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:
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!
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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!
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!