A House Call Example

Lighting:  The fixture in the stairwell, casts glare, due to the clear glass panels.  So the light thrown is not as effective as it could be.  Are you attached to that fixture?  Or is it something you are willing to change?  Better light on the stairs and an updated fixture will be an improvement.  A narrow drum shade where the light goes up and down rather than to the sides would be better.   This may be a bit too tall but definitely gives you the idea. 

As said, due to the Tudor architecture, it’s challenging to add color to the walls.  Without moldings, Where do you stop and start?  It may be easier to add color on the floor or surprise! maybe on the ceiling! 

Dining room: It’s a relatively small dining room partly because the room acts as a hallway to the kitchen and den. We can freshen up this room, still keep it a formal dining room, but update. 

As discussed on Friday, the scale of some of the furnishings are off for this room. 

The window seems cloaked by the drapes. It would be helpful to alter the drapes to open up the room. Take the valence off entirely?  Remove the trim? Set the drapery panels further apart so more of the window shows.    

The Chandelier is too large, making the room seem small.  

The shades on the lamps on the buffet are too big.  Smaller lamps and/or oval or rectangular shades would take up less space and be a better fit.  

The mirror should be hung higher up from the surface of the buffet.  

Although there is nothing wrong with the china cabinet, a painted corner cabinet, fresh color, with enclosed storage, would be a good use of space and help this room feel larger.  

Chair cushions:  An Ikat, block print, or an over scaled pattern on the chair cushions would be an easy, and relatively inexpensive way to introduce a contemporary twist.  (For example, Samples: Manuel Canovas, 2 color ways, Peter Fascano, block print.)

Color:  Let’s consider Painting the ceiling.  By using this plane, we can add color or dimension to the room.  (BM: Balboa Mist?)           

Hallway to powder room:  Paint the walls a color (a fairly light color would do the trick but more intense could also be fun.) to highlight the window frame to frame the frame.  

Den:  Shades, need a repair 

Headphones for the TV?  (Soundworks?  Will get back to you on this.)  

Ceiling: Paint the ceiling a color similar to the rug, the white ceiling sticks out.   

The Roman Shades and drapes are staying, can we add a border or band to lengthen the drapes on the large window?   

Fabric needed to reupholster the 2 matching chairs and ottoman.  I have some suggestions, in house.  (Schumacher? Black and Tan?)  

Living Room:  The height and size of the room makes for a luxe, grand room.  The furnishings are traditional and formal.  It’s a room where it’s fun to accentuate the height.  The tall draperies and the grandfather clock accentuate the height and scale of the room, which is good.  The contemporary glass coffee table is unexpected and adds some reflectied light and a “mod” feeling. The thing that seems most in need of correction in this room is the lighting.  It seems dim and the lamps look petite for the size of the room.  Perhaps some up lights will illuminate and draw attention to the  height and the fantastic rafters.  One way to accentuate the ceiling is to paint it with a high gloss paint, it’s a great way to create a subtle shimmer.  The shelves over the piano with accessories also seem petite in scale for the height of the room.  Consider moving the portrait over the piano and a really large, tall mirror for over the mantle.  It will bounce light from the windows on the other side of the room and the height should help to balance the height of the drapery on the window side of the room.  Because the center of the room is a walkway to the sunroom it does set up two small seating areas.  Does the seating by the mantle function well?  I can see the challenge for that seating area since you walk right into it from the foyer.  Where you have the mirror now is useful since it reflects the entrance/opening to the room,  but if a mirror goes over the mantle that mirror should move.  Can we move the marble top chest and try putting the love seat on an angle in the corner, angling the seating area  toward the window wall?  To be considered.  

Sunroom:

This room seems ripe for a redo!  And an easy room to transform into a garden room like the tear sheets you’ve highlighted.  This sunny space is  a sitting room worth sitting in!  I’m wondering if you’ve tried swapping some of the upholstery with the living room upholstery?  The low flowered sofa might be a better fit in the sunroom or the yellow love seat?  (But I can see the challenge here, the striped sofa can’t be in the living room up against the striped drapery.) 

Some of the artwork in the living room would be much better in this room because of the natural light this room gets.  For example the line drawings of your home and former homes would read much better in the sun room or your office where the delicacy of the drawings can be seen.  

Case goods: Let’s add some casual furniture such as a coffee table in a bigger bolder scale to add texture and heft.  A piece or two in a large scale, will lend a nod to the Spanish colonial style courtyards, similar architecture to it’s Northern cousin, the Tudor.  

There seems to be a preponderance of quality, brown furniture in your home.  Many of your tear sheets showed rooms with painted pieces and some over scaled pieces, such a big scaled coffee tables.  Although all your furniture is good quality there’s a sameness to the pieces, brown wood.  Some variety of materials or finishes, such as painted finishes, rattan, distressed wood, glass or acrylic, will help to update.  

The upholstery and furniture seems glued to the corner of the room.  Maybe we can  float the furniture a bit more, using the rug as a way of centering the upholstery rather than the walls.  

