04 May Project Spotlight: Bold Choices and Stunning Design

Location Location Location!   That was key when this young family bought a property in walking distance to the center of Doylestown.   But the floorplan needed to be completely reimagined.   Openness and flow was key so parents could keep an eye on kids.   The kitchen completely moved so it could be central to all the first floor activities, and a master suite was added over the garage.   With big moves like this, master planning is crucial, and we were thrilled that Down2Earth Interior Design was brought in from the start to help the client make some of these big picture planning decisions. (Please click here to read our blog post on the importance of master planning.)

The other super-gratifying thing about this project were the opportunities to make some bold interior design choices and blend old with new.   This is a client that does not shy away from color, as you will see when you scroll down and check out images of a russet living room and navy corridors.  

The highlight of the living room is this stunning snowy egret wallpaper, made by House of Hackney, click here for source. It is paired with a contemporary mantle and furniture.   Natural greenery complements the willow trees in the wallpaper design.   Picking up on the more traditional feel of the wallpaper, the brass fireplace screen is an heirloom.   Not only is it a stunning focal point, reusing heirloom pieces is also a green design principal.

Open shelves in kitchens are pretty on trend right now, but if the motivation for open shelving is making everyday kitchen items easy to access, it’s not a fad that’s likely to fade away.   The open shelves to the right of the sink even house a toaster and mixer that you actually want to see, along with cookbooks, glassware, and ceramics.  Two-toned kitchen sink faucet is Brizo Litze in Matte Black and Gold, click here for source.

Small hexagonal tile goes up the entire wall for an easy to clean surface.  The stainless fume hood and red handles are given room to breathe in the cooktop zone. Lightings source for the kitchen island from Cedar and Moss, click here.

Great wallpaper can transform an ordinary, small space into a WOW space.  We used a jungle dream wallpaper from Aimee Wilder to pack a punch in this tiny powder room. Click here for the wallpaper source.

Dark wall hung cabinets and a crisp white counter top let the wallpaper shine.   Brass plumbing and lighting fixtures with a modern vibe are luxurious, contemporary touches.Lighting from Cedar and Moss, click here. Plumbing Fixtures, by Rejuvenation, click here. Cabinet Paint Color is Sherwin Williams SW2838 “Polished Mahogany.”

The Patrona chandelier with tapering tiers of crystal shades is the big star in the stairwell.   The satin gold finish comes alive against the dark walls, painted a deep navy.   Sherwin Williams “Dark Night,” “Rainstorm,” and “Tempe Star” are all good contenders if you’re looking for a rich navy.   It is not every day that our clients go this bold with their color choice for corridors, and we hope this serves as a compelling argument about how successful a dramatic hallway color choice can be.   It also allows the white and wood stair railing to pop. Here’s a closer look:

The chandelier is by Lightology, click here for lighting source. The wall paint color is Sherwin Williams Dark Night. Click here for more details.

 

The master bathroom in this home features a double wide shower.   The original inspiration for the shower walls was a herringbone wall tile design in which each tile is a parallelogram. For the tile inspiration image, click here and the parallelogram tile, click here. The stool is by Serena and Lily, click here.

But one of the things we pride ourselves on here at d2e is being able to capture the look for less.   It turns out that parallelogram tile was a little pricey.   Our substitution:  similarly proportioned black rectangular tiles installed in a herringbone pattern to elevate the look of a budget-friendly material.   These 3×12 tiles Costa Alegra tiles from Bedrosians Tile & Stone did the trick, click here for source.

The double vanity was made from kitchen cabinet components and painted black.   Lavatory faucets are the t-lever Litze series by Brizo in luxe gold, which really sparkles and adds a luxurious finish at a reasonable price point. Click here for faucet source. Shower sprayer is from the same Litze line, click here to view. And to view the Restoration Hardware lighting, click here.

Down2Earth Interior Design works with each client to understand his or her personal style and then design to meet those needs.  Which is why no two of our projects will look alike.   In this case, the client wanted to be bold and take chances and that is what we delivered!

All Photography in this post is by Rebecca McAlpin, Copyright 2019.  All rights reserved.