Cramped Kitchen
This couple with three small boys felt uninspired by the homes décor. The living and dining room had a lot of potential but they didn’t have the time or the inspiration to make any changes. The kitchen was blocked off from the rest of the entertaining space making the cook feel isolated during family gatherings. The challenge was to open up the space and refresh the entire first floor.
These rooms needed to feel open but have a sense of individual rooms flowing into one another. By removing the two bookshelves that stood between the living and dining area and adding a pilaster (a square column or pillar attached to a wall), each room has it’s own defined space while still retaining an open feel. A breakfast bar and much needed counter and storage space was created by removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room.
While brown is a great warm color in some spaces, here it created a dull uninspired living and dining area. The yellow wall color was the obvious choice for this space. Now with the pilaster dividing the space, it presented the opportunity to do a complimentary wall treatment in the dining room. The entrance to the home is thru the living room, by adding the five large stripes on the dining room wall, your eye is drawn to the farthest end of the room, making the entire space seem longer.
The curtain and pillow fabric color and pattern was chosen for much needed contrast. Red is a classic complement for the yellow walls, and the circular pattern is a visual break from all the straight lines in the room. The glass based table lamps also bring in the circular shape and have a sculptural feel to them. The two area rugs offer a visual blast of color as well. The floors were a great find, taking up the rug and oil soaping the floors was all that was needed for a dramatic change.
The dining room table and chairs were the homeowners. All that was needed was a neutral fabric, foam and a staple gun to restore the chairs to their original condition. The modern chandelier compliments the wood tones in the dining room table and mirrors the shape of the shades on the living room lamps. The artwork above the sofa is a contemporary piece that combines clean lines and contrasting colors. By hand making this piece of art, the size and color is a perfect match for the room
Contemporary wall sconces, roses in rectangular glass vases, votive candles and a glass bowl filled with red apples completes the space for a clean, uncluttered feel.
