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Real Design for Real Life
Blog Authors
  • Stephanie Andrews, chief designer and owner, has been working in the field for 9 years and believes that good design can fit with your lifestyle and doesn’t have to break your budget, especially when you creatively use what you already have.

    View Stephanie's Posts
  • Irene Foran, mother of 2, is an associate designer with Balance Design. She finds inspiration in nature and brings its balance and organization to her design.

    View Irene's posts
  • Sarah Carpenter, design coordinator, takes great delight in bringing order to your home and life by organizing your closets, bookshelves or workspaces.

    View Sarah's Posts
  • John Hunt, Associate Designer, is a long-standing merchandising and design professional. He prides himself on a strong sense of style and the ability to make a cohesive statement out of the unexpected.

    View John's Posts
  • Candler Park reDesign by Sarah Carpenter
    Candler Park reDesign
     
    Recently, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work on another exciting project: reDesigning a living room and office for a family residing in beautiful Candler Park. What i find most exciting about the reDesign process is that a room (sometimes rooms) can be completely transformed in JUST ONE DAY!  This usually requires a little teamwork to rearrange the homeowners existing furniture, decor, and artwork in new ways that help bring out the very best the space has to offer. 
     
     When we initially met with the homeowners and walked through their existing layout, we payed close attention to which pieces they could do without and which ones they felt best represented their taste. Then several days prior to the actual redesign, we shopped for additional items that would best compliment the already existing pieces they were most fond of. These included a red leather chair with a retro feel, a smaller black leather chair, a beautifully built antique wooden desk and bookshelves. After shopping at several different places, we came across throw pillows that tied in both red & hints of blue. Another great find was a very soft, red, woven blanket which helped to cozy up the futon & add an overall warmth to the newly arranged sitting area. By moving their bookshelves on either side of the fireplace and filling them with beautiful books and collectibles discovered throughout the home, the room suddenly felt more balanced and complete.
     
    For this particular project, one of the most dramatic changes took place before we ever set foot inside: repainting the living room from an electric yellow to a much calmer pale blue/gray. We arrived the day afterwards once the paint had dried and started by analyzing the space. We noticed that their rather large desk seemed to take up quite a bit of the living space. After some discussion, we decided that the desk could be moved to a much smaller room just off the living area that had previously been used as a spare bedroom. We then decided to also bring in some small bookshelves so that all related books & materials were neatly organized & within reaching distance. We were able to then turn the newly opened space into a smaller sitting or reading area using two club chairs which were centered by two of their front windows. Some other items purchased for our newly found sitting area were some coordinating throw pillows, a brushed bronze lamp, and an ottoman that was placed at the foot of two club chairs. An added bonus was that it offered storage for magazines or blankets. After assessing artwork hanging in the home, we found interesting places to rehang the pictures to better showcase some of their favorite pieces. Lastly, we tidied up and made sure everything was in its place for the big reveal! 
     
    This project left me with such a good feeling afterwards.  At the end of the day, I took a moment to walk through the front door and take it all in as if I were the client seeing it for the first time. I loved the finished look and was later happy to hear the clients were also very pleased with the results. Sometimes, having a fresh eye and perspective on a space helps spark new ideas that could best fit the client's lifestyle in ways they might never have thought of.  And I have to say, nothing compares to the feeling of arriving that morning to start this process and by afternoon, there's not only a whole new feel to the place but a better representation of the people that live there.
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  • Tips for Staging Your House for Sale by Irene Foran
    I used to be obsessed with watching HGTV.  I loved watching all the design shows and learning design ideas to apply in my own home.  Nowadays, most of their programming is reality-tv based, which isn't so bad but what happened to all the design shows!?  Of the reality-tv shows that they do air, the one I enjoy watching and learn from for my own profession is "Designed to Sell."  I used to think, "people need to realize that they're buying the house and not the stuff in it" and "people, you can paint! who cares if you don't like that shade of blue!"  The reality though is just that:  if you want to sell your house quickly and for top-dollar, you have to make it EASY for buyers to imagine themselves living in the house.  Here are some quick tips to stage your house for sale:
    1. This is a house for sale, not your HOME.  You have to depersonalize the house: start packing family pictures, trophies, diplomas, collectables, etc.  Imagine when you stay at a hotel- there's some pretty artwork above the bed and desk area but that's about it.
    2. De-clutter.  You want buyers to notice the house, not your stuff.  Eyes get easily distracted when there's too much "visual stimulation."  Once again, start packing and store boxes in your garage, at a friends garage, or rent a storage space.  Don't think you can just hide things in your closets either!  Buyers are going to look at the house and see how much storage there is and this involves opening cabinets and closets, etc.  You want these areas looking as de-cluttered and organized as possible.  
    3. Once you get rid of all the "visual stimulation,"  you need to CLEAN.  Clean everywhere (windows, window sills, on top of refridgerator, bathroom(s), furniture, floors, etc.).  Along with cleaning, make sure when you have an open house that the house smells clean/neutral, too.  Some people have an acute sense of smell and can get turned off by odors such as food, candles, pets, etc.
    4. Finally the true "staging" of the house takes place now:  paint walls a neutral color.  Make sure all the rooms are as brightly lit as possible.  Help rooms look their best and LARGE by using only necessary pieces of furniture.  Store extra pieces of furniture away in storage.  Place some flowers in a vase in the kitchen to help make the place feel fresh and happy.   
    You're selling a house and need to show off how roomy and comfortable it is!  Start packing personal items, clean and place furniture strategically in a room and just watch how you can sell your house quickly and for top-dollar. 


