This project presented us with a familiar home interior design story : our clients had purchased a recently-built home, but the interior detailing was poorly conceived and constructed. We were asked to rework the woodwork in the formal rooms as well as to develop furniture plans, help select furniture, fabrics and decoration, and make the kitchen and playroom more attractive and functional.
We reworked all the wood details in the living and dining rooms including the fireplace, columns, and cabinets. Mindful of budget, we retained the original crown and made only subtle changes to the window trim. The original woodwork had been unpainted, and the unattractive, inexpensive wood darkened the house. We painted everything white in the formal areas, with the exception of a deep chocolate brown chosen for the dining room walls. The white paint neutralizes all the woodwork, and makes the space more contemporary in feel.
There had been a fireplace between the kitchen and the playroom, which blocked the view from the kitchen, and made both spaces feel smaller. We removed the fireplace and inserted a counter with seating in its place. With this, a more subtle separation of the spaces was achieved, which provided more spaciousness and light.
Beyond the kitchen, in the playroom, we added square footage by taking in a side porch. Although the exterior of the house is brick, we detailed the exterior in wood, treating it as an enclosed porch. On the interior, the space blends seamlessly with the original playroom.