Fireplace Design

Remember those photos I posted a while back of the hand drafted fireplace designs?

Check out the finished product....

6 Intersecting hearths and mantles fabricated from quartz makes for quite the stunning piece.  At first glance it may look simple but took countless efforts by myself, stone installers, tile installers, fireplace mechanics, wall covering installers, quartz fabricators and framers to make this gem possible!

Photo from D & L Magazine - September 2016

Modern Lake Living

Who says being out at the lake needs to be a rustic experience? Check out this home designed with a modern eye yet filled with warmth. Although, I didn't need to add a whole ton of warmth in the design because there are plenty of family gatherings and little ones that keep this place toasty!

You would never guess but this was actually a renovation!  The existing lake home was gutted and renovated and a new addition was added to house a new bathroom and guest bedrooms.  Heated floors were put in the addition since it was slab on grade so the floors would feel similar going from a heated basement in the original space to the new slab.

My favorite part of the space: The dining nook!

Granite tops, tile splash, maple cabinetry & stainless hardware all paired together for a clean look.

I think less is more in shower designs.  Porcelain tile can be beautiful all on its own without too many other frills going on.  In this shower I added a simple espresso glass accent running along the walls which also ties in the master vanity splash.

Love sleek and simple hardware - the perfect way to dress up slab drawer fronts.

A lot of planning goes into vanity configurations like this one.  Making sure that all cabinet heights, widths and depths will play nice together once installed is a challenge but one that is welcomed!

Beautiful!

Kitchen Renovation!

Wow! It has been a while since I have posted - that's what happens when things get crazy in the design world and in life! My clients are always my priority and that means that often my blog comes second.  My family and I also welcomed another little one into the world this spring so here I am making up time and getting all of my projects out here for you to see! Check out these photos of a kitchen renovation recently completed.  It has some of my favorite things in my design life - subway tile, herringbone patterns, walnut floors, stained glass and white cabinetry!

This renovation was done with family living in mind.  We had to make sure we had storage and seating space for a family of six.  This meant keeping the existing corner pantry and adding floor to ceiling cabinetry storage in the kitchen with pocket doors to hide items away from little ones that needed to sit on the counter.  Custom storage was also created in the mud room for each kiddo to store their seasonal outerwear! The cabinetry has a glazing on it to help hid residue from 40 little sticky fingers.

Its all about the little details - even in large renovations!  We added new trim, doors, handles, casing and so many other little elements that are often taken for granted.

Custom reclaimed whitewashed barn wood was used for the back of the piano room wall and to scale the front entry.  We also used reclaimed wood above the kitchen island and for the new fireplace mantle to tie all of the spaces together.  The guitar cabinet is custom made to fit the musical works of art and is also humidified for proper storage.

The bathroom also was renovated with new cabinetry, quartz tops and flooring. Not to mention paint, lighting, plumbing, trim, doors and all the other details that were incorporated.  A little trick of mine with little ones - especially boys - sculpted vinyl base for the floor base instead of painted wood - much easier maintenance! ;)

Here's a few other fine details we incorporated - also notice the custom stained glass piece above the pantry door - a labor of love. :)

Model Selections

It seems to be model home season! Currently I am working on model homes for a few builders that I work with.  Check out the finishes that may possibly end up in one of the latest ones I have been working on.  It seems that opaque finishes on cabinetry are all the rage and I have to agree - they are awesome! By opaque, I mean painted finishes.  White painted cabinetry adds a crisp, light and elegant feeling to any space.  I just love the contrast between the deep gray flooring and hardware against the crisp white cabinetry and marble.

Another day of drafting...

Lately many of my projects seem to be in the framing stage - which means ensuring that all is well in the framing world and that everything getting framed up correctly.  Typically this leads to drafting out finals for custom pieces in the home - which is what I am doing today for one of my builders. These are for a custom fireplace design - I can't take all the credit as my client had a great source of inspiration but can't wait to see the completed product. We don't have CAD drafting so it is back to my old tricks with scales & triangles. Yes my fingers hurt and my brain is fried but it is going to look GORGEOUS and that's what counts! ;)

The Nitty Gritty

Being a designer is rarely about picking out the perfect color.  Today is all about focusing on the details to get a few projects signed off on and rolling.  A day of technical drawings, specifications, and details & notes galore!  Each space I work on shifts between a focus on style and color to  a focus on function, budget, correct applications of materials, technical drawings, and detailing out every little piece in order to be ready for the next step -  a final site measure and ordering!

Small Spaces

Small spaces are the most fun to work with - like I have said before powder rooms are one of my favorite spots to put my touch on!  My other favorite is a bar - take a peek at this bar we just finished for a parade home in Fargo for Qin Construction. 

This home was designed to have a modern feel and for the basement to feel light and bright even though you are in the lower level.  A space was needed for both entertaining and light snack and beverage preparation.

Cabinetry is by our Décor cabinetry line which is a frameless construction that lends itself beautiful towards modern design since it has clean, crisp, tight lines without a face frame.  A large scale subway tile adds a little bit of a classic twist in a modern size.  A floating shelf adds a spot for a little décor or display of liquor bottles. 

As always, I think that lighting is a major player in any design - notice the layers of light in this space.  Natural light from the window, ambient light from the recessed lighting, accent lighting over the island in form of pendants and in the upper glass cabinets (which lift up by the way - love!).

