Interior Design Interest – Blue Sky Interiors

50's House in the Woods, Design Tips Included!, Finishing!, Interior Design Interest, Remodeling Projects

Fun with Finishes & Colors, at last!

Posted on January 18, 2023 by nancychapmon

After months of renovation that turned into something much more like “new construction”, the 50’s House in the Woods has finally made it through the finishing phase! It is so much fun to see the design plan come to life, as colors, textures and finish materials are applied and installed. As the designer, I carry a house like this “in my head” for the months it takes to demo, frame, build and add dimension to the house; when it transitions into reality looking exactly as it did in my head, my sense of satisfaction is “through the roof”!

Although there are many finishing touches to be added, I am going to share some preliminary finished photos, so this post will consist mainly of house pictures; I hope you’ll enjoy peeking at the almost-complete home! Before-and-after pictures coming soon….

Here are a few pictures of the kitchen, just after countertops were added, but before appliances were installed! The white countertops are Quartz, while the island is Quartzite (which is also used in the main bathroom). Quartzite is “the real thing”, similar to marble but much harder: Quartz is man-made, and lower in cost than quartzite, though higher than most granite or marble.

A view of the almost-finished kitchen - cabinets by Keith Farr Unlimited

Remember the long wall we removed in the beginning? That allows the kitchen to be open to the dining and living areas….most importantly, it lets the cook see out both the front and back windows while puttering in the kitchen!

Cabinets are by Keith Farr Unlimited; the finish is a lacquer form of Benjamin Moore’s 2022 Color the year, October Mist in the kitchen, and Sherwin Williams Pure White everywhere else. Flooring is Mannington Endura Max, Dockside Boardwalk. All plumbing fixtures provided by Apex Plumbing Supply. Countertops fabricated by Arturo Gonazalez of Sandbox Remodeling, Dallas. Backsplash tile is natural stone, cut and honed into random circles

Soon you’ll see the completed look with appliances installed! The appliances are from Wolf and SubZero, with a Sharp microwave drawer and Kitchenaid dishwasher (virtually silent!)

This is the mud room, entering from the back deck and connecting to the laundry room on one end and the kitchen on the other. The tall cabinets are pantries; the drawers underneath hold shoes removed at the door. Note large storage drawers under the long bench – love these!

Here are a few preliminary photos of the Hall Bath:

This lovely countertop material is granite! I was on a constant search for white granite in the ’90’s, before quartz was a “thing”. I’m so glad they found a vein somewhere, and now we have it! Flooring is a tile called Marrakesh: I liked that it was patterned, but rendered in subtle colors so it had a vintage appearance without overpowering. The shower tile is all by Daltile, and stained glass windows were part of the owner’s collection, repurposed beautifully I think! (for those who wonder, the stained glass windows are high enough to prevent anyone from seeing through, as the house next door is lower on the hill AND on a slab foundation, where this one is raised by the pier and beam foundation) Paint color is Sherwin Williams Desert Twilight

If you’re curious about the gorgeous wood doors, they are a major design element of the house, but were very hard to find and finish! They are 5-panel solid hickory doors, sent from Homestead Doors in Ohio. There are 5 doors, all opening off the main hall. During the framing phase, I had all the hall openings lined up, and the door openings moved to where they made sense: I hope these pictures convey the effect this has on the ambience in the house!

Here we see the entry leading to the main bedroom; it first leads to the closets, then on into the bedroom itself; next you’ll see some photos of the main bathroom.

This is where the addition begins, which also includes the main bathroom and music room. Wall color is Pittsburgh Iron Gate

This is another stained glass window that was in the owner’s collection. Where the 3 stained glass windows were used, a matching new window was placed in the opening, with the stained glass window hung on the inside. This protects the glass from any breakage from outside, such as a rock thrown by a lawn mower, while making it just as visible through the plain glass picture windows.

This is the living/dining area; an existing wood china cabinet now rests between the built-in display/storage cabinets. Wall color in the main area is Sherwin Williams Quiet Moments; all trim is SW Pure White

Shown here is the library/game room area; to the right is the music room overlooking the back yard and deck.

