Design Reveal: Cali Meets Traditional Part 2

Welcome back, friends! In case you missed it or want a recap, part 1 of this 9-room reveal is here. But I’m especially excited for what’s in store with this second half of our design reveal! We’ve got wallpapered walls, bold built-ins, a refinished stone fireplace, and some serious Pearl Jam appreciation. In my opinion, today’s rooms are even more dramatic than what I shared on Monday in part 1!

But I’m going to start with the most laid back of the bunch - the family room! As I mentioned on Monday, the clients hired me to really make this home feel 100% them - vibrant, fun and echoing their California roots. This was a tall order for a heavily traditional colonial style home - complete with rounded windows and lots of dentil trim throughout. This job was all about making intentional decisions big and small - doing what we could and making the rest work.

The one major update in the family room, aside from white paint which I had them do throughout, was the fireplace. The clients were on the fence with the stone - they didn’t hate it but something wasn’t right. We decided to do a limewash treatment which made a drastic difference. After swapping the mantle for a rustic wood piece, the fireplace looked brand spankin new!

Here was my strategy with this room: Since I couldn’t do anything about the obvious traditional style of the home itself, I could at least bring in an overall organic feel with woven pieces, camel leathers, and natural dyes. I wouldn’t say organic is a style, but rather a feel, or a tone you can incorporate just about anywhere.

Due to the very long and narrow shape of this room, we had a custom sofa made by Interior Define, covered in an extremely family friendly fabric, (we used ‘Pepper’). Surrounding pieces had to be comfortable, durable, and interesting (without being loud). A striped rocking chair, for example, is visually interesting and balances the left side of the room, but it’s not distracting from everything else.

TVs are just not something you see in a lot of design reveals, but I’m here asking, Why not?! They are a part of most homes and I don’t like pretending they aren’t. Why designers refuse to show the TVs in their projects is perplexing to me. When styling this room with finishing details I pondered what to do on the fireplace mantle. I like a well dressed mantle just like anyone else. But nothing felt right. Books, plants, candles - any items I added just felt like clutter. I think when the only place for your TV is over the mantle, a nice clean mantle is the way to go. Instead, I focused on the hearth which balances the visual weight of the TV above.

I need to point out this brass and rattan sconce. The previous light fixture was a half dome that had moons and stars punched out - like a child’s nightlight. Actually, I just need to show you:

It’s not the best picture but you get the idea. It had to go! This light below is one of my favorite pieces in the house (interpret as you will - I have lots of favorite elements in this home)

Is this what people did before open floorplans became a thing? A little unusual, but we worked it out and I don’t mind it at all with a bit of soft styling.

One more fireplace appreciation shot. I can’t get over how gorgeous this stone turned out. I mean, I imagined it and loved it in my head, but seeing it in real life is just so much fun.

I mentioned this on Monday, but one of the best parts about designing in a colonial is getting to do whatever you want in each room! I mean, I aimed to give this home a consistent feel throughout - fun, vibrant, laid back - but how we achieved that feel from room to room is so different! The couples’ two offices are a prime example of how I created two TOTALLY different rooms to reflect them as individuals. And because they are on completely opposite sides of the home, it really doesn’t matter! Here is her office:

The star on all her zoom meetings? Why yes, yes she is. (No really, she told me so) We had the idea to paper this wall right off the bat, and float her desk in front. The paper itself is secretly edgy - there are snakes woven into the pattern which lend to her edgy personality. The family moved with the white base under the shelves, so I added on with additional units from this CB2 line.

Battery operated picture lights finish off these shelves for a subtle evening glow highlighting the various pretties on the shelves themselves.

If you must work from home, you may as well add a sofa to that office! A perfect lounge place to answer emails, review files, etc. A little movement throughout the work day feels like a luxury these days, and since she had the room for it I wanted to give her a second option during the work week.

Not once did I compare the blue velvet of the sofa to the blues in the wallpaper. I didn’t need nor want them to be a perfect match, and I love that the sofa has a very subtle green tone.

Like I said, the two home offices are polar opposites! Where I went soft and feminine in one, I went hard and bold in the other.

If I had to guess, I would bet his coworkers appreciate his zoom meeting background, too. Even if they aren’t outright saying it. ;)

True story, this space was designed and complete before one evening when I got a text from the clients asking if there would be anywhere to add their collection of Pearl Jam concert posters. It was like meeting them again for the first time. A shared obsession with one band?! I was THRILLED to use these pieces and promptly had them frame their collection at Framebridge and played with an arrangement that would suit this office. I had actually picked that pole wall lamp before knowing about these pieces, so it was really fun to work the gallery wall around that piece. I am still beyond words excited with how this turned out!

Sophisticated meets rock n’ roll? Oh yes. Please and thank you.

