The Design House Interior Design: PORTFOLIO

A Kitchen Transformation

A little bit ago we finished a kitchen remodel.

This kitchen went from blah yellow oak everywhere to gorgeous deep wood tones and a beautiful granite countertop complemented by gorgeous new walnut wood flooring, paint, tile, and lighting; all tied together with a pop of color in the roman shade.

Since my clients really liked the functionality of their space I kept the same basic layout while creating a beautiful new kitchen that encompassed all of their wants and needs. Here are the sketches I made for my clients at the beginning of the project.

Floor Plan

Elevations of the Cabinetry

Our clients absolutely love their new kitchen! The reclaimed walnut wood flooring is laid throughout the entire main floor and we helped select new paint colors for all the walls on the main floor as well to give their home a flowing, cohesive look.

Closeup of the new floor

You might remember these floors from a post I did a few months ago on reclaimed wood floors. The reclaimed walnut wood flooring has a circle-sawn distressing with a beautiful coffee-caramel colored stain. I chose a 3", 5" and 8" plank to add more interest, not that this floor needed any more interest, but it really helps create a more natural feel and since we continued this flooring throughout the whole first story there is a lot of square footage and having the distressing and varied plank sizes allows for longevity. The distressing, knots, and plank variation all add to the reclaimed look and it is simply gorgeous! Here are the dramatic before and afters. Enjoy!

Before

After

Adding paneling to match the cabinets on solid surfaces like the side of a cabinet or under the counter overhang really gives you a more finished and expensive look. The cabinetry was created and installed by the talented Peterson Woodworks out of Lindon. Jon, the owner, was great to work with and really delivered a beautiful product in making my design come to life.

Before

After

Before
This monstrous fluorescent fixture had to go and we replaced it with
sleek recessed cans to offer general lighting throughout the kitchen.

After

Before

After

A close up of our beautiful subway tile backsplash! We didn't need anything "flashy" because the granite, custom cabinets and wood flooring were the stars of this project. Adding a simple, elegant crackled subway tile was the perfect touch. Mike with Maxim Tile installed our tile backsplash and once again, is another great company to work with. Everything really came together perfectly for this project.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

We added a few glass doors along the top cabinets for an intriguing look and accent lighting installed by Black Diamond Electric. The custom cabinetry valance above the roman shade also gives the space a cohesive look.

And last, but certainly not least, our "cherry on top" was this whimsical roman shade which was the finishing touch to our kitchen remodel. It added the perfect pop of color and added in just a touch of fun that the space needed. This project was absolutely delightful and the clients were wonderful to work with and very happy with the results; they feel like they have a brand new home! And that's why we love what we do!

A Cottage Makeover: Part 2 Kitchen & Dining Room

Alright here we go, for the second part of our Cottage Makeover we're showing the kitchen and dining room.

Close up of the adorable table centerpiece.

We kept our cheery cottage theme in these spaces by continuing the buttery-tan hue on the walls and adding in pops of blue and green. We brought in a brand new farm styled parawood dining table and mixed in french country style side chairs. I selected a gorgeous brown glaze for the table top and a distressed antique white paint for the apron, legs, and side chairs. With the durability and hardness of parawood it was the perfect choice of wood for this family of five's dining table. To complete the cottage style I specified new white wood casings for the dining windows and installed dark woven wood shades.

For the kitchen we rearranged her old accessories and added in new ones to the top of her cabinets and wall shelf in her dining room. I made her a beautiful table centerpiece by mixing fun cottage treasures into a long basket; allowing for easy removal when mealtime arrives. We finished it off with a dainty lemon tree, which I think always adds a touch of class.

All of the rooms were cohesive and created a beautiful harmony within the home. Our client was ecstatic with the results and couldn't believe the transformation. And we're happy that she's happy!

Kitchen - Before

Kitchen - After

Dining - Before

Mixing two different finishes on one piece of furniture adds interest and longevity to the piece.

Kitchen Upper Accessories. Here's one of the few ways to tastefully use a word sign. It works because it's one: not in your face, and two: it's not labeling the room, but it's something you would say to your guests: Bon Appetit!

New accessories to adorn our clients shelf,

complete with a great little gardening basket.

