Modern Watercolor House; design by Cara McBroom

You may remember my former post on this house, that showed all of the professional photographs taken. Click here if you have not. They are a must-see! Anyhow, I am posting some more pictures, as promised! I was able to photograph all of the bathrooms and all of the bedrooms! There were too many things I wanted to show you!

Let’s start with the kitchen again:

Here you can see how beautifully the Ipe wood floors contrast with the coolness of the Poggen Pohl blue glossy cabinets. Notice the island, with its white countertop waterfalling down the sides for a modern and lightening effect.

This is the Kitchen, the heart of any home! This one is particularly beautiful and inviting.

This is what you a see upon entering the front door. Dazzling!

This wine storage and display area was custom designed to serve, not only as functional storage, but also a clever way to separate the Kitchen from the Entry, without feeling closed off. The warmth of the wood and the accent lights radiates out into the room.

Here you can see the texture that the copper patina panels add. The vertical stainless rack is backlit so that the wine labels are highlighted.

Dining Area:

In the Dining area, there is a round disc suspended from stainless bars, with recessed glowing lights. It appears to hover over our 72″ dining table. The chairs bring in some warmth with its leather seats and gray printed Romo fabric outbacks.

I love this dining chandelier, with its swirling rows of glass balls. Here you can also see the ceiling treatment we used in the Kitchen. It is a product called White Ice, which is a man-made version of white thassos granite. We loved the reflective quality it has, and the way it mirrors the lights from the kitchen windows.

Living / Dining Areas:

This photo shows how important it is to think about your ceiling plane when designing. Adding a contrasting treatment, a soffit or recessed cove can emphasize an area, and be aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Here you can see how the lightness of the room can handle the darkness and weight of the charcoal gray leather sectional.

This is a view of the Living and Dining areas, as they appear from the Entry/Stairwell area.

Here is my original design sketch.

I designed this media wall to be asymmetrical, with mantle, shelves and t.v. console at varying depths. It is made from quarter sawn maple in a walnut finish. Instead of trying to make the t.v. the focal point, we succeeded in making that whole area a large sculptural feature.

The fireplace surround is covered in horizontal pieces of Carrera marble with varying depths and alternating polished and tumbled finishes. The hearth is made from slabs of Carrera marble. This white helped balance all the wood tones in the room.

Powder Bathroom:

Here is my original design sketch for the room.

This Powder Bathroom has custom floating cabinet, black granite counter top, glass backsplash and accent pendant light.

This picture shows the different curves and lines, as well as the palette of textures I used in the Powder Bathroom. The walls are a blue-gray grasscloth. The main tile on the vanity wall is a glass herringbone mosaic tile, separated by bands of smoky mirror staggered tiles.

The top of this vanity wall curves out and ends in a recessed cove that lights up the wall tile and shows off the architecture.

Auxiliary Bath:

This is the coolest auxillary bathroom I have ever had the pleasure to design! This bath is accessible near the kitchen and garage. The slanted countertop provides more open space, looks light and airy, and gives more counter space. The walls are blue glass Lunada Bay penny round mosaic tiles.

Built-in Office:

This is an open desk area just off of the kitchen. Although this is an open room, it felt very cozy and intimate. I accented the walls with a champagne mica wall covering that reflects the light.

I covered the desk chair in a shimmering ice blue vinyl that picks up on the blue cabinets in the kitchen.

Master Bedroom:

The ostrich leather king bed contrasts nicely with the smoldering charcoal gray wall finish.

This custom wall design features overlapping lines and planes, a built-in dresser, pearlescent mosaic tile fireplace surround and marble hearth. I love the asymmetry.

Master Bathroom:

As you enter the Master Bathroom, the first thing you see is the inviting bathing area.

White Ice slab walls, a Waterworks tub, reflective Carrera marble mosaic floors and accents of silver! Turned out beautiful!

Here you can see a glimpse of the stainless penny round tile we placed on the ceiling above the tub. They twinkle against the chandelier, and help define the space, making it more intimate. The silver-thread sheers do this, as well, while adding an ethereal quality.

Here is a perspective drawing I did of this area before the area was built.

The Vanities consist of custom floating cabinets, shimmering glass “waterafalling” tiles, backlit mirrors, and a floating fireplace!

We designed the cabinets so that there would be no hardware, just a stainless reveal with hidden recesses above and below to open drawers.