Hard pivot now from Pearl Jam’s shrine to adorable childs room. Hope you’re hanging on tight, lots of twists and turns in today’s reveal! From black and bold to…butterflies!

I need to stop us here really quick to say, I think we can all agree the wallpaper MAKES this room. Well guess what? I was utterly stuck on wallpaper. I was chasing after big bold florals, enchanted forests and everything in between. But nothing felt right. I wanted a wallpaper that would suit this 5 year old little one as she is now, and when she’s a teenager. Everything I was finding seemed either too nursery, or too sophisticated. Fast forward to one of several afternoons I got to spend with a teen from our church over the summer, when her and her brother would come over and literally just play with my kids (and the other 234 kids in our neighborhood) for a few hours. I asked if she’d help me with this room if I paid her for her time, and within an hour she sourced THIS PAPER. It knocked me right over. So, huge shout out to my friend, Meredith Jolly! Thank you!!

The velvet teal bed felt like an unexpected pairing with this wallpaper, which made it feel just right. I really got into this groove of making brave choices with this home, and their daughters bedroom was no exception. Don’t overthink design, friends! You never know what you’ll uncover.

The rug felt like another unusual choice - the bed doesn’t really match the wallpaper which doesn’t really match the rug - and it all totally works and is glorious.

I wanted to finish the room off with more neutral pieces - you don’t really see the winks of black and brown in the wallpaper until you layer those colors in and it hits you.

I think if happiness were embodied in a physical room, this is what it would look like. It’s just pure delight in here!

I can’t believe that’s it for this reveal! Or is it? Good news, the family has just hired me to work on the master bedroom with a quirky adjoining side room, and their finished basement. Who knows what we’ll get into but I’m all in. After these rooms I am sure it’ll be very exciting, indeed!

Thank you so very much for coming by! Every hit to our website helps our little business so much, so we sincerely appreciate you taking the time to visit on our very special reveal days. It truly means a lot! Have a wonderful rest of your week!

Design Reveal: Cali Meets Traditional Part 1

When life throws you a pandemic you roll with the punches - that’s just what these clients did last Summer! They uprooted their life in the hub of Washington D.C. for the quieter and more relaxed suburban life. Nestled inside the beltway off the picturesque Clara Barton Parkway, this traditional colonial met it’s match with a vibrant and eclectic family with laid-back California roots.

I was brought onto this project ahead of the move which gave me plenty of time to game plan the 9 room job! I was tasked with designing their Entryway, Kitchen, Eat-In Nook, Dining Room, Living Room, Family Room, Her Office, His Office, and their daughters Bedroom and adjoining Playroom. The main objective for this family was to feel settled as quickly as possible. The couple both work full time (from home), and their young daughter would be entering Kindergarten in the Fall (also from home), so while not every aspect of the house itself was their style, their MO was to make it work in this season so they could feel at home for a little while. There may be possible renovations down the road but who wants to live in a renovation while working and schooling from home? I appreciate their discernment and desire to feel settled for the time being.

So we’ve got a big reveal to share this week! Since it’s so many rooms I have broken it up into two parts. Today I’m excited to walk you through the Kitchen, Eat-In Nook, Dining Room, and Living Room!

With renovations off the table at this time, I planned out a number of inexpensive updates to soften their kitchen. The previous gray walls, gray stone backsplash and cherry island made the space feel very disjointed. I had them first paint their backsplash the same color as the walls, (which we updated all throughout the home to match the dentil trim - a great way to give a traditional element a modern twist). I also wanted to ditch the cherry island counter for something more natural and casual - an IKEA butcher block counter in a larger size than the original piece makes the island feel a more suitable size for this kitchen space - plus that gave them enough room for a third stool!

Additional updates include swapping the cabinet hardware, (matte black bar pulls are a fantastic option if you have white cabinets you want to give new life), and these stunning ceramic blue sconces are from Modefinity on Etsy!

As always, sourcing rugs was an absolute pleasure. A peachy vintage runner with blue accents just glows in this room with the leather stools and warm wood accents. And it compliments its far more saturated neighbor, a 6x9 vintage piece under the Eat-In Nook!

I just really wanted this space to glow - like a California sunset. Pairing light natural cane chairs with a walnut table and a backdrop of meaningful pieces sprawled across the wall, it speaks of this family’s love and joy.

This light was one of my favorite finds - I can’t recall which came first, the island pendants or this piece, but I wanted them to be really in sync and equally as different. This ceramic light fixture is another handcrafted item from one of my favorite Etsy shops, ClayCafe. They have quickly become one of my go-tos, but just a heads up they are currently only open the first two weeks of every month. Two on, two off.

