Restoring My Home's Exterior

You may have noticed I haven't posted much the past few months as I have been focusing on restoring my craftsman bungalow's exterior. When we bought our home, the former owners had unfortunately removed much of what makes a craftsman home charming - including built-in shelving, pocket doors, leaded glass windows, and of course the original door.  While the home retained some character, we knew it would require a lot of TLC to bring it back to it's former glory. 

House before with tired aluminum siding and windows

For the first few years, we focused on updating our home's interiors including a kitchen and basement remodel, adding a bedroom and bathroom, updating all the old knob and tube wiring, galvanized plumbing, and overhauling the backyard (there once stood a two story fiberglass RV garage).  While we enjoyed our home with most of the interior work complete, whenever we pulled up to the front of our house, we would turn a blind eye to the tired white aluminum siding that had yellowed over the years and the picture frame aluminum windows that plagued us every Winter with condensation and pools of water on our window sills.  We also soon realized after a mason inspected our exterior brick, that it had been neglected for so long that it would need new grout and some repair.  It was time we addressed the exterior of our home by salvaging what we could and incorporating new materials to bring it back to life for 2016.

So to begin...here are the BEFORE photos :

After the aluminum siding is removed, it exposes the original ship lap. We recycled the aluminum siding.  Chimney before restoration.

Exposed soffit and framing.

Aluminum covered our soffits and fascia boards.

Debris removal...this pile tripled in size by the time demo was complete.

Roof trusses exposed after siding removal.  We were excited to see most could be salvaged or repaired.

Original window weights.  

Installation of Hardie siding, bead board, and recessed lights.

Oh yeah did I mention a remodel is the perfect time to get a puppy?  We got Sam in early December and couldn't be happier with the newest addition to our family.

Sam our French Bulldog

And here are the AFTER photos...

House exterior after

I really struggled with the gray paint.  I think I went through 20 sample cans to find the warm gray I had in mind.  I came across the color I inevitably went with after stalking nearby homes in the neighborhood.  I kept driving by this one house and couldn't stop obsessing over the color.  I was so brash I would take my sample swatches up to their house when I didn't see them home and try to match to the samples I had been collecting.  After many failed attempts at making a match, I finally left a note and the nice owner was kind enough to call me with the details. They had painted their house with Sherwin Willimas Shipyard Gray (discontinued) and I had Sherwin Williams match it.

Back of home with new awning and porch railing.

Our 1925 garage even got a facelift with new siding and carriage style garage doors.

I couldn't be happier with the home's facelift and how it stands out.  It was so washed out before and with the old braces, soffits, and brackets restored, it truly looks like it did when it was first built in 1925. 

Front porch with new railings, beadboard, and canned lights.  

For the front porch, we added Neutra black house numbers and a simple black mailbox.  In the Spring, I hope to spruce up the porch with a DIY black porch swing and some potted agave plants flanking either side of the door.  

The front yard could use some love too with boxwoods, ornamental grasses, and English lavender planted in the nearby flower beds however for now, I am just going to enjoy my old home and the many memories it will give my family.

A Little Color Goes a Long Way

I recently met with a new client (thank you Emily for the referral) whose busy family of five lives in a lovely Cape Cod style home that has already been remodeled pretty extensively.  They've already painted the exterior grey, overhauled their kitchen, baths, and basement.  They came to me and asked that I make some interior updates to their living and dining room spaces as their current furniture is a little heavy and dark.  While they aren't fans of vintage furniture and are hesitant about color, I'm hoping to convince them that a little color can go a long way and I may be able to sneak in a vintage accessory or two.

Because their dark brown leather couch will stay (I attempted to find a similar couch for this design board) I had to find complimentary colors while keeping with their black and white scheme.  I created a space that exudes a more glamorous feel with the chippendale chairs and a glass coffee and console table.  

For their second living room option, I kept with an all black, white, and blue color scheme that evokes a beachy vibe with lots of texture.  The jute and sheepskin rug will blend nicely with their wide plank grey washed wood floors.  And I was still able to bring in some gold with the sunburst mirror and antelope bookends.

The client has reviewed the boards and is narrowing her options.  We may tweak a chair selection or two but I believe we captured the look she is going for.  So which is your favorite board - Option #1 or Option #2?

Shop the Look

In this month's 'Shop the Look', I share some inspirational photos on how you can incorporate some of the new vintage pieces I just listed into your home.  Check out these styled up spaces featuring similar vintage pieces to those I have for sale.  You can see how a vintage piece or two can add beauty and character to a vignette, dining room, shelves, or table top.

Living Room Side Table Featuring Brass Quails : Photo courtesy Domicile Interior Design

Lucite Chandelier : Photo courtesy Domino Magazine

Mid-Century Inspired Candle Holders by Target : Photo courtesy Target

Jonathan Adler Zebra Dish : Photo courtesy Bliss at Home

Q & A with Kelly LaPlante of Trove

Get ready because this week I bring you one of my most inspirational designer interviews.  I am honored the lovely Kelly LaPlante, Editorial Director at Trove Market, is the featured designer on AnthologyHouse. Not just because she is an amazingly talented designer but because I believe in her philosophy that you can reuse and make less of a footprint on the environment through eco-friendly design choices.

Photo courtesy: Thomas J. Story, Sunset Magazine

As an accomplished designer, author, and tv host, Kelly was at the forefront of introducing sustainable interior design in the U.S.  She has been featured in several publications including Sunset, Dwell, and Traditional Home, and tv shows on HGTV and the Sundance Channel.  

