before and after Archives

Dining Room: Before and After

While this dining room was a good size and had some nice features, it lacked a cohesive, finished design.

Last week, I shared some before and after photos of a library we designed for a client. Today’s before and after features another room in that same home — this time, the dining room. Like the library, the dining room needed a facelift to brighten and update the space. While the dining room was a good size and had some nice features, it lacked a cohesive, finished design.

While the dining room provided proportionate and generous space for large gatherings, the overall feel of the room started to look dark and dim compared to the adjacent rooms which echoed a whiter, brighter approach.

We were so lucky to have a great dining table which remained untouched. We reupholstered the Rose Tarlow dining chairs in a simple linen. Our objective was to eliminate the purple and green palette that saturated the room. A custom white plaster was applied to the walls and the pine mantel was painted a white to match the existing trim. The plaster adds a more modern edge and allows texture within the space. The window treatments became unified with a beautiful wool fabric for both the roman and drapery panels. The drapery hardware is understated, yet the contrast of the nickel rings adds the right amount of detail to the space.

Lighting is jewelry to any space, and these pieces are so impressive in scale that they finish the room properly. Initially, the custom chandelier was allocated for another space within the house, but sometimes an unexpected surprise turns into a happy reallocation!

The existing console table and mirrors remained, but we added the braided sisal rug, modern art, and ceramic lamps. The natural light filtered throughout the dining room adds a whisper of grace; the finished room has such presence now.

To see more photos of our design projects, visit my website or my Houzz profile.

The Big Reveal

I love working in this creative haven, surrounded by elements that both calm and inspire me.

I am extremely thrilled to share with you my latest and greatest project, something that is very personal: My new studio! The building which houses my studio is truly sentimental; it has been in my family since 1983, when my father decided to purchase it for his company, Putnam Plumbing and Heating. I remember visiting my dad’s business as a young girl, when the space was smogged with smoke and the typical grunge of pipe fittings, boilers and machinery. The space was not pretty at all, as you can imagine, and I found myself fascinated by the idea of the potential of this place. Photos of the interior and exterior before I started renovations show how great the transformation of this place has been.

After years of growing his own business, my dad moved to another location and this building remained. Occupied by others through out the years, it eventually lay vacant for some time. Prior to my father’s ownership of the building, it was occupied by a machine shop during the 1950’s and, in the early 1930’s, the building was an automotive repair shop. Over the course of almost 85 years, there were a few alterations to the building. When we began to demo for the renovations, we actually found this really cool iron window frame with restoration glass buried in one of the walls. I wish I could have salvaged it, but it was too decrepit. I am truly grateful to my parents and their role in where I am today. I love the family connection to this place and knowing that the building is part of my past lends it additional beauty.

Growing out of the humble beginnings of my design firm’s starting point, I decided it was time to take on a project for myself. Creating for others comes very naturally to me; however, for myself this process took more time than I expected. Maybe because it’s more personal, or maybe because this project was different than most, given the fact that I had to factor in my clients’ perspectives as well as my own. The aesthetics needed to be beautiful as an interior, but I limited myself to a very simple palette of mainly black, grey and white, being thoughtful of the amount of color which saturates so many of our schemes.

Putting pen to paper as I design always stirs up creative ideas and interesting selections. I am proud to say that when I designed this space on paper and closed my eyes, every detail was executed exactly as I had envisioned it. When I put on paper is what gets built 99% of the time, and seeing this come to life in my own space was an incredible experience. Julio DiBiase of Dibico, Inc. is a person near and dear to me for the way he and his team perfectly executed my vision. We have collaborated on projects for over 10 years and I am grateful for his insight and resources to create and engineer all of my thoughts.

I am extremely grateful to be surrounded by the beauty of very simple elements. Walnut walls, ceruzed rift oak cabinetry, concrete floors, and brick, while simple in appearance, reflect my layered approach to design. I love working in this creative haven, surrounded by elements that both calm and inspire me. The materials in my new space were strategically selected and edited to create a simple but complete product. My office space is a true representation of the process and structure I use when designing for clients with the ultimate goal of a completed product that reflects who they are.

Photos of finished project by Phillip Ennis Photography

Before and After

ne thing I’ve learned as an interior designer is that people love before and after photos! I am a huge fan of them myself.

One thing I’ve learned as an interior designer is that people love before and after photos! I am a huge fan of them myself. It’s always insightful and fascinating to see the prior space and compare it to the final product. Today I gathered together some informal before and after shots featuring a few of my own projects and hope you enjoy looking at these transformations!

This is a client’s entry before renovations started. The home is a 1920’s residence and some of the decor was rather antiquated.

To update this entry, we opened it up and brightened the area by stripping and lightening the woodwork. We maintained the entry’s architectural integrity but created a much more welcoming area.

In the same home, I also designed the dining room. It wasn’t a particularly large room and had a rather traditional decor.

To create the perfect dining room for this client, we enhanced the simple architecture with the kind of elaborate design the client loves. Replacing the wainscoting with mirrored fretwork helps make the room seem larger. The walls were covered in the same material we used for the window treatments.

In these next photos, you can see how a kitchen can be completely transformed without gutting the entire space.

The original kitchen had two different counter materials, which we kept in place. We added rustic pine beams on the ceiling, changed the back splash, and covered the walls in grass cloth. For the cabinets, we mostly kept the existing structures but painted them. It’s amazing sometimes what paint can do. The finished kitchen is so refreshing!

Also in this home, I worked with the client to redesign the family room. It was a big space with an impressive collection of tribal artifacts.

With the size of this room, we were able to create three seating areas and use the theme of the tribal items to create a comfortable retreat. This room is also a great example of how installing treatments high above the windows and doors elongates these openings and has a great effect on the space.

This last example shows how important a good architectural foundation is. When the client is willing to let the designer and contractor go back to the home’s architectural base and design from there, it makes the finished home look that much better. It’s essential to get those basic elements right, but then everything else falls neatly into place. For this project, we started with a kitchen and family room that were rather separate, but large and full of potential.

To renovate this area, I worked with the contractor to change doorways and openings, making a more open environment with better flow between the kitchen and living room. Now the homeowners can enjoy family and guests while cooking. The finished project makes ideal use of the home’s architecture to give the family their perfect living space.

What’s the most dramatic renovation you’ve done?