LONG DISTANCE DECORATING : DALLAS

A DALLAS KITCHEN AND FAMILY ROOM REMODEL

via

I thought I'd show you the progress on another Long Distance Decorating client
far away in Dallas, Texas.

I'm so proud of their progress

they were brave to tackle this on their own

just goes to show you what you can do

with a little help

Stephanie contacted me wanting to remodel the kitchen and family room

of their home.

Her husband is a contractor and they planned to do the work themselves

but needed guidance with the design and color choices

THE KITCHEN

Here is their kitchen 'before'.  The wallpaper border dated the room and the cabinets and walls were so close in color and tone that it left them feeling a little 'blah'.  The black appliances stood out when they just needed to disappear.  The countertops were boring and the backsplash was non-existent. 



The wall dividing the kitchen from the family room needed to go away, but the actual cabinets were in good shape and there were good hardwood floors.

The black appliances needed to stay - so I recommended painting the cabinets black to make them blend in a little more and create the illusion of more space.

A picture is worth 1,000 words.  The only words spoken when I showed them the inspiration photo (the first photo in this post) was 'wow'.

An inspiration photo is just that....  We take the elements that we love and create a design that works in the space - incorporating those elements.   I wanted to incorporate the black cabinets, white island,  wrought iron chandelier and overall open feeling. 

PROGRESS

before

 

after

I love the change in this kitchen.  New granite updates the boring countertops.  Fresh paint on the cabinets adds the contrast they desperately needed.   Removing the wall between the kitchen and the family room opens both rooms and adds more light. 

before

after

For contrast, theypainted the island white and changed the countertop to a butcher block surface.  Note how nicely the appliances disappear into the black of the cabinets. 

New polished nickel pulls and knobs and sparkle. 

before

after

In the kitchen eating area, the old fashioned oak pressback chairs get a contemporary blast with a coat of the same black paint as on the cabinets.

Stephanie created a wall collage with subway style wall art and other objects.  The black and white theme fits in perfectly.

Stephanie fell in love with this $125 per yard Kelly Wearstler Shumaker fabric for the kitchen windows.

But was equally happy in finding this reversed look-a-like fabric for $9 per yard.  Did I say equally?  We were ecstatic!

 I love how open this is now that the wall has been removed

before

after

Next steps:  Painting the bar lower wall, creating the valance and curtains, decisions on lighting above the table and island and backsplash selection

FAMILY ROOM PROGRESS 

The family room 'before' had antiqued woodwork that looked dated and dingy, a dated brick fireplace and furnitiure that needed to be replaced.

The windows needed some beautiful treatments, and the flat screen tv needed a new home.

They fell in love with the inspiration photo







the features I wanted to use from this photo:  the cabinets on either side of the fireplace, the rock fireplace with rock all the way to the ceiling, the flat screen over the mantel, beautiful draperies and lighter furniture

 I also suggested this clever way to disguise a flat screen in a molding frame

and although there hasn't been a lot of progress in this room yet,

they did replace the furniture with a lighter set

before

after

before

after

the cabinets and paneling have been removed in preparation for the new built-ins

and the fireplace has been painted - a temporary fix until the rock work is done.

but even with that small amount done it looks like a new room... 

Next steps - framing the windows, building the cabinets, changing the ceiling fan, adding electrical above the mantle, creating a rock fireplace and painting the walls....

Decorating a room is all about layers.
First layers for these rooms were the surface treatments - the granite, the paint, the wall and cabinet removals, lighting, backsplash, floors, ceilings and fixtures.
Once those layers are in, we can add fabrics, hardware, window treatments, mouldings and furniture.
Final layers are rugs, pillows, accents, lamps, art and accessories
I love it when a plan comes together!