One Great Way to Get a Free Room Makeover in Northern Virginia
September 4th, 2008 Categories: Blog Watch
One of our favorite weekly features in the Washington Post is “House Calls”. The Post invites Northern Virginia residents (well, really anyone in the greater metropolitan area) to submit photos, room dimensions, and information about a particularly challenging room.
In return, the Post recruits a local designer to do a free virtual room makeover for one lucky homeowner. The results are published every Thursday in the Home section of the Post.
The designers change every week but the idea is the same. The homeowners describe what they want to accomplish and the challenges they have encountered. They can even declare certain pieces of furniture, wall colors, carpeting that they need or want to keep.
Then the designer gets to work. Suggestions include paint colors, furniture, lighting, accessories, draperies and, what I think is most interesting – furniture placement. It’s amazing how just rearranging furniture can completely re-energize a room. The proof is in the before and after pictures.
One thing I really like is that prices and sources are listed for everything and most of the products are available in local retail stores or on line. Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, and Ikea are notable favorites. This makeover is not about breaking the bank!
You may not always like the suggestions or agree with the color choices but just seeing what could be done is an inspiration. It’s also a great way to get a tiny glimpse at new construction designs or room sizes in older homes.
Take a peek at today’s makeover room and maybe you’ll be inspired to submit your own problem space. This week’s designer is Elizabeth Krial of Elizabeth Krial Design in Reston and the homeowner is Debra Long in Haymarket, VA.
Hope you enjoy this as much as I do,
Virginia
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