 

 

Board Building

One of my favorite parts of design studio in college was constructing presentation boards.  Check out this board ready to roll for a contractor to pick up for a proposal for a new worship location in town.  I never know what type of feedback I will get when sending my boards off to be presented to people I have not yet met but look forward to finding out!  The goal was to create a warm, neutral space that will be timeless and budget friendly.  I think we nailed it!

Renovating in Place

Just because you choose to renovate doesn't mean you need a hammer to start busting down walls! Check out this adorable kitchen in town I did where we stayed in the exact same footprint as the original kitchen. 

The species is Cherry in a nice dark, rich stain.  We used quartz for the countertops - the perfect finish for this active family!  A fun tiled splash added just the right amount of detail without going overboard.  New hardwood floors added warmth throughout the home and kept an element of character in the space.  Also - notice the side of the fridge, we used paneling that creates the illusion of a door which is a nice custom element. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Throw Back

This post is a throw back to a project I finished a couple years ago but is just so timeless that I feel it can still be shared!  If there is one space that I LOVE to work on it is a powder room! 

The reasons:
-You aren't in there often so you can do something fun and you won't get tired of it
-Your guests use it so it is the perfect place to show off a little bit
-The space is small so unique finishes that might be cost prohibitive in larger space can be used

 

For this lovely little space we used lighting to really take the space up a notch.  Crystal pendants were selected that cast an incredible faux finish onto the walls and emit just enough light for the powder room to be usable but still make a statement with mood lighting.  Quartz tops and a stunning hammered nickel sink are the finishing touches along with a uniquely shaped mirror.  Still one of my favorite spaces.

 



Today's Focus

Check out this spread for a new company office I am working on that will be built soon!  This is the second office location I have worked on for them and am so excited to start on it.  We are using rich warm colors to create an upscale yet comfortable space for employees and their clients.  Not too long before it is time to select lighting fixtures which will really put the finishing touch on this space!

Christmas in May

We just LOVE getting presents in the mail! And what we mean by presents are new samples.  It is like opening a holiday gift..so exciting!  Below are the three doors and colors that we are using in an upcoming renovation from our Dynasty cabinetry line by Omega that just arrived on my desk this morning..  The stunning mitered Loring door in three colors.  Painted Pearl, Painted Pearl with a Pewter glaze & Pumice.  Later this summer I should have photos of the finished project.

Sign Off

We just completed sign offs for this project - so exciting!
Check out the material selections for this project.  Warm, inviting and a hint of craftsman.
Sign offs are a bitter sweet time for us.  It means that the design process is done (sad) but also that the completed project is not far behind (exciting!).  Now we bite the bullet and get down to the nitty gritty - ordering time!

Draft Day...

Last week was all about drafting up tile drawings for some pretty awesome clients!  Later this fall photos will follow showing how this fun project turned out.  Tile sketches help to give you an idea of what you can expect with your tile installation - although not exact - they give you a pretty good indication of how your tile will be set. 

Drafting like this brings me back to my studio days! Hard to believe it has been 6 years!

Today's Focus

Each day we have a project that we are focusing on - lately more that one each day as the spring gets busier and busier.  Today we are working on a fun classic design with a country feel.  This project walks the line of the trends we have been seeing come to the area.  Classic pieces such as this marble backsplash paired with contemporary elements such as the dark cabinetry and rounded out with a rustic element - in this case a rustic oak look laminate floor.  All together this will be a bright and fresh country kitchen!

Spring Flurry

It has been a while since I have posted being that life has been so crazy with both work and my personal life!  I have had the opportunity to work on some amazing projects over the last few months since getting back from maternity leave and have even more coming up in the near future!!

We were on a job site yesterday...needed a breath of fresh air.  This house looks over the beautiful (but flat) space around Fargo - but soon will be filled with many new homes.

Can you say SPAaaah?!

Happy Saturday!

I have had a wild week catching up after taking a two week vacation - which was much needed!  I hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday season and wish everyone the best in 2013!!

Before the holiday - as always - I was involved in my own mad rush to complete jobs and wrap up punch lists before Christmas along with completing my own massive check list for my own home - which is soon to be completed  - yay!!  So as you know it has been a while since I have posted - so here's a good one for ya!

This home was for the most part completey gutted with the exception of existing walls that stayed in place and was 7 months worth of planning, designing, and working with my awesome clients and their contractor to create this...... a place where my clients can relax after a long day or feel full of energy and excitement for a new day - their master suite!

Here is a view when you walk in through the master bedroom:

A vanity for each...with beautiful Cambria tops, crystal hardware, glass bowls & faucets with the perfect amount of sparkle!  Custom mirrors and a little bit of crystal on the vanity light tie everything together.

 

 

 

There's wasn't just 1 perfect paint color....there were 2 & 1 perfect molding!!!

We used a darker slate blue on the bottom & a lighter powder blue on the top.

I LOVE glass shower doors...check out the detailed victorian handle...

Oceanside glass tile for the tub front & vanity splash

A shower complete with storage and space for hanging wet towels to dry!

 

 

Tall view of the bathroom - check out the stunning chandelier!

Contractor: Bob Footit Construction
Countertops: Cambria
Tile: CTW
Accent Tile: Dal Tile & Oceanside Glass
Glass & Mirrors: Frontier Glass & Mirror
Lighting: The Lighthouse Fargo
Window Treatments: Hunter Douglas
Designer & Materials: Sarah @ Floor to Ceiling Fargo (me!)