StyleMutt Home 2019 Designs: Which One is Your Fave?!

We are only 12 days into 2020 but I feel like I’ve taken a big bite out of it already! It’s exciting being knee deep in new projects this early in the year, but before we venture any further I wanted to share some of 2019s most dramatic transformations! Each of these client homes represent the type of work that just makes my heart soar. And the worse our starting point, the better! So I thought it would be interesting to see which transformation you enjoyed the most. No wrong answers here! We’re not pitting home-against-home, but rather which Before & After gives you the strongest reaction.

Before

Frederick: Master Bedroom

I gotta say, starting with gold walls makes me look really good when all is said and done. Paint is just an amazing tool, isn’t it!

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Before

Brooklyn Debut: Foyer

Not bad but kind of sad.

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Before

Brooklyn Debut: Living & Dining

“Very nice, very nice. We change it all!”

-Martin Short, Father of the Bride

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Before

Brooklyn Debut: Master Bedroom

Nice blank slate! This bed by Floyd sure was a fun discovery. Very cool company and we used several more of their pieces throughout.

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Before

Brooklyn Debut: Office

A 6’x10’ pass-through between the bedroom and the rest of the home - a perfect spot for a home office.

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Before

Brooklyn Encore: Master Bedroom

My favorite thing is to come in after a client has given it their best shot, because you can take your cues from what they’ve done! While this client no longer loved the lime green accent wall, I love that she thought of adding an accent wall in the first place! That speaks to her vibrant personality.So we just improved on that concept with a more sophisticated, (and subtle), wallpaper. (‘After’ photos courtesy of awesome client)

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Before

Alexandria: Living Room

Ah yes. The reluctant unpacker. This is not the first time to be brought on a job so fresh from a move that much of what could tell me about the client’s style is hidden away in boxes. But if there’s one thing that speaks to someones style, it’s their rug choice. And this was surely a rug to build a room around.

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Oops…no before picture

Frederick: Family Room

Not actually a big transformation because the client already had the sofa, coffee table, rug and lamp. Practically there, right?! We asked the client to paint the room and had them rearrange for a more functional and comfortable flow, added the coolest rust velvet chair ever, and styled with pillows, plants and such. This was more about waking the space up than completely transforming it.

So, any gut reactions here? Which transformation caught your eye the most in 2019? Digging these photos up to put this post together really just made my heart so full and grateful for what a gift each of these jobs was. I never know if I’ll be able to, (or want to), get final photos of a project when we first begin. I actually have the opportunity to take pictures of less than a quarter of the projects I work on, so it’s truly a unique gift for me to be able to see these projects in person, to share them with you, and to grow my portfolio. Because for every one of these projects I shared with you today, I was likely working on two or three others at the same time that will never see the light of day.

Thank you all so much for coming by today!

New Decade, New Dreams!

But one day at a time! I feel like I’ve lived two drastically different lives in this past decade! At the beginning I was a young first-time Mom with twins and one on the way and I dreamed of making more out of my days at home raising wildlings, (nod to the show of the decade). And the second half as a self-taught interior designer learning how to navigate life with a growing business and three unique kids at their own critical stage that I want to be every bit as present and available for. I had no idea what God had up his sleeve in 2010 and there is something so thrilling when I think about what He’s cooking up now. Not because the last 10 years have been without deep, personal, and intense challenge, but because God moved and lead me towards things I never, ever would have thought to try for. It’s a vulnerable place to put so much effort into something you aren’t sure will pan out or not! But I’m getting more and more comfortable each year with setting goals and having personal aspirations, because I know from the experience of these last 10 years that the Lord will carve the path ahead. I don’t have to worry about what will be or not be; I just want to commit and give my absolute best in whichever doors He opens.

