This video reveal finally was edited (a year after it was actually filmed haha – LIFE HAPPENS YOU GUYS!) and now it’s here! And sooo good! It was so much fun reminiscing on this fun project.
We have tons of other blog posts all about this project if you’d like to dive in more! Linking them up below:
Before
Progress Update
Final Reveal Part 1
Final Reveal Part 2
Styling Round Up
Enjoy!
I’m so excited to be adding a new type of post for our project reveals…styling round ups! It’s been something on my “to-do” list for quite some time, particularly after the launch of our shop Pacific Design Co. I love staging our projects with our merchandise and showcasing it to you! Clients enjoy it as well. Sometimes a fresh perspective on décor can be exciting for our clients to see in their own homes! Now, I get to share some of our best products with you. Win-win!
With the Post Street Residence, I wanted to start in the living room. It includes some of the most fun combinations of pillows and decor! I loved the variety of textures and patterns, but most of all, the earthy colors. All in all, they paired with the wood tones in the home so beautifully! Many of the shop’s pillows are organic or vintage fibers. The detail in each one can is thanks to craftsmen that make each of them by hand.
With all the white in the living room, I wanted to bring in decor that felt extra natural. Wood trays, wood vases, and brass accents brought the warm tones that offset the white walls nicely. In addition, texture and pattern prevented the room from feeling bland.
SHOP THE LIVING ROOM
Moving on to the kitchen, we kept the decor pretty simple. I loved the dishes that were already displayed on the open shelves! We added a few accents on the top shelves (which you can’t see too well). The shelves are so versatile, but I tried to pair functionality with some fun decor pieces as well.
Next, I’m all about clean counters, so keeping them clear let the backsplash and gorgeous quartz take center stage. A few items that once more spoke to kitchen functionality was all the space needed!
Finally, you will find the perfect bench by the back door. This space is used constantly as little ones come inside from outdoor play. Baskets to contain little shoes or hats will keep the area from getting cluttered. And last, a cozy pillow invites someone to take a seat and keep company in the kitchen!
SHOP THE KITCHEN
If you’d like to see the other blogs featuring the Post Street Residence, you can find them here: before, progress update, and final reveals part one and part two. Enjoy, and happy shopping!
Part two is here! After starting the first blog post, I felt like there was so much good stuff to share! I didn’t want to get too lengthy before getting to another amazing part of the house…the entry! So here’s part two, which reveals the Post Street Residence living room and entry space.
When first meeting these clients, we were primarily focused on the kitchen renovation. However a few things were going to be freshened up throughout the main floor, which included new hardwood flooring and a fresh coat of paint. We did a skim coat on the walls to make them smooth, and stuck with a pure white paint. They actually had this white on the walls before which I totally loved and knew it was still the right choice for their space. But we didn’t realize until we had started painting that some things had really yellowed over time, like the trim. So we painted everything! It feels soft and airy…their home has so much natural light and their new white oak flooring enhanced that even more. Just these two changes brightened up their entire living room and entry. It felt great before, but even better after!
We ended up doing a fresh coat of white paint on the fireplace brick, and we replaced the original tile hearth with a fun white chevron tile. It looked gorgeous with the transition to the white oak flooring! We went with a dark grout because this is a wood burning fireplace that the clients used often. It will still require some occasional cleaning, but the tile is a high gloss which will make this task a bit easier.
The other slight adjustment we did in the living room was add a few sconces to the piano wall. I loved these sconces from Rejuvenation because they kept with the brass finish we were using throughout, but the white shade helped them disappear a bit!
The shot below is also a great angle of the white oak flooring. Originally the clients had imagined a medium color stain. Once the unfinished white oak got installed, I just couldn’t get past it! It was incredible in their space. We went back and forth quite a bit on this, including lots of stain samples and lots of head spinning! The other stains were really pretty, too and still coordinated really well with the kitchen accents of natural white oak. But ultimately, I’m so very happy for the uniform choice! We ended up doing a custom stain by adding a touch of white to the finish because just using a sealer still pulled the orange from the oak. And we found the perfect way to use the darker stain we really liked by applying it to the new front door (revealed later in the post!).
