Tuesday Tip

You can never have enough seating! So why not make it portable,  flexible and a little thrifty?

One of 2 benches in the client's foyer.

This is exactly what I did for a client and not just because I have a thing for benches, ottomans and stools. But because there was a need for additional seating for evening gatherings. However,  on a daily basis the room needed to be open for traffic flow, so to speak. The room, which I will show you in another post, was the first of it's kind I've ever done!

I recently saw this very similar bench at Home Goods.   I forgot to take "before" pictures of the benches I used,  so I thought this was a good reference since they too had faux leather seats. 

The solution? Add 2 benches to the adjacent foyer from Target! Recover them in a fabulous fabric that coordinates in 2 rooms so they can be put into service anytime. and look as if they belonged in either room here all the time.

Client's New Powder Room Revealed!

I think the main powder room of a house should have a little sophistication and at the very least a bit of flair! I know many decorators like to treat powder rooms like little jewel boxes, myself included. Client's on the other hand can be oh so apprehensive to go a little nuts. Such was the case with this client.

A graphic metallic wallpaper in the end brought the space to life!

This was how the space looked just after install and paint. Rather boring I thought. I originally proposed wallpaper, but the client got cold feet and couldn't commit.  



The room was newly created from a previous closet. The client also wanted to use an existing fixture and center it on the back wall and then add a long mirror to cover the wall from sink to toilet. In case you wondering how I felt about that, well you can read about it here. But let's just say I think a blank wall of darkness would be s a better option! My suggestion, albeit unconventional, was install a scone over the toilet. And, I knew just the one.

I thought the beautiful herringbone pattern marble floors needed to be a feature, not the toilet and sink! But sometimes you have to do things one way in order to get them done the best way. So everything was installed...

This is a very small room. I knew this oversized sconce would be a great addition to illuminate the room properly and distract from the loo. Same with the tall mirror, it had to be interesting and reflect as much light as possible. Adding these 2 items made a big impact, but the bland paint just wasn't doing anything for the gorgeous floors or going to yield the result I knew was possible with paper. So again, I showed my renovation weary- wallpaper phobic client 3 different papers that could work. She decided on a graphic metallic. No one was more surprised than me. She fell in love with the paper as soon as it went up. The outcome was thrilling for both of us! 

If this little jewel box isn't proof that papering the powder room is the way to go,
  I don't know what is then!!!

Sources:

Sink & toilet: TOTO

Wallpaper: Thibaut

Sconce: Corbett

Mirror & Accessories: RLI Interiors

Final photo: Hadley Photography

Please Say Hello To My New Design Assistant, D.D.

Hi everyone, this is my new design assistant D.D. First name Dammit, last name Doll. She was introduced to me yesterday by a client. My most challenging client- ever. We just wrapped a 14 month project last week.

This is D.D. and according to her resume,
she is willing to take anything me or my clients can dish out!

There were head banging days. There were days when I wanted to pull my hair out- and the client's too! I have never worked harder and longer on any project. But, I'm happy to say all has ended well and the results are really beautiful, the clients are thrilled and I am so proud of the work.


Flowers for the photo shoot.

 I'm still exhaused from the 3 day installation and photo shoot, but look forward to sharing some photos with you all soon and to getting back in the saddle with blogging.

So much photography equipment! Sorry for the blurry picture, it's from my i-phone.
 This is the back of one of the sofas with it's beautiful velvet band and nailhead detail.


On a side note, I wanted to pass along a huge thank you to everyone who commented on the Blogger SPAM issues from the previous post- I think everyone's candidness was so beneficial to all, especially me!

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.

Bathroom Renovations: How To Get The Most Out Of Small Spaces!

When it comes to bathrooms, I think what most people want is a beautiful and organized space. Afterall, it's where we began and end every single day. I think the second thing people want from a bathroom is luxury. When most people think of luxury, they think of luxurious materials and expansive spaces. I do too, but I also think of comfort. And, for these bathroom renovations, the latter was the driving force.

The majority of the my client's renovation budget was spent on the kitchen, flooring and construction costs, so I knew the bathrooms would be a bit of a challenge. Not so much because of the budget, but because they were all very small. This townhouse had 2 full baths and 2 powder rooms. The 2 full baths were renovated 3 years ago. The full bath on the third floor, which was the largest, remained in good shape. It just needed a good cleaning, new cabinet hardware, mirror, medicine cabinet and lighting.

My focus was to overhaul the other three.  Not only did I want to bring the spaces up to date, but I wanted to try to find ways to add luxury in the form of comfort, which for this project translated to brightly lit and better organized spaces. The only way to do this, given their small footprints and budget considerations, was to select materials that would give the illusion of more space. In order to accomplish this, I would rely on pocket doors, good lighting, floor tile set on the 45, vanities that had feet, sliding glass shower doors and plenty of bright white field tile!

