Design the Hall-Way

The Parker Remodel Powder Bathroom Collection

One of the interesting things about this large house, was that it had no powder bathroom. Instead, it had that awkward Jack and Jill style bathroom that connected the guest room to the main hallway. You know the kind that gives you that certain paranoia about locking both doors!

The guest room had a very large walk in closet, which was nice if you were visiting for months on end, but completely unnecessary if you had a long weekend. I was able to add a nice size closet in the new guest bath AND a new powder bath. It was a win-win all around!

The powder bath project was one of the most fun design adventures I've ever had! I am a huge fan of all things vintage, photographs being one of them. These photos had been so well preserved and cataloged, stored in acid free boxes with acid free paper. I have never seen such an amazing collection. There were Civil War albums, family home albums, masquerade parties, pictures with dogs, hand tinted portraits, wedding pictures, travels to Egypt and Europe, and more, all dating back to when photography was brand new. I had a love affair with my job during that period of time, while the owner and myself chose the most outstanding ones for display.

For obvious reasons, I didn't use the original pictures. The ones we chose were sent to a professional to scan, repair if necessary, and put on disk for printing.  Hanging them on the wall was a puzzle. The space was tight. Ordinarily, I may have laid them out on the floor and worked from that idea, but that just didn't work in this case. They were simply placed, one by one, fitting and thinking. The sink wall is covered with people and their dogs. The rest fell perfectly into place.

The finishes in the room added so much to the overall look. The slate, golden glass, and bronze forged pieces covered a third of the wall. Then it was painted a deep chocolate brown. A gold leafed chair rail was added near the top and lighting was placed inside the rail to highlight the ceiling that is washed in a metallic gold. It is truly a little jewel box and a definite conversation starter. Please leave you comments to let me know what you think. Would you put your ancestors in the bathroom?

A Tour of the Kitchen in my Parker Remodel

The next thing on my list is to walk you through the kitchen of the remodel I did in Parker. The difference in the "before" and "after" is astounding! The kitchen previously had deep grass green tiles with oak cabinets and a white 4x4 tile counter top. The ceiling had a dropped down area with a very sharp angular point at one end, for no apparent reason. I pushed the ceiling forward into the greatroom, allowing more space to line up with the kitchen island. The island is a hefty eleven feet long with two levels. My clients for this project are tall and the proportions suit them well. I used two granites for the counter tops. One looks like a solid deep brown, but upon closer inspection, you'll see flecks of a coppery color. I gave this perimeter stone a smooth eased edge. The other granite on the island has a lot of movement in it and is a beautiful mix of browns, black, gold and cream. I gave it a rough edge for contrast and compliment of the other stone in the house. Take a look for yourself.

The copper sink is placed into an angled area in the middle of the island. It makes an easy, comfortable area to interact with guests or just gaze out at the incredible view. The floors are hand scraped walnut and are easy on the feet. They also create a warmth and character that give the home a sense of  history and life. Keep checking back....there's more of this house and updates on the one's in progress. Let me know what you think!

Parker House Remodel Introducing the Entry and Dining Room!

I'm continuing my not quite ready for primetime video tour with something beautiful! The lighting isn't always perfect, but stay with me. The wow factor is worth it!

So what do you think? There's a lot of change here and I love seeing the before and after pictures together! I'm juggling many projects right now, so stay with me. There's lots of change in the air and maybe a few ideas for your house too!

Puma City Progress

So, the floors are shored up, the new framing is in and the last remnants of concrete have been scraped from the floor. Walls will be finished soon. Next thing you know, it's time to pick a paint color. What fun! First, we'll  prime and put a coat of paint on. Then we'll be adding the new wood floors.

I'm getting ahead of myself though, let's talk about the wall and cabinet colors. The homeowners have purchased a cherry red leather sofa and chair set. It has a very retro look to it. The picture below is of a similar style, but the chosen sofa has a soft, nicely grained and satiny
  shine to it. It's definitely not this suede look, but we're close, with square arms and a tufted back. The clients don't want to spend a lot on the furnishings, so we are starting with some basic pieces and we'll grow the look with some thrift store and antique store shopping. I think I want to use a soft neutral for the walls and put the color on the cabinets and furnishings. Originally the kitchen cabinets were going to be painted a deep red, but with the find of this fun sofa, that idea's going to change! This cabin is going to have an eclectic, retro look to it! 

Puma City Demolition Part Two

O.K. Now that you've seen a peek of what I can accomplish, let's return to Puma City! I'm going to show you the master bedroom portion of the demo work here. This little cabin needs lots of TLC. It's pretty darn cold in the mountains now, so work has slowed for a bit. Use your imagination! You're going to need it!

Jumping Around

Up until now you've seen the before side of what I do. I think I'll just throw in an "after" picture to help you keep the faith that this little Puma City disaster is going to be just fine in the end!

This photograph is of an elegant dining room that is surrounded by stacked slate walls. It was a different project, one with many, many problems until we gutted the house and started over.  I will tell  you about it in time. I just wanted to make sure that you understood that I have a direction in mind. 

 It's so incredibly fulfilling to take a project from beginning to end!

Terrie Starts the Demolition Tour at the Puma City Cabin

O.K.  You've seen a few "before" pictures of the cabin. Let me show you what's going on now. Excuse the mess!

The Living Area of The Cabin "Before"

This is the view from the front door. You can see the ugly white tile that is going away, the hospital green paint and the incredibly ugly glass sliding doors that separated the main living area from the "jacuzzi"and shower room.

In the new incarnation, the view will include warm wood floors traveling the entire length of the space, larger windows for more view and, obviously the sliders are history!

The jacuzzi/aviary room will become the new kitchen. The most magnificent views are to that end of the cabin, so windows will travel across the end of the house and around to the right and down the length of the cabinetry. There will be no upper cabinetry, it is a summer cabin, and this will give a more open natural feeling to the kitchen.

In this picture you can see where the old shower was placed on the right.

Zen View

The previous owner of this cabin must have had an association with the sea. The cabin has three real brass portholes in it. One will likely be removed, but the others are in the upstairs loft bedroom addition and provide a perfectly framed, "Zen view."

A Zen view is a view that is approached on foot that reveals itself gradually to the viewer. It is often unexpected and captures a small, definitive vista. In this case you can just see the mountains through the aspen leaves. In the winter, it is a more open view.

Close Up View of Old "So-Called Jacuzzi"

This is a close up view of the "jacuzzi." Can you believe it? This area is now the site of the future kitchen.

The Soon To Be Location of The Morning Patio

Here's where I want to place the morning patio. Can't you just picture the glass sparkling, the birds chirping, and a steaming hot cup of coffee in hand!