Colorful, Bold Before-and-After Makeovers

Designer Emily Henderson of Secrets From a Stylist transforms bland rooms into the perfect space for each homeowner's design style.

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November 25, 2014

By: Farima Alavi

From: Emily Henderson

Show: Secrets From a Stylist

Related To:

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Before: No Place to Entertain

This living room is too cluttered to serve as a place for entertaining guests. The mismatched furnishings leave the space feeling dark and uninviting.

After: Colorful Accents

Designer Emily Henderson combined a teal and raspberry color combination to emit light into the space. The traditional yet urban, large-scale furniture includes comfortable pieces, soft-wash fabrics and warm leathers mixed with found objects and global pieces. The leather ottoman, topped with a kilim and serving tray for a layering effect, doubles as a coffee table. She updated the fireplace with a charcoal-colored cement finish to coordinate with the rest of the space.

Before: Modest Dining Room

The beige walls and dining chairs give the dining room a one-dimensional look. The standard chandelier goes unnoticed, and the glass table with a wood-finish base is more than a decade old.

After: Modern Funk Dining

Emily brings in pops of yellow and teal to accentuate the homeowners' modern funk style. The modern, eclectic chandelier is a conversation piece, enhancing the room's design. The gray wall brings a touch of sophistication, and the glass table base is painted white for an easy update. The wicker and metal chairs, coupled with gray leather captain chairs, provide interest and make the space look more collected. A mixture of paintings, tribal pieces and prints hung together create a colorful art wall.

Before: Outdated Fireplace

The tile on the fireplace surround in this bare bedroom is outdated and doesn't add any design element to the space. The artwork above the fireplace is the only source of color in the entire room.

After: Rustic Cape Cod

The concrete fireplace surround brings a natural, rustic look that represents the homeowner's beach-chic style. Emily placed a Cub Scout knot diagram above the fireplace to add a nautical feel, and a wire boat sculpture and firewood complete the look.

From: Emily Henderson

Before: Unfunctional Space

This sitting area occupies a small portion of this large room. The mismatched furniture, poor lighting and outdated color scheme make the space an eyesore.

After: '70s Funky Elegance

To reflect the homeowners' love for funky elegance, Emily fills the sitting room with brass, gray and hot-pink accents. The fireplace acts as the focal point in the sitting room, which centers on an inviting conversation area complete with two '70s-style club chairs. The vertical brass open shelving doesn't take up too much space but still provides a sculptural element to display items. A sophisticated beveled mirror above the fireplace, glass elements and metallic draperies bounce light throughout the room. A sparkling chandelier brightens the space even more.

Before: No Place for Guests

This guest bedroom acts more like a junk storage space than a place to welcome guests. The boring dresser and outdated bedding don't offer a comfortable, inviting feel.

After: Graphic Antique Guest Bedroom

The white piping on the bold blue headboard punctuates its architectural shape, making the headboard more playful. Emily painted the bottom half of the wall olive green to play off the graphic, engaging wallpaper on the upper half. The two oversized swing-arm bedside lamps transmit light and character to the space.

Before: An Underused Space

This living room has bare-bones furnishings and absolutely no storage space. It's also light on character and personality.

From: Emily Henderson

After: Stylish Storage

Custom shelving with pops of an inviting yellow-green shade adds both style and function to the room.

From: Emily Henderson

After: A Global-Chic Vignette

Global accessories paired with the homeowners' own books tranform this previously empty wall into an entryway focal point.

From: Emily Henderson

Before: Uninviting Foyer

This foyer is completely bare and doesn't make guests feel welcome. The framed artwork is too small for the entrance wall.

After: Bold Entrance

The bold teal wall sets the tone for this home's entrance. The flat woven wool runner ties in the hot-pink color of the tufted bench, and the basket holds umbrellas on rainy days. Emily hung three large pieces of framed artwork to counterbalance the low bench, bringing the eye up and giving weight to the vignette.

Before: No Focal Point

This bedroom lacks a central focal point, and the lackluster art behind the bed doesn't make a statement.

From: Emily Henderson

After: Asian-Inspired Retreat

Incorporating a folding screen behind the bed creates drama where there was none. The gilded chest at the foot of the bed echoes the gold motif on the headboard.

From: Emily Henderson

After: Bold Patterns

A stiped wall and rustic artwork add modern glamour to this traditional space. A trio of white ottomans house a styled tray, but can also serve as bedroom seating.

From: Emily Henderson

Secrets From a Stylist

Colorful, Bold Before-and-After Makeovers

Related To:

Shop This Look

Before: No Place to Entertain

After: Colorful Accents

Before: Modest Dining Room

After: Modern Funk Dining

Before: Outdated Fireplace

After: Rustic Cape Cod

Before: Unfunctional Space

After: '70s Funky Elegance

Before: No Place for Guests

After: Graphic Antique Guest Bedroom

Before: An Underused Space

After: Stylish Storage

After: A Global-Chic Vignette

Before: Uninviting Foyer

After: Bold Entrance

Before: No Focal Point

After: Asian-Inspired Retreat

After: Bold Patterns

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