As the interior finishing touches are going in, we moved once again to the exterior. Crews came in and removed the old driveway and 50’s front walk in a day! The driveway had always had a drainage problem, directing water right into the garage. It needed to be extended for a new carport (coming soon!), so we took the opportunity to improve the drainage, and straightened it out by removing an old oak stump that was in the way.

The old walk to the front door was a narrow walk paralleling the front of the house, and long overgrown; needless to say, it never encouraged one to enter through the front door! Now the walk is a curvy design that completely changes the front of the house and invites guests right up the walk to the front! The best part by far is the problem this walk solved: because the house is on a pier and beam foundation, there was no wheelchair access, as all entrances require going up steps. The front is a bit higher, so we were able to gently slope this walk throughout the expanse so that a wheelchair or walker could roll right into the front door! The slope is barely felt when walking, and probably not even noticeable by most guests. I love this solution to such a practical but necessary design problem! I’ll show better finished photos of the driveway and front walk in a later post, but wanted to share this innovative way to make the house more accessible!

Thanks for joining us on this journey to completely remake a 50’s house that had really good bones! It has been interesting on so many levels, but the finishing and decorating is, of course, my favorite part! I will add some truly finishing photos when the time is right…meanwhile, I hope to hear from you in the comments below! Let’s all make 2023 one of our best years yet!

Design Tips Included!, Empty Nester's Full Home Refresh, Interior Design Interest

Let me tell you a Color Story…

Posted on October 15, 2022October 15, 2022 by nancychapmon

“A Seaside Color Story”….peaceful, serene, yet light. Natural, textural, soul-filling…truly a feast for the senses, right? Let’s think how:

Sight: ocean meets sky to infinity, drawing your unending gaze: sun glistening on water and causing sand to sparkle: the smooth lustre, peeking inside a crab’s shell: white fluffy clouds laughing down on sunbathers…
Touch: sand between the toes: the cool embrace of water: smoothness of driftwood: supple beach grasses
Smell: the fresh scent of ocean mist: the watery scent of a summer rain shower: coconut suntan oil
Sound: endless tidal waters rushing, then receding: gulls calling for attention: wind whipping flags
Taste: the summer tang of saltwater: freshly caught seafood: sweet tropical drinks: a cool drink of water

Reading this list, how did you feel? Reminiscent of good times? Relaxed? Did you smile?

Your home and your spaces all tell a color story; this is the story of the Empty Nester’s Refresh, and it reads so well! Walking through this refreshed home, one feels peaceful, serene, a sense of order… yet the fun of surprise as well!

Color, texture & light-reflective surfaces

We used a color palette drawn from nature, meant to evoke all of those feelings and more; the colors flow from room to room, like turning pages of a book to find you’re still on the same sentence. Each has it’s own personality, yet is related to the last and the next; the color chips you see above were used carefully to create a sense of balance while keeping the plot in mind.

Though coral is not part of the paint palette, it is the pop of color giving context to the serenity of the seaside hues. Think about the surprise of a bright tropical hibiscus or the parrot’s feathers (have you ever seen the poinsettias growing as trees in the Bahamas??) Nature handles these things, creating wonderful visual excitement in the midst of serenity; the “why” of this is that coral is opposite on the color wheel from the pale blue-greens of our palette. The use of opposites like this turns a monochromatic color scheme into a complementary one. In this type of color scheme, balance is achieved when the “opposite” color is used judiciously, for “pop”!

In this room, you see Alabaster enamel used to coat the formerly wood surfaces of the paneling and wood trim; alabaster is not a bright white, but it provides a soft, clean backdrop for our seaside palette. The wood floor grounds it all, while the bright, textural coral rug provides both visual weight and the “wow factor”!

The kitchen, dining and master suite use one of my favorite all-time “chameleon” colors as their backdrop: Sherwin Williams Sea Salt. Sea salt is technically a grayed green blue, more green than blue when seen next to a clear blue. However, it goes on the wall evoking the palest of aquas, and literally takes on the mood of what is around it (thus, chameleon). Blues are the absolute most difficult shades to pick from a paint chip! I have seen so many houses or rooms painted a shade of blue, when I was pretty sure I knew what they were going for (but did not achieve!). Blue is difficult in pigment, and as all colors, so affected by ambient light and sheen. If you want a soft blue in your room, be wary of paint chips that appear blue. One must understand the mixing of paint, the undertones, to “get it right” with blue.

