Inspiring Design:: Willey Design

I don’t think I’ve ever met an interior designer who would dream of relinquishing control of their own home and allowing another designer free reign over their home.  I’m no different than most.  The thought is almost unbearable to me.  However, I do admit that I have a very short list of interior designers (a VERY short list) who I would consider handing my home over to for a complete top-to-bottom makeover, and I think I could safely place John Willey on that list.

This Manhattan-based designer has been featured in several publications, including House Beautiful and Veranda.  His use of color, texture, and pattern is very appealing to me.  And one of my favorite things about his company’s website is the inclusion of before pictures!  Oh, you know I’m a sucker for before and after pictures!!

So let’s take a look…

This is a “before” living room:

And the “after”:

Wow!!!  Can you handle it?!  Is it too much for you?  Not for me!!!  I love it, love it, love it!!  (Although when he designs my home, I’ll have him do the ceiling in silver leaf instead.)  Moving on…

Another living room “before”:

And here’s what it looks like “after”:

Don’t you love that door?!  And I also really like the balance of cool and warm tones in the room.

Sadly, there wasn’t a “before” picture of this kitchen, but the after is absolutely stunning:

Ummm…does that ceiling look familiar?!  That was my vision with my own kitchen ceiling (that kept turning out too dark so I painted it white).  I still think my kitchen is too small to pull off this type of ceiling, but this just goes to show how amazing it looks in the right space!!

Next let’s take a look at the “before” of this hallway:

Pretty standard and basic, right?  Doesn’t seem like there’s much that can be done here, right?

Wrong!  Take a look:

Clearly some walls had to be moved for this, but it’s definitely something to consider!!  Walls shouldn’t stand in the way of your vision for your home.

This living room didn’t have a “before” photo either, but isn’t this wonderful!

I love the cheerful mix of colors, the ceiling, and the light.  I also find myself really drawn to very large-scale artwork lately.

Next, we’ll take a look at this living room in its “before” state:

And here’s the amazing transformation:

I could certainly be quite comfortable in that room!!  The coffee table, with the worn wood, is one of my favorite features in this room.

And here’s the last one…a bedroom in its “before” state:

And the amazing “after”:

Amazing, right?  You can see much more on the Willey Design website, including many, many more before and after pictures.

So did any of these rooms get your creative juices flowing?  Could you move right into any of these and feel right at home?  And what do you think about all of that color and pattern?  Love it as much as I do?