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Tag: before and after

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Pittsburg Residence: “Before”

galley kitchen renovation
galley kitchen renovation

Sprawling ranchers make for some of my favorite projects, and this one is no exception! Square footage is usually plentiful in these homes but often times they are so compartmentalized, it feels unusable. With strategic changes to the floor plan — opening walls and closing others, a flowing, functional footprint can be achieved. By the end of the project, it’s sometimes hard to remember how the house was ever any other way! If you’ve been following on Instagram, you will have seen the structural and spatial changes we’ve made for this home. It’s now time to give a proper tour of what this house looked like when it was first placed in our hands!

The Kitchen

The kitchen was probably the most updated space compared to the rest of the house. White cabinets with a pretty simple door style and those little polished brass knobs are not the worst thing. Even the flooring appeared to be updated! But as a whole, still pretty dated. For the longest time I thought it had wallpaper, until I looked a bit closer one day and realized the walls are all hand painted with the floral motifs! The window treatments throughout the house were very heavy, causing a lot of natural light to be lost.

spokane kitchen renovation before and after

My biggest issue with the kitchen was how closed off it was to the rest of the home. Families want to be able to cook and entertain and not feel isolated from their company. Thankfully this home was set up perfectly to allow for that with the removal of the main wall, but this would required structural adjustments.

outdated kitchen before renovation
Mudroom / laundry room

I was pretty excited about this space because it has a large footprint and it was perfectly located between the garage, powder room, and kitchen. You can’t really ask for better than that! We have exciting plans for laundry cabinets on one side, and more of a mudroom set up on the other.

  • laundry room remodel
  • mudroom remodel
The Den

Like the laundry room, this space really just needs cosmetic updates. The footprint is great and it has large windows! But I was very happy to see the paneling come off. It felt like a heavy weight was lifted from the room! The one tricky part about this room is a large opening to the dining room on the wall opposite of the fireplace. It created an interesting circulation path and restricted furniture placement.

living room with wood paneling

After a lot of back and forth, I presented the option of closing in the large opening. There was a second opening on the side wall near the laundry room and kitchen. Since this was going to be a more private family space, it didn’t feel like a loss when we closed up the doorway. In fact, once this was done, it made both the den and the dining room feel so much better!

wood paneling on walls
Dining & Living Room

The dining room and living room were initially separate spaces. The dining room had openings from three entry points on three separate walls, which made it feel more like a large hall. The plan was to remove the wall that separated it from the living room. This would provide a stronger connection to the living room as well as the kitchen.

formal dining room

The living room was a long space that despite a whole wall of windows, felt very boxed in. Even with a standard ceiling height, the ceiling felt low, especially with a tall client! At the end of the living room was a full brick wall with a fireplace. I liked that wall as a focal point, but the scale was all wrong. The height of the fireplace felt strange as well as all of the negative space on the wall. It definitely needed a change!

living room with wall of windows
living room with original fireplace
entry & hall

Again, the entry had the perfect amount of square footage. It was closed off just enough to create a nice feel! The photo below is a great shot, as the wall on the right is now completely gone and behind it is the kitchen. There was also a small opening from the entry into the kitchen which we closed up to better utilize wall space for the new kitchen layout.

  • entry of rancher home
  • hallway before renovation
main bath

The main bathroom off the hall is near all the bedrooms and had a whole lot of funk! I sort of loved this wallpaper! It was pretty damaged though and once we got through the design concept, we realized it just wasn’t going to work out.

  • main hall bathroom
  • wallpaper in main bathroom
BEDROOMS AND POWDER ROOM

All of the bedrooms had a different color of carpet. Every room had a different wallpaper. But each one had coordinated the colors so exact, like this green bedroom! The powder room is actually over by the laundry and kitchen, but was another example of the wallpaper selections matching cabinetry, tile, and more.

