Designing remotely for a new home in Monterey, CA
This project involved the client selling two homes, a modern high rise Seattle apartment and a small vacation condo in Carmel, CA and consolidating into one historic house in Old Monterey.
We began by upgrading the interiors of this 2,500 sqft house with new paint. We replaced existing builder grade light fixtures with stylish new ones. We upgraded bathrooms with new plumbing fixtures to match the client's tastes. We minimized unattractive bathroom stonework by installing dynamic wallpaper, creating a big wow moment for the first floor Bathroom. New wood flooring, new windows as well as front and back doors were needed as well.
Addie's first focus was to cover the many windows to allow for privacy while keeping the interiors bright. After a furniture plan was approved she combined the client’s legacy furniture with newer modern pieces to give a fresh look, blending an eclectic mix of styles to bring both comfort and aesthetic sensibilities appropriate to this part of California. We finished by making sure each room had adequate table, floor and hanging lamps to provide what was functionally needed as well as to bring the final touches that elevated the design’s aesthetics.
Working remotely from across the country was no obstacle. With only three site visits within the year, Addie was able to accomplish everything as planned.
Addie’s first visit began by photographing and measuring the spaces and existing furniture. This key data was later used to create a CAD furniture plan for the public rooms and facilitated collaborations with the client. Size and scale of existing furniture was important information referred to many times when searching for new pieces for the mix.
Six months later Addie’s second visit included placing and hanging artwork in various rooms, adjusting new and existing furniture according to plan, and fine tuning the design by adding a few more pieces that were needed.
The third and last visit came a full year after this project began. Addie made one final tweak to the furniture placement and artwork. She spent time arranging many books and collectibles into pleasing visuals in the newly built bookcases in the Living Room and Office.
"Working with Addie long distance was no obstacle at all. She made three site visits and we were able to handle everything else by phone, text and email. She was a pleasure to work with, always easy to contact, and she kept careful track of orders and deliveries from a wide range of different vendors.” TP
For images in Portfolio, go to: Monterey CA Home
Restoring elegance to a Riverside Drive apartment
We started with an empty apartment in “estate sale” condition. While the generously sized Living Room, with its original early 20th Century period details and views overlooking the park, was clearly the showstopper, the other rooms were crowded with inexpensive shelving, dropped ceilings & 1950s built-ins. We started by stripping all of that away, restoring the original 10 ft ceilings in each room. Here are some highlights:
Living Room: with an extensive collection of books, this couple needed plenty of shelving which we built to flank either side the original fireplace. This became the room’s defining feature, keeping prized possessions on display in a prominent yet collected manner. To create an additional seating area near the room’s river views, we first built a low bookcase to span the entire west wall. It concealed original radiators and provided function with its continuous black Quartz surface. We then set two lounge chairs alongside it. We maximized views by installing mirrored panels on either side of each deep-set window. Whether for morning coffee or evening drinks, this spot became a favorite for the clients.
Dining Room: the perfect spot for banquette-style dining, making the small size of this room fully functional. We ripped out a 1950s built-in cabinet and created an elegant bar with open and closed storage. Placing a mirror on its back wall created the illusion of more space while adding to the shine and sparkle of the glass shelving and barware.
Kitchen: we reconfigured appliances to maximize efficiency. White cabinetry covered the walls from floor to ceiling, providing plenty of storage. We chose contrasting black Quartz for the countertops as well as the backsplash, creating a streamlined infinity look.
Entry Foyer: we went with a moody feeling in this entry space in order to create a dramatic contrast with the adjacent large & light Living Room. The ceiling, painted with a high gloss dark paint, reflected the warm glow of the hanging light fixtures.
Primary Bedroom: we created space for a large walk-in closet as well as a window bench for added storage & a built-in seat.
Bathroom: to visually expand this narrow space, we chose glossy white wall tile, alternating its size & shape to create a subtle yet interesting pattern. Marble mosaics covered the floor and extended into the shower for a cohesive look.