One of the things I’ve found to be true in this season with school-age kiddos is that when they’re home, I really need to be ‘on’. This is one door that God has swung wide open in front of me and made clear I’m needed. The twins are in 4th grade, and Mason is in 3rd. Between the three of them there is always someone that needs help with homework, help studying, a little push of motivation, guidance towards responsibility, a ride to an activity, etc. It’s just the stage we are in and like it’s always been with multiples, each stage is intense because we are in it times three. So when the holidays were approaching and I was hanging by a thread, I told Matt that I thought I’d need to re-calibrate my schedule a bit in the new year in order to manage the various balls in the air, (this is probably a good time to mention the new puppy we brought home last week)!. One very intentional decision has been to be more selective in the jobs I work. Over the last few years as my skills have grown, so have the opportunities for work. And while I’m very proud of that, I’ve done a great deal of jobs that have been discouraging and creatively limiting, (like the combination office/playroom/laundry/workout room with the stationary bike I had to find a place for). Looking ahead, I have a better sense of what type of business I want StyleMutt Home Design to be and what type of work I would like to spend time on.

On that note, I have some long term dreams for SMH that I’ll get into later, but in the immediate future there are three mega-fun jobs that I think you guys will be excited to hear about and follow:

1. My first new-build! I’ve been in kahoots with THE sweetest family, the Masons, and they are building their forever home practically right down the road! I’ve never been so involved in building a house before so it’s been quite a fun learning experience and one that I am already loving! Their style is contemporary, which is also new territory for me, but since they want this to be a family home to grow into and, eventually, host all their kids’ friends, I am helping them find that warm and relaxed balance where modern contemporary meets family home. So far our direction feels so very Scandinavian which is just ridiculously fun!

2. If you’ve been following this blog over the last 3 years you are likely familiar with Dani Barbe’s home, (here and here). Well, our dear friend and her family are getting ready to move on for a more convenient location to her husband’s work. We were delighted when she reached out and asked if we would help with their next home and her jewelry studio! Absolutely thrilled to work alongside this creative to design a home that feels personal and unique to this special family!

3. My first commercial space! Our church is completely ravamping its cavernous lobby with unfinished ceilings and loads of natural light! I started the design back in October and it was finalized in November, (it was a fast process!). Items have already been ordered and plans for some of the DIY projects within the space are underway! I will keep you guys posted on the progress as I am able, but this is going to be one amazing transformation that we pray will be a warm and inviting atmosphere to the community. Here are some before and afters followed by the design plan!

Ignore the giant red slashes, I used these shots to indicate to our contractor the exact walls we want to have painted. Also, I happened to come and take pictures of the space on the designated day of the week they organize a giant food collection for the community. Did you know grocery stores, restaurants and even Starbucks donate all their unused food at the end of the week to give away to those in need?

As you can see it’s a GIANT space to work with.The main focus here is to create cohesion and to use design elements that are the appropriate scale to the space. Here’s the plan we are working towards right this very moment:

One thing I noticed is how low and squatty our windows are. There is 9 feet of ceiling above the windows! So to create some subtle visual interest, we’ll be incorporating a trim treatment of simple boxes along the upper portion of the walls. Again, the emphasis is on subtle, this trick will bring a finishing touch to the space as a whole. We’ll have a cozy seating area right by the doors, and then further in - and this may be my favorite part - a camel leather booth that is 25ft long, paired with white metal cafe tables and natural wood chairs. I cannot get over this combo! Durability and versatility were two of the most important factors when discussing this space with the team, so I sourced all our dining furniture from restaurant furniture sources. The booth is on it’s way right now and I am just itchin’ to see it!

There is a much bigger plan for this kitchen space down the road, so I didn’t want to make any updates that were too costly or time consuming for the time being. I decided to add a graphic allover pattern using a stencil to the kitchen peninsula, pendant lights to create a cozier, more intimate space, and a large scale letterboard where we can incorporate encouraging messages. To the left of the picture I’d like to paint all doors a saturated beige, and update the coffee station with a vintage mid-century piece.

There is a very talented local muralist who has offered to lend her amazing skills to this space, and I thought what better place to incorporate her vision of a large scale botanical wall than the entrance to the youth wing. There’s something so wild and fitting about this idea, I absolutely can’t wait to see it in real life!

We have this one giant wall that we wanted to do something with that wasn’t too loud or busy - the most perfect opportunity for a planked wall I ever did see! Did I mention these are 16ft walls?! We also needed an obvious, but simple, information center, so I’ve added my favorite go-to Ikea IVAR cabinets because they’re easy to mount, easy to paint, and are only 11” deep. Simple, functional, and only $70/set.