I was humbled when Kelly asked me to join as a partner seller with Trove Market, an online marketplace for buyers and sellers to connect over preloved furniture and home decor.  What sets Trove apart from other online sites is you actually get to see and touch the item you are interested in purchasing.  Potential buyers login to their Trove account via Facebook, which allows them to see shared connections with a seller and ultimately make a more trustworthy connection.  

I had fun chatting with Kelly over mail as we discussed how I would become a seller on Trove for the Seattle area.  I immediately connected with her and was thrilled when she asked me to do an interview.  And so I bring you our conversation below...

Alyse : Kelly, you are a talented designer who can take a diamond in the rough piece of furniture and make it sparkle again.  What motivated you to get involved in sustainable design?

Kelly : My parents got married when they were just out of high school and then had kids in their early 20s—so they were sort of on the "young, broke and in love" track. Growing up, we always had all of our needs (and many of our wants) provided for, but being resourceful with what we had was standard operating procedure. 
 

Venice Beach Residence : Photo courtesy Kelly LaPlante

When I entered the design world, I was sort of blown away with how much waste was produced and how often people would just throw things out and start over. It just killed me, inside! So, when I was still in my early 20s, I decided to go out on my own and focus my practice on helping people find ways to reuse what they already owned. That was in the late 1990s when "green design" wasn't really a thing, yet, but as that movement grew, I grew with it—and I was really lucky to become part of the leadership that fostered more sustainable practices. 

Austin Residence : Photo courtesy Kelly LaPlante

Alyse : You have overseen the design of some impressive commercial projects including the Miller Lite VIP Lounge at SXSW, the Lexus Hybrid Living Suites at Fairmount Hotels, and the Bancroft Hotel.  How did you implement eco friendly pieces into these projects?

Bancroft Hotel : Photo courtesy Kelly LaPlante

Kelly : We're so lucky, now, that so many companies are producing more sustainable pieces. Even bigger companies have employed some extraordinary standards that have really changed the game. So sourcing sustainable new products is easier than ever! Still, my go-to is reuse. There is nothing more eco-friendly than using something that takes up no new resources, whatsoever. 

Lexus Hybrid Living Suites at Fairmont Hotels : Photo courtesy, Kelly LaPlante

For the Lexus Hybrid Living Suites, we used a lot of the existing furniture from the suites and just had things reupholstered and refinished, locally—same thing at Bancroft! For Miller Lite, we were under a major time crunch (less than a week!) so I shopped floor models from West Elm and Ikea—both of those companies have done a great job of bringing sustainable practices into the main stream, and I'm happy to support them when buying secondhand isn't an option

Miller Lite VIP Lounge, SXSW 2015 : Photo courtesy Kelly LaPlante

Alyse : What made you decide to get involved with Trove Market and how are you spreading the word of sustainable design throughout the U.S.?

Kelly : Trove and I share a passion for finding extraordinary secondhand things and putting them to use. I started talking to them when they were in R&D... we just had a strong affinity for each other and wanted to stay in touch. Then they launched and one day I got a phone call asking if I'd come play with them for awhile! It was a really easy thing to say yes to.

Photo courtesy Trove

One of the best parts of my job with Trove is that I get to look for ways to engage with the communities where we have a presence—Austin being one of them. About a month ago, I met an amazing woman named Stacy Johnson who recently opened a group home for children. I went to visit the space and was so impressed with everything she had done to get it up and running so quickly! All that's missing now is a little "house warming" so I asked if Trove could help with that! I recruited 8 local designers to help decorate with better lighting (currently flourescent—yikes!), rugs, art and other things that will help make this space feel more like home. We have a lot of wonderful partners who are donating all of the things that we need. We'll be installing it all on October 7th—I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!

Alyse : As a collector of vintage home decor, do you have a favorite piece at your home?  Where did you acquire your treasure?

Photo courtesy Kelly LaPlante

Kelly : My favorite piece is a glass globe paperweight that I inherited from my grandmother. When I was a little girl I used to stare into it and imagine that fairies lived there. It's just sort of magical, to me. I get really calm when I look at it. 

Alyse : You are about to open two new restaurants in Austin - Odelay and The Upper East Side - as both co-owner and designer.  What made you decide to start not only one restaurant, but two?
 

Photo courtesy Kelly LaPlante

Kelly : This was actually the brainchild of my friend, Jason Hicks. He lives very near this abandoned grocery store building and has been dreaming of a restaurant and coffee shop being there, for years (it's too big for just one thing). After asking just about every restaurateur in town to open something there, he finally decided to take matters into his own hands! He asked me if I would help him out and that's found myself in the restaurant business! Jason is really spearheading it all—I just get to do fun things like branding and designing the concept and space, I won't be very involved in the day-to-day operations, once it's open. It's been a lot of fun to learn about what it takes to get a restaurant open—but, boy, what a long road!

Alyse : Thank you Kelly for chatting with me about Trove and the sustainable design movement you've successfully led.  I look forward to hearing back from you on all the exciting projects you and the team at Trove are spearheading in the sustainable design community.

To read more about Trove Market and to see Kelly's interview with me, please check out their blog and follow them here:

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And to see more of Kelly's designs and her lookbook, you can follow her here:

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Dressing up a Cozy Craftsman Living Room

Ahhhh fall is in the air and I am ready to get to work on creating a cozy and inviting living room at the northwest craftsman (see previous post).  The client would like a chesterfield style sofa, new throw rug (she's getting a replacement at Pottery Barn), and a reading nook chair.  She ideally wants to keep the side and coffee table she currently owns however for this mood board, I wanted to give her some other options including a reasonably priced gold wire side table and ottoman.  After all, this Seahawks watching family of four needs to kick their feet up while watching the game and the Essex ottoman from West Elm would fit their space perfectly.  

1.  Falling Water Abstract