Look at the Bright Side
#LHDlookatthebrightside
It’s been awhile since we’ve taken you on a break down of a project…and this is a good one to get us started back up again! I’m super excited to bring you along in the process of this home and how it’s evolved over time to what it is now. Here we go!
I have worked with this family a few times now, and each time, the projects just keep getting better and better! It’s so fun working with clients that come back because we’ve already built trust together which translates into the design process and I have a better understanding of their lifestyle. Over the years most of the home has undergone a re-fresh…. the only room in the house that hadn’t been done yet was the kitchen. Due to water damage in the house (see the silver lining?), it was now time to reimagine this space. And because the kitchen is connected to the living room, we tagged this space on as well!
The kitchen was original to the home and has worked well for the family, but over the years the cabinetry had begun to malfunction and some of the family’s needs have changed, so several thing were no longer working. The pantry, as an example, was a standard closet which lacked proper storage and accessibility. Due to cooking for large groups of people, the client wanted to upgrade the stove to a 36” range. Over the years, cabinetry has just come a long way when it comes to making things functional, accessible, organized, and pretty all at the same time.
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Because this is a returning client, there is an overall feel and design style in the home that we have continuously built upon. It was finally time to move that feel into the kitchen; We mixed the overall traditional style with some farmhouse, making sure to add in warm and natural elements, and some more modern pieces as well. Over the last 7 years, we have slowly brightened this home, brought in wall treatments for added character, and refreshed furniture choices. On this update, there were some key large pieces (with a BIG effect on the space) that needed replacing; Flooring and cabinetry.
First being the flooring. Because the water damage upstairs affected their hardwood, all of the flooring on the first and second floor of the home needed to be replaced. Once I had the overall mood board developed, choosing a lighter toned oak hardwood was the first design decision. When working on a project where flooring and cabinetry are both being changed, I find that picking flooring is quite often the first decision made. After this, making choices on the cabinetry tones is much easier -especially if you’re working with wood.
We chose a wide plank, light-to-medium toned hardwood flooring that has some variance throughout the planks, which brought that warm and natural element to the whole home. We were working with a custom cabinetry company and therefore we had the ability to pick a stain for the cabinets in a tone that worked perfectly with the flooring.
Then cabinetry! This was so fun because we were working with a custom cabinet company and therefore were able to incorporate specific designs that would help with the overall functionality of the kitchen. When discussing the layout with the clients, they were already wondering about changing the location of the fridge and the idea of an island versus the peninsula, which is the direction we ended up going. The size of the kitchen didn’t change, but by changing the layout, it feels so much bigger and brighter!
Moving the fridge meant that we could drastically upgrade the pantry and create an amazing amount of useable pantry space that is far more accessible than the old pantry. We also ended up incorporating the microwave into this wall, because having it hidden away when not in use is a great feature! Take a look at the difference on the pantry wall; behind all those doors are roll-outs so you can easily reach everything, even what’s at the way back!
The clients also wanted a space to hide their toaster and bread, so incorporating an appliance garage was an easy decision. Because we moved the fridge to the sink wall, installing an appliance garage on the other side of the sink was the right choice. This brought an element of symmetry around the window on this wall, but also gave us the opportunity to do an open storage compartment for the standing mixer -something that was important to the client as it gets used all the time.
We also added in organizational storage under the sink, which is often a cabinet that gets neglected. People usually just stack cleaning supplies in there the best way possible, but it can easily become disorganized and a pain to find anything. We added in two pullout drawers which provide the perfect way to organize cleaners and create extra storage by using the available height of the cabinet.
For the cabinetry finishes, I knew that we wanted to bring in a lighter colour, mixing it with the warmth of wood. Rather than going with a true white kitchen, we opted for a softer, warm grey colour, accenting with a light toned wood. Small details add so much to a space and is always a good idea. Take the island for example; this is typically what you see first when walking into the room, so if you can add an extra detail to the back of the island, it will add depth and interest to your space. We brought in a vertical v-groove wood detailing, which was also incorporated into the vent hood cover. To save on some cost and for ease of cleaning, the drawer fronts on the island were left as flat paneled doors, which also feels a bit more modern in the otherwise traditional home.
When it came to the finishing materials, we had a lot of fun. Mixing quartz and tile in the backsplash was such a great combination! I am really happy with how the tiled backsplash compliments the quartz backsplash and loved being able to bring in the two different elements but have them work so well together.
I knew that when you looked at the stove wall, I wanted it to be a full height quartz backsplash for a “wow” factor, as well as easy wipe-ability, but wanted to switch up the backsplash by the sink wall. We continued the quartz on this wall with a shorter profile, then stacked the tile on top to bring in that new element, and I love how the two mix together!
One thing that was added to bring in that warm farmhouse + traditional feel was the wood beams. They add so much depth and character to this space. Don’t forget about your ceilings! There are so many fun ways to dress up a ceiling, and the detail brings your eye up and therefore the room feels bigger.
The stain colour for the beams were based off the flooring colour and the cabinet colour. Pick your starting point (in this case the flooring) and work from there when picking other wood elements. When mixing wood it’s always important to check the tones of the wood. They don’t necessarily have to be the same colour, but the undertones all need to be the same to cohesively flow with one another.
The beams are also a great way to create a cohesive flow from the kitchen to the living room, and they fit so effortlessly into each space.
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//Before//
This living room was upgraded about seven years ago with board and batten on the fireplace chase, which is a detail that ties into other areas in the home. A few years later we added new furniture. So this time, we painted the walls, dressed up the furniture with new cushions, added in pinch pleat curtains, a new area rug, and painted the fireplace black. I really love how when you look towards the kitchen, the range and quartz backsplash is the feature and when you look into the living room, the fireplace is the feature, but they don’t compete with each other.
There is just such a great flow between these rooms, and honestly throughout the whole house now. It just feels so great! Every decision made in this space, was based off the decisions that were made in prior upgrades, which makes the overall feel of the home cohesive. I hope you find that encouraging! Even if you are only able to tackle one space at a time, if you keep your overall vision (mood board) and feel in view, even if it takes 5 years to update your home, the decisions you make will eventually create a beautiful space that represents you!
That’s #LHDlookonthebrightside! Even though this part of the home was not a planned project, this client was able to take the water damage and turn it into something so good. No matter where you are at with your home, it sometimes helps to look on the bright side. If a home renovation is not in the budget (and you desperately wish it was!), get creative, what ARE you able to change, and make your home YOU little by little. Even if that for the time being means just rearranging furniture or shopping from your storage room or other rooms in your house to switch things up.
I find that the design consultation is a great tool for this! It gives you a plan of action to work from, and when you get the chance to update or renovate you have your plan of action to stick to! If you hold to your overall vision of your space, chances are you won’t tire of it in the long run -even if it takes several years to get through all the rooms in your home!
Have fun re-imagining your own space!
~ Jessica ~