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This transformation is one very near and dear to my heart for a few reasons. Yes, mostly because this beautiful, light-filled family room belongs to my sister! But also, because working through the process of hunting for deals, sifting through paint swatches and mocking up throw pillow configurations reaffirmed what I already knew in my heart; THIS is what I’m supposed to be doing. 

It’s no secret that my sister and I are obsessed with each other. So when she and my brother-in-law finally closed on their forever home (that needed a little love) in Orange County I jumped at the chance to help her make all of her interior dreams a reality – while staying on a tight budget.

I’m going to share this project stage by stage and walk you through the steps involved when I work with clients on home projects

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Well in this case, the client was my sister. And we are practically the same person, and she was very involved. Michaela came to the table with a strong overall vision of how she wanted to transform the space: practically-white-but-not-white warm grey walls (12 swatches later we ended up with SW Windfresh White), light wood flooring, and a curated yet functional and livable space. A great foundation of goals and must-haves sets the project up for success. Gathering inspiration is the next step in order to get on the same page about style. Accounts and design aesthetics my sister found herself gravitating towards were: Farrah Pro , Kismet House and Keely Mann. This allowed us to identify a clear design direction; light & bright, family-friendly, modern-boho-farmhouse.

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Prepare your shopping cart. Listen I’m not going to insult your shopping savvy by teaching you about coupon codes. But I am going to be real with you – sometimes when that “40% off all sale home items at Anthro” email hits, I’m flustered! I find myself digging through pages of treasures adding things I don’t need to my cart, and then by the time I check out the one thing I actually wanted has sold out. So, my advice to you: sign into your accounts on all the major retailers and save your password / stay signed in. Add all of the items you want (or could possibly want) to your cart. Now when you get the black Friday deal emails you can simply go to your cart, apply the coupon code (if applicable) and see how much the items have been discounted. You can also compare carts across retailers very quickly this way you see where the best deal is! Not to mention the fact that this method will help you stick to your list and budget that you meticulously planned (see step 1!) I highly recommend doing this for rugs. Don’t just find it in one place and settle on that price right away, because prices (and names) for some very insta-famous rugs (like the one in my post that is totally inspiring me for Hart’s nursery) vary wildly across the internet.

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Using this article sofa as a muse, I worked with my sister to piece together paint colors, furniture and decorative accents. There were some items (like the custom designed and completely scotch guarded couch) that were purchased with quality in mind, taking more of the budget. There were some purchased with style in mind (hello, H&M throw pillows!) Everything (from the faux leather indestructible ottoman to the affordable, stain-camouflaging rug) was purchased with function in mind. By creating a mock-up that brought the dream to life within budget, Michaela had a visual to show her husband (who couldn’t imagine the space). It also served as a guide to keep decor-hunting cohesive.

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We followed sales, we stalked out of stock items. It didn’t happen overnight, but slowly this room came together – within budget. You can’t lose steam before the final styling of your new space. I was there (digitally) to help my sister arrange pillows, DIY an acrylic tray and style the perfect #shelfie on her new twin bookcases. My husband Kenny even shot some photos of her kids for her to make engineer prints. It’s all of the finishing details that make a home feel put together, lived in and cohesive- so don’t skimp!

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With a little vision, some DIY projects and a lot of savvy shopping – I was able to help my sister completely transform her home. From brown and orange to curated comfort, this project hit all of the goals on Michaela’s wishlist. Shop her refreshed space below.