So that’s the plan for this very unique project! I’ll be sharing updates here as things happen so please stay in touch if you’re interested in following! My heart already feels so full to look ahead at the projects lined up for this year. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this work is a privilege to get to do.

Thank you for stopping by!

Blue + Leather Dresser || Why Shop Small

A few months ago I got a handwritten note when I ordered a broom off amazon. It totally shocked when it fell out of the box like a Willy Wonka golden ticket. It read “Thank you for purchasing from a small business on Amazon. Your order means more to us than you know.” I was so struck by the thought that I kept the note.

As a fellow small business owner, I could relate. I mean, I know that every time someone buys one of my pieces, I let a little piece of myself go home with them. I try really hard not to come across as a weird helicopter mother when I help them load up and try to casually ask for a photo of it in its “new home.” I scribble my cell phone down for customers “if they have any problems” or want to know how to best tuck him in at night. I fret over how he’s holding up - is he making new friends? Are they feeding him well? Did they put him in a forgotten corner of the house or is he on display for all to see?

See, it’s more than just a hobby for us. When you buy from a small business, you buy something that’s been labored over. And loved. And it means more to us than you know.

You are feeding our families and clothing our kids. You are taking a discarded piece of furniture out of the landfill instead of adding styrofoam remnants from that assemble-yourself-box-store number you have to allen-wrench into being. And like Chelsea touched on in her recent post, that note got me thinking of new ways to incorporate other small businesses into what we do as fellow makers.

Whether we mean to or not, each of our products affects an intricate assortment of people. I purchased this vintage dresser from Geenae and her husband who were making room for a nursery. The dresser used to be his grandmothers, but with twins on the way, they needed the space. I was scheduled to pick up two of their dressers (the other became this white and wood number) when baby’s cold made me change plans last minute. Geenae was gracious enough to reschedule our meet for the following week so that I could focus on caring for Huntleigh but still nab some project pieces.

After conducting several repairs on Grandma’s dresser, I painted the body in “Deep Breath” by Behr Paint - a color I used for a custom build for clients Lauren and her husband this time two years ago.

This color has that inky quality I like so much in my darker pieces but it has vibrant teal undertones.

To finish it off right, I needed the perfect hardware. Instead of sourcing new pulls via an online dealer like I usually do, I decided to shop small.

I left the unique “bowling pin” peg legs in their original wood so I wanted pulls that would play off the brown tone. I found Julie and Brian selling these leather pulls in their Etsy shop YesterdaysNovember and thought they were perfect paired with their brass capped screws.

I also found Sarah from ModernMakerStamps (also an Etsy shop) who made my custom SMH logo rubber stamp so I can literally leave my mark on each piece I send into the world.

I even borrowed a few baby gifts that were also small business purchases from Huntleigh’s room for this shoot. The yellow letter board was shipped by Lyubomir and Yana in Canada and that gold mobile (given to us by my other beloved sis-in-law Casey), handmade by Eleonora in Croatia - both Etsy sellers, both small businesses.

In light of Small Business Saturday, Chelsea and I have both been thinking about how much your purchases mean to those of us who side-hustle for our families. If you’re also interested in supporting small businesses, Chelsea curated some superb mom and pop gift ideas this holiday that will not only say Merry Christmas to your gift recipient but to the small businesses you buy from.

We are so grateful to get to do the things we love but also to intersect with so many relationships along the way. As a small business, many of our customer interactions have turned into pleasant conversations or even the occasional “small world” moment. Chelsea and I create as an expression of worship and as an outlet for our insatiable imaginations - but it’s a sweeter joy to have these opportunities to meet you. I look forward to meeting whomever purchases Grandma’s re-loved 9-drawer. And to all our past customers and clients out there: thank you for shopping small!

Blue + Leather Dresser
Now Available for Sale
60”L x 18”D x 31”H
$745

If you are interested in this piece or a custom order like it, email me at cate@stylemutthome.com