Haley’s condo is finally done! I was going to break this up into 3 blog posts, but I have no patience and just want to share all of it ASAP. This is a long post, but scroll all the way through for all the before and afters!
It feels like we’ve been working on this for a really long time, but in reality, we designed, sourced, and installed a whole condo’s worth of stuff in a few short months! It was definitely a family effort, and lots of people played very important roles in making sure this all came together.
I’m so proud of Haley starting this new chapter in her life, and I’m thrilled that she has a pretty beautiful space to live in. Now I’ll cut the sappy stuff and get to the pictures!
Dining Room
Before….
After!
The dining room came together pretty easily. Haley was trying to balance buying furniture on a budget, but also wanted pieces that would last and be versatile enough to work in whatever the next space happens to be. We went with a basic, modern table from Target, but splurged a little on upholstered chairs from Schneiderman’s Furniture that will be comfy enough for long study sessions at the dining table or game nights with friends.
Although the light fixture in the room previously wasn’t the worst one I had ever seen, I wanted to have something that made more of a graphic, modern statement and provided more light since this is the only overhead light in the main common area of the condo. This one from Lowe’s was inexpensive but interesting and is the perfect size for above her table.
Because the only window in the space is the sliding glass door on the other side of the room, I thought putting some interesting mirror on the wall would be a good way to bounce some light around the space and make it feel bigger. The mirrors are from Ikea and ended up looking really high end! The rug is by nuLoom, but was purchased from Amazon and gave the room just enough color and a traditional vibe that warmed up the more modern elements.
Living Room
Before…
After!
What a difference some paint makes, huh? This is definitely my favorite before and after of this space. Before the room was very dark, very brown, and the fireplace felt like it was awkwardly cutting the condo in half instead of being part of the room.
We painted the whole main area in Agreeable Gray by Sherwin Williams which is a beautiful slightly warm gray that still looks light and fresh in natural light while lending more warmth than white.
All of my fireplace dreams came true for this space because Haley is the best stenciler in the whole world!! Seriously. She used a tile stencil from Dizzy Duck Designs UK and it only took her about 8 hours! She said it was worth it in the end for the texture and depth that the fireplace has now. My dad built the mantel, and it definitely makes that fireplace wall look more intentional.
And although everyone thought I was crazy at first, hanging the curtains (found at Kohl’s for a steal!) extra high and the full length of the wall really used the room’s height to our advantage and made the sliding glass door look pretty opulent.
Ready for another brutal before shot?
After!
Seriously. If those two pictures don’t get people to start hanging their curtains right, I don’t know what will.
Getting Haley to pull the trigger on an indigo blue couch (also from Schneiderman’s Furniture) took a little bit of coaching, but I’m so happy that she pulled the trigger on it. This sectional is so comfy, and the blue gives the perfect youthful pop of color without being some obnoxious color that she will hate in 3 years. The coffee table is also from Schneiderman’s, but Haley found it on closeout and I don’t see it listed anymore.
To get a shot of color above the couch we hung large Ribba frames from Ikea and prints from Minted – I love the movement these coordinating abstracts give without being a “set”.
There isn’t a true entryway in the condo, but I wanted to create an entry moment where you can do one last check for stuff in your teeth and grab your keys and purse – and I LOVE that this acrylic and cement look console table from Hayneedle accomplished that without adding any extra weight to the room. That round mirror is from Ikea and is SO GOOD.
Another smart decision (if I do say so myself) was mounting the TV stand and TV to the wall and leaving room below for these adorable and functional poufs from Target (that are no longer listed but I thought about starting a petition to bring them back). The white Besta unit from Ikea provides some storage without taking up too much floor real estate.
Also, shout out to my first interior design love, Nate Berkus for making that great gold wall hanging piece for Target. It worked perfectly in the space to balance out the fiddle leaf tree.
Bedroom
Before…
After!
The bedroom was probably the biggest design challenge in the condo. Haley wanted it to feel cozy, but modern, and wanted it to be girly, but not too girly, youthful, but not too young… but I think we got to a good Goldilocks place with it.
All the bedding is from Target, aside from the large euro shams that my mom custom made to pick up the fuschia in the floral pillows. She also made the Roman shade (with pom-pom trim!) for above the desk. My dad made the bed frame(!) and the headboard was purchased from Overstock. The desk is Ikea and will give Haley a great, private place to Study, and that ladder shelf was a last minute Target purchase (good find, Rachel!).
The nightstands came raw from Ikea, but I painted them in an attempt at faux inlay, and I think they turned out pretty well. Those wall sconces are also from Ikea and I really love them.
Welcome home, Haley! I hope you love your condo as much as I loved working with you on it! And thanks again to all the friends and family that spent hours making stuff, shopping, painting, building, hanging, driving and generally rolling their eyes at me – it’s possible because of you!