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What happens when a fun, happily married couple of 30 years reaches out to you to renovate their house they’ve lived in as long as their marriage? You go all in! At Kerry F. Décor we specialize in updating 30 yearish old homes so this was the perfect job for us. Our ideal client in our ideal area, it was a dream come true to see them through the first half of a possible whole house renovation.
The Courtneys are a retired couple who embrace life! When they’re not traveling they love to entertain their extended family. This was a big lifestyle consideration. Another was making sure everything was comfortable, soft and safe for little people and babies who are frequent visitors. In any remodel, lifestyle should be the main focus for all decision making. I strongly believe in form and function. A well designed space means nothing if it doesn’t meet your daily needs.
With that in mind we tackled a rather large renovation including the main living areas and kitchen- where it all started with a leak under the island. Basically the island was gutted and eventually re-shaped from round on one end to a symmetrical rectangle. The floor had to be cut open to accommodate new plumbing as well. Because the kitchen shares common flooring with the family room, the project grew. Also, the only thing separating that space from the living/dining area was a long pony wall with another pony wall in front of the entry. And thus the Courtneys were inspired to tackle all the connecting spaces. If you’ve ever lived in an older home you know that one project leads to another and to another and so on.
During our initial consult – I always start here – they pointed out 3 large columns that were architecturally past their prime. In addition there were several floating pot shelves that were common in 1990s home design, along with some floating arches supported by the columns. They were ready to get rid of it all and I whole heartedly agreed! The view from the front of the house to the back was obstructed. They had beautiful vaulted ceilings that weren’t showing to their full potential.
Even though all the main living spaces were connected they were separated at really odd angles with carpet and tile. I personally can’t stand having open concept spaces dictating where each room should go by sectioning it off with flooring - and in this case columns. Although their house has great bones and high style, it was definitely time for much needed upgrades. I am grateful they chose Kerry F. Décor to manage the full rehab while shadowing us and managing the insurance part of the project. Here’s how it all went down.
We started with a Scope of Work detailing everything they wanted done within a reasonable budget that accommodated my fee. We then proceeded by getting bids from different contractors and trades. This took the better part of a month. While the benefits of hiring a single contractor to manage all aspects are obvious, there are also some draw backs. For instance, if they get held up on another project then yours has to wait. And if there is ever a falling out between any of the parties then everything can go sideways and you’re back to square one.
Ideally it’s great to hire a few different people who know each other and are good at working together. I like to present the home owner with at least 2 different options for each trade and they usually have a third they’ve used before or was recommended to them. Eventually we went with CTM contractors who did our warm LVP flooring (Floor and Décor) and counter tops from Rio Stones. We opted for a light, leather finish granite for the island and wet bar, in complimenting colors.
CTM also helped us out with demo, drywall and painting. Solutions electric updated all the lighting with LED cans and lit rocker switches. We tried to make everything ADA compliant so these sexy seniors can age in place in their forever home!
The cabinets were in great shape so we opted to just paint them given the large scope of our project. This adventurous couple is not afraid of color and opted for bold choices. Originally we had a lighter blue on the perimeter cabinets for contrast with the island. The wife really likes saturated colors in a very unique shade between dark blue and teal. After much searching she chose Sherman Williams Refuge for the island and S.W. Delft for the perimeter cabinets. So as not to compete we opted for a white wall color, S.W. Snowbound.
We went with a black sink and stove hood to match their newer black stainless appliances. And we made it all ‘pop’ with brass hardware to match the warm flooring. They did NOT want pendant lights above their new island. The old kitchen island counter top was repurposed in their laundry room with a new charcoal sink. They chose the same colors and finishes for the large wet bar in the living/dining area where Mr. Courtney likes to hold court!
The house has some really great art deco details that we incorporated into the new design. Also the kitchen chandelier and ceiling fan still worked really well. We got a cool boho chandelier in black for some WOW in the ‘new’ dining space. And we had the cornices recovered in light and dark teal to balance the colorful cabinets. Fabric is from Elan Collections.
This 30+ year old home had great bones to begin with. It just needed to be updated and brought into the 21th Century. I think we accomplished that rather well. Now, instead of having a road map of carpet and tile to follow from the front door to the back they have one seamless hardwood look, laid horizontally to widen the rooms. And you can see straight through from the entry to the rear door! The vaulted ceilings now shine without any obstructions and the house looks much larger. They didn’t want to paint the ceiling a different color or add any wood beams. Since they just removed everything they wanted to keep things simple. It was a huge transition for the Courtneys and they made it through while living on property during the renovation. Their patience and positivity were greatly appreciated by all.
Now after working with a separate design contract, purchasing new furniture for their “new” home and styling it out, we are deciding what original furnishings and décor still work. A lot of it goes with the Courtneys comfy, coastal and casual vibe. While some of the more formal pieces like the dining set might get replaced.
It's always exciting to finish a long project and have happy home owners. It's great to feel rewarded for a job well done! For more Afters & Befores please visit our Portfolio!
Staging to Sell? Styling to Stay? Contact me today!
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Our 1st class, full service includes
* Establishing your goals & lifestyle needs, focusing on FUNction; Providing Design inspiration & ideas.
* Creating a detailed plan for your budget & wish list.
* Assisting with Space planning; Choosing a color palette & Design materials.
* Interviewing & getting detailed bids from Contractors, Subcontractors & Trades for you to pay directly; Arranging all efficiently & timely with your Schedule.
* Sourcing all materials & getting your final approvals & payment.
* Overseeing all installations exacting the highest quality service & craftsmanship.
* Doing scheduled follow ups with you to track progress; Review budget, goals & priorities.
* Troubleshooting any problems related to Design, installation & craftsmanship.
* Keeping entire project on track, on time & on budget.
* Redesigning with your current furniture & décor after construction is completed.
* Additional Interior Decoration & Design Sold Separately
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