Flooring is the foundation that can make or break a space. Similar to the idea, "The shoes complete the look." The same is true of a well designed interior. Anchoring your design with the appropriate flooring will help to achieve a cohesive environment.

BEFORE

Currently their is white oak at our 1930's project. I love white oak but not in this golden stain. It's beautiful with a clear coat for contemporary spaces, however the clients want a deeper more saturated look for their home.

Sanded white oak above. Notice the fireplace has been completed!

My go to stain is English Chestnut. I use it 95% of the time because of its warm rich finish. Here it is without the Polyurethane. Already you can see how much warmer the space feels. Our jewels tones will work beautifully with the space.

It's not in the budget to address the kitchen yet, however the kitchen floor was in really tough shape. Besides the mixed materials, the flooring in front of the sink was water damaged and had developed and unpleasant odor. Instead of spending dollars on a band aide like linoleum, I suggested they commit to the wood floor now and weave in new flooring near the cabinetry at a later time. In addition, it will make the daily living experience a much more pleasant once their living in the home.   

Layers of flooring were removed.

New flooring has been installed and stained in the kitchen. Immediate improvement!

AFTER

Semi-glossed and ready for paint! See you next time. Pop in for the next update!

Fireplace Repair

Purchasing an older home can be filled with romantic ideas of entertaining family, friends and late night dinner parties or soirees. The reality...it may take a little work before those dreams come to fruition if the home wasn't previously updated.

In this case, the previous owners promised to repair the fireplace as part of the sale agreement. The last thing you want is a carbon monoxide issue or a fire hazard, so the interior box and damper had to be repaired resulting in a decreased opening by 4" on all three sides. In this case, smaller means safer.

Before

Hearth tiles were removed to make way for new tiles. A new interior has been installed and painted so the box looks like it's always been there.

FYI - I normally add 10% waste on top of what the tile project calls for if I'm not doing a custom cut stone for the surround. 

A little more sanding of the thinset mortar to prepare the surround, then the and hearth will be ready for tile!

A must see in person! This tile is now one of my favorites!

Here's our tile installed. Floors next!  

~Michelle

New beginnings for a 1930's home

Earlier in the year a lovely home was purchased by a client in the Greater Boston Area of Braintree, Massachusetts...a suburb south of Boston Proper. Here are a few facts about Braintree if your not familiar. The town was settled in 1625 and has a great lineage of history. Most notably, it is the birthplace of two past Presidents, John Adams and John Quincy Adams. Brevet Brigadier General Sylvanus Thayer was also from Braintree and the Father of the United States Military Academy at West Point. A few great reasons to live in Braintree.

Although not as old, this home possesses some really great characteristics and charm of Braintree in the 1930's. It has great curb appeal and feels like an era gone by as you enter the home, but before you do, the front entry welcomes you in with a triple arched porch! How lovely is this? I see so many possibilities!

Before pictures of our current project.

I love a corner lot and the many mature trees surrounding this home.

Looking forward to improving on the walkway and landscaping at some point.

The side entry and it's arched door is especially lovely. This door is right off the kitchen. I have great plans for this little spot...Big things can come in small packages as they say. It's going to be filled with many textures and global flair!

 The kitchen needs a lot of love. A luxury kitchen is not in the budget at the moment, however we are going to spruce it up in the meantime and make it feel like home.

Great original paneling dress the walls of the dining room!

The color and textile possibilities are endless.

A clear visual all the way through from the side door. I'm imagining beautiful paper in the hallway and jewel tones in the living room. While we're at it, let's give the fireplace a new lease on life, with a new surround and screen.

 Original French doors!

The previous owners viewed their television over the fireplace. We are going to relocate it to this area and mount it on the wall out of view. I would like to see the fireplace become a focal point again.

The design concepts are in place and now I'm just wrapping up the details. Next time I'll share what's going on in other areas in the house. This should be great fun! I hope you follow along for the ride! Thanks for stopping by!