Sustainable Design in Hillsborough.

“E-consulting with Claire Bell has been a wonderful experience! I was browsing photos on houzz.com and came across some light fixtures that I thought were stunning. I asked the designer a question, and she promptly gave me an answer and offered her services to locate the sconces I wanted. I had never heard of e-consulting with a designer before, and I was a little lost when it came to the overall design of our new house, so I was relieved that Claire led me in the right direction. After showing Claire pictures of what I liked, she was able to narrow down my style preferences and keep me from straying off course. It was a huge relief to have some guidance. Here are the benefits I found from using Claire’s online consultation services: •Accessibility: I live in rural Nebraska—far from any contemporary/modern interior designers. Being connected electronically helped me find some up-to-date guidance where none was available. •No appointments necessary: not everyone can find time in “normal” business hours to meet with a designer. Our communication via email fit perfectly into my schedule, or lack thereof, since I work from home and also shuffle around two preschool-age kids from daycare, music, and school. •Honest opinion: Claire is not afraid to tell me if my ideas are straying from the main style objective, and she offers alternatives as well. She respects my tastes but lets me know if they are not necessarily tasteful. •Expert opinion: since I live far from an urban center, I have to shop online, but I’m often unable to tell a cheap knockoff from the real thing, and the amount of choices can be overwhelming. Since Claire has seen, in person, many of the pieces I was interested in, she was able to vouch for their looks, explain in better detail, and steer me away from lower-quality items. She was able to provide her own snapshots of fixtures in actual stores so that I could see them in a setting and in “real life.” •Flexibility: Claire is able to work within my budget, which was fairly tight, so she helped me maximize on looks, saving the more expensive pieces for places with the greatest impact. She let me decide which aspects of the home I needed help with the most, and that’s where she focused her attention. •Fairness: if I found a piece online for a lower price, Claire would honor it if she could or let me shop elsewhere if I found an amazing deal. •Positive attitude: cheerful, accommodating, and friendly, Claire was very fun to work with. While e-consulting doesn't allow an actual face-to-face exchange of ideas, although Claire does offer to Skype, it was the perfect service for me because of my location, busy schedule, and smaller budget. I was able to get the benefits of a high-end designer at a fraction of the cost and on my own time. I highly recommend Chic Abode Interiors, and I’m excited to continue collaborating with Claire Bell. If anyone has questions about my experience, I’d be happy to answer them. You can reach me at Melissa.Lind@abbnebraska.com.”

“I hired Maj Interiors for major kitchen help. I had a tone of ideas and a huge wish list but didn’t know how to put it all together. Working with Alona was a fantastic experience; she took care of everything on my wish list and organized the whole project! She was always on top of things and made me feel comfortable throughout the renovation process. I got a fabulous kitchen that was completed on time and on budget that I absolutely love! I would recommend Maj Interiors in a heartbeat!”

“We recently called on Nancie again after she completed a very impressive and successful redesign of our home several years ago. Nancie has provided the finishing touches on our home with furniture selection and placement, lighting options, and color options. She never fails to provide unique and practical choices that mesh with our lifestyle and budgetary concerns. Nancie listens and respects our input while educating and providing ideas that we would never have considered. We highly recommend Nancie Wood Interiors!”

“Design Works transformed our restaurant from a pre exiting sausage shop to a gourmet salads and wraps restauant. Donna and Kimmie created a fresh healthy environment for our customers and employees to enjoy! It was a pleasure working with Design Works and look forward to working with them again on our next Diced Gourmet Salads and Wraps.”

“Brian has been a pleasure to work with over the past years. He has recreated my house into a home and even helped my daughter select linens for her wedding reception. He is creative, has a great eye for color, uses various textures, attends to details in addition to being very responsive and knowledgeable about furniture, window treat ments and accessories. He takes the time to learn about you and designs to your lifestyle. My home is very cozy, comfortable and functional thanks to Brian's amazing decorating talents. I have also learned a lot about decorating from Brian and I look forward to working with him again in the near future.”

“Liz has a fabulous eye. While we had a vision for our home's renovation, Liz took our inspiration, contributed her own great ideas and experience and brought that vision to life. She worked well with our contractor to ensure design details were not overlooked, and she handled unforeseen issues with suppliers like a total pro (so I didn't have to!). So happy we had her on the team.”

“I worked with Carrie Moore to transform our master bedroom into a sanctuary. Her work originally caught my attention due to her years of experience in sustainable design and concern for health, wellness, and use of biophilic principles – a rare combination in residential interior design. After an initial visit to our house and thoughtful inquiry into our goals for the space, she provided a clear scope of work and estimate of her fees. The scope of work included a layout, idea board, color and product recommendations, and sourcing of products as needed. Carrie tuned into our aesthetic right away and gently challenged us to simplify the room to help accomplish our goals. She used some pieces that we already owned, found the art at an estate sale, ordered the bedding when it was on sale, and found a ‘look for less’ rug at a discount store. All of these efficiencies allowed us to invest in some designer lighting and in two custom bedside tables (that she designed) from a local metal artist. I especially appreciated that she seemed to have good relationships and good communication with all of the contractors that worked on the project – painters, window shade installer, metal artist, etc. This made the execution feel seamless. The project turned out beautifully - it is restful while being inspiring and highlights the nature outside our windows. We will work with Carrie again.”

“Working with Kimberly has truly been a pleasure. Her attention to details and innovative ideas are refreshing and inspiring. I look forward to a continued working relationship.”

“Morgan is an amazing designer! She transformed my house to a beautifully decorated home! Morgan put the finishing touches on my dining room, sitting room, family room and foyer. Morgan is professional, responsive, really listens to you and is great to work with. She is great respecting your budget! I’ve been working with Morgan for over a year now. I really like how she has design boards for every space and goes over them in detail and makes it easy to say if I do not love something. We just wrapped up our basement remodel project That took 4-5 months to complete. Morgan was there every step of the way and worked with my contractor to ensure all design aspects were right and decorated the whole space! I highly recommend Morgan for your next design project!”

“Jaimie helped me design and decorate my home. She transformed my house into a home. I would highly recommend her for anything from a small project such as redecorating a room or a total renovation.”