[/et_pb_cta][et_pb_slider show_image_video_mobile=”on” _builder_version=”3.15″ header_font=”Kiona Bold||||||||” body_font=”Lato||||||||”][et_pb_slide heading=”Faux Leather Pillow Cover” button_text=”Shop Now” button_link=”https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074W5QX2C/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=cravenhaven-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B074W5QX2C&linkId=4e4a0330836a6d5a1d85e8f3be01c98a” image=”https://cravenhaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/41VeoQnrcuL._AC_SY400_.jpg” _builder_version=”3.15″][/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Rug” button_text=”Shop Now” button_link=”https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DVDB0LK/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=cravenhaven-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01DVDB0LK&linkId=3234305bea5b3a560878e79ccd334718″ image=”https://cravenhaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/61-sVMM0Y1L._AC_SY400_.jpg” _builder_version=”3.15″][/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Frame” button_text=”Shop Now” button_link=”https://m.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/art/90301621/” image=”https://cravenhaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ribba-frame-black__0638345_PE698848_S4.jpg” _builder_version=”3.15″][/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Couch” button_text=”Shop Now” button_link=”https://www.article.com/product/2974/timber-rain-cloud-gray-corner-sectional” image=”https://cravenhaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/image34807.jpg” _builder_version=”3.15″][/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Ottoman” button_text=”Shop Now” image=”https://cravenhaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/CocktailOttoman.jpg” _builder_version=”3.15″][/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Bookshelf” button_text=”Shop Now” button_link=”https://www.target.com/p/72-loring-5-shelf-ladder-bookcase-project-62-153/-/A-52581576?preselect=51485181#lnk=sametab” image=”https://cravenhaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GUEST_f0d47315-5f25-4c49-a858-b1ad987f87c8.jpeg” _builder_version=”3.15″][/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Bench” button_text=”Shop Now” button_link=”https://www.target.com/p/lupini-rattan-bench-opalhouse-153/-/A-53019197″ image=”https://cravenhaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GUEST_a964d847-cefe-44b4-9fa2-93229c7b35e5.jpeg” _builder_version=”3.15″][/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Hi Pillow” button_text=”Shop Now” button_link=”https://www.target.com/p/hi-black-square-throw-pillow-project-62-153/-/A-52988004″ image=”https://cravenhaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GUEST_ca342bc6-de66-421a-8f24-2e2c20aa9f97.jpeg” _builder_version=”3.15″][/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Plant Basket” button_text=”Shop Now” button_link=”https://www.worldmarket.com/product/large-black-and-natural-seagrass-calista-tote-basket.do?sortby=ourPicks” image=”https://cravenhaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/75072_XXX_v1.jpg” _builder_version=”3.15″][/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Pouf” button_text=”Shop Now” button_link=”https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MTUM2IW/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=cravenhaven-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01MTUM2IW&linkId=51d8318d7841bca93d4000a7ef255c2b” image=”https://cravenhaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/51ddHsCdMZL._AC_SY400_.jpg” _builder_version=”3.15″][/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Throw Blanket” button_text=”Shop Now” button_link=”https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HOLV7SQ/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=cravenhaven-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01HOLV7SQ&linkId=d5466254307dbfd48493ed4ca75d21b3″ image=”https://cravenhaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/51NvoHsQgmL._SY600_.jpg” _builder_version=”3.15″][/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”Throw Blanket” button_text=”Shop Now” button_link=”https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/edna-embellished-throw-blanket?category=SEARCHRESULTS&color=018″ image=”https://cravenhaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/44314482_018_b.jpeg” _builder_version=”3.15″][/et_pb_slide][/et_pb_slider][et_pb_cta button_url=”#top” admin_label=”Title Paragraph & CTA Button” _builder_version=”3.15″ header_level=”h3″ header_font=”Kiona Bold|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” header_line_height=”1.4em” body_font=”Lato|600|||||||” body_font_size=”16px” body_line_height=”1.8em” use_background_color=”off” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”16px” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_bg_color=”#f4583f” button_border_width=”10px” button_border_color=”#f4583f” button_border_radius=”0px” button_font=”Muli|700|||||||” button_use_icon=”off” button_border_radius_hover=”0px” text_orientation=”left” background_layout=”light” custom_padding=”|||” locked=”off”][/et_pb_cta][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

About Mackenzie

An ex-marketer with an eye for design, Mackenzie started Craven Haven in late 2018 as a way to share her passion for all things interiors. 

Mixing high end and budget-friendly pieces, professional installations and easy DIYs, Craven Haven inspires an attainable home that feels designer.

My Home Sources

Everything in our current and past homes, all in one place.

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