This family room has great features…the brick fireplace, the built-in shelves, and the windows. The homeowners had placed the furniture around the perimeter of the room thinking it was the only way to fit the sofa and loveseat plus the two upholstered chairs into the room. There was no focus to the room. We were required to keep those pieces in the room for the redesign. How were we going to be able to accomplish this and keep the traffic flow away from the conversation area? We moved the sofa and loveseat away from the walls closer in to the fireplace creating a wonderful more intimate conversation space. All four family members can now sit in these furniture pieces and play a board game on the coffee table or sit and enjoy the fireplace, while others can sit in the chairs and read or join in. The wonderful artwork got new homes to play up their importance to the room. And so did many of their books. The bookshelves were rearranged too. Now the hardback books stand out and become more important, as they truly are!
What the client had to say... "Wow, this is really cool. We had tried to figure out how else the furniture could be arranged in the room so that we could all use it at the same time and be comfortable. This is great, thank you so much!"      Bruce P.T., Sudbury
This room is 'L' shaped with a fireplace along the same wall as the kitchen cabinets.  There is a door leading to the side porch in between them and french doors leading outside to the back deck, a doorway into another room on the back wall and the opening hallway to the foyer.  The customer asked us to help them by making this space more useful for their daily living.  They could not figure out how the furniture should be arranged properly to allow for enough space for dining and a cozy sitting area.  The challenge here incorporates the doorways into the room to be able to move around it easier.  This was accomplished by flipping the furniture arrangement, making the room appear much more open.  Its now simpler to walk around the room!  And a cozy sitting area around the fireplace is just what the doctor ordered!  By using every piece of furniture that was in the room before we were able to accomplish what they asked of us.  Its now a great place for entertaining and yet warm and cozy for a night sitting around the fireplace.
What the client had to say... 'I was anticipating this all day long and was a little scared as to how it would turn out.  Its really great!  You accomplished what we asked for and the room seems so much bigger and cozier at the same time!  I really like how you arranged the artwork on the walls spotlighting pieces that are meaningful to us.'      Laure, Wynnewood
The tv armoire was recently moved into the room from the living/dining area.  This room is to be used by the homeowners mainly for  tv watching.   They asked us to use the chaise that was previously in the room but taken out of the room for a party.  They also needed  a much more productive area for computer use.  We accomplished this by moving the sofa down the wall a little bit, in perfect view of the tv.   We were able to add the chaise in,on an angle against the far wall to make a cozy sitting area for reading and watching the tv.  The wall across from the chaise is now used for a small table-desk to house the laptop computer and light storage.   By adding in some additional accessories we found in other rooms pulls the room together and the room is now complete!
What the client had to say... ' This room just feels right now.  I really like how you accessorized the room!  I'm glad you were able to fit the chaise back into the room now with the addition of the large armoire. '  Laure, Wynnewood
This long, narrow lackluster living room was in need of a keen eye to make it a comfortable, cozy, place for the family to converse and entertain. The furniture was placed around the perimeter of the room with no focal point. As you sat in the room, it felt uncomfortable. The customer gave us carte blanche to do what needed to be done to make the room a comfortable space using what they have and adding some accessories and area rug. That was accomplished by placing the sofas on angles facing each other to create a warm conversation area. Adding the circular rug pulls the conversation area together. Now every seat has a wonderful view; looking out the window, at the antique cabinet with the cherished pieces displayed, or on the focal wall which is now two large art pieces, that are favorites of the customer, relocated from the dining room, to sit across from the sofas so they can be easily admired. The new furniture placement allows conversation to flow effortlessly. With the completed redesign, the room appears warmer, cozier and is very inviting.
What the client had to say... " I told myself I wouldn't cry!! I was a little scared today because I didn't know how it would turn out but we were so excited when you called to say it was finished and to come home to see the new room.  It is just so fantastic what you have done!  You have changed this room into something that we can be so proud of.  You really have a gift!  We love it all and cannot wait to come home after a days' work to sit in our new room with a glass of wine and relax!  - Maureen W., Huntingdon Valley
What an architecturally beautiful living room! The customer had purchased a sectional realizing it was not right for the room. They tried moving to different locations but could not come up with one that worked. We were asked to use most of the furniture that was in the room and add antique seating pieces that were given to them by their grandmother. In the before photos you can see it was difficult to walk around the room. In the after photos, notice the sectional did not get moved very far. All of the other pieces were strategically moved to make better use of the space and with the ability to easily add the antique chairs and settee! The room flows very nicely with the new arrangement and conversation can still be maintained. The fireplace remained as the focal point of the room, it is now more special as the clutter was removed from the mantel and placing the two meaningful art pieces there. An arrangement of family photos gets a makeover on the large window sill.
What the client had to say... " Wow, this is amazing how you did not move the sectional very far but enough that it made such a difference to the room! I am so pleased you were able to bring my grandmother's furniture in here. It means a lot to us. I can't believe how much more open the room appears! - Noreen P., Wayne
The living area in this older home has beautiful architectural features including the crown molding, fireplace and the set in windows.  Please notice these details in the before and after photos and how much more they "pop" with the new paint color.  The homeowner asked us to try to redesign the room so there was enough seating for their family to comfortably watch tv and arrange a separate conversation area. We were able to split the room into two separate uses!  We arranged the furniture pieces so the large sofa and chair faces a wall where a future entertainment armoire will house the tv.   The other, more intimate conversation area is now redesigned around the fireplace.   We were asked not to hang anything on the walls during the redesign as they were recently painted.
What the client had to say... " I cannot believe how different this room looks.  You turned it into two separate seating areas, which we were trying to do for a long time but just didn't know how.  Now there is a tv viewing area and a separate conversation area in front of the fireplace!  It really looks great!"  Sara H., Bryn Mawr
This is an adorable little girls room.  Her mom asked us to help  make sense of the many pieces of furniture in the room.  That's exactly what we did!   Also, if you take notice we took the hand painted mural into consideration as we redesigned the room. We used the 'bridge' as the focal point for the headboard of the bed.  It was off center before.
What the client had to say... "Wow, just by moving those few pieces around in the room, it now makes sense, and makes such a HUGE difference!  The room is much more livable for her.  Now she can view her clock easily." Karen M., Ambler
This living room was beautiful before, but by rearranging the furniture around the fireplace you automatically feel more comfortable. Now you can converse without having the traffic flow through the furniture arrangement.  We moved a demi-lune chest from the library, placed it on the window wall in this room topping it with an urn we found in the foyer.  It immediately became an important piece in the room.  The customer loved that we did that.
What the client had to say... In the reveal she said " oh my gosh, I absolutely love it!  I love the way it feels!  This room felt so stark before, but now I can't wait to bring a book and cozy up on the sofa!"  Lynn M., Sudbury
This very small room is in a city row home.   The homeowner wanted to utilize the room as a sitting area.  We found two small scale chairs upstairs, relocated them here, took the massive bookcase apart, added some accessory pieces and the room becomes a great reading/ sitting space.   We suggested the addition of a torchiere lamp with a downlight that can be used for general lighting and reading light.

