My client is a young, business woman who owns and runs her own boutique clothing store. This girl's got style AND drive, let me tell ya! We wanted to create a home office that was colorful, mod-baroque, with splashes of Spanish and Chinosiere influences.
I found the cornice board at a thrift store for $25. I kept the original retro fabric upholstery on it, but knew that it needed some extra oomph to lift it out of blahsville... So, I took six yards of black 2" ribbon and glued a big criss-cross on it to give it a classier, more 'Taylored' look. Then I selected a champagne-colored taffeta to coordinate with the cornice board fabric. The black border on the inset just unified the two together perfectly, and gave these drapes the richness that they needed {but not for a kings' ransom}. These drapes cost under $250, w/the seamstress' charge included!
Now keep in mind, these are my own personal snapshots. One is really blurry, but the color was SO right, that I couldn't resist posting. {The real photographer is coming next week}.
I outfitted one wall w/two matching cork boards from Target for $15.99 [awaiting some personalization and yellow post it notes}. I actually like how the two 'blank' corkboards look in and of themselves. They give the wall a decorative, mod, mid-century paneled look. Now that's inexpensive art! I also loved the symmetry of the two and twos {chairs and corkboards}, flanking that darling aqua side table. And the crystal and brass wall sconce placed in-between the two really helps to break all the straight lines, while it adds some very necessary sparkle to the room.
The opposite wall is devoted to a killer spanish piece that is actually a reproduction cast off from a local warehouse. It was formerly, a mucky, faux painted brown and pea green hutch which was probably intended to be used in a 'french-country or tuscan' decor styled home you so often see in these parts..."But I say, Out with that type of stuff!! Out the door, Puh-lease!" Okay, moving on...This piece has great character and lines though. Ser-iou-sly. My instant vision for it included a fresh coat of white lacquered paint. {I mean faster than you can say jack-rabbit is how fast I wanted this thing painted}. I decided to echo the inset with a similar aqua to the side table. All of the tchoskies are thrift store finds, including the Sweet matador that just kept telling me that he needed a home. He fits in quite nicely on this spanish hutch. There is a lot of storage space in the drawers for all of my clients paper work etc.
To mix things up a bit, I chose to infuse some spanish/woodsy tones into the already baroquial feeling room. I devoted a step ladder book shelf {$20 thrift store find} to a careful selection of brass goblets, yak horns {correct me if I'm wrong}, wood boxes, antlers, pine cones and driftwood. I might even add a bit more of these darker elements to the spanish shelf, which to me, is needing a little more drama rather than 'marshmallow clouds'. I'll re-tweak this room and add a few more pieces of art work to the walls before the real photographer comes next week. Until then, what do you think?
I have an installation coming up on Friday. Can't wait! Oh, I do love installation days.
A few other mentions I might add about the office above: The raspberry delight chair was formerly a tired old garage sale find that my client had sitting in her garage. We gave it new life w/nickel tacks, raspberry colored wholesale fabric, and white lacquered paint. The rug is a round braided jute rug that I found at Lowes on clearance for $99. I found the whippet dog at a thrift store for a real steal as well.
Well, gotta run...Have a wonderful rest of your week!
Remember the red 'hooker-chic' headboard I found for a client? Well, here it is, hot off the truck! {Again, I apologize for my photography skills}. Still searching for some killer side tables to compliment this curvy bed. We're thinking either rustic-modernism, or sleek-industrial. 
