Install of the Day !

Hey There !

While the family's away . . . the designer will play.  It felt like Christmas morning for me when I saw the truck pull up at the Drendel's house not too long ago.  My friends and clients Rebecca and Mike Drendel moved into a fabulous new build in Myers Park not too long ago, only about a mile from their former (and older) place.  This home is bigger and I was so thrilled to help them create a new look.  Rebecca and I have been waiting for this day for years, saving and daydreaming, and the day had finally come.  I actually asked them to leave town for our install so a big surprise would in store when they came back  . . . and they obliged.  It was great.

With Mekenzie away, I asked photographer Dustin Peck to meet me at the house on the final day for a day long photo shoot.   With the amount of work involved in this project, I really wanted to capture it all fresh and new . . . Dustin is awesome and it was such a fun day.  I received the photos last week and  I couldn't wait to share.  

Let me walk you through . . . From the entry foyer all the way back I wanted to create a cohesive, eclectic look that I felt captured their personality and complimented the home.

This foyer is covered from head to toe in Phillip Jeffries navy and white hand stamped grass cloth.

A foyer should be dramatic, it sets the tone.  Painting the coat closets the same navy was a must.  It calls more attention to the walls, not the big white doors.

Their piano sits on a conveniently empty side wall with a new fun fur stoop as oppose to the typical piano bench.  We kept the drum chandelier from their prior home to use in this foyer and one in the adjoining living room (I am glad so many of the things we randomly picked in the past worked).  

Maggie, with all her Stark carpet knowledge, helped me with a custom runner which also continues up the stairwell, perfectly cut and bound on site.

This became the beginning of our color palette.

With a quick turn into the front living room, I wanted to create a casual, yet unique space with a mixture of great pieces.  With the grey and navy, I introduced a mint.  This color was pulled from the kitchen cornice fabric I had to have to tie the front to the back of the house.

Thanks to Ashley Childers of Emporium Home for creating these amazing occasional side chairs. I felt they were a modern version of the classic wing back.  I chose these for their striking profile, visible from the entry, office and the dining room.  I then filtered in a grey leather sofa, small in scale and lower to allow a clear view of those chairs, I really like the high - low mix.  Our metal of choice for this room, antique brass.  We kept her overhead and two floor lamps because they were perfect, as was a piece of their art for over the mantle.

A thick, chunky, braided, grey felt rug and a John Dickinson inspired side table.  Made of fiber cement, it's heavy and won't teeter on that thick rug !

An ombre fabric for the window treatments.  I love this fabric, not only does it gradate, the small look of a paint brush stroke is so beautiful.

Try stacking your art on the mantle for a more collected look.

A funky mirror top coffee table was the perfect size for this gathering room.

And one last minute gem of a find at Cotswold Market Place was this antique brass shelf.  One of my favorite things, as well as this large art piece by Ted Lee that I scooped up at Slate Interiors.  I love this piece of mixed media on torn paper.

Also visible from the foyer, and through the living room, is an office.  I wanted this space to be pretty as well as functional.  With such an open view to the living room, it was essentially part of the living room.  I painted the walls a darker charcoal and added two, large custom pieces by Natural Curiosities.  Their light background bounced from the walls, and their texture quality kept that wall from looking flat.

Two custom storage pieces, made by carpenter Jason Angeldorf   I love the detail of the tiger wood knobs we designed.  A cream lacquer and shagreen desk with metal legs and another custom desk chair we had made covered in brush stroke velvet.  Love this room !!!  I could totally work in here.

One of my favorite elements in the entire install were the custom panels on the french doors to the office.  Mike wanted to be able to work and tune out the world, so taking out the glass and inserting these upholstered panels did the trick.  My thanks to both Jason and Terry for doing such a beautiful job fabricating.  Those nail heads are perfectly lined up.

Covered in a mint colored ostrich vinyl, the sound (and view) of thundering kids is greatly diminished !

Leading to the dining room just off these two rooms I brought back the mint and incorporated a chocolate brown, Asian inspired graphic paper.

This amazing Oly chandelier was a purchase a while back for the old house and we weren't about to leave it there !!!  In came new chairs, a new china cabinet and sideboard.  Rebecca's dining table was fine, so we were able to save use that.

Really happy with how this space turned out.  I created a set of three centerpieces the morning of the photo shoot with the help of the garden center at Blackhawk Hardware using living plant material and outdoor pots.  I always love to have a permanent centerpiece.  Simple white linen curtains, perfectly made - thanks to Amy - and antique brass hardware.