Tell a story by gathering fun little items like this.

Don't you feel like grabbing that cute wire basket going out to harvest from your garden.

A Cottage Makeover: Part 1 Living Room

Recently here at The Design House I had the privilege of designing a living, dining, and kitchen area. The room was previously designed with a neutral palette with red accents. With the transformation finished walking into the room now feels like a breath of fresh air.

The Complete Look - After

Before

My client wanted a well designed updated space reflecting the cottage style that she loves. After getting to know her I wanted to design a friendly, cheery space for her and her family because it would be a perfect reflection of her fun personality and as she is home frequently due to an illness it would help her through the bad times. I gave her the soft blend of blue and green which are very livable, happy colors and is a complete 180 degree flip from the red accent she previously had. I chose this color palete because when designing a "healing" kind of environment I love using soothing colors and elements that you find in nature.

To help keep the budget lower we kept her existing sofas and rocking chair and entertainment center. We brought in new drapes, rug, coffee table, some art, and most of the accessories. The walls were painted a nice yellow-tan color to add to the cheery atmosphere and we re-arranged the previously displayed art and photo's to better showcase them.

Fireplace and Accessories on Entertainment Center

Before

After

Also look at the adorable "cottage chic" coffee table we added!

Fireplace Before

Fireplace After

Sheers Before

Sheers After

We made a double rod curtain with sheers mixed

with the curtain panels

We completly changed the look of the living room! Also note the

change of the photo wall to better showcase them.

Here is a close up of our coffee table accessories!

Sunset Oasis

One of our latest projects to be completed was for an adorable young couple that wanted a new look for their living room. They love entertaining and having friends and family over and the biggest struggle was providing enough seating for everyone.

We wanted to give them a room that was fresh, fun, young and chic. She loves the colors of sunset and that became the inspiration for the space. Bringing in beautiful shades of orange and blue was the jumping off point for the room. The walls were already a great tan that we wanted to keep. Blue drapes were chosen because of the pop that they'd give to the walls.

They needed all new furniture and we found an amazing deal at a local furniture store on beige leather sofas. We purchased two for them to provide the most amount of seating. To give these sofas a pop we added spicy pumpkin color pillows and multi-colored horizontal stripe pillows to both.

To add more color to the room a multi-color floral rug was selected. The rug stands out in the room from the neutral furniture around it and is the perfect pop for the space. Addressing the need for seating we found a great round glass top cocktail table that has four nesting stools underneath it. These stools can be used as ottomans of seats for guests and they tuck away when not in use. A great burnt orange floral chair was added to the space as well for even more seating. In all they now have seating for 11 people without having to pull chairs from the dining room; it's pretty awesome.

Art and accessories were added to the entertainment center, table and walls to complete the space. Never over look your walls when redoing a space; they are just as important as adding a new chair or rug. Putting a fun piece of art, mirror or sculpture piece on the wall adds another layer of texture and finishes off the room.

Before - Living Room

After - Living Room

Before - Living Room


After - Living Room

After - The Chair and Entertainment Center

After - Table decor. This mix of wicker balls and flowers adds a fun pop to the table.

A Grand Piano Room

Earlier this year we started working on a project to create a beautiful piano room for a client. She had purchased a mahogany grand piano and wanted the room to showcase the elegant lines of the piano and reflect her style.

She loves a traditional style and after living in various countries and along the East Coast she has collected many wonderful moments that she wanted to showcase. For this space we wanted to give her a way to showcase these pieces as well as provide hidden storage for the piano music. Due to the size of the piano there was not a lot of room for furniture, but her needs were meet with two comfortable fauteuil (pronounced foh-til) chairs. We selected a beautiful large bookcase to house all of the piano music and showcase various books and collectibles. Selecting furnishings that are multi-functional can help to conserve space in a smaller room. Along with the furniture we also made sure to bring the traditional styling in through the use of custom finish work. Note the gorgeous window casings and the large crown molding shelf that really bring in that tradional charm.

The fauteuil chairs were fully customized with a fun vivid floral and offset with a colorful back panel and a red welt. She loves the outdoors and when she said she "would rather weed all day long than scrub a toilet for five minutes" I knew we needed to bring the outdoors in so she could truly enjoy this space. You may remember these chairs from an earlier blog post that featured these custom chairs. To finish the space we placed a petite end table between them with storage. It's always great to have added storage even in the little furnishings.