  • bedroom with original carpet
  • powder room before remodel

The bedroom below is the closest to the master suite. After working through the floor plans, the clients decided to take the leap into a larger master closet. So this bedroom will soon be a gorgeous walk-in closet with plenty of storage!

bedroom with paneling and wallpaper
outdated bedroom with wallpaper
the master suite

Last stop in the tour is the master suite! Another day, another carpet. The bedroom is huge and the bathroom is as well! However, the bathroom was very choppy with the existing closets. Adding to this jumble was the vaulted ceiling in the bathroom, but the walls only being a partial height. This creates a lot of visual clutter especially when multiplied by all the walls in this space. This bathroom gets a ton of natural light though, so between that feature and the ceiling height, I was excited to get to work!

master bedroom renovation
  • master bathroom renovation
  • master bathroom remodel
  • master suite renovation spokane
  • master suite remodel spokane
moving forward

This project has been under construction for a few months already and there is progress to share soon. I’m also planning to start sharing more of my design plans and concept work to the blog so you can watch these projects transform! If there is anything you’d like to know about the design process, let us know so we can be sure to include them in upcoming posts!

If you have a project you’d like to discuss, feel free to contact me or book an appointment! I’d love to chat and see how I can help!

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Post Street Residence: Progress Update

The Post Street Residence is just waiting for its final touches and only weeks away from photography! So it’s overdue for us to share the progress of the project and all the transitions it went through over the last few months. If you haven’t seen the “before” photos or need a little reminder, you can find those here. These progress updates are always a great way to see things start to take shape, but even the most recent photos shared will look so different from the final photoshoot!

This project has been such a fun opportunity, and I’ve been so grateful to have clients that not only have incredible taste and so in sync with each other, but also are willing to try some things a little outside of their comfort zone (and reap the benefits of it, too, because ummm it’s looking stunning around here). I’m sad to see this one coming to a close! Time to walk down memory lane!

DEMOLITION & CLEANING UP

We started the whole project with a clean up of the walls, skim coating and painting, which took some time. Once we finally were able to get our hands dirty, the walls came down to open up the compartmentalized kitchen to the rest of the living spaces. I knew from the minute the renderings were complete that this project was going to be a winner, but seeing the first wall come down never fails to excite me.

Next was the flooring. Yes, we ripped out hardwood flooring. It was necessary. We also had to tear out several layers of tile, and linoleum, and plywood as these floors were installed one on top of another over time. Don’t worry, we replaced it with something so beautiful, it might be one of my favorite parts of the project. I haven’t decided!

This little entry nook pictured below was an add-on to the project, but I was so excited about it! There was a closet here which was great, but it was actually pretty restrictive in how the storage was used and the congestion it caused in the entry. Tearing out the closet enhanced this little window so much, and the custom built-ins designed to better serve the family’s storage needs is so cute (wait for the photos later in this post!).

NEW FLOORING ARRIVES

Here’s what we chose for the floors though…

Gorgeous white oak! The clients originally planned on a medium stain color, so we tried several samples and REALLY went back and forth on it. It was a tough choice, but ultimately, we settled on a natural finish (my personal favorite, so light and airy!). We did have to add a bit of a custom stain option using white to keep it feeling bright versus turning orange with the sealer.

From this point, things moved fast. It always feels like the first half of the project is demolition. Waiting for plumbing, electrical, walls to get closed back up…it’s time consuming. And then in a matter of weeks, everything starts flowing in and your space is nearly complete. Don’t be fooled though, the final details takes a good chunk of time, too!

THE KITCHEN COMES TOGETHER

Cabinets and counters got installed pretty quickly and I had been waiting for this moment forever! The dark green inset cabinets were absolutely perfect, paired with several white oak details…a custom pantry/refrigerator surround, floating shelves and a bench (some which won’t be revealed until the final photos!).

HARDWARE & COUNTERS

Cabinet hardware started getting installed right away and I’m kind of impressed with myself here. Have you ever seen inset cabinets paired with a modern finger pull? I haven’t and in one moment, I panicked and questioned if this was a good idea. It was SUCH a good idea. I absolutely love this combination that pairs the charm of inset cabinets with a modern, sleek, brass finger pull. You saw it here first, OKAY!? (And if not, just roll with it).

And a little sneak peek at the quartz counters but it doesn’t even begin to reveal the beauty hidden under the protective covers. Scroll on down to see it!