Sea Salt as the backdrop: coral as the Pop!

In the gameroom, we used a slightly more intense shade of blue, seen above as Sherwin Williams Rainwashed. This color pulls one in, across the alabaster walls of the pool room. Though the room is small and the color is intense, it is softened by Sherwin Williams Pure White woodwork and Pottery Barn linen draperies. (photos coming soon)

Now, the bedroom hall, guest bedroom, 2nd & 3rd baths and home office all make use of the neutral “sand” in our scheme, which took me quite a long time to choose! The pick was Benjamin Moore’s Cedar Key, and it did not disappoint. It was difficult to find this color without either yellow or red undertones that would be distracting, but in the end Cedar Key worked very well. Again, it was the contrast with Pure White trim that created the feeling of light. See how the color reacts to different moods of a few rooms here:

Please do note that colors seen on a screen are not always perfectly true; in some cases, editing to correct light issues may change a color slightly – and when it does, the lighter shades tend to glow a bit pinker than when seen in person. These are quick photos I have taken along the way, but I hope they give you an idea of what a color story is: your spaces are telling their own story right now!

I hope your color story is the one you want to live in; if not, start dreaming of your ideal environment! Remember that the story is not so much about the colors themselves, but the emotions and feelings they evoke. Does your home make you feel safe, secure, and loved? Are your space’s colors all very similar (monochromatic), complementary (think red/green, yellow/purples, or blue/orange), or ALL ONE COLOR?! If you raised your hand on that last one, and the color is cool gray, how does that make your furniture look? Builders have been using gray almost exclusively for 15 years, but most are now turning to warmer tones in the tan or rose family.

Not that I’m on board with this choice personally, but click here to see Sherwin Williams’ new color of the year for 2023: like it or not, you’ll begin to see products of all ranges in this or similar tones. Do not be influenced by the latest “in” color, unless you want to: color is personal, just as art is. Use color to express who you are, how you want to live, and how you want the world to see you and your family. If you’re unsure, always feel free to call me up for a chat – let’s consult!

I’m off to show a young couple some houses on this beautiful fall day, but I would love to hear your thoughts & comments on one of my favorite subjects – COLOR! Hopefully we will see some FALL COLOR here very soon – until then, enjoy your life and spread some cheer – happy autumn to you!

Design Tips Included!, Empty Nester's Full Home Refresh, Finishing!, Interior Design Interest

Empty Nester’s Refresh – Almost finished!

Posted on September 4, 2022 by nancychapmon

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!

Move it all in….!

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!

That’s a bookshelf sitting inside the high cabinet!

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

A few bathroom-in-progress shots:

Pool Bath, Jack & Jill Bath & Master Bath – in progress

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!

Empty Nester's Full Home Refresh, Interior Design Interest

CJ Pierce, Rock Star Electrician!

Posted on July 27, 2022 by nancychapmon

It’s not just EVERY job that has an international rock star show up to do the wiring, but that’s what happened at the Empty Nester’s Update project! The electrician we hired was super tied up with other work, so he sent a friend to help out in the meantime…enter CJ Pierce! After the first day his rock star ELECTRICAL skills convinced us to keep him for the whole job, and that was a great decision.

Now, I knew CJ was a rocker, but at the end of the first day he had worked alongside the plumbers doing rough-in; one of the plumbers asked if I KNEW just how famous he was?! He had recognized CJ and wanted me to know who he really was…so he filled me in. I went home and Googled CJ Pierce immediately, and wow, was I impressed!

CJ is one of the 3 founding members of the Dallas-based band Drowning Pool – and they clearly have quite a loyal following! In fact, CJ had to leave for 10 days (during other messy work at the house) to go on a USO tour overseas to entertain the troops! Besides clearly being “somebody”, CJ has been a real pleasure to work with: his calm demeanor when I asked him to do some magic to get wires where most would have said “can’t be done”, his professionalism and his cheerful outlook on life make the rigors of remodeling so much more pleasant!

