Right before Los Angeles and surrounding areas went into a "Stay at Home" order, we finished and photographed our Valley Village Remodel. We had been working on this home for the past year and to finally have it finished right when our clients needed it most was the most rewarding feeling.
This was a HUGE project where we gutted the whole main living spaces that were once three different spaces and transformed it into the coolest, open living concept there ever was.
It started off as a small galley kitchen, oddly placed front door, make shift sun room, small living room and a fireplace area that wasn't getting used at all. The best thing this house had was a HUGE window in their living room that acted as the fourth wall and brought in the most gorgeous natural light. When we met with our clients and started talking about their needs and wants, it was clear they both had a good idea of what they wanted. He was more traditional in style and she wanted a more modern look and was willing to take more risks with design. After inspiration meetings and lots of design homework here was the plan we came up with:
-Open Kitchen up to the living spaces.
-Move front door and extend Kitchen out
-Large waterfall Island with additional seating
-Turn Sun Room into a Dining space, with a coffee/bar station with bi-fold doors to open to back yard
-Refinish fireplace
-Add custom cabinets/shelves for a sitting area.
-New paint and flooring throughout house.
So how did we blend their traditional and modern styles? Starting with the Kitchen we designed a custom cabinet that would look like one giant shaker door when both doors were closed, keeping that traditional design but elevating it to something more modern and unique. We also decided to add in some custom open shelving to open the space more. Gorgeous hand made looking subway tiles lined the whole walls from counter to ceiling that was more traditional in style but we installed it in a stacked design that would give you a more modern look. To off set all the white in the room we decided to stain the island a warm wood tone to match the flooring. And when it came to counter tops we decided to add contrast and did a black quartz on the perimeter and a marbled inspired quartz on the waterfall island. This gave the entire kitchen more interest, more color and warmed up the space so it wasn't so black and white. Remember that time I went on Instagram and told you the GIANT mistake I made with ordering the WRONG counter top material? Yeah it was THIS kitchen. We fixed the problem right away, ripped out the wrong counter, fabricated the new one and got it installed within 2 weeks. Even though it was a major headache, and A LOT of money out of my pocket, it was the right decision and I am so happy my clients decided to go back to the original one we picked out. The impact just wouldn't have been the same.
The bench area off the kitchen used to be their coat closet and had the most beautiful window inside. We took out the closet and exposed the window, added the additional storage with a striped bench cushion and painted the wall Inchyra Blue from Farrow and Ball to make a statement. Its one of my most favorite areas in the home now.
The fireplace had this old 80's tile and awful mirror that needed a whole new look. Once we demo'd we found original brick that we wanted to paint white but it was too damaged so we had to come up with another plan. We decided to plaster it and lime wash it for a more modern look. After the plaster went up we loved the contrast color against the white walls so we decided to leave it. We added custom built in's for more storage and to make the space feel more like one, intentional sitting area. It's the perfect place to relax, read a book, enjoy the fire and feel separate from the rest of the house.
The whole home now feels purposeful, intentional and updated. We mixed traditional furniture pieces with modern lighting, grounded the space with texture and added in pops of color to bring the space to life. We are so happy with this beautiful transformation and were able to push ourselves creatively throughout the entire experience. Our clients trusted us completely to make their house a home and for that I am forever grateful. It's times like now where more than ever we are realizing how important it is to be in a space you love, to be able to create memories and bond as a family in your home is a gift in itself.
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