It would be a waste of our services not to encourage our clients to try something they never thought of before. It may be a new pattern or textured fabric they’d never considered before. Or, it may be a colorful and fun piece of furniture!

In 16 years of creating spaces, I have never had a client regret one of these bold choices. In fact, they all comment about how much they love their pieces, even years after we completed the projects. Despite it seeming to be a departure from their initial vision, clients are often surprised at how many compliments they get when they step out of their comfort zone. Often, the biggest fans are family members.

A great piece of furniture becomes a family heirloom–one that your children, and your children’s children will remember for years to come. So, instead of passing by that brightly colored chest, give it a second look. You may be surprised by the joy a surprising piece can deliver on a daily basis.

Bungalow Five is known for colorful take on lacquered furniture. This Bell Desk in Navy is a statement piece that will stand the test of time.

This Isadora Console Table in Malachite Green may be the perfect touch to your new room.

Katie Ice by World’s Away is a glass chest of drawers painted a soft aqua color, perfect for your next beach home.

You can fully customize your piece’s style, hardware and color with Vanguard’s new ‘Make It Yours’ Bedroom Collection. Don’t like the colors offered? Vanguard will customize your piece with a custom color from Benjamin Moore for a small upcharge.

One of my all-time favorite pieces is this award-winning Lotus Bar from Century Furniture. I have seen it done in so many colors, and they always look amazing. My personal favorite is this teal color with an emerald green finish.

Make a passionate statement with Hickory Chair’s Carved Chest in a powerful shade of red.

This budget-friendly Avenue Chest from Universal Furniture comes in a shade called “blueprint” that I think is the perfect shade to set off a nautical theme.

Don’t be afraid to try something bold and exciting when it comes to furniture. A bright hue or unconventional design may make that piece you’re not quite sure about into your favorite part of the room.

The post Confident Color: Furniture for your Future appeared first on The Art Of Bridget.

When it comes to my home, I can sometimes be as bad as my clients when it comes to making a decision. But when my clients come to me, they’ve probably already spent way too much time picking a piece of furniture.

That’s where a professional designer comes to the rescue. I swoop in, listen to their goals and VOILA! I come back with three perfect coffee tables for them to pick from.

It sounds easy, but even though it’s my job, making choices isn’t always that simple. Sometimes, even the experts get hung up on making a final decision.

Clients have observed over the years that I must have so much trouble deciding what I want because I see so much. Surprisingly, when it comes to other people’s spaces, that’s not true.

My personal style is so eclectic and bohemian that I’m able to mix and match pieces to meet my own whims. I don’t have lots of “things,” so each design element I add to my personal space must be both functional AND beautiful. At the end of the day, those are my only true requirements.

I’ve learned to trust my gut because I know that when it comes to my own spaces, I can always replace something if I grow tired of it or it doesn’t fit the way I’d hoped.

And as a professional, I am lucky because I’m able to satisfy my thirst for new pieces by picking the perfect things for my client. It’s a win-win. I get to explore the design world with my clients, and I get to hold onto ideas I find that appeal to me as well.

The Coffee Table Conundrum

Recently, I hit a wall with deciding on the right coffee table to go in my own home.

In theory, I know the table I want, but finding it has been a different story. Each table I come across is either slightly bigger than I want or not as functional as I would like it to be.

But much like a designer can come to the rescue of a client who is stuck in a rut or struggling with a choice, the internet is my savior! With a lot of research, I was able to find exactly what I was looking for.

I contemplated the LAVA Coffee Table from Phillips Collection for a hot minute. Then decided to let it go. It just wasn’t fulfilling the vibe.

I also looked at Vanguard’s newer table, the Spencer but I didn’t want to have to deal with the additional book storage. Too much clutter for my kid-free home.

The Kelsie cocktail table by Arteriors feeds into my need for simplicity. Wrought iron and white marble makes for a simple addition to my already eclectic array of colorful pieces. But alas, it was not meant to be.

