We had an amazing time in the Online Workshops for the Virtual e-Decorating Workshop. We watched OriginalsbyLynnette literally move her furniture around whilst being prompted by her virtual e-decorator, Andrea Trbovich of CharmingDarling and FrenchMemo.  What a talent Andrea has for creating a mood and theme for a room!  We also learned about color schemes and balancing a room with furniture placement.

Andrea agreed to write up this recap for those who missed the actual event in the Virtual Labs. Stay tuned to the Online Workshops featured column, where we'll be announcing another session with her hopefully really soon!  If you want to volunteer to have a room in your house redecorated, post in the comments below with a link to a photo of the room.    

It was an Etsy first in the Virtual Labs on February 13 – Virtual e-Decorating Workshop!

In addition to being a jewelry designer with two Etsy shops — CharmingDarling and FrenchMemo — I also work as an interior decorator and home stylist in the Columbus, Ohio area.

I got the idea for the e-deocrating concept when Lynnette, from OriginalsbyLynnette was admiring a decorative pillow by SueStitches and asked in an Etsy forum, “Will a black & white pillow match my guest room, which has yellow walls?”

Of course I had to chime in with a resounding YES!  The Etsy folks thought it would make a good workshop, and the rest is history!

Lynnette has antique furniture in the room, but said she wanted to “modernize” the room.  I looked at Lynnette’s Etsy favorites, and the black & white theme came up more than once, so it’s obvious that she likes it! 

We looked at different sections of Lynnette’s guest room, and e-decorated it one section at a time, with fabulous Etsy finds.


Accent Colors
This is the inspiration piece for the accent colors in the room, and I would hang this piece to the right of the chest of drawers.

 
When decorating, it’s always advisable to pull in one, two, or sometimes more accent colors.  The black & white theme almost acts as one color here, since they’re working together.  The walls in the room are already a light, creamy yellow, so red will be a great accent color.

Bed & Side Tables
First, we looked at the bed and side tables…I recommended centering the bed and side tables more in the room to give a better visual balance to the room.

Then, there’s the comforter…Lynnette and I were in agreement that the comforter must go!  The pillow, too!  I suggested a white matelasse coverlet, along with a variety of other black & white pillows and pillow covers to establish the color theme, add texture, and to give the bed a sense of luxury…and to pump up the fun quotient!

To balance out the taller bedside table on the left with the shorter table on the right, I would change out the lamp to something slightly shorter, like this…

 
It’s fun and funky, reinforces the black and white theme, and has a vintage flair that will match with the older furniture.  Adding a vintage camera to the table will add an interesting twist to the décor.

On the right bedside table, I thought the clock could use an update and suggested one made from a red cigar box, since Lynette’s husband is a cigar aficionado, and it brings in red as an accent color.

As for the lamp on the other table, I gave Lynnette a project — to spray paint the lamp base a high gloss black, then glue a black marabou feather boa around the top and bottom edges of the lamp shade.  It will look terrific!

Chest of Drawers
To better balance the room, I recommended moving the chest of drawers further on the wall toward the center of the room and moving the jewelry armoire to another room in the house.

I really liked what Lynnette did with the mirror on the chest of drawers, so I would leave that as it is, and I would edit out everything else for now, not because they don’t look nice — they do — but because they fit more with the antique look of the furniture and we’re modernizing…

Using the torso sculpture from the ledge on the other side of the room and placing it where the vase is will give height to the vignette we’ll create.

Round out the taller elements of the chest of drawers by leaning vintage numbers or letters against the mirror, again reinforcing the eclectic feel of the room.

The final piece is a black & white ceramic bowl, filled with black dominos.

Centered above the bed, I suggested this piece…
 
It’s lovely, unique piece that picks up the black & white, the dots of the dominos, and the yellow and red.  Plus it brings in another subtle accent color — pink — which in essence is a derivative of red.  The piece is more understated in color than some of the other art recommended for the room, but then it won’t compete with the bedding, or the fabulous art ledge.

The Art Ledge
Lynnette has a fabulous ledge in the room, a perfect place for art! 

You can go in a couple directions for the ledge, depending on your tastes — from all black & white art prints in black frames, to livelier paintings with the accent colors of the room, interspersed with found objects.  In all cases, I would lean different art pieces along the ledge, overlapping some here and there to create depth and visual interest.

And, be sure to create some “negative spaces” as well — some small, blank areas, so the eye has a place to rest.  Use the tallest piece at the corner, and fill in with alternating heights throughout, again to create visual interest.

The art doesn’t necessarily need to “match” in style or theme.  That’s what makes it look more like a collection developed over time, rather than a room created by a decorator!

The Desk…a.k.a. “Etsy Central”

On to the final corner of the room…the desk and computer area, where she does her Etsy listing and shipping.

First, I’d say, get rid of the pink lamp that is so precariously balanced.  The valance is a reminder of the antique quality of the room, so I would take that down as well, and just leave the blinds.

If possible, put the computer tower under the desk, to carve out a bit more room.  To add extra storage & more visual interest, I’d add two shelves that run the width of the wall, matching the wood stain to the window woodwork. 
Shelves will give additional storage space, resulting in more workspace.  Some decorative trays and boxes will add lovely storage on the shelves.

Final Touches
Don’t forget the small details, like switch plate covers, a nightlight and a pencil cup on the desk!

So, with that, Lynnette’s guest room has been “virtually decorated” and gone from frumpy to funky! 

Hopefully, we'll have an updated photo of OriginalsbyLynnette's room soon! Comment below with links to photos of the rooms you want e-decorated by CharmingDarling!