Is that quartz beautiful or what? This gorgeous selection has a crisp white color to it, but the veining has grey and even a little brown on the edge. It makes it versatile for so many palettes! The plaster hood was a fun new thing for me to try, and I absolutely love how it turned out. I see more of these in my future!

LITTLE DETAILS & TILE

Below are two spaces I haven’t shown much of, but are turning out so great! The first photo is at the end of one side of the kitchen and next to the back door. It will have a floating white oak bench, which will be great for removing shoes when entering from the back door! The next is the new tile hearth, which looks so stunning next to the white oak floors. I love this detail!

A NEW ENTRY

Last but not least, coming back to the entry nook…

This piece will always hold a special place in my heart. I love custom built-ins. I love designing them! This little space got a huge facelift and once it’s done, it’s going to be such a highlight of the home! This is the result of designer + contractor team talent. I’ve mentioned it in previous posts, but I cherish my contractor for building the most beautiful things. Whatever I come up with, he makes it work. Incredible craftsmanship.

Just a few weeks left and I’ll be sharing the final reveal of this home! Let me know what you are most excited to see, and if there’s anything you are dying to know about this project!

If you have a Spring or Summer project on your mind, be sure to contact me here! It’s time to start planning your design and booking with a contractor to meet that timeline! You can contact me or book online here.



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Post Street Residence: “Before”

We are getting so close to wrapping up the Post Street Residence but I’m so behind on sharing the behind the scenes of the whole project! So I am going to do some catching up around here and that all starts with the “before” photos of the space! This project started with a kitchen remodel but ended up expanding into a few other areas of the home due to the finishes we were planning to update (such as flooring and paint). The primary goal, however, was to open up the kitchen to the rest of the home and update it to something that was more in line with the client’s style.

A DARK, OUTDATED BEGINNING

The photos above were taken from the back entry of the house looking toward the kitchen. It also shows the wall that divides the kitchen from the dining room, living room, and front entry. The compartmentalized spaces made it difficult for gatherings with their friends and keeping an eye on their little ones. As a mom myself, I totally get how hard it can be to cook dinner in a completely different room from where your kid is playing! While this kitchen was a nice size and had a pretty functional layout, there was still room for improvement. But it needed some major changes to bring this family’s style into their home.

The little space at the end of the cabinets (in the photo below) was awkward. The window sits too low to continue the counter and it was right next to the back door. So we were really just looking for an opportunity to add a bench and some storage here. We designed one to match some of the new cabinetry and I can’t wait to see it installed!

SEPARATION OF SPACES

In the photo above, you can now see the division created by the wall between the dining room and kitchen. The living room sits behind the dining room, partially blocked by yet another wall. You can see how the long, divided space makes you feel disconnected to anyone in the other rooms. The photos below show the view from either side of the wall. Once demolition started and this wall was gone, this house felt like it was full of natural light and airiness. You could breathe!

INCORPORATING SURROUNDING AREAS

The other areas that were included in the renovation was the fireplace in the living room and the entry. We planned on painting and changing the flooring throughout, so we included these details that needed an update as well. The fireplace hearth was outdated and clashed with the painted white brick. I’m so excited for the new tile we found for this spot…just wait!

AN ENTRY WITH IMPACT

The entry felt a little tight when guests arrived. The person opening the door would have to quickly move out of the way in order for guests to enter. And despite the closet, the clients were still lacking functional storage space. We decided to remove the closet to visually open things up. We would replace it with a custom built-in that would suit their storage needs more efficiently. Check out these changes in the progress updates blog post!

This is one project where for the small size, demolition and the prep work still seemed to take a lifetime! Even in the smallest of jobs, the behind-the-scenes of demo, plumbing, electrical, etc. can take some time. But coming within the next week or so will be all the details of this process, so stay tuned!

If you have a project on your mind, be sure to contact me here! It’s time to start planning your design and booking with a contractor to meet that timeline! You can contact me or book online here.


