I am SO excited to reveal our Palisades Project because these sweet clients have been living in their home for nearly a year without a single room completed. The install for this project was scheduled for the week California's Stay at Home mandate went into place as the Covid Pandemic broke out. In order to practice safe social distancing, we had to make the decision to only install furniture and postpone all accessories and styling until the shelter in place orders had lifted. We limited our team to just one person for install which was such a weird experience, as it's been a few of us for many years. Four and a half months later, we were finally able to safely install the rest of their decor and complete their home for them.
To kick off this home tour series, a little background info is in order. The clients were both busy working professionals - one in the music industry and the other working in finance. They purchased this home and planned to have a true turn-key experience, but as mentioned above #Covid. What was originally a pretty traditional home, our clients were really wanting something a bit more contemporary and we were so excited to deliver that. Having never worked with a designer before, they were total dream clients, trusting us entirely and really letting us transform their space. Today's tour kicks off at the front of the house with the front living room and adjacent office which are just off from the entryway.
Living Room
As soon as you walk in our Palisades Project, a formal living room greets you on the right. It had beautiful natural light but just felt a little stuffy. It really needed to be made more casual and inviting to meet our clients vibe. There are two focal points in this room, because not only is there a large fireplace, but the french doors actually open to ocean views and we knew we wanted to highlight this.
The bones in the space were really good and instead of completely redoing the fireplace, we knew we could work with it's neutral palette while still making it feel updated. The oversized arched mirror layered with art instantly modernizes it. To frame out the gorgeous views, we worked with The Shade Store to create custom drapery and window treatments. Our clients had a personal relationship with The Shade Store and I have to say - I am VERY impressed. From the Roman shades to the layered curtains we had made in a designer fabric really add so much rich texture to the space.
As for furniture, I wanted both focal points to be accessible by anyone in the space. Instead of blocking the gorgeous view with two sofas, we opted for one sofa in a performance fabric and two swivel chairs we had custom upholstered. This brought in another layer of great pattern which helps keep the neutral palette interesting and fun. Texture was a big priority in here, so we sourced this amazing rope coffee table with end tables made of glass and concrete. Every piece selected was meticulously curated for a cool, layered look.
Here is where we started:
The Office
I am in LOVE with this transformation as it may be one of our biggest yet! Even though our clients wanted to go more contemporary than traditional, the built-ins and architectural details in here were too good to strip away. We just had to make them feel present and not right out of the 90's. The existing cabinetry was all very, very heavy, dark brown with wood paneling. Our design presentation was risky - we suggested just painting everything a beautiful warm gray to lighten and brighten the space while keeping the warmth. When painting an entire space and all it's details the same color, it's important to break it up with some texture. To do this, we installed a beautiful neutral herringbone wallpaper behind the shelves and I love the extra detail it brings in.
Between the paint , furnishings, library ladder, lighting and decor, this space was the most expensive renovation in the home, which to be honest, our clients were a bit hesitant about because they never used the office. Now that it's been fully installed and our clients work from home, she's been using it every day and is so glad she splurged in here.
And a peek at the dramatic before:
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