Cloudy Colors

Empty nester and a single mom, the client had watched tv shows that showed houses go from awful to awesome. She decided to buy a ‘fixer-upper’ and called me. The kitchen was inefficient, crammed in the back corner of the house, closed-off from other rooms with a ceiling pressing low overhead. The house had a quasi-southwest air about it and her tastes were more modern. When I suggested closing off a window to improve the work flow, I could tell she thought I might be out of my mind. We needed the wall space and I was proposing lifting the kitchen ceiling and taking down non-loadbearing walls and I knew I could make up for any perceived loss of light. After showing her a recent photoshoot with before and after shots, she hired me to make the transformation to include giving the fireplace, living room and dining room a facelift.

Project Images

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I erased any traces of southwest style. First on the list, use a simple palette with a current soft gray base. Classic white painted shaker cabinetry anchored with maintenance free crisp grey quartz counters was paired with a multi-shade, textured, subway backsplash. The beehive fireplace had its challenges, but it worked out that we could straighten and square it up and the budget allowed to enhance it with a slate-like tile façade. Large format rectangular tiles graced the floors and the ceiling dawned an interesting fan and light fixtures to add interest to the backdrop of ‘responsive gray’ walls. The kitchen was inefficient, crammed in the back corner of the house, closed-off from other rooms with a low ceiling. The house had a quasi-southwest style and the client’s taste was modern.