Today we are sharing the last project we completed and photographed this year. When the pandemic first began, we thought our major hurdle would be doing so much design work remotely, but actually, we overcame that obstacle pretty quickly. It's really the more recent delays in manufacturing and shipping that have made completing a project so challenging, and this one is no exception. But! We've finally reached the finish line and I know our sweet clients are happy to have their home complete! Or, complete-ish, because that's just how things are these days.
Photography by Amy Bartlam
Construction by McMaster & Hill Construction
Our clients are a young family with two little girls, and they brought us on board to turn this traditional-style house into their dream home! We put in new flooring throughout, new paint, and added new light fixtures. Some spaces got a full renovation, like the kitchen, and some just got some updates and new furnishings. Our goal was a warm, traditional, elevated home that will be functional and beautiful for years to come.
The Entry
The entry to the home is really just a landing space. It's not super-grand but we added just enough design elements to make it unique. We painted the door black, which feels a little more contemporary and helps the beautiful stained glass really pop. We added a beautiful console and mirror -- our favorite combination for an entry -- and then added texture and color with a rug, a pair of bucle ottomans, and accessories.
The Formal Living Room
This space is just off the entry, and even though it may only get used on Christmas morning, we knew it had to be impactful to make a good first impression. We kept it simple with a white sofa and two semi-custom chairs in a blue patterned fabric. Since the flooring is lighter wood, we brought in darker case goods for balance. I love how this room has a slight bright/dark contrast in colors throughout, and we used that as a unifying element for all of the spaces in the home.
The Den
When we first got our hands on this room, it had white carpet, dark wood walls and ceiling, and an outdated bar and bathroom. The room is an addition onto the original house and believe it or not, it used to be a racquetball court! The previous owners converted it to a living space in the 1990's, and it was due for another update. We immediately painted the entire room, put the new wood flooring throughout, and updated the bar area with a new counter top, new hardware, and some new appliances. It instantly made this dark, cave-like room bright and airy.
I would have liked to change the stone on the fireplace surround, but we kept finding issues with the foundation, etc., that needed attention more than this fireplace. Renovations can be tricky like that -- you never quite know what you'll find! We always make room in the budget for unexpected overages, but sometimes we still need to move money around and adjust our priorities. In this case, I knew we could work with the warm tone of the stone by bringing some lighter wood pieces like the coffee table, the mantle accessories, and even the rug has some beige accents that tie it all together.
Since we lightened all the walls and ceiling so much we made sure the furniture was darker and had some contrast. We did the sofa in a dark grey performance fabric (a must with kids!) and chose a light grey wool-like fabric for the pair of chairs. It was important for them to swivel so they could be oriented to the television or toward the outside while entertaining. With the larger pieces in solid fabrics, we chose a rug with a lot of movement and and had a pair of ottomans made out of vintage textiles. This is the family's main hang-out and lounge space, but is also used for entertaining, and I think we struck just the right balance of stylish and family-friendly.
Stay tuned in the next few weeks as we reveal the rest of the home! For a look at the 'befores' and hear me talk through our plans, check out our highlight on Instagram: #NRRemodel