Blog

Beach House Retreat in the City!

8/31/2022

Working with Doug and Megen was such a rewarding experience. This project was one of our favorites. A few years ago, Doug recommended Eye 4 ReDesign services to a colleague and friend. That design project sparked the interest of two additional clients. Fast forward to Mother's Day 2022, when Doug surprised his beautiful bride with our design services as a gift. During our initial consultation, we discussed the color scheme and spaces to be designed. We had a follow-up onsite consultation that broadened the scope of work. The final design included the family room, dining room, primary bedroom, two offices, and a carpet stair runner makeover. First on the agenda was to discuss how to scale down some of the existing furniture and where to add complimentary pieces to complete the design. We suggested painting and relocating a floor lamp from the primary bedroom to the family room. We suggested two new side tables to flank the bed to replace the lamp. We needed to upsize the bedside tables to include lamps. We discussed painting the chest of drawers white and removing the dresser/mirror combination from the room. The client’s handy husband decided that restructuring the closet would be a good solution for replacing the dresser. A weekend of work transformed the closet into a mini oasis with plenty of storage and room to spare. With the additional space, E4R added a bench for staging outfits and accessories. We planned a gallery wall over the bench to showcase their wall art. We needed to redesign the space in the family room without making major changes. We recommended removing the existing dark-colored chair and ottoman that expanded into the middle of the space, which caused the room to appear smaller. We decided to replace the chair with a pushback recliner and suggested adding an ottoman table for the center of the room. While the clients could not envision the choices, they decided to trust the process. The design project intended to bring a cohesive flow to the home. The dining room had the perfect foundation and needed a few accessories to pull it together. The stairs needed a refresh. Since the stairs are the focal point when entering the home, we wanted to add something with vibrant colors and warmth to bring positive energy to connect the spaces. For the first office, we needed to cover faux paint and add a color that complimented the room's baseboard, window trim, and furniture. We went with a rich blue that would also complement the wall art and color in the adjacent room. The second office is bright and airy and needed curtain panels with a punch of color to frame the beautiful picture windows. The area rug and a pillow in the office provided inspiration. We used white metal rods and clip rings to finish the look. In the primary bedroom, we wanted to add a light and airy color with a spa-like feel. In keeping with the shore-like vibe of the home, we did a play off the gray color in the upstairs hall. We chose the perfect gray to compliment the white trim and shutters in the bedroom. We called in a premiere painter to get the job done. Paul Hill of Peacock National Painting specializes in dark color, faux painting coverage, and plaster. He and his team provided impeccable results. With procurement completed and delivery dates coordinated, we set a design date. The clients planned a family trip, so they left us a key and started their journey on the family weekend getaway. We arrived on Friday morning with the large furniture items and new accessories. We dedicated the first day to painting the headboard in the primary bedroom and removing and installing the carpet stair runner. Paul returned to paint the headboard, and my husband and I started removing the existing stair carpet, padding, and staples to prep the stairs for a clean slate. After a few hours of sweat equity, we prepped the stairs with new padding and installed the runners in tandem to get a seamless look. On Day 2, we set out to place the new furniture and stage the accessories to complete the flow from room to room. After just a few hours, the house was ready for the Day 3 return and reveal. The clients notified us of their ETA when they were 1 hour away. We were ready and waiting for the big reveal. The family parked in front of their home, eager and ready to see their newly designed spaces. To get the family intrigued before entering the home, we played a family game so everyone could be engaged. We placed words into a bag describing colors, fabrics, textures, accessories, and other key items in the design. Each family member pulled from the bag and announced their words. Some words had the family stumped, while others made perfect sense. The hubby was in the house, ready to capture the family's reaction (see below). As the family walked through the rooms, they spotted items aligned to the words in the "What's in the design" game. This project was fun and refreshing throughout the entire process. We used simple design principles to add continuity throughout the main floor and bedroom. We were over-the-moon pleased with the results and the client's reaction. As always, we paid close attention to detail and added a new level of color, comfort, and functionality to transform this home into a Beach House Retreat in the City.

Special thanks to my husband, who is unwavering, relentless, and my rock! He is the best teammate I could ever ask for in this design journey! Every job brings a new skill, and he jumps in and makes it happen to support my vision!

I’m so excited to welcome Paul Hill and his team as premiere painting partners of Eye 4 Redesign! Thank you for a professional, detailed, and flawless job!

Special thanks to the homeowners for entrusting Eye 4 ReDesign to create new life-inspired spaces in your home. The pictures and videos only tell part of the story (Thanks for providing your consent to share). The love and warmth in your home are infectious! Happy Adulting!