Bonita Van Otterloo

This week Bonita Van Otterloo took her turn at DesignIt 2012.  We had a great time getting to know her and we're sure that you will too.  

Why did you choose the pieces that you did to design around?  

I love color, so I knew I wanted the room to have pops of color in it. Initially, when I was chosen for this, I also knew I wanted to do some type of office area, but I wanted it to be warm and inviting because to me, an office needs to be a place where you can relax as well as concentrate. So, right away, I chose a desk and a fireplace, because what’s more warm and inviting than a fireplace? Next, I chose a chair. At first I had picked another chair, but decided on the swivel orange printed one instead because I had seen the fun orange rug to pair it. 

I also chose the fuzzy chair because it made me think of something I’d like to sit in next to the fireplace when it’s cold outside (and it is soooo comfy!!!). The orange throw and pillow were an added bonus. Then, I saw “THE” cabinet. I love it. I love the shutter doors, and I love the distressed color. I had to have it.J The glass table in front of it with the orange bar stool and metal bar stool adds some shine to the room, as well as an industrial-type feel. 

I thought a little coffee nook for an office would be fun, mostly because my ideal office would have something to do with coffee. Then, I saw the piece with the mirrored circle. Again, more shine, and just an all-around fun piece. I even found vases with circles on them, so that really made everything tie together nicely. I added some pops of orange/red here and there, as well as some birch twigs in birch-like vases and two smaller spiral evergreen trees to give it a hint of winter and Christmas. People who know me, know how much I love Christmas! I thought the picture above the fireplace went nicely with those birch twigs and had some hint of orange in as well. I also used the screen and went with hanging the clock from it.

How would you describe your design style?

Like I said, I love color. Whether it’s pops of color through accessories, paint, a rug, or a dramatic colorful piece, I need to have color. I’m really into the rustic and distressed pieces right now. They are so fun and add a lot of character to a room. I also like anything warm and inviting because a home is where you spend the most time, and I think it needs to be a place where you can relax and unwind.

Why did you sign up for DesignIt 2012?

I thought it would be a fun challenge and a good experience, and it was! To have a whole furniture store at your disposal and design a room where you can use anything you want was just such a fun way to express how my personality is through a designed room.

What would you do with the $1000 shopping spree?

We've been talking about getting a new sectional, but I would also love to use it toward some of the pieces I used in my DesignIt room.

What else would you like us to know?

Thank you to Vander Berg Furniture & Flooring for putting this on! What a fun way to get your name out there but also letting people use their creativity to display your furniture and accessories. I encourage people to get out there and check out what they have to offer. You will have so much fun! :)

Kari Vander Plaats

This week we wanted to give you a peak into the inspiration of our latest DesignIt 2012 contestant, Kari.  Be sure to check out her photo on Facebook and Like and Share in order to vote for her.

Why did you choose the pieces that you did to design around? 

There were so many pieces that I loved in Vander Berg Furniture & Flooring, so it was hard for me to decide on just one room design.  I chose to do an office/conference room design because I wanted to design something different than others in previous weeks had done.  Also, I thought that customers would get a good feel for what a home office or a conference room for a business could look like with furniture from Vander Berg Furniture & Flooring.  

The inspiration piece that got the ball rolling was the rug that is located underneath the conference room table.  I found it in one of the modular homes and instantly thought it was the perfect piece.  It allowed me to incorporate all different colors.  I was not limited to black or brown.  It seemed to pull out both colors well.  After I found that piece, the other pieces just fell into place.

How would you describe your design style?

I would describe my design style as sophisticated with a rustic twist.  I love both ends of the spectrum.  I love the fancy feel, but have acquired a love for rust and antiques as of late.  You'll see pieces with a little bit of sophistication (like the conference room chairs) and then see pieces with a fun rustic edge to them (like the burlap bow on the red chairs and the burlap lamp on the desk).  I think you get a great balance by incorporating a little bit of each.

Why did you sign up for DesignIt 2012?

I love to design and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try my hand at a larger project.  I had never designed a whole room from scratch.  I love to redecorate my room at home, but only add new accent pieces here and there.  This great experience gave me the opportunity to try something new and I had a blast doing just that.

