. Both rooms look so much better.
Rhoda,
Wow, that’s a great transformation. I love how playful it all turned out! Sounds like you had a wonderful homeowner to work with too! Thanks for sharing.
-Hayley
What a huge difference you made with a few new pieces of furniture and re-arranging and accessorizing!!!!! The rooms look fabulous…great job :o)
~Des
What a great redesign! I really love the fireplace.
You have a wonderful eye and turned a ordinary space into an inviting and relaxing home to be in. It seems you made a happy couple happier! Great re-design.
Beth
Hi Rhoda,
(this is my verry first post here…ta da!!)
Anyway..nice transformation! I especialy like the bright colored art work in both the foyer & over the mantle. It ties the rug in well perfectly!
Nice use of a bright palete!
Ill certainly be checking back for more eye candy!
What a difference! You brought balance into that room beautifully.
Holley