Designer here!

Hi everyone, I may regret this later (LOL) but I thought I'd offer design advice to my new friends on the boards. I actually went to school for interior design, and not one of those that you get all those spam emails for! Right now I work for a commercial design firm, doing mostly systems furntiture (yes, the dreaded cubicles.) My apologies to anyone that has to work in one of those tin cans. If it makes you feel any better, they make me work in one too. ANYWAY, just keep in mind that I can only do so much to help online. For example, when choosing a color scheme for a room, the best results come when I can actually do a site visit and get a sense of the space and the light. But I'll do my best!

Sarah

Can you get me a discount on Herman Miller for the Home

What pieces are you looking for? Residential clients are sometimes better off going with something like Design Within Reach. The classic pieces I've done for commercial clients run in the range of $10,000-$15,000 for an upholstered piece such as a Mies daybed.

[Vanquisher]

Right now I am just trying to find bedding ensembles in nice neutral tones for my master bedroom and my guest bedroom. I found one that matches perfectly for my guest bedroom.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Waverly-Keepsake-Ro ... dZViewItem

And, since we live in the South...I like this one for my master:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Lifestyles-Bermuda- ... dZViewItem

This isn't a full set though..


or this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Wind-Song-KING- ... otohosting


The problem is that I have zero...zero money to spend on any of this.

Sigh....

I give up. I can't afford $50 for a set, let alone $200 or even thousands!

[Stella]

Heidi,
Can you make your own? I made my own duvet covers and shams and bolsters in college for under $50 and it was pretty easy.

[Vanquisher]

Heidi,
Can you make your own? I made my own duvet covers and shams and bolsters in college for under $50 and it was pretty easy.

Gulp. I was afraid someone was going to say that. Yes, I suppose I could make my own, but I want to sit on my ass! Furthermore, fabric is expensive, and then I have to make a decision about which fabric, which I suck at.

I made the bedding for my daughter's room. It is very cute, if I do say so myself, but it took me FOREVER! Pout.

[Stella]

Well, I do believe that a sewing machine is best operated from a sitting position. You can get some cheap cotton or muslin for the guest bedroom and just make it fun. You can get some of that fabric for just a couple bucks a yard. You could even do multiple colors and sew stripes or something fun with it. I've always wanted to make a quilt with old t-shirts. I'll help you pick out fabric! Now get to it!

Heidi, what do you have now for bedding? Would it be possible to keep some of the things you have now and add on a few new items for the time being? Bed-in-a-bag type sets are great if they're versatile, but I don't get why ppl make such a big investment in an entire bedding ensamble that they can do nothing with in a few years. Have you priced out just the bedspread? A neutral colored spread can work with many different sheets & pillows you pick up later down the road, and you're not tied down to a specific bedding line or color scheme.

Sarah

[Vanquisher]

Heidi, what do you have now for bedding? Would it be possible to keep some of the things you have now and add on a few new items for the time being? Bed-in-a-bag type sets are great if they're versatile, but I don't get why ppl make such a big investment in an entire bedding ensamble that they can do nothing with in a few years. Have you priced out just the bedspread? A neutral colored spread can work with many different sheets & pillows you pick up later down the road, and you're not tied down to a specific bedding line or color scheme.

Sarah

Old nasty stuff that kids (including dh) have ruined with threads coming out, or worse. Not possible to keep what we have now.

I just want a cute bed ensemble with matching pillows that don't smell or have highlighter stains (thank you Dr. Chad). I like neutral so we can build on it, like you mentioned, but I really have to get the whole shebang to start out right now. In the guest bedroom, I am not as worried about being completely neutral because it will be used far less often.

[ellie]

Hi Sarah,

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Eddie-Bauer-Ros ... otohosting

I have this set for our master bedroom. I really liked it in the catalog...but somehow when it's all put together at home, it looks too floral, busy, and cluttered. Any suggestions as to what I can add/take away? Paint color suggestions would be greatly appreciated, too...right now they're just a kind of blah beige/pecan color.

What a generous offer from you -- thanks so much.

Heidi, have you considered a duvet to cover up the bedspread? They're not always cheap either, but they're a good alternative to all new stuff. My cats hacked up enough times on my guest bed comforter that I gave up cleaning it and just got a duvet to cover it up. Maybe that would be an easier project to tackle with the sewing machine too.

[Stella]

Now, I'm not Sarah, but I would say to do the walls in a light creamy yellow and maybe add some plain yellow sheets to the bed a light yellow throw to the bottom so you can take a way some of the pattern. I can imagine it is a lot in person. That's my two cents. (I like the yellow to offset the blue.) Okay, I'll let the professional have at it now.

Ok, first of all, how do you guys put a quote in your reply? I just figured out how to make a signature, so maybe I shouldn't try to do too many new things at once.
Dandelion, what you have now is beautiful and gives you a lot to work with. I think what the designer is trying to achieve is the electic, "thrown together" look that amazingly looks great altogether. However, pattern on top of pattern on top of pattern has the potential to look very busy, which is what I think you are responding to. What attracted you to this set in the first place? Is anything else in the room contributing to the visual clutter? How much of the room would you say the bed occupies? I'm just trying to get a better feel of the whole context. I know, I know, it's just a bedset, but it's a slow day at work

[ellie]

Ok, first of all, how do you guys put a quote in your reply?

In the top right hand corner of each post, there is a "quote" button...after you click on it, you'll be able to select what text you want to quote. You can also click on "quote" on the screen when you're composing your message...click quote, copy and paste the text, and click quote to end. Hopefully that makes sense.

What attracted you to this set in the first place? Is anything else in the room contributing to the visual clutter? How much of the room would you say the bed occupies?

I really liked the the colors in the set, especially the blues with the reds.The pattern on the duvet shows a lot more on my bed, too...so it looks very floral, which I don't like. There isn't a whole lot of other clutter in the room...a couple of dressers and nightstands/lamps, nothing on the walls other than a large framed mirror. The bed is a king, so it probably takes up a third of the room.

[ellie]

Now, I'm not Sarah, but I would say to do the walls in a light creamy yellow and maybe add some plain yellow sheets to the bed a light yellow throw to the bottom so you can take a way some of the pattern. I can imagine it is a lot in person. That's my two cents. (I like the yellow to offset the blue.) Okay, I'll let the professional have at it now.

Stella, these are great ideas, too! But unless someone chooses the exact shade of yellow for me, I can't do it...every yellow wall I've painted, I've never liked afterwards.