September 18, 2014

A New Twist On A Classic House

I was delighted to get the call that a client of mine wanted to refresh some of the rooms in her house.  Fortunately, she has wonderful furniture pieces and wanted to reuse all of them.  We just needed an updated color scheme, fabrics and rugs.

In the living room, we decided to remove the oriental rug and replaced it with a textured sisal.  What a difference it made!  We chose a lighter wall color and more neutral fabrics with punches of color in small amounts.  The result – A totally different space.

The Living Room Before…

The Living Room After…

The Sunroom Before…

Beside the living room is a sunroom.  We made big changes to this small space!

We traded the black walls and carpet for a much lighter palette.   New, comfy club chairs are the perfect spot for relaxing.  The vinyl upholstered ottomans add a punch of color while being a practical choice.  They are perfect when our clients want to kick up their feet and serve double-duty as seating when they have guests.

The Sunroom After…

The Den Before…

The lightening and brightening continued in the den.  A few coats of paint on the wood paneled walls made a huge impact in this room.  A new sofa, beautifully embroidered pillows and fresh, new upholstery on her club chairs were just what this room needed.

The Den After…

September 11, 2014

Lighten Up, Brighten Up a Mountain Cabin

Mountain homes and cabins can be very cozy and warm. Sometimes, however, because of the shade of the outdoor foliage and terrain, the interior can be dark. Such was the case with this log cabin in western North Carolina. The owners requested that we brighten up the living space while keeping the existing rug and sofa.

The first step was to paint some of the stucco walls with an off-white instead of the existing tan color. We also painted the flat ceiling area over the dining table an off-white. After donating the brown leather loveseat to the church white elephant sale, we replaced it with two spool chairs and an ottoman in a light painted finish and soft aqua fabric.

The sofa and loveseat were a set, but the new spool chairs are much more functional and happy than the loveseat.

Using a few new mirrored pieces, we were able to brighten the living room with the reflected light from the skylight above.

This new brass coffee table with a mirrored top is much lighter than the wooden trunk that they used before.

We replaced the tan curtains with cream linen draperies trimmed in a decorative tape. They lighten up this side of the room while also offering privacy.

September 5, 2014

Is It Real…Or Is It A Magazine?

We all have our favorites: Veranda, House Beautiful, Traditional Home.  That gift to myself that arrives once a month.  I can’t wait to curl up with my coffee and pour over every photo.  Perfect rooms full of beautiful things, owned by (we can only assume) beautiful people.