Current Project - SOHO Condo Decorating Job

We don't often post about our current jobs but this one has really 'caught our eye'. This was an interesting project and a bit of a challenge because we were hired to purchase furniture for one home but we had to use that same furniture to stage another - both properties are owned by the same client but they are selling one and moving into the other. 

The clients (a couple) both like an industrial style - she also likes a touch of retro and vintage and he likes some 'cabin' or country elements.  At first we weren't sure how to pull this off.  The challenge of buying furniture for one home and using it in a condo (seen here) and then the blending of tastes and styles.

So we started with the main furniture pieces - the sofa, the chair(s) and the bed frame.  We were also very realistic with the clients - not all of your pieces for the house will fit in the condo so find a bit of temporary storage! Once the major furniture pieces arrived and put into place, we then started to work with the rugs and then smaller furniture like the coffee table, and end tables.  We had some accessories including pillows and some art to start styling with but we often place our big pieces and then make a shopping list.  Once you see furniture in a space you can then see what's needed and you can see what the problems are!  We quickly realized that light was necessary so we had lamps at the top of our list.  We also wanted a way to add some femininity - we had a lot of dark colours and hard surfaces (wood end tables, metal coffee table and leather head board).  Accessories really help add personality and another dimension in a space plus they can really change up the look of a room.  Art is always the last thing we install.  We have pieces in mind but hang it up last.




The clients don't like a lot of bright colours, so to add visual interest in this room we played with contrasting textures. We have a mix of wood, glass, leather, cow hide, flannel, wool and layers of linen and cotton. To add femininity to this room we used a white duvet with pin tuck detail, layered lots of plush pillows and these lamps with glass and curves add a feminine touch, too!


 
This corner of the living room has a different energy than the bedroom - which is what we wanted.  Again, the clients didn't want bright colour but the muted mustard tone adds just enough.  We also used lots of texture like leather (chair), chenille (rug), metal (cabinet and coffee table) and faux sheep skin (on the chair).  When you style a property you need to layer and a lot of getting it right is trial-and-error.  Working with odd numbers is best - look at the top of the cabinet we have 3 items in varying heights - a lamp (tall), art (medium) and a decorating plane (short).  We also added an over sized art piece on the wall and a smaller one above the chair.  The clients have a relaxed style and a great sense of humor so we added in some quirky and fun pieces like the 'hipster' bunny art and the pig.

The image below is the other side of the living room.  Again we used some muted colour - greys, mustard and a grey-blue.  We also found a really cool art piece to hang on the small amount of wall space.

When it comes to home decor have some fun and don't be afraid to try some thing new - maybe a rug on an angle will add a new look to the space, try styling the coffee table a bit differently, layer your art or hang something unexpected.  We had a lot of fun decorating and styling this condo. We found some great items at local stores and we didn't have to spend a fortune.