Remodeling Project Highlight: Creating Comfortable Formality in a Traditional-Styled Home

21 Apr Remodeling Project Highlight: Creating Comfortable Formality in a Traditional-Styled Home

My goal as an interior designer is to always make my clients’ tastes and desires the spring board for creating the best design possible. When my clients purchased this home in Carmel it had a very dark color palette and was filled with oversized furniture. My clients appreciated the traditional architecture of the house but wanted a much lighter color scheme and a refined, yet comfortable, overall feel to the house. We began an extensive remodeling project that kept the formal style while creating a cohesive design that pulled the home together well.

We quickly created a new color palette that included varying shades of blues (my client’s favorite color), golds and beiges. I paired the new colors with antique mirrors and crystal light fixtures to add a traditional flair and reflective quality throughout the home. I added paneling up the staircase and trimmed out the living room fireplace wall to add interest to what had been plain walls. The paneling up the staircase wall creates a striking focal point for arriving guests.

The living room was originally two stories high, a little too lofty to be cozy. We lowered the ceiling and built a reading room above for their kids.

From a practical stand point, this added useable square footage but from a design view, the room became much more inviting. The lower ceiling accentuated the windows and beautiful view of the backyard.

The kitchen fit into their formal tastes, so there was not much we had to remodel other than adding our own finishing touches. We kept the existing cabinets, painted the walls, and added a natural limestone backsplash with a basket weave accent above the cooktop. Over the island, we replaced the heavy pendants with smaller, more delicate crystal pendants, and finally added drapes to the window for warmth and softness.

In the master suite, we gutted the bathroom which only had a walk-in shower. It was important to my client to add a tub, so I made it a focal point in the bathroom. The custom cabinetry around the tub completes the look and provides a lot of extra storage. The dark wood vanities are a nice contrast to the light tile floor and countertops. A large crystal chandelier in the center of the bathroom adds formality and sparkle.

In the master bedroom, we painted all the walls a rich blue, taking advantage of the many windows providing natural light so the bold color would not make the room feel closed in.

The hearth room is the center of their daily lives and where their large extended family gathers. I took advantage of this sizable area and layered many patterns and textures in the space: super soft patterned chenille on the sofas, large-scaled plaid chairs, and a beautiful floral fabric for the window treatments. To ground the light stone fireplace, we kept the stain on the existing cabinets that match the kitchen island.

By focusing on the traditional elements of the house I made a formal style that is still inviting and comfortable for my clients. I kept what they liked about their new home, but by changing the color palette and focusing on the finishing touches I was able to create a welcoming and cohesive look.