Make your 2014 design an extension of you!
By Nicole Sharp
Spring is in the air, and soon color will be injected once more into our lives. What better way to greet spring this year than by finally redoing that kitchen, living room, or bedroom that you’ve been longing to for a while now. Not sure how to start? Marva Don Card, interior designer and owner of Decorating Den Interiors does, and she is eager to help.
Decorating Den Interiors has over 400 owners across the US and Canada. Such a grounded and supportive company is why Card bought her franchise a year ago. This might be her second career, but it’s her first passion. Her love for color, design, and the ability to use a room as a blank canvas the way an artist would are just a few reasons why she is good at what she does.
Card is a prime example that you don’t have to give up on your dreams. Be it starting that dream job or finally having that dream kitchen, Card inspires. Her bright personality is contagious and her smiling light brown eyes reflect her passion for her job. “The trust people put in me is a lot of responsibility. But how wonderful to be able to help someone create a space that is an extension of them,” she says.
To even mention hiring an Interior Designer can be intimidating, and as most people think, costly. That’s not the case with Decorating Den. If Card has one message she is trying to impart, it’s that it doesn’t have to be. She works with your budget and your space.
The first consultation with Card is always free, and another thing that sets her apart from other designers is that she comes to you. She visits with the client to get a feel for who they are, discusses budget, views the space in question, and gives an estimate. She is able to work directly with manufacturers in order to obtain competitive prices. She tries to work with American made materials as much as possible, as well as ‘green’ materials. This includes reusing older pieces. Some centerpiece furniture has been around since the 40’s or 50’s, yet because it was well made, it still looks like new. “We are a throwaway society. I want to help my clients realize the longevity of well-made pieces,” Card adds.
At end of a first consultation with Card, she insists on three things. The client must like her. She says, “They need to feel like we will work well together.” Second, they have to love her design. “If they only like it, we go back to the drawing board until they love it,” she insists. And lastly, it must be within their budget. From that first consultation, Card works hard to get back to her clients within a week, armed with a scale layout and swatches.
No job is too small for Card. “I’ve had a job where I ordered one piece of furniture for a client,” she says. She works with outdoor spaces, lighting, floor to ceiling remodels, and business offices. She offers Wine and Design parties where folks invite friends to their homes for Card to talk to. She also speaks with different groups and clubs in the community. Her key to it all? From the design to the final installation, Card does it all and “you don’t even have to leave home,” she says.
When I spoke with Card she had just begun a renovation on her own kitchen. When I asked her about her cabinets, she said, “I wanted to show there is a way to give existing cabinetry an up-do without spending a lot.” Card is working with Amy Covington at N-hance resurfacing cabinets, as well as with Karen Jahn from Flooring America on the flooring.
When I asked card what the 2014 palate in design would consist of, she was brimming with answers. For starters, she says, “Gray is the new neutral.” Add a splash of mood brightening color, tangerine orange, cobalt blue, and lively orchid. Styles like Mid-century modern and the 1950s flare continue to gain popularity. Also, adding an accent chair adds eye candy to an entire room‘s décor.
Working with an interior designer doesn’t have to be expensive or intimidating. Contact Card to schedule a complimentary, in-home consultation and see what possibilities await you this spring.
To reach her, go to www.Marvadon.decorationden.com, call 1-208-880-8048, or find her on Facebook: Decorating Den Interiors-Marva Don Card
