Tuesday Tip

Consider giving something you thought was really ugly a complete overhaul. The results may surprise you!

BEFORE:
The client sent me this photo taken at night, I'd swear, just to demonstrate how ugly and hopeless the chair was in it's current state. It had been recovered in this red stripped, somewhat shiny,  fabric a decade ago. The little blue fabric swatch she tossed on the back indicated to me she was open to the possibility it could have a new life. That and a story she told me of how this was the chair that her husband used to sit on, with a board laid acrss the arms, so he could do his homework as a child. I pounced on it! And not just because of sentimal reasons...



BEFORE:
but also becasue this chair had the right proportions, was well made and so interesting with the barley twist details! Not what you normally see on an Arts and Crafts style chair.  A bobbin or spool chair would have been a handsome addition to the room. But I didn't see the point when I knew this one would do just fine. We took the blue velvet seat from an occasional chair, just to have a look since the client thought she wanted blue to be one of the predominate colors in the room.



AFTER:
Purist's look away, or least try to keep in mind I was trying to save this chair from a life sentence in a basement. The new ebony color, proved to be just the stroke of genius that many of you got a good laugh over last year! It certainly yielded the desired effect to overhaul this baby.
 And, of course the perfect fabrics...

made the transformation complete. The cream toss pillow with the carmel velvet "conversation bubbles" is from John Robshaw and the wool plaid is from Kravet.  As you can see, we ended up with just a hint of blue-gray in the plaid I selected. I joked with the client that if she comes home one day and the chair is missing, it's at my house. Her response? It better not be because now it's one of her favorite pieces too!



Client's Master Bedroom Makeover

This client came to me via my blog, specifically via my friend, Renae Moore who I met through blogging. Renae's talents are evident in the client's beautiful living room, which she completed prior to moving to Atlanta a few years ago. I don't know if I will ever be able to thank Renae enough for this referral, because this client would be any designer's dream client! She has been a pleasure to work with from our initial consultation to the final install. It's not often that the designer-client relationship runs perfectly smooth.

A little gift and thank-you note from me to the client.

When I first saw the space, my renovator instincts kicked in and I immediately wanted to move the closets which occupied what should have been the bed wall. Especially after the client told me that they wanted to make the switch from a queen to a king bed. Then came the bombshell- the master bathroom had been renovated in 2005 and a walk-in closet had been eliminated and 2 closets with bi-fold doors were added to what was, in fact, the original bed wall. And, in case you're thinking that the client made that decision on her own, you'd be wrong. She hired her first interior designer, an ASID designer. 

Details-Bedside necessities.
 Things I think every bedside needs. I am giving a few of these faux shagreen boxes from the Nate Berkus collection at Target for Christmas gifts-what a stylish way to hide everything from hand lotion to the remote control!

What The Client Asked For: a king size bed, but not just any king sized bed- they wanted a mechanical bed that both the top and bottom could adjust! Plenty of clothing storage, a wood headboard with footboard, possibly a mirrored chest and/or mirrored side tables and a slipper chair. Keep the existing shutters,  shades, and carpet since all 3 were just a few years old. They didn't mind the wall color, but were open to a change. And if possible, the husband wanted to keep his armoire.

The embroidered leaf fabric was the inspiration for this bedroom.

My drawing. Option #1 was selected, although we did go with more modern sconces shown in another drawing.

What I Proposed: I had the client and her husband choose the bed first. After sourcing several fabric options, the client fell in love with an embroidered leaf fabric. It quickly became apparent the wall color wasn't going to work. I suggested a color scheme of blue-gray and cream with hits of smokey lilac. An upholstered headboard to keep the large bed from taking over the small room (and definitely no footboard), a lighter/fresher paint color, wood bedside chests (I'm not a big fan of mirrored chests because they are so hard to keep fingerprint free and they chip/crack easily). A desk/dining style chair since a slipper chair would be too deep to move freely around the bed and vanity. But more importantly,  it would be too short to do it's main job- which was to camouflage the sink vanity that was measured incorrectly and extended beyond the wall edge! The shutters were beautiful and the white matelasse roman shades were well made, but needed a height adjustment for light control, as well as give a lift to the 8ft ceilings. It did pain me to leave the existing carpet since I always like to start with the floors. And, the germaphobe in me strongly dislikes frieze carpets and this one was not wearing particularly well. But it remained, as the king adjustable bed was a heavy hit to the budget. Oh, and of course, no project of mine would be complete without pretty door hardware!

