Designer Views

Getting Ready for Sgt Winling’s Homecoming!

Collaborate Design Studio — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:05:48 +0000

Getting ready…

Collaborate Design Studio was thrilled when we were offered the opportunity to be involved in a contest for home makeover for a military family! Together with Galaxie Home, WLS, Best Buy & others we were able to provide an updated and wonderful environment for Sgt Christopher Winling, his wife Jill and their 2 children.

Thanks to the support of our wonderful vendors, Burton James, Colie & Harris, Brownstone, David Garcia, Designs Alive, Beauti View, CAI, and more…we were able to secure furnishings, lighting & window treatments for this home makeover!

From floor plans through hanging pictures we enjoyed seeing this project to fruition. But to witness Sgt. Christopher Winlings’ arrival and to see his appreciation made it most worthwhile.

Operation Homefront of Illinois

Collaborate Design Studio — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 20:50:37 +0000

Collaborate Design Studio is proud to be teaming up with

WLS & Galaxie Home Remodelling to provide a home makeover for the Winling family.

SFC Christopher Winling & Family Win

“Warm Welcome Home”

$50k Remodeling Contest

(Chicago, Illinois) – This morning on WLS-AM 890’s “Don Wade & Roma Morning Show” Jill Winling, wife of SFC Christopher Winling, learned live on the air that her family was the winner of the “Warm Welcome Home” contest sponsored by WLS, Galaxie Home Remodeling and Operation Homefront-Illinois. (Listen to the interview here.)

“We are proud to participate in the ‘Warm Welcome Home’ contest in support of Illinois’ military families and we’re thankful to enjoy the generosity of good corporate citizens and WLS partners like Galaxie Home Remodeling,” said Michael Damsky, President & General Manager of WLS-AM/FM.

SFC Winling is currently serving in Afghanistan, his third deployment. In a previous deployment to Iraq, SFC Winling was injured when the vehicle hit an IED. He awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for his service. There are plans for SFC Winling to deploy again in 2013 after he returns home from Afghanistan later this year. The Winlings live in Lake Villa and are the proud parents of 3-year old twins (one boy, one girl).

“It was a very difficult decision as there were so many deserving Illinois military families,” said Dan Proft, Chapter President of Operation Homefront-Illinois. “But we’re very proud to be able to help the Winling family. This contest was the product of a wonderful partnership with WLS and Galaxie Home Remodeling. We are very thankful for the generosity of both organizations in support of Illinois military families.”

Proft also thanked other corporate partners including Best Buy, Habitat Corporate Suites, and Collaborate Design Studio.

To track the progress of the Winling home remodeling, check in at www.wlsam.com and www.operationhomefront.net/illinois for updates and photos.

Proft mentioned on the “Don Wade & Roma Morning Show” that Operation Homefront-Illinois will look to help other Illinois military families that entered the contest. “The contest will not only help the Winling family, it has provided Operation Homefront-Illinois with leads to additional military families in need and we look forward to assisting those families where we are able consistent with our service mission.”

Operation Homefront-Illinois is a 501c-3 that provides emergency financial assistance to active duty military families in Illinois and wounded warriors who have returned home from service. Operation Homefront-Illinois is rated as a “Four Star Charity” by Charity Navigator. Operation Homefront-Illinois is proud to note that $.90 of every dollar raised goes for direct support of programming and assistance for Illinois military families.

Get Regular Updates from Operation Homefront — IL on Facebook & Twitter!

Dress your Bed!

Collaborate Design Studio — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 21:20:50 +0000

It would be nice to come into our bedrooms and feel relaxed and comforted as we ready ourselves for bed. And wouldn’t it also be wonderful if our bedrooms could have that finished look all the time. Well if we focus solely on our beds we will very easily satisfy our bedroom concerns.

Each room based upon its occupant, has a different look and feel. In keeping with the occupants needs and likes, beds can be dressed appropriately, grounding the feel of the room.

Start off by covering the bed in a basic coverlet or comforter in one of the colors that exist in the bedroom. You can buy inexpensive coverlets at a multitude of places. This becomes our base for the dressing of your bed.

If you start with a neutral tone you can always keep your pillow options open. By using different textures and tones of the same color, you can achieve a very elegant and sophisticated look for a guest room or master bedroom. If you are looking to shake things up you can mix strong colors taken from the feel of the room, combined with different fabrics patterns and textures to add some fun.