In that living room photo, you get a little glimpse of a cheerful little spot of the home…the front entry! Just about everyone goes back and forth on this and says how awesome the kitchen is. But this little entry…it’s just so special and memorable! This was an “add-on” to the original proposed project, but gosh this entry might be the thing that makes the home! On the right side there used to be a closet that went right up to the trim of the window. It really encroached on the floor space and the storage inside was less than functional. We decided to tear it out! I designed a custom built-in that would have a variety of storage options while still making the room feel bigger. Pulling the built-in back a bit also gave the unique window some “breathing room,” allowing it to take center stage!
P.S. here’s a good shot of the door with that gorgeous stain color!
Can we just take a moment to appreciate that wallpaper? Again, totally enhancing the shape of the window. It also was mostly neutral with a few pastel color pops. I showed the clients a few wallpaper options, all whimsical and with a bit of color. I was pretty excited with all of the options, but this one is just so fun! They loved it so much they decided to install some more in the playroom at the top of the stairs!
I loved the combination of the wallpaper with the bead board backing of the built-in. It was playful yet classic and was a great way to bring some fun into a charming older home. We added some classic hooks and brass knobs that matched the kitchen hardware to tie it all together with the rest of the home. And of course, a natural white oak bench to bring in that warmth and help pull things together as well.
In part one of this reveal, I talked about how we saw the home’s original character and found ways to tie into an updated renovation. Well, the front door hardware (similar one linked) was one of those details that I ran across something that was perfect. Brass of course to match the rest of the finishes. But the combination of the detail on the back plate with egg shape door knob felt like the right amount of “traditional” vibes but used in a fresh way.
By this point of selecting details, everything was just coming so easily. The clients were seeing the vision come together seamlessly and they were able to start trusting me even more to make decisions with less oversight. We were all in the groove and knew what was going to be the right choices. Such a good flow! The clients also did some shopping on their own and found the cutest white rope baskets with leather accents. They were so perfect and I fell in love too, I had to go buy some for myself! Score!
I’m so in love with this entry, but really, the whole home is a perfect example of what occurs when a few important things happen in a renovation:
1. Trust / Value — I felt so thankful for clients who valued my opinion, trusted my expertise, and wanted to utilize that to the maximum extent. Having that trust allowed my creativity to flow so freely and they totally benefited from it!
2. Willingness to Step Outside Your Comfort Zone — When investing a ton of money into a renovation, it can be so easy to slip into a pattern of thinking small and safe. These clients had incredible style but just needed the reassurance that they weren’t totally messing up by going bold. We played a game quite often that (I hope) allowed them to start trusting their intuition. I would take the two difficult choices of any given decision and put one in each hand (on paper or as a mental note when paper wasn’t accessible). They would select a hand, and if the choice that was made for them felt like a letdown, then they had their answer of what the right choice was to ultimately go forward with.
3. Have Fun — This one comes pretty easily when I’ve got the right clients. I’m a down to earth, casual person, and I love what I do! I have fun on the job site and when I can have a relationship with a client that allows me to do silly games like the one previously mentioned or crack an occasional joke, it makes a stressful process such as a renovation become more enjoyable for everyone! When clients have faith that myself and the contractors will take care of everything, there is nothing left to worry about!
If you didn’t get a chance to see part one, be sure to go back and read that! The video reveal is here. Make sure to also check out the before images as well as the progress…it’s always fun to see that transformation! As always, if you like what you see and have a project of your own that you would like to discuss, we’d love to hear from you! Check out our services and let’s chat!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. We hope by sourcing some of our favorite products, we provide value to you and your projects!
SHOP THIS PROJECT
I was anxiously awaiting the return of the photographs from what could possibly be one of my favorite projects to date! But how can you really choose when each one is so different and all of your clients are kind of the best!? So hard!). It was just such a fun project where so many of my FAVORITE elements were combined into one space! I would get butterflies every time the next piece of the puzzle was installed. So without further ado, I present to you the final reveal of the Post Street Residence!
I can’t even begin to pick a favorite space from this renovation! We’re just going to start in the kitchen, because that’s how this project started out. But guys, we just couldn’t stop there! So yes, let’s just start in the kitchen…because honestly, this reveal is going to need two parts. It’s just too good to cram into one blog post.
