Thursday, September 5, 2013

Design Decisions


I was recently in the paint store and overheard a woman say 'we sold the big kid raising house and now I'm decorating this house just for me'.

It got me to wondering.  How many people feel the same way?  So maybe it's not just empty nesters, but how many people want to decorate a house so it makes them happy?  Something calm and serene?  A place to relax after a crazy day?

I tried to think about that as I choose fabrics and colors for this home.  It's not a big house, just under 1500 square feet.  But with the open floor plan and flowing layout, it feels much larger.  And we want the color palette to flow between the spaces.  The idea of something calming and relaxing is a great goal.

With our proximity to the water and the beach, we used that as inspiration for our color palette.  Watery blues and sandy browns.  And after lots of looking, I decided on this combination of fabrics for the first floor:  





From that, we choose our paint color.  One of my favorites, Benjamin Moore's Green Cast (which always looks like a aqua blue on the wall!).  We'll use this wall color throughout the entire house.  It's a great neutral, with just a touch of soft color.


In the kitchen, we'll build on that with this shimmery glass tile and subway backsplash.  This will provide a nice contrast to the dark brown granite countertops.





For the kitchen and mudroom floor, I really wanted a travertine marble.  I found one that I loved, but in reality - travertine can be hard to take care of.  Even when coated with a top quality sealer, for hardworking rooms like this, it will end up getting stained.  The first time a Coca Cola spills, or the new puppy has an accident, it will leave a lasting mark. So after lots of searching, I found this USA made porcelain that mimics travertine, but can handle an enormous amount of abuse!

The mudroom and powder room will have the same travertine style tile, but with an added mosaic stripe, to give it a little more design interest.  We'll do the walls with a classic beadboard.  That will let it withstand lots of wear and tear.  But also provides a great design element for coat hooks and decorative elements.

It will be awhile before we can start to get some of these elements in place, but we can't wait to start to see the plans turn into reality.  What do you think?  Calming and relaxing?




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9 comments:

  1. Yes.....it's a very serene palette, for sure. Can't wait to see the end result!

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  2. All beautiful as usual!

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  3. Thanks so much!!! I can't wait to get some of the finishes in place. It's such a great antique house!!

    Laurel

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  4. Can you share the name/maker of the travertine-like tile? I have been looking for something that is travertine-like for our new-to-us house, and I like the look of what I see in your picture.

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  5. I would like to know the name of the manufacturer, as well. Have had travertine, and it is hard to care for. Moving to FL and want the travertine look, but not the upkeep - thank you.

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    1. I dug through some photos to find the name tonight - it's a company called IRIS US, the pattern is Bianco Al Contro. I installed it last week and it looks great!

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  6. Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!
    jen

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  7. I am looking to match your color scheme in my own kitchen. I have found the green cast paint through Benjamin Moore but I am having a hard time replicating your glass tile backsplash. Can I ask where you purchased it at? Thanks!

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    1. So glad you like it!!! That shade of blue/green is one of my all time favorites! I found the tile at Lowes. They tend to change what styles they carry pretty frequently, but hopefully they still have it! Best of luck!

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