Pretty Olive Interiors

The Skinny on E Design

Mon, 10 Jul 2017 07:20:10 -0700

You've heard of it. Some of your friends have tried it. But what is E design really all about? Today I'm sharing the whole process from start to finish.

The first step for you as a client is to decide on a design package. Would you like your entire room done including floor plan, new furniture, paint colors, and light fixtures? If so, then The Complete Room Package is the way to go. If you're keeping your furniture, but would like to breathe new life into your room with some accessories or paint, then you'll probably want to purchase the Refresh Package. If you're not sure which one's right for you then move on to the next step and....

Schedule a call with me. That's right, you will be talking to a real live person throughout this process so let's get to know each other right away! I prefer FaceTime or Skype so we can talk face to face, and you can take me on a virtual tour of your room. Of course if you prefer, we can communicate via email or text. My calendar is under Step 1 of the How It Works tab on the home page.

During the initial call we'll talk about your needs and wants for the room, as well as your budget. I know the word budget probably strikes fear into your little heart but don't despair, I've worked with a lot and a little so don't let that hold you back!😝

Once I have the basic information I will email step-by-step instructions on how to measure your room. You will then send back the measurements along with photos of the room, and a few inspiration photos or a link to a Pinterest board with pictures of rooms you like so I can get an idea of your style.

That's it! In just a few days I'll send over a couple of concept boards that will look something like this:

You'll be able to look them over, and let me know what you like and what you don't like. I'll make the necessary changes, and once the design is agreed upon I'll complete whatever package you've chosen.

The following example...Read More

Complete Room Design

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 06:30:08 -0700

Hello! I thought I'd share another Complete Room Design today! This one was done for a repeat client. I can honestly say this has been my favorite space to design for her so far since it's going to be for the newest member of the family. She's having a baby, and I'm so excited for her!

Nurseries are among my favorite rooms to design. They're sweet and cozy, and full of all sorts of soft, comfy things. I also make sure to choose pieces that are safe and non toxic. My client also wanted to use environmentally conscious companies, so I took that into consideration while choosing her little one's rug and furniture.

She asked for a gender neutral nursery that had a botanical, nature theme. She knew she wanted an accent wall with wallpaper on top and painted board and batten on the bottom, and she had already picked out her crib.

Here's the mood board that we ended up with:

She has a large window so I gave her the option of doing a fabric or woven shade. My advice for nursery window treatments is always the same: Choose one that's cordless and blackout. Blinds.com is my go to for shades because their site makes it easy to order samples and customze your order online!

I also love that she chose a washable rug from Ruggable. I'm sure there will be lots of stains on that rug, and Ruggable makes it easy to just throw it in the washer and dryer anytime it needs to be cleaned. Washable rugs are becoming increasingly more popular (for good reason), so even sites like Rugs USA now carry them.

Once I knew exactly what products she wanted I was able to draw the floorplan for her:

I also created the shopping list with links to make it easy to purchase everything:

Finally, I created a rendering to show her how all of her choices will look in her little one's room. Normally this is a seperate add on, but I wanted to give her a gift to thank her for choosing to work with me again, and to celebrate her exciting addition:

I...Read More

Hem Curtains The No Sew Way

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 17:07:46 -0700

Hi there and welcome to another post! Today, I’m sharing how I hemmed five inches off the curtains in the bunk room of our vacation rental (more on that later!) without a sewing machine. I’ve never sewed anything in my life (well maybe a button that fell off my coat once, but I'm pretty sure it didn't go well), so being able to hem these curtains without a single stitch was absolutely necessary lol. I watched a bunch of tutorials before attempting this, then narrowed down what I thought would be the easiest way to do it.

supplies I used:

Curtains (duh)

Fabric shears

Iron on adhesive

Iron/board

Measuring tape

As a side note you can do this without even taking your curtains off the rod, but I didn’t have enough room to work that way. I did, however, measure how much I wanted to take off the bottom before removing the curtain.