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SoulBarre Studio: Process Recap

We are so excited to share the behind the scenes of our very first commercial job! It was so fast-moving, we hardly had time to share on social media or get this blog post out before it was done! Working with Lori, owner of SoulBarre Studio in Spokane, Washington, we served as a design consultant to bring her vision to life. She had been dreaming of her own studio space for several years! She also had some creative ideas that were fairly well developed. But as renovations go, there are often times of overwhelm and all of those ideas can quickly become muddled. We loved helping with some of the fixture and finish selections and designing a focal area in the entry to welcome people. We can’t wait to share the final reveal, but as always, we’ll start at the beginning.

DEMOLITION COMPLETE, AND A CLEAN SLATE

With her husband in the construction industry, Lori got to work on the site before we had a chance to say hello! Haha! At our first visit, the original office space had already been demo’d, walls were pulled down and flooring ripped out. It was a large open space now and we were ready to move on making some finish decisions!

The entry had a perfect layout with some natural division to the space. The photos below show the entry door from the stairwell. The walls would be used for signage, a sign-in/brochure station, and a retail area for some merchandise.

DEFINING THE STUDIO’S ENTRANCE

This is also part of the main entry area, which you can see through the glass as you are coming up the stairs. I knew this was a great spot for a focal point and to welcome people as they approach the studio. The photo below on the left is the view to the entry area from the main studio space.

A (VERY) FRESH COAT OF PAINT

All of the subfloor needed to be prepped and smoothed for the new floors, so in the meantime, some fresh paint on the walls and ceiling were needed to brighten and freshen up the whole space. This alone made such a big difference! I tried to keep the photos in the same pairs as above so you can see how much it changed. Some of the photos seem a little hazy because we stopped by right after everything was freshly sprayed.

Sooo much cleaner, right!? Well, I only have one more set of progress photos for this project, because after flooring went in, it was all just the smaller details (lights, furniture pieces, focal wall) and we don’t want to ruin the surprise!

A NATURAL TOUCH WITH FLOORING

For the flooring, we did a vinyl plank in a warm, neutral wood tone. We felt it would be important to find the right color to balance the white and black geometric motifs that would be used in the main studio area. It’s not as quite as dark as the pictures below show, but these were taken later in the day when less natural light was coming through.

How quickly this space got flipped upside down with just a few changes! We’ll be walking you through the rest in our final reveal post!

If you have a project you’d like to discuss, feel free to contact me or book an appointment! I’d love to chat and see how I can help!


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Mill Road Residence: Progress Update

Life of a business owner running the whole show…I have a confession. Most of you know that this project has been “in progress” since end of Spring/early Summer. So, it would only make sense if this progress update blog post took place sometime during those months. But, that’s not how it goes around here. This blog is fresh and new and often less prioritized than other things on my to-dos, such as actually taking care of my clients! Well I’m excited that this home is now complete and the clients are on their way to unpacking and moving in. So while that’s being taken care of, I’ve been working on updating the blog posts for their renovation journey. Don’t forget to check the “before” images of the project, and final photos can be found here.

OPENING THE ENTRY

So we are going to start with they foyer, because I love that the photo below has a progress shot taken from the same location as the before photo. Pulling out those dark cabinets and stair spindles and removing the light fixture helped so much. But the biggest improvement here was opening up the dining room wall on the left as much as possible to help bring some room and light to this area. It also now has more of a connection to the kitchen, which was really important for giving it some good use.

UPDATING THE STAIRCASE

The original handrail was painted white to match the trim throughout the home. New square metal spindles were added and drilled directly into the stair treads to eliminate the need for the metal shoes, which are essentially great for collecting dust. It took some convincing of the contractor to work out this detail, but he was incredible for dealing with all my ideas and particulars.

KITCHEN & LIVING ROOM

So I’ll jump right into the kitchen area since I just gave you a sneak peek of what that looks like from the foyer (and living room…oops)! Off the kitchen is a sitting room with lots of natural light, which would get much brighter with the new floors and a fresh coat of paint.

The wing wall next to the refrigerator was removed as well…sometimes those very small things can make a world of difference in opening up a space. We also felt it was necessary to move the fridge to the other side of the kitchen, next to the large sitting room windows. It feels better when appliances aren’t lined up right after another, allowing more counter space (on the sides of the range, for example) and more distinguished focal points. The kitchen also felt blocked in because of the change of flooring. Almost 100% of the time I recommend that if you have an open space, you need to treat it as an open space. There shouldn’t be changes in color of flooring or paint if you want the space to feel consistent and open and BIGGER.