We also proposed painting the entire main level a soft buttery yellow to warm up the space and make it hers. She had a similar yellow in a previous home and loved it. Custom drapes were hung from medallions and sit stationary next to the window. Functioning drapes were not needed in this space, but the fabric element adds a nice layer to the room. Woven wood shades were then added to the windows for privacy and to bring in a casual element reminding us again of nature. Take a look through and let us know how you like the results. Just know that we're still waiting on a few pieces like art that the client is deciding on to finish the space. We'll repost pictures as soon as we have them.

AFTER

Before

After - Fully done space with piano and bookcase.

Here are a few different ways to arrange your bookcase. It doesn't have to strictly feature books. Adding photos, collectibles and even plants is a great way to break things up.

Here we placed books on their sides and placed items on top of them.

Monochromatic with a Pop

We were asked to help create a fun bedroom space for a soon to be teenager. Often the struggle with decorating for a "tween" is how to design for the teenager to be, while still accommodating the child that they are.

When we started this project there was some great 90's era wallpaper and borders on the walls and we were asked for paint options. The client had already found new furniture for the room and we also offered some bedding ideas as well as fun "man cave" ideas for the space.

This room has a bay window area that became the mini man cave equipped with tv, video games, seating and a fluffy rug to add a pop of color. We purchased comfy bean bag chairs from Pottery Barn which are great for kids to grow with. They have a chair shape instead of being a bag and provide more of a structured seat, which is helpful for all of those hours playing video games. What's great about using something like this is that in years to come a sofa or other structured chairs could easily replace the bean bags and create the perfect teenage lounge space.

The colors chosen for the space were Scribe and Slate by Kwal. Slate was used on the headboard wall of the room as an accent and Scribe was used everywhere else. Both of these colors are in the blue-grey family so it created a monochromatic color scheme. The Quicksilver plaid bedding utilizes the same color scheme and allows for numerous possibilities as the child grows and changes their mind, like children do. In this room we added orange for the perfect pop of color. There are orange drapes, a pillow and accents in the lamp shade and the fluffy rug. These all could be changed out for a different color like yellow, lime, red, or even pink if his sister were in love with this color scheme. Blue in girls' rooms is adorable by the way. The benefit with this monochromatic scheme and adding different colors to it makes it inexpensive to change things up when your child wants something different.

Before: Awesome wallpaper border in need of freshening up.


After: Monochromatic room with a pop of orange.

Before: Bay window area.

After: The mini man cave.

After: The bed with fun new linens.

Bonjour Blue Breakfast Nook

We were more than delighted to help out a client revamping her home and in doing such we were able to give her breakfast nook a pop of color. The way the house was designed it allowed for the breakfast nook to have a vaulted ceiling which gives the room some height and airiness. To help this space truly be the nook and not part of the kitchen we proposed to paint it a beautiful blue, but not just any blue; Bonjour Blue from Kwal. This particular blue has a slight hint of green to it creating a nice warm color that is inviting.

Many posts ago you may remember that we showed you a fantastic table and chair set we were designing for a client. That particular table resides in this space and helps tie all the different wood finishes in the space. The kitchen cabinets are maple with a black range hood and black cabinets near the built in desk. This custom finished table features antiqued white chairs and table base with a dark espresso top. Being able to blend all of these elements together helps unify the space. It also allows for pieces to come and go without requiring you to redecorate the entire space.

We found some fun art that features a pear and apple with hints of gold that really help them to pop off the wall. Check out the pictures below and let us know what you think.

The Breakfast Nook Facing the exterior deck.


The Breakfast Nook facing the Family Room.

Close up of the art.

Shot of the chairs and table.

A Pleasantly Purple Dining Room

Modern style working with a traditional structure is the setting for our latest project. The client painted the room an ice blue with a coordinating deeper blue below the chair rail, but she needed to add in a punch of color and wasn't sure which or how; so she called The Design House.

