We’re gearing up for our reveal of the lounge on Monday, however the renovation and design means of the home was so overwhelming (within the typical vogue) that I captured photographs/footage however typically didn’t share/publish as a lot as I ought to have concerning the design course of. It’s prefer it occurred each so slowly (over 3 years) and but with a lot taking place without delay I didn’t do one of the best job of rolling it in actual time. So we’re going to recap a few of the areas and deep dive/dissect a few of the design components earlier than we reveal the rooms. Right this moment is all about the lounge (with after all a sneak peek on the finish) and I’ve some extra readability round my conflicted emotions about our {custom} paneling. Settle in, of us. It’s a factor. The whole lot is a factor.
Once we first toured the itemizing in 2018 this room had a lot potential, clearly. You might be greeted fairly instantly by this room (after the entry – did you see the reveal on Monday?) and she or he is massive, architecturally attention-grabbing, and the issues and options had been quick and clear.
What We Needed To Change:
- She was DARK. Each with an absence of sunshine and darkish in tone/coloration. Now after dwelling within the PNW for 2 years, I can say that there’s a case for the darkish/cozy room for positive (weblog publish, possibly?). However our first response was to lighten it up – in each means doable – ceiling coloration, add extra doorways/home windows, and paint the partitions. Once more, I additionally acknowledge this was my pure light-obsessed California mind speaking, however I don’t remorse something that we did light-wise in right here.
- The flooring was from the 90s and never the worst, however not unique or particular. We knew that since we had been opening it up with the kitchen we’d probably want to switch all of it.
- {The electrical}/exhausting lighting scenario was not serving to – there have been solely 4 small sconces and you possibly can simply inform that when we’d attempt to exchange these we’d see much more electrical points (we had been proper).
- It felt virtually unusably giant, virtually just like the foyer of a lodge. This room simply took up a lot sq. footage, with the kitchen being undersized for the home. How do you make this area usable for a household of 4 with out including 1,000,000 items of furnishings to fill out the area?
What We Cherished And Needed To Preserve:
- The three diamond home windows had been so fairly, however we knew we wished to open that wall to the yard (and future porch). We salvaged them and used them upstairs and within the pantry. Now at first, we had been simply going to place one French door in between the 2 massive home windows (which might completely have labored though I really like what we did).
- The ceiling structure is so fairly – so many older properties have broken low ceilings so these being 9′ earlier than the beams was an actual deal with.
- The hearth is nice – tremendous traditional, inoffensive, and appropriately sized for the room. It had a range insert most likely for warmth functions and we wished to make it both wooden or gasoline (so you may see the flame for ambiance).
So We Gutted…
Now nobody desires to intestine a home, however as soon as we received the inspection report again (which I’ll share extra about in a future publish) it was clear that actually the whole lot wanted to be executed to make it secure to reside in. EVERYTHING. She is 110 years outdated and wanted greater than a facial or a facelift and I’m not a plastic surgeon or a miracle maker. ARCIFORM clearly performed an enormous half in restoring this woman and transforming it from prime to backside – thank god for them.
The paint had lead, {the electrical} was harmful, and there was probably no insulation – all the conventional outdated home stuff. So after the demo, there was some hope of getting the room that we actually wished.
We knew that we wished to have a door to the yard and labored with Sierra Pacific on these attractive scenic doorways that wanted a HUGE opening. Then we flanked it with two giant double-hung home windows. Doing these modifications is an actual factor and requires correct engineering and permits in addition to putting in a big observe for the doorways (so it’s a must to fur out your partitions to be a minimum of a foot thick, amongst different issues). The day they minimize that gap we might see our future, regardless of it nonetheless wanting like a horror home. We had been extremely excited.
It felt like such progress and we had been stuffed with hope. The Soake pool is the place that pile of dust is now, a a lot a lot prettier view. We centered the doorways on the hearth which was the proper factor to do (however did give us a competing point of interest and created some move questions/points which at the moment are resolved).
Right here you may see what it regarded like with drywall, white oak home windows (from Sierra Pacific), and Zena white oak flooring. This was proper earlier than any of the trim or paneling went up and if I’m being completely trustworthy I desire this no-paneling look (extra on that later). I even kinda prefer it with out window trim. However is it bizarre to have a 100-year-old four-square craftsman and remove the window trim and baseboard? Actually everybody mentioned, “YES, THAT IS SUPER WEIRD”. Additionally, we had the unique classic home windows upstairs that we felt wanted trim. I wasn’t pushing for this, however the level is I favored how clear and easy it was. Your eye went to the white oak and never a bunch of millwork. However once we had been designing this we had been dwelling in our timeless white oak, Scandi mountain home and I’ve grown to desire the no trim window look. I could also be very fallacious about this BTW – so many individuals who I respect disagree with me.