I headed to the bath section of my favorite big box store and found myself scanning the isles and repeating their slogan "let's build something together" in my head. Thankfully, Allen + Roth rolled out a new line of products for Lowes last fall. I sourced the vanities and lights from them, Moen's new line, off-the-shelf tile and simple space/cost saving slab mirrors for over the vanities from my local glass company.   

 The Master Bath: 

Before

 As much as I would have preferred a different vanity choice as I mentioned this one (just like the hall bath) was only 3 years old and in good shape, so it didn't make sense to allocate part of the budget to replace it.

After
New hardware was the only change for the vanity cabinet.



I seriously don't understand the point of uplighting in a bathroom.

Why not just add a torchiere behind the toilet?



After
Better lighting, bigger mirror.

 

During
 This shot really gives you an idea of the changes. I dubbed this bathroom "the box".
 This just may be the smallest bathroom I've ever seen in a master bedroom.
 The shower was the size of a phone booth! But, not for long. Just behind the plumbing and pink insulation is the
 hall linen closet, which was relocated so we could expand the shower.
I am a huge fan of pocket doors and this bathroom desperately needed one to free up valuable floor space.



Before
This in-swing door certainly contributed to the claustrophobic feeling. It was also a factor in the
 moisture problems since it touched the shower base, plastic curtain and inhibited air-flow!

After

Before

The before "before" from this post. Cruel, I know to show this again, but

 I really just wanted you all to have the full impact of the transformation!

After
Goodbye, tiny, creepy, moldy box.
 Hello, clean and pristine!



Adding a pocket door and sliding glass shower doors went a long way to help make this room feel more spacious.
 Relocating the linen closet that was previously behind the shower added over a foot to the length of the shower. It was absolutely worth the trade off to spend on construction costs instead of making any significant changes to the hall bath. This bathroom will now feel more luxurious simply because it's brighter and more comfortable to move around!

 
The Powder Room:

Before
1970's harvest gold laminate counter. Usually, a floating counter makes a bathroom feel bigger. Not in this case
because it was so dark and chunky. It looked like it came from a cheap motel from the same era!

After

 I thought this vanity cabinet by Allen+Roth had a lot of style for very little money.

 I loved that it had feet, curved doors, a shelf and a drawer. Plus, a big white porcelain sink. 

The drawer was a fantastic surprise at this price point!

 PS: I had so much trouble getting this post completed, so let me apologize now for all the irregular fonts and spacing.  I don't dare test fate (or my burning desire to toss the damn computer out the window) by trying to edit or add the other bathroom. I'm too afraid I'll lose it all, so I'll have to do in a separate post when I return.

Spring Fever & New Projects

I guess this year will go down in the history books as the winter that wasn't! On one hand,I was incredibly disappointed over the lack of snow, and on the other hand relieved we didn't end up with another crazy blizzard like the last 2 years. I'm such a seasonal person, I can help feeling a little cheated, even though I'm looking forward to spring!

And, it seems this lack of winter and unseasonalbly warm temperatures are pushing people into spring mode and that means focusing on updates around the house, both inside and out! So where have I been? Helping clients with interiors and exteriors, big projects and small!

I'll share a little preview of what's been consuming my thoughts and time:


This client is a longtime friend.  They have just completed a massive renovation to the entire first floor of the house.



The client already had this wonderful rug and it will be the starting point for the dining room.

We are on the hunt for blue & white pieces for the dining room and kitchen.

We plan to incorporate some blue & white pieces, such as this ginger jar into the kitchen window.

The kitchen was gutted and now has beautiful cabinetry. The clients chose a huge island for the way they like to entertain. I'll be adding the finishing touches such a lantern for end of the island, fabric and shades for the windows, bar stools, accessories and...

some fantastic hardware!  The knob on the left and the handle are in nickel and the other is in chrome. My client initially planned to use chrome or brushed nickel hardware that was more casual. While I like all metals, I really felt polished nickel was the best choice in this case. It's more elegant than brushed and warmer than chrome. So, I took my client on hardware shopping trip and while their were many great options, these in my mind, were a standout. And, even though they were an added expense, we both agreed the backplate on the knob was to die for! It's also practical as it will keep the wood on the cabinets cleaner, especially since there is so many painted white cabinets!

  Jewelry for the kitchen!!!



I am also working on a master bedroom for another client. Everything is this photo is being replaced.This client came to me by way of my friend, Renae of Renae Moore Designs. Renae used to live in Northern Virginia, but now lives in Atlanta. Before she moved she did some really beautiful work in this client's living room and dining room. Currently, I'm working on the master bedroom and hope to make Renae proud and the client happy! I am also helping this client with exterior items such as paint colors, door hardware, lighting, french doors and a new garage door!
Thank you Renae for such as wonderful referral!

If anyone knows a source for beautiful barstools that swivel with no backs, please let me know! It's for the kitchen island pictured above. I've looked at many and so has my client. We thought we found a good option from Frontgate, it came in...the husband didn't like it...it's going back. We are trying to avoid anything custom since it's not in the budget!


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.