“Addie guided the transformation of an estate-condition apartment into a beautiful and comfortable home. From our preliminary consultation to the final delivery, collaborating with Addie was a highly personal and professional experience. Her method was to present a series of options at each step that are part of an overall plan that incorporates color, texture, style, scale, perspective and budget. Addie worked closely and effectively with the project architect and contractor, speeding up the timeline and reducing costs. I was also amazed by how beautifully she incorporated some of our existing furniture and decoration into a fresh and thoughtful presentation.” RB
For images in Portfolio, go to: A Riverside Drive Apartment and Before We Came & After We Left
Helping a family relocate
Addie helped this family relocate from a city apartment to their new Hilton Head home. With a 4 month move-in deadline, we worked together to bring the house to life in time for the holidays. Using computer-aided design, Addie was able to place their existing furniture into a plan for each room in the new house. This enabled us to identify which pieces needed to be reupholstered and what new pieces needed to be purchased to fill in blanks. The ability to create a virtual design set the wheels of change in motion long before the family was scheduled to move in. We chose a new palette with paint colors and fabrics suitable for a beach vibe. Our mantra was to repurpose all the furniture and accessories that the family cherished, using them in new combinations in order to bring a freshness to this next chapter of their lives.
“…talented, thoughtful and a pleasure to work with. A careful listener, Addie takes time to understand how rooms are used, what you have already and the design elements you want to add…completed in a timely fashion and she handles scheduling and oversight…” CD
For images in Portfolio, go to: A Hilton Head SC Home and Before We Came & After We Left
From start to finish: bringing interior design to an empty space
It was important to choose wisely for this apartment’s color palette in order to fully integrate the unique views from its many windows: a mass of warm red brick and the sky above. Working with this open-plan living/dining space, we decided to create a feature wall to highlight the dining area. We chose Galbraith & Paul’s hand-blocked wallpaper, bringing color and pattern to a minimalist Mid-Century Modern furniture collection. For a dramatic entrance and high contrast with the adjacent Living Room, we used dark paint in the Entry Foyer, effectively delineating each space in this open-plan apartment. Additional Galbraith & Paul wallpaper was hung in the Foyer in a different but complementary pattern. Custom flat weave rugs were designed to coordinate with the apartment’s delightful color scheme.
For images in Portfolio, go to: A Mid-Century Modern Apartment and Before We Came & After We Left
Refreshing a Family Room & adding interesting details
Once the children had grown, it became apparent that this Family Room, the most heavily used room in the home, needed to be redone to rid itself of child-centered themes and worn out furniture. The main focus of this design project was a new rug that needed to be distinctive from yet suitable to the adjacent Living Room rug. We picked an Odegard rug and custom-designed its color palette. The large vintage poster, originally in a bedroom was hung on the wall here to provided the graphic punch. We used its color pallette as a springboard for the fabric and rug choices. A new larger sofa with updated style was added to the Family Room and we recovered existing club chairs. The Dining Room chairs got a facelift with a new Maharam fabric. In the Living Room we chose a new fabric for two Dakota Jackson chairs. Its blue color and design motif were in perfect dialogue with the existing rug. Finally, the end wall of the apartment’s Entrance Foyer needed a certain grand gesture. We found it in a bold wallpaper choice, Fornasetti’s Murals. Its dark, dramatic stormy scene would be impossible to ignore.
For images in Portfolio, go to: Contemporary Loft in Downtown Chelsea
Adding & minimizing Arts & Crafts character in two homes.
Adding on period character: The task at hand in this unremarkable NYC apartment was to add period details while keeping furnishings practical for a young family. Using architectural details, decorative materials & finishes, mixing in contemporary furnishings, vintage & reproduction lighting, the space took shape. Highlights include:
Living Room: a unique bookcase surround, built of maple wood and handmade tiles, was designed as a place in which to tuck the family piano. Addie took her inspiration from the fireplaces of the American Craftsman Bungalow when she added Pratt & Larson tile flourishes to create this special focal point.
Kitchen: more contemporary in its furnishings, lighting, and flooring, this space serviced the family’s functional needs. Floors were covered in cork for sound absorption and softness underfoot, solid maple cabinetry was interspersed with Benheim art glass details in cabinet doors. The family breakfast table was inlaid with a linoleum top for practicality.
Den: movable seating was selected as an easy way to transform the space, complete with a built-in Murphy Bed, into a Guest Room when needed.
Minimizing period character: In this California Bungalow, Addie’s client wanted a new look for the Dining Room without sacrificing its original architectural integrity. She chose to repaint the dark brown wood wainscot in a bright white and then the walls plus ceiling in a rich blue. Addie added a traditional chandelier, comfortable upholstered dining chairs to pair with the Shaker dining table and a practical Chilewich mat to add color & pattern to the floor. All of these elements changed the aesthetic of the room from its original dark and earthy Arts & Crafts sensibility to a fresh, colorful and eclectic design mix.