RENE'S REDO

Some of yall know that I've been taking some real estate courses and I had thought I'd put design work on the back burner. Just when I decided on that path, it seemed like more design stuff landed in my lap.....funny how life works. One of those design projects was "Rene's Redo". Rene and her family are some of the nicest people to work with & it was fun helping her update a few rooms.
We started on Rene's redo back in the Spring by painting her kitchen cabinets, installing all wood floors downstairs, repainting her breakfast table & chairs and adding a stacked rock facade to her breakfast bar. Rene and I both got busy over the summer with "summer life & travel" so we waited til November to finish out the new spaces with updated decor. I was able to decorate her house the week before Thanksgiving and she was excited to share the new look with her guests at Thanksgiving.
Here's some pictures of the transformation:

"Before" Breakfast nook with old table & chairs, and cluttered window seat:
"After" with new linen (scotchguarded) window seat cushion, trimmed with white faux leather piping for durability. Notice how my upholsterer made that perfect angle at the corner? (you can always click on a photo to enlarge a photo for more "up close" detail)......I can always count on Sabrina for amazing upholstery quality!:

Rene's son Matthew posed in the new space. He was so happy with the new "reveal" & instantly got on the phone to let others know how much he loved it....I loved his enthusiasm!!
Westbank Flowers created the simple but classic hydrangea arrangement for the kitchen table. The hydrangeas are dried flowers but will look real and fresh for a long time.
ZitaRaymond and her talented crew took the old breakfast table and chairs and updated them with a new paint finish. A rich black paint was painted on the set with a tobacco glaze. New wood floors also add to the warmth of the room & the comfy window seat is now inviting.
See that cute embroidered pillow on the window seat? It's from Dwell Studio's line for Target. Recently they've been creating some very cool soft goods for Target.

My contractors created a new kick space under the breakfast bar with stacked rock.
Kickspace "before":

Kickspace "after":With an active family and frequent social gatherings, Rene will have a "kick space" that will endure a long time and be very "kick" friendly! The look is gorgeous and it gives a texture and warmth to the room.
Another major thing we did to the room was the cabinet paint. I LOVE this new paint color...its very rich and classic in person. Hard to photograph it well....but it's a rich grey/green shade.

Before we started the project, showing the old stained cabinets & old "kick space" under breakfast bar:

Just after new kickspace , created with stacked rock:
After new cabinet paint, but before we "decorated" the room:
Here's the "before" pic of the kitchen (with sweet Rene in the photo):
After new paint ,new wood floors & designer touches:

Also, notice in the above 2 photos, there used to be phone clutter on the far right counter. I simply took a basket and put all the message center clutter in the basket. Now it's hidden and the counter looks less cluttered.

I also had Zita's team redo the kitchen island paint. The island was aged with black paint & undertones of greys/greens/creams:
We also added a towel bar to the end of the island to be functional, hide an outlet & also add a pop of color.

Rene also had a request to find a new bowl for their beloved Betta fish. They've had their fish for about 7 yrs now and he was living in a tiny typical goldfish bowl:Now he's moved on up to the new digs!
I found a fat & wide green glazed vase at Hobby Lobby:Luckily one of my subcontractors knew all about Betta fish, the proper water care, etc, and was able to transport the fish for me! I've had many different aquariums in my lifetime, but I'm not savvy with the Betta.

One corner of the kitchen before:
After:
Also, I found this cute kitchen valance at Lowe's!
Rene bought the matching drapery panels and we'll have the fabric made into seat cushions for the breakfast table. The fabric is a Riad type graphic in browns, creams & black.

Here's her kitchen sink window before we added the valance:

After:
Here's a view from her Family Room:

We added the above chairs to the Family Room from her Living Room. The chairs were handed down from her Mom and I think they're beautiful. We might update them one day with new fabric, but for now they look great. We also took the rectangle cushions from the Family Room's chenille sofa and placed them on the cane chairs.
The family room received new updates as well, but unfortunately I forgot to photograph some angles of the room! Burlap linen drapes from Pottery Barn were added to the wall of windows in the FR and a few other updates were added to this room:

Over the sofa, we added a new giclee print from Crate and Barrel:The giclee print is Sandra Pratt's Americana iconic barn image. Pic doesn't do the art justice. It's beautiful in person & large...

We also added new creamy white pillows to the sofa , from Pottery Barn:
The pillows are linen down cushions with jute edging. I love the pillows because they add another texture to the space & lighten the otherwise dark sofa.

Notice the Pottery Barn middle pillow on the sofa?
I had to buy it because not only is it cute , but Rene's maiden name is "Laughter"! Very appropo for her because she always has a smile on her face and lots of laughter. Rene has that bubbly "Goldie Hawn" type of way.....she's just happy to be around!

We added a comfy chenille "seagrass" look rug from Lowe's to soften & lighten the family room (before they had a heavy looking oriental burgundy carpet):
An electrician is in the process of adding a spot light above the new barn painting too.
We also had Zita redo the finish on their family room mantel and installed a flat screen tv above the fireplace. I'll update with that angle of the room & photo another day!

We made a few changes in the entry also. We removed this outdated light fixture:
....and installed this new light fixture from Clayton Gray:
(pic doesn't do it justice)
We also added a grouping of aged mirrors from Crate & Barrel, new lamps from Home Goods & a new entry table from Four Hands Home:

Love the lamps because they have vintage looking burlap shades, with a printed cursive French type script on the burlap (can't see in the pic).

The dining room didn't change too much. We just updated to a Tuscany giclee printpainted by Berkeley artist A.A. Phoenix, from Crate & Barrel, and created a calming Fall table arrangement , added new lighting & accessories to the buffet table.
Before:
After:
We actually changed the buffet table shade to a softer round khaki green burlap shade. Just haven't taken new photograph!

The powder room is just off the dining room. We took out an outdated pedestal sink:

Updated the mirror with a new finish and had a base custom made with storage below, with a Carrerra marble top.

The dried boxwood topiary is the perfect size to add greenery to a small space. If you're ever interested in the boxwoods, any size, and can't find them in your town, email me. I can always order them and I love them because they're a REAL dried plant, not a fakey!

We also found a cute Moroccan style mirror from my fave store, Target:Hope you enjoyed the redo and maybe after the holidays we'll snap more photos of Rene's family room.
By the way, Rene is a master at managing an office & she'll be helping me with the "admin" side of my business. I'm thrilled to have her expertise because she's awesome at bookkeeping, managing, etc. and can help me tremendously! In the past, I could only juggle so much work because the admin part would slow me down. Now, I'll be able to juggle more clients with her help, so please contact me if you need any help in the new year with your interiors!

I'll also be posting those pillows and pet beds soon....have patience with me....

Have a great week too!
xoxo,