CABINETS GET INSTALLED!

Cabinets are finally installed with quartz counters, as well as beautiful white oak flooring. See anything different about the ceiling? We filled in that awkward cove and changed the recessed can layout. Later, pendants will be added over the island. You may also notice the difference in the hallway, which started as a corridor of doors. We reframed the closets so we could do a large pantry closet (see the arched door?).Further down the hall is a small coat closet, which is now a convenient location for both the mudroom and front door. This floor plan really couldn’t be changed in a cost-effective way no matter how we looked at it, so it was in these small adjustments that we found huge improvements in functionality.

CUSTOM PANTRY

Ready for the pantry? I sure was! I practically jumped up and down when this thing was installed. This is a beautiful custom door that I dreamed of in this home since the beginning stages of design. The way it softens the entire kitchen makes such an impact. It really was an essential piece to the home. The cost of it nearly cut it from the project when we were analyzing expenses. But ultimately, we were all so excited about this piece that it just had to happen.

At the end of the project, the client and I were standing in the kitchen talking, and she asked me, “Do you know what my favorite part of the whole home is?” I shrugged and was like, “the floors?” After a few missed guesses, I was stumped. She said, “it’s right behind you,” nodding in the direction of the pantry. This made my heart flutter! OF COURSE! The doors are so stunning, and she told me how worth it they were. In the scope of the entire project, the cost really wasn’t something to blink about. I have to say, they totally change the feeling of the kitchen, and especially the hallway. You can also see in the image below why it was so important to remove that wing wall on the side of the cabinets. It allowed the pantry to be easily accessed and seen from the kitchen.

THE LITTLE DETAILS

Here’s a few last photos of the details around the kitchen…

New window over the sink as well as some close-ups of the beautiful quartz counters, blue cement tile backsplash and the custom island color to match it, brass light fixtures to bring warmth to the design, and polished chrome plumbing fixtures for the perfect mix of metals.

PLANS FOR THE LIVING ROOM/LIBRARY

Okay, let’s walk back over to the formal living room, which is off the foyer and front stairway. Remember this lovely fireplace? The room also had a tray ceiling that made the space feel dark and closed in. The same detail was found in the dining room. We removed this detail from both spaces. Normally I’m all about leaving the architectural details, but in this case, it didn’t make sense. We had cooler plans, anyway.

I LOVE doing custom pieces for clients. And this house and client gave me several opportunities to do just that (like the pantry!). She wanted this front room to be a cozy library-esque space for her collections of books, art, and photo albums. She also loved color and pattern in the home since the rest of the space would be white, bright, and neutral. So here’s what I did…

I literally despise fireplaces that are flush with the wall. Like, it just feels so plain and weird to me. (Exception: modern houses…sometimes). Bookcases were needed in this room, so it was a great excuse to bump out the fireplace flush with the new built-ins. We also decided to use the same color as the kitchen island on these built-ins to get that deep blue color in another location. I love how it enhances the fireplace tile surround.

LAUNDRY & POWDER ROOM

For a few final details of the main floor before we move on to the basement, I’ll show you the laundry room floor. It has thin brick pavers laid in a herringbone pattern! The powder room was inspired by a Pinterest photo the client found. She did some great work sourcing the wallpaper. I love it! We were also able to track down a console sink for the tiny space we had to work within. It’s turning out to be a really gorgeous space that brings such an exciting feel for a little powder room.

THE BASEMENT

Last, the basement, which was a huge area to be finished out! It’s always fun to watch a creepy dungeon take shape into something more finished and bright. I loved the new stained concrete floors, it really brought some warmth to the space! This basement will be used as a family room and music room. On the other side (behind where I was standing) is a bedroom. A bathroom was also added and there was STILL room for a huge storage space.

No more progress shots to spoil the surprises! These clients have an incredible collection of rugs, art, and antiques that are changing the look of their new home! Check out the final reveal here!

If you have a project you’d like to discuss, feel free to contact me or book an appointment! I’d love to chat and see how I can help!

