Empty Nester’s Refresh – Almost finished!

We are nearing the end of this huge remodeling project, where we have literally “refreshed” every part of this beautiful house in my hometown of Greenville, Texas…my clients have moved back in and are gradually unpacking and finding the new normal in their gorgeous spaces! We need some time to get things all settled before taking any true “before and after” photos – but I can show you some of the fun leading up to the finish line!

This photo was snapped on “furniture day” – and what a day that was! We had ordered a houseful of furniture beginning in February for a project that actually began in June, due to a family wedding. With the supply chain being what it is today, we thought it best to start early to be sure we’d have furniture when ready. Box after box came in and was stored in a local climate-controlled storage building, awaiting the big day…and finally it came one day in August! A friend with a box truck, 2 strong guys, and a handful of workers later, my client’s front lawn was covered with many, many boxes, rugs and mirrors!

A few product notes of interest from the living room photo above: first, the rug. My clients asked for the new design to be “light and airy” with use of the colors teal and coral. In this room, the first layer of “light” came from painting the rich (but dark) paneling a light color, using semi-gloss enamel in Benjamin Moore’s Alabaster. The beautiful replacement windows by Pane Windows and Doors add the BEST light, along with a gorgeous view of their pool and outdoor park-like acreage. We had planned for the furniture to be light neutrals, but I wanted THIS RUG to be my one pop of coral to set the tone for the whole house! Back in February, I was on the hunt for a coral rug – not an easy feat at all! When I found this one, I knew it was going to be perfect – but it was a huge risk! It would either BE perfect in the room, or an expensive error….no in between!

Why the risk? Well, I’d never had experience with this type of rug, and I was buying it online. The color couldn’t be any more orange or pink; it had to be spot on coral! I have dealt with many wool rugs, usually high pile and often Persian style, with intricate multicolored designs. This one came from an old Persian rug that had been shaved and vegetable dyed: the high pile was actually shaven to make it a low pile. The Persian design would then show through a bit, but not be prominent…and the subtle vegetable dye would then overtake the colors, making it basically one color (though many various shades due to the undertones.) OK, so the rug was folded up in my warehouse for months, where I could see the back, but only a small part of the front. The back was much more ORANGE than what I could use…and the rug was much too large to get a good view of the top side! On furniture day, when everything was moved from storage, I had guys helping me lay down the rug pad and rug in the room; I was pretty apprehensive! This rug would make or break the room, the first room one sees when entering the house, and the room my clients will spend the most time in.

Here’s a closeup to give you a better idea, and the reminder of the effect of the rug on the whole room:

The result? Perfection! This is the happiest of rooms now, grounded by the visual weight of intense color on the floor – and the color is tempered and toned by the warm hickory tones of the wood floor it sits on. Soon you’ll see the further important ‘layers’ from linen panels framing the view from each of the beautiful windows, and accessories added to finish off the room. On furniture day, we all took a collective sigh of contentment when this formerly dark room came together so beautifully!

One more item of interest: notice the Samsung Frame TV hanging over the mantle? This gorgeous TV looks like a piece of art when not in use, and lays perfectly flat against the wall. It is indeed “framed” by a bezel, which comes in 3 colors at the time. Samsung sent an installer through the Handy app, so all we had to do was prepare the wall by removing some of the picture-frame moulding to leave a large enough flat surface. If you remember, the room had a much larger mantle which we removed in order to be able to hang the TV lower, the right height for the distance from seating. A few pics of the progress/process:

The kitchen is a work of art, to be revealed soon in much better photos than I have at this moment, but here is one shot:

Walls, Sherwin Williams Sea Salt, flat: Cabinets, Sherwin Williams Pure White Semi Gloss: Backsplash, Artigiano picket by Daltile: Countertops, Quartz: Appliances, GE Cafe White

My client may well be the most organized person I know! She is having a blast filling up her new cabinets provided by Keith Farr Unlimited. Just take a look at some of her killer ideas for organization here – highly steal-able and so worth the effort!

Here’s a shot of the breakfast room in progress on Furniture Day:

A few bathroom-in-progress shots:

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing a few of the “almost finished” shots from my Empty Nester’s Refresh – it has been such a delight watching the design come together after all the hard work! We are still waiting on a few items to show up and/or be installed, so I hope to bring you more finished views soon! My clients and I are working on adding finishing touches to all of the spaces, including as many of their “things” as possible. Everyone has collected things over the years that have meaning to their family, or have kept certain pieces to remind of lost loved ones; it is important not the simply decorate the space of one’s home, but to use objects that evoke feelings and memories. Yes, we will add new things to the old, but sparingly. These are a couple of elements we’re working with that add their own sparkle to the spaces:

Thanks for visiting today – we are working hard on The 50’s House in the Woods, even as this project winds up. The 2 projects could not be more different, yet they’re both very special to me, as the designer! The principles of good design are universal, but it is exciting to see them play out in homes with such different elements and goals. I hope you’ll continue to follow both projects ~ having you along makes it special!

Reach out or comment if you have questions or observations…or of course, if you’d like to talk about a project at your own abode! If you’re doing renovations yourself, or have just finished, we’d love to see! Feel free to post some pics in the comments below ~ see you next time! Happy September!

Nancy Chapmon, aka The House Ladee!