Architectural Digest Home Design Show & My Beach House Update

Been so busy these last few months but so excited to get back to blogging and let you know all about some new trends that I have been tracking.  Just back from the Architectural Digest Home Design Show in New York on Thursday – what a great show!  It’s fantastic to see AD showcase new, small boutique companies and emerging artists!

We saw some really awesome products. One thing we saw a lot of was wood, wood and more wood.  Wood used as wall applications, beautiful floors designs, cabinets, etc. We saw a lot of barn wood and repurposed old wood, both stained, painted and distressed.  This was very interesting to me as I have just used 100 year old barn wood in my son’s room at the beach house (see below). One of my favorite new products that caught my eye is from a company called Moonish. 

These are marine grade plywood 6x6 tiles that are sold by the square foot. They have four magnetic backing tabs. You apply a receiving magnet to the wall and just stick the tiles on! They are held magnetically. Get tired of them or need a change? Simply lift off and voilà no more tiles. These are great for apartment dwellers, as well as those of you who move around and may want to take these lovely beauties with you.  For the DIY crowd I thought we could do so much with them – back an old cabinet, make a pretty mirror – check out Moonish tiles HERE

We saw lots of Mid Century furniture styles and lines; and some great new artists creating lovely contemporary pieces. I adored the lines and the finishes from WUD Furniture Design.  Here are some of their custom built ins as seen above and below. 

Their tables were beautiful but so hard to photograph, best to go to their website to see them. But what was most impressive was their furniture tops.

They use copper, zinc and rolled steel. They encase it in a hard resin, so it is impervious to scratching and stains. And if you think the resin makes it plastic looking, think again. These tops have an incredible true patina which I had difficulty photographing. Check out WUD Furniture HERE.

Also saw many companies trying to bring the luxury of the indoors – outside.  The West Coast is famously successful at creating gorgeous outdoor living spaces, but here on the East Coast our climate is not as forgiving. I just loved this well constructed, bamboo and cedar pre fab outdoor shower.  Made by a small Massachusetts company called OboRain, it will withstand the New England winters.  It comes shipped flat packed and is easily assembled. The design was minimalist and beautiful. You can see many other styles at OboRain HERE.

Also discovered a “new to me” hardware manufacturer, Sun Valley Bronze.  Similar to Rocky Mountain Hardware, but with exquisite patinas and styles both for the “mountain” and the “city”.

This is an example of their beautiful finishes, but do check out their website to see some extraordinary products – Sun Valley Bronze HERE

Now on to the Beach House… It has been a busy few months. We have been re- plastering almost every wall and adding tons of period style trim work and beadboard through out the entire house.  We also replaced several windows, which helped expand the ocean views. We also changed out a slider to windows, which helped enhance and correct the flow of the interior.

 

Here is a Before photo of the five unit contemporary window that was installed in the front of the house several years ago. I felt it distracted from the period style of the house.

And here is the After – still waiting to finish the outside trim work (will it ever stop snowing here?!)  Notice the new windows are 6 over 1 (mullions) and more appropriate in keeping with the 1920’s shingle style.

Another peek - Here is the upstairs hallway before we added all new trim work and detailing. The plaster, though not really visible in this photo was in need of repair. Notice the bead molding that runs along entire ceiling length on the right.

Here is the After - New plaster was applied to repair and highlight the beautiful crisp angles of the space.   Beadboard and trim were added to accentuate the great architecture and visually bring your eye up to create the illusion of a higher ceiling.  The Farrow and Ball paints are stunning and reflect the light beautifully.  The trim is Pointing and the walls and ceiling are Borrowed Light.  Floors still need to be refinished and new lighting fixtures need to be installed, but we are getting close.

Finally here is a peek at the new wall treatment in my son’s room, above is the Before photo.

  100 year old barn board from Vermont was added to two walls and the other two walls will be painted a driftwood gray. The wood adds the most awesome back drop!   Keep tuned in because I will be enhancing the wall with a “really cool” (according to my son)  treatment.  It’s going to be great! I will post about it very soon.

I am just excited to be back to blogging.  Been missing you all and now that things are slowing down to a more manageable pace we can all reconnect!! Hope you have been doing well and I would love to hear from you!  Have a great weekend!!! 

xoxo Gina

(all content and photos property of Willow Décor and not to be used with out permission)

Cape Ann Beach Cottage Before and After

I love renovation –moving walls and raising ceilings! Perhaps that is why I am so drawn to architects and spatial design versus fabrics and rugs. Most of my friends and colleagues think I am crazy, but nothing is more enjoyable to me than tearing out old walls and transforming rooms into a new and wonderful spaces. So when the the right architect/build firm comes along the results can be magic! Here is a wonderful before and after by Howell Custom Building Group who also did the architectural plan. The gorgeous After pictures were shot by the famous interior photographer, Eric Roth.

The 800 square foot cottage was part of an Inn, which consisted of the main house and cottages. When the Inn closed the homeowner purchased the cottage as a weekend retreat because of its spectacular location and views. The goal of the project was to increase the living area with out changing the footprint due to zoning restrictions. Above is the Living area/Kitchen Before.

Here is another Before from the opposite angle.The homeowner also wanted to add more windows to capture more of the spectacular ocean views.

