Make Over Your Space Via Email

After following Jamie Meares' home blog (I Suwannee) for years, Quinn Risdall called Furbish Studio, Jamie's Raleigh, N.C., store, and asked the designer to decorate her Minneapolis, Minn., kitchen and family room long-distance. Quinn and her husband, Mike, both art directors, planned the redo with Jamie via email and text, sharing things ranging from "before" photos to fabric links. Jamie flew to Minneapolis just once to add finishing touches. The process worked so well that they all agreed to even more e-design.

Pegboard art bought at a coffee shop inspired the colors in the room. The family room's redesign started with this wingback chair.

The original kitchen had a dingy linoleum floor and plain wood cabinets, so Quinn and Mike put in an oak floor, maple cabinets (painted White Dove by Benjamin Moore), Caesarstone countertops and a farmhouse sink.

To style the built-in shelves, Jamie had the Risdalls send photos of accessories they owned, emailed back a list of her favorites, and arranged them later in person. She also suggested stacking different-colored cookbooks and adding a vintage rug from her store. "When Jamie sent a photo of the rug, I wrote back right away, ‘Love it!'" says Quinn.

This space started with a white Saarinen tulip table. Jamie texted Quinn a photo of flame-stitch fabric for the Lucite chairs, then emailed instructions for her upholsterer. Instead of ordering custom window coverings, they decided on affordable bamboo blinds ($50 each, overstock.com).

Jamie had to custom-order a sofa to fit through the Risdalls' narrow front door. Velvet fabric was the couple's first pick, but Jamie convinced them to go with easy-to-clean microsuede instead, and mailed them swatches for approval.