Continuing our series on before-and-after renovations, today I’m sharing a project that required very light demolition, mostly replacing finishes.
This is an easier type of project to take on because it’s completed faster, creates less construction dust and waste, and costs less than a full renovation that removes everything and starts again.
The biggest item we replaced was the kitchen flooring, which we matched to the rest of the house to provide unity throughout.
In the kitchen, we updated the dingy green cabinet doors with white and added cheerful green ceramic Ann Sacks tiles, and a set of open shelves near the sink that we repeated at the far end of the kitchen.
The oven needed an update from this commercial-looking afterthought. Now it’s a cute, modern cook-station with personality that harmonizes with the rest of the space.
The corner counter drinks station was wasting valuable space. The L-end cabinets were blocking light from entering the kitchen, so I took them out, replacing them with the same green ceramic tiles from around the corner. I added open shelving and a wine fridge for a modern touch.
Now the breakfast nook is colorful and sunny, with a custom built-in corner bench seat, table and chairs, leading to the lanai.
Look how much more natural sunlight is reaching the interior of the house! It makes the newly-replaced golden wood flooring shine.
Kimball Starr designs beautiful, refreshed homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation!
As we approach spring, it’s an opportunity to elevate your environment and raise your spirits, starting with your sofa!
You will always do well to purchase the best quality furniture you can in a neutral color with no excessive curves. Stick to classic, sophisticated shapes in fabrics that will last, then follow my tips to bring in texture and color. A few favorite examples follow.
Neutral Grey with Spring Colors
My client wishes it was spring every day, so I created it for her! I started with a neutral backdrop so the vibrant palette doesn’t overwhelm, using a shadowy pattern cast by the leaves of a tree on the living room wall.
Relaxing on the contemporary grey sofa, it makes you feel as if you’re sitting next to a tree on a sunny day, with a field of flowers underfoot. The bright rug and chairs are balanced by throw pillows in similar colors on the neutral sofa.
Luxurious Custom Cover and Pillows
My Bay Area client wanted luxury in his living room and also wanted to keep his existing sofa. The solution? We had the sofa reupholstered in a custom form-fitting cover. Using a high-end upholsterer who has the skill to create this fit is absolutely key; it’s still removable but looks like a million bucks.
Opulence and luxury are expressed through a double-layer of custom throw pillows in colors and patterns that tone with the sofa and velvet recliners. Each decorative pillow with contrasting welt was carefully selected from fabrics at the San Francisco Design Center along with my client, for a personal touch.
Inspired by Travel
The residents of this downtown San Francisco condo love bright colors, which also reflects their love of travel to the colorful country of Guatemala. We combined these interests by placing a bright red wool sofa in the center of their living room. It’s okay to break the neutral-color rule by intentionally making a choice, as long as you love it and are prepared to keep it a while.
For our travelers, I added a glass top to a Guatemalan wedding relic to create a custom coffee table that pairs beautifully with the tight back red sofa. It doesn’t need a lot of ornamentation, hence the yellow throw pillows to bring in the yellow from their nearby chairs. Beautiful, balanced, and bright!
Kimball Starr designs custom furniture for fabulous homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.
Have you ever wanted to change your home’s interior spaces, but not go through months of construction? Wouldn’t it be great to have a new space for the new year, but without all the headaches of tearing out walls and rebuilding?
Here’s how we did a no-demolition-renovation of a San Francisco kitchen recently.
This is what the space looks like after we completed the work. I just love how light and refreshing it feels!
The imitation artichoke pendant light is an affordable way to add a standout design feature, while the butcher block is both practical and useful as a countertop and a dining/seating area.
The kitchen was easily usable with plenty of counter space and cabinets, but also totally bland in wood tones and white, without much texture, color or pizazz. We didn’t need to move anything, just update the finishes.
We kept the same countertops, painted the cabinets, and added open shelving for storage and display. I set subway tiles on the vertical instead of horizontally, creating a much more modern look.
We chose cornflower blue as a color that communicates trust and safety, something everyone’s home should support. It’s also a great backdrop for colorful, delicious food!
Now my client enjoys her new kitchen and didn’t have to go through months of construction dust and displacement.
Kimball Starr designs for unique homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.
It’s here: One of my favorite January traditions, discovering the Pantone Color of the Year, and thinking about how I can utilize it in my 2024 work!
Below are a few ways companies are responding:
Ruggable created custom Peach Fuzz designs that are simple, sweet, and pretty. They make me want to wiggle my bare toes on their rugs with a cocktail in hand.
Motorola collabs with Pantone to unwrap what’s likely the first of many new phone designs we’ll see this year, but possibly the only one with a foldable concept.
The fabric firm Spoonflower and Pantone together unveiled unique designs by three artists — each featuring florals, plants, or animals — with more planned, including a series of design challenges.
I can’t wait to use this warm, welcoming color in a project this year. Will it be yours?
Kimball Starr designs for trendy and timeless homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.
When winter arrives, people want to cozy up to a warm fireplace.
This cute home has a cabin-y feel, with the knotty cedar wood paneling. While the potbelly stove did go with the environment, the client wanted a more modern, updated look.
I custom-designed this simple, contemporary fireplace to be beautiful and also provide a place to display art. The raised hearth is cantilevered and reinforced with steel so it’s now a seating area, too. A mid-century stool and faux fur rug extend the warmth further into the room.
Tired 70s to Smart Retro Modern
My client’s plain fireplace really needed an update.
We upgraded the vertical surface finishes with elegant white tiling and added geometric floor tiles instead of the old hearth box. I took away the mantel for a clean look. Now it’s modern, fresh and fun!
Kimball Starr designs custom fireplaces in contemporary homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation!
I just love a new year, getting a chance to have a fresh start, and time to renew yourself and your environment to prepare for the year ahead. If you’re dreaming of a refreshed and renovated home, read on for a beautiful before-and-after!
Above is how my client’s kitchen looks now, after I shifted a wall and added a door and an island.
You can see how limiting the sheetrock walls were. After removing the walls, now the kitchen is open and welcoming.
We changed the container of the space to improve flow and make it more usable. The sheetrock corner went away, we added a beam overhead, and clad the dining room wall to match the rest of the space.
On the left is how the kitchen previously looked in my client’s San Francisco home. Cramped, dark, and no place to put things down while cooking. On the right, my solution to create a light and airy kitchen with style!
Looking through the kitchen towards the living room and dining room, you can see how interconnected everything is now in my clients’ bright and contemporary home.
Kimball Starr designs beautiful, refreshed homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation!