Unique Wedding or Bridal Shower Gift Idea: Shopping with Olios

Introducing a seriously awesome, unique, [and of course, non-traditional] wedding gift or bridal shower gift idea for the Washington, DC area ~ the gift of personalized shopping with an interior designer [& her store discount!].

What do I mean? Well, remember this awesome bride from her travel-themed DIY Virginia wedding we featured? Turns out Katie is a super talented interior designer, and she just came up with an ingenious idea: personalized interior design shopping, called “Shopping with Olios“.

Katie shares the details:

This season, indulge in a few hours of shopping with your very own personal interior designer. Whether you are in need of a few new pieces of furniture, looking for some fresh ideas, or want to surprise that special friend with the gift of design, I am yours for the entire afternoon!

But wait, it gets better… I will even pass on my designer’s discount to you! You heard it right! Choose from a variety of stores, like Crate and Barrel, West Elm, and Pottery Barn (just to name a few), with up to five hours of shopping!

All of this if yours for $200

And … her reasoning for starting the program:

Whether large corporate chain stores or small one-of-a-kind shops, DC does have a ton of opportunities when it comes to interior furnishings! By offering this service, I hope to empower people in the area to expand their shopping options available.

This service is to help people ‘hunt’ for that perfect piece, without it being a completely overwhelming process. Through this (up-to) 5-hour day of shopping, I want to learn what my clients need, guide them in the right direction, and teach them how to create a space they will love. I have a strong desire to help my clients be bold in their selections and help them understand how they can truly individualize their personal space.

Personally, I think this would just be the COOLEST gift to receive as a bride to be, or a newlywed. After coming home from the honeymoon, Andy and I wanted to get right to work on updating our newly shared space and creating a home that was “ours”. I would have LOVED to have been given 5 hours of shopping with a professional interior designer – especially one that can share her store discounts on purchases, to help us create that space!

BUT WAIT…. THERE’S MORE: Just for being a Capitol Romance reader ~ you get 10% off the package by mentioning this blog post! All you have to do is mention something you love about Capitol Romance in the comments or within the contact form on Katie’s website and the deal is yours!

Still not convinced? Well – hop on inside this post and check out some of Olios Design’s amazing work AND some even cooler information that might just sweeten this deal even further …

In addition to getting a personalized interior designer’s advice, her store discount, and the additional discount through Capitol Romance, Olios Design also offers small-project contracting services to help you hang those new light fixtures or gorgeous vintage mirror you just bought. When they say full-service … they mean it!

Additionally, Andy & I have personally used their small-project contracting services, to hang & move lights in our main floor – and the service & work were both spectacular.

Now, onto the eye candy courtesy of Katie:

#1. This is a sketch I did a few years back. It is an inspirational image on many levels, from the artwork arrangement to the light fixtures to the types of seating. Typically what I would do is sketch out a space for clients so they can see where my design brain is headed. By sketching things out for clients, this helps get them on board and understand where I am going. It also help communicate any areas that need to be changed, adjusted, or completely removed.

#2. This is another sketch. It is the same concept as my color sketches, but of course without color. I typically would show clients a black and white sketch and then have them select a few color pallets. To get inspiration, I look at everything- from decor magazines to graphic design signs, I am always finding even the smallest bit of inspiration in everyday life!

#3. This picture is actually our bedroom! We didn’t do much to it (since we are renting), but it goes to show that a little paint on the wall, a few pieces of artwork, and a nice comforter (from West Elm, that we can of course take with us to our future place), can make a huge impact! I selected the paint colors and the stripes and our small-projects contractor!

I don’t know about you – but I am SOLD. I am also fairly certain that this needs to be an HGTV Show. If you are on the hunt for a unique wedding gift idea, or the perfect, creative bridal shower gift and you are located in the Washington, DC metro area ~ then certainly give Shopping With Olios a try! And don’t forget to mention that you saw it here :)