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Mill Road Residence: “Before”

It’s that time again! Time to catch you all up on another project from the Summer that is wrapping up this month. This home is expansive! With over 3,700 square feet, it was a large renovation with a lot of details to be taken care of. I loved finding ways to make this development-style home unique. It all came from small adjustments to the floor plan and big changes to the original finishes. I can’t wait for the final reveal! But for now, let’s take a walk down memory lane to see what this home looked like at the beginning of the year.

MOVE IN DAY = DEMO DAY

Clients always make me laugh with how they express their likes and dislikes to me. Some are shy and some are bold. This particular client was hilarious with how she would let you know when she didn’t like something. This kitchen to her was NOT happening. The day we met on-site is the same day she closed the sale on the home. She already had people removing the things she didn’t want or need! There were so many components in this space that really dated the whole home. In instances such as these, we usually try to resell or salvage. It always feels good to see that in an industry that is ever-changing in design styles and people’s tastes, that we can still find good homes for things that are no longer of use to us.

LIGHTING, OR LACK THEREOF

The home felt dark…everywhere. Inadequate lighting, darker wall colors, and even with lighter floors and carpets, it still felt so closed in. Traditional brown wood trim and dark fixtures added to the visual weight of the spaces. The formal dining room was mostly enclosed as well, making the entire foyer feel narrow. I knew I REALLY wanted to open this space up.

THE FUTURE LIBRARY

The living room had an outdated fireplace surround, but the client knew this would be her more “formal” sitting space. She wanted something here with color, pattern, and contrast to the rest of the home. I can’t wait to show you the transformation of this space alone!

THE CORRIDOR TO THE MASTER SUITE

There was a long hall filled with doors that led to the powder room, laundry room, and master suite. It felt like a dark corridor of doors! I wanted to rework this by simplifying storage space and updating the areas the doors led to.

BASEMENT PLANS

The basement was also unfinished. It was a large, long space that would be used as a family room, music room, bathroom, and bedroom.

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you have already seen some of the progress photos. But I always save some of the special ones for the end!! You can find the final reveal here.

If you have a project you’d like to discuss, feel free to contact me or book an appointment! I’d love to chat and see how I can help!


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Rockwood Blvd. Residence: Progress Update

Well, if you haven’t already, go back and look at the “before” photos of this project! Without seeing that dividing wall in the middle of the space, you may not have the same appreciation for this. Hah! All I ever wanted was that kitchen wall gone, so when it finally came down, it felt like a pretty big moment. The impact of having this large open space was incredible. A huge visual weight was removed and the rest of the pieces would fall right into place. Here’s the progress shots so you can get a little glimpse of the blood, sweat, tears, (and money) that go into each home.

THE WALL GOES AWAY!

Ok, feel free to take that big deep breath now. We can all breathe a bit easier now with that wall gone. Truth is, after cabinets arrived, things started moving pretty quickly. Cabinets came in and were set in place, counters arrived the next week, tile came right after that. It felt like we were waiting for all the pieces of the puzzle to come together. Once they arrived, things came together so fast!

It was hard to see in the “before” photos, but there was a pantry cabinet built into the wall. I’m so glad we filled it in! It would have stood out and been a big distraction in the new space.

BLACK ACCENTS

My favorite part was when the black plumbing and light fixtures were installed. It gave it the contrast this light and airy space needed! You’ll have to wait for the final reveal to see those, though! 🙂 The staircase is another favorite. A metal and cable system was perfect for bringing in the black accents and incorporating similar finishes from the exterior of the home.

UPDATING THE FIREPLACE

The fireplace is a really cool focal point! For fun, I posted a poll on our Instagram a to see what people thought of a few tile layout options. Most people voted for a standard, horizontal layout. I gave the client the same options, and we decided y’all were boring. We were going to go for something out of the box…

Do you trust me yet? We love it! So I’ll wrap up the progress update with a few shots of the bathroom.

I can’t wait to show you the final reveal! I had such a fun time staging this home for resale, along with joining a wonderful open house to show it off. Final photography is coming soon, as well as another special surprise…stay tuned! If you want to be the first to know, join our email list (at the VERY bottom of the page) or follow us on Instagram!

