"African Inspired Living"

So excited to be sharing my latest project with you today.  In addition to creating a beautiful kid-friendly living space for my clients, I think we also successfully created a culturally-affirming space for them without being too "themed".  In this post,  I'll share with you how we did just that.  

Let's start by taking a look at the space before we began.  

 

In order to create a moody feel, we added a rich blue hue to the walls.  I was super excited to work with a darker wall color since so many homeowners we work with want to keep things light.  In this space,  we knew we had plenty of sunlight to keep the room from feeling too dark.

The client shared a few inspiration photos and mentioned that they had some African art pieces that they wanted to incorporate into the space.  With that in mind, we put together a design plan to serve as a jumping off point for the project.

 
With the exception of the orange chairs (which were switched out for a more neutral option), we were good to go on the selections for the space.

One of the first pieces we purchased for the space was the white juju hat for the fireplace. I knew it would be the perfect touch to add softness to the rough stone fireplace surround.  Not to mention, hint at our "theme".  I've blogged about them before, but in addition to being an on-trend design element, juju hats are a traditional African celebratory headdress originating in Cameroon. (Read more about them here.) 

The color scheme centered around this earth tone ikat fabric that we planned to use on a custom ottoman/cocktail table for the space.  I knew the rich earthiness of the colors would be the perfect palette to showcase the client's African pieces.

We utilized the existing dining furnishings but gave the seating new life and durability with bonded leather upholstery and a coordinating accent fabric on the outside backs. 

I love how the blue and orange tones, natural complements, play with one another.  

Texture was a big key element in this space and the capiz shell lighting here adds a natural element as well as texture and dimension.  

via 

Opting for an island light fixture, we were able to play up the dining areas length.   Let's take a look around...

Baity's Custom Upholstery did yet another great job on both the dining chairs and this custom ottoman.  We opted for something large to serve as the connector in this somewhat wide seating area. Since the clients have three girls under the age of 5, an upholstered ottoman was the way to go.

If you know me, then you know I love to mix patterns.  Here, the colors were drawn from our ottoman fabric and the animal print again hints at our African theme.  

These Hooker Furniture demilune tables were one of the first things we sourced.  Since built-ins weren't in the budget, addressing the nooks on either side of the fireplace was a high priority.  Simple mirrors, lighting and these stunning tables provide storage, style and a solution for these empty spaces. 

The accessories in this project cap really things off, especially the client's large African mask.

For the seating we selected this comfy Aeron Bassett sofa and covered it in a super durable Revolution performance fabric.  Revolution is a no-brainer for young families.  The fabrics are not only beautiful but also super durable and "green".  

The pair of wing chairs opposite the sofa, provide ample comfy seating for family and friends.  I love how it turned out!  

In addition to the living/dining space, we also spruced up a previously unused area near the entry of the home.  Originally intended to be the formal dining space, this area had become a dumping ground for unused items.  We opted to turn it into a serene reading nook.

Immediately, the addition of the York Wallcoverings trellis wallpaper immediately gave it a bit of an elevated feel.  

York Wallcoverings -Tracery 

Here again, we opted for Revolution fabric for the modern wing chair.  Because while this space wasn't intended for use by the girls, I have a sneaky suspicion that they'll end up here.  

Such a fun project for a sweet family.  As the project neared a close, they informed me that they'd be relocating to Missouri soon, so it looks like someone will be inheriting all of our changes.  Who knows, maybe we'll be taking this show on the road and helping them settle into their new digs in Kansas City.  I'm in! 

"A Long Overdue Update: Project Binford"

I'm ashamed to admit (and pretty astonished) that it's actually been over a month since I last blogged.  That has to be the longest hiatus since launching in 2012! Let's just say operating your own business full-time is NO JOKE! It seems that blogging got pushed to the back burner a bit.  (Yet another good reason to follow me on social media too. I'm much better at keeping my followers updated there.☺)  Nevertheless, the good news is I've been super busy with client projects, among other things. 

I thought I'd pop in to give a little update on a large project I began earlier in the year.  I introduced you to it HERE.  It's been quite the world wind.  I'm one room away from completing this nine room project.  We've literally made our way through nearly the entire home.  I'll be scheduling a shoot in the next several weeks so let's consider this your peek under the tent (complete with crummy cell phone photos).  

We began with the sunroom and it's one of my favs.  I know it's my client's favorite. 

They had four comfy chairs they wanted to reuse and once again Baity's Custom Upholstery did a great job breathing new life into these old chairs.

We utilized a new local (and green) resource for the project, Revolution Fabrics.  You can read more about them and shop their new public website at www.revolutionfabrics.com.

The fabric is fade resistant, washable and super durable and made in NC!

After the sunroom we moved on to the guest bedroom in the basement.  The client had company arriving so we needed to make this space a priority.    

The paint color remained and we utilized the existing bedding as well.  The client had new carpet installed and wanted the dark option to hide stains as the basement is accessible to the outdoor entertaining area.  I think the result is a really nice guest suite for visitors. 

Next up was the family room.  It's my personal favorite. 

Lot's of changes went into this space, including restaining the floors, resurfacing the fireplace and painting out the cabinetry. 

Love how cozy this one feels. 

Following the great room, we moved on to a quick spruce up of guest bedroom upstairs.  This one was an add-on service so we just picked up a few things to finish off the space. The client already had furniture and bedding. 

Isn't it amazing what art and a few finishing touches can do!

Next it was time to tackle the formal living and dining rooms. 

The plan for the living room included utilizing the client's existing modern wing chairs, rug and drapery.  We took the elaborate silk drapes from her previous home and simplified them.  The addition of a new sofa, lighting, a cocktail table and art and viola!

The dining room is one of the few spaces that we completed from scratch.  I'll share more details about the sources at a later date but I think this one is dinner party ready!

 

Our last install was to address the basement lounge area and the kid's room. 

For the basement, we also resurfaced the fireplace and bar top and painted out the cabinetry. 

For the girl's room, she requested the hot pink walls and wanted lot of zebra accents.  I had my doubts. 

In the end it turned out pretty darn cute!

I'm heading back soon to complete the library and then hope to have it all professionally photographed.  This has been a beast of a project.  I've learned so much along the way and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity. 

Stay tuned for more on this one.  And come back next week, I'm pretty sure I'm back on the grid now.   ; )