Taking into account all of the factors in the room, blue wall, slate floor and the soon to be added chocolate table, it was a bit tricky to decide what color to add. Our client had just used accents of lavendar to decorate for Christmas and actually loved it in the room. So once the design fairies put the idea in our head there was no going back; PURPLE! Purple in all its shades from lavendar to red-violet to aubergine was the perfect color to add warmth to the room, but still keep it cool enough to work with the existing cooler elements. Now I know you're thinking "purple?!" but it's probably not quite what you're thinking. Purple sometimes gets a bad wrap, but we did it justice with this space.

How it was done: We added a fabulous modern piece of art above the fireplace mantel with some great accessories to match. To pull off the purple tones and feel like your not dining in Barney's play land we hand selected accessories in all of the various purple shades to add interest. On the opposite side of the room we used this great metal spoke mirror that reflects the art. Various floral elements were used in the space. The centerpiece is a beautiful orchid custom designed arrangement that is a mix of vibrant greens and a hint of aubergine to brighten the room. In the corner of the room there is a mix of holly hock orchids and deep plum gladiolas in a sleek white lacquer bamboo vase. Mixing a bit of modern with traditional, the table runner is a mix of purples in a traditional damask pattern.

The deep chocolate table that the client selected needed some chairs to go with it. We helped her select a modern ladder back style chair that we had custom stained to match the table, as well as custom upholstered in a creamy leather. The table and chairs rest on a fabulous geometric rug. The warm brown tones of the rug help to warm up the room and break up the dark slate floor from the dark table.

Dining Room Before

Dining Room After

Dining Room Before

Dining Room After

Dining Room Before

Dining Room After

Centerpiece and Mirror

Spokes Mirror

Art and fun accessories

Here is another shot of the mantel with art and accessories.

For a different twist we added fun green spikey pods to this funky red-violet candle holder. Just because it's meant for candles, doesn't mean you need to use candles.

A close up of the mirror.

The lacquered bamboo vase.

Hollyhock orchids and gladiola arrangement.

The Entryway before

The Entryway After - we proposed this fun rug that brings color and different pattern into the space. We also suggested doing pencil molding below the chair rail and painting it white to add more architectural detailing and adding to the traditional space. The Entryway now acts as the perfect gateway between the Living and Dining spaces. The colors chosen help the flow between both spaces.

The Entryway After looking into the Dining.

This is a quick shot of the Living Room. We helped the client decide what color teal and where to paint it i.e. above or below the chair rail or do you paint the entire space?

Tranquil Traditional

This Traditional living room was destined to become a relaxing, inviting space. The client wanted a place where she could read a book, relax and enjoy her time in a formal living room and we gave her exactly what she wanted.

When the room was initially started it was almost a blank canvas to work from. Granted the house had been lived in for many years, but in design terms there was nothing holding us back from creating a beautiful space. When I first saw the room all of the existing furiture was cleared out and it was being used as a storage place while another room was being remodeled. I looked past the stored items and got down to work.

First thing that needed to change was the 9' wall with one post at the end of the wall leading up to the 14' vault. We built up the wall A. to close off the openness from living to family and dining room and B. to add updated recessed lighting above where the sofa was to be placed. Plus, this gave us a nice full wall to add decorative woodwork and showcase more of our gorgeous wallpaper.

Since the client loves traditional homes and all of the gorgeous wood working that goes in them. Adding wainscoting was definitely the way to go. We saved money by adding only a chair rail and pencil moldings to shape the panels. By adding the wainscot the room now had two directions it could take, paint everything walls and wainscot OR use a different wall covering above the wainscot to add more pizazz and then paint the wainscot. Wallpaper was chosen for a more elegant, traditional feel as well as adding a different visual point of interest. Also since our client was a big fan of wallpaper in the 90's we let her indulge in this since it's in style again. Because the living room is open to the rest of the home a beautiful floral gold wallpaper was chosen for it's Traditional motif as well as the color to coordinate with the golden paint in the adjacent rooms.

Next it was a matter of selecting furniture. The furniture came in stages because we and the client wanted to get just the right look for the room. Plus, this was quite a tricky room because although you can't tell in the after pictures, no part of this room is symmetrical, plus there's an angled wall by the sofa which makes it that more difficult. An elegant petite ivory sofa was selected to bring neutrality to the room and not compete with the wallpaper. This was a difficult piece we almost had to custom build since it needed to be small enough to work on the angled wall and balance the two chairs sitting opposite in the room, while still being cozy enough to sit and read.