For a King Bed: 3 layers

Place 3 Euro Shams closest to the headboard or wall with 2 regular King Shams in front. In the very front place 1 pillow in a different shape.

For a King bed: 4 layers

Start as above with the 3 Euro Shams and 2 Regular King Shams then add 2 or 3 pillows of the same size. In front of those place something in a different shape such as a long roll.

For a Queen bed you will reduce to 2 Euro Shams and use Regular Standard Shams.

Another nice touch is to place a throw or different blanket at the end of the bed.

A dressed bed can give even the simplest bedroom a very finished look.

How To Help Your Home Sell

Collaborate Design Studio — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:13:30 +0000

Are you about to list your home for sale, but don’t know where to start?

You can hire an Interior Designer. Really we love to help people “Stage” their homes!

Remember, this has been “Your Home”, so it is only natural that it is filled with family photos, children’s artwork, and old memorabilia that you love. Unfortunately, the potential buyer cannot see past those things when trying to envision their personal items in your space. So that is where the staging comes in.

First of all you will be directed to clean up…and by that we mean take away most of the pictures, artwork and memorabilia. Box it up and store it. You will have to pack eventually, so why not start now. Remove as much of the clutter as possible. All those cute things on display on your shelves and counters…must be packed up. Don’t forget to label when you pack, so you know what is in those boxes!

The next thing to consider is the general shape of your house. The walls and the flooring set the overall tone of the home.

Does the paint look tired? Are there cracks that are visible to the eye? Will the colors in the home be difficult for most to work with? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you should find yourself an inexpensive painter, get some help in selecting the best color, and repaint!

If your carpet is simply dirty, then cleaning it might just be the solution! However, if the carpet is extremely old and worn, you will need to replace it. Select a neutral tone that is warm and inviting, and remember there are many inexpensive options to choose from. If you have hardwood floors beneath that old carpeting you could consider removing it and leaving the wood exposed. The wood might need to be lightly sanded and resurfaced to give it some life, but the result will be quite appealing to most!

The only other area to think about is the correct placement of your furniture. When Collaborate Design Studio stages a home, we often position furniture simply and cleanly. We will sometimes ask a client to remove a piece that is too large or overpowering in the space. But whenever we can, we simply shift things around to better utilize the space and help your home appeal to others.

When in doubt, a professional can help!

Stay Focused on Your Project

Collaborate Design Studio — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:49:09 +0000

When planning for your space, it is important to stay focused! Many clients hire designers and then drop the ball. Be true to yourself. If you have hired a designer, you obviously want to get your project going. So, allow your designer to lead your job, especially if you are not the kind of person to stay on task. When meeting with your designer make sure you leave with the next appointment scheduled. If you are working with a deadline, the work has to keep on moving. Once decisions are made, products should be ordered. Whether for new construction or a remodel, things seldom come in on time, so it is imperative to place your orders well ahead of schedule, if this is at all possible. This way you will not be disappointed, and your contractor will be able to work at a steady pace.
I have had many clients who ask me to keep them moving, as they know their own personalities and wqant to be kept on track. When running a job I prefer to schedule a regular weekly time slot for my client. This better serves everyone as I am working steadily and my client is completely involved and invested.
Even if there are no deadlines involved, it is best to work efficiently. Once selections are finalized, orders must be placed in a timely fashion. When clients cannot commit, they run the risk of items being discontinued or prices increasing. There is nothing more frustrating than to have to reselect when the perfect piece is no longer available. Although there are always other options, it often becomes difficult to see past the original choice. So if you love it, go with your gut…and move on! As you complete each of your selections, you will continue to move forward. Once you have made all your decisions and placed all of your orders, you can just sit back and relax waiting for your anticipated move in date to arrive!
And then you can reap the benefits and enjoy your new environment!

If Walls Could Talk!

Collaborate Design Studio — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:00:59 +0000

I often think about what a house would say if it could talk! Imagine what a house sees over the course of time. People move in and people move out! Some houses have families living in them for over 20 years and other houses have people in and out of them.

What kind of interior decorating have these homes endured…from no style to all style, bold colors through muted colors. Some homes have little furniture while others are filled to the brim!

Over many years a home could have its kitchen remodeled many times seeing harvest gold appliances, laminated counter tops and cabinets evolve into stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops and walnut cabinetry. Oh what a joy that house must experience when renovated and cared for!