Since I was looking for a statement piece, the Pick-Up Sticks table by Ambella Home looked to be a good fit.

Again, the white marble was right in my wheel house. The retro gold with an altar-like display piqued my artistic side, but ultimately the table was just too big and I could not imagine ever moving it without throwing out my back.

The Brooklyn cocktail table by Century Furniture was my third runner-up. I imagined the wood in some wild color—something bold. The Lucite legs made my heart sing AND it was the perfect size. It really is (and was) the perfect table for the space.

The Vanguard Del Ray table was picture perfect. It was my second runner-up! It also features Lucite (which I LOVE) and a host of customizable paint finishes—which I would rock out. But it was simply too big for the space.

In the end, I followed my instincts and went for the table that sung to me the first time I saw it—the table that has challenged my designer’s brain for over a year.

I chose the award-winning Norma Table by Vanguard Furniture. This table is everything I love at the moment. White marble, retro gold, and an unusual design that challenges function.

I have thrown practicality out the window. Who needs it when you live alone?  Now I am off to find the perfect tray for my pretty perfect table!

The post Diary of a Designer: Coffee Table Woes appeared first on The Art Of Bridget.

Sunpan’s Stanley Barstool with Cowhide

Made of plastic, cowhide and stainless steel, this lightweight barstool will add a punch of texture and hipness to your otherwise quiet kitchen.

Safavieh Couture Kian Barstool

Brass is back!  Embracing the change will bring a whole new design element to your home.  Black and brass is a sophisticated and glamorous combination.

Arteriors Calvin Barstool

This low-back Leather barstool has a wide seat.  It’s perfect when you want to achieve an uninturupted view of  your beautful kitchen.

Vanguard Nevin Bar Stool

With the simplicity of the chrome design and a choice of fabric or leather, this customizable barstool is not only gorgeous but also made in the USA.

Century’s Copenhagen Brass Barstool

Never underestimate a great chair back.  The linear elements on this barstool exude a sophisticated style and come in a multitude of fabric and metal finish options.

The McMullin Design Group is ready to help with your kitchen renovation or redesign. Our experienced design team can help you pick the perfect barstool and so much more! Contact us here or call (856) 673-0290 today.

The post Belly On Up: The Best Metal Barstools for your Buck appeared first on The Art Of Bridget.

The top pet peeve of every designer, contractor, kitchen cabinet supplier, and all other professional service providers in my industry:  People NOT being realistic about their budget!

I’m going to get honest here, kitchens don’t cost $20,000 anymore. Maybe if you go to IKEA and plan a whole DIY kitchen, you might be able to pull it off.  I prove otherwise below, and many other blogs and articles will also bring you back to reality on this notion.  The only people I know who have time to DIY their kitchen remodels seems to be bloggers and reality TV renovators who make it sound like a walk in the park.

Yes, you can add up all the big expenditures (cabinets, flooring, fixtures), but one must also consider the labor as well as the “other” unseen materials (drywall, wires, pipes).  Design fees also come into play with these renovations as the contractors will need the proper documentation to not only build the job, but to bid on it as well.

So this week my Designer Diary is all about kitchen remodeling budgets.  Let’s get real about how much it REALLY costs!

Condo Upgrade

Before & After

Location: Sea Isle City, NJ

Scope: Gut renovation, reconfiguring the space, plumbing, electrical, laundry room/panty upgrade, flooring

Type: Condo

Overall Budget: $70,000- $100,000

Cabinet Budget: $30,000

Premium Counter Top & Backsplash Budget: $13,000

Appliance & Fixture Budget: $15,000

Flooring Budget: $3500

When updating a kitchen, taking into consideration all of the components involved may help you determine a suitable budget for your project.  If you live in or are downsizing to a condo, understand that you will probably pay a premium of 20-30% more for labor (those trips up and down the elevators, limited working hours, and size limitations add up over the course of the project).  Also, reconfiguring your major plumbing fixtures, stove, and updating your electric to meet code, will add to the overall cost of the project.

