"Bachelor Blues"

Hey, hey!  I'm back and this time I've got another fun project to share with you.  Believe it or not, until this year, I hadn't had the pleasure of working on a bachelor pad before.  As girly as I am, I actually have been dying to work on a handsome manly space for some time.  Needless to say when I was approached by my client, a referral from a past client, I couldn't have been more excited to get started.

The project was to FINALLY create a finished and homie space in the house he'd been in for seven years.  I'll be honest, I could hardly believe that in that length of time he'd managed to do next to nothing to make it a bit more lived in.  We decided to tackle the first floor, including the living room, the formal dining room and sprucing up the eat-in kitchen.

Let's begin with the dining room.  As a single guy, having a space for formal dining didn't really make sense.  After tossing around a few ideas we decided to make the room near the entrance of the home more of a lounge/library/office area.  It would be a space where he could chill, read or get a little work done.

The room had lovely picture molding but in order to keep things from looking too much like a dining space we opted to paint out the molding the same rich navy we selected for the walls. 

Sherwin Williams

Navy blue became the link between all three spaces and created the cozy and handsome look we were going for.

We anchored the lounge space with a somewhat traditional rug and added rich gold accents, wood tones and masculine touches like this leather strapped ottoman. 

Howard Elliott Strapped Ottoman

The Pottery Barn armless sofa was the perfect scale for the space.  It was actually a sectional piece that we found deeply discounted and it's PERFECT!  Don't be afraid to think outside of the box when shopping for furniture.  Often with a little ingenuity you can make many castoffs work famously.

Isn't this just the perfect spot for a cup of coffee?

The Sherwin-Williams Naval paint color is certainly a showstopper.  It totally transformed the space and while it does eat up a lot of light, it makes the space so much warmer and cozier.  I'm actually considering it for my kitchen. 

In the living space we essentially began at ground zero.  While it was functional, it had absolutely no life.  

We pulled together a plan that included a Bassett Furniture sofa chaise, color blocked drapes and these cool nesting tables from Hammary Furniture.

Hammary Furniture 

While we weren't sure what the console selection would be, I knew we needed something masculine and organic.  When I stumbled upon this beautiful Hooker Furniture piece, I knew it was perfect.

Hooker Furniture - Transcend Entertainment Console

We decided to hold off on painting this space for now and had to work with the existing wall color.  I think the fact that we kept the builder beige give you a chance to see how much impact furniture and decor can have on a space.  Take a look...

I love the custom England Furniture chairs.  They were so streamlined and fresh...not to mention comfy.

In the kitchen area, a simple rug, new lighting and drapes did the trick to spruce things up on a budget.

Photos by: Cam Richards Photography

Couldn't be more pleased with this one.  The client says he's had a parade of people through the house that LOVE the result.  Here's hoping it turns into more bachelor projects.  : )

"A Modern Mix"

I don't know that I've ever been more excited to share a completed project than I am today. This is likely my personal favorite since beginning this journey.  Not sure if it's the beautiful items my client owned already or the fun we have bringing things together, but this one is definitely a good one. 

I'll start by sharing that my client recently moved to the Charlotte area, but actually reached out to me last year about the project.  She'd been following the blog for a few years and knew that she wanted to work with me when she moved here.  Needless to say I was flattered, but I encouraged her to wait until she'd moved in for us to begin.  

The move was a downsize and she needed to incorporate much of what she already had into the new space.  Here's a look at where things began....

No doubt there were beautiful pieces to work with, however we were looking to infuse a little life into things with the addition of more modern and fun elements.  The plan was to assess the current furnishings and decor and huge collection of art and determine how we could make those items work in new ways.  

Let's take a look...

The client had no shortage of beautiful accessories.  She also just happened to be a big fan of interior design and the collection of design books rivaled my own.  It may styling bookshelves a designer's playground.  

In addition to beautiful accessories, there was also a multitude of beautiful original art pieces to display.  We created several gallery walls, including this one int he entry hallway.  We added a bench for additional seating and to anchor the display.

The client requested a bar area so we utilized the existing console table and created a fun area to entertain guests for cocktails.

One of the benefits of working with someone who loves and keeps up with interior design is that they tend to be a little more willing to try something new.  I tossed out the idea of upholstering the doors to the office/ladies lounge and after a little persuading, we went for it. 

Once again Mark from Baity's Custom Upholstery worked his magic and we came up with a design utilizing this lush lavender velvet and brushed nickel nails.  To Die For!!!

Believe it or not, the sofa wasn't even in the original plan.  I stumbled upon this Duralee beauty and pitched the idea of adding a sofa instead of a pair of chairs.  It worked!

A few lavender pieces, and a place to display my client's collectibles and this space was quickly turned into the best spot in the house. 

                  

Don't you just love the leopard rug?  We had it bound from a carpet and it works perfectly.

I love everything about this space.  

The challenge in the dining area was that the dining table, although lovely, was extremely traditional. We amped things up with a fun animal print cushion on the chairs (fabric by Duralee) and a bright rug.  The mirror and modern lighting helped to completely change the look and feel of the classic dining set. 

The client's fabulous art collection became the focal point in the living space.  There was nothing to do but display it all in a way that creates so much visual interest that the eye literally dances from piece to piece.  

The Windy O'Connor pillows (local Charlotte abstract artist) were just the right touch to punch up the traditional lines of the creamy sofa. 

Layers were key in this space.  Layered rugs, layered art, layered accessories, layered window treatments...it all works so well.  

This space is a great example of using what you love.  The client is serious about surrounding herself with beautiful things and doesn't concern herself with what "matches".  She buys what she loves and it all works and never goes out of style.  

Lastly, we tackled the back porch.  The area was screened in so we wanted to create an additional living space.  The addition of lighting and a couple of furniture pieces help to bring the indoors out in this cozy outdoor space.

The key here as the addition of color.  The black and natural awning stripe lends itself well to the addition of color.  We began with the pink, green and yellow Madcap Cottage print pillows and we from there.  

Wouldn't you love to enjoy a glass of lemonade here?  In fact, I'll probably be back this coming spring to do just that!

I'm so proud of this project, for a number of reasons but mainly because I know how much the client loved it.  Believe it or not, this was the first project where I got tears! There is nothing that makes me more excited than when I know the client now loves their home.  

Let me know what you think.  Do you love this one as much as we do?