Howell Custom Building Group provided a fabulous solution. They opened the ceiling with steel cable trusses to create cathedral ceilings and sleeping/play loft.

Here is the dramatic After. You can see that Howell Custom Building Group is outstanding at transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary!

Also notice their amazing attention to detail. I love the curved loft design which echoes a ship bow, as well as the ships ladder and hatch, that leads up to the play loft! So creative!!

The kitchen was cramped and cabinet space needed to be increased.

Curved mahogany kitchen counters were added and sealed with marine varnish. The design was inspired by the homeowner’s love of the famous Boston’s Union Oyster House Bar.

The bedroom before did not provide very good views

A glass slider was added and now the homeowners wake up views of the sparkling sea.

Usually in renovation the first thought is tear out the old stone and start again, but this stone fireplace was given new life.

They flanked the fireplace on either side with bookcases to add much needed storage and display space.

They also added a window seat for additional seating and a wall of sliders out to a new deck. The new sliders create an impactful and dramatic view of the ocean beyond. For more amazing photos of this cottage transformation to and to see more stunning properties by Howell Custom Building Group click HERE. To see more of interior photographer Eric Roth’s gorgeous work click HERE.

(All content property of Willow Décor, All Photos property of Howell Custom Building Group and Eric Roth)

My New Kitchen Slipcovers!!!

Back to school and back to projects that needed to get to done! I am so excited to share with you my new kitchen slipcovers!

Let’s start at the beginning, with two teenagers, a big, hairy dog and an Italian family who loves Marinara sauce; my kitchen was not a perfect environment for my linen, upholstered chairs! We’ve been living with dish towels draped over the seats to catch any spills– not very pretty. I needed some washable slipcovers and I needed them pronto!

As always I had an inspiration photo to show my wonderful seamstress (Photo: Things That Inspire). These were close to what I envisioned. I liked the straight lines and the overall length. I wanted something to cover the chair but not be too fussy.

I also needed the slips to be washable. I found these wonderful oversized napkins from French Laundry Home. I like their “grainsack” look and feel. They were big enough to cover just the seat, so we needed something extra for the skirting piece.

You might remember my wonderful linen blend curtains I found on sale last year at Country Curtains.

I bought extra fabric for $6 a yard and had these wonderful slipcovers made for my club chairs. Read all about my Family Room redo HERE. Fortunately I had enough fabric left to use for the skirting.

Here is the chair before…(not pasta friendly!)

And here is the slipcover after! Large enough to handle any spill and simple to throw in the wash!!

I love the back – I didn’t want any ties.

The hidden Velcro does the trick of keeping it neat and in place.

The bench also needed a bit of covering up. As much as I loved the Antique printed grainsack I bought from Kym Fraser of 3 Fine Grains, it was much too valuable to be stained with hot fudge!

A quick call to my dear friend, Wendy Lewis of Textile Trunk, and a more reasonably priced antique grainsack was on its way. We took out the stitching on both sides, sewed in the corners and added the ties. Look closely and you can see the fold (that was the bottom of the sack) still in the cover.

An indestructible and beautiful slipcover!! You can also see the chairs with their new, pretty dresses peeking through!

The lighting was not the best when I took the picture this afternoon, but I wanted to show you how wonderful the new slips look in the Breakfast Room!

Sometimes it seems daunting to live with linen or all white furniture. Slipcovers are the secret! Your kids can eat hot fudge and still live in a beautiful room without worry.

Do click HERE to see the wonderful new stock of antique fabrics available from Wendy at Textile Trunk. She just got back from Europe and you will go crazy!! And get ready to see some kitchens I have been working on, some reader’s renovations I am thrilled to share and some more personal and professional projects I am starting for the Fall!!

So happy to be back!!

(all photos and content copyrighted by Willow Décor and not to be copied with out written permission)

A Country Farmhouse

There is nothing more charming to me than a wonderful farmhouse. Old or new, I love the warmth and homey feeling!

I wanted to share this farmhouse from Rehkamp Larson Architects. When their clients purchased the property, the original farmhouse was in shambles. The owners envisioned a more modern, but classic styled foursquare farmhouse.

They wanted an expansive porch to wrap around the home to enjoy lovely views of the beautiful property.

Inside I fell in love with the old fashion styled farmhouse kitchen. Notice the large windows with mullions only on the top half. Also notice the huge wood center island. A bridge faucet and open shelving really helps capture the farmhouse style.

From this angle you can see the apron front sink. Another detail which really adds to the farmhouse feel are the exposed hinges on the inset cabinet doors, as well as the latches and bin pull hardware.

I adore this adjacent butler's pantry. Also notice the glass front cabinets and under cabinet shelf.

The bath is a wonderful reinterpretation of an old farmhouse bath. The slipper tub is sculptural and beautiful. The tile and high dressers also add a feeling of age and history.

Another favorite is the clapboard clad sunroom, outfitted with gas grill and hood. A great space for entertaining. Notice how the brick walls are complimented by the bright color palette. The colors really update and modernize the farmhouse feel.

The deep porch with beadboard ceiling creates a marvelous space for enjoying the vista. The very talented team at Rehkamp Larson Architects did an excellent job of creating a modern farmhouse for their client. To see more of their work click HERE.

(All photos Rehkamp Larson Architects- all content property of Willow Décor and not be copied with out permission)