The “Infomerical Effect” & a Project in Progress

Do you ever get sucked in by weight loss infomercials? You know the ones with the drastic before and after pictures and people in workout gear giving testimonials? Then there’s the way too chipper announcer who makes it all sound so easy, “Just try this (diet, juice, pill, exercise) for 30 days and this could be you!”

Meanwhile on the couch, you’re eating potato chips.

You try to stop watching because suddenly you feel a little too aware of the chips (and extra lbs.) hanging out in your lap, but you just can’t bring yourself to change the channel. No? Am I the only one who does this?

Ok, I bring this up for a reason…

Because most of us have experienced some sort of diet deprivation craziness, we know that we’re not being shown the full picture but rather a glossy Cliff Notes version of the process. While the tan and toned model is sharing her success, what we don’t see in that 20 second clip is the 5:30 alarm clock that went off everyday, the green juices she choked down, and the many, many grilled chicken breasts she endured for weeks.

And since we know this, we typically approach change to our bodies with a healthy dose of reality. We don’t expect the easy as 1-2-3 results as promised on TV.

We can easily spot when an infomercial is over simplifying the process of changing our bodies… but do we truly understand the same principle when it relates to change in our home?

The Infomercial Effect on Our Homes

Often times we see a show on HGTV, before and after pictures in a magazine or even blog posts, and it creates a skewed sense of reality. As much as I love a good “before and after”, I’ve been working on homes long enough to know that these are just the end caps on a lot of time and effort.

Drastic changes in a room take time…unless of course you have a huge crew, a hefty budget and the magic of TV land.

And even if they are done quickly, that means there was a tone of planning in order to make it happen. In order to help pull the curtain on the whole “infomercial affect” of redecorating a room, I’ve decided to start sharing client projects at different points of the process. Today I’m sharing a current project that’s nearing the end of the design process, but not completely finished yet.

Before paint and stenciled focal wall…

Lisette’s Bright and Serene Escape

My lovely web developer Lisette also happens to be a client, and she recently bought a new home. When you move into a new home, many times it’s difficult to know where to start and figure out how old pieces should work in a new space. Then there’s the topic of purchasing new pieces.

Without a plan, it can get hairy fast.

Before Lisette and I focused on one room particular, we first did a Style School coaching package. Whenever I work with clients on a new home where we’ll be making lots of changes, it’s always important for me to help them establish their personal “style story”and understand how the architecture and floor plan of the home should play into things. Having an overall design direction serves as a framework for us to make all future decisions.

Yes, it’s work on the font end but it pays off big time to help us know we’re on the right track.

Lisette is a planner and a go-getter, so seeing the overall picture and knowing she had a plan for the other spaces helped her wait on certain spots while narrowing her focus one room at a time.

The master bedroom was the first room Lisette wanted to address. Here’s what she had to say about things…

How did you want the bedroom to feel in the planning stages?
I wanted my bedroom to feel like an escape. Crisp, clean linen and light, relaxing colors like white and grey.

Where did you find yourself “stuck” when it came to planning the room?
Since the room is large (17’ x 19’) I wanted there to be a balance between furniture and open space. I had a clean slate on my hands, and I was totally overwhelmed!

How did decor coaching help you?
I like colors. I LOVE colors, but if it’s in my living space, all of a sudden I get overwhelmed. You helped me see that I really can have colors, so long as they are muted with or with grey undertones. So, instead of hot pink overwhelming me, I can do a light blush rose. Instead of bright green, a soft seafoam is more my style.

Before I found you I knew I liked certain things but I wasn’t sure why I liked them. I was a little all over the place. I liked aspects of new farm house, cottage chic, super glam and coastal. (Talk about a hot mess!)

We bought our first home last November, sold many of our belongings and started with a clean slate. Since I liked so many different styles, and had many failed shopping trips with many mismatched purchases, I needed a little help focusing on what I truly liked without returning a million purchases in frustration. I’ve learned my style really is more of a comforting glam (my husband values comfort and function, where I wouldn’t mind sacrificing comfort for luxurious looks)

At this point in the project, all of the larger items are already in the room, and we’re working on the finishing touches. After our decor coaching session for the bedroom, Lisette took several of my recommendations and ran with them:

1. Paint color 
2. Stenciled focal wall (She is a DIY’er as you can tell!)
3. Furniture arrangement
4. Lamp style
5. Artwork plan
6. Accent chair 

But she got stuck when it came to throw pillows for the bed and asked for some additional sourcing help here. Coming up with throw pillow combinations is one of my favorite things. If you’ve known me very long then you know that I geek out over them.

Since I’ve been on a self-induced pillow fast for my own home, getting to help clients buy them feeds my need. I came up with two different combinations for her to consider.  Using her “style story” as my compass as well as the art we had already chosen, this is what I came up with…Which option would you pick?

Stencil Giveaway

Also, Lisette has an awesome giveaway on her blog to win a custom stencil kit from Royal Design Studio Stencils. You guys, stencils have come a long way the last few years. just look at this gorgeous Otomi Folk Art Stencil. How cute is it in this nursery? (Image and room via Haleigh DeRocher.)

Head over to Lisette’s blog where you can enter to win a free stencil.

Changing Our Thoughts About Change In Our Homes

So to wrap things up, I just want to encourage you to remember that any significant change in our life and our homes takes time. And the real magic happens when time + intention hang out. We have to remember that the amount of effort we put into our home affects the results. Feeling overwhelmed and not moving forward because you’re confused is one thing. (PS: I can help with that. It’s kind of my thing.) But craving a new space and doing nothing to make it happen is another.

We can’t expect “toned and tanned” results if we’re just sitting on the couch eating potato chips.

This translates to, we can’t expect to have a home we love if we just aimlessly scroll through Pinterest but don’t do any real work to truly uncover our style, get clear on a plan for our space, and invest ourselves in the creative process.

Ouch…a little harsh? There’s your daily does of #toughdecorlove, friend.

Art Sources:
Three prints via