Jay Nuhring House Styling Video

Really Fast, Really Affordable & Really Fabulous Living Room Makeover

Before - Living Room.  New homeowner painted the walls.  Refinished the hardwood floors.  Purchased a sofa,   an oversized leather chair, and a big screen TV.  She did what she knew she could do - then stopped.  

After - Living Room.  As a gift, the homeowner's mother surprised her with finishing the living room.  I arrived at the house at 9:00 am.  I quickly assessed the furniture arrangement and made mental notes of what the room needed.  9:40 am - arrived at HomeGoods.  11:30 - arrived back at the house and unloaded our purchases.  1:00 - Done.  This was a quick and budget friendly project.  Area rug - $399.  Accent pillows - $16.99 - $24.99.  Rustic wood coffee table/chest - $249.  Artwork above sofa was created by the homeowner and waiting for the perfect place to hang.  The triptych is perfect in it's new location and compliments the new color scheme.  Really quick.  Really affordable.  Really Fabulous.

One Day Makeover - West Lake Harriet Parkway Bedroom

Bed centered across from windows.  Tall chest of drawers is hidden flat into the corner.   Expected placement of artwork above headboard.  Underwhelming bed linens. Drab carpet.

Added period style ceiling fixture. Rearranged tall chest of drawers and bureau.  Moved bed further from the bedroom door - removed bed skirt and added a teal blue coverlet - finished with accent pillows and crisp white sheets.  Brought in lounge chair and ottoman to create a comfortable sitting/dressing area.  Rehung artwork.  Added vintage area rug with pattern and color.

In The News - One Day Makeover! Mpls/St Paul HOME & DESIGN Magazine - March 2014

Flea Market Seltzer Bottle Finds A New Home

Found this great aqua blue seltzer bottle at a flea market about an hour south of Minneapolis.  Love the color and the antique silver handle and spout.  The glass is thick and the bottle is surprisingly heavy.  I had a feeling it would look great with other bar accessories, artwork, and bottles of wine.  $65

I paired the aqua blue bottle with crystal decanters, antique silver, blue willow porcelain platter and bottles of wine.  The pieces sit on top of an antique two-drawer secretary/bureau.  Vintage dark-framed landscape oil painting completes the assemble.

View 2

House Styling - Transform A Room From Intellectual Mess to Intellectual Masterpiece!

Living Room - Before

Living Room - Before.  What do you do with three identical sofas?  First take one of them out of the equation.  Focus on the traffic and flow of the room.  The opening into the dining room needs more space - solution - move that sofa.  Furniture should engage the architecture - not exclude or discriminate. 

Living Room - After.  That third sofa (blocking the dining room) is now back to back with another identical sofa - problem solved.  Plus now the entry/library area has seating and creates another room within a room - much prettier to see when one walks in the front door.  The book wall was refreshed, organized, and styled with artwork and accessories - more interesting, more intentional, more purposeful, and more beautiful to look at.  I love this room now.  Before it was an "Intellectual Mess" (quoting the homeowner).  Now it's an Intellectual Masterpiece! Photography by SpaceCrafting.com. 

Living Room - View 2

Living Room - View 3

Living Room - View 4

Unexpected Asymmetry On A Symmetrical House

I drove past this house today - stopped three houses down and backed up.  What caught my attention was  the asymmetry on what appears to be a symmetrical facade.  The first floor window on the right appearing the same size as the window on the left - however at closer observation is indeed larger.  The small window on the second floor above the front door also appears to be centered - yet is slightly left of center.  And the front door - clearly left of center.  I love the intention of this architect/builder.  I suppose the decision to move the front door left of center may have come from the placement of the interior staircase leading to the second floor - a hall directly inside the front door leading to the back of the house - creating a straight path from front to back.  This would allow a load-bearing wall right of the front door, centered in the middle of the home.  At any rate, I find great pleasure and delight in the arrangement of the windows and front door.  All of these decisions being conscious, deliberate, intentional, and purposeful create just enough tension to make one look twice.   ReSee - it's inspiring.

1980's Barrel Chairs Get A Second Chance

Barrel Chair with Casters - Client wasn't ready to give  up these  chairs.  They're super comfortable, fit really well in the space and are the perfect size for them.  But the chairs are tired looking.  Boring. And the fabric is under-whelming.

Barrel Chair - Before - View 2

Reupholstered Chair - Updated, Graphic, and Engaging. The fabric is modern yet suggests a Kuba Cloth-like pattern.  Perfect with the couple's collection of African and Indian art. Upholstery - Michael Weiss Collection by Kravet - Fortress Tuxedo

Reupholstered Chairs - View 2

Free Standing Entry Hall Table Creates A Focal Point

Entry hall tables are classic, timeless, always great as a stand alone.  The surface on this lovely library table creates  an energy and force.  There is no singular piece of furniture that beckons one to gather or stand around other than a table.  Lake of the Isles photo styling - ReSee Design.  Flowers by ReSee Design.  Photography - LandmarkPhotography.com

Marina City Towers - State Street - Chicago

Balcony View - Overlooking Chicago River.  Designed in 1959 by architect Bertrand Goldberg.  Completed in 1964.  The tallest reinforced concrete structures in the world at that time.  I love this project. Let's re-design one of these units from this iconic building!

Balcony View 2 - Overlooking Chicago River

View of Marina City Towers from the Architecture Tour on the Chicago River.

Balcony View 3 - Overlooking Chicago River.