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Services offered:

Consultation:

This is a great way to make that first move toward a cohesive and inviting space!  This meeting consists of asking you lots of questions to find out how you USE the space and discussing important aspects of the room such as what the function is, what pieces can stay and go, etc.  And we need to find out a little bit about you because the end result of the redesign reflects your style and the way you live in this space.  We will discuss the redesign process and give you an idea of how long the redesign will take so you will feel well informed.  Generally, the homeowner is away during the day of the redesign.  There are a few reasons for this; we work faster and more efficiently and the element of surprise at the "reveal" to the homeowner can be astounding!  Of course, we guarantee you will love it!
 

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Interior Redesign:

Redesign uses what you already own to create a dramatic change to your room presenting you with a warm, functional and comfortable space.  The result will be a room where you actually want to spend your time!  Your furniture and furnishings have found the perfect spot!  An initial consultation is required so Design ‘n Style can discover what your requirements are for the space.   If necessary, we will supply you with a listing of additional items to complete the room.  OR we can bring some of these items, chosen especially for your room, and use them in the redesign to show how they can be properly placed.  No obligation to purchase.  The redesign of one room usually takes 3-4 hours

Interior Redesign As seen on HGTV

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Move-in Design:

After moving into a new home or office, Design ‘n Style can arrange your current furniture and accessories to compliment your new environment.  A shopping list for suggested additional items may be included.   You can start to enjoy your new space in comfort and style much quicker!

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Color Consultation:

Color can inspire, energize and soothe….change a rooms’ color from warm to cool and see how the mood of the room changes.   Design ‘n Style has been working with color and texture for over a decade.  We can come to your home or office and talk with you about the colors that will work for you to compliment your possessions and style.

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Seasonal Decorating:

Change a room to reflect the changes on the calendar!  We love to transition a room’s décor into every season’s personality.  Or, if there is a special event coming up you may want to modify a room to give it seasonal charm.  Call Design ‘n Style; there are numerous ways we can create a new and fresh look to enhance your home for the changes of the seasons.

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In the News:

A NEW TAKE Making kids a space of their own
By Katherine Ritz
Excerpted from the July 2005 article

When Lower Merion, Pa., mom Christy McCarthy and her husband adopted their second child, the room that once was a nursery... Click her to read the complete story...

Horsham Woman Launches New Interior Design Business
By Jeff Ertz - The Reporter Online

Two months after Shelley Boe left the corporate world, she launched her own interior redesign business from her home office in Horsham.  Click her to read the complete story...

ARTICLE BY KATHEEN FIFIELD  * Philadelphia Magazine * October 2004 
Make the most of what surrounds you
Redesigners use what you already have to make your spaces work
Click here to read this article...