With a fabulous cocktail table and console selected later we were ready to finalize chairs. We found these wonderfully shaped chairs with an okay fabric but it wasn't perfect. We took the client to the fabric showroom and sorted through about 30 different options, well we narrowed the 30 down to about 5 for the client and from that she picked her favorite with our guidance. Custom upholstery on the chairs took about 8 weeks to have them fabricated, but man do they look fantastic in the room.

For a change of pace instead of a traditional wood end table we selected a gold basket table with a glass top. It's fun, different and works amazing in the space. We added various accessories and lamps to bring the room together.

Let me present you with the finished project (the befores have wandered away, but we will post them soon).

An Updated Living Room!

After a couple months of waiting our client's living room is now finished! We went from a brightly colored 90s style living room to a calm, inviting, relaxing room where family gatherings and guests can enjoy each other's company.

The room had hunter green carpet, pink wing back chairs and bold floral draperies. Our client wanted us to create a space for her that wasn't trendy. This is the last house she plans to own, so the design needed to be transitional and timeless. Our initial plan for the space featured gorgeous red and cream patterned fabrics; however, with those fabrics backordered until January we had to reselect new fabrics so the project could be finished by Thanksgiving. We reselected new fabric that really spoke to the timelessness of the room. The new fabric is neutral with a blue floral pattern. To offset the neutrality from the wall we had the drapes banded in the same cornice fabric to make the drapes pop from the wall. We selected a cornice shape reminiscent from a design seen at the Wynn hotel. The cornice is 16' long and is covered in a soft blue textured fabric. The texture helps to soften the appearance and length.

New chairs were selected with custom fabric. They are a great taupe and blue stripe with nail head trim. Custom pillows were made for both existing sofas and the new chairs. The pillows are made from the same drapery fabric and a beautiful accent fabric with a diamond pattern. New end tables and a cocktail table were also selected for the space. We just love how the new cocktail table fills up the space and lends to the elegance of the room.

We selected new sculpted carpeting, which adds such a refined feel to the space and the neutral tan we chose really calms down the room. New art was selected for above the fireplace and on the opposite wall. We have new botanical prints that add a touch of red to the space. New accessories were also added, and we worked a lot of her existing items in as well. She had many with significant meaning and since we design with our client in mind we really make it a point to showcase their collections and special items.

It is always a great feeling to see the room come together, especially all in one day, well except the carpet. Check out the pictures and let us know what you think!

Before - Pink Wingbacks

Before - Drapes

Before - Living Room

Before - Living Room


Before - Living Room Window

After - New cornice and drapes

After - Living Room

After - Living Room with fun new accessories and furniture

After - New art and accessories

After - New chairs, art and accessories

After - New Custom pillows

After - New Chairs

After - New tables and floral

After - Botanical prints and beautiful cocktail table

Surprise!!! It's a Make-Over!!

A week or so ago we posted about our client who was surprising their spouse with a make-over. Well the cat's out of the bag now and we can't wait to tell you about it. Our client contacted us with surprising his wife with a birthday present make-over of their master suite while she was out of town for the weekend. Pretty sweet, huh.

They were already doing some minor remodels to the bathrooms in the home with help from family and friends so he figured, "hey what's one more room?" We selected finishes for the Master Bath and a beautiful paint color from Restoration Hardware, Blue Sage which is so soothing and relaxing. The bathroom is currently still a work in progress and we'll have pictures soon for you, but lets move on to what really matters; THE SURPRISE!

We selected Restoration Hardware Bay Laurel for the walls. Another soothing, relaxing color. The windows had no molding surrounding them, which left them slightly lifeless and sad. We selected new Craftsman style molding for the doors and windows, and Dover White paint was used on all new and existing trim.

This bedroom features beautiful ivory and chocolate linens. The bedding has intricate embroidery and fabric piecing that is stunning. We selected a luxurious chocolate velvet upholstered headboard that compliments the bedding wonderfully. At the base of the bed is a fantastic bench. Great to help you get ready, put the socks on or even to put the laundry on as you fold it. Such a fun addition to the room.

