After - Kitchen
Before - Kitchen
I shared a bit about this project HERE in a previous post. The homeowner had all of the furnishings, art, rugs, etc. and I was challenged to remodel the home to feature all of her wonderful things and show them off in their best light. She wanted the same warm, comfortable feel that many of her antiques and collected pieces possessed. As an artist, working in textile and jewelry design, she has quite an eye for detail and most of her things had been acquired while living overseas in Pakistan and Kazakstan. She has collected the things she loves..... antique textiles, beadwork, woven tapestries, and rugs.
The house was built in the early 90's and the whole thing was mauve, paint, tile, counters, exterior, everything, except for the cabinets which had turned orange over the years. She definitely wanted a warmer, more rustic feel. New wood floors throughout warmed up the space as did the warm white paint color that was used on everything, walls, ceiling, mouldings, and cabinetry. I wanted a gallery-like backdrop for her colorful, textural pieces and the wood floor grounded everything.
After - Kitchen
The kitchen was very dated, with an oddly shaped island. I wanted to get rid of the raised bar counter. It served to divide the kitchen and felt like one side was a corridor and the other the kitchen. With the island at one level, it encourages everyone to come to the center "table". We kept the perimeter cabinets and painted them the color of the envelope to minimize them and draw attention to the new, beautiful wood island. The antiqued limestone counter on the island has an interesting texture with fossils and shells embedded and just feels wonderful to the touch. Those slabs came from MCA in Houston and they are called coral reef. The bone limestone backsplash, material also from MCA, blends with the envelope and repeats the material. I love the way the Visual Comfort Goodman hanging lamps punctuate the light colored space with their simple shape. We purchased those through Circa in Houston. The Rohl faucets add so much to the kitchen too. They're in the Tuscan brass finish, a living finish, that will age over time.
After - Kitchen
Before - Kitchen island
Before - Island
It was definitely time to remodel. Could the finishes be any more dated??
After - Family Room
This is the family room, beyond the kitchen. You can really see her collections here. That suzani tapestry is an antique and she's had it for years. She didn't do this because it was trendy!
We continued all the finishes in to this space and ripped out the old entertainment center built-in. I felt it needed the richness of the wood here, so the floor material came up on the wall and provided a stopping place for your eye. The wood grille panels in the cabinet doors were custom made to repeat some of the texture in the room.
Family Room Entertainment Center
Before - Family Room
Check out the grillework on the cabinet doors below. Great for airflow to the equipment inside and adds so much interest to the large built-in cabinet.
cabinetry under construction
The counterstools were custom made, really the only new furniture item.
I'll save the living room and master bath for another post. The homeowner has a couple of cats that we did not ignore. You should see the special place we made for them!
All after photos by Miro Dvorscak
