Install of the Day !

Hey There !

One of our favorite clients, and it's not because he is over there at Krispy Kreme's new corporate think tank working his magic,  he is the nicest guy and a dream client.   With his wife, little boy and now new baby, I was thrilled their install happened pre-Covid.. just in time to welcome that little girl and spend time at home.. in a newly renovated home.  Phew !  Their install hapepened just prior to the big shut down.  I am sure being able to stay home surrounded by all the pretty made quarantine a little better.  We are laughing about how those kids probably think their family are the only people on earth .. being home all the time.

With Mekenzie along with me, we shot the renovation recently.  Let me give you a little walk through.

Enter the front foyer.  Hello gorgeous F. Schumacher classic paper.  This was one thing on their "want list."  How fun is this !

New foyer table and mirror and killer lamp.

We added a runner, love how this black and white stripe has a bit of color in it to tie back to the paper.  Thanks Stark !

Walking counter clockwise you see the dining room on the left.  I was all about a moody charcoal color, lightened by the table, chairs and curtains.  The show stopped.. this new chandelier !

Love these cushy curved, upholstered chairs.. in a Sunbrella fabric at that !

Through the scullery.. the kitchen.  I called in the big guns for these cabinets.  Needing a new paint job, we all chose to have them done right.  Fine Grit, here in Charlotte really transforms beat up cabinets, not to mention can make new or tweak old.

Fine Grit

Keeping the layout the same, keeping the wood island top, just painting (an adding a new trim to the top of the cabinets) this space is transformed.

I love these pendants. Really adds to the slight industrial vibe.

New hardware as well.  A mix of brass with all the stainless.

With a small little corner, and in front of a door rarely opened, we added a little breakfast spot.  With a custom banquette and a couple of chairs.   Love this spot.

The family room also needed a fireplace and side cabinet overhaul.  We basically took it all out and reworked to create a sleeker look.

New sofa with two ottomans (on wheels) to kick your legs out if you like or push aside to play with the kids !

Simple new floaters (by Jacob Wolfe) as oppose to tall shelves and a little wood inlay wall paper (Phillip Jeffries) 

photos by Mekenzie Loli

That's it for phase 1

Just so happy they could relax with a new baby pre-shut down !!

What Did You Do This Week ?

Hey There !

I had two installs this past week .. very excited about both.  Great clients, easy to work with !!  Both just "let go" and let me do my thing and they turned out gorgeous.  It was a nice distraction, and glad I could install these empty houses in a safe way !  We were deemed "essential."  Just pointed to my fabulous delivery guys and installers and voila.  My Lucy was on board to help and both went smoothly and quickly.  She's a hustler and I really appreciated it !

Thought I'd share my .. not so fabulous i phone images... until we can go back and shoot for real !  It's Saturday morning and I need a little distraction from the real world until I get back to work this afternoon !  So happy to say we are still designing and orchestrating even with the delays happening, This will end and there will be a wave I expect.  So keeping it all going for when the damn opens up is my plan.

Take a look at the Spanjer job.  LOVE this couple !  High on the laid back front.  This old Myers Park home got a pretty nice face lift to bring it up to date.  We started with the "must have" F. Schumacher wallpaper  in the foyer, a classic.  Take a peek at the design boards that started it all.

Pre new lighting shot... painting the doors black really set it all off.

We kept but cleaned up the banister and marble entry floor, added a new runner and fun, fun paper.

Stark, my go to for fabulous runners and area rugs !

Just off the foyer, the dining room.  I wanted it dark and a bit moody.  Painted Ben Moore Iron Mountain and lightened it all up with curtains and light color table and chairs.

Don't you LOVE the chandelier !  The chairs are an upholstered Sunbrella fabric, grey piped in charcoal.  

My client found these groovy art pieces.  Carved wood city maps by a company called City Wood.  We picked their favorite cities and added to the side walls.

One of my favorite rooms.

The back of the house is nice.. big open kitchen and family room.  My first suggestion was to rework the fireplace wall.  It need some help, but in a small way...

We took down the upper cabinets and carried the fireplace to the ceiling with a stucco treatment to clean up all the joggs in the wall and simplify.

Added new wood floaters, thanks Jacob Wolfe, some wall paper and new furniture !

Flanking the new fireplace and behind the floaters a Phillip Jeffries wood veneer wall paper.  I love their selection.. Take a look at some of my favorite patterns and colors.

My fab new pillows and a few accessories didn't ship on time... oh well.. they'll come...

Take a look at the Art TV (by Samsung) I keep telling everyone to get !  Their son is into horses at the moment.. very cool...  You can download endless images and the sleek frame really does look like a piece of art.

The kitchen cabinets were a bit of a mess.  I called in the big guns... Fine Grit !  They don't mess around and worth every penny.  They filled all the old holes, and did a professional spray.  We added new hardware ... It transformed this kitchen... stay tuned for much better images !!

Fine Grit - They don't mess around !

Owner Katie Schindler is amazing !

These pendants are a pain to install but how cool !

Install no. 2 was also a fun one as well... another Myers Park renovation just down the road so that was convenient !

The color vibe I worked off was navy, grey and off white.  Major painting happened throughout, floors refinished, all new lighting and master bathroom overall as well as  a huge dose of all new furniture on the first floor. 

I started in the front lounge.  Previous filled with wood and built ins... took all that out and painted everything navy.

Just off the newly painted entry foyer (with amazing new chandelier) the navy lounge just draws you in and says "sit for a while." I love this space.

Another F. Schumacher on the windows, large brass drum coffee table and yummy blue chesterfield sofa.

One of my favorite embroidered fabrics.

A little marble side table and simple rug.

The great room is long and pours into the kitchen.  Removed flanking built-ins on either side of the fireplace for a more modern pair of custom cabinets... thanks to my carpenter Jacob Wolfe.

New cast fireplace surround.  Accent wall paper and all new furniture.

When pulling it all together I saw it as a whole.. kitchen as part of it all.  Tile, fixtures, counter tops and counter stools all to coordinate. 

In lieu of a breakfast area we chose to do more sitting .. comfortable (and keep the dining room casual).  Nothing better than 4 big chairs in the middle of a long kitchen and great room. 

New paint job on all the existing cabinets, but with new hardware.. A new stainless and brass hood though changed it all up !  Thanks to Tuan Le for that beauty.

Pulled the navy back in the Walker Zanger backsplash.  With the home having a bit of a European flair I chose this pattern called Duquesa -  Italian inspired, adore it.

By losing the kitchen dining area we kept the dining room casual.  Recovered sentimental chairs and kept their former dining table.. inserted wall paper and lighting !  I have a few more accessories in mind for our formal shoot.  Love the informal but dramatic look. 

The master... the bathroom need all new tile and it made it really changed everything.

This Walker Zanger wood / marble combo is such a show stopper !

Both homes and both clients were such fun to work with.  Looking forward to adding in the details and shoot.  Not our normal kind of full blown, flowers on the table install.. cuz everything is closed (UGH) but pretty close.

Stay tuned !