CJ moving the dining room fixture over a few inches

That grin, when Nancy says “CJ can I take your picture…again?!” What a good sport. So, he goes on tour with the band, makes albums, does gigs….all the usual rock star activities…but in between times, he takes on projects like ours, having been a licensed electrician for years and years. I can tell he likes his work, and he’s very good at it. There were at least 2 things I asked of him on this project that I don’t think most electricians would have attempted; his out-of-the-box thinking made them happen! Both involve wiring for hard-wired motorized shades on exterior walls…done!

This is a cool demo of how CJ marked the spots for new recessed lighting on the ceiling of the living room; we had removed dated brass track lighting, but given a large empty room, how do you decide where to place the lights, and keep them in line?? Well, as you can see he used a laser tool to layout the grid on the floor, then project it to the ceiling. One of those moments when you just have to love technology, huh?!

I’m so glad we’ve had this rocker/busy father/electrician to help us with this fun transformation; next week he will be hanging some of the coolest light fixtures in the house, as we begin the final finishing phase! Wood floors are going in right now, and tile work is continuing. The tile floors are finished, and they just installed the all-important shower pan in the master walk-in shower. Tomorrow the shower tile begins – I’m so excited to see it finished! I’ll leave you with a sneak peek of some of the lighting fixtures we’ll be hanging next week!

Fun fixtures, huh? They are going to be absolutely gorgeous as the finishing touches on these rooms – I always call light fixtures the “jewelry” of the home. This home will be decked out with just the right “jewelry” in each room, and I’m so excited to share the finished look! The painting is complete, gorgeous cabinetry is in, and wood floors are going in now: next week we will have quartz countertops, then lighting and plumbing fixtures. Soon I’ll be able to start showing you some semi-finished rooms, with all the finishes showing. Until then, have a great week and stay cool!

Design Tips Included!, Empty Nester's Full Home Refresh, Interior Design Interest

What Makes a House Beautiful?

Posted on July 10, 2022 by nancychapmon

There is no simple explanation of ‘what makes a house beautiful’….I have been in many homes, considering my interior design and real estate careers combined, but I will say there is no one thing, no formula, and no exact recipe for creating a beautiful home.

I have been in homes that felt beautiful, yet were out of date technically: I have been in homes that were fully up-to-date, with all the “right” finishes, yet seemed somehow lacking. Naturally, the warmth and personality of the home’s owners imbues the intangible magic ingredient to a beautiful home, but I can give you a few ideas of the elements that always combine to create beauty – and anyone, on any budget, can make this happen!

Throughout the rest of this series, which features my project I’ve named “Empty Nester’s Home Refresh”, I will try to point out the elements and how we’re using them in this home. Let me first say that my client’s home was beautiful before we even started! They had created a lovely atmosphere their family had enjoyed over the years; the home itself had/has “great bones”! It featured absolutely gorgeous picture-frame paneling in the living room, a wood ceiling with stained glass insert over the pool table, nicely proportioned rooms, and a yard and pool anyone would want!

All that said, my clients were ready to refresh and update the look, and in the case of the kitchen and master bath, the utility of the spaces. They expressed a desire to have the home feel ‘light and airy’, gearing off a color palette of teal and coral. So many decisions were made instantly by those simple requests!

Here are a few of the ways to create a feeling of “light” in your interior spaces:

Light reflective surfaces (more on that as we go)
Light, semi gloss mouldings and trim
Contrast! (This one may surprise you)
A combination of proper lighting, placed correctly
Balance of colors/textures
Light colors, but NOT all white (remember contrast?)