A round mirror was placed opposite the smaller window to act as another window for balance. The art above the bed is yet another calm and soothing element to the space. Ideally you want your bedroom to be that place where you feel comfortable and relaxed and that was our goal in creating this space.

And now for the best part......PICTURES!!

Before

Before


Before

After

After

After

The amazing bench.

Gorgeous Georgian Remodel

This client came to us in the midst of renovating her kitchen, family and laundry rooms. She knew she wanted a Colonial/Georgian Style with red cherry cabinets and had already visited with her cabinet maker. After meeting her, seeing what she wanted, and getting all of her ideas; I was able to better help meet her needs. I redesigned the cabinet layout to fit her space and needs better. We selected cherry cabinets in the kitchen with white accent cabinets, a wonderful colonial blue for the media cabinet with a brown glaze antiquing and sage green with brown glaze antiquing for the laundry room. Beautiful new white granite creates that wonderful contrast in color in the kitchen and lightens up the room and compliments the gorgeous marble backsplash.
The fireplace and hearth were a typical brick, but with a little creative thinking with the contractor the brick was easily camouflaged behind new walls with panel molding and crown. The existing mantel was kept and restained. Wedgewood Blue by Walker Zanger subway tile surrounds the firebox and adds a hint of color.

The furniture plan in the family room was a bit tricky because it was a small space to start with and she needed as much seating as possible for family gatherings. I found a great conversation sofa that we upholstered in leather that allowed for the sofa to be pushed slightly back toward the kitchen and not encroach on the walkways. We added a tufted leather ottoman that serves as both a cocktail table and extra seating. There are also two chairs in the room, a petite slipper chair and an extra comfy rocker/recliner that our client can rock her grand kids to sleep in. Fluffy down pillows rest on the fireplace hearth for even more seating when the grand kids pay a visit.

This space was such a grand transformation that you have to see it to believe it. So without further ado here are the befores and afters.

Refreshing Revamp

When this client moved into her space it was dull, drab and anything but fab, and with her being a fun single girl, we definitely had to turn it around. Our client's biggest concern was comfort. She needed to have a comfortable place to come home to after a long day on the job. Every wall in the condo was painted a caramel brown, a nice neutral, but this space needed a breath of fresh air. A cooling spa blue was selected giving the room a tranquil, calming feel. Mounting the drapes slightly higher than the window helps to draw the eye up showing the height of the ceiling and by changing out the furniture to something less chunky and heavy it really opens up the space. The living room also houses the home office which is set up next to the media cabinet, but when guests come over the desk opens to a full size table providing extra room for entertaining. Fun accessories help to liven up the space and add that touch of charm a single girl needs for her space.

Before - Living Room

Before - Kitchen

Before - Living Room

After - Living Room

After - Console next to front door

After - Media Cabinet/Home office area

After - The Elephant in the room :)

After - Kitchen with Accessories

After - Accessorized Guest Bath

Out with the Old and in with the New! - A Family Room Remodel

Family Room - After

Family Room - Before

Sliding Glass Door with Curtains- Before

Sliding Glass Door/Doggy Door - Before

Chair and Desk area - Before

This family room was a bit tricky since the home is a split-level, and there's a foundation wall that runs halfway up on the outside walls. You can see this wall in the before pictures where it is painted red. Other obstacles we had to overcome in designing this room was the multi-functioning room this was and the small size of it. Our clients used this room as family gatherings to watch tv, study the scriptures, do homework and work at the desk area, as well as a doggy commuting point in and out of the house through the sliding glass door. Plus, the size of the room is pretty small, so fitting in enough seating for the whole family and having it function for all of the activities taking place in this room was a bit of a challenge, but I think we pulled it off!

As a solution for the new tv the family bought and the foundation wall I decided to design custom built-in cabinets to house the tv and media components, as well as books, movies, and family photo's. I designed the cabinets so that they actually went over the foundation wall so that it wasn't an issue anymore. So the back of the cabinets on the bottom are actually only about half as deep as the cabinets on the top, which is just enough space for storage of DVD's and other smaller items. Then we specified a gorgeous leather sectional to seat all of the family and a nice smaller scaled comfortable side chair in a durable fabric to add some pattern and pizazz.

