Casa Vilora Interiors Design Studio 5602 Franz Rd Katy TX 77493

The home has not been renovated or upgraded for many years and is really showing its age. I can see the tremendous potential that lies in this building and I am working diligently to restore and preserve some of its history and charm. I have already done quite a bit of work on my own, and would love to do alot more.

With careful thought and prayers, I decided to launch an Indiegogo Campaign. For those who don’t know what Indiegogo is: It is a crowdfunding platform where people who want to raise money can create fundraising campaigns to tell their story and get the word out. Indiegogo is also a place to discover what people all over the world are passionate about and how to get involved. Quite honestly, this is way out of my comfort zone, and I was even told by someone in marketing that it needs to be re-evaluated for optimum reach. But everything in my campaign speech came from the heart, so that will have to do. I am hoping to add a video soon, giving you all an insider tour of the space.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT MY INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN.

Of course the goal is to raise funds, so please contribute if you are so inclined! It’s ok if you can’t, but please help me share and get the word out about Restoring my cute Victorian.

Thanks for reading today!

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified…….” Deuteronomy 31:6 Holy Bible

Be Inspired!

Veronica Solomon

So why was I gone for so long? I have been blessed with several new projects – large and small and without a full time assistant, things just got a bit crazy (good crazy ). Here’s a sneak peek at a few of the projects I have been working on. Pictures taken with an iPhone, so professional pictures will follow soon.

Family Room

Game Room

Dining Room – Hsot chairs didn’t arrive in time and two pieces of art arrived in pieces

Drapery Panels For A Teenager’s Bedroom

I will update you through future articles about all the decorating projects I have been working on. But today’s post is really about a big decision I made recently about the future of Casa Vilora Interiors and No Naked Windows.

Well here’s a hint

Casa Vilora Interiors – New Design Studio

What you are looking at is the new world headquarters aka interior design studio for Casa Vilora Interiors and No Naked Windows.

About two years ago I decided to move into a trendy side of Houston (The Museum District) to expand my niche and reach a different demographic in the market. My clientele was mainly mid to high income level suburban families, but I also wanted to reach young professionals who were very much in touch with fashion and home trends and culture. It felt like a great thing to do at the time, but fast forward two years later and it turned out not to be the right decision for my business. As I thought about moving back to Katy where most of my clients live, it seemed like an impossible thing to do. But with prayer and the determination I have, I pressed forward.

I happened to be on my way to pay a traffic ticket (of all things  ) when I noticed a “For sale” sign on a cute little victorian home (located on a busy street with several commercial offices). I made a quick U-turn and got the phone number displayed on the sign and immediately called the owners. We arranged a viewing of the property that same day! It had clearly seen better days, but I fell madly in love with it! I could see all the potential that dingey little structure possessed. It is designated  an historical home in the city of Katy and that was very intriguing to me! It was built in 1905 as a rental property and was added on to in the 1950′s (based on the yellow bathtub ). It had really high ceilings and felt airy and light despite the horrific paint colors on the walls! There was even a back building where my daughter could do her painting and art. Even better, it was already zoned for commercial use, so setting up shop will be a piece of cake, right?! - Wrong! (I am still in the process of getting everything ready for inspections for the Certificate of Occupancy and signage) but so far, so good!

I wasn’t sure if I was ready to actually purchase the property, and I explained this to the owners, who explained that they would be willing to lease the property to me for a year with the option to purchase. They won’t try to sell to anyone else within the year! This was perfect! I happily signed the lease! And for almost half of what I was paying for the trendy location!

Casa Vilora Interiors Design Studio located at 5602 Franz Rd Katy TX 77493

So, we are in the middle of getting some minor projects done, so I can move in and get down to business, right after inspections that is! Here’s my honey do list:

• The driveway is going in – landscaping to follow
• To keep costs down, I am only painting the blue trim to freshen up the facade (guess I’ll fully paint when I own the place)
• The front doors and back door have been changed to more welcoming french doors (not shown)
• I wish I could pull out that carport (just a thought )
• painting the interior – what a relief!
• Refinishing wood floors
• Adding storage
• Decorating! Yay!!! My favorite part!

I will defintely keep you all updated on the progress of my new design studio with more photos later.

I’ll try not to go MIA for so long in the future.