Stairwell Custom Chandelier:

Here is my drawing of the custom stairwell light fixture.

During Construction

During Construction

From the first floor

I designed this custom stairwell light to suspend through three stories!

Theater Bath:

Here is my original design idea and drawing, from which this area was designed.

This is the bathroom and accesses the Theater Room. I designed this custom mirror to balance the offset window, and to rotate for flexible viewing.

Guest Bedroom 2nd Floor:

This Guest Bedroom is furnished with a modern King wing bed by Hickory White, a coordinating nightstand, and small round table. The plush shag area rug anchors the room and provides a soft cushion for the toes!

These modern slipper chairs are by Kravet Furniture, and covered in a geometric fabric. The t.v. console is killer!!! It is by Global Views. It is constructed of ebony wenge wood, with organic silver legs and applied sculptural branches.

Solid wood sliding barn doors separate the bedroom and bath.

Guest Bathroom:

My original design elevation and idea for space.

This polished nickel double vanity fit perfectly in this space! The reflective White Ice walls, horizontal staggered glass and marble tile, and polished metal all twinkle from the lights of the two fabulous “Caviar” pendants by Arteriors. The mirror/shelves are by Waterworks.

Guest Room 1 Third Floor:

This room belongs to the daughter who preferred a “bohemian beach” décor. The twig sconces, reclaimed wood platform bed, and wicker hanging egg chair embodied this look.

Guest Room 2 Third Floor:

This is one of the daughters’ rooms on the third floor. This one’s taste was that of high glamour, but grounded enough for the beach! The bed from Oly emphasized just this, with its intricately carved frame and raffia upholstery. The crystal chandelier in the corner created some drama.

Third Floor Guest Bathrooms:

My original design drawing and elevation.

Both girls’ rooms have the same bathroom design, except they are mirror images of each other. The vanity is a furniture piece that we added a thick solid surface top to so that it looked built-in. We laid the Bliss stone and glass mosaic tiles all along the backsplash, all the way up to the vaulted ceiling.

Third Floor Hallway:

The hallway ceiling on the third floor was a barrel vault, with stained wood for warmth against all the white. The crown molding hides cove lighting that accents this architectural detail. This is yet another very cool way the ceilings were shown some “love” on this project!

Second Floor Hallway:

My original design perspective drawing with notes.

I do not have a very great picture of this, but I am so proud of this design detail! This was another detail constructed straight from my drawings! The cubes are backed with mirrors for depth, and faced with stainless steel. I loved the graphic element.

Laundry Room:

Laundry rooms usually get the cold shoulder in most houses I encounter, but this one is definitely different! The walls are treated with penny round Ann Sacks tiles with slight gray-blue rims. The slight color creates a gray color contrast for the walls that looks great against the white trim and pale gray cabinets. Accent pendant lights add to the charm. This is the perfect little coastal modern laundry room!

Thank you all for visiting my blog! Stay tuned, as I have more complete designs I want to share, with photographs in the works!

If you need a designer, please contact me:

cara@lovelaceinteriors.com

Oceana Condo Remodel on Holiday Isle; design by Cara McBroom

This unit was in serious need of an extreme makeover! Our main goals were to create more space and light, as well as a more updated aesthetic and functional layout. We almost completely gutted this entire unit, and started over with a plan that I knew would do the job!

Kitchen/Dining Before

In the Dining Room, we removed the built-ins and cleaned up the mirrored walls. We removed the soffits above the bar, and in the kitchen, and raised the ceilings everywhere that we could. Instead of doing dark, heavy cornice and drapes, we opted for a cleaner approach: a cornice made from crown molding, with light sheers behind them.

Kitchen Before

Laundry/Pantry Before

The kitchen was the focus of much of our time in the planning of this remodel. This area needed the biggest change, and required a large amount of problem solving. We completely removed the pantry, soffit and walls, and relocated the hot water heater and laundry room. We moved the laundry room so that it can be accessed from the kitchen and the outside, like a mud room. I chose a gray paint color for the cabinets, with a slight glaze. The rectangular drum chandelier was the perfect size and shape to go over the island. The mercury glass pendants provided extra light, beauty and sparkle, while keeping the feeling open.