Now for the “airy” part – this is more intangible, but comes from the careful use of design elements such as balance, use of texture and simplicity. A hint of how:

Simple, clean lines in furnishings
Open spaces, wide, well-lit walkways
Keeping “visual weight” low (darker floors, lighter walls for example)
Large windows with minimal treatments

Now, this feels a bit to me like an oversimplification, as good design has so many more elements to keep in mind…one of the most overlooked being acoustics! For example, if you take away carpet in favor of a wood floor and also have large windows, you’re going to have sound bouncing around the 6 sides of the room! (floor and ceiling count). That’s where you start layering to create balance (a rug, fabric side drapery panels, upholstered furniture etc). But enough of “design class”, you want to see colors, right?! Let me share:

Color chips can be distorted online, but this shows the relationship of colors being used in the house: Sherwin Williams’ Sea Salt is a very pale blue-gray color that sets the tone for my client’s accent colors of teal and coral. Sea salt is ACTUALLY a green, but goes up looking more blue. An actual shade of blue goes on the wall looking much too bright, and overtakes the room in most cases. I’ve found this is one of my “chameleon” colors, meaning it takes on it’s surroundings as a perfect backdrop. Wall colors throughout the house will be Sea Salt, Alabaster and Cedar Key, with Pure White mouldings throughout. Two small rooms will be Rainwashed, a slightly more intense pale aqua.

Clearly the colors themselves are light, but the FEELING of lightness will come from the contrast with semi-gloss white trim. Contrast creates light, even if you use a dark wall color (in the right circumstances!) Where this home has featured many wood surfaces, most will now be white, with selected wood areas such as kitchen beams, pool room ceiling and two sets of doors plus the entry doors being left stained. To keep this overall look from being TOO light, we balance it with a medium-tone hickory wood floor (texture and balance). Then we tone further with layers of texture and pattern, sometimes from rugs, sometimes a patterned tile floor…here is one example showing toning:

Color Palette with toning, texture & pattern

These are just a few clues from the plans for this home refresh, but to create a beautiful space, just remember to use balance in all things: balance of colors, textures, light, and acoustics. Example of a balance of textures might include a room that makes use of wood, fabric, metal, glass and pattern. You can easily add balance sometimes by the simple addition of textured/colored throw pillows, for example. If you’re going to paint a room, think about where the visual weight is, or needs to be: if the floor is light, consider a medium tone on the walls, with light trim. If the floor is darker, lighten up the walls. If you’re working with stained wood trim in the home, the walls will probably need to be a shade of white, and you’ll need visual weight (color and texture) on the floor. I hope this brief lesson in balance starts you looking around and thinking! Whether you want a weekend refresh or a full redo, just keep the basic elements in mind and you’ll be happy with the results!

Now, before I let you go, here are a few updates on the progress at the Empty Nester’s Refresh: new walls in the kitchen and bath have been sheetrocked and taped/bedded/textured to prepare for finishing. After a few modifications (they left phone jacks??) tomorrow, the painting phase begins. We will use primer and oil-based enamel on all wood in the house, and flat latex on all walls and ceilings. A quick note about flat vs satin or semi-gloss: the house’s walls and ceilings are textured in crow’s foot texture. Using a paint with sheen creates tiny shadows everywhere, as it calls attention to all the lines in the texture. The use of quality flat paint lets the walls become the backdrop for the clean lines of the furniture and adds a light & airy feeling to the house.

The new closets and cased openings have been trimmed out, also ready for caulk and paint. We cannot put down new base moulding until finished floors are installed, so that comes later. The custom cabinetry is ready, but since it will be installed finished already, we need to get pretty far long in the painting before installing the cabinets.

Tile installation will begin in another week, to include 2 showers, all bath and back hall floors, and the kitchen backsplash. It’ll be fun to share those finishing details, when it all starts to look beautiful again, but for now just know it’s coming! We are finally through the messy construction phase of this project and embarking on the much-more-satisfying finishing phase! Thanks for following the progress – I hope you have read at least one thing that helps you improve your own home spaces!

If you need a bit of help, you might consider a consultation; I am truly passionate about helping others live their best lives through environment!

Design Tips Included!, Empty Nester's Full Home Refresh, Interior Design Interest

Out With the Old…

Posted on June 26, 2022 by nancychapmon

Welcome back to the “Empty Nester’s Home Refresh” project! Today I’m updating you with a glimpse into demo….where we remove the old fixtures, carpet, lights, cabinets, etc, to begin preparations for the NEW!

