Plain Jane to Glam Condo
I just love a good before-and-after story, don’t you? Here’s a great one:
![BEFORE: A blank, beige wall, boxes of clothes and personal belongings, floor lamps, table, and a small sofa fill the dining area of an Oakland condo.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Before-Dining-Room-580x435.jpg)
A doctor wished to have a more glamorous feeling in her basic Oakland condo with good bones. She also wanted it to feel welcoming to people of any gender. Her beige Before space was plain and boxy.
![AFTER: a dining room space with a large dark wood rectangular table surrounded by 6 brown dining chairs with silver rings on the backs, plus two purple floral head chairs, under a large crystal glass tiered rectangular chandelier. Behind, a triptych with bronze lily pads is hung on a grass cloth textured wall with orange and gold tones. To the left, a window allows in light through gauzy curtains in bright orange and hot pink with geometric patterns. Either side of the scene are two hot pink almost red recliners in the living room space that opens to the dining room space beyond.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Kimball-Starr-Interior-Design_Blog-BeforeAfter-Dining-Room-580x429.jpg)
Voila! After my redesign to a Hollywood-regency-inspired dining space with plenty of light, color, and texture. The layered glass chandelier is the perfect accent above a heavy, dark wood table and masculine dining chairs with ring backs, while the more delicate head chairs are resplendent in mod purple floral and solid fabrics, balancing the space.
![A brown oversized armchair sits in front of a pile of boxes, containers, laundry bins, bags and personal items. A large support column is seen at the left side of the space. To the right are a pair of windows with flat black frames and gauzy white curtains.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Before-Living-Room-580x435.jpg)
Before, the living room and the dining room are one big open-plan space, so the materials and finishes needed to relate closely to each other. The armchair the homeowner had before was over-scale for the size of the space.
![Gold textured wallpaper on the wall behind a purplish sofa with gold accent pillows and a glass coffee table, below a tiered ringed glass pendant light acting as a mini chandelier. The gauzy orange and hot pink draperies allow light to stream in from the two windows. A hot pink almost red armchair faces the purply-grey sofa. A side table holds a table lamp. The dark wood flooring grounds the space.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Kimball-Starr-Interior-Design_Blog-BeforeAfter-Living-Room-580x353.jpg)
After, what a beautiful result! A chandelier as overhead pendant lamp really bounces light off the gold textured wallpaper. Soft fabrics on the sofa and chairs plus the layered blankets and pillows create a space that’s really touchy-feely, sensual and glamorous, yet practical and easy to use.
![Close up of a purple tufted head chair with raised velvet floral patterning on the outside of the chair, while the seat and back have a light purple velveteen fabric. The chair sits in front of a window with gauzy curtains in orange and hot pink geometric patterns. The flooring is a dark wood.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/After-Dining-Room-Chair-580x870.jpg)
Natural light streams in through the gauzy, colorful curtains, matching the bright, more streamlined armchairs in the living room, and complementing the dining room chairs. Magnifique!
Kimball Starr designs for glamorous homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.