One large design issue we needed to address in this project was the sliding glass door. This was only used for the doggy door, as the family had another back door in the kitchen, only a few feet away. So the door was permanently closed up a few years ago with a doggy door and then covered with red curtains. We addressed this by installing a functioning double door, with nice panels in which we cut out a door for the doggy in the center. We completed the transformation by painting the doors a darker neutral color that complimented the wall color beautifully so that it blends in and isn't as stark as using the white trim paint for the door that many people would have done. As for the window we added some nice trim to it as well as the doors to give it that finished look. Then we completed the transformation with some a custom balloon roman shade.

A Touch of Modern: Family and Sunroom ReDesign

Family Room AFTER

Family Room BEFORE

This was a great project where we were very excited for the opportunity to utilize our talents to produce a modern design, which sadly isn’t often in Utah. And on that subject, don’t be afraid to think outside of the box! You really don’t have to have the same style your neighbor has! If you like a different style, or even think that you might, go for it! As for our client she wanted a unique style and was having a hard time transitioning from the rustic traditional Utah style into a more natural modern design. She was doing a great job on her own and just needed a little bit of a push to get to the next level. I think we helped her out in finding her niche in her new style, and I know she would agree too! There will be more phases to this project soon to follow as we are working in stages with our client because this project is going to be a large remodel later on this year (check back soon, the results will be awesome!). But for now all our client needed was a quick fix so to speak, with us helping out with new paint, purchasing some furniture for the sunroom, and accessorizing. And yes! I think as you can see, a modern style doesn’t have to be cold and drab, splashes of color with natural elements are keys to success.

Family Room BEFORE

Family Room AFTER

Family Room BEFORE

Family Room AFTER

Bedroom Blues No More! – A Bedroom Remodel

Bedroom After

Bedroom Before

As you can see in the before and after photo’s, this Master Bedroom took on quite a transformation with our designs. Some of our clients favorite things were wood moldings and trims steeped in traditional design, wallpaper, and love for the color blue. So what better way than to incorporate all of the things she loved than into her bedroom remodel! It was a great project and we were fortunate to have clients that like I said before actually like wallpaper and weren’t scared of it. And Yes! for all of you skeptics out there – wall paper is back! And what a wonderful wall treatment it is. Just don’t picture the old wallpaper of the past. In looking for wall paper look for new designs and use it sparingly, don’t just cover your house from top to bottom in it! So with that being said, we quickly took down the old wallpaper and choose a lovely blue metallic damask pattern and designed wood panels for it to go into. We then paired a slightly lighter blue paint with it for the walls and a gorgeous cream for the moldings. This allowed us to utilize a fun cream media armoire with the rest of the dark cherry stained furniture we selected. And again, Yes! of course you can use two different furniture finishes in one room – it adds to the interest! And with the armoire paired with the cream moldings it all flows together – the luscious cream offset by the dark cherry, delectable! And to finish the room we redesigned the old useless bay window into a comfortable framed window seat complete with a comfy cushion, pillows, and gorgeous silky balloon shades as window treatments. And to tie it all together we custom designed this gorgeous bedding set. The blues and dark stylized floral motif with gold accents just livens up the whole room. And paired with a gorgeous rug that seems to be made just for this room highlights the new wood floor. Yep, I think we pulled off fabulous with this room, and our clients won’t be singing the “bedroom blues” any more!

Warm Traditions: Family Room Remodel

Before - Family Room

After - Family Room

In the Family Room we designed a plan that took out our clients old fireplace and large unframed mirror and gave them a nice larger double tiered fireplace complete with an onyx stone surround. We went with a classic white mantle to offset the gorgeous but possibly overpowering onyx, and I think it was a great pairing. The new quarter sawn oak wood flooring in a gorgeous medium toned finish runs right up to the onxy hearth and was a complete opposite of the old carpet and tile they had. We also tore out the old medium oak railing and replaced it with a larger classically designed dark stained oak newel post with painted white balusters. The dark oak newel post and handrail help define the stair rail and add visual interest. Not to mention the two tone look of the dark railing framing the white balusters will allow us to go with either dark or light cabinets when we complete the kitchen remodel down the road.

