DIY an design

Why is there such a big gap between what a "normal" person's home looks like and the homes we see on Pinterest or TV? You know what you like, so why is it so dang hard to translate that to the rooms you move through every day? Isn't there someone who can help you do that? Make suggestions without imposing their own vision rigidly? Give you the best 5 options to choose from so you don't have to spend weeks and months online comparing and contrasting, paralyzed by indecision until you just pick one for better or for worse?

Why shouldn't you be your own interior designer?

No one knows your style better than you do - that's why I feel

Instead of imposing my vision and tastes onto your home, I'll help you identify your style

Your home shouldn't look like my home, or like

Giving you my ideas, taking your feedback into consideration, and give you a couple of options

After renovating and decorating my own home for 8 years, I'd love to help my fellow Chicagoans make their homes cozy and lovely. Right now I'll advise for free in exchange for before and after photos. Here are some things we can do together:

Help picking paint colors
Curb appeal makeovers
1 day front door makeover
Advice on choosing finishes for a renovation
Help researching and choosing furniture, rugs, appliances
Hygge Your Home: making it feel cozy and warm
Gallery walls
Modern nursery design
Staging for resale
“Work with whatcha got” small budget rearranging and redesign
Green thumb houseplant help - shopping, choosing, potting, placing
Vintage furniture search & shop

MASTER BEDROOM

KITCHEN

NURSERY

FRONT PORCH

OUTDOOR

MEET YOUR DESIGN BFF

Help picking paint colors
Curb appeal makeovers
1 day front door makeover
Advice on choosing finishes for a renovation
Help researching and choosing furniture, rugs, appliances
Hygge Your Home: making it feel cozy and warm
Gallery walls
Modern nursery design
Staging for resale
“Work with whatcha got” small budget rearranging and redesign
Green thumb houseplant help - shopping, choosing, potting, placing
Vintage furniture search & shop

Let’s Talk

BASEMENT

FAMILY ROOM

As a family of five, we needed a secondary living space for movies and gaming, so in 2015 we finished the basement with the help of a friend. Our budget wasn’t huge so we decided just to paint the concrete floor black and make a room-size rug with Flor tiles.

BEFORE

The basement before was a barebones storage area, with styrofoam panels serving as insulation. So it got cold - and made the whole house feel cold too.

IN PROGRESS

On this wall we framed out a space for built in bookshelves, which my lovely husband custom made for me. Whenever possible we used built ins to maximize floor space.

BOOKSHELVES

Since this room didn’t have any windows, I wanted a splash of bold, bright color. We painted out the shelves a rich emerald green, Sherwin Williams Kilkenny.

BEFORE

The old view facing the street.

GUEST ROOM

Because it has windows on two sides, this became a bright, sunny guest bedroom. It's separated from the family room by french doors.

BUILT INS

Right outside the family room is a small wall that hides one of the support beams. (Fun fact! Our house was built in 1891, and the support beams are actually trees! I would have left them exposed except previous owners had painted them various shades of gray over the year.) We carved out a space for board games and my husband built these beautiful floating shelves.

DRESSER NOOK

Just inside the guest room, we recessed this area for a dresser and installed a light above it.

CEILING DETAIL

Here we were in the process of adding blocking between the joists. After they were caulked and primed, we painted everything the same white as the ceiling, good old White Dove from Ben Moore. We also incorporated more built ins on this wall of the guest room to hold books and other items. The window wells are also nice and deep.

DIY GAME STORAGE

To build these shelves, Josh built three boxes that slipped over boards he attached to the side walls. I found the creepy clown chest at a thrift store.

AQUARIUM

This is affectionately known as our Chinese Restaurant wall. Instead of having a large aquarium out in the room, we created a window that gives it a built in look and frees up floor space. It will be easy enough for future owners to close it up if, for some insane reason, they don't like it. The white doors lead to our unfinished storage area.

BEFORE

Facing the back of the house, the basement was one big open space. The furnace is off to the far right.

FAMILY ROOM

Now, the furnace area on the right has been closed off. We built in the TV and gaming systems to keep things from bumping out into the room. Down the hall and on the left is a bathroom and a small closet with the main electricity panel.

BASEMENT BATH

We weren't able to squeeze a shower into this bathroom, which was super disappointing. I comforted myself with a stunning wallpaper from Anthropologie. The sink is Ikea and the floor is painted concrete like the rest of the basement.

BARN DOOR

To accommodate a very narrow hallway, we built a custom sliding door to the utility area. I am not the world’s biggest fan of barn doors but this hallway is crazy narrow because of the placement of the support beams (trees). We built this custom door ourselves with plywood and hardware from Etsy.

KITCHEN

We painted the cabinets, put in quarts countertops, replaced the ceiling fan with recessed lights and a pendant, and added vintage brass hardware.

KITCHEN

We painted the cabinets, put in quarts countertops, replaced the ceiling fan with recessed lights and a pendant, and added vintage brass hardware.

BEFORE

Tired oak cabinets, a pink laminate countertop, and old white appliances which all died within the first year.

AFTER

Having a deck off the kitchen is amazing. One entire wall is windows.

BEFORE

This was staged as an eat in kitchen, but what it needed was more storage.

EXTRA STORAGE

We bought this hutch on Craigslist for $250. It was salvaged from a two flat by an architect, who painted it black. Now it holds pantry staples and my ironstone collection.

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QUARTZ

Adios pink laminate! These quartz countertops are a dream. LG Viatera in Natural Limestone. I wanted warm, creamy tones in this kitchen, no cold gray and whites.

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A deep, single sink made a world of difference in function. Placing a small, simple wood mirror behind the sink bounces light around the room.

VINTAGE BRASS

I found 20 of these at a garage sale for $5. Score!

BOOKSHELF

When we couldn't find a fridge the same size as the old one, we had to remove the cabinet above it. Those deep, short cabinets aren't very useful anyway, so my husband built the perfect-sized shelf for my cookbook collection. Well, part of it.

OUTDOOR SPACE

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BEFORE

One of the previous owners enclosed this porch but with inappropriate materials. We ripped it all out, gave away the hot tub, and created an outdoor oasis.

Name, Title

copywriter & creative director

KARI HAILEY

MEET YOUR DESIGN BFF