Hi There
Happy New Year !! I cannot wait to see what 2015 brings. Last year was a really, really good one, but with some of the new projects on the books for this year it is starting off with a bang ! Having a "break" from the day-to-day office stuff gives me time with the family and time to be creative. I am an early morning creative, that's for sure. Working on design boards early is my thing. It's so quite. Our goal, mine and Maggie's, was to finish the design work on 6 new projects. I worked on Holly's master and office, Traci's master and siting room, and now my big one . . . Rebecca's first floor ! Meanwhile Maggie is focused on a very modern playroom for a Olga, a teen room for Christopher and master for the Karagounis'. F U N ! We both agree - this is the fun part - that year end filing . . not so much - but will say, Lucy came to the office with me and banged out most of it! Add that girl to the payroll.
Posting all my ideas for Rebecca's first floor here, 'cause I am so excited ! Love this project as it's primarily a clean slate! I have known and worked with her in the past, but with the new house I am excited to take the things I have had made for her in the past and incorporate them into a larger, newer home. Exciting. I asked her "what do you want your pop color to be?" Her response - "I trust you" and ". . . I want it to be a pop - funky, fun, interesting. Don't really have a color in mind."
Awesome . . I get to play with a color combination I love. This is where I landed !! Mint, navy, chocolate brown, grey, oyster and a tiny dose of carmel.
I started in the dining room. It needed everything. I fell in love with this wall paper when I did it in a different color version recently. Here's my instagram shot (Mekenzie is shooting that entire project soon !! Can't wait) Don't you love this !!! We used it on a ceiling, but plan to use in Rebecca's dining room on all the walls - in the chocolate version.
It's an Osborne & Little - Nina Campbell, very graphic and rich pattern. With the gorgeous white wainscoting it makes for a really strong statement ! The chandelier - we picked a while back for her old dining room and I still love, love it. It's all drippy and organic (to soften the paper). A new dining table with a killer burl wood top and chrome legs and pale grey upholstered chairs. For color - and a big splashy piece of art by Heather Day is the plan.
Now - here's the "different" part. I want to off center the table. I know, a little different. I want to make a custom armless, tight back "sofa" on the left wall, move the chandelier over it and surround it with upholstered chairs. Why? Why not. My plan is to add this gorgeous, tall, china cabinet with mirror front. My thought is this . . . how often do you really "use" a formal dining room? Let's make this room somewhat "multi functional." It's a beautiful space to set up for a party, or an intimate dinner, or most of the time - a gorgeous "cut through" as most of our dining rooms are, and . . easy access to the storage cabinet (which is so big, the top can be used as a "bar" as well as house all her china). We'll see if this idea flies. Window treatments in a soft, gorgeous mint-ish, teal a "pop" color - which will be pulled into the other rooms. The rug has a pattern that is forgiving as well if anything lands on it (patterns do that).
The dining room bleeds into the family room. We placed a large 10 x 10 grey sectional when they moved in, and the chocolate swivel chairs and floor lamp we chose for their old house. All good, just want to add a console table (live edge wood with metal base), two shorter lamps (so from the kitchen you can see the TV) and some new pillows, in the colors I want to use in this project. The two bookcases currently are black . . . too heavy for me and make that side of the room look unbalanced with the white kitchen cabinets on the other side. I want to paint them and maybe add a little grass cloth on the back that has a thread of teal in it.
Just behind the family room in this open floor plan is a perfect white kitchen. I wouldn't change a thing. To the side of that , a cozy - killer, breakfast nook. Currently it has a custom table and upholstered bench we did just when they moved in. LOVE - but want to finish it off. Plan is to paper the three walls in this subtle but fab paper with a faded animal print. It doesn't really scream animal at you, but adds a layer of pattern to cozy up this large, large open floor plan family room and kitchen. My favorite thing of all is the cornice and "faux" blind fabric. This one fabric really defines the color palette I chose for this house. It's modern, graphic and has such an unexpected combination of colors. A new lucite chandelier - larger than the one she has to tie back to the vintage lucite chairs she found. A few black and white family pics, and we are good !
The front of the house, and on the opposite side of the dining room you wander into the front "formal" living room, and side "office." Next to the foyer, this is the first thing you see. I want to keep it simple, but interesting. Now she has 4 chairs already . . . not sure if I can convince her to relocate them, but I am gonna try. Want to add a grey (maybe leather) very modern, metal leg sofa with two really cool, tall, mint-ish teal velvet chairs. Love these things, modern take on a classic wingback. Funky side table, and her existing floor lamps, chandelier and art. New curtain panels, blinds and rug.
This rug, super thick and soft. Reminds me of a big sweater and I love that.
This fabric, love too. Looks hand painted and will be gorgeous on the windows over the texture of the bamboo blinds.
Office, really just part of the living room, but behind really pretty french doors. Offices can be pretty and should be treated as part of the living space. Make them interesting !!! Plan . . darker charcoal walls, but light furniture and very cool, textured art. These two art pieces are actually dimensional with hand made stained paper overlay. The two, somewhat Asian inspired pieces, are file cabinets and the prettiest I have every seen. Found them for Holly's office space and bringing them back this this one because I have yet to find pretty file cabinets out there !! A cream shagreen desk and funky pattern rug. Bringing back her beat up brown leather chair that is so cool and the perfect size. Desk chair - we are making them "custom" now because there are next to no options out there . . so I am making it, but it will still roll and swivel. Covering in another killer "hand painted looking" velvet fabric in a splashy navy.
And lastly, the entry foyer (and powder room). Something strong to set the tone. She has the overhead fixture and piano, but that's it. Want to add crazy, crazy textured paper. Phillip Jeffries charcoal circle. Now there are a lot of doors and white trim, so this color will totally work and add the drama every foyer needs !!!!
The surprises are over yet, have to have this paper in the foyer / hallway powder room. It is so fun. Powder rooms are the place to do it for sure, and it brings in the mint-ish green / teal I want as the pop color in the house.
So there you have it. A first floor design for Rebecca !!
And Rebecca, if you are reading - surprise ! Hope this post really gives you something fun to read, think about and ponder until we see each other next week - excited!
