HGTV's Inspirational Kristan Cunningham

I have many things in my life that inspire me but now I have a new inspiration! Kristan Cunningham of HGTV's Design on a Dime. Kristan is the newest spokesperson for Raymour and Flanigan furniture stores and I had the lucky pleasure of meeting her recently for an in- store event. Raymour and Flanigan's King of Prussia location on DeKalb Pike hosted two design seminars along with two sweepstakes for an attendee to win a $2,500 room makeover. What fun! I was scheduled for another promotional event so when I arrived at the store the first sweepstakes winner had been selected and was on a whirlwind shopping trip with Kristan around the showroom. I was allowed to join in and get a glimpse of Kristan in action! The first prizewinner, Janice and her husband Phil were working on furnishing their master bedroom in their newly built home. I was happy to hear that with three small kids Janice was making it her priority to create a space for she and her husband; a haven, if you will. Many people spend time and money making the rest of their home a showpiece but leave their bedroom as their last project, which many times takes years to get around to. Personally, I think it's the most important room of the house and was my first project in my home when we moved in. Your bedroom is the first thing you see when you open your eyes in the morning and the place where you lay your head at days' end. It should be cozy, welcoming and a respite for you and your husband. I firmly believe this, especially if you are raising small children and are usually sleep deprived and generally also never without someone tagging along beside you. The aqua blue chaise Kristan selected for the master sitting room is just what the doctor ordered for a quiet place to sit and rejuvenate, and the bolster pillow a perfect rest for reading. I loved the idea of the metallic mirrored bedside table to add a little shabby chic style. Kristan was a breath of fresh air and I had a wonderful opportunity to sit and chat with her for a bit after her design consultation was complete. Not only was she welcoming to me but offered me moments to insert my thoughts and comments. How cool was that? Kristan was born and raised in the south and her comfortable way, her outgoing personality and her relaxed and cool style shows. Design on a Dime, her design show featured on HGTV does the same. Kristan's ideas are ready to go, easy to accomplish and have a unique impact. Her experience at the high end furniture show rooms in Los Angeles helped to guide her style while her desire to create a look that is affordable for everyone turns simple items into looks with pow! Kristan is a busy young woman because she has such a knack for helping her clients be successful with their dreams and their goals. Through her work Kristan has noticed an evolution with her clients. They are no longer interested in having someone come in and drape the home in expensive fabrics and high end furnishings, Kristans' clients are savvy, informed and have opinions and definitely chose to be part of the design process. Kristan finds a give and take and a satisfaction in working closely with someone to help bring their ideas to fruition. People work hard and want their home to be a place of leisure, of comfort and have a style that expresses who they are. My sentiments exactly! Kristan accomplishes this with her own individual flare and trained eye. She is always evolving and changing with her clients and Kristan feels she has found her niche with her work and loves what she does. I am hoping that Kristan's relationship with Raymour and Flanigan is long and rich. The regular mom needs a one stop shopping experience where she can quickly and easily find what she needs, have advice on how to pull it all together affordably and feel confident that her choices are current and stylish. The event was a boon for Janice, who initially arrived baby in stroller! Grandmom came and took the baby home and Phil arrived for the makeover consultation. Janice had definite ideas and desires for her room and she and Kristan worked well with the give and take as they discussed the project and made her ideas come to fruition. It sounds like Janice is very comfortable, once receiving ideas for a foundation, with adding her own personal style to the room. I was also inspired by their relationship and ideas. On behalf of my business, Equilibrium Design and Consulting, I offered Janice a free consultation at her home to help her accessorize her finds and pull her look together once her furnishings are delivered. Keep your eyes on Kristan Cunningham and Raymour and Flanigan. If you've caught her recent commercials she has much more for us to learn through her relationship with the store. We'll look for more Design on a Dime inspiration from you, Kristan! And thank you for reading! Miriam