First, I set up my iron/ironing board and made sure I used the right heat setting. My curtains are 100% polyester so I adjusted the heat accordingly. Next, I flipped my curtain over and laid it front side down on my ironing board. Then, I folded the bottom up five inches which is how much I wanted hemmed.

DIY Plastic Planter Upcycle

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 11:30:33 -0700

I think I've mentioned here a time or two that I'm not much of a DIYer. Not that I wouldn't love to be, I've just never been the crafty type. I am, however, somewhat thrifty, so when it came to finding a pot for my faux Fiddle Leaf Fig tree I knew I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a designer planter that would be seen by no one unless they came into my bedroom.

Hence, my newest attempt to turn something not so nice into something better lol. I had a large plastic pot that I had previously bought from Wayfair, and decided to try my hand at the the ever so popular "planter upcycle". I didn't want to spend much money on it, so I rummaged around my house and came up with some leftover paint from when we refreshed my husband's office, and some old rags. I did buy a small container of chalk paint and a cheap paintbrush, but I figure those might come in handy for future projects.

Supplies:

-Plastic planter

-Paint (I used leftover BM Soot)

-Chalk Paint (Chalked Country Paint in Roasted Cocoa)

-Baking powder (or baking soda)

-Small paint brush

-Rag

-Plastic (to contain mess)

-A wing and a prayer lol j/k

First, I poured some paint into a plastic cup so I could add the baking powder to it. I'm not sure the exact measurements, but you want the paint to be about the consistency

of paste so it'll stick to the planter.

After stirring it, I began to paint in horizontal strokes all over the planter. I didn't paint the bottom or the inside since this would be in a corner of my bedroom where not many people will see it. If it's in a more conspicuous space in your house you will probably want to paint the entire pot.

Once it was painted I left it over night to dry, and when I checked on it the next morning I was pleased with the results. It didn't look plastic anymore. The baking powder had given the paint more of a stone look which is what I was going for.

There...Read More

Design Dilemma

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 18:30:33 -0800

For the last couple of months I've been working with a client to refresh several rooms in her home. This last project was for a bedroom, and it posed a challenge. On one side of the bed is a tall narrow window, but since there isn't one on the other side the wall seemed out of balance.

To fix it I decided to add a rectangular piece of art above the left nightstand to trick the eye into seeing symmetry. I also added a piece of art above the bed to add some more visual interest and to keep the eye moving so it's not focusing on just the window.

The Solution:

Elevation

Mood board

A similar look could be achieved by adding a vase with some tall branches (like Pampas Grass) instead of the art.

With a little thought and some creativity you can solve just about any design dilemma. If you would like help with a space in your home, schedule your free call with me today!

Have you faced a design dilemma? How did you solve it? Comment below!

Design Dilemma

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 14:13:34 -0800

A recent client just rented a small (but adorable) apartment and asked me to help her decorate it. One of the spaces she really wasn't sure about was the dining nook. It is a tiny space, but since she and her husband enjoy entertaining they wanted enough seating for at least another couple to be able to join them for dinner.

It became obvious very quickly that a standard table with chairs would not fit, so to maximize the space and add as much seating as possible, I opted for a bench to go on the wall beneath the window. That allowed room for a 36" round table and two chairs on the other side; enough seating for four as long as everyone likes each other lol.

Floor plan:

Final rendering:

A small room doesn't have to cramp your style. With careful planning you can get the most out of any space, and have that dinner with friends you've been looking forward to.

After the pandemic of course.

If you would like help with space planning and decor, schedule your free call with me today!

Complete Room Design

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 07:28:20 -0700

It's been a while since I've shared a client project, but this living room design was both fun and different. It's a sunken living room which I've never worked with before, so it was a unique challenge.

The client wanted a cozy lounge area with comfortable seating that was all low to the ground. The inspo photos she sent had both a Moroccan and modern feel to them. Her wants included a reading nook, bean bag chair, and floor cushions.

She kept her modular sofa so that's where I began my design process. I started by drawing the floor plan to ensure there was ample space for her wish list. Then, it was on to the fun stuff!

