A Dining Room and Kitchen Redesign

This job was a large one, but one of the most pleasurable jobs I've had! The client was so trusting of my vision for her space, and so agreeable to the changes I suggested, that working with her was a delight. She, and her teenage children, jumped in and worked hard right alongside me.
With good music and diet Pepsi, we spent a few days together, pushing furniture around, wallpapering, and painting everything that would hold still. We had so much fun in the kitchen/dining room that we tackled the adjoining living room too, and you'll see photos of that lovely area, very soon!
When you hire me for a redesign, the most important aspect of the job is what comes first, way before we buy paint or rearrange furniture. We talk! And it is always my intent to make this part as relaxing and fun for you, as possible. I will ask questions, and look around a little, and "interview" you a bit, simply trying to learn what makes you feel at home, and what your family's needs are, so that I know how best I can serve you.
When this client and I talked about her home and her needs, I learned some very important things:
She adored cobalt blue and collected Platzgraff china. That always worked with the mauve colors in her kitchen, but she was tired of the 90's look, ready to update, yet wondering how?
BEFORE:

She loves the ocean, and the beach has special meaning to her family. (This was key for the living room)
When I asked what her most favorite pieces were, I learned that she had two heirloom paintings that she loved, but were not displayed, because they didn't currently match anything else in her home. I'm a big believer in "if you love it, it can work" and immediately starting thinking about how to incorporate her favorite art into our re-design.
BEFORE:

Most of all? She longed for a fresh start, and to feel refreshed instead of depressed, about her surroundings. They are a busy family with full schedules and so she craved clean, clear spaces without decor overload...just enough to feel pretty, but not so many tchotchkes that the small rooms felt crowded! My take-away? She needed something WARM, but SOOTHING.

My plan:
To keep the blues as accents, but update the space with a somewhat french country, cottage feel. Since her countertops were blue, and we wanted to warm up the space, I did not want to use more blue on the walls, but the white walls were too stark. In order to offset the blues, and keep them as an accent-only color, I suggested we paint the walls a warm apple green. Green is what I call "Gods neutral" because if it weren't so easy on the eyes? Then He wouldn't have put it all over His creation! Taking cues from the original Designer is always a good idea! This color instantly made the room bright and cheerful while still feeling peaceful and calm.

Benjamin Moore 478 Sweet Caroline green

BEFORE:

AFTER:

This part was tedious, and not every homeowner is willing to paint wood, so I was grateful she trusted me when I said we needed to paint ALL of the orange toned wood--the doors, trim and baseboards--with a crisp, bright and glossy white. We did the same in the adjoining rooms. Not only is it an instant update to the space, but it also was key in making her beautiful table and chairs shine. Now they are truly the centerpiece of the dining room!
AFTER (but before her china hutch was added)

The perfect size corner china hutch, found on Craigslist and painted white to tie in with the cabinets and trim:

Next, remove the old brass rod above the sliding glass door and hang a soft fabric valance in shades of green, yellow and blue (tying everything together) to the very top of the ceiling. Whenever possible, hang your window treatments high, as it helps any ceiling seem higher!

Valances aren't nearly as popular as they used to be, and they were overused for so long, it's no wonder we all grew tired of them! Normally I would suggest long curtains on either side of a slider, but as you can see in the photo it's a very small room, with little to no space on either side of the door...especially once we added the hutch. In this instance, a valance was the right design element for the space, drawing the eye up and adding needed pattern to a mostly-solid space, and softness to a room with sleek surfaces.

The biggest change (and the most backbreaking part, for the homeowner!) was removing the pink laminate wainscoting. It had done its job well, protecting the wall and proving easy to clean while her four children grew. But the kids have grown, and we couldn't move on, with that color! So bless her for agreeing with me and tackling the horrid job of prying it all off, then scraping old yellow adhesive off the wall for hours! It was a difficult process but so worth it, in the end.
BEFORE:

Since we were working on a tight budget, I chose to use paintable wallpaper in a bead board pattern, instead of wood, for the new wainscoting. At only $20 a roll (at Lowe's Home Improvement) we could do the whole wall, plus the back of the upper cabinets, for $40! Once capped with trim molding and covered with several coats of primer and high gloss white paint? You have to look very closely to know its not real wood!
This photo also shows how, in order to make more room for the cook in the kitchen, I moved the armoire out to the living room. Instead of that, I hung a large wall cabinet, going all the way to the ceiling. Though it gives her plenty of extra storage, being vertical means that by taking up zero floor space, the room automatically feels more spacious! Painted white and covered with extra bead board wallpaper, it looks right at home in her cottage fresh kitchen. With its makeover, it shows no traces of its former life in a dusty old garage!
BEFORE:

AFTER:

 Finally, adding accents means we do a little math--the only kind of math I enjoy! Subtracting all the country and mauve decor and adding instead, these assorted lovely plates in our blue accent color. Using various patterns and sizes of plates adds interest but still keeps the overall look quiet. Found at thrift stores for less than $2 each, plates are the perfect, inexpensive art for dining areas!

 Well aware that teenage boys are going in and out of this door frequently, we used both decorative hangers AND mounting tape, to firmly secure the delicate pretties!

The sweet little bird plaque I stole out of her bathroom because it was the perfect size to hang up here and cover an unsightly phone jack. The painting of a girl in a field (above, in dining room photo) was one of the two original oil paintings, our inspiration pieces! Now given a place of honor above the dining room table, and the larger one above the fireplace mantel, where they are daily appreciated.

One element that really adds to the redesign is the new faux "tin" backsplash. You can purchase it at Home Depot in various patterns and finishes, and even a novice like me can install it! In an evening, with caulk as the adhesive, and using paper bags to make a template, the sturdy plastic material is easily cut to fit with heavy duty scissors...and the material is very sturdy and washable, to boot! The homeowners were thrilled with how the kitchen was so dramatically changed, for less than $100 in materials.

Painting the soffit in the same green helps to tie the kitchen in with the adjoining dining room:

 Because the living area is separate but adjoining, I was careful to make sure the colors flowed nicely and the rooms were compatible. Here is a view into the kitchen area from the new living room. You get to have a little sneak peek into that which I will post about, tomorrow!

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