dhollingd's ideas
Interesting … “ A low-slung custom cabinet doubles as a bench. A second cabinet has a shelf and a tall open unit with storage cubbies. Wood slats add a dash of visual texture, while the cabinet’s dark color brings some dramatic interest. A wall-mounted mirror in a wood frame that complements the storage pieces completes this high-functioning area.”
The laundry room features a glass-paneled door with a frame painted lime green. “Wherever we could add a touch of color or whimsy to this house, we did,” Kandler says. “It was such a fun project, because wherever you look there’s something that brings a smile to your face.” Door paint: Fluorescent Lime, Dunn-Edwards Paints
One of the guest bedrooms features a subtle safari theme with lots of animal-inspired prints and designs, including via bird-shaped table lamps and fabric on the throw pillows. The walls are a soothing pale yellow, and the headboard is made of dark-stained rattan. Wall paint: Wax Wing, Dunn-Edwards Paints
Kandler had an arched niche custom-built into the wall next to a freestanding tub. “It has a recessed light that shines down through the glass shelves that creates a warm glow in the evening,” the designer says. A light fixture above the tub features more of the rounded design details that the homeowner adores. Light fixture: Stray Dog Designs
The primary bathroom includes a new vanity with a sink and a makeup area. A pair of recessed vanity mirrors and multiple drawers with glass pulls provide a lot of storage. The walls are clad in a wallpaper that complements the blue walls in the adjacent bedroom and provides a classic look. Wallpaper: Lattice, Galbraith & Paul
A custom headboard featuring a print of lemon trees demands attention in the primary bedroom. A light blue wall color plays off the blues of the headboard fabric. Kandler used pink as an accent color via the bedding and the print on custom Roman shades. Wall paint: Rolling Waves, Dunn-Edwards Paints; headboard fabric: Citrus Garden, Schumacher; window shade fabric: Paniola, Anna Spiro Textiles
The powder room includes a bold green custom vanity with intricate details and acrylic-and-brass pulls. The countertop and scalloped vessel sink are stone. Off-white wallpaper features a blue floral motif, and shaded wall sconces have a blue tape detail. “The powder room has no windows, so we wanted to keep it light, bright and fun,” Kandler says. Vanity paint: Palm Tree, Dunn-Edwards Paints; wallpaper: Persian Garden, Galbraith & Paul
The homeowner spends much of her time in a small den off the kitchen. There’s a TV (not pictured) across from the teal suede tufted sofa seen here. The homeowner loves dogs, so Kandler created a gallery wall with vintage dog paintings she purchased from secondhand shops. A coffee table with a fun black-and-white zigzag pattern is another MacKenzie-Childs piece the homeowner had previously purchased.
The aqua blue Lacanche gas range seen here was a must-have for the homeowner and helped set the tone for the kitchen. “After she selected the range, I knew we wanted to go with white countertops and cabinets to help balance out the look,” Kandler says. The range hood, which is custom, has a scallop detail that the designer has in her own kitchen. The homeowner “saw it in my own home and fell in love with it, so we created something quite similar here.” Kandler installed a window instead of a backsplash behind the range, something she has done in other projects. She likes how it brings natural light into the cooking area.
The kitchen was completely remodeled and includes all-new appliances, cabinets and countertops. “We discussed either adding an island or leaving space empty for a breakfast table in the center of the room,” Kandler says. “The homeowner was all for the table.” The glass table provides a light and airy look and pairs well with the accompanying faux-rattan French bistro chairs. “This is the table she uses most eating with her grandkids, so we selected a table and chairs that are easy to clean,” the designer says. A chandelier above, from MacKenzie-Childs, had been previously purchased by the homeowner.
The dining room includes a large wood table with legs that Kandler painted periwinkle to complement the color of the Egyptian hand-blown-glass chandelier. “The table felt too dark and heavy for the space, but simply painting the legs a fun color completely changed the look and feel,” she says. A pair of comfy host chairs covered in a bright floral fabric pairs well with a gallery wall of floral paintings that Kandler bought at local secondhand stores. A new built-in cabinet features the same bold pink shade used in the living room.
The two sofas are covered in off-white slipcovers that can be removed for cleaning. But the rest of the furniture and decor in the room lean into bold colors and patterns. Pink and purple throw pillows on the sofas were selected to complement the colors of the area rug, which is vintage. Curved shapes are another design feature that the homeowner adores. An ebony-stained wood coffee table and console table behind the sofa have turned legs, and wall sconces near the fireplace have a similar shape.
After: A warmer shade of white for the walls (Whisper by Dunn-Edwards Paints) helps boost the cottage feel. The same paint also covers the former dark wood ceiling beams. In between the beams, Kandler used a citrus green wallpaper to add a whimsical touch that draws the eye upward. A new flat-screen TV, called The Frame, lies flush against the wall above the original fireplace. “I’ve never been a big fan of placing a TV over the fireplace, but these new Frame ones make it much more appealing,” Kandler says. New wide-plank white oak floors run throughout the house, replacing the former dark stained wood flooring.