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  • Master Bedroom reDesign by John Hunt
     

     It was my first trip to the Berkley Lake area of Atlanta. It was a beautiful early spring day, a time of rebirth and renewal. And we were on a mission, an important mission. Our mission that day was to quickly transform the master suite of one of the lovely lakeside homes, luckily at the end of the lake that still has water. As we walked into the room for the first time, my cohorts and I surveyed the project at hand. What would be the fastest and most aesthetic way to dramatically change the room for the better?

    Luckily, the painters had been in the day before and done their handiwork, transforming the space with a soothing pale aqua. We had a clean slate to work with, and that is exactly what we began to do: work. We re-oriented all of the furniture, moving the bed to a more prominent wall, flanking it with nightstands and newly acquired lamps with mother-of-pearl cylinder bases. A pair of rectangular baskets to hold reading materials were placed on the shelves of the nightstands. New crisply-ironed bedding in shades to complement the walls was placed on the bed, along with a custom-made rectangular pillow of velvet and silk. A curtain rod was installed above the sliding-glass doors overlooking the lake, and four drapery panels with a banded bottom were hung with care, softening the harsh lines of the glass. A favorite family landscape print was hung above the bed. Meanwhile, a quick but thorough cleaning and reorganization of the bathroom was underway as well. But looking around the two rooms, even after these improvements, we could tell we needed more.

    And so it was time for us to go back to our animal nature, time to do a bit of hunting and gathering like our ancestors. A glass rose bowl from the kitchen was perfect holding cream roses by the bed. In the office, a wooden multi-picture wall frame was found feeling unwanted in the corner. Hung on a small wall beside the bed, it pulled in the warm tones of the bedroom furniture. Two small framed pictures appeared, one a seascape and the other a portrait. Luckily, the colors matched the tones of the print above the bed perfectly. These were hung beside the mirror above the dresser to counter it’s weight and create a more pleasing arrangement. A couple of art books, also found in the office, were placed beneath the pictures, their covers and spines matching the prints above and creating yet another layer. A clock, a couple of small statues, a few smooth polished stones, a starfish, and a miniature cream teapot completed the peaceful tableau. The only thing missing was something for height, something with another texture. Thankfully I had noticed some fresh bare-branch prunings in the yard on the way in…perfect when trimmed to the correct lengths and placed in a vase atop the highboy, giving a final touch of interest to the room.

    A thorough vacuum, a practiced dusting, a final tweak of the curtains, and our goal was completed. I only hope the end results were as pleasing to the customer as our efforts had been enjoyable. From what I hear, they were.

    　
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  • Sarah's thoughts on Anthropologie
    1st Picture:a cute recycled ostrich that peers over candles




    One of my favorite stores to duck into when roaming the mall is Anthropologie. From the second I walk through the doors, I’m captivated by the sights and smells throughout the store. Looking around, several words come to mind: authentic, romantic, vintage, chic. Their array of handmade items are no doubt exquisite but their creative displays seem to capture my attention most. Often made of recycled materials, they’re both amusing and artfully designed. Whether it’s colorful kitchenware carefully stacked on shelves of reclaimed wood or towering birds made from book pages peering over merchandise tables, customers are reminded of the beauty and fun that lie in one’s everyday surroundings if you look close enough…and that’s a beautiful thing!

