This project was incredibly big with a ridiculous amount of moving parts. It has kept Bree and I busy with detail after detail, but with a project this big and being out of town, I didn't want to forget anything when installing all at once. We always aim for a big reveal.
Over Christmas I met with current clients the Pat and Trenna McNamara. During my holiday down time I designed a new look for their entire home, near High Point, North Carolina. Having finished the work we did on their lake place in Denver, I got the green light on "the big house." This home, very traditional in style, was built and furnished twenty years ago and it was time for an update. I wanted a clean, simplified, brighter new look for this open concept home that would really showed off all it's tall ceilings, trim work and multiple windows overlooking the back pool and patio area. It was an incredible process, and without the help of some 9 subcontractors and countless vendors, we installed it at the tail end of Market week while we were up in High Point. Don't believe we left a single surface untouched. It was so exciting to see it all come together and see the boards come to life !
In typical fashion for me, I started at the front door and worked my way through. The grand entry foyer gives you a clear visual to a formal dining room, living room, stairwell and upstairs landing with a side view into a panel study. It's very wide open and all needed to jive. Some twenty years ago, an umber faux finish was the thing, dated now and was the first thing I wanted to change in order to brighten the space. We changed all the trim and woodwork to a semi gloss white, every bit of it, and added a very light grey to the grand stairwell walls. I also suggested painting the stair risers and treads, black and white with a black hand railing. Much more sophisticated. We flipped the dining and formal living rooms and I began to pull in all the new furniture.
Let me give you a walk through - The Entry Foyer will have a new, large, black chandelier and the most amazing large grey owl art piece I found in New York. It's funny - starting this post without images of two of the three pieces that didn't make the install date, but even in the most perfect of worlds something is not going to arrive in time, nature of the biz... so visualize the foyer, we didn't shoot that as of yet but will, because that chandelier and art art so amazing, stay tuned !
Love the wise old owl which will be perched at the top of the stairs with a large black wood chandelier filling the two story void, creating a definite mood when you walk in the front door.
All the new crisp white trim, ceilings and molding immediate changed the entire feel of the home.
To the right of the front door was the formal Dining Room, it's now the Piano Room. With such a large Foyer the piano was located under the stairwell. I fell in love with two chairs Trenna already had so chose to use them with a new large 60" round bone inlayed table and move the piano into a new space. Really creating an extension to the entry, I wanted a big wall paper splash in there while keeping the rest of the Foyer and new Dining Room a simple paint color. Choosing unique pieces, more clean lined and simplistic. I then called artist Windy O'Connor to create two custom art pieces with a nice pop of kelly green. These are ink and very saturated and clean in their floating frames.
Another strong pattern and color in this space is the large Stark Antelope X rug I chose. It has just the right touch of straw color to help keep the existing hardwood floor stain and current floor tile cohesive without having to change all of that.
I am thrilled with how this space turned out. Clean, simple and a completely new vibe which will set the tone for this entire first floor.
In the wall niche we added a large distress mirror custom fit with the two new wall sconces cut in. It kicks the light around and adds just that touch of formal to the space. The Made Goods chandelier adds another unique feature and warm glow.
Front the front door, and with the Piano Room to your right, the new Dining Room is directly in front of you. Without a doubt my favorite venue. The gorgeous fireplace was left untouched. We simply painted the walls a dark grey and carried the black stone from the fireplace surround up to the ceiling in an eggshell black. Created new tall upholstered screens as oppose to the predictable matching wall cabinets. This one design decision decluttered the entire space I felt. Take a look at the boards first.
Love the oversized fixtures, comfortable barrel chairs and stunning shell inspired mirror - Made Goods of course (I don't think they offer a single piece I don't love) !
Always looking for the different center piece, this one was designed by Meredith Stroud, here in Charlotte, who uses wood bowls, driftwood and sometimes concrete shells she creates herself to house these succulents, mosses and perennials. Loved so much two found their way into my house .
Keeping the original sideboard from the once formal dining room, I chose new art and lamps to give it a new feel. The art, a Natural Curiosities favorite in framed in lucite for an even more modern feel.
When not around the table, these taller end chairs are covered in a subtle grey plaid and anchor those screens for a pretty day to day visual.
I love this room and how it works its way into the foyer and piano room.