So basically, right here ^^^ is where the wall was. It separated the kitchen from the rest of the house, closing off opportunity to socialize, and for a young family — keep an eye on your kids in the next room. The original kitchen was actually in decent condition, “updated,” but in a very dark, traditional style. This client wanted something bright, fun, and a bit more modern while still keeping with the style and character of the home, which was built in 1936. We achieved this in a few ways. Our favorite being the inset style of cabinetry, in a muted green on-trend color, and modern brass hardware. It’s a rare (maybe even never before seen? I looked everywhere for an example!) combination to see inset cabinets with the minimal finger pull hardware, as the hardware is usually applied to the door and drawer fronts. But, I LOVED it!
We also kept the faucet and light fixtures more modern, and all in the brass finish. It added the edginess we needed for the design, but also warmth which really played off the white oak flooring. And how sleek they looked with that white stacked tile backsplash!
The backsplash was a fun element for this kitchen! With an open concept and open shelves, there was a large area that would be covered with tile. We knew white subway style was the direction we needed to keep things bright and neutral, but I’m just soooo over subway tile. This tile by Bedrosians is one I’ve been loving on for a while. When the client was describing the imperfections and even color variations they’d hope to see in their tile, I knew this would be the perfect match. This tile comes in a few different shapes, sizes, and colors, but this stacked look has to be my favorite. It brings that modern detail we needed versus a traditional offset installation. And it picked up the veining in the quartz counters beautifully! The whole finish palette for the kitchen is just a winning combination.
So, let’s talk about the green. The “trendy” green. Because this is always a discussion that we have to have with clients. And full disclosure, I’m in love with the green trend. I could tell my clients were, too. The trick was to get it to a muted enough version that it actually works as a neutral. This color is incredibly versatile and works with anything. It walks the line of working with modern or traditional styles, which was the underlying concept of this entire design.
By going with a trendy color such as green, we needed to strike a balance with some timeless pieces. When working on the design, I envisioned having wood accents play a role in more than just the floating shelves. I expanded on that by including a floating bench at the end of the cabinetry. I also designed a custom pantry built-in around the refrigerator. All of these pieces would be made in the same natural white oak as the flooring to bring in a warm, classic look. It felt like a good minimalist approach but complemented their walnut furniture pieces so well!
Last, we can’t forget to mention trying out the GE Cafe appliance line! Particularly this double oven which still fit into their 30″ space!. I was so excited when the clients told me they had been researching this line. The white/gold combo would be perfect for their kitchen! I knew we needed to create the perfect hood for them to go with the white appliances. We started out thinking we would go with a white metal hood, but after some complications, we switched gears and I suggested plaster. I had never tried a plaster hood and I’ve been falling in love with them on Pinterest for some time. The idea was quickly approved, and we got to move forward on this stunning piece.
This last view is the perfect place to transition to the other adjustment we later made: the stairs and the laundry room. Because we were painting the walls and replacing the flooring throughout the main level, the choice needed to be made if the stairs would be painted as well and the treads replaced to match the oak. The choice was yes! But then we realized, if they are going to look so beautiful, shouldn’t we open them up to the rest of the home? They currently hid behind a door, and because of the age of the home, the stairs were very steep, making you hit your head on the top of the door frame as you come down the stairs. So we decided to open it all up from the front, and again, it was a choice that enhanced the rest of the home!
Next was the laundry room, which was a small space to begin with, but got a bit smaller when we reworked the kitchen. The original kitchen left a lot of floor space unused. When we took over an extra foot of the laundry room, we reclaimed a lot of that unused space in the kitchen. We were able to move the refrigerator down by the french doors, move the range to the left wall, and leave the sink and dishwasher where they were. It was the slightest adjustment but made an incredible difference. We were a little nervous about how much it would impact the laundry room, but we decided that it was going to be worth it to have the kitchen they desperately wanted. And in the end? The laundry room was hardly impacted and it still turned out dang gorgeous!
So that wraps up part one of the Post Street Reveal! If you thought that was good, you will be stunned when you see the rest of the house! In part two, I’ll be sharing the living room and my other favorite…the entry! You can also check out the video reveal here.
Make sure to check out the before images here as well as the progress…it’s always fun to see that transformation! As always, if you like what you see and have a project of your own that you would like to discuss, we’d love to hear from you! Check out our services and let’s chat!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. We hope by sourcing some of our favorite products, we provide value to you and your projects!
SHOP THIS PROJECT
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!
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!).
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!
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!).
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