Floor Plan:

Mood Boards I sent for consideration:

There's always some tweaking that needs to be done. Pieces may get switched out and moved around, but all that matters is that everyone's happy in the end!

Finished Room Rendering:

If you would like help designing a space in your home, schedule your free call with me today!

5 Ways to Feel Like You're on Vacation at Home

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 09:03:57 -0700

With the pandemic still going strong many of us are trying to stay at home as much as possible. We may have had vacations planned for this year that we've had to cancel (bye-bye Napa trip), or perhaps we were going to do something spontaneous with our time off from work. It can be down right depressing to feel like we're trapped in our homes with no end in sight.

Something that has helped my husband and me to keep our sanity is to try to make our home feel more like a getaway. Not that I've turned my living room into my favorite resort or anything (oh Ritz Carlton, how I miss you!), but little by little we've been creating spaces that we can escape to when we feel like we just need to get away. Away to anywhere.

I know not everyone owns or lives in a house. Many of you are renters and apartment dwellers. Don't worry I haven't left you out. The ideas I'm about to share can be used by just about anyone, regardless of the type of abode you call home.

1) Create a cozy retreat. Not the spot on the sofa where you work all day, but a little corner somewhere that you can use when you just need to relax. It can be in your living room, bedroom, maybe even a closet (if you have kids lol), just somewhere that helps you feel like you've actually changed your location that day.

Once you've found it, make it comfy. You could move your favorite chair there, or purchase some floor cushions from Amazon. Add a blanket, a lamp, a plant, your favorite books, anything that helps you unwind and decompress after a long day.

2) Take advantage of outdoor space. If you're fortunate to have a porch, patio, or balcony use it! I know temps are starting to cool in much of the country, but adding some warm throws can help make it...Read More

10 Media Consoles $1000 and Under

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 07:55:48 -0700

I've been searching for a media stand for one of my clients, and came across several that I absolutely love. If you've been looking for the perfect console to hang your tv above, look no further. The best part? They're all $1000 or less! Enjoy!

1)Aspen Court Herringbone 4 Door Media Credenza 2) Black Norris TV Stand 3) Tumbler Dark Brown 63-Inch Media Credenza 4) Theodore Industrial Loft Black Wood Iron Media Cabinet 5) Walnut Autry TV Stand 6) OSCURO 7) Ivy Media Console 8) Solstice Modern 3 Drawer Sideboard / Media Console 9) Roma Sideboard 10) Jamar Solid Wood...Read More

Five Ways To Get Your Patio Summer Ready During Quarantine

Thu, 07 May 2020 08:39:04 -0700

Spring is definitely here, summer's on the way, and I never thought I’d write a blog post title with the word quarantine in it! Oh well, such is life. Since we've been spending just about every waking moment at home lately (much like the rest of the world), it's nice to be able to throw open the family room sliders and expand our living space outdoors.

Weekends are now spent on the patio where we can soak up copious amounts of Vitamin D while our son splashes around in the pool. Is the weather beautiful where you are? If so, here are five tips for getting your outdoor space, “Ready for action, Ryder, sir!” Sorry, we’ve been watching way too much Paw Patrol.

Clean it. This one's pretty obvious, and the best place to start. Wash your cushions, and wipe down your furniture. Pressure wash the patio floor if possible, and get rid of any built up pollen and bug carcasses. Yuck! Once it's clean you'll most likely feel inspired to freshen up your space.

Add plants. Clean out any planters that may still be holding on to last summer's long forgotten blooms, and replace them with live ones. You may be able to find a nursery in your area that delivers if you're concerned about social distancing, or you can order them online. If you don't have space to plant flowers, try a vertical garden. Amazon sells these wall planters which makes it easy to switch out plants on a whim.

Take care of the critters. The most beautiful patio in the world isn't going to be very inviting if it's covered in mosquitoes and other pests. Citronella candles can help repel mosquitoes, but if you don't like the smell try adding some natural bug repellant. Peppermint, Lavender, and Lemon Balm...Read More