As for the furniture we replaced the old worn out blue leather sofas with a medium toned brown tufted leather sofa set with custom cushions. As this family room that you see from the front door also serves the purpose of the main tv gathering for the family it had to function as such but also look it’s best. One of the few seating arrangement options was to have a sofa and a loveseat in order to fit the whole family and still be able to view the TV. Often times in a smaller room this will create a problem because you will have two large sofas that are the same color and they seem redundant and blah, plus we weren’t even able to break up the blahness by a sofa table because there wasn’t enough room. We fixed this dilemma by selecting a medium brown leather that had multiple tones throughout it, so even though it was one color of leather there is some visual interest. On top of that we removed the new leather sofa cushion shells and stored them away for safe keeping (those might come in handy one day with grandkids!) and had them reupholstered in a gorgeous green paisley with accents of gold to warm it all up. Add on the custom pillows with a knubby tweed and a stripe with fringe and you have a gorgeous sofa set that is not only appealing visually, but sturdy and functional to hold up with a family of boys!

Some of the “to do’s” we put on our list at the start of this project was to design a solution for more controlled lighting and to fix the interesting wall that separated the family room from the living room. As for lighting we installed some recessed lights, a new decorative ceiling fan, and an entry chandelier all which were installed with dimmer switches. As for the wall, the two rooms are connected by a large vault, but the wall that separated them only went up about 8 feet and then there was shelf space. On top of just being odd looking with a post going through it, the function of the family room suffered due to the fact that sounds would echo as they were watching TV or listening to music. So we designed a plan that took the wall all the way up and preserved most of the shelving space so that we could add visual interest by displaying accessories up top. Plus, on the living room side of the wall we were able to add some fun trim to the wall to give it a great look like it was always supposed to be that way (living room pictures coming soon!) So with the wall in place we were able to install some rope lighting up top to highlight those fun accessories we added. Then we took down the outdated family photos (new ones will be displayed down the hallway “gallery”) and replaced them with a fun clock and a large relaxing picture that just beckons you to walk into it!

Calm Reflections: A Bedroom Redesign

Bedroom Before

Bedroom After

Nightstand After

Bedding After

This was a fun bedroom update that we just finalized the finishing touches for. Our client was recovering from cancer surgery and she needed a room she could relax in. We helped her out by giving her a soothing color palette she could ease into recovery with and she is absolutely loving the results! We repainted with a pale blue to freshen up the walls and and had custom curtains and euro pillows made of a gorgeous paisley to go with her new luxurious cream bedspread. A great way to cut costs in designing a bedroom is buying a "bed in a bag" set from a store and designing accent pillows from a different bedset that will pair well with yours. The end result gives you a custom looking bedset while allowing you to save your pennies. We created a headboard illusion by placing two fabulous grided mirrors just above the pillows and flanked them with relaxing black and white flower prints; all of which our client can enjoy while she lays in bed due to the position of closet mirrors. Yes we made those old closet mirrors work to our advantage! I love how all the simple textures and colors flow together in this room to create such a peaceful environment in an interesting way!

Commercial: Centennial Park Plaza

In this project we worked closely with a local builder partnered with Ed James, an architect, to select exterior and interior building materials, lighting, and signage for a Mixed-Use building. There are commercial shops on the lower level with a high-end apartment village above.

New Home Construction

This is a home we helped design from the beginning stages of construction, so we were involved in all of the material specfications and in assisting with the floor plan. At the end or the building process we helped stage this home so it would be ready for the real estate market.

The Design House Pictures

Here are some additional pictures of some other various projects we've done.

After

Before

Exterior House Design

Bathroom Project

Here's a fun bathroom project we did. Sadly, I don't have before pictures of it, but it was built in the 1940's so if you can imagine it, it had old discolored white and pink tiles! All I can say is details, details, details! I just love how we mixed all of the glass tile and the classic travertine stone tiles and trim pieces together with the gorgeous onyx stone for the backsplash. Don't you just love the way the glass sparkles! We even completed the bathroom with a river rock path along the floor made of broken tiles to lead you into the bathroom.