Needless to say, this phase is a mess! We managed to fill the dump trailer to the brim twice, carting off debris and fixtures that could not be recycled. As a side note, I’m happy to say that a local investor/remodeler was able to take quite a bit from the house prior to the actual demolition, and it’s nice knowing many fans, lights, faucets, and even doors will be recycled and reused soon. I’m always happy when the landfill only receives actual trash, and as much of our waste as possible finds new life elsewhere.

As you can see in the master bath photos above, we removed all of the fixtures and walls from the existing room; after removing the HUGE round tub, made of and surrounded by cast marble, we were surprised to find an actual HOLE in the floor beneath the tub! By this, plus the fact that old wallpaper was behind the walls of the tub surround, it is clear that the tub and shower we just tore out were not original to the house….still, the plumbers should have filled in the floor properly last time. After relocating the drains for the tub and shower, our plumbers poured new cement to close in the chasm and protect the pipes (see below)

New tub, set with spray foam for stabilization

I’ll show you more about the plans for the master bath next week, but I did promise demo pics, so here are a few of other areas in the home:

Pulling up carpet often reveals a mess, with trying to remove the pad underneath; it’s not unusual for the pad to stick in random spots, making it necessary to use scraping tools to get it all up. The carpet tack around the perimeter of each room is also very difficult to remove, as it is actually nailed into the concrete floor ~ our guys did a fantastic job of removing ALL traces of the carpet. We also removed the dated wood mantle, but for a very good reason OTHER than aesthetics.

To improve the furniture arrangement in this large room, we decided to place the TV over the fireplace. While this is not a unique idea, that placement often leaves a TV too high for comfortable viewing from the room’s seating. I see this often; people are unable to sit back far enough from the TV to prevent an uncomfortable neck position while viewing it over their mantle. By removing this mantle, we will be able to mount the TV in a lower position that works comfortably without causing my clients future neck problems! (I have found a beautiful live-edge walnut mantle which will be placed on the bricks, thus lowering the overall arrangement)

Quick note about the plans: while the new cabinet footprint remains very similar to what was here, it “fixes” several design problems, which will make using the new kitchen more pleasant and productive. Of course, it will also be up-to-date, with beautiful new finishes, fixtures and appliances. I can hardly wait for you to see the new kitchen emerge!

Kitchen, cabinets & tile cleared out (pantry doors sneak peek)

This kitchen had electric appliances, though gas is available elsewhere in the house; my clients elected to go back with an upscale gas range, which will sit in front of the half-wall you see above. We have framed in the wall there to accommodate the new arrangement, and widened the cased opening to the breakfast room. Since there was no gas to that location, the plumbers were able to bring in the line through the attic, drop it close to the range location, and bring it over to the exact spot. Like this:

New gas line mounted in newly framed full wall

I’ll show you one more area I think might be interesting today: in the Game Room, there was an old wet bar that has not been used that way for many years. My clients made the best of the space, though having a sink along with mirror-backed upper shelves really wasn’t conducive to anything else! My least favorite thing about the bar, from a design standpoint, was how is was jammed up against the wall on one side, making that side of the room feel off-balance. (it was that way because it backed up to a bathroom vanity on the other side of the wall)

Having decided to close in this area to make a game closet, we were going to have narrow double closet doors framed in. During the kitchen tear-out, I realized the former pantry doors would look much better there than the regular white closet doors I’d planned! Because they are narrow, we were able to center them on the space, which means it won’t look “jammed up against the wall” when it is all finished out. The solid wood doors also match the wood ceiling over the pool table and another set of wood and glass doors that separate this area from the kitchen. WIN! I hope you can see the transition in this series of photos:

I leave you this time with a few things we are saying “goodbye” to! Out with the old, and soon…..in with the new! On the job, we have framed in the new bathroom and kitchen, and the plumbers and electricians are hard at work on the rough-in phase of their work. By the end of next week, we will have new sheetrock hung, then we’re really on the way to exciting times!

Next time I’ll share plans and colors, then soon I’ll introduce you to our (no kidding) rockstar electrician! Stay tuned, and thanks for joining us on this fun project!

Interior Design Interest

5 Top Design Trends to Drop in 2022!

Posted on December 31, 2021December 31, 2021 by nancychapmon

As an interior design professional, I have always TRIED to use timeless design techniques – after all, the elements of good design never change, right?!

