AbbeyK — On Interior Design

Refrigerator

Cambridge Renovation

Bad news for the frige. It came in scratched. One quick call to Yale Appliance, and new doors are on the way. They are wonderful.

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Bath tub goes in

Cambridge Renovation

Tub goes in. Wall is framed.
We put in a new 60" tub. I typically prefer cast iron tubs. They hold heat better for those who take baths. But this is a 4th floor walk-up. A cast iron tub is a 3 man job up the stairs. That would be torture. This tub by Bainultra is nice and deep for soaking. Also it has clean lines. We'll tile the front. Looks more high-end.

We reframed the wall to recess the medicine cabinets.
Starting to take shape.

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Why I hate brick walls

Cambridge Renovation

See the yellow chords hanging out of the wall near the corner? That's wiring for outlets. We have to put in outlets along the wall that previously had no cabinets. It's code. There were no outlets there previously.
The wall is brick. This poses issues. We cannot put in regular outlet boxes. So we have to run a strip. We'll place it along the counter. It won't be so pretty, but we have no choice. I have a feeling the client will like having all the extra outlets.

Demo kitchen and bath

Cambridge Renovation

It's already an improvement!

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Bath

Kitchen

Please, please, please, take it away!

Kitchen and bathroom renovation

Cambridge Renovation

Nothing lasts forever, and this Cambridge 1 bedroom has a very tired kitchen and bath.
The goals? Get rid of everything. Clean up the look, increase storage and modernize. Stay tuned as we go along.

(Click on the pictures for larger view -- for the brave!)

Bath. A lot of 1/2 lives have gone by in this bath.
No words explain the need for clean in this bath. And the need for storage. I am a big fan of these 50s baths when the tile is in good shape. They can be fun and funky. Well, not here though.

Ktichen. Oh boy. Those are pink tiles on the floor. FIrst order of business, add some cabinets, and clean up the color palette. White does not necessarily mean clean.

Fixing problems

A lot my clients have had a problem with products for their home in the past and couldn’t get someone to fix it. For example, if you buy your blinds from a big box store, it’s very difficult to get help if something goes wrong: a blind is too narrow or it comes in the wrong color. Try just getting someone on the phone!

Part of the value of working with a designer is that if there are problems with products or other aspects of a project, I make the phone call to take care of the problem. That saves a lot of stress and time for the client.

Just yesterday, my contractor told me that the wrong sink was delivered and the toilet shipped without screws for the tank. Apparently the distributer loaded the wrong sink on the truck. We're not sure what happened with the toilet but it doesn't matter much...My guess is someone opened the box looking for parts...All it took was one call and the missing and incorrect items will be available next day.

A lot people who haven’t worked with an interior designer don’t realize that that’s what good designers do. And that’s why we work with certain vendors — because we can rely on them to help take care of things.

Amy Ross

My friend and client Amy Ross recently showed at Allston Skirt Gallery in Boston. Below are some pieces she showed.

I love her work. The above are birds she sees outside kitchen window in Cambridge. I'm in love with these birds.

Apartment Therapy did a piece on her.

Mixing materials

Here are some tip when accessorizing. Look at what materials you have and fill in what's missing. Look at what shapes you have in the room and add the opposite. For example, placing a round bowl on a square coffee table is more dynamic than a square bowl on a square table. Creating contrast helps achieve balance and it's more interesting to look at.

With the amount of wood and metal, we countered the brown tones with brilliant blues and greens. We had enough wood and metal in the furnishings, so we added a light feel found in glass accessories. Faux ostrich on the Chippendale seats is just for whimsy. Always nice to have a bit of the unexpected.

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Classic or trendy?

A client recently inquired: Robin’s Egg blue is an in color this year. How will I know that it will not look dated in two years? My response: Well, it will. Those colors from the 70's: avocado refrigerators and the gold shag rugs, it looks very 70's. And now things from the 80's look very dated, too. I have been renovating a lot of homes that were last done in the 80's. If you are interested in a vessel sink in your bathroom, I promise you, 10 years from now, it's going to look very 2000, or last century even. What I prefer is design that’s a little bit more timeless . A classic approach never goes out of style. Does that mean you should not do what you love? Absolutely not. Nothing lasts forever. If you need robin’s egg blue, you can always repaint the walls because you might repaint the walls in a couple of years anyway. We could do pillows that are a trend color. Or you might just realize that you love it now and in 10 years, when it feels dated, you’ll just redo your living room. Your taste may change anyway.

Chilewich flooring

Chilewich

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4 words
Placemats, flooring, wallcovering, upholstery

3 words
Plynyl -- vinyl products

2 words
Durable, innovative

1 word
Fabulous!