Worth the Wait!

February 3, 2022

Obstacles & Opportunities

How many of us have had dreams of accomplishing/reaching a big goal, but knew we couldn’t get to it just yet? “So close, but yet so far.” We dreamed, we planned, we set a date for completion, but still we had to wait. Personal and professional obligations became obstacles. Or were they instead opportunities in disguise? Opportunities to grow in patience and help us to fine tune the vision that we initially had. Ultimately, these opportunities would make us glad that we had to wait.

Refresh & Refreshments

My client originally reached out to me in October of 2020 for a Room Refresh in preparation for her housewarming. In order to do that, she had to assess which items she wanted to keep and what she would eventually replace in order to set up for the party. She decided that later on down the line, new furniture would definitely be apart of her future. However, the current plan of action was to use what she already had and repurpose and rearrange the items to give the space new life.

Instead of throwing away the items that she no longer loved, she sold them so she could make money for the pieces she wanted. Even though this meant living with empty and incomplete rooms, she knew that in the long run it would be worth the wait.

After the refresh

Buying a home is a costly endeavor for most people, including my client. Therefore, instead of purchasing new items right away, my client decided to do the fiscally responsible thing and postpone purchasing her forever pieces so that she could build her bank account back up to a comfortable level. A year later she reached out and was ready to move forward with starting the E-Design process for her living room and dining space. The goal was to create a minimal grown-up space that nodded to her Afro-glam bohemian style.

Initially, my client desired to have her living room and dining space finished in the next 3-4 months. However, with furniture companies being so backed-logged, I had to explain to her that the likelihood of this happening was very slim, especially for the pieces she was looking for. The pandemic has created a huge issue with the supply/demand chain for everything - and that also includes furniture. There are so many crates on boats that are stuck in the middle of the ocean because there's just not enough workers to unload the cargo at the loading docks or enough truck drivers to get the items to their destinations. The best advice I can give under the current circumstances to my clients or anyone furniture shopping is to order now and be prepared to wait.

E-Design Plan

The Styling Session

All of my E-Design clients are offered a 1-hour styling session once all of the recommended pieces have come in. This is a time for them to ask any additional questions like where the placement of certain pieces should be, how other pieces can be incorporated, etc. These styling sessions can be done virtually or in person, but since my client lives in Atlanta, we were able to do hers in person.

Recommendations for my client’s E-Design plan included: an L-shape white sectional sofa, a patterned rug, a wooden coffee table, and large piece of art, similar in size to what she already had. The rest of the design would be achieved with items that my client already had.

To prepare for the styling session, my client sent over a few pics of all the new furniture pieces she had purchased along with the pieces that we had planned to repurpose for the living room. This included a pair of gold drapes, a bird’s of paradise plant and stand, and a few decorative items. It's important to note that the design plan is truly a guide to help my clients with the configuration and styling of their space. Keeping the suggested rug size in mind, my client opted for a neutral jute rug instead of one with pattern like we originally discussed.

Upon seeing my client’s photos, I start to develop a plan for additional decorative pieces that I can bring with me, if needed, that will help pull the space together. In this case, the final touch to this space were pillows from my V. James & Co. line. They just so happened to be the perfect complement to some artwork that was gifted to my client.

Even though the complete transformation took longer to do than she had hoped or planned for, the space was exactly what she wanted and better than she could have imagined. This was definitely worth the wait!