A Work in Progress

Four or five years ago, I started helping a client who needed decorating help with her new house.  She had some items she had had for awhile, also a sofa she had just had custom made but all the pieces weren't fitting together the way she wanted.  We started right away with getting rid of the items she knew she wasn't happy with(her glass top coffee table with the driftwood base, and dining table to match).  She will laugh now, but at the time it started with ripping the band aid off and selling that first piece.  Never easy, but we needed to move in the right direction.   Here's the old living room that was the first room you would see when entering the front door.....

 

She made the striped red draperies but we decided we needed a fresh look for in that room.  Slowly(probably over a year) she sold the tables and sofa.  All other items were taken down and we were ready to start over.   By that time she had decided to use this room as a game room/sitting room.  We painted the walls a light gray to keep it light and airy.  We chose this Bookcase from Ballard Designs to fill the back wall.

 

 

 

We loved how it really added a substantial piece to the room.  Next we decided on this fun fabric from Ballard. 

 

We went shopping around and both fell in love with red leather chairs that we just knew were perfect for the space.  Later she added an awesome old packman game table pictured on the left(50 different games to choose from.)  They have loved playing all the games of our childhood.  Here's the finished space...

 

 

 

Our very first room we worked on was her family room.  It was very plain when I first saw it so we jumped right in and added some color.  Here's the original picture.....

 

 

First, we needed a colorful rug to bring some life to the space.  This neutral one just wasn't cutting it.  We also added some green silk drapes to her windows.  We reconfigured the space a bit and brought in some new pillows(which were changed quite frequently).  Pillow covers, rug, drapes all from Pottery Barn. 

 

She loved her comfy leather loveseats so they decided to keep those which faced their flat screen T.V.  What a cozy room and it blends nice with the colors we did for the sitting room you just saw which it opens into. 

 

Here dining room was fun to glam up a bit.  It too was very plain with the table I mentioned above, the driftwood base with round glass top.  That would fit nicely at the beach but not really with their style.  We painted it a soft green.  We started with a rug and draperies that were our inspiration for the room. 

 

We chose a silvery mirror that was a very flat finish which kind of glammed up the space and went well with her chandelier. 

 

Here is the pottery barn rug that we chose with the ivory background to lighten the space and coordinate with the drapes.  These dining chairs matched our elegant look with the shiny nail head trim.  Here is the other part of the space....

 

 

 

We chose a bar for entertaining.  The wine bottle shelf and glass rack seemed like the right fit to aid in drink making.  We have some other projects we've worked on in her house, guest rooms, office, bedroom and second office but they are incomplete.  More to come as we finish our projects!  A special thanks to my client for letting me help her create the spaces she desires.  She started as my client but is now my good friend.  What fun times we've had over the years :)    



  



 

 





Our Fireplace Makeover!

Our Weekend project this past weekend was to paint the fireplace.  This has been on my mind since I bought the house 9 years ago.  I was stunned at the size of the fireplace when I moved in, in relation to the small living room.  It was huge with a huge hearth.  So, it had to be transformed from its drab orangy-brown to a nice crisp off-white.  I was hesitant to do it at first because there's no going back but I knew it would brighten up the room So much.  So here's the before photo so you can see just how enormous it is.....

 

We started by cleaning the brick with a wire brush to get all the loose particles off.  We lightly brushed over the brick and vacuumed it well with the Shop Vac.  Then we mixed part water with part TSP cleaner to get the surface really clean before painting(used a sponge to apply).  Once that was clean we applied a coat of Oil based primer which is suggested for painting fireplaces.  You definitely need good ventilation, It has an extreme amount of fumes.  It took about 24 hrs for the fumes to dissipate.  After our primer was dry, we applied our first coat of Masonry paint in off-white.  We quickly realized you have to be heavy handed with the paint to fill in all the cracks and holes of the bricks.  It soaks it up pretty well so there wasn't much problem with dripping. We applied this really thick and let it dry for several hours.  We applied the 2nd coat of paint, again very thick to fill in holes which seemed to almost finish the job.  I went over some of the edges with some extra paint after the 2nd coat was dry.  We left the mantle in the oak color it was for some contrast and to have an older feel.  We love our pieces to feel a bit collected and aged as well.  Here is the picture of the first coat of primer....

 

The only thing left to replace on this fireplace this fall is the brass insert.  It will be bronze or black with a blower to help heat our house.  Much more attractive then the old brass.  Here is the finished product......

For us, it added so much brightness to the room and loved how it popped with the other accessories. The mantle really grounds all that white and blends well with the other oak and painted pieces we have. It's definitely more Coastal Cottage style now which fits in much better with the décor and design of our home.  We are very happy we decided to paint it white!