The kitchen is the focal point of a home and is given the utmost consideration when designing the details by conceptualizing the tone it will set to the rest of the house. If you really want to know someone’s style, start by looking into their kitchen.
The mood this kitchen conveys is the euphoria one feels when experiencing old-world, timeless charm. The attention to detail given here is very intentional. The blue-grey color of the cabinets is the foundation for the room’s cool color palette. Wood open shelving and accent cabinets above the sink warm up the space, along with brass hardware, mixed metal accents, textured back-splash, a vintage runner, and ceramic dinnerware.
The idea is to create a feeling of immediate comfort when entertaining. To achieve this goal, the layout of the kitchen was rearranged to switch the placement of the refrigerator and stove top. By making a beautiful copper hood vent the focal point of the kitchen, the utilitarian feeling of having a refrigerator as the backdrop of the kitchen is removed.
Finally, the island brings everyone together in a cozy and casual manner and fosters great dialogue between guests.
The living room takes shape with furniture, art, and decor that makes the family feel right at home.
Here, the catalyst to the concept of this living room starts with a few pieces of art and cushions. Blue and orange are chosen as the primary color palette, set against a pure white backdrop, to give each element a chance to pop.
The concept of collecting valuable pieces over time is achieved by incorporating mix-and-match furniture and decor pieces, giving the room a unique, yet highly curated look.
Recessed lighting is added, as well as a single pendant in the corner nook to create depth. A red-brick fireplace is painted white for a clean look and serves as the focal point of the room. And finally, a standard size door frame is widened for a more comfortable entrance into the kitchen.
A guest bathroom is like the statement jewelry piece that completes a perfect outfit.
What was once a small and outdated master bathroom turns into an airy and whimsical guest bathroom by rearranging the layout, closing off the entrance through the bedroom, and opening an access from the hallway instead. By utilizing some extra cabinet space in the hallway, and raising the ceiling, the bathroom size in increased enough to feel much more spacious and functional.
Classic, yet modern black and white textures and patterns are added to the walls and warmed up with the use of gold hardware, and a glass pendant from Murano, serves as the perfect statement lighting fixture. Custom shower tiles and matching accessories continue the whimsical mood through to the end.
A sunroom calls for a relaxed vibe by definition. Here is where anything that makes a room feel one with the outside world should come out to play.
Bohemian, Moroccan, and vintage themes all marry together to create this perfectly zen space of the house. Layered rugs, a macrame hanging chair, and a large statement lighting fixture all add to the feel. Mature plants in baskets decorate the room with real life. Light, airy curtains adorn the almost floor-to-ceiling windows all throughout the room, never allowing natural light to get away.
Master bathrooms are sacred spaces. Design decisions to create these spaces should reflect this sentiment.
So much self-care takes place here that anything short of pure comfort would take away from what little personal time we have to ourselves.
Elements that bring simple joys to life include patterned tiling, which decides the color palette for the room, a restored antique, free-standing claw-foot bathtub, a modern vanity with a marble countertop, a vintage rustic standing cabinet for storage, a fishnet lighting fixture, and a standing shower with glass doors.
A formal dining room is a beautiful space, bringing people together over meals and conversation. While the word “formal” is in the name, creating an environment of comfort and hospitality is just as important, if not more.
Natural elements define this room. Wood, brick, and linen are juxtaposed to create basic creature comforts to the room. What used to once feel like a cabin, with wood-paneling across the walls and low ceilings, now screams sophistication with raised ceilings, decorated with exposed beams and a textured accent wall, which is the highlighting feature of the dining room.
Skylights are added for more natural lighting. The flooring is finished with rustic white, wood textured herringbone patterned tiling that extends all the way into the kitchen. The base of the fireplace is trimmed and the mantel is removed to widen the width of the room, but the original red-brick is kept to add warmth to the space.
Combining textures, patterns, and styles keeps things interesting in the master bedroom. Comfort and style can be achieved in harmony.
An elegant and interesting backdrop, achieved by a timeless wallpaper pattern, is the perfect start for layering. Add a rustic bed, vintage inspired sconces, a woven rug, a bench at the foot of the bed which doubles up as storage, and of course, French doors leading out to a brick patio overlooking the backyard for the perfect Sunday morning coffee sessions.
A family room exudes comfort with a collection of personal pieces.
This garage-turned-tv room is where the family spends a lot of time hanging out. The room is adorned with memorabilia and vintage-inspired pieces to give the space the most sentimental look and feel of the house. A gallery wall is created using heirloom art pieces against a military green wall for maximum exposure. A custom coffee table, built using vintage doors, serves as a functional statement piece in the center of the room. Books and treasures decorate a wall cabinet, and a cozy couch brings it all together, inviting everyone in to watch TV.
How often is it really used? Yet, when it is, it is important to leave guests feeling inspired and encouraged to return.
Since each guest will have their own aesthetic, keeping their room simple yet chic is the way to go. Minimalism is appreciated since they will come with their own belongings and need room to spread out and feel comfortable. A sleeper-sofa is used to welcome guests into a spacious room, until they are ready to go to sleep. The nested copper tables can be pulled apart and used as nightstands on either side of the sofa when it is pulled out as a bed. Copper accents around the room provide cohesion and a hint of modern style to the otherwise simple and neutral room.
First-time homeowners needed a concept for the layout of the kitchen in their newly purchased 1940’s home. I realized the potential of the space by having two major walls knocked down: one separating the kitchen from the living room, and the other separating the kitchen from the den [as seen in the “before” photos].
The new open-concept layout doubled the size of the kitchen, allowing for a beautiful center island, with overhanging pendants, to take center stage of the space, and created a dining room by re-purposing the den. This new layout allowed for a more functional use of the space and better accommodates guests for entertaining.
First-time homeowners wanted a master bathroom refresh in their newly purchased 1940’s home. I noticed they could utilize the space of their entire bedroom much better if they reconfigured their bathroom. The photos show the original floor plan and layout of the master bedroom and bathroom. The Sketch-Up models show both the original and the new floor plans for comparison.
The idea was to use the hallway that led into the bathroom as extra space for the closet to give them a much bigger closet space. The wall dividing the bedroom from the laundry room was advised to be knocked down to expand the bedroom and to allow for a new entrance into the master bathroom. The original back-to-back vanities were swapped for side-by-side double vanities and the wall separating them from the shower and toilet was eliminated to create one cohesive room for the bathroom.
The concept of adding a bathtub in the space the laundry room used to be was implemented to add interest and originality to the bedroom. One large window replaced a door and two smaller windows to serve as the main backdrop overlooking the backyard.