 From the moment I first saw this Bombe chest at Crate & Barrel over a year ago with it's Acanthus-like scrolls lining the drawers, I knew I wanted to find a way to use it in my house or in a client's one day.  I initially proposed an incredible Neoclassical mahogany chest with concave drawers for this client's bedroom, which she loved. But at more than 3 times the price, it wasn't the best way to allocate the budget.



Details
Classic with a bit of modern-my favorite!

The End Result: A soothing palette of creams and blues with a bit of smokey lilac and few dark pieces to keep the scheme from being overly feminine. The upholstered headboard I selected took some convincing, but I knew a wood headboard would overwhelm the small room. Same went with the cherry armoire, it was just too imposing and drained the room of natural light. I think the dark chest and burl wood mirror show how it is possible to have dark pieces incorporated for that bit of masculinity and still achieve a light and airy feeling.The bedside tables were a huge challenge due to space constraints combined with the need for storage. This is where we splurged, and it paid off! The glass and iron table next to the chair delivers on the bit of glamour the client wanted without the upkeep of mirrored chests. I don't think you can ever underestimate the power of proper lighting and artwork to transform a space!  A few accessories and fresh flowers and it was time to turn this room back over to the clients...

Before
Dark and dated.



After
Light and bright.



I always prefer to use a different fabric and/or design on each side of a decorative pillow.
It prevents boredom and is a great solution if you like a change with the seasons!



Before
When the client's daughter came for a visit, she said the room looked bigger and thought her parents kept the queen sized bed afterall! The fact the room looks larger has much to do with removing the boxy armoire, raising the shades as well as changing the wall color. The wall color turned out incredible-it changes from light blue-to gray-to pale aqua! 



After
Although it is always preferable to see the bed from the door, the unusual curves of the large burled wood  mirror provides enough interest to welcome you in! This is an example of how dark pieces can be used without weighing the space down.



The "boob" light in the ceiling had to go! I replaced it with this classic glass bell lantern.



And, since these sconces were installed too high and the walls were going to need to be patched,
why not update them too?



Since there is a sink vanity in the room, I had to give it a little spruce up with new sconces, a linen hand towel and jar of pretty soaps! We talked about painting the sink cabinet cream to match the bedside chests. Maybe one day along with new carpeting. For now though, the client loves her new room and isn't that all that really matters in the end?

 Sources:
All Lighting- Visual Comfort/Circa- Charleston, SC
Bombe Chest and headboard- Crate & Barrel
Cream bedside chests and Curvy burled wood mirror-To The Trade
Glass and iron side table and leaf series over bed- Ethan Allen
Purple silk velvet and leaf embroidered fabric- To the Trade- Kravet
Pillow Shams/sheets-Restoration Hardware Outlet
Throw- Bloomingdale's
Glass water carafe- Pottery Barn
Shagreen box on bedside table- Nate Berkus/Target
Candle- Linnea's Lights
Clock- Savannah's of Leesburg
Door hardware- Baldwin Brass
Paint- Benjamin Moore. Wall color: Night Mist , Trim and doors: Linen White
All other items are one of a kind or discontinued.

Fireplace Makeover: Adding Style With Painted Brick and A New Mantel!

I know this post is long overdue. I seriously don't know what my problem is sometimes, other than to chalk it up to work and life being all consuming some weeks. And I must admit, once I'm done with something I tend to check it off the to-do list and move on! So for those of you who sent me an email at some point asking whatever happened to the fireplace re-do or changes in the room, this post is especially for you as well as those of you who have ever had a fear of painting brick or changing something you perceive to be a fixed element in your house!

I believe there is good brick: aged and authentic looking. And bad brick: too uniform, strange in color, lacking character or patina. This is a good example of bad brick. Primer goes on the masonry. HALLELUJAH!!! Thankfully, I have documented through photos nearly every project during the 6 (and counting) years of renovations we have completed, so that one day, we can look back and wonder why the hell it all took so long  proudly reflect on all the hard work and $$$ well spent!

I suppose you want to know what the fireplace looked like before? I know without a good before, the after is never quite as satisying. So I went searching and found a picture from the archives just for laughs to share my beloved readers and blog friends. Ready?

