Client Design Progress + Design Tips on Remodeling

The Kitchen + Living Room Design I am working on for a client is smoothly and quickly moving along.  At the beginning stages of design, it can seem like things are never going to happen and things move slowly.  But once that first coat of paint gets up, its like a quick non-stop process of shopping, making decisions, picking out fabrics, managing the entire project from start to finish!  It's a quick, fast-paced design world that I love!!

So here is an overview of how this project is coming along!

If you remember from this post, I chose navy and grays for this client as a basis for the overall design.  The navy and gray will be accented with punches of black and white, yellow, green, and turquoise!  It's going to be a vibrant, fun space for this young family!  

This whole design overhaul came about because of this kitchen...

 

 

Some MAJOR design features this kitchen was missing...

1.  The cabinet height -- tall ceilings but short 30" cabinets.  They have no crown or architectural detail at the top of the cabinets to give them height or interest.  

2.  The cabinet color - a basic builder grade cabinet in a natural oak.  I see these cabinets all the time and people just don't know what to do with them or how to decorate around them.

3.  Laminate Countertops - I want to give them a more durable natural stone countertop.

 4.  No Hardware on the Cabinets -- just some simple knobs or handles on a cabinet door adds instant style and interest to a kitchen.

5.  Wall Paint Color - Again a builder grade paint color that runs throughout the house.  The owners inherited this yellowish, tan wall color when they bought the house, but have never re-painted because they struggled with what color to choose. 

...and how I am going to fix it!

1.  Same cabinets - New look!  I am tricking the eye into thinking the cabinets are visually taller by adding architectural detail.

 

It is a little hard to see in this picture, but we added a 2x4 to the top of the cabinets for added height with a large crown.  Now the cabinets are almost 8" taller!  I love this trick for cabinets or even if you want to give it a larger crown height look.  It is a cheap and easy design trick you can do with existing cabinets or new cabinets. 

2.  Yes, we painted the cabinets white!  What a difference this makes!!

 

Look at the difference with that crown on the top and with the new cabinet color!  Wow!  It looks like a completely new kitchen!  The island was painted black for interest and to match the existing black appliances.  Now the appliances don't stick out like a sore thumb as much!

3.  The laminate was switched out with granite.  Venetian Gold granite.  There are future plans for a backsplash but we haven't gotten that far yet!

4.  The cabinets finally have some hardware on them to open the doors and drawers a little easier.  We chose brushed nickel to match the faucet and keep with the modern design style.  Knobs on doors and handles on the drawers.  Don't be afraid to use both together on your cabinets. 

5.  The ugly yellow, tan is finally gone!  Hello, GRAY!  I chose Sherwin Williams Passive 7064 for all of the walls -- that includes the living room, kitchen, dining room, entry way, up the stairs to the loft and hallways.  Some people think they have to do each room a different color, but I actually think picking just a couple of paint colors for the entire house is much more sophisticated.  Bring the color in with the accents and fabrics.

Always, ALWAYS put paint samples on the wall in your home before painting.  Especially if your chosen paint color is going in this many rooms.  Paint can look so different than the little swatch at the paint store and up on the wall in your home, in your lighting.  Especially gray.  Gray is such a hard color to choose because it can look too blue or even too brown depending on the undertones.  We were going for just a good solid gray!  I have used this gray before with past clients so I knew it would be perfect for them.  

SW Passive 7064

I am adding a little accent color with wall paint.  I chose Sherwin Williams Cityscape 7067 for an accent stripe in the living room which you will see a little later.  

But here is what the kitchen now looks like with the walls FINALLY painted gray!

 I am loving this soft gray color.  You can tell the walls are definitely "gray" but it is still light and bright.  There is a lot to do yet and it is still a work in progress as you can see.  But we are moving along quickly!  So that is where I am with this client design! I'll keep you updated with more info as we move along! I think it already looks 100% better!

Here are some fabrics I am throwing around....for curtains in the living room, valance in the kitchen, and maybe some throw pillows on the couches!