Before

Before

Before

Before

What used to be just a space-eating hallway, or entrance into a bedroom, we widened and converted into a built-in daybed, with storage drawers and shelving. In order to do this, we made the Master Closet slightly more narrow, and changed the entrance from a small door, to a framed opening. To add some coastal flavor and keep the area light, we applied v-grooved wood paneling to the walls, and painted all the paneling and woodwork white.

Master Bedroom Before

Master Vanity Before

The Master Bathroom felt very small and claustrophobic. It had a small vanity, with an even smaller vanity in the far back corner, right next to the toilet. We demoed the entire bathroom and started over! We placed the toilet in the far back corner, and gave it privacy with walls and a door. This allowed us to do do a much larger double vanity towards the entrance. I chose some glass and marble tile for the backsplash, and a gray painted finish on the cabinets. The White Ice granite I used throughout the unit has such beautiful off-white, taupe and gray coloring, which goes with all the new paint colors and accents.

Master Bathroom Before

Master Shower Before

Gone is the retro glass block; in its place is clear glass shower walls and door. Instead of a blocky, built-in tub deck, we have a beautiful, shapely, open soaker tub.

Master Tub Before

Second Master Before

Second Master Bath Before

This Bathroom was very tight and closed-in. We placed the toilet to the far left and enclosed it in privacy. We built a larger vanity and enclosed the shower in glass. I chose a blue glass tile that coordinated with the adjoined room, and placed it on the entire vanity wall, on into the shower. This give the bathroom a more open and integrated feel. The rear shower wall is all a porcelain tile that matches the floor. This not only ties the floors in, but also lightens the room and helps the glass tile to stand out more.

The guest bathroom was remodeled to house more linen storage, and a stand-up shower in lieu of a tub/shower combo. We also created more room by eliminating one of the entrances into the bathroom. The room was too small to have two entrances. We lightened the feel with the beautiful glass tile and painted cabinets.

Please contact me if you need design help!

cara@lovelaceinteriors.com

Shimmering Elegance: A Grand Dunes Condo

Dining Room Before

I have had the pleasure of furnishing quite a few Grand Dunes condominiums in the past, and am currently working on a new model there. This unit, in particular, was so fun to work on because of the luxurious taste of the homeowners. They wanted a rich, opulent, traditional flavor, mixed with some Tuscan style influences.

The large wooden dining table by Century Furniture grounds and balances the glimmering, opulent chandeler! We added some stylized detailing with the faux finished medallion on the ceiling. The Tuscan-style chairs from Lee Industries have a taupe and cream ikat fabric on the inbacks, and a matching taupe leather on the outbacks and seats. I love how the china cabinet mixed antique distressed painted finish with gold leaf accent and chicken wire! This is a very beautiful piece in person, that is by John Richard.

To dress the table, I chose to alternate pearl & turquoise jeweled chargers, and add layers of Annie Glass. In the center is a custom art glass platter.

Living Room Before

We mixed all sorts of textures and finishes, such as silk velvet, wool, leather, painted woods, stained woods, gold leaf and iron. The clients, who love to travel and collect art from around the world, provided most of the artwork in the condo. Over the sofa is a large piece they had commissioned for their beach home! It ties all the colors in the room together, and adds a touch of whimsy amongst all of the formal furniture that reminds you that you’re at the beach!

Kitchen Before

In the Master Bedroom, we chose a French panel bed in an antique white finish. In this room, I love the way the camel leather ottoman, rust-colored chandelier and striped European pillows provide a rich warm contrast to all the cream, ivory and pale green. The original art by Allison Wickey adds life to the room and ties those warm colors in.

Office Before

This room I decided to make slightly more masculine, as it is their Office. The leather sofa is by Century Furniture, and the desk is by Maitland-Smith. The end tables are made of brass and black granite. The walls were a honey-colored grasscloth with sun bleached areas, so we decided to paint over the grasscloth in this gray color. The gray provides a more neutral background that allows the brown and gold in the furniture to stand out more vibrantly.

Please contact me if you need design services!
cara@lovelaceinteriors.com

Villa Lago Home in San Destin, FL; design by Cara McBroom

This design is the result of combining traditional, casual, coastal, refined and rustic elements together. The house is located right on the 5th hole of the Baytowne Golf Course. While this presents a beautiful green yard and view, We had a privacy issue to address. Shutters are great for this, as they are clean, open, and architectural. The wider the slat, the more view you maintain when opened. When closed, you have complete privacy. Let us start with the Living Room! I designed the color scheme around the printed sofa pillows! This Schumacher fabric had a gorgeous blend of blues and greens! Instead of having just one accent color in the room, it allowed me to have a beautiful mixture of seafoam, peacock blue, teal, and other greens.