    Stephanie's thoughts on Anthropologie.
    I agree with Sarah.  Anthropologie is a great example of how handmade recycled items can create a sense of magic.  The ostrich made out of pages of magazines!  How did someone think of that?  The trick is to be always open to seeing things that can be used in a new way.  Also figuring out items that make you smile.  An ostrich can definitely do that.  So can a platypus!  Keep your digital camera in your pocket to take pictures of things that crack you up or things that are beautiful or creative.
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  • Fun Elements in a Kids Room

    I love decorating kids rooms!  There are so many ways you can have fun, experiment with color, and do all the things you would have wanted as a kid.  First you must channel your inner kid!  Kids come with so many personalities, precocious, serious, funny, silly, scientific, dramatic, colorful, happy and the list goes on and on.  My kids are very different.  Jack is and always has been a serious little guy with a very outgoing yet logical personality.  My daughter however, is dramatic, artistic and has a sense of style to rival a character on Project Runway.
    Start with the color:  Color is so much fun in a kids room!  Stripes are a favorite of mine.  I like to to do stripes at kids eye level, usually involving 3 different colors.  The room above has green walls, a light pink ceiling and 2 bold orange and fuscia stripes to separate the colors.  This way I could bring the ceiling color down on the walls.  Try to paint the kids rooms with zero VOC paint colors.  I prefer Harmony Paint by Sherwin Williams, very lovely colors and quite affordable. 
    Then add the bones: Buy furniture that is not too childlike, or else they may grow out of it too fast.  I tend to like the clean, modern lines of Room and Board Kids or Ikea.  I can see the furniture in the above room going from house to house and because it is from Room and Board, it may make it all the way to college.  Figure out great ways to store kids stuff.  I prefer cubbie storage from Ikea and then add baskets and containers to keep it organized.  The room above has a great system in the closet to keep all of her toys for her small room.
    Then the fun accessories!:  Bedding, windows, bean bags, lamps...all of these add so much personality to the room!  In the above room we were definitely working with little Kate's vibrant and precocious personality and trying to bring in nature and color.  The bedding is from Pottery Barn Kids.  The windows are a neat treatment.  We bought black out roller shades from Lowe's and my seamstress sewed trim on the bottom.  Then she created a small 4" valance to cover up the roll.  Then we used light green and pink linen for the curtains with the same trim at the seam.  The hardware is white wood to keep things light and airy.
    Have Fun and Keep it Simple!  After all, if we get stressed out with the kids rooms, what are we going to do with the living room?


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  • Balance Design Mission Statement
    Have you ever tried to write a mission statement?  It is actually harder than it may seem.  On a 10 hour road trip with the family to Pennsylvania, my husband and I worked on one.  I am actually pleased with it, and would like to roll it out for 2010 (7 years after the opening of Balance Design).
    The process was interesting to come up with a concise idea of the purpose of Balance Design.  We brainstormed all of the things we thought Balance Design strives for.  These are a few of the brainstorming ideas that I wrote in my journal while Ed drove:
    • help families live better
    • provide good design
    • budget oriented
    • local and sustainable products and services
    • sensible and comfortable
    • create beauty and order
    • loving the way you live in your home
    • creating a personal space
    • enduring design that won't look dated
    Mission Statement:  Balance Design creates personal, liveable, and enduring spaces for families to grow and thrive.  Balance Design supports quality local craftspeople and artists.  We focus on sustainable methods, products and  ultimately sustainable client budgets.

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  • Simple things I do to organize at the begining of each year.
    "Command Central" that I created under the stairs in my kitchen.
    Every year at this time I am motivated to organize, set my goals for the upcoming year, clear out the old and bring in the new.  New thoughts, new ideas, new organizing tools, ultimately, a new me.  Reinventing, rejuvenating, this time of year inspires me like nothing else.  So I thought I would share a few things that I do and perhaps you can share some inspirations that you have too.