Single Home Redeux

Before & After

Location: Avalon, NJ

Scope: Renovation without reconfiguration, updating of electric to meet code

Type: Single Family Home

Overall Budget: $50,000- $70,000

Cabinet Budget: $22,000

Premium Counter Top & Backsplash Budget: $13,000

Appliance & Fixture Budget: salvaged existing

Flooring Budget: salvaged existing

Choosing to keep your existing configuration and paying off those appliances a few years in advance can take a pinch out of the renovation cost.  A big chunk of this renovation budget was spent on updating the island with a teak wood bar top and integrated columns.

IKEA (yes, we do IKEA)

Before & After

Location: Ocean City, NJ

Scope: Renovation without reconfiguration of major appliances and plumbing, update electric to meet code.

Type: Duplex

Overall Budget: $40,000- $50,000

Cabinet Budget: $15,000

Premium Counter Top & Backsplash Budget: $4500

Appliance & Fixture Budget: $7000

Flooring Budget: $1500

We can do IKEA kitchens, but in the end we find for a few dollars more our client can often upgrade to better cabinets. When you add up the IKEA cabinets, the labor to assemble them, and the customization pieces needed to create the space, as well as the ordering time (8 hours), and the “going back” time for all the things that IKEA forgot to add in, we figure our client could have less hourly fees and higher quality furnishings from other sources.  We will always advocate for better quality.

Single Home Blow Out

Location: Cherry Hill, NJ

Scope: Gut renovation with reconfiguration of entire space.

Type: Single Family Home

Overall Budget: $100,000- $130,000

Cabinet Budget: $40,000

Premium Counter Top & Backsplash Budget: $10,000

Appliance & Fixture Budget: $18,000

Flooring Budget: $5000

Fireplace Budget: $4000

Blowing out your kitchen space and creating a whole new configuration will always increase your budget.  What is not seen in this kitchen image is the 16 feet of kitchen cabinets and the pantry on the opposite wall of the enormous entertaining space.  Higher end appliances, molding details, and updates to the fireplace as a central detail in the room all add to the overall costs of this extensive remodel.  This remodel was part of a massive renovation of a 3500 square foot home from top to bottom including an enclosed 3 season room (seen in the background).  The budget number reflects the kitchen’s overall budget.

Our client was kind enough to review this process for our potential clients. Click here to see our client’s story “Where do We Start?”

As for that Sub-Zero refrigerator in your IKEA kitchen? Choose to spend that money on your cabinets instead. Considering all the labor that goes into the installation of your flooring, cabinets, countertop, and the backsplash, a Sub-Zero is a minimal expense. If you are looking for the integrated refrigerator look, then bite the bullet to spend now or put off that renovation one more year.  We never encourage our client’s to be penny wise and pound foolish. Your patience and planning will pay off in your home investment in the end!

If you are ready to get real and to plan your dream kitchen, the McMullin Design Group can help. Our expert designers are ready to talk kitchens with you. Contact us here or call (856) 673-0290 today!

The post Diary of a Designer: Girl PLEASE! Don’t Tell Me You Have a $20,000 Kitchen Budget and Want a Sub-Zero Refrigerator. appeared first on The Art Of Bridget.

Pillows can start a design conversation or can be the last element to find for a space.  Next time you are ready to start a project, maybe one of these fun finds will inspire you.

This Villa Home Collection pillow begins a lively and modern palette for a chic room.

Global Views never fails to inspire and surprise. This Lily Pad pillow would pop on a neutral sofa or start a gorgeous design journey in green.

This indoor/outdoor pillow proves that practical can also be fashionable.  Ryan Studio created this vibrant Indian inspired raspberry-mango-yellow dream.

Here is another indoor/outdoor creation from our friends at Studio 773 in Chicago.  This navy blue with mango safari inspired design can add an exotic feel to any space.

Channeling your favorite vacation may only be a pillow away with this Humble Haute Clownfish & Coral Blue Pillow.

