House Tour

As promised in the recent post, Isabella & Max Design Work - Sneak Peek, here is the house tour of a client I recently worked with!

While my work on this home focused on the family room, my first encounter with Kim was when she was looking for inspiration to transform her kitchen and found my blog. With no more than a few random conversations about the design issues in the rooms adjacent to the family room, Kim moved forward with great success and transformed these spaces with a beautifully unique style.


As you'll see in the smaller "before" pictures, the house was washed in golden yellow tones when Kim and her husband purchased the home. One goal of the project was to lighten the spaces and bring in a more sophisticated color scheme. First task, paint all the major areas of the home with SW Amazing Gray.


Then, working with the existing cabinetry, the kitchen was successfully updated and given a big dose of chic. How was this accomplished? The space was opened up to the adjacent nook and family room by removing a column, along with the raised backsplash running along the half wall.

Doing this allowed the countertop to be extended into the nook area at countertop height, creating a breakfast bar. This required replacing the existing countertop and a lighter granite was selected with tones that pick up the tones of the painted cabinetry as well as the new wall color. The tumbled backsplash was also replaced with my favorite Lanka Metro beveled subway tiles, adding timeless character while also lightening the room. New lighting and accessories complete the beautiful picture. Compare the "before" and "after" photos below.





Again, viewing the "before" pictures below you can see how the entire space is affected by the golden wall color, countertops and tile. Changing these surfaces helped to completely transform the space...so never doubt the power of color!



The counter stools, found at CNS Stores, reinforce the new color palette, as does the sunburst mirror found on craigslist.


The Clifton sectional is from Mitchell Gold and the pillows are made from Citrine Imperial Trellis fabric by Kelly Wearstler.


In the above "before" picture you can see how the wide columns feel very heavy in the space, and the furniture layout is crowded, leaving a limited path to move from room to room.


The single narrow column faced with classic millwork is a great improvement. And note the wainscoting. Kim's husband installed this trim in the nook and along the breakfast bar. Its design relates beautifully to the kitchen cabinetry, adding wonderful character while visually joining the kitchen and nook.


Kim has lined the top of the wainscoting with her children's artwork. I am a big fan of decorating with kids creations...and look how they are framed. Wonderful!


The beautifully weathered table is made from reclaimed barn floor wood, with a painted black base.


And I adore these cushions with their oversized trim.


Here is the "before" family room with its fireplace wall, the issue that caused Kim to seek out my help.


We balanced this wall by keeping the fireplace painted the same tone as the kitchen cabinetry while the built-in was reconfigured and then painted the same color as the walls, Amazing Gray. This helps the built-in recede slightly, see below image, allowing the fireplace to become the focal point. The stunning vintage painting of a stork also helps bring the eye to the center of this wall.



The furniture layout was also reworked with the goal of bringing in more seating and improving traffic flow.



As I mentioned in my previous post on this space, it is a room that showcases a successful mix of "High" and "Low".


The rug and mantel urns are from HomeGoods, the pair of deer in the built-in were found at Goodwill and sit next to Jonathan Alder pottery. Many pieces were repurposed, while the splurge item are the Imperial Trellis drapes in Citrine.


The husband's favorite well worn leather chair...


and a simply fabulous mirror.


Next, the dining room at the front of the house. Again, note how the golden yellow walls and ceiling are the dominant feature of the space.



By simply painting the walls a warm chocolate brown and the ceiling white the space is beautifully transformed.


Kim tells me she is trying to get the courage to paint these chairs. I'd say with all the big changes she has made already, what is stopping her from painting a few chairs?!? I'll paint them for her if she doesn't. She feels they match the room too well and I agree. Another color would allow the beautiful table, made from beams taken from an old train station, to stand out and become more of a feature of the room.


Here she had no fear. The shelves are backed with a light blue wrapping paper, picking up on a hint of blue in the rug, which belonged to her husband's father. More "High" and "Low" in this space as well. The drapes are made from fabric found at JoAnn Fabrics for under $10 a yard, the cachepot is from Target and the vases are from West Elm.


The final room in the tour is a mud room, and while this space is still in progress...I would take it in a heartbeat! Look at all this storage and space, a dream...really.


Additional plans include hanging a large cork board over the countertop, with more shelving to hold Kim's ever growing collection of home decor magazines and a chalkboard magnetic wall. Yes, a home is never really done!



I hope you have enjoyed the tour of this beautiful home. Kim has a great eye for detail and a talent for finding special pieces, as well as the ability to see a project through to its completion. After we worked together she told me what an inspiration I had been and how I had helped her to stop doubting her own abilities. So much so that Kim has started taking on clients of her own! But that shouldn't be a surprise after viewing her home.

To learn how you can work with Kim, or to simply tell her how much you love her home, write her at: kbiggsdesign@gmail.com