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Rockwood Blvd. Residence: “Before”

This is one of those projects where after construction is complete, you can’t really imagine the space looking any other way. The designs fall into place so well that it looks like it has always been that way…meant to be. This was such an important goal for me on this project, because I was redesigning a home that already had a beautiful design concept, it just needed some updates. This home was built in 1983 and originally designed by local architect Jon Sayler. As an interior designer, I know how special each project is to the designers and architects who develop them. To respect the original design and aesthetic was so essential, and I do feel this newly renovated space fits right in.

At our open house, many people made this exact statement. In fact, people were so curious what the space had looked like before because the new design felt so seamless with the home. What a compliment! So let’s do a little reminiscing and look back at where we started at the beginning of summer.

You better believe I’m going to take you right to the view I had when I first walked into this home. Spacious, filled with light, and perched on stilts to give you a view of the trees (this home was even nicknamed “the treehouse” by neighbors)!

THE INITIAL SITE VISIT

When I was first called to the site, the homeowner had already torn out the floors. He had tried dozens of options ranging from cork to engineered woods, and just wasn’t feeling confident about any of them. He also wanted to update the original kitchen by painting the cabinets, replacing counters, and updating appliances. This is where I had to immediately say, HOLD ON. This needs to be reconsidered! Our client knew he would be putting the home up for sale. However, a quick flip on this kitchen wouldn’t get much of a return on his investment. The next person moving into this space would not be able to love this home with the very small size of the kitchen and closed off layout. So plans changed for the better (and I can’t wait to show you what happened!).

A PLAN FOR AN OPEN KITCHEN

The major red flag to me was not only the size of the kitchen, but the way it was separated from the rest of this AMAZING space. This home had beautiful bones, gorgeous wood accents, and an open concept that needed to include the kitchen. Besides, most people find that to be a very important feature of a home’s kitchen! So, needless to say, that wall had to go. By removing the wall, the kitchen would now be open to the sitting room, fireplace, and dining room.

THE FORGOTTEN FIREPLACE

Ok, so let’s take a look back at that fireplace, shall we? Here was the perfect opportunity for a focal point in the home. Even though this space was currently divided into three rooms by the kitchen wall, this fireplace was still visible from the dining room and sitting room. It needed some anchoring though, because it currently felt lost and unimportant. It would get some attention soon enough though.

A UNIQUE STAIRCASE

The next area that would need some design ideas is the stairway. This home has a rounded shape on a small part of the exterior, which is one of the many reasons why neighbors were always curious about the interior. It’s for the stairs! It had a partial rail on the entry platform, but no railing going down the stairs. We wanted to update these few handrails with a style that was similar to the exterior railings. They play a prominent role on the outside of the home, with its multiple balconies and catwalks (again, this home is on stilts!!). An interior-exterior flow was important because of the large windows and views.

THE MASTER SUITE

The last space of focus was the master bathroom. While small in size, there were probably ways to improve the layout. But budget really wasn’t allowing for a demo of the whole master suite, so we kept to a simple refresh. It definitely was in need of some new flooring, tile, counters, and fixtures.

This home is now complete and almost in the hands of its new owner. What an incredible transformation it has gone through! Follow along with the progress photos and the final reveal!

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Burroughs Road Remodel: Progress Update

I have a few phases of construction that are my total favorite…besides, of course, the final reveal. One of my favorites is when the demolition is complete and you see the home in it’s raw, empty space. It’s like a fresh slate and you can really start to visualize the plans you created, because the old stuff is gone. But my other favorite phase is when new cabinets start getting set in a kitchen design. The entire kitchen will just change before your eyes. Here’s an example from the progression at Burroughs Road…

A NEW LAYOUT

You may have noticed that we moved the refrigerator from the right side of the kitchen to the left (go back and look at the “before” pictures!). This was a simple switch but made so much sense. Because the original cabinets on the right side of the kitchen were only 12″ deep, it caused the refrigerator to stick out and block the view of the whole kitchen. Switching it up opened the space substantially! The rest of the kitchen kept with the same layout as the original kitchen, but we did expand the island. At one point we considered opening the wall between the kitchen and dining room. However, it would cause us to lose storage and create some dead zones of the home. And believe it or not, there is a balance of open and TOO open.