This is how a great room palette begins!  I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want such a happy pillow in their home.  The range of color in this Design Accents embroidered design is sure to bring joy to any space.

No doubt the start of a perfect room!  Rizzy Rug’s striped graphic is fresh and young- kind of how I would like to describe myself!

Can’t decide on what blue to use?  Let a great pillow guide you!  The Manhattan Pillow by Safavieh Home can start you on the right path.

The McMullin Design Group can help you design your dream space.  Contact us today for a design consultation and start your journey towards a happy and inspired home.

The post 8 Pillows That Make The Designers at MDG Happy appeared first on The Art Of Bridget.

A carved chest front with storage makes this Ambella Home piece updated and unique.

Marble and metal translate to a classic look that could be modern or traditional!  I’ve been waiting for the perfect client for this new beauty also from Ambella Home.

The curved legs say traditional but the multiple finishes say right now!  Your plumbing fixtures, mirror, and hardware will define which way your decorating focus goes with this beauty from Ambella Home.

Gold and grey create a geometric delight with this airy vanity piece from Worlds Away.  A sculptural piece or vase would accent it nicely at the base.

You can never go wrong with a marble top and a white vanity.  The circular brass hardware in the center elevates the simple design from World’s Away.

A beautiful new bathroom is just a phone call away.  The McMullin Design Group can help you design your perfect powder room or luxurious master bath.  Call (856) 673-0290 today for more information or fill out our contact form HERE.

The post Vanity Envy – Five Must Have Vanities for your Powder Room! appeared first on The Art Of Bridget.

Kristen & I checking out all of the color in the Currey Showroom!

Grey is the new beige……and we are sooooooo over it!  Sure, we can do grey.  We do grey every day.  Grey and navy, grey and powder blue, grey and spa blue… you get the idea.

Selamat’s retro vibe harkens back to a 40’s style Floridian glam.

At this year’s High Point Market we were inspired by the spaces that showed color!  They were bold, inspirational, and fresh.  Color stood out while the grey and boring showrooms left Kristen and I feeling uninspired.  Unremarkable would be a better descriptor.   While Joanna Gaines flash-in-the-pan “Texas” style permeated the ad space, it also seemed that the furniture vendors were racing to following the trends rather than setting them.  Kristen went to check out Joanna’s new furniture line and was shocked by the overall quality of the furnishings.  When I asked her what she expected, she said she thought since her show was all about family and this concept of reuse and sustainability, her furniture would follow suit.  She was disappointed to find China quality imports that looked like a Ballard catalog collection of things past.  We’ve seen it all before.  Joanna Gaines has polished the apple but she didn’t even bother to bake a pie!

A bold navy feels updated with these classic gold pendants at Universal.

Vanguard makes us think of spring with this happy green.

At the end of the day we were bored, and so were all of the other designers I spoke with along the way.  So I guess it is up to us to set the new trends.  Me, I want color.  I want yellows and greens, blues and rusts!  I want fun and inspiring shades that challenge my clients and make each room unique and not “Joanna-fied”.  What’s the point of hiring a designer if you can’t create a space that is uniquely yours!

Bernhardt chose this rusty red to highlight this transitional collection.

I’m calling it now.  This rustic “farmhouse” style is going to be the 80’s pickled cabinets of 10 years from now.  It’s going to feel dated. So 2015!

Rowe fancied Peacock paint and bold accessories to create a fun office space.

Highland House inspires us with this gold sofa and art.

If you are ready to set design trends in your home, The McMullin Design Group is ready help with a fresh and timeless look.  Contact us today or call 856.673.0290.

The beautiful furnishings above can be found at the following:

• selamatdesigns.com
• www.universalfurniture.com
• vanguardfurniture.com/home
• www.bernhardt.com
• www.rowefurniture.com
• www.highlandhousefurniture.com

The post Being Bold! appeared first on The Art Of Bridget.

Here are our favorite gold accented bar carts!  They will be sure to bring a bit of sophistication and glamour to your next event.