The end chairs are were custom upholstered by  Bellemeade Signature with a contrasting back by Romo for a stronger color statement in the room.  Simple art can absolutely hang on a busy paper !  All this sits atop a easy patterned jute rug.

Many of the details in this installation were a complete surprise.  I chose these mirrors, sideboard and lamps at the last minute hoping Rebecca would love as much as I did.  Made Goods has the most beautiful selection, and this group of four, mixed with the touches of antique brass in the lamps and console were the perfect chose I felt, so I packed them on the truck.

One of my favorite views, from the family room - through the dining to the living.

The family room was good, we just repainted the dark wood built in cabinets from black to grey, added a grass cloth back in a textured mint and added accessories to compliment the sectional we chose right when they moved in.

Josh Utsey created a live edge console for us with lucite legs to back the sectional.  When floating a sofa in a room, it's always a good idea to find a piece to add to the back of that sofa.  I would rather see something pretty than the long back of a sofa, you ?  I have been working with Josh now for a while and is work is always gorgeous.  Being custom we were able to get the height and width exactly where we needed it to be.

The breakfast nook and kitchen needed to tie to the front of the house and I didn't hold back on adding another paper.  This home has a total of five papers downstairs - yeah I know, it's a thing of mine.

This subtle, yet pattern filled nook is now the perfect place for casual dining.  A combination of vintage (the lucite chairs) a new pleather banquet, art, and unique chandelier.

Jealous of this kitchen, I am.  I am sure it is one of the reasons they fell in love with this house.  It was built new,  so no reno here.  With the exception of changing the back splash and paint, it was pretty perfect.  I switched out the chandelier during the install though, again fingers closed she would love.  I really wanted that touch of black, and something thinner and more interesting that just a tan fabric drum shade.  I had to do it.

White tile in a subway pattern with black grout is so popular right now.  It's a classic.  This was one of only two of Mike's requests so I absolutely obliged.  Although the back splash was white already, it just was not the quality we wanted.  The edges were beveled with no visible grout line.  We, inexpensively, switched it out and also carried it up to the ceiling, rather than chopping it off under the cabinets (pet peeve of mine).  David did a beautiful job!

Voila.  Clean, bright, functional.   Dream kitchen.  

Designing a new kitchen?   Here are a few details I would keep in mind:

1.  Cabinetry to the ceiling with foot detail on base cabinets.

2.  Back splash to the ceiling on at least the stove wall.

3.  Contrast island in color and counter top.

4.  Over sized chandelier.

5. Don't go cheap on the hardware and faucet, you'll later regret !

6. Statically positioned outlets and think about USB in a drawer !

A small powder room off the foyer and kitchen had a good sink and mirror.  I pulled in the Harlequin fish paper, art and a new overhead fixture.  Those koi swim across the ceiling as well, its a fun view.  I love having a little fun in a  powder room.  When company comes it's such a conversation piece.

The first floor was done, finished and completely accessorized.   Rebecca asked us to carry the paint up the stairwell into the landing while we were there.  No problem.  I wanted yet another surprise for her so chose these elements for the landing nook.  Wall paper (Zoffany), a contrast color on the ceiling and a little place to "land" with this vintage Barcelona chair I had recovered in a distressed bottle green croc leather.  All these pieces (as well as a few downstairs) came out of my showroom.  We are in the midst of selling off everything for a remodel, so I had my eye on a few things to save for this install and they worked well. !!  A little arty vibe and a happy surprise when you come up the stairs.

Lastly, Ceci, their daughter.  Her room needed a little face lift so we transformed it to suit her personality.  Vibrant.  This Harlequin paper was my first choice.  With the remaining walls a lavender, this one wall grabs you when you walk in.  I found two side tables on sale from a vendor who was discontinuing them (why?!) Two inexpensive white lamps, a fun flat weave rug and simple West Elm overhead.

all photos by Dustin Peck

Whew !!! It was a C R A Z Y week.  At one point I counted 17 subcontractors in the house at the same time.  Well orchestrated, though - thanks to Bree and Maggie, we managed to pull of this full week install while the Drendrel's were at the beach.

I could not wait for them to get home . . .

Long time coming and having their new place designed and installed all at once was one major check off the "life" list.  . . D O N E !


Thanks to everyone involved - so happy with the outcome.