Designs that make ME go WOW!

I am so fortunate to be able to design for a variety of clients
with different hopes and dreams for what their personal space will
become.  I personally feel that a good designer
does not do the same thing for everyone. 
I try very hard to find the pulse of who I am
working with and create a space that speaks to them.

We have just finished a project that I have enjoyed so much.
It was a challenge from a design perspective to put multiple
materials together cohesively, create a highly functional kitchen,
and make it look like it had been there for a lifetime.
  Not only where we able to work with beautiful materials but,
I believe we have created a space that is beautiful today
but will also look lovely 15 years from now. 
This is what I feel is the heart of good design.
Timelessness.

Take a look and see. 

Here is the BEFORE:  

 TODAY!

It is a complete and total transformation.

The range hood is actually 7' tall by 64" wide

Custom made by Texas Lightsmith in Austin Texas.

Distressed Aged Nickel.  I love it!!

The countertop and backsplash are a honed marble.

A farmstyle fireclay sink with double drawer dishwashers on each side.
The dark granite top is also honed and textured for a vintage look.

The refrigerator and freezers are hidden behind the double doors.

Custom leaded glass in the upper cabinets

We wanted to create a vintage furniture look piece yet still incorporate  wine refrigerators and beverage drawers

Newly revamped dining space

A look at the detail in the cabinetry. 

These were quick on the spot photos, but I was so excited to share this new project.

I hope it provides some inspiration for your next project.

Outdoor spaces to love

As our massive remodel project is coming to a close the outdoor spaces have begun to emerge into what promises to be a wonderful space to enjoy in the months to come.  

One of the major pluses we saw with this property was the space we could allocate to a large patio and the entertaining possibilities it provided. With over 1500 sq. ft. of patio space to design we knew we wanted small intimate spaces within that envelope all with the mid century clean lines we had used on the house.  The result was a patio with a gathering spot around a fire pit, dining and conversation areas, as well as place to take a nap in a large comfy hammock!

 

 The retaining wall with the corrugated metal treatment is such a unique treatment.  There is accent lighting behind it that looks absolutely fabulous at night.  It almost feels like being at a very hip club!

 Our dining area.  Using a pre-made gazebo was the perfect solution to creating a covered outdoor dining room space.

Robert definitely took the lead in designing these spaces and I particularly like the continuity in all the linear design.  These concrete pads were a great solution in creating a pathway that is both functional and interesting.

 I am loving this rebar retaining wall. We have a slope outside of our bedroom window that was in definite need of landscape and some sort of retaining wall. Thankfully Arizona dirt is more rock and than dirt. You don't always have to have a traditional stone retaining wall to hold a bank in place.  As we talked about what we wanted there, we knew we wanted it to be different and if it would allow vines to grow on it all the better. This is what Robert came up with! I think he had a total Pinterest moment!  I love it and next summer it will be a wall of flowers that not only will I see every morning but we can enjoy from the backyard too!

 The front yard is looking great also. I will update you with that next time.  Here is to the fun of landscape design and creating spaces outside.  Hope this inspires you to do something too.

A Private Locker Room

My clients asked for a social and open master bathroom in neutral colors
that had a club/locker room feel to it.  I said " no problem"
I couldn't be happier with how this turned out.

Before

 After

We dramatically changed the style and floor plan in this Master Bathroom
and created a beautiful yet open bathroom.  

I love the clean lines of the vanity and the top
mounted double vessel sink

 The shower floor and benches are heated, as
well as a heated towel bar

 Makeup area at counter height, perfect and room for a
laundry hamper underneath
as well as display shelving for extras.

There is light at the end of the tunnel!

After months of LONG hours and LONG work weeks we have finally moved into our new home.  This massive remodel has taken every ounce of perseverance that I (we) have.  There were a few moments when I lost sight of the big picture and sat out on the back steps sobbing! Which mostly made Robert feel worse and responsible for his wife having a breakdown!

The good part about doing a project for ourselves is it puts us back into the shoes of our clients, the excitement of progress, frustration, the disappointments when something doesn't work and then the feelings of "I just want it done, yesterday!".  We have always tried to be empathetic to the stress that remodeling or building brings into our clients lives, so it's not necessarily a bad thing to be reminded up close and personally how it feels to live through a remodel.

There were times when we had to look hard at what we had taken on and what we were going to accomplish by doing this.  I lost sight of that more than once.  I just kept singing the song - There's a Light at the End of This Tunnel by Third Day as we slogged through weekend after weekend of work.  

Here are the floor plans of what we bought and what we did. 

floor plan when we bought it.

Where we took this project.  Made a couple of tweaks
along the way, but this is very close.

I wanted to post some quick photos of what we have done so far.  These are fairly quickly taken pics so don't be too critical.  There are better ones to come.

BEFORE: looking at the end of the living room towards the kitchen.  You must be asking
Yourself, why did they get rid of the wagon wheel? It's a good thing trends come
and go. That was definitely a GO AWAY.

AFTER:  same view but now it is completely open!
When I see it like this even I can't believe the changes.

BEFORE: Old kitchen. Totally boxed in and horrid!

AFTER:  New kitchen, from just about the same angle!
  Note, I chose the single bowl stainless sink! I love it!

BEFORE: Original laundry room space.  We kept the rock wall,
I thought it added character, Robert is not such a fan!
So far the pro rock wall people outweigh the haters!

AFTER:  Love the new laundry room. 

BEFORE:  OLD HALLWAY

AFTER:  new bright and cheery hall way.  The hallway to the left
is going to a new bedroom we added on. We closed off access to the
old kitchen and added a linen closet and an extra deep coat closet.

BEFORE:  Original dining room space

AFTER: New dining room space.  We put the new master bathroom
in the window end of the room and vaulted the ceiling.  Big difference.

A shot of my pantry just because it makes me happy!
Sometimes I just go stand inside it because I can!

There are more rooms to photograph, the master shower is lovely.  I think you can agree that we have truly done an amazing makeover of this tired house that was asking for some love. Robert worked so hard making this happen.  His skill and talent are just incredible.  Now we are working on the outside and hope to have a patio and some landscaping before summer passes us by.