I chose an L-shaped furniture arrangement: slipcovered sleeper sofa with two club chairs. To balance that arrangement, I placed a chaise lounge in the opposite corner. The cocktail table is upholstered in a textured brown stripe and has iron seahorse legs. I love this piece by Design Legacy! The star of the room, by far, is the pair of blue leather club chairs!

Typically, when you think of a leather club chair, you think of something upholstered with nailheads and no skirt. A cool trend now is to do more of a draped leather look, with tailored shirts. This makes the chairs slightly less masculine and heavy.

In the corner, just below the stair railing, there was the perfect opportunity to do a chaise lounge. It used the space wisely, while also providing a comfortable place to lounge, read a book, take a nap, or join in converstation.

Chairs by Aiden Gray, Table by Hooker Furniture, Chandelier by Cyan Design

Bed by Four Hands, Bedside Chests by Noir Furniture.

This is the Master Bedroom. I used a leather wing bed as the anchor for the room. The bronze handles on the bedside chests tie the dark leather in, while the antique white finish lightens the feel up some and adds a coastal flair. The art above the bed are custom framed seafans that have been painted a soft blue green that blends nicely with the bedding fabrics.

This is the little boy’s room! This little boy wanted a bunk bed (it’s funny how kids love the idea of bunk beds, while we cringe at the thought of having to make them!). Anyway, this room provided me the opportunity to do something bright and fun! I typically strongly suggest choosing a wall color that has more of a gray undertone, making it less saturated, as colors always become more vibrant when you paint them on a large scale. In this case, I opted for a more saturated blue. The black and white of the bed and bedding, along with the wall mirrors and other furniture provide visual rests from the vibrancy, for the perfect balance!

This crab painting is on a wall opposite from the bed and could not be in the main shot, but I had to include it so you could see the colors! They are brilliant, and go so well with the bedding and room!

This is the guest bedroom. I went for a softer minty green color for the walls, and utilized an array of different blues and greens in the bedding. This room has a nice “cottage” feel.

Please check out my other posts, and contact me if you need any design help!

Cara@lovelaceinteriors.com

House in Watercolor; Santa Rosa Beach, FL; design by Cara McBroom

I know I have not posted in a while. I have had a busy couple of years! In 2011 I gave birth to my first child, which was a major life change for me. I never really quit working on projects, as I love it so much, but I have not had quite as much time to photograph and post. We have a lot of catching up to do!!! I will start with this lovely gem that I am so proud of.

In 2011, I feel as though I gave birth to two children–my son, Case Jackson McBroom, and this beautiful house in Santa Rosa Beach’s beautiful Watercolor! I was blessed to meet this client early on in the building phase. I was able to work as lead designer, hand-in-hand with the client, the builder, John Brown with Gulfview Construction, and the architect, Matthew Savoie. So, instead of being handed a house and asked to furnish it or improve it, I was able to get my hands on this house as framing was going up, and have important leading direction on style, finishes, lighting, interior details and finishes, custom built-ins, etc. This is a designer’s dream come true!

The overall concept for this design was modern, light, airy, open, clean. Warm wood tones and textural stone is balanced with cool gray-blues and reflective surfaces. In the kitchen, we used Poggenpohl cabinetry in both a shimmering blue color, and a dark wenge wood finish for contrast. The backsplash over the sink is Ann Sacks penny round tiles, and the bar front is Ann Sacks rectangular ceramic tiles. I love the way the wall over the sink curves into the ceiling. To accent this bit of unique architecture, we designed a simple recessed cove at the top of it, which hides l.e.d. strip lighting and helps to show off the tile. The island has a solid surface counter surface, which waterfalls to the floor on each side. This gives the island a custom, unique and modern feel.

In the Living Room, we chose to have two focal points–the fireplace and the media wall. Instead of competing with each other, the two areas are made integral to one large, balanced and aesthetically pleasing room. We did this by designing the hearth, mantle and shelves with horizontal lines that seem to “point” and include each other as part of the whole, and with alternating wood and stone. The fireplace is surrounded in textured Carrera marble. The media wall is all custom from my designer drawings.