    Here are some of the things I did and I am working on:
    • On January 1st, I write down my goals to share with a select few people that love and believe in me.  I am still working on this one, but it sure is exciting to contemplate your own potential!
    • This year, after 7 years in business, I finally made a mission statement for Balance Design (with the help of my creative hubby and a 10 hour car ride).  I will share that in my next blog entry....the suspense!
    • With the help of my unwilling kids, I went through each of their rooms and collected toys for some less fortunate friends in Nepal.  Then we organized what they have to include their new shiny stuff from Santa.  They each told me how they wanted to modify and redecorate their rooms this year.  Jack wants a loft bed and Allie "simply" wants new colors....(to be continued in another blog)
    • I put up a small Command Central in my kitchen.  This included an erasable calender for the week, a pegboard for invitations, some magnets and a shelf to hold a calender and phone numbers.  Total cost:  $35.00 and some pleading of my hubby to put it up. 
    • I am working on feeding my family in a healthy, less processed food and sweets, less meat way.  So I am trying to find some ways to meal plan, grocery shop and cook in a less time consuming way.  Any ideas would be welcomed!
    I wish you all a happy, prosperous and meaningful 2010 and I am looking forward to the journey together!
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  • Places to find local, original, great priced art!
    Have you ever noticed that interesting original art will totally make a room? Even if the furniture is a little shabby, or if you hardly have anything in the room, if you have some beautiful art, almost everything else works and the room is interesting. I have really taken to collecting art by my favorite local artists: Kevin Peskin, Su Daitch, Ian Nichols and my kids...
    I have also had some great luck lately in Atlanta, finding large, reasonably priced pieces at the following places:
    *Saavy Snoot:* 1187 Howell Mill Rd. Awesome designer consignments and fabulous art at every price range. I love this place for getting fresh, hip ideas for clients homes. I believe they know how to merchandise better than almost any other store in Atlanta-somehow they pull together the most diverse pieces and make them work! There is no shortage of great ideas and incredible art.
    *Art Space International: * 1192 Huff Rd. Tons of incredible artists all rent studio space and wall space in this giant art gallery. 22,000 square feet featuring over 30 local and world re-known artists. Again, huge price range and every kind of art from modern to classic to impressionism.
    *Kudzu Antiques: * Next to DeKalb Farmers Market. 2928 East Ponce De Leon. 25,000 square feet featuring over 100 dealers. An eclectic mix of antiques, art, and cool vintage stuff. This place always keeps me interested and hits every price range. I found a piece of folk art that was 3 ft. tall for $40! Mid century modern pieces can be bought on the cheap! I love it!
    *Young Blood Gallery:* 636 Highland Ave. An interesting collection of indy, hip art and accessories. Some of it is a little more hip than I am, but I can dream that I get it! Every price range and a great place to get holiday gifts.
    *Urban Cottage:* 998 Highland Ave. Urban Cottage features different local artists for paintings, pottery and wonderful hilarious note cards. If you have other cool places that you love-let me know and I will add to the list!
    Happy Hunting!
    Stephanie
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  • John's thoughts on the unwrapping of the decorations

    And so I find myself at the crossroads of the Holidays, just past Christmas but not quite New Year. This time of year has always been a bit difficult for me, but not completely in a bad way. I willingly and gleefully embrace my blatant love for the Holiday Season, a love ingrained by a mother, may she rest in peace, who some would say had an almost unhealthy love for Christmas. I will, however, always defend that love of the season which she gave me. Not to mention her age-old and largely Southern tradition of “if it doesn’t move, decorate it.”

    This year is a bit different, of course. Like many, I pared the decorations and presents down in this economy. Instead, I tried to concentrate more on the true meaning of the season. I put up the first real tree of my adult life, having always used an artificial tree which I could easily persuade to hold all of the lights and ornaments my over-eager hands could hang. A Frasier Fir is my partner this year, because that is the kind I had always wanted…just like the trees in the antique postcards and old-time books my mother so cherished. And the presents glittered even a bit more brightly and warmly under that tree, although there were fewer of them. This was the year of “getting the presents right,” not “getting the right presents.” And not every room got the “full treatment,” no decorated garlands on all the mirrors lit by the unsightly extension cord hanging down the wall, no four-foot wreath on the front of the house drenched in the artificial daylight of a floodlight. Just some real greenery sprinkled about with a minimum of trimmings, greenery supplied for free with a smile and a “Merry Christmas” by the gentleman at the tree lot. But the candlelight sparkled just the same, if not even sharper and more pure.

    And now I am at the point where the glitter on the floor makes me think about how many weeks it will take to actually clean up, and the crunch of the evergreen needles on the carpet makes me remember how long I have borrowed this tree from nature. It is time to release it, it is time to pack it away, it is time to finally deal with the stack of gift boxes empty of treasures but still full of the tissue my “green” self fears throwing away.

    But not quite yet.

    I still have a few days, a few days to try and remember why it is so important to me. Not the work, not the expense, not the stress, not even the gifts which I have begun to incorporate with the rest of my belongings. It is the love, the warmth, the spirit of the season which is important, regardless of WHY you celebrate it. It is that simple extra smile of a friend or loved one, or better yet of a complete stranger, even if it happens only once a year. It is that warm feeling you get when you open a greeting card from one you had not thought of in a while. As corny as it sounds, I do truly believe that Christmas IS the most wonderful time of the year, and that if every day COULD be just like Christmas, what a wonderful world this would be. We all know the songs.