the fireplace transformation

Take a look at how we built out the fireplace to enhance the ceiling height and frame the room. If you don’t remember what it originally looked like, go check out the “before” pictures of the whole home. It’s not done yet, though! Wine racks for storage were an important piece on the client’s wish list. We tucked them in along with some beautiful wood floating shelves and a rustic wood mantel. Stay tuned for the final reveal on those…

flooring

In the photo above, you can get a small glimpse of the flooring installed. We went with a laminate floor in a dark chocolate brown. It was some of the most realistic laminate I’ve seen! It had great rustic patches that will help hide dirt while also adding character to the clean white space. One of my favorite tricks is doing a darker floor with lighter walls because it makes a space feel bigger! Here’s another picture of the flooring…

COUNTERS ARE INSTALLED!

Let’s get back to the kitchen! Quartz countertops (shown installed above) are pretty much my favorite, but I usually stick to simple patterns and colors. This client wanted to shake things up a bit though by finding something with more pattern and color variation. We found something with a creamy undertone that had patches and speckles of brown and white. It definitely helped us reach that traditional aesthetic that the clients also liked!

Can you guess the backsplash we selected? Head on over to the final reveal to see if you’re right!


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Burroughs Road Remodel: “Before”

One of my favorite things to do as I wrap up a project is to go back and look at where we started. When you are going through a renovation, often for months, it’s easy to forget what was once there in the first place. These clients had been living in the home for 20 years! They actually had the home built for them and helped select the original finishes. I’m sure it would still be a shock for them to look at the difference of their new kitchen in comparison to the old…I love having a record of the progression!

This kitchen was twenty-years old with builders-grade style finishes and fixtures. While the clients initially struggled to define their style, we did some digging by having them take the style quiz as well as the in-depth style assessment offered with our design services. The results pointed us in the very prominent direction of a traditional style with farmhouse touches. This was perfect considering the home was located on some dreamy acreage north of town.

A CABINETRY CONUNDRUM

What started as a plan to refinish the cabinets, we did quote comparisons of refinishing the cabinets versus ordering new. Sure enough, like others who have gone through this process, we decided it was a small upgrade to going with new cabinets. This was good for many reasons…1) the style of the cabinet doors was outdated. 2) there were many gaps and fillers or homemade components to their existing cabinets. 3) it was only a matter of time before the age of these cabinets started to show and break down. So, cabinets got torn out for reuse somewhere else.

PLANNING FOR FIXTURES & FINISHES

The original counters were laminate, which definitely needed to be upgraded. The plumbing and lighting fixtures were old, worn, and outdated as well. For budget reasons, we kept the existing fluorescent lighting. However, a little cleaning and replacing of bulbs helped freshen them up. Part of the way through planning, the clients decided to get new appliances, too!

The flooring throughout the first level also needed to be replaced. It was Pergo flooring and had started to pop and gap in areas. Later, in the lower living room, we noticed a large sink hole in the corner by the stairs. This gave us all a big scare, but was fixed with a bit of concrete and leveling. Instead of putting the old carpet back down, we decided to use the same flooring we selected for the kitchen.This, in addition to painting the whole level the same color, really helped the home feel cohesive.

A FORMAL DINING SPACE

The layout of this home is incredibly common for spec homes in our area. But the homeowners didn’t need two living rooms! What they really needed was a dining room that could fit more than four people. We decided to take over the formal living room and turn it into a dining room. The client had a beautiful extra long and live-edge table that was made by her dad using exotic wood. It would fit in the space perfectly and allow them to entertain and host gatherings during the holidays. This space also had a fireplace, although it was small in scale for the size of the room. It needed some finish updates as well, which was the perfect opportunity to enhance the whole space.

Overall, this first floor of the home expanded into a bigger project than we initially planned. But every decision ended up making sense! Homes with these large, open floor plans are hard to “cut off” when renovating. This is because some materials continue to the next room (wall colors, flooring, trim, etc.). However, take a peek at the progress photos for how we achieved a cohesive feel in the wide open space!

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