Tucked under the stairwell a beautiful inlayed table and Trenna's antique chairs. I found the perfect spot for a piece Keith recently finished. One in a series of black and whites it add just the right amount of of unexpected pop to finish off that small space. Take a look at a few other pieces in that series.
This space now has a strong presence from the front door and decluttered to enjoy company and the view to the pool area. Perfect for entertaining and wandering, as well as large dining groups. This amazing table has another leaf, comfortable seating 8-10.
With kelly green now as my accent color. I found these beautiful lily pad wall chargers for a niche that was screaming for something. It carries the accent color vibe back towards the Master Bedroom.
Just located off the front door as well is Pat's Study. Wood paneling on the walls, fireplace and ceiling, I chose a slightly lighter chocolate grass cloth for texture and depth but lighted it up with two more Natural Curiosities pieces. New sconces on the fireplace wall and a large inlayed mirror.
A new lighter sofa and chair to brighten up the space a little more. We decided to keep Pat's area rug which worked well.
The ceiling fixture drips down with Edison bulbs with a soft glow to highlight the antique brass details. Cozy space, masculine yet works well with the flow downstairs.
Moving through the home I brought back the blacks and whites with touches of kelly green. This long hallway is now filled with Celerie Kemble's Feather Bloom. I adore this grass cloth. So much impact, especially in this long hallway. Take a look at her complete collection here ! So beautiful.
At the end of this long hallway we updated the guest room with a cooler wall color, upholstered bed, side tables and lamps. Keeping the black, white and grey going, I found the perfect pillows to tie it all together.
Lindsay Cowles created this new pattern just recently from her original art pieces, which I love. All the colors in this first floor palette with a touch of navy which reappears upstairs.
Updated Guest Room . .
Think now we should definitely paper the bath off this guest . . sorry Pat !
Speaking of baths . . We have two powder rooms on this first floor. I decided I liked the idea of golds in both, pulling from all my brass accents obsessions.
Just off Pat's rich, chocolate office, this powder room is filled with graceful craines, an oyster shell trimmed mirror and . . .
. . . a big juju hat as oppose to your more typical art.
Oh and a new overhead. Gorgeous powder.
The second Powder Room is where the Juju Paper appears. A new wall paper vendor I have fallen in love with. Working on creating a large black and white framed collection of family photos - will shoot that when it's completed.
From the front of this home you head back to the main Family Room, Breakfast Room, Kitchen and this Sun Porch. I had such fun working on it. I started with a big dose of my accent green color and chose this printed palm leaf grass cloth by Phillip Jeffries.
Added new furnishings in the space to create a collected, comfortable look using creams, blacks and printed pillows with a nature, botanical feel.
Also kept the original coffee table from the formal Living Room. The hand painted gold pattern ties back to the pillow detail and has an eclectic vibe.
Moving back into the Family and Breakfast Room I started with a custom curved banquette to perfectly fit the spot. This entire space is also more tone on tone but needed pops of color, so we papered the ceiling and added these gorgeous window treatments. Take a look at the flow.
Art always plays a big roll when I work on any room and while I planned the two pieces Keith created for over the fireplace, this piece by Kelly O'Neal was a happy find at Market while I was up there so I quickly snapped it up.
Maggie used these chandeliers in a recent install and we all loved so much, they made another appearance in this install. Love them clustered together. Two new leather chesterfield sofas as oppose to a sectional all on top of a graphic Stark carpet cut to fit this space. The stone fireplace and the nearby kitchen cabinet color dictated the design but all has a fresh new, more modern look.
A close up detail of the resin pieces Keith worked on for this tall fireplace area.
Take a look at the detail in this console table. Love the stacked wood look. I chose it to balance the weight of the sofas and the feel of the fireplace.
All the elements came together in this space giving it a casual look and feel.
Such a big, and fun install. Stay tuned for the Master Bedroom and Guest Room. We are missing, of course, this beautiful bed for the Master. Cannot wait to see that beauty come in shortly.
All the details in this Master are so soft and Spring like, so pretty.
And one of our Guest Room's has a large Taylor Burke chandelier coming in shortly to finish it off !
all photos by Mekenzie Loli
All in all - the install went off without a hitch, something this big takes the help of so many and I thanks them all!
Happy Monday and Happy new look Trenna and Pat !