All of our great finds are always available for purchase.  Call Tina today to get pricing – 856.673.0290.

The post Bar Carts that “Up the Bar”! appeared first on The Art Of Bridget.

We saw some amazing beds at High Point this season.  Which one is your dream bed?

They are all so great… how do you pick just one?

Wait – I know!

Redo all of your bedrooms at once!

The post Eye Candy! Our Favorite Beds From High Point This Season appeared first on The Art Of Bridget.

At April’s High Point Furniture Market MDG’s team sees hundreds of thousands of pieces of furniture in just five days.

The furniture industry has always been a “Good Ole Boys” club. Even during my years as a student, it was quite evident who ruled the roost when it came to the industry.  It became even more prevalent when I began attending High Point Market in 2007.  A women’s place was behind the desk, answering phones, and assisting the male sales force. They teetered on their stilettos walking us through the showrooms killing their feet on a concrete floor for a petty temporary wage.  The few women who were representing lines were my sisters. They were warriors against the establishment, and trying desperately to break the glass ceiling.

Times they-have-a changed at High Point!  I have been bearing witness to the fall of the “Good Ole Boys” club.  It is a topic that has pervaded my conversations with the few female reps I do have.  And now that my company does significant business in the furniture market, I am able to choose not to work with sales reps that hail from such a backward mentality.  The companies that I choose to work with are forward thinking and have realized the value of the designer market.

North Carolina has been the home to furniture in the United States since the seventeenth century earning its nickname “The Furniture Capital of the World” in the 1980’s.  The state’s businesses are the largest employers of furniture manufacturing in the US.  The high concentration of tradesmen, from trained upholsters and furniture makers, to the suppliers of wood, frames, cushions, and fabric make manufacturing in the region efficient and cost effective.  The concentration of craftsmen is mindboggling!

The rise of China’s cheap furniture has cut deep into NC’s trade.  Many American companies thought sending their furniture manufacturing overseas would help boost profits.  However, poor quality and the “race to the bottom” mentality within the furniture industry has only made the American furniture market weaker.  Many local companies have realized the sacrifices they have made in quality control over the past decade and are bringing their manufacturing back to the US.  The majority of MDG’s upholstery and case goods lines are made right in North Carolina.

Recently, North Carolina has passed legislation against transgendered people.  It specifically targets to ban discrimination against “race, religion, color, national origin or biological sex” at businesses and places of public accommodations.  But it has very clearly excluded those with different sexual orientations including gay, lesbian, and especially transgendered people.  It has stirred a very public debate about the use of bathrooms for those who orient themselves with a different sex.

Our team spends five 12 hours days in a row checking out the latest and greatest in the furniture industry. A thumbs up means we LOVE it!

I think if Bruce Springsteen can make a stand, so can the furniture businesses that do over 50 million dollars in trade business during the market season.  Considering these companies contract and employee the talents of many artisans, and the arts have historically been a haven for those without a voice including women, minorities, and our LGBT friends, I would think these manufacturers would not want to discriminate against those who create, design, and build for them.  And what about the design community, which is deeply connected to the LGBT community?  These are the specifiers and salesmen of their products.  I know my dollars can be easily moved to another manufacture who has a more open minded view on this legislation.

Can one state be so narrow minded as to not see the bigger implications of their vote?  Is there no statesman who understands that this is discrimination?

Kristen inspects the comfort quality at Vanguard Furniture.

As a small business owner, boycotting market at such a late date is impossible.  We have already shelled out enough non-refundable moola that it is impossible for us to take the hit.  So instead, I will make this upcoming week about being a voice. This week I shop with a purpose.  I plan to voice my opinion to the manufacturers who matter.  I will make sure they know where I stand and how my dollars will be spent.   I know my fellow designers plan to do the same.  I will ask where they stand regarding the HB-2 legislation, and then choose my purchases accordingly.

We never should forget that we ALWAYS have a voice against discrimination, it is up to us to use it.

The post Discrimination in North Carolina appeared first on The Art Of Bridget.