Guest Blogger: Erica LeBlanc

I am thrilled to have Erica from the blog Decorica join us today.  Erica is an experienced interior decorator and she is going to share her design "process" with us. 

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As an interior decorator and lover of all things interior design related, I truly believe that there is no such thing as a "small job."  Recently, a new client asked me to help her with her family room, in which she needed help making the room look finished, while using items she currently owns and purchasing some accessories.  A small job to some, but to me this is a big opportunity to help someone fulfill a desire to improve their home.  That's what I love about my job.

Rene has asked me to write a guest post about decorating, so I thought I'd share my own personal process that I go through as an interior decorator.

Below is an image of my client "L"s room.  She has struggled for years with how to improve the look of the stone wall surrounding her fireplace.  And as a mother of an adorable little boy, she has also used a lot of dark colors in the room to prevent wear & tear from showing.

On the opposite wall (below) I see a lot of opportunity to add accessories, color, and storage.  Currently, there is a lot of open space...

While I'm in the home, I take measurements and lots of photographs.  Then I study the photographs and create a floor plan.  With the photos and floor plan, I am able to create a plan of how the furniture should be arranged to best suite the room, as well as placement of accessories.

Next, I shop online and local stores for accessories.  Once I find items that I love for the space, I create renderings of the room.  These drawings illustrate how the room will look finished.  These are a great way to show clients what's in my head and are sometimes easier than verbal descriptions.  They are quite time consuming, but I feel they are priceless.

(Below) For "L" I have decided to paint the space above the stone wall a medium gray.  This will give the illusion that the stone wall is complete and the color will continue up through the cathedral ceiling.  I've suggested some "floating" shelves in 3 different sizes, cascading above the stone wall.  This will serve as a mantel, but also proved space for accessories.  The items will be high, so the items will be purely decorative.  The wood shelves will also add some warmth and dimension to the large open wall.

The remaining 3 walls in the room will be painted a warm neutral with a little green tinge to it.  I will give "L" 3 colors to choose from, all of which will look great with the gray wall.  I always recommend Benjamin Moore, they have such a rich pigment and thick coating.  I provide super large paint samples of the colors for my clients to hang on their walls and live with for a few days.

Next, I have gathered some accessories for "L"s space:  a mirror, a large piece of floral art, some small ceramic vases, and the floating shelves.

Then, I gathered some swatches of fabrics to update "L"s current pieces with, adding some color and texture. 

• For the large ottoman that her family uses as a coffee table and the bench seat cushion, I suggest a brown faux leather that is textured and speckled with dark and medium brown tones.
• For the toss pillows on the sofa, I found a cranberry, green, and taupe striped chenille.
• The toss pillows on the bench will be recovered in a soft, nubby green chenille.

Finally, I gather all of this information into a convenient custom design kit for my clients.  That way, they may refer to all of the information I go over with them on their own, as well as take it with them when they go shopping for the suggested items or to find similar ones.   Thanks for reading, I love sharing all things decor, and thanks Rene! 
 xoxo Erica LeBlanc

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Thanks so much for joining us today Erica and thank you for sharing your expertise with us!