Go Behind the Scenes of Our $5,000 Room Refresh with Designer Joel Bray

Do you remember my $5,000 Room Refresh Contest with Designer Joel Bray from a few months ago? We got tons of great submissions and the winner — a dark & cramped condo living room — was selected by random draw.

We’ll be sharing all the Before & After pictures in my eNewsletter and on the Blog next week. (If you’d like to sign up for my once-a-month eNewsletter, click here and scroll to the bottom). In the meantime here’s a behind the scenes look at how the makeover unfolded with Joel!

I love incorporating vintage pieces with patina into every space. I was tempted to keep this trunk for myself. Imagine the stories it could tell!

Picking up the vintage cantilevered dining chairs I found on Kijiji. The chrome frames were in great shape.

Loading up our rental van. This always feels like designer Tetris.

Helping our handyman install the new built-ins in the dining nook. The units fit nicely under the bulkhead and offer tons of storage.

Accessory selection and styling prep. I like to bring more accessories than I need to a photoshoot to give me options to play around with.

Testing out sofa beds. The winner is comfortable and chic and has a nice wide chaise for putting your feet up.

Choosing fabric to reupholster the dining chair cushions with. Can you guess the winner? Hint: it’s super practical for concealing spills.

Bringing in our haul and unpacking it piece by piece.

Hanging a gallery wall over the new desk area. This is going to be the perfect spot for the contest winners to work from home.

Lights, camera, action — it’s time for our final photoshoot. Stay tuned for the photos next week!