Well, sure….but trends are absolutely unavoidable! I’m embarrassed to recall the wallpaper borders, matching draperies and bold accent walls I added to homes in the ’90’s (I actually never liked how accent walls threw off the balance of a room, but clients asked and asked…) And, have you ever tried to remove a wallpaper border from a textured wall?! I apologize…

Trends fly around as fast as the latest TV show, magazines, or design blogs – and Instagram, Pinterest & Facebook have sped up the process tremendously. Fortunately, our digital blessings also make it easier to get the word out to ‘move on’! So what trends will be seeing phased out in 2022? Here are my TOP 5 making their exits:

WHITE-ON-WHITE KITCHENS & BATHS: They’re lovely, gleaming, and efficient…but a bit cold, now that we’ve all been home so much! This year we’ll warm up the kitchen and bath a bit with more contrasting colors, textures and materials. As we all become more and more aware of the deterioration of our environment (think climate change, pollution, extinctions), we seem to want to bring a bit of it inside. Look for more wood elements, natural materials, and innovative countertop treatments. Offshoots of the farmhouse and boho styles, these elements will be more refined now, a bit more elegant
STAINLESS APPLIANCES: I know, I know – I love them too! And everybody just finally got theirs in the last few years…..but don’t worry, you can keep them for now. At the rate new appliances fail, you’ll need new ones soon enough. New trends coming? Black. And White. Yes, white appliances. (At least we’re not bringing back harvest gold or avocado!) Watch out – these are NOT your mama’s white fridges! Look for elegant metallic touches, and surfaces they could only dream of in the 80’s.
LEATHER FURNITURE: It is what it is….this is not only due to the environmentally conscious manufacturers, though that IS a major influence for any forward-thinking company, but it is also about comfort. While leather is a natural material, it is somewhat ‘slick’, and therefore less comfy than more lush and plush fabrics, right? We want to snuggle up and binge our favorite shows on a sofa that cuddles us right back….so look for chenilles, plush cottons, wool and linen in your next upholstered purchases.
GRAY ANYTHING: Poor gray – it didn’t ask for every builder everywhere to make it their go-to wall color; it didn’t ask every manufacturer to stock only 50 shades of gray for all of their furniture offerings….yet, that is what happened! As a designer and a Realtor, I will be perfectly fine if I NEVER walk into an all-gray house again! Let’s leave gray paint for the garage floor epoxy – and move on!
COOL WHITE LED OR FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS: Really, why? Do you just like for your lighting to make you look wan, a bit sick? Do you really want to ‘bring the office home’ with migraine-producing light waves? OK, we all went through a few years of mourning the death of the incandescent light bulb…that lovely, flattering, pink-undertoned lighting we grew up with – what to do? When the only alternative was squiggly blue-white fluorescent bulbs, I thought my design career may as well be over. But fortunately, need begat innovation, as it always has, and someone (thank you, thank you) came up with the SOFT WHITE LED bulb, in every shape and size one could need! Sure, they’re more expensive, though competition is bringing the price down gradually – but look at the side of the box – you may well expire before they burn out and need to be replaced! So, just in case you didn’t catch it the first time, please buy SOFT WHITE, not DAYLIGHT for your homes; daylight is perfect for the workshop, garage, operating room, etc. – but it’s a cool white light reminiscent of early fluorescent – just say NO and pick up SOFT WHITE!

Cafe Matte Collection White Refrigerator

LED Soft White Light Bulbs, 60-watt equivalent

OK, there are my top 5 trends you’ll be seeing in the rearview mirror in 2022! It will be exciting to see which NEW trends really catch on, and which live a short life for a year or so. Designers everywhere will continue to pay attention to balance, scale, proportion and touch, as we all continue to try designing “timeless” interiors, but inevitably some elements will become the new wallpaper borders or draperies dripping with bullion. What is important is that we enjoy our homes, that we feel “loved” by our personal haven, and that it makes us smile when we open the door after a tough day in the trenches! If you’re looking to make some changes in 2022, keep new trends in mind – if not, love and enjoy your own space as it is…and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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