The Master Bath Complete

Back in October I posted some pictures of a Master Bath I was working on. Do you remember this post? There were two rooms, really: a bathroom and a walk in closet. The design that we put in place removed the dividing wall and vaulted the ceiling.  Here is a picture of the room as it looked during construction:

The room was completed in December, and I am so proud of the way it turned out. My clients say they go in there often just to enjoy the room. "Perhaps we should put a church pew in there?", they said to me a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't sure what they meant, but maybe due to the cathedral ceiling and the beautiful view of the trees outside, it actually inspires one to pray??

I only have an image of the finished product that I snapped on my iPhone. It isn't as clear as I would like, and I am resolved to get some better pictures to share with you soon...nonetheless, here is the finished product.

I am especially proud of how the materials all came together to make a beautiful room that is so at home in this structure's wooded setting. The room feels very serene, as my clients had requested, and yet reflects the personality, organizational needs, and tastes of the two people for whom it was created. What a wonderful blessing and opportunity to get to do what I do each day.

The Top Layer

I guess that it is accurate to say that I think of rooms in layers, almost like the stories of  a house. Without each one, something is missing and the whole thing just won't work well as a whole.

The topmost layer of any room can only be considered after all the foundational work is in place. You have started by removing all that you don't want in the room anymore, the paint color has been selected and is on the walls, there is a rug down if needed, the pieces of furniture are there and  in the location you want them.

I find that this is the point where most people feel the room is finished. How untrue!

The picture above is of a room that I have been working on for a wonderful friend and client. Her family room was at this very point this weekend when I arrived with the items to pull it all together.

Carefully selected pillows, curtains, lamps, ottomans, & accessories chosen for their color and style all came in and were put in place.

Wow! What a difference.

Things are layered in and moved around to get the best look. Suddenly things begin to resonate with one another, and the whole thing has cohesion that it didn't have before.

The space looks pulled together and intentional. The way the room feels is enhanced, and you are compelled to go in and take a seat.

Oh, hi, Rupert!!

The top layer is in place and, of course, a friend to enjoy the room with is the cherry on top!

From Institutional to Inviting

Over the years and through many different uses, a building even with the most beautiful bones can lose its luster.  The room pictured here is the dining room of our church’s rectory, a home alongside of the sanctuary that is intended for use by the rector and their family. Last summer our congregation was eagerly anticipating the selection of a new rector, and knowing that the home that they would reside in had seen some hard use, I was asked to help spiffy it up.

It is hard to see in the above picture, but the exterior of the window to the left was completely covered by a cinderblock wall ~ a sad consequence of an office addition that had been placed there in the 1950’s.  As a result, it seemed the best thing to others who had lived in the house to just cover the window with blinds--a gloomy fate for a beautiful old window that could be such an asset to the room.

I knew for sure that I wanted that window to be a part of the room again. I also knew that there was very little money to be used for this project, and whatever money there was had to be stretched and put to best use in each room of this charming victorian-era house.

With help from those in the congregation who were handy and generous with their time, the glass was replaced with custom cut mirrored glass that I had ordered. What a difference!

Today our rectory and church are blessed with the presence of a new rector and his family. I was even given the wonderful opportunity to design the space for them after they moved in.  New lighting, custom curtains, and their existing furniture come together beautifully. The space no longer looks like an adjunct building of an institution, but has the warm feeling of home.