I'm (slowly) working on a great house up in the Hollywood Hills. The clients are a professional couple with a 10-year old son. They've lived in the house for over ten years, and have never put any time or money into it. They decided that they really love to entertain and they want their home to be a place that they're proud of, and that reflects their personal style.
They also want to take their time and be very responsible about their spending, so we are working in stages. Because I'm married to a General Contractor, there are just certain things that I can't ignore once I've discovered them. After our first consultation, I brought Joel in to address things like leaky pipes, water damage, and shoring up a sinking floor and deck. It's definitely not the sexy stuff, and it eats into the fun (decorating!) budget, but having a safe, solid canvas to work with (and live in) is important. We also decided to work on the electrical system while the "dirty" work was going on (added recessed lighting with dimmers, wired for flat-screen TV's, etc.), and replaced the windows and doors that look out to their great view.
Windows - AFTER / These new windows made a huge difference in the amount of light that was let in. We also got rid of an old, white, iron railing that totally blocked the view. This cable-wire alternative almost disappears.
Deck - AFTER / We replaced some old, orangey spanish tiles (that were crazy-slippery!) and laid down this nice, clean gray decking surface.
Then we were finally able to get into the design process indoors.
We removed the tile around the fireplace...
Fireplace - BEFORE / ceramic tile
And replaced it with a beautiful stone slab, which we inset into the floor...
Fireplace- AFTER / Grigio Cafe Marble Honed via Walker Zanger
We also pulled out all the tile (and mirrors) on and around the bar....
Bar - BEFORE
And replaced it with gorgeous tile and a Caesarstone countertop...
Bar - AFTER / Lucian Metallic Tiles via Ann Sacks and a London Gray Caesarstone countertop. The cabinet is painted Benjamin Moore's Gray Shower.
We changed all of the paint colors....
Dining room - BEFORE
....choosing a beautiful, palette of white, blues and grays, as well as some fantastic wallpaper for the dining room.
Dining Room - AFTER / We used all Benjamin Moore Aura paints - Decorator's White on trim and ceiling, and Evening Dove on the wainscoting and built-ins. We ordered the "Hicks Hexagon" wallpaper through Walnut.
Dining Room - BEFORE
Dining Room - AFTER
We also painted the bedrooms and bathrooms, but I'll save those to show you another time. In about a month or so, the REAL fun begins. We are going to replace nearly every piece of furniture in the living room and dining room, as well as all of the rugs and light fixtures. We've already purchased two beautiful sofas from Mitchell + Williams, and are in the process of choosing everything else.
I know these aren't the "POW! Before & Afters" that we all love to look at, but I just couldn't resist giving you a sneak peak at the progress thus far. It's going to be an amazing transformation!