One of my awesome clients hired me to design her two teenage sons' rooms in this amazing Victorian house (yes, think Royal Tenenbaums awesomeness) before they moved in, and to advise on layout and design for the living and dining areas of their home. We've now finished the sons' rooms, they have moved in and the living and dining areas are well on their way.
And, then there are about 27 other rooms to work on in the house. This is where patience comes into play. And, honestly, a budget.
On the upside, this is how a fun idea was born -- The $500 Kitchen Transformation! Originally born from the perplexing question -- "What the F*!% Am I Going to do with this Kitchen?".
So, in my awesome client's words below, we forge ahead. With $500. One week. And very. little. patience. left. with this behemoth of a house!
My awesome client...
We just moved into a large, Victorian townhouse in DC (too much space - what was I thinking???!!! I know, it's not really a problem but right now it feels like it!) and am feeling overwhelmed. I don't live with the neatest of boys - two sons and a husband - and I care quite a bit about design/ aesthetics. We have an eclectic mix of good furniture. Some we bought when we lived in a 1920's center hall colonial, some from our loft (I still miss those windows!) and some family pieces (for good and for bad). It's not a coherent collection at all, but it definitely suits us. We love mid-century furniture and design, but strive to mix it up with things from other eras - too much mid-century and you get, well, sadly, kitsch. We've moved around the country a lot, most recently living in a rented house while looking for a house. When we finally found a house that had great bones but needed a lot of cosmetics to bring it alive, I realized that I would never get the house transformed by making small adjustments over time. I was so lucky to meet Nicole Lanteri of On My Agenda in my search for a young, creative designer who might make the process fun, create layouts, pick colors, help to find pieces, and generally make the house work for us. I am so impressed - yes, this is a naked plug (Nicole didn't ask me to write this part ;)) - at her capacity to envision things, at her willingness to balance, create, and revise. I am a theater director, so I am used to working with design and space, and enjoy the process. But while I am drawn to individual pieces, most often very expensive pieces (oops!!) Nicole is constantly imagining the scope of the room. She loves the flea market as well as the design center. And she has a wonderful sense of proportion.
So here we are - two months into the design process. The living room and dining room have really come together (pictures to come!) but I keep having the sense that the kitchen (which we hope to remodel within the next few years if I don't get scared off by the price tag $$$) is a big, ol' bummer. It's grey, 1970's, grey walls, choppy, cramped, did I mention grey??. It does have tall cabinets and reasonable appliances going for it, but it otherwise feels pretty grim compared to the rest of the house.
What to do??
So here's the challenge Nicole and I came up with: A $500 Kitchen Transformation.
The goal: a beautiful space in which am inspired to make complicated dishes, want to drink martinis with friends, and enjoy cleaning up at the end of the night with my husband. Is that too much to ask for?? :)
Stay tuned!
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