    And so I will hold on to it all just a few more days, a few more days until my heart tells me it is okay to let it go, until the New Year reminds me it is time to start anew. Then I will pack it away with a smile and remember I have new memories to cherish. And I will look forward to doing it all over again.

    Always,

    John

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  • The Simple Joys of the Holidays

    The state of my brain at this moment during the holiday season:  swirling projects, presents still needed, cards without addresses, standing in line at the post office,"who am I forgetting?", "am I really taking time to blog right now?"....and the chaos could go on and on.  At this moment, I am saying "Stop the Madness!" for the 2nd time, since I forgot to save the blog the first time and need to write it again! 

    So I was thinking, while drinking my 4th cup of coffee and eating my 5th french truffle, where is the joy and balance in this state of mind?  There is neither at this moment, so I am going to re-frame my thoughts and feelings and I hope that this may be helpful or at least interesting to you too.
    At the end of this hectic season I want to be able to ask myself the following questions and be content with the answers:

    • Was I more happy than sad this season?
    • Did I give more hugs to people that I care about?
    • Did I smile more than I usually do?
    • Did I spend some quality time with each of my kids and my husband?
    • Did I give to some people that need my help?
    • Did I do my best to do what I needed to do?

    I am sure you can think of more profound questions to ask yourself.  Right now, I am going with this list to help me remember what the holiday season is all about.  I wish you sanity, strength and a smile to keep you going!
    Happy Holidays!  Stephanie

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  • what's in a brand?
    Today, I was reading a popular local magazine. I admit fully to being a magaholic. I peruse, plunder, and generally devour all sorts of magazines with nothing short of lust. Today's magazine however, left a very bad aftertaste. The writer, a woman, went on and on and on about the brand names of her favorite products.Then she proceeded to tell us what the favorite brands of Atlanta's elite are-everything from steak to pets. I believe that she may have been writing tongue in cheek, because she also explained how her love of designer brands has brought her to financial devastation and a divorce...but she still loved and adored her brands.
    So I am back up on my soap box...How can a brand name item(s) be worth such heartache? I want to take her out into Piedmont Park and let her just listen to the trees and watch the lake and just be there with her. Why does this bother me so much? Is it because I have coveted the turquoise box at Christmas from Tiffany's? Or because I somehow feel like I am missing something that this faux rich lady has found?
    I guess what I am trying to say is that Balance Design is not about this. It is about finding cool items that you can repurpose, it is about finding a treasure, it is about supporting a local artist, making your house your own and ultimately loving the house you are in, the family that you have and the person you are.
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  • organic kids rooms
    Last week I went to TerraCottage over on Howell Mill in the Westside Design District. The owner is also a talented interior designer and she carries lots of cool stuff including bedding, art and lamps. What turned me on during this visit was a clever display involving branches holding swathes of burlap over 2 twin beds. I thought this would make a creative inexpensive kids room and I wanted to share it with you. I love the bright colorful folk art and the simplicity yet innocence of it. (Hopefully those are not real antlers up on the wall, if so....yuck.)
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  • theresa from the cdc
    Today I met a new client. She was delightful. She wanted to talk about color and pulling things together in the kitchen. I thought she had a great attitude about her kitchen. She said that she hated to trash her cabinets, because they worked perfectly fine, they were simply out of date. We came up with a color scheme for her kitchen and her cabinets, for which she was going to have painted in a no VOC paint. Then she was going to replace her formica counter top with a concrete and glass counter top from DEX studios. www.dexstudios.com. This company is in Atlanta and can have lots of interesting items integrated into your countertop (grandmas china, champagne glass from a wedding etc). This countertop solution, although slightly pricey, had a great look and seemed quite eco friendly.
    I was very impressed with Theresa and her husband, not only were they intelligent, well spoken and interesting, but they were also considering all of the factors of their simple kitchen remodel.
    (2) Comments
    • Teresa said...
      cmsadmin
      11/25/2009 1:58:25 PM
      It was truly a pleasure to meet with you! Thanks for supporting our intention to redesign as "greenly" as possible. We're really excited about our plans for the kitchen!
    • John A said...
      cmsadmin
      11/25/2009 1:58:41 PM
      Where are the before and after pictures? I know this is before, but a pic of the kitchen cabinets and counter top would be nice. Then later when the work is done, an after pic could be added.

      John Andrews