The Story of a Project

When I started my business four years ago, I thought a lot about whether I wanted to be an artist or offer a service.  While every interior designer is a combination of the two, I saw a niche in the market for people who never thought they would work with a designer, but knew they needed help, and I decided to focus on the service aspect of this work.  I often work with people who want help finishing up, or who have a larger project in mind, but must do the work in phases, as budget allows.

This was just such a project.  My client was living in the house she lived in as a teenager.  Her parents had passed, but the house was still filled with their things.  Since they were collectors, ghosts of the past were everywhere.  More than selecting sofas or creating floorplans, this project was about claiming this space as her own, while honoring her family.

The house had also never been updated since it was built in the 80s, and she knew she would need to update some finishes for eventual resale.

This week, I'd like to take you through our process.

Here's what we started with:

The living room was basically being used for cat toys and drying laundry, largely because there was only a lone couch in there.  Worn out carpet, a dated wallpaper border, and a half-railing only detracted from a room with high ceilings and a pretty bay window.

The living room is open to a dining room.  The small space was kind of choking on that 80s floral wallpaper, and too much furniture obscured the fact that there were some fantastic pieces--like those Danish modern rope chairs.

The kitchen was standard-issue for a house of this era, with golden oak cabinetry and laminate countertops.  The dark blue walls were only adding to the dark feeling of the room.

Our first step was to rip up the carpeting in the living room and dining room and install Hickory floors.  We also replaced the old carpet upstairs with a new neutral grey.  Next, we decided which treasured pieces to keep and build our rooms around, including this rug, which set the color palette for the main floor of the home: grey-green, teal, coral, cream, and black.

Finally, we repainted every inch of the house, including the kitchen cabinets.  All of this work happened in phases, but in the meantime we formulated a plan. 

This week, I'll show you the process, ending with a dramatic before and after!