I designed this gallery wall using some of the family’s own sentimental pieces, and building around those with a supporting cast of pieces that represent both their happiest memories and this new adventure, (‘This Must Be The Place”)

You know what’s fun about colonials? All the segmented rooms! I love a sweeping open layout, don’t get me wrong - that’s what I am most used to! But I have never done so many separated rooms as this home, and there’s something about having the freedom to do big and bold things in just one space that you don’t necessarily want to commit to all over. You know?

Case in point: Cavern Clay, by Sherwin Williams

The client decided to keep their dining room furniture in the move, including that beautiful rectangular linen shade light fixture . In addition to adding an arch mirror, the wispy pampas grass and some punchy art from Upton, I wanted to wrap this room in something bold but still organic. Terracotta came to mind one night right before I fell asleep and I couldn’t wait to find just the right shade for this room!

We all instantly liked black paired with this magnificent color, and strategically peppered it throughout the space on all sides.

We wanted to keep this space really simple and minimal to make the dining room high impact. But the trick was not going too far the other direction. Using natural materials that echo the organic feel of the dining room really works to marry the two rooms, and a few winks of rust/orange/terracotta in the pillows are all we needed to complete the connection.

That’s a wrap on this leg of our reveal! Wednesday I’ll be back with the Family Room, both Offices, and their daughters’ Bedroom - the sum of which include two wallpapered walls, bold built-ins, and some serious Pearl Jam appreciation. This home has been the most fun and thanks to the fabulous client, a lot of laughs along the way! So excited to welcome you all into this space so full of joy. More Wednesday!

Thank you so much for coming by!

Design Update: Castine, Maine Lake House

“Hi! Would you have time to chat sometime this week? We recently bought a vacation home in Maine and would love to explore some updates and redesign. Thanks!”

15 months after completing their Brooklyn, NY apartment, two of my very favorite clients reached back out with a very special project in mind - a lake house they just purchased in Castine, Maine! This isn’t the first time I’ve worked on a second home with a client and I am incredibly humbled for the opportunity to continue good work with people I thoroughly enjoy!

When I first saw this place I was all in.
(every photo in this post was taken by the clients - they are truly amazing!)

I love two things about this:
1) The gorgeous structure and architecture of this home, and
2) How terrible it looked when we began

This job is a classic example of the perfect cosmetic update. It wasn’t hard at all to imagine what this home could be!

Pretty amazing, right? Since this home will be used as a vacation place, the clients do plan to rent it out when they’re not there. This dictated much of the design and selections for the home - durable, family friendly elements were a must, and using some of the homes existing pieces where possible helped stretch the budget.

We still have a little ways to go, but I thought it would be fun to share how far this home has come since September! Items left to do include painting the window frames black and updating the dining room and kitchen lighting. There is also a guest room/office that we’ve been chipping away on and that will be included in the final reveal in a few months!

Come on in, friends!

Repositioning the existing sectional and adding a pair of forest green armchairs gives the living room an intimate, cozy feel in this cavernous space. The clients really wanted the sofa to face the windows, so I believe we turned it a whole 180 from where it had been. We’ll be adding an old, rustic bench along the back side, which conveniently leads right outside to the screened porch.

When I was told this home would be rented out, I really wanted to add some special touches unique to Castine. A pair of framed maps helps visitors identify where they are in this very special, undisturbed part of Maine.

Reusing the existing coffee table and media console were easy options - they work well in here as functional pieces that don’t stick out. The style direction we were after was a modern rustic/farmhouse vibe - primitive, functional pieces, nothing too modern or fancy.

Browsing for textiles in this home has been the MOST fun. All pillows and rugs came together just beautifully. I haven’t updated the throw blankets yet but I think a couple fresh selections will pull this all in just right! Isn’t the light in here so lovely?

I absolutely can’t wait to see the new lights installed over the dining table and island. I think you’ll really like what I found! Little different, but everything about this design has been a fun opportunity to step outside the box.

The kitchen required the most effort from the clients - I picked out a few paints for them to sample, they sent some pics, we finalized, and then they got to work! They painted all the cabinets Light French Gray by SW, and the island Newburg Green by BM. But one of my favorite updates in here was removing the previous yellow-y shelving unit and replacing it with natural wood shelves on simple iron powder coated brackets. Done and done! I can’t wait to see what the kitchen will look like when the window frames are all painted black. Cannot. Wait.

This past year has been deeply hard in so many ways and I can honestly say this project came at just the right time. I needed this level of creativity, I needed a project that would rejuvenate my soul and allow me opportunity to see some fruit from my efforts. Every time I sat down to work on this place I felt my mind enjoying the escape. While I’ve not stepped foot in this house, I’ve loved every second of working on it and studying its every corner, nook and cranny. More to come soon when it’s ready for it’s big final reveal!

Thank you so much for coming by, friends. Stay warm and stay safe out there!