Design-in-a-box offers decorating service on a smaller scale

A renowned, historic museum has come up with an idea to give homeowners the services of an interior decorator on a smaller scale.


According to the News Journal in Wilmington, Delaware, the city's landmark Winterthur Museum has produced a decorating aid called StyleBox.


This design-in-a-box approach came about when a local woman asked the museum's design staff to help her decorate her historic home, and they developed a box of design ideas. The StyleBox costs $1,500 per room and includes floor plans, photos, color choices and fabric swatches, as well as decorating advice.
 

"I think most people who would like this will implement it themselves. They like to shop," Winterthur designer Sandy Brown told the newspaper. "I will give them a master plan and the ideas, but they will do it themselves. If they want designer fabrics, I can certainly help them get them. But if they like the Calico Corners down the street, they will have the fabric swatches and they can find something that's similar."


Suggestions on window treatments can be part of a StyleBox. Then shopping for custom blinds and shades can be done online as easily as in retail stores. A variety of materials, colors and patterns are available to match homeowners' design schemes.