Melanie is an interior design gangster..currently on a journey redesigning every room in her house in sunny San Diego. Her design adventure is about taking risks and moving outside her comfort zone as well as welcoming new challenges. Being a busy mom to three young girls and with a previous career in Interior Design, it’s also about letting go of her doubts and taking time to foster her passions.The first project in her design journey was transforming her daughter Brooke’s nursery to a toddler’s room and we were of course delighted to be able to share it with you.
HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE THE LOOK AND FEEL OF YOUR DAUGHTER’S ROOM?
I would describe the look and feel of the room as modern bohemian. I think the room has a strong Parisian feel as well, which is sweet! And I love the vibe the vintage furniture bring to the space. When designing children’s spaces I usually use furniture and decor that are timeless. Then add fun whimsical items like books, a stuffed animal, or other toys in a cool woven basket. This way you still get a really cool space that doesn’t overly feel like a normal children’s room.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR PAST EXPERIENCE WORKING IN INTERIORS AND HOW THIS HELPED DESIGNING THE ROOM?
After receiving my Bachelor Degree in Interior Design at the Design Institute of San Diego, I was hired by a nationwide developer where I worked as an in house Interior Designer. I have five years of experience in multi-family redevelopment and apartment model staging. My job was amazing! I was the lead designer for the redevelopment team. Our company would buy an old outdated apartment buildings, and we would completely transform the exterior and interior to increase the value of the space. My expertise are in selecting: exterior colors, interior paint and wall finishes, flooring, lighting, cabinetry and countertops, furniture and accessories, purchasing, and apartment model design and staging. My career in Interior Design has prepared me in so many ways to tackling my own home renovation. We always ordered custom drapery for our redevelopment projects. So now when I am designing my own home I love having drapery custom made. I have learned from my career that in every design job there are always issues or situations that need to be resolved. It is important to remember there are ALWAYS creative ways to come up with alternative solutions. I think my career in Interior Design has helped me to stay calm and get creative when there are struggles I have faced during my current home rennovation. It is a learning process for each project, and each project makes me a stronger designer!
HOW DOES THIS ROOM FIT IN WITH THE REST OF THE HOUSE?
This Toddler Room Reinvented is one of the first rooms in my home renovation journey. I feel that this room is a true reflection of my personal style, and really highlights the style I am trying to achieve throughout my home. Currently I’m crushing on vintage inspired colorful rugs, bright pattern or plain white drapery, kilim/aztec style pillows, shiplap, earthy orange colors, white walls, and cactus anything! You will find all my favorite things throughout the design of my home.
WHAT WAS THE FIST ELEMENT YOU BOUGHT FOR THE ROOM AND DID IT INFLUENCE THE REST OF YOUR PURCHASES?
The first element I got for this room was the drapery. When we first moved into our house six years ago I had drapery custom made for this room, which was always used as a nursery/toddler room. Still to this day, six years later, I still absolutely LOVE the drapery. I used this existing drapery as my design base. That meant all the elements I pulled for the design would have to vibe with the drapery. I also had an existing vintage rocking chair and a vintage chest of drawers that remained as well. The first thing I did was change the paint from a gray to white! WOW what a HUGE impact. I can’t stress enough the power of paint! The drapery really came alive with the contrast of the white. The only purchases that were made for the room were the light fixture and the bed. I had planned to keep the existing white shag rug, but It just did not work. When you are designing a room there is a process, and as much as you can plan and prepare, when you actually get in the space things sometimes take a different turn. If you allow the creative process to ebb and flow and you keep working the room until you find that STOKE – that magical moment where it just comes together! For me, that moment was when I pulled in the aqua vintage inspired rug from another room. It was the rug that pulled everything together, and I had that magic design stoke!
HOW DO YOU THINK THE ROOM WILL EVOLVE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS?
This room has a special place in my heart and I will always cherish the memories I had designing this space. I will always associate this design with the transition of my Brooke from baby to toddler. Although this room was such a huge design success for me and I will be sad to see it go….we are moving Brooke into a shared room with her older sister. This is my current project I am working on, and it is going to be such a special room for the little girls to share and grow into. I am calling the new room “The Cactus Room”.
Copyright : Rave Interior Design
SOURCE LIST
Rug : Rugs USA I Drapery fabric : Robert Allen I bed : Minnen by Ikea I Buffalo print : Goldie and Fawn Co I Bamboo ceiling light : Sinnerlig by Ikea I Pouf : World Market I Mustard brown round cushion : Target I Geometric turquoise cushion: Target I Creamy white macrame wall hanging : Target I Bedding : Pottery Barn I Dresser : vintage I Rocker : vintage I Bunny hooks : Home Goods
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