It has watched bedrooms filled with infants in cribs and change tables become teen rooms with canopy beds and armoires. Painted baby murals of bunnies and castles are painted over with tones of taupes and beiges!

Carpet is removed and old, tired hardwood floors are given new life. Electrical circuits updated and repaired, support new recessed can lighting. And old surface mounted fixtures leave the premises! Beautiful wall sconces appear again where old ones possibly lived decades before!

Depending upon the age of the structure, a house may have transformed a few or several times. The house lives on as styles come and go, only to come and go again!

“Love is essential to the decoration of a house…A room must say, My love is here…”(Madeleine Castaing, May 2010 House Beautiful)

Invest in Your Home!

Collaborate Design Studio — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:26:36 +0000

In these financially insecure times, everyone is watching their spending. The media is either scaring us or giving us hope depending upon which station we are on or which day we are listening. Stocks are up, stocks are down! What is a person to do?

Your home is one investment you can rely on. It will be there through thick or thin. So why not make it your haven. If there is ever a time to invest in your home it is now! The money you spend creating the interior of your dreams, will give you a substantial emotional return!

Coming home to an environment you want to be in; an environment you want to share with your family and friends, is one to be proud of and comforted by!

Acquiring beautiful, good quality products that will last a lifetime is prudent. Furniture of high quality is furniture that lasts. Do not compromise. If you settle for something cheaper than what you like you will be unhappy in the end.

If you are trying to figure out what to do and how to start…remember…that is what an interior designer is for!

At Collaborate Design Studio we turn dreams into reality!
Visit us at www.collaboratedesign.com

Whimsical Spring

Collaborate Design Studio — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:30:37 +0000

If you want your space to look bolder and brighter, you are in luck! All over the design world fabrics have become bolder, brighter and more whimsical than ever! We are still using safe tones including browns and blacks. But we are adding more color to our looks with pops of greens or blues. Oranges and reds have certainly remained strong as well. There is something for everyone with the new fabric and style trends. Patterns combine new twists on the classic and paisley themes as well as a bold mix of botanicals.

Furniture manufacturers are offering many pieces with contrast welts, nailheads and Swarovski crystals to add a little pizazz. It only takes one little bit of bling to create interest in a space.

There is still quite a lot of white and ivory out there especially at the higher end. And the masculine look of tweed on sofas and chairs offer a strong base for adding any added pop.

Don’t forget that many of these fabrics and styles look amazing in window treatments. Large patterns and strong colors flanking our windows make bold statements. Soft linens and flannels are providing our otherwise naked windows with warmth and texture.

Allow your designer to do what they do best…create fabulous spaces for your whimsical soul!

Wallpaper…what’s out there!

Collaborate Design Studio — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:13:58 +0000

When we think of wallpaper we often remember the papers from our past. Well wall coverings are not only paper any more! The products out there are absolutely amazing. You can cover your walls in anything from grasses to shells on vinyl or paper. Your walls can be transformed into sequined luxury covered in glass or in mother of pearl if you so choose.
Recently there was an article in the Chicago Tribune about Maya Romanoff, a fabulous wall covering designer located right here in Skokie, IL. Maya has created some of the most impressive products out there. His sense of style and color has been seen in many elegant environments. If you read the article in the Trib you would know that Maya’s bedazzled wallcoverings are on the set of the Jay Leno Show!

These may be a little stretch for your wallet, but if you want to make a statement, remember a little goes a long way! These wall coverings can run anywhere from $12.00 – $50.00 per square foot. Ask your designer to show you these wall coverings. You will be glad you did!

How to Create Interest in Your Space, Simply!

Collaborate Design Studio — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:53:19 +0000

If you are looking to update your space but cannot afford to do much, then buy a can of paint! Within your palette, pick the strongest color or a new one that contrasts what you have going on right now. By adding a punch of color to a wall, you will have created a point of interest. Pop color behind your headboard in your bedroom or on the inside backs of a built in cabinet in your family room. Update the look of an old piece of furniture by repainting it. And don’t be afraid, even go a little outside your comfort zone to add more excitement to your space.
Another way to punch some color into your life is with the addition of pillows on your sofas and chairs! A little pillow in a fabulous fabric can make a huge impact in any space. The fabric can add not only color but also a different a much needed change of texture!

If you are feeling the need for professional advice, most designers can be hired hourly. An hour or two with a designer for a consult might be a great use of a professional resource!