What would you do with the $1000 shopping spree?

There are so many pieces in Vander Berg Furniture & Flooring that I don’t know if I would ever be able to make up my mind.  I think that I would choose something that I could use later on when I have a place of my own.  I would also want it to be something that I could remember this great experience with.

What else would you like us to know?

I just want to thank Vander Bergs for putting together such a fun activity for the community.  I had a blast getting to work with all of you and hope to see many more fun designs in the weeks to come!

Lori Horstman: Inspiration

VB: We're continuing our series of DesignIt 2012 blog entries.  This week, Lori Horstman was kind enough to let us in on a few of the things that inspired her design.

Lori: I really like the look of old furniture with a splash of formal. My real passion is decorating with antiques, which is reflected in my design style for DesignIt 2012 where I mixed the old look with a little bit of a modern flare. I picked pieces with that look in mind. 

I really wanted to be a part of this challenge to express my design style outside of my comfort zone.  I love to decorate and my home is always changing with new treasures that I find.  As for the prize money, I'm not so sure what I would do with that, but I'm sure my daughter and son would have some ideas for me!

DesignIt 2012 has given me the opportunity to share what I like with others and I hope they like my room as much as I do.

Fall Inspiring Design: Loreen Marra

Fall is such a beautiful time of year.  The leaves turn and fall and give way to a season full of family, celebration, and giving thanks.  Loreen Marra from Hull is our designer this week and she chose the fall season as her inspiration.  She loves to design a room with a few unexpected vintage and whimsical surprises and she's not afraid to mix wood tones like the black painted buffet with the stained dining room set.

 

Loreen believes that you don’t have to get all new furniture to give your room a facelift; just add one or two exciting pieces and your room will have a brand new look. She wants to thank Vander Berg Furniture & Flooring for the fun contest and issue a stern warning to our friends at HGTV... watch out! Northwest Iowa has some very talented designers too!

Well, I wouldn't describe her as beige.

We had a blast with the gals from KICD 107.7 FM this past Friday when they stopped by for DesignIt 2012.  If you haven’t heard, they are designing on behalf of ATLAS of Sioux Center!  If they receive the most likes and shares on Facebook, ATLAS will receive the $1000 shopping spree!

We caught up with Rhonda Wedeking this week to ask a few questions about her design.  As someone who describes her design style as “early attic”, we think she did a pretty fantastic job!  Here’s what she had to say.

Why did you choose the pieces that you did to design around?  

I really liked the distressed furniture and when we walked in the store and saw that credenza, we just knew it was meant to be.  I really liked that piece.

How would you describe your design style?

I’ve always made fun of myself and often joked with friends that the style of my house could easily be described as “early attic”.  However, we found some beautiful new pieces to put together at Vander Bergs.  As for the space we put together for DesignIt 2012, well, it’s a little eclectic and a little funky with a touch of modern.  Make sense?

Why did you sign up for DesignIt 2012?

I just thought it sounded fun.  And it was!  It was a great opportunity to be creative! 

Everyone that knows me understands that I’m a little out there anyway—I like to do the non-traditional things and this was a great opportunity to do just that.  It’s also really cool that if I’m fortunate enough win, we can help out a great charity as well.

Why are you excited about partnering with ATLAS?

As you know, there’s a Spencer chapter of ATLAS.  I know someone whose son had chosen a few wrong paths in early adulthood.  He began working with a mentor from ATLAS and is now someone that you would want in your school, in your church, and working in your organization.  ATLAS helped him choose a better direction.  Viewing that experience really opened my eyes to how ATLAS works and it’s awesome to have this opportunity to partner with them.

What else would you like us to know?

I could’ve chosen so many different pieces to work with!  Vander Berg’s had a great selection that included several different styles.  There was a great Western chair in one of the homes and a fabulous dining room set in another.  It is well worth your time to stop on by just to look and get ideas! The toughest part of the entire competition was to decide what type of room we wanted to go with, but we ended up with a space that really expresses my personality, which is certainly not beige!