Circa 1997

This was our family room complete with wall-to-wall carpet, ugly brick fireplace surround, and glass doors with faux brass trim. Plus a  mantel that was too long making it impossible to put a chair near, for fear someone will smack their head on the corner. I still have the beautiful antique mahoghany pedestal, the finials, books and wood candlesticks. Oh, and of course the picture of my kiddos on the beach!

Recognize the green velvet chair and ottoman? It's the Charleston chair-and-a-half from Pottery Barn that I purchased along with the Charleston sofa that I ordered with a slipcover in the floral tea-stained fabric seen on the pillows on the chair. This was ordered when PB was still a catalogue! It was incredibly comfortable furniture and our family wore it out. This is also the last time I can recall living with any floral fabrics let alone faux flowers...silk or dried, aka the dust collectors! The wreath was a Christmas gift from a friend and I recall that it arrived supple and green, but after it dried (or is that died?) I think I left it up for about 2 years?! It all makes me so twitchy just looking at it.

Primed and ready for a coat of black paint!

And there were a few other changes along the way...

In 2005, when we returned from living in Williamsburg, Va. besides painting all the brick black, we removed the panel molding on the chimney breast. Since our homes other 2 fireplaces had similar molding. I wanted something different for the family room fireplace and decided it would be fun to wallpaper just the chimney breast. I loved this paper and it gave the room a definate English vibe. 

This picture shows the insert painted and was taken last year, just before the floors were refinished. In case you're wondering about the white plate covers? They were put up to hide the electrical boxes while I pondered new sconces!

I had planned to change out the glass doors, but after unsuccessfully searching for new doors to fit the opening that I also felt were worth the cost, I decided to just paint the stupid "brass" and eventually found the perfect (lasting) product, which I will share with everyone in a Tuesday Tip!

When the original mantel was removed, the wallpaper started ripping, so it had to go.
The dental molding was removed,  along with the molding around the surround.
I love dental molding, but there wasn't a single bit in any other area of the house.

I gave the carpenter a very simple sketch I'd drawn for a shorter mantel length and a colonial style surround with fluted columns that echoed the fluted detail in the columns that frame the entrance from the family room to the kitchen. Now we have a custom mantel that has better proportions makes more sense for our style and the homes architecture.

After!
I love the simplicity of the design, but it allows me the flexibility to add decorative medallions to the corner blocks or something to the frieze or even another wallpaper to the breast, if I decide I need a change one day. And, you may have noticed we added a classic crown molding to the room and panel molding on the lower third of the wall to add interest. The added bonus it that it visually widens the room as well as takes the focus off the skimpy baseboards that are throughout the house, courtesy of the builder.

Of course, some of you may realize that technically I already showed the after here.

December 2011
But, in case you missed it...hard to believe this is the same room wouldn't you agree!?

Tour Of Client's Kitchen Renovation

This was part of a whole house renovation. Top to bottom, nothing was left untouched. Final pictures were on Friday. During this reno, we removed a wall, added a full bathroom, expanded an existing shower, got rid of some mold, relocated a linen closet, replaced every vent, every switch plate, every outlet, every door knob, every hinge, created a lighting plan, installed new floors and carpet and made sure this 70's built house not only was ready for the 21st century, but many years into the future. It had to be completed in just 2 short months, which was no small feat when you factor in two major holidays and a kitchen backsplash that had to be done over!

I think the daffodils were a perfect choice for the rebirth of this kitchen.

And did I mention the budget was tight and timeline even tighter? During the design/selections phase of the project I had a few sleepless nights contemplating how to keep the overall budget in check, but deliver a kitchen design that was ultra functional as well as infused with style that would appeal to my clients (the property owners) as well as a range of possible new tenants from singles to professionals to families. 

My clients hire me for my reno experience and design vision. Definitely not for my drawing capabilities!

The end unit townhouse is in an area of Reston, Virgina close to some of the best shopping and restaurants (Reston Town Center) in the area and near where a new metro station is slated to be done in 2 years that will bring people into Tyson's Corner and Washington DC.  I kept all of this in the back of my mind with every selection from lights, to tile, to finishes. Stylish, durable, and budget friendly were key words for this project.

The tour:

Before
The bulk head was removed and the new cabinets were taken up to the ceiling.