Bedside tables visually lightweight, keeps room open-looking
Desk in between windows
Picture wall concentrates arrwork and allows space elsewhere
Warm woods and this particular green
Tan leather and warm woods go together and warm a white palette
Warm tan of sofa, and multiple colours of artwork, warm up a neutral environment
Tan leather (orange tones) and complementary turquoise blue brung colour to neutral environment
Tan leather and warm woods warm up a neutral environment
Woods, brick and white
Colour of cupboards and stainless appliances share the same warm tones and somehow blend!
Stainless and grey stains similar in colour so blend together
Stainless stove and bottom cupboards colours are similar - blend together
A new desk area serves as command central for paying bills and managing schedules. A banquette features a custom cushion and striped pillows. The corner windows offer views of the front yard and give the family dog a cozy spot to watch the neighborhood.
The large white built-in cabinet to the left of the dining room doorway is the family’s central pantry storage. Six shelves with electrical outlets inside offer space for the microwave and toaster oven. “I knew it would be the catchall for everything,” Sarah says. “When I close those doors, it conceals everything.”
Removed the wall between kitchen and dining room, and added a storage bar instead. “ Friends can sit at the bar and be more involved in the actual process when meals are prepared,” Culbertson says. “You can sit, laugh and tell stories right there.”
This close-up under the bar shows the heavy-cast iron shelf bracket with a plated antique brass finish that went with the style and period of the house. “The geometric shapes worked incredibly well,” Culbertson says.
This wide view from the now adjoining dining room shows the floating wood shelves to the upper right of the bar that offer an easy-access spot for libations. The bar’s beverage refrigerator also helps when the couple entertains. “Susan’s goal with the beverage refrigerator was keeping Bobby’s craft beer collection out of the main refrigerator and kitchen,” Culbertson jokes.
Tub faucet styles
Use of colour and wood to warm up bathroom whites
Teak along outside of tub to bring in warmth
Gallery wall: Those touches figure in most prominently in the specially created gallery wall. My mom loves her family photos, but Coe worried that adding eclectic frames around the room would derail the overall vibe of the renovation. Instead, Coe and her team took some square footage from the closet to widen the hallway and make one wall a focal point.
TV behind mirrored doors: There was talk of glass fronts for the unit, but the antiqued mirror made more sense for maintenance and keeping things looking tidy and tucked away. “By adding the mirror, it gives you this illusion of more light, openness, reflectiveness, and then we antiqued the mirror too to speak back to the age of the house. And also an antiqued mirror doesn’t look dirty,” Coe says.
The large framed mirror was an optional add-on with the vanity that also saved them money — it just took a little ingenuity to make it work. “I knew I was going to want to cut the mirror down to accommodate the sconces, and I wound up having to make it shorter because of the lower ceiling height there,” Lind says. She took the frame off and painted it black with a satin finish. She had the mirror cut down by a local glass company, then cut down the frame and reattached it. “Doing that was much less expensive than ordering a big custom mirror and having it framed,” she says.
The containers are great for storing jewelry. “My advice is to go to estate sales, garage sales, thrift shops and flea markets and look for things like artwork, glass jars and brass canisters,” Lind says. “These things bring so much charm, character and texture to bathroom shelves.”
The designer-homeowner is especially fond of this vintage bird print. “When I found this, I knew it was just what the space needed. It brings in a beautiful aged creamy tone that adds warmth. I loved the tones of the cerused frame and I’m a huge fan of teals and blue-greens,” she says. The faded print looks like it’s been hanging in the house for decades.
In this area she also added more texture and character with a wicker wastebasket, a little shower stool and artwork. “The marble and the white tile are cold and smooth surfaces. Bringing in warmth was important,” Lind says.
Designer secret: “Tight spaces are tight spaces, so you have to find creative ways to make them feel more spacious,” Storm says. She advises using mirrors and natural light to your advantage. In one of the project’s splurges, the mirror glass was custom-cut to accommodate the electrical boxes for the mirror-mounted sconces. “These are the kinds of details that take up a lot of time and precision, but are worth every second,” Storm says.
Great tip: This one also concerns an atypical medicine cabinet. Lazanik had experience in marketing and advertising. Using what she knew about printing, she had artwork printed on vinyl and wrapped the cabinet in it. The cabinet is completely camouflaged as a painting when its doors are closed.
Interesting way to make TV, fireplace into a design
Buff, white & wood
Use of colour!
Good idea for what to do with our present dining room table
Fireplace/TV/painting wall; all design-balanced
A better view of black wall incorporating fireplace, TV and big painting
Interesting incorporation of both fireplace and TV in large black visual mass
Use of colour; but white walls background
Colour!
Traditional fireplace with nice stone and wood, warm colours
Blend of Craftsman with modern
Use of colour. And the vintage piano
Two-tiered glass coffee table. And the use of colour!
Use of colour! and bookcases, shelving behind sofas - accessible but not the focus
coffee table
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