In the Living Room, we specified a dark gray leather sectional and two unique arm chairs, then anchored the room with a large light gray shag area rug. In the Dining Room, we used a large bubble glass chandelier by Currey & Company. The Breakfast room and kitchen have bubble glass “Bling” chandeliers by Robert Abbey. The dining chairs are neutral, except for the fabulous Romo Fabrics print on the outbacks! The room needed this touch of fabric and pattern to warm things up.

We designed this wine storage onto a floating wall that divides the kitchen and main living areas. Here we have a blast of warmth glowing out from the wood tones, the aged copper backdrop and the hidden accent lights. Storage shelves were broken into two sections by three backlit vertical chrome display racks.

On the first floor, right off the kitchen, is an open office nook. The shelving and lighting was strategically designed and placed around the room’s architecture. We accented this room with a sparkling pearl mica wallcovering.

On the walls of the main office, we separated the walnut wall paneling with stainless steel reveal strips. This not only provided a modern linear design to the room, but also added some sparkle that helped lighten up all the wood.

It was really fun getting to work on my very first media room! I am proud of how it turned out. When I googled “theater rooms” I was berated by image after image of gaudy, over-the-top rooms with puffy marshmallow chairs and wild window treatments! I wanted this room to be masculine, feel luxurious and high-end, but also be clean and modern enough to still mesh with the rest of the house. Gray-blue grasscloth on the walls add visual texture and richness, and have bonus acoustic benefits. The windows have motorized roman shades that recess into walls when opened. The wall sconces are by Fine Art Lighting.

Above is an image of the wet bar in the media room.

Ahhhhh…. the Master Bedroom! This room came out so serene and simply beautiful. The charcoal gray accent bed wall helped to add intimacy and warmth. the fireplace is surrounded by capiz tiles that shimmer. We designed the hearth to continue down the wall and underneath the built-in dresser. The door to the Master Bathroom is actually a hidden door when closed that plays into the wall paneling–beautifully designed! Off-whites and grays keep this room quiet and serene, and let the view and architecture do the talking.

The Master Bathroom is super clean, modern and absolutely beautiful in its simplicity! We used an organic-shaped Waterworks soaker tub. This area was accented with art glass light fixture, which sparkled against the stainless steel penny rounds in the ceiling.

The Master vanity area is a product of many months of designing, redesigning, redrawing, discussing… the result is stunning! We decided, in the end, to go with a double vanity that is symmetrically separated by a perpendicular section that supports a tall, glass-enclosed fireplace! Stunning when on! below the fireplace we designed shelving for towels. The backsplash has large staggered metallic-backed glass tiles. The natural color of the glass give the tiles a green-blue tint, which is amazing with all the white, and especially with the wood tone of the cabinetry! The mirrors are from the Electric Mirror Company. The globe pendants add a touch of glam and some extra sparkling light!

I had the opportunity to design this 3-story light fixture that tied all three floors together in the center of the stairwell. The bulbs glowed through twisted ribbons of glass, which were suspended from long wire. I’ve never designed a large light fixture like this before, so it was fun to see this be born from my own ideas and drawings!

The outdoor pool turned out stunning! The blue glass pool tiles provide the perfect splash of color, which was reinforced in the upholstery.

The outdoor fire pit/torches provide the perfect ambient lighting for evening entertainment. The doors all along the living area are on a track that allow them to open up completely, so that the living area becomes a part of the outdoors. I love the way the house lights up at dusk, and the way for a short amount of time, the outside blends seamlessly with the inside, as though the glass were not even there!

Here is a view of the front façade at dusk. This house was a dream to be a part of. Like any labor of love, it was built with a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but the end result was worth all the hard work! There are many more rooms not shown in these photos. I will be taking some of my own pictures of the rooms I’ve left out soon! My photos won’t be quite as stunning, but will be better than nothing, so stay tuned!!!

If you need a designer to help you organize your home build or remodel, please contact me!
cara@lovelaceinteriors.com

Shedding Some Light: Waterview Towers Yacht Club Design by Cara McBroom

“Light is the first of painters.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The first step I had to take in painting these clients a new picture for this unit was obvious to me at first sight: Lighten things up!  These clients wanted their beach getaway to be nothing like their permanent residence. They wanted it to be light, airy, open and spacious feeling–in essence, like the beach, of course.  So, I came up with a design and a plan that would shed some light on the subject!

