HOME SWEET HOME

Well, it's finally time. I am finally letting you into my own home in hopes that everyone will want my unique style sense and will flock to Christa Pirl Interiors in droves. Well, maybe one or two of you?

Designing one's own place is always a challenge. Many would think it would be completely liberating for a designer...to have complete control....to create a space that embodies your every design philosophy. Well, in fact that is pretty damn intimidating and daunting. No matter how much we complain about our client's restrictions, restrictions can be quite helpful.

There are so many things I love, so many colors, periods, styles...it's SO hard to pick something that will be your calling card as a designer. Your own home is your signature, it is to be your ideal. Just a little pressure. Just a little.

Anyway, despite the budget constraints, I feel pretty good about my first fully designed home which will hopefully be the first in a long line of fabulous homes. Hopefully including ones in New York, London, Paris, Hawaii...

So for the full effect, here is the before:

A pretty typical and dull condo. At least there is molding in the living areas and decent baseboards. That is a big plus. However, everything - moldings, baseboards, window frames, ceiling, and all walls - are all painted a lovely beige. The beige that seems to exist pretty much everywhere in Utah. Well. That was just not going to do. Not at all. So I painted.

Left = old, Right = new.  While it might not look like much here, it is a whole lot. Revere Pewter, I LOVE YOU!

The dark brown corporate carpet also needed to go...at least in the living and dining areas. So I installed wood flooring. Sigh. Much better.

The bedroom was also painted...new drapes on all the windows...and new furniture throughout. That is the GREAT luxury of moving so much for so long; you have nothing worth keeping when you are finally settled. Temporarily settled. The below photos, as noted last week, were taken by the highly talented Michael Tallman http://michael-tallman.com/. The Living Room:

 

 

THE (in my opinion) sofa to die for:

 

The sofa before (little bit of an improvement, don't you think?):

     

The cocktail center:

         

The bar counter where we drink the cocktails:

The bedroom:

 

And yes, of course my desk is always this clean...

   

The bathroom eye candy...artwork picked up on the Trans Siberian in Moscow and Beijing:

The dining room:

And just for another comparison, here is the sales show apartment for the condo development...

 

Certainly pleasant, but, well, just a bit dull.  At least I hope most of you find my renovation more appealing!

I, of course, would love any comments or thoughts...preferably kind ones...but I will take them all! And I will go into more detail about sources and, of course since it's me, the history of all the antiques in separate blogs in the near future...so stay tuned!

TO ANY VISITORS FROM ISLY...THANKS SO MUCH FOR COMING!  PLEASE VISIT EVERY THURSDAY FOR MORE INSIGHTS INTO THIS AND OTHER DESIGN PROJECTS!