The type of rug you have repeatedly pointed to is the patterned sisal.  You’ve selected  sisals with large scale weaves and patterns or hefty detail which would add texture.  The rug you have is not doing much for the space although it’s not really in need of replacement, so we could use it as a first layer, adding a smaller area rug on top, like a patterned flat weaves, Madeline Weinrib’s patterned flatweaves are a good example.  Or a smaller patterned sisal on top of the basic beige. 

As mentioned we should rotate the rug so the fading border doesn’t show.  I would replace this rug with something that evokes a garden, such as a garden grille pattern or lattice pattern as a starting point.  See below.

Since this room stands on it’s own and there is molding in this room, it’s a room we could paint.  A fresh Granny Smith apple green “tint” and accents would help to make this room feel more like a garden room, green house, hot-house, Spanish colonial courtyard!  The prints you have in the kitchen and the watercolor is a good example of a direction for this room.  One of your tear sheets, uses this color green effectively.  You also have selected lots of rooms with green, blue, yellow and white accents.  This could also be a direction.  But whether we go primarily green or blue, or another color, clear colors rather than muted colors seem like a good fit for this room.  A large scaled plant will add greenery and fronds, bringing the outdoors in!  

Office:  Your office is pleasant and the yellow walls are appealing but to tie these spaces  together, the color scheme of the back hallway, your office and the sunroom should all relate to the sunroom.  These spaces should offer a progression from one space to another, opening up in the sunroom. Working with these rooms as a series will make your office feel larger and seem like part of a suite.  I like working in a light bright space and I’m a huge fan of yellow, that said, this space should work as part of a series.  To be continued!  

Master Bedroom:  The room is generous, really lovely with lots of windows and a cozy feel due to the tray ceiling.  

Yesterday we spoke about working with the window drapery, focusing on a new rug, new fabrics for the upholstered headboard, bedskirt, new fabric for the slipper chair,  new comforter, getting a new coordinated look for bedroom, changing room and bathroom, while keeping the floral drapery fabric.  Although I love pattern and frequently love colliding patterns, (very British!) in an effort to update, adding some solid fabrics may be the right thing to do.  I mentioned Coral is “back” and so are all the adjacent colors such as a blush pink, we may want to incorporate this color range.  

Carpet:  I’m really glad you liked that Cornelian red carpet.  I’m not saying it’s out, but it did seem to make the floor look more orange but I liked what it did for the room.  The silky quality of that carpet is totally appealing for this room.   (Wall color, Ceiling color, don’t want to get cute but for the same reasons as in the dining room we may want to consider painting the ceiling.  P&L  Rose Nude?  Color name....ahem!)

A couple of questions about your bedroom, is the lighting adequate?  The skirted table as you walk in seems to be in the way, is the table in that place primarily for the purpose of having a place for a lamp?  Can we light the space another way?  Would like to put a small/short standing lamp, reading lamp next to the upholstered chair.  Re: The TV, it’s large and looming, does it bother you that it’s so large?  Do you like a big screen, does the TV feel precarious, up on the dresser like that?  It does to me, TBD)  

Dressing room:  This room seems like the stepchild!  We can expand the bedroom by dressing up this space with a rug and some decoration.  A small slipper chair or bench would be helpful when putting on shoes or trying on clothes.  A better looking dresser in the corner would be nice.  That’s the focal point of the room with the least attractive case good you have!  Maybe painted dresser to add some color?  A mirror or picture above?  Although this dressing room is functioning, if we make the bedroom look and work more like a suite it will be nice for you and add value to your home when you put it on the market.  Need to check the lighting in here.  

Guest room:  The black, white and tan plaid is nice and tailored looking.  Masculine but love the fun splash provided by the pillow and perhaps an accent color in here would be nice, useful, red is a classic with black, white and tan, a nod to Burberry, and maybe that fashion forward pillow seems right on, because of a association with Burberry, but any accent color can work.  A sisal rug is a good choice, contemporary but tailored, we should compare sisal - like options.  

Girly guest room:  At the moment, this pretty sweet room, just needs a rug to make this room more soft and welcoming.  Because it’s small room a light color would be nice, and definitely matte wool, rather than a shiny finish is the right fit for this room.  

These notes should provide a direction for us, as intended by the House Call report.  

I look forward to your feedback.  Not all ideas may be on target or priorities but hopefully will open up topics for discussion.   The immediate priorities remain, to finalize a carpet for the foyer, update the master bedroom, address the two guest bedrooms for visitors, with carpet being a priority for both rooms.  I look forward to accomplishing these goals and getting some of the other updates accomplished as well.  

We have a date for tomorrow morning at 10:00 with our team for help and measuring for shades, estimates for window treatments and estimates for reupholstery.  

Will stop in today to pick up the sample from your bedroom and look forward to your feedback.  I understand your timeline and I understand that we want to accomplish our goals while getting good value.  But it is helpful to know as we move forward a range you are willing to spend over the next few months to achieve the look desired.  Although we can achieve a great deal just by moving things around, repositioning artwork, giving things a different vantage point, it’s helpful for you as well as for me to know what budget range you feel comfortable spending.   

Looking forward to freshening up your lovely home!      

Best, Patti O