The first step I decided to take was to paint the walls, ceilings and much to the chagrin, I am sure, of the previous owners, I decided to paint over all the wood cabinets. Custom handmade medium-stained cabinetry and dark cherry floors both have their benefits, but when they are installed together, they create a dark, warm atmosphere.  Besides, the fact that their finishes clashed was an assault to my design sensibilities.  So, we said goodbye to the beautiful woodwork, and welcomed the much lighter overall effect of paint.  After painting a base coat of off-white, we went over it with a dark brown glaze that was left in the cracks and “crannies” of the woodwork to make it appear antiqued.

BEFORE

Secondly, we had to get rid of the dated gold undertones of the walls, finishes and existing window treatments.   We chose a French white for the walls that had a crisp, frothy cream undertone.  We followed that with the same color linen in the window treatments of the main living areas, and accented them with a green like the water outside.  By making the walls, cabinets and draperies all basically the same cream color, we reduced the contrast and made all the elements feel more integrated and open.  My eyes were no longer being drawn to the large expanse of dark cabinets.  Instead, my focus could rest on the view, and any colorful accents I decided to use in the design

I separated this long living space into two different functioning areas.  On this end of the room, I specified a game table that could be used as a breakfast table or for activities.  The chairs we found in the Lovelace Interiors consignment gallery.  The wood was a medium wood finish that blended into the leather color.  I chose to have the wood painted and antiqued so that the warm leather would stand out more and not appear too dark or dull.  The warm leather on these chairs and certain occasional items pull out the wood tone of the floors. The large prints on the wall behind the table and chairs are four antique prints of shipbuilding plans.

Storage cubes make great occasional tables in Living Rooms.  You can stow away toys, magazines, blankets, games and anything else you don’t want cluttering up your area.  You can sit on them, use them as foot stools, and when used together as a cluster, you can turn them into a cocktail table with a large tray.  These script cubes are by Hooker Furniture. The other reason we wanted to use upholstered cubes rather than a large heavy cocktail table, is because this sectional has a built-in pull-out bed.  Company will not need to injure themselves trying to move furniture around in order to sleep. This slipcovered sleeper sectional is by Lee Industries.

BEFORE

In the above before and after, it is apparent how much more easily the eye can move around the room after we painted the cabinets. The blue corals we displayed in the upper glass cabinets were able to shine afterwards, as well.

We decided to frame the television like a piece of art so that it would blend more easily into its environment.  This crowd-pleasing trick allows most wives to be more accepting of their husband’s “bigger is better” mentality when choosing a t.v. The t.v. becomes a piece of art, in a sense, and looks less like a large electronic device on your wall.

 

In the above two photos you will see the dual functions of the floor lamp I used.  It can be swiveled to act as an overhead light for gamers, or as a reading task light for sofa loungers.

BEFORE

BEFORE

The second living area provided a nice space to lounge, socialize, read a book or sleep. I anchored the seating group with a round area rug that pulled more color in and made the space more inviting.

BEFORE

BEFORE

The Currey and Company “Seaward” wall sconces I used give the room some warm ambient lighting, but also act as sculptures, bringing some coastal whimsy to the walls.

BEFORE

The cast stone fireplace needed little more than a great piece of art and some accessorizing.  This is a commissioned piece of art by local artist Allison Wickey. The art over the sofa/chaise is also one of her pieces. I love how they pulled all of our color accents together with an impactful punch.

BEFORE

In the powder bath, I lightened the cabinets and eliminated the tired light fixture. I replaced it with a gorgeous abalone shell mirror by Currey & Company and two sconces by Corbett Lighting.

I covered the walls in a bamboo and grasscloth wallpaper for color and texture. To the right of the vanity, I hung two shell encrusted wall brackets with displayed corals. They were strategically placed to help mask the unavoidable seam in the wallcovering.

BEFORE

This is the Master Bedroom.  You can see what an amazing view this unit has.  I wanted to frame that view with a more uniform window treatment.  Instead of doing drapes and one random roman shade, I designed a drapery system that included all three walls.

To help add light, I placed reading lights in the soffit above the bed.  I also had some ambient sconces installed that can be controlled from each side of the bed.  The large scale coral fabric I used is a Design Legacy fabric. It provided a wonderful array of blues and greens to build from.  The chair and ottoman is another great consignment find that we recovered in the perfect stripe!  It had all the right colors.