Okay, so right here is the place a hiccup got here for me (many individuals don’t agree with me). We selected to do horizontal giant beadboard paneling in right here so as to add some architectural texture, however solely as much as the window sill. Once we fell in love with this look it was at Anne’s cabin the place she did it actually excessive up and white-washed it so you possibly can nonetheless see the knots and grain. We selected to as an alternative paint it. Nice. How might that go fallacious? It added a reasonably wall factor, after all, nevertheless it additionally made the room extra formal – one thing I’ve been battling since we moved in. You’ll see…
I really like the paneling when it was wooden nevertheless it was poplar and never stain grade (similar with the window trim). All of the millwork was {custom} run, btw, which was extraordinarily costly (over $60k only for the supplies for the entire home together with the household room, out bed room ceiling, mudroom, and the kitchen) – not together with labor to put in. Brian and I had been ADAMANT that this was an architectural factor we wished so badly. This wasn’t one thing we had been on the fence about – we had been POSITIVE. I don’t take into account any of this a mistake, it’s simply wanting again I don’t assume we would have liked it for this room.
What Do I Want We Had Finished As a substitute?
Now, I wish to be very clear that Jamie and the ARCIFORM crew designed and executed this PERFECTLY. This was a design alternative that Brian and I made. Now that the lounge is completed, I really feel in another way however many many instances I needed we had executed stain-grade white oak window and door casing to match the home windows, with white baseboards and no paneling. I’m over it and I principally love this room, however I’ve this pathological compulsion to show myself to anybody that comes into my home or weblog. (I’m like that canine who instantly rolls over and reveals you her stomach upon first assembly. I really like a lot about this home – which I’ll yell loud and proud, however I’ve struggled with the paneling in right here SO MUCH. And it’s OK! This room is objectively SO PRETTY and I really feel like I’m allowed to point out and let you know all my regrets with out folks pondering that I’m complaining or that I don’t assume that it’s so fairly. It’s. Very not often do you do one thing {custom} and costly and notice later you not solely didn’t want it however maybe would have favored it higher with out doing that costly factor. So should you’ve executed that in any means earlier than know that you just aren’t alone.
However we needed to hold shifting… we had been shifting in in a matter of weeks.
Once we walked in after the priming I had blended emotions (accompanied by a pit in my abdomen). I used to be so glad that the ceiling was brilliant and white, however I missed all the heat of the wooden and realized that portray the paneling and trim work was not going to be the look I had initially wished. However when it was masked off like this you couldn’t see the wooden flooring, wooden home windows, or wooden cupboards. There was a lot wooden in right here!!! Absolutely it was heat however we simply couldn’t see it! However I simply felt so dissatisfied in myself (these had been all my choices, BTW, not ARCIFORM – they had been principally right here for the structure and weighing in on my decisions, getting sq. footage and drawings, and many others, however these design choices got here from us).
Okay, What’s The Greatest Problem With The Paneling?
My greatest situation is that trim work can look extra formal and fancy – however going too easy can look builder-grade. I really like the profile that ARCIFORM designed for us (a 4″ with a tiny bead on each ends). Having the paneling solely put in to wainscot peak (we selected window sill) made it exhausting for me as a result of portray them the identical coloration because the partitions would seem like we simply didn’t make a design determination – like we forgot to create a distinction between the painted wooden and drywall. And but portray them two completely different tones or wallpapering would absolutely make the room look busier – so many doorways, so many strains, a lot distinction. It simply wasn’t what I had initially envisioned.
So on the 2 days earlier than them ending the paint job on, I pitched to Brian for them to color the paneling a lightweight tone of blue. We beloved the colour of our doorways on the second flooring (see right here), so in UTTER HASTE, we had been like, “Let’s simply try this”. This was not my greatest second, however probably relatable.
Once we walked in after the primary coat, each of our our bodies and mouths screamed, “OH DEAR GOD, NO”. I feel Brian made some form of “Easter home” comment. Cool, cool, cool. We totally realized we had been dashing all of it and that’s not one of the best head area to be in. However as you may see portray and repainting paneling is a THING.
I used to be beginning to panic. Brian jogged my memory that our mountain home is 100% white and wooden and we adore it. Proper! sure! White! Perhaps it is going to be okay??? With actually ZERO time to make a unique determination (with out holding everybody up) we requested them to return to the unique plan and simply paint all of it white.