Don’t forget to connect with me on Facebook and Twitter where you’ll get up to date information on what’s new at Casa Vilora Interiors or simply click my about.me profile for all my social media and contact information

Have a blessed Thursday!

Be Inspired!

Veronica Solomon

Just to update you about what’s been going on in the wonderful world of Casa Vilora Interiors and No Naked Windows: After a short weekend vacation to New Orleans, I came back to an unprecedented list of new prospects and clients. Two of which have been large enough to take up most of my time at work and even home. I also unfortunately, got a major virus on my laptop, that had it in the shop for 3 or 4 days….you have no idea how your whole world could change until your laptop is sick! I do not want to relive that experience again!

Source: Clip Art

I am seriously considering hiring an assistant….even on a part time basis to help me manage my daily activities. I think it’s time!

I’m off to get some bookkeeping done (Fun!). For now, I will leave you with this quote today, and will hopefully resume my normal posting of articles full of great design ideas and tips soon. Thanks to you all.

Be Inspired!

Veronica Solomon

Of course being back means that I get to go through the new shipment of fabric sample books that arrived during my absence. For those who don’t know, I’m a bit of a fabric connoisseur (If I do say so myself ). It is my absolutely favorite part of my work as an Interior Decorator. In fact, I have decided to give you all a brief “behind the scene” look at my vast fabric sample collection.

My design studio located in the heart of Houston’s beautiful Museum District is still a work in progress, so you will get to see pictures of the entire studio in the near future, but for now, here is a rare glimpse of where the magic happens

These are new arrivals from Norbar Fabrics

This is where I sit to pull preliminary fabric selections for projects I am working on

One wall of trim books!

These are hanging samples or my loose samples that are not booked.

Believe it or not, there are lots more that are not shown, but you get the idea

I love having a large selection for my clients, and I am always seeking out new and exciting sources. This allows me to give each client a unique, custom design that they will love for many many years! There is something for everyone here. From time to time I cannot find just the right fabric I have in mind, so I visit the Decorative Center Houston, where most of my favorite fabric houses have a showroom: Kravet, Duralee, Fabricut, Pindler & Pindler and Schumacher…..It’s like a kid in a candy store when I visit! One of my future goals is developing my own line of fabrics, that way, I will always have exactly what I have in mind!

I want to give my clients the same experience of a kid in a candy store when they visit my design studio: A welcoming, comfortable and inspired feeling, where there are lots of choices to suit their taste, lifestyle and budget……and they leave happy and satisfied!

You are welcomed to visit Casa Vilora Interiors design studio anytime! Please contact me if you are interested in finding out more about my design services or scheduling an appointment.

Don’t forget to comment and share!

Have an awesome Tuesday!

Be Inspired!

It has always been my dream to branch out into being a store owner, and with a lot of prayer and perseverance, we are well on our way. The store is due to officially open for business the first week of August, but there is still alot of work left to be done.

Although we have been focused in the Katy and surrounding areas since we opened for business in February of 2008, we decided that moving into the Museum District will expand our clientele and reach a new demographic. It is a very exciting time for us and we cannot wait for everyone to see the finished product.

The space is about 1100 square feet and was formerly a waxing and facial studio, with a lot of tiny little rooms. We have blown out all the walls and we are now preparing it for an open concept space that will feature separate room vignettes, a custom drapery idea area and a design center where we will showcase flooring, cabinets, countertops and tile accents. We can now cater to remodelers, custom home builders and consumers who need help selecting finishes for their projects. We will also have some light retail featuring products like pillows, throws, candles and other accents available for sale. We are in talks with some of the finest suppliers and installers in Houston to be a part of our team.

Our clients who are renovating can now enjoy a one stop shopping experience from start to finish and everthing in between. They can now come into our studio and see finished room vignettes to inspire them, and have all our resources available to them on the spot. We will of course continue our “shop at home” for clients who prefer to make selections in the comfort of their own homes.

Some of the things you can expect once we open will be art events. My goal is to try to help up-and-coming local artists feature their work either through displaying them in the store, or holding events where clients can meet the artists and purchase their pieces.
We would also like to expand the reach of our free design workshops to community groups and students through internships, and other community outreach.

We are located in the Chelsea Market at 4617 Montrose Blvd, Suite C145 Houston TX 77006. Our phone number remains 281-751-7552
Map and Directions

This is somewhat what the space looks like now. it really was a lot worse if you can believe that

This is a mock up of our signage