BEFORE

The Master Bathroom was less than impressive , with its globular lights and cabinets that blended into the granite.  We painted the cabinets to lighten the room up a bit. This helped to show off the beautiful granite.  I removed the globular lights, but decided to keep the wall-to-wall mirrors.  I, instead, dressed the wall by placing a mirror above each sink and installing a two-light sconce in the center.  The amber glass beads pulled out the colors in the granite and complemented the green color I painted the walls.

BEFORE

BEFORE

BEFORE

In the guest bedroom, we decided to work with the existing draperies. We opted for a dramatically tall upholstered bed and some wood bead wall sconces.  The euro pillows were custom-made in a green linen that matched the walls, and french pleated mini-flanges. The long bed pillow is in a floral by Robert Allen Fabrics, and wood bead trim.  The duvet is a ruched linen duvet by Pinecone Hill.  Because natural lighting is the best lighting for doing makeup, we decided to place the vanity directly in front of the window.  The sheers can be closed separately from the blackout lining to filter direct lighit if needed.

BEFORE

This is the second master bedroom.  It has a panoramic view of the harbor. Since the shutters were a great solution for treating the windows already, all the windows needed was some “makeup,” or non-functional drapes to dress it up a bit.  I used the same toile fabric that was in the bedding, and trimmed the valances in a glass bead.

BEFORE

The structural column on the far side of the room provided the perfect spot for a full-length mirror.  This one is by Uttermost.

BEFORE

I dressed this bathroom vanity up by installing a mirror and capiz shell bath light.  We painted the cabinets and replaced the brass faucet & door hardware.

Refurnish, Refixture, Refresh! Sanctuary at Redfish Redo by Cara McBroom

Spring is approaching–time to spring into action and refresh those tired rentals and stale spaces! It is amazing what a little paint, some new fixtures and fresh furniture can do to rejuvenate your home and your life.  This redo was on a rental condominium at Sanctuary at Redfish in Grayton Beach, FL.  The owners wanted a mostly neutral, warm design with subtle hints of color.

Here is the kitchen area before.  They already owned the barstools shown.

Before

Before

Before

When it comes to lighting, don’t settle for what I call “builder’s-grade” lighting, which is a builder’s idea of a great deal at the time.  There are so many delightful options out there–something for every taste & style!  I warmed up the space by getting rid of these builder’s-grade lights and replacing them with warmer ones that go with the decor.

I am, again, using my trick of layering my rugs.  We needed something large to anchor the space, so we chose this jute that brought a touch of beach rusticity.  I, then, realized that I needed some contrast and darker values brought to the floor to balance out the dining chair fabric.  This cowhide worked perfectly!  Cowhides are virtually indestructible, so they are a great option to keep in mind for rentals.

Before

Before

Before

If you have a lackluster Master Bathroom, it makes it hard to imagine yourself being pampered when you take that long shower or hot bath, especially if the walls are a dull homemade rag finish that clashes with the tile! We warmed up this room by adding texture, new paint colors, new lighting and new mirrors.   This all helped dramatically to create a warmer environment.

Before

Bed Wall Before

One thing I love to do on a smaller bed wall to make things seem more open is to mount sconces on the wall in lieu of lamps. This allows you to have smaller nightstands.  In this case, we used bedside chests with tops that open for storage.  The sconces allow the tops of the chests to open freely, and they help to create a clutter-free aesthetic.  So, if  you have outlets behind your nightstands, consider having an electrician pull the wires up and hard-wiring some wall lamps or sconces for a custom, clean look!

Before

In this bathroom, we had more homemade faux finishes to combat on the walls.  We chose to make the room look much more custom by installing bead board on the walls, and by mounting a custom-height shower curtain that filled the opening and created length.  We also added a wall that created open storage, where there was no storage at all before.

Before

Before

Before

We went for a nautical flair in the Bunk Room.  Horizontal wall stripes, driftwood details, sealife pillows and Chinese buoys suspended from the ceiling in the corner did the trick!

Before

This is the Hall Bath, or Powder Bath.  In other words, it is the bathroom that everyone who is a guest will be using when they come over!  We needed to do something to make this room more welcoming. I removed the “builder-grade” frameless condo mirror and replaced it with a custom mirror that tied the cabinets and black counter tops together.  New lighting and some accessorizing did the rest.

Please email me if you need a designer to help you rethink your space!

cara@lovelaceinteriors.com