Once we walked in on move-in day (the completed cleanup the day earlier than) I beloved a lot about the home and this room. It was so remodeled and I noticed a lot magnificence. Nevertheless it’s like my abdomen knew earlier than my eyes did and I received a pit instantly. So many individuals had labored so exhausting on this home, that for me to say something detrimental out loud was not going to occur. However to me, the lounge regarded so unfinished. On the time the one answer was to construct a time machine to return and never put up the paneling and use white oak window and door trim to match the interiors of the window. In case you’re questioning why we didn’t try this it’s as a result of we simply financially and mentally couldn’t return into the development section. I couldn’t rip stuff off that we had simply spent SO MUCH MONEY to custom-make and set up. Mockingly, it was a little bit of a darkish time for me as a result of I saved all of it inside moreover the occasional breakdowns to Brian. I used to be simply so dissatisfied in myself and stuffed with remorse, however nothing was so dangerous that it was a mistake that wanted to be fastened. No pity right here – FYI, I had reverse reactions to the kitchen, mudroom, sunroom, and our lavatory – all so stunning I wished to cry and may’t wait to point out you the remainder of them quickly. However this room!! I actually felt like I tousled on this room in a non-fixable means and but I KNEW that it wasn’t an enormous deal that was value shedding sleep over.
We Moved In… August 2021
Our rental lease was up, college was beginning in eight days and I used to be DETERMINED to maneuver in and get the youngsters settled earlier than they began college. It had been an extended, mentally tough yr and in my thoughts shifting in would clear up all my woes. So with out building totally completed (ARCIFORM busted their asses to get us that shut – THANK YOU), we moved in and determined to reside with the furnishings we had for some time, which was one of the best determination (and actually we didn’t have a alternative)… As soon as I received artwork up on the partitions it was beginning to really feel extra like our residence. I favored being within the area lots however the phrases “stark,” “chilly” and “unfinished” all the time floated round.
A reader, Misty, reached out and provided to photoshop the lounge with completely different paint/wallpaper choices.
Now these colours I don’t assume are very consultant of the samples I had. Each of those had been meant to be WAY extra muted (or a minimum of they gave the impression to be that means in particular person). However my response was so dangerous after I noticed them photoshopped that I didn’t even wish to take into account pursuing or tweaking. However as you may see, for some time I considered portray the partitions a lightweight coloration of the pink bed room upstairs which I really like SO MUCH. The photoshopping simply made it a tough no.
Then I requested her to place the entry wallpaper in right here (which wasn’t up but, clearly). Typically I feel it’s simply the rendering and now that it’s within the entry I’m questioning if I ought to have executed this paper as an alternative in the lounge, however the photoshopped photographs did NOT persuade me (and it could be very costly so not one thing you simply “attempt”).
I even requested Misty to do a unique impartial on the partitions and paneling/trimwork that was not yellow, nevertheless it positive regarded prefer it was!
I virtually gave up on doing something till I discovered this tender blue/grey referred to as ‘Mantra‘ which is absolutely fairly. We left for a weekend and it was executed in in the future. Portray drywall isn’t a giant deal, it’s the paneling that’s (requires a lot paint, sanding between coats, and many others).
It does look fairly, for positive. And at this level, so most of the different components make me so glad so I’ve stopped fixating on the paneling.
Shoot Approaching – Time For Furnishings and Equipment
In case you missed it we custom-made our dream espresso desk (that we’re obsessive about) with two native makers (shout out to Purl and Billy). Learn this publish if you wish to find out how we did it or how a lot it value.
The Format
Then we organized and rearranged actually every bit of furnishings to attempt to discover the proper mixture… I wrote a publish about my dream couch and the way we landed on this one.
We even produced a Youtube video with Michael Raines to stroll you thru the structure points and present you the place we landed.
Sneak Peek
The total reveal approaching Monday (if I get my act collectively to put in writing it in time!). There are a couple of extra components that I must stroll you thru that we’ll be deep diving into this week earlier than the reveal. So for all of us design nerds, we’ll be diving into our enjoyable window panels and artwork!
Geez, she is nothing if not wordy. This weblog began out 14 years in the past as a journal, so generally that’s what you continue to get. 🙂 Come again Monday!!
And an enormous because of ARCIFORM for the architectural design and ideal execution of the carpentry on this home. Simply because I don’t like each single of my very own design choices doesn’t imply that they didn’t do their half completely. Anne, Stephyn, and Jamie – THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THIS LADY’S PROJECT 🙂
*The Fairly Photographs by Kaitlin Inexperienced
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