In a nutshell, this home is nestled on two acres overlooking
a pond with stunning landscaping. For this design, I
wanted to bring all the elements of the outdoors inside.
I did this by using soft robin egg blue on the walls to
mirror the sky, along with wood elements found in nature.
By building with textures and fabrics these three rooms are
all different yet build on one another. The end result is a
comfortable beautiful home.
The Living Room
This room had outdated oak floors that had actually been
painted black by the previous owner. To bring in a softer
more updated contemporary, look I hand scraped the
hardwood floors and gave them a walnut finish. The fireplace
was next on my list — it was very heavy in the room. Encased
in concrete, it took over the room instead of complementing
it. I started by selecting tiles in neutral tones, which were
linear on top and textured on the bottom for interest. By
using reclaimed wood from a nearby barn that was about
to be demolished, I was able to have an oversized mantel
built and a custom TV frame as well, this really is a great juxaposition of old and new. New french doors were installed off the living room to create an office door. This both created a new entryway into the office, which used to be in the hallway, and it also opened up the living room. Last, were the finishing touches. This is always my favorite part of the design process. Using the owners’ personal belongs is very important to me in the design process, as it is a vital part of their home and who they are. I try to incorporate as much of my clients’ identity into the design as possible. The new pieces that are brought in were textures in woods and colors that blended with the clients existing decor. One of my favorite new pieces was an antique chest that I found at a great shop in downtown Bellingham called Aladdin’s Antiques. You will also see the owners antique music stand in the far right corner. I love mixing the old and new together, it makes for such an interesting story.
Dining Room Remodel
The dining room makeover got new fabulous lighting. It’s a bit rustic in nature, with a little ambiance added by using dimmers. I decided to go with two round chandeliers over the large distressed table that can seat up to eight when the extra leaf is added. This gives a bit of drama to the room. One of the reasons I chose this table, was that I loved the upholstered chairs I selected with it. It gives it such a soft look. I paired the table with a sideboard that can be used for either decor or extra dishes. For decor in the room, I went with draping robin’s egg blue and deep brown curtains along with a stunning hand-tufted wool rug. Then to top off the room, I added some curly willow branches in an oversized vase in the corner. Who wouldn’t want to dine and have great conversations in this space?!
Kitchen Remodel
The kitchen really just needed a facelift, it had great bones to start with. I started by tearing up the outdated tiles and putting down new contemporary tiles that complemented the new hardwood flooring. I kept the kitchen cabinets, but replaced the center panels of the upper cabinet doors with rain glass for a more open concept and added hardware in brushed nickel. Next, I added a two-light pendant over the island that ties the dining room and kitchen together with rustic charm. The back wall got a backsplash treatment in ceramic wall tile that brought all the colors of the kitchen together with a pop of white to help lighten the space. The walls have a concrete finish that add to the warmth of the space, along with concrete countertops that have been stained a dark gray and sealed. Mixed together with soft robin’s egg blue walls and Northwest decor, touches like the willow branches in the niche above the refrigerator are the perfect combination for this kitchen.