After
 You can never go wrong with a shaker style cabinet. Beautiful and resilient in cherry.

Before
 The wall and door were removed to open the space and capture the light and woodland views.

After
 Now the kitchen sink has a beautiful view of the trees in the backyard and a bar for seating next to the living/dining area.
The little bump out on the end of the cabinet is where the new mircowave vent was hidden.
 A small consession to gain a microwave and get rid of the soffit!

Before
 The peninsula completely cut the room in half  and created unusable space.

After
 Stylish and functional.

Look at all that storage for food and linens!
Drawers throughout have the automatic soft close feature.

Before
We moved this refridgerator down to the basement utility room.

After
 The only appliance not to get relocated. Now it's just bigger and better looking!

Before

The compacter is gone and now there is hidden trash/recycle bins.

After
 The sun was going down and this shot shows the wonderful glow from the under cabinet lights.

This was my little tongue and cheek reference to how far this house has been transformed.
The 2 little piggies left and took everything with them, but the kitchen sink...we threw that away!

We did spurge on many details in this kitchen such as cherry cabinets, granite counters and a travertine backsplash. The flooring was a high end durable laminate and used throughout the main floor and lower level (which I'll show you that along with the bathrooms in some upcoming posts). But saved on the appliances,  lighting and faucet. All from big box stores. And, the sink was provided for free from the granite company!

All before photos courtesy of A&A. All after photos property of RLI Interiors and may not be copied or reproduced without permission.

Pantry Makeover Complete!

This may not be the pantry of my dreams, but after using the space the past 3 weeks, I'm happy with the outcome. I'll continue to fantasize about large walk-in pantry's with storage for food, small appliances, platters, linens, candles etc...but for now those will remain separate cupboards in areas of my kitchen and my small butler's pantry. The original plan was to install wood shelves, but I had second thoughts for two reasons: time and flexibility.

Good thing I didn't take the plunge with wood just yet, because even after carefully measuring everything, I've adjusted the shelves twice to get it working perfectly for my needs.


Testing, testing before the 2 remaining brackets are added. You may notice
they are not evenly spaced...far more important to hit 2 studs!

 I went from 5 fixed 13" deep vented shelves to 6 adjustable 10" laminate shelves from Home Depot. The shelves are almost in the reverse order of what they once were. The top shelf was moved up eliminating some of the wasted space towards the ceiling. I can access the canisters without a step stool and tearing off a sheet of foil on the bottom shelf just got a whole lot easier! 

Before

After

Two of the worst things about the previous shelves were that things fell through the slats and items toppled over daily. In addition, the vinyl coated shelves had a 2" lip making it impossible to take a tall item off a shelf, such as a bottle of oil, without first tipping it to clear the lip and/or taking several other things out first. Bonus: this is the first time we have been able to store large boxes of cereal upright and not on their sides!


Real life and dim light, but I was determined to finish this post today!
The selections are better around the holidays...maybe I should have waited to post? Kidding.
Technically, it's now a walk-in pantry. Losing 3" of shelf depth allows me to step inside and shut the door.
I'm not sure if it's sad or weird that I tried???

I still have plenty of room on the bottom for a wood crate on casters that I use for Costco trips and a place for the dog food container.  I did buy new canisters for flours and sugars from Target. The paint I had on hand (Pratt & Lambert Seed Pearl in semi-gloss) left over from another project. I bought the 3 acrylic tiered shelves several years ago just for this project and can't recall where they came from. All tallied, this little project cost just under $100!!!   

These acrylic tiered risers are the perfect solution for storing can goods.



Finally, I can reach all my can goods. It has made doing the grocery list easier seeing everything at a glance.

I do plan to add french doors, which should have been done with the rest of the kitchen reno. The current single door drives me absolutely nuts! I've been dreaming of something pretty for years to enhance this little space that I go into several times a day.


As much as I love my readers and want to inspire you to get organized,  I wasn't willing to "stage" the
shelves of my pantry for a pretty picture. I should have painted the crate on casters,
stenciled the word PANTRY on it and posted that! Maybe later...

 My contractor has the measurements for the new doors. I just need to decide if the glass will be frosted or clear, in which case I will hang fabric that matches the other french doors leading to the deck. Oh, and I need to pick out some great hardware, then perhaps I can respectably call it a walk-in pantry!