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November 20, 2023September 3, 2024

Vol. IX: Project Demystified

Vol 9: Project Demystified: New England Charm

Who doesn’t love a great before and after? This one is particularly special and satisfying. For our longtime clients, this project has inherent sentiment; they raised their children in a small New England town and after selling their primary house and relocating, they wanted an outpost where they could visit and see longtime friends. This historic property posed a handful of unusual architectural quirks, which we were tasked to make work and create an inviting, cozy, hardwearing home. I am happy to report: we did just that!

The entry, the workspace, and the "before"

These clients love pattern, so a charming vinyl wallpaper in the entry made the perfect first impression. We drywalled the exposed brick and matched the crown molding and wainscoting. Then, we grounded the space by painting the wainscoting and stair rail a coordinating color in the wallpaper. With space in limited supply, the stair landing was the unexpected ideal spot for the study.

The living room before + after

Durability and functionality were a main priority for this project. They wanted family and grandkids to use the space without a care. All the rugs on the entry and first floor are indoor-outdoor and the walls in the living room are vinyl grasscloth. In the living room, I wanted to add a stripe to vinyl grasscloth but the walls were different sizes so a standard stripe would not symmetrically translate. Instead, we stain-treated and backed a Les Indiennes fabric and cut out the stripes. Then, we specified where to hang them onsite. It really turned out!

shop clockwise from top:

Tissue box cover | Throw pillow | Hat hooks | Lampshade | Rattan wrapped coffee table | Pedestal table

•   •   •

One issue with the condo was that it all felt really chopped up and divided (the architectural quirks I mentioned!). The living and family room had stairs between them, so we actually lowered the floor of the family room to connect the spaces. The stairwell to the second floor was behind a door, so we opened that up to allow for better flow and more natural light. Along the stairwell, we took family photos and framed them in the same Framebridge style frame.

We made the scheme a little punchier in the family room with the Sister Parish wallpaper and the family’s vintage posters. The clients already owned the upholstered furniture in this room, so we recovered those pieces to give them new life. For the kitchen, we renovated the space head to toe. We custom-made the upper cabinet glass doors with shirred Les Indiennes fabric.

Kitchen sink

shop clockwise from top:

Woven tray | Botanical prints | Rattan lamp | Shaker pegs | Viney block print

•   •   •

The cozy bedrooms were the most challenging from a design perspective, with funky architectural elements as a result of the roof line. We used pattern as a tool to camouflage those quirks. The primary bedroom was is rooms that open onto one another, which we connected visually with wall-to-wall carpeting and vinyl grasscloth on the walls in both spaces. In the main bathroom, we took out all the old tile and reconfigured the space to start fresh. We added a wood floor which we painted for a New England feel and for the walls, we took an Etsy Indian block print and backed it then lined it on the walls.

For the third bedroom, it was a small space with no closet. We put in a daybed to best fit the layout. Pattern added architectural interest with a wallpapered ceiling and grosgrain ribbon border. To address the lack of storage, we lined one wall with Shaker peg hooks and the Ballard mirror we had our contractor paint to match. Above the bed, we framed a pair of prints from the clients own collection. They work perfectly in the room!

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