The Lorimer Project is finished, and we’re so excited to show you the reveal. And what’s more, the project was recently featured on Design*Sponge! Before we dive into the after photos, let’s take a moment to remember where we started (or check out parts I, II, and III for a more in-depth review). The apartment was a blank canvas, with all-white walls everywhere. My client has a vibrant, bohemian, eclectic style, so we needed to infuse her home with lots of pattern, texture, and global inspiration. Here is the main living area before we started: And here is the after! We started by covering the white walls of the main room with faux wood paneled wallpaper, adding depth and subtle texture. A custom-designed kilim loveseat, with its bold colors and patterns, is balanced by a pair of laid-back leather and velvet armchairs. The Beni Ourain-inspired area rug is layered with a super soft faux sheepskin. We interspersed metallic accents, like a vintage brass arc lamp and copper pendant lights. The largest window …
The Firmdale Project is complete! This master bedroom makeover in Boston has come a long way. Check out the introduction to the Firmdale Project to see where we started. The original bedroom did not function well. It was trying to play too many roles– bedroom, closet, office, and library– all at once. Books from the large shelving unit were piling up on the desk. The desk was crowding the bed and making it difficult to access the en-suite bathroom. The dresser and bed were nestled in so tight, there was no room for a second nightstand and the dresser drawers couldn’t be opened fully. Our main priority was to pare down the room to its essential role: bedroom. We relocated the books and desk to another part of the house (and my clients actually undertook a massive book donation drive!). We moved the bed to the long wall opposite the windows, which suited the room’s dimensions much better. This change allowed us to upgrade from a double to a queen …
We’re nearing the final stretch at the Lorimer Project! Click here to see parts I and II. The challenge was to turn a nondescript white shell of a condo into a place that would reflect my client’s style: colorful, creative, and bohemian. She wanted a chic, unfussy, but collected look. We started by layering rich patterns and textures, then we combined rustic, age-worn, and hand-crafted items with polished, refined pieces. The design plan for the main room. In the main room, we chose a white-washed wood paneled wallpaper which immediately added warmth and interest. Our custom-designed kilim loveseat, with its bold colors and patterns, is balanced by a pair of laid-back leather and velvet armchairs. The Beni Ourain-inspired area rug is layered with a super soft faux sheepskin. Finally we interspersed metallic accents, like a vintage brass arc lamp and copper pendant lights, to give the room a touch of glamour. To integrate the loveseat’s bright color palette into the dining area, we found a funky boucherouite rug with bands of pink, orange, blue, and …
Work continues on the Lorimer Project, a two-bedroom apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Click here for an introduction to the project. As my client and I began to develop a design plan, we soon decided that the apartment’s main room needed a bold statement piece to anchor the seating area. My client loves Turkish kilims, traditional flatweave rugs which have been produced in much the same manner since ancient times. Flatweave rugs are thin enough to be used in lieu of conventional upholstery fabric, so I suggested we use kilim rugs to cover a loveseat. She loved the idea, and we got to work! My first task was to find the perfect loveseat for the project. I hunted high and low, through vintage and new merchandise alike, in search of the right piece. In the end, I discovered Kim Salmela, a wonderfully imaginative furniture designer out of Los Angeles. Her pieces are hand crafted and highly customizable; and Kim’s own aesthetic is bold and globally inspired, so I knew she would …
I recently started work on the Firmdale Project, a master bedroom makeover in a Boston townhouse. My lovely clients, a married couple with two adult children, have not updated their bedroom in decades. In fact, they purchased their Depression-era bedroom set in 1980 and have been using it ever since. Both husband and wife are practicing lawyers with little time to focus on home improvement, and the accumulated clutter of many years has taken over their small bedroom. They are more than ready for a bedroom refresh! Let’s start by taking a look at the bedroom on Day One. A three-piece 1930s bedroom set, which consists of a double bed and two dressers, is the room’s foundation. The set is in adequate condition, aside from a broken post on the footboard; but ultimately, after 35 years with this furniture, my clients are eager for a new look, and they would like to upgrade from a double- to a queen-sized bed. This cramped corner caught my attention. There …
For the past few months, I have been working on the Lorimer Project, a two-bedroom apartment in Williamsburg. My client has a bright, bohemian style and a creative spirit, and I wanted to design a space that reflected her personality. My client had just moved in when we started working together, and the apartment itself was a blank slate. The main room is an open-plan kitchen, living, and dining area. The layout is irregular; it is a long, narrow space with lots of nooks and crannies, windows, and duct work. This photo shows the view from the apartment’s front door. To the left (not pictured) is a small foyer with doorways to the bedroom and bathroom. The kitchen is to the right, and it opens up to the main living area. At the far end of the main room, there is a door to the second bedroom, which my client plans to use as an art room. The kitchen has dark wood cabinets and stone countertops. There are reclaimed wood shelves for additional storage. Two …
I just wrapped up a master bedroom makeover in Marina Del Rey, a beachside neighborhood in Los Angeles. My clients’ original decor was sparse: a matching dark wood bedroom set and a light Ikea Malm dresser. Their windows were dressed with vertical Venetian blinds, which had been installed by the landlord, and translucent black and cream floral curtains. My clients wanted their new bedroom to be sophisticated and tranquil. They asked for contemporary furnishings, a neutral backdrop, and pops of vivid color. Their existing furniture was functional, but they were missing a few key items: a workspace and a comfortable place to curl up with a book. My first recommendation was to buy a new bed. I am not a fan of matching bedroom sets because they lack personality and distinctive flavor. My clients kept gravitating towards inspiration images of upholstered headboards, so I suggested we go in that direction. I hired a local craftsman to make a custom winged headboard with deep, diamond button tufting and silver nailhead trim. We were able to hand …
We all know guys like my recent clients: three bachelors who have been out of college for a number of years, but their apartment is still outfitted with broken Ikea furniture and family hand-me-downs. My clients had a very small budget for decor, but they knew it was time for an upgrade. So I gave them a quick and dirty living room overhaul. When I design on a budget, I like to outline general parameters for the room without setting my heart on anything too specific. In this case, I wanted to create a sophisticated, but unfussy space, filled with natural materials and vintage accents. My first purchase was a vintage leather couch on Craigslist for $400. I love the warm medium tone of the leather. We paired the couch with a grey loveseat, which we found at Target for $430. The tailored look of the loveseat is a nice balance to the informality of the leather couch, but the loveseat’s …