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Tag: renovation

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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: Project Reveal

Today I’m feeling happy to finally share more details about our first commercial project, SoulBarre Studio! You can find out more about the process of this space in the last post. For now, I’ll just say it was pretty fun collaborating with someone who already had a vision of their brand and a concept for their dream space! I loved helping to bring the owner’s overall ideas to life while watching her nail the details!

BRINGING DREAMS TO LIFE

I remember first talking to Lori over a year ago! we met at a barre event she was hosting for a group of local ladies. I loved her energy and spirit and the class was powerful yet refreshing at the same time. Shortly after this event, Lori started sharing her dreams with me about her own future studio. From the beginning, she had always loved a concept of a black and white studio with geometric shapes on the walls. We wanted to honor this vision, and did minor consulting to help refine the finishes. This included picking a paint color, selecting flooring from a sea of samples, lighting design, and visualizing proportions of the geometry.

CUSTOM BARRES & EQUIPMENT

Lori’s husband is in the construction industry, so they had some great contacts for doing custom work. These ballet barres were one of the many custom pieces designed. With their modern lines and warm finishes, they worked perfectly with the rest of the design concept.

Several other areas had custom pieces as well. For example, the large variety in equipment all needed a home. The wall space we had needed to be maximized to store everything. Local craftsmen built the storage for yoga mats, hooks for the green workout mats, and the weight holders. Above all, keeping everything white or black and in the same materials provided a cohesive and organized look.

ENTRY VESTIBULE

In the photo above, you can catch a glimpse of the entry area. This smaller space needed to function in A LOT of different ways! For example, standing AND sitting room, storage for belongings, signage, sign-in station, a place for brochures, and a retail area for merchandise. The area was an L shape so it helped to divide the functions in a natural way.

I just LOVE her motto. After experiencing her class firsthand, I felt it was spot on. For this reason, when designing the entry and focal space, I thought it was perfect to bring this detail of her brand’s vision right up front. This is the area people are getting prepared for their class and getting in the right state of mind. It’s so beautiful to have this as a welcome message, but also as a “see you next time.” I love that you can see this through the glass as you come up the stairwell and enter the space. It was really just a perfect opportunity for a focal point like this.

COST-EFFECTIVE & THOUGHTFUL TOUCHES

For the storage, built-in and custom pieces were considered, but cost was adding up, so instead we went for simple pieces from IKEA that work just as great! The white painted wood letters are from an online company and you can pick your font, color, and size.

Lori finished out the corner with some additional touches that were so fun: a charging station for phones, and a free library shelf. It’s thoughtful details like this that make her personality shine in how she creates a home away from home.

A GRAND OPENING!

This project was fast moving but finished just in time for her grand opening at the beginning of March, which was a successful event with free classes, giveaways, and more! If you missed it, don’t worry, she offers a first week of classes for free to try it out! It’s a really fun experience that I would highly recommend, and wow, what a workout! You can find more information at SoulBarre Studio (Spokane, Washington).

Make sure to check out the process recap…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!


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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: Project Reveal

The Mill Road project is photographed and ready for it’s reveal! It’s been a while since I posted the “before” and progress photos of this project, so it’s time to brush up on those, because you’ll have a totally different perspective for this completed home! This 3,700 square foot home was ready for a top to bottom overhaul, including finishing the basement and upstairs (not photographed). Ready for a little tour of the main floor?

THE ENTRY & STAIRS

The entry used to be fairly enclosed, with a cased opening to the right leading to the living room, and a cased opening to the left leading to the dining room. The staircase was all a dark wood, which meant this entry was a dark tunnel of a hallway. A slight adjustment to the floor plan allowed us to completely open the dining room, making it more accessible to the kitchen. I love the hemlock post and beam which gave this space the slightest farmhouse detail…much better than plain drywall corners. We also updated the staircase with a fresh coat of white paint and squared off newel posts, white oak stair treads to match the rest of the new flooring, and metal black spindles drilled directly into the stair trends. Clean and simple.

THE KITCHEN

Moving on to the kitchen! This space used to feel dark and crowded, but the overall layout was mostly functional. Once more, we made a few tweaks like moving the refrigerator the far right and removing a small wing wall. This wing wall was blocking direct access to a much-needed closet, which we widened into a pantry with custom louvered doors. We kept the finishes light and bright in here to maximize the daylight we had, but the client also wanted to bring in some color, so we achieved that with a navy blue island and a patterned cement tile backsplash.

PLUMBING & HARDWARE

This sink and faucet combo is one of my favorites! It’s a beautiful Kohler sink and Danze faucet. We mixed brushed brass and polished chrome metal finishes throughout the home, but we had a “rule” book to keep it feeling consistent. For all plumbing fixtures and bathroom accessories (towel bars, etc.), we went with polished chrome. For lighting, cabinet knobs and cabinet pulls, we used brushed brass. This still creates some challenges as manufacturers have different variations in their brass tones. This meant patience was key when we had to reselect a few items that didn’t quite match the tones we needed! Thankfully we planned these orders ahead of schedule, so despite some returns, everything still showed up before it was needed by the contractor.

CUSTOM PANTRY DOORS

One of my favorite features of this kitchen is the custom arched louvered doors I designed for the pantry closet. I had envisioned these doors while doing the 3D model for the space, but it ended up being something we could not find ANYWHERE. We searched salvage yards and overstock door dealers for something similar, even online! The clients and myself had our hearts set on finding this piece. It ended up being a custom design and a bit of a splurge. Now, it’s everyone’s favorite feature, and I’d have to agree. This is the closet I mentioned above that was cut off from the kitchen by a wing wall. We changed it from a coat closet to gain additional kitchen storage. The hallway had no shortage of individual closets, so we reframed them to create one large pantry, one medium sized coat closet, and a small storage/linen closet.

THE POWDER ROOM

On the opposite side of the hallway is one of my next favorite rooms…the powder room! Is anyone else loving how well-designed powder rooms are becoming? They are now a big priority for many clients! More money is getting set aside for these small spaces then ever before. I absolutely love that people are focused on the public spaces of their homes that they share with their family and friends. Little gems in each residence.

Give me alllll the details on this little space, am I right!? Alright, this is one space that we decided to break our own rule book and do only brass metal finishes. It just didn’t feel right to do a chrome faucet with the brass legs of the console sink. We added a quartz slab on to a brass console sink. It looks beautiful with it’s small grey veins that work perfectly with the black and cream tones in the wallpaper (similar one linked). I’m also fairly obsessed with the towel ring and toilet paper holder, which is a lovely collection from Anthropologie.

THE LAUNDRY ROOM & MASTER SUITE

We’ve got a few more lovely details as we continue down the hall to the master suite! One of my favorites is this transition to thin brick pavers in the laundry room, laid in a herringbone pattern. This was another feature of the home we took some extra time to work out. This meant education for myself, the contractor, and the installers on the best way to do this. We had to keep the transition flush with the white oak flooring. We also had to research installation for lasting durability and avoiding break-down or crumbling. I respect my contractors so much when they are willing to try new things with me. It means all of us can break out of our comfort zones to create something beautiful!

FORMAL LIVING ROOM (LIBRARY)

The living room was a space that the client wanted to feel different from the rest of the house. Overall, we went with the concept of light and bright for the home. But the client was particularly inspired by a library-style room full of colorful bookcases and velvet curtains. A place to cozy up by the fire and read, write, and relax. I was excited to do something bold and different for her!

FIREPLACE & BUILT-INS

In this space, I designed a custom build-out for the fireplace. However, we ran into a few issues by doing so. If we did 12″ deep bookcases, they would be deeper than the fireplace. The fireplace needed an upgrade anyway, so we built it out to a full depth, flush with the new bookcases. We did a hemlock mantel for the fireplace and some more cement tile that coordinated with the kitchen backsplash. The color of the bookcases also matched the kitchen island. They offer tons of storage for the client’s collection of art books, photo albums, and decor.

That wraps up our Mill Road Residence reveal! What’s your favorite part of this unique and colorful home?

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

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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: Video Reveal

The video reveal for our Rockwood Boulevard Residence is here! This was our first time doing any sort of video/recording for the studio, and I’m not going to lie, it was hard! But I will forever cherish seeing our projects documented in this way. It was all worth it in the end!

We have a few other blog posts all about this project if you’d like to dive in more! Linking them up below:

Before
Progress Update
Project Reveal

Enjoy!

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Rockwood Blvd. Residence: Project Reveal

In case you haven’t seen the “before” and progress photos of this project, you gotta stop reading and go take a peek! Like many projects, you have to see where it started to REALLY appreciate how far it’s come. On the other hand, the architecture of this home already had great bones and beautiful features (the wood ceilings were original). It just needed some finish updates, but the main focus would be a new plan for opening up the kitchen.

THE EXTERIOR

But, we’ll start with a view of the outside. When the client first sent me photos of the home, I was so excited! The exterior was such a contemporary look and it’s just uncommon to find that in Spokane. We didn’t make any changes to the exterior, but I think it’s fun for people to see the architecture. Which, by the way, was built in 1983 and designed by local architect Jon Sayler. The home sits on stilts and the land underneath drops substantially from the front to the back. This house is just nestled in the trees and it has a long catwalk that floats over the valley below. These railings would play an important role in the interior of the home as well.

STAIRS & RAILINGS

My head was already spinning with curiosity on what the interior would look like. I never expected to walk into a space with such beautiful natural light. I loved the warm wood planked ceilings and had to add this sleek fan for a pop of contrast. It was love! I knew this wood was so important to enhance. In the photos, you can also see how the black metal railings from the outside were incorporated on the interior. The exterior railings also run along the back of the home on its upper and lower balconies.

The stairs are what take up the curved space of the home. When I first saw the exterior, I was most curious about that area! I knew I wanted to find a simple and modern chandelier (similar one linked) for that unique feature of the home.

AN OPEN CONCEPT

The living room opens up to the dining room, kitchen, and sitting area. These spaces were previously divided by a wall between the kitchen and dining area. It felt so divided and each space was so small. It was really important to open that wall up and make it into one large, open gathering space. I love how the fireplace now is a focal point for all of these spaces!

FINISHES & FIXTURES

Can you believe the wood ceiling is original? It gets me every time, because it created the PERFECT imaginary boundary lines for the kitchen. And the kitchen was not that big originally. So it was really just meant to be. By the way, that island is around 9′-0″ long. It’s huge! But totally works for the space. It was great for serving out a big spread of appetizers at the open house! The stainless steel sink and black modern faucet bring just the right amount of visual interest.

Also, the backsplash is the coolest! It adds so much visual texture to the space and is definitely a statement piece! Yet, the tile is pretty smooth and easy to clean. I felt like I was taking a huge chance on this selection! But my gut was really telling me I had to go for it.

THE MASTER BATHROOM

The last area of the home we included was the master bathroom. This focused on updating the tile floors, a new mini subway tile shower surround, replacing the counters, and changing out plumbing and light fixtures. The original cabinets and closet doors were painted and hardware was added for a quick refresh.

Overall, this home was a modern and natural aesthetic that I was hoping for. Enhancing the wood tones and bringing nature in from the gorgeous views was so important in our design goals. This project was completed by furnishing and styling the entire space, which was an incredible opportunity to pick every piece. I had so much fun bringing in a comfortable and warm aesthetic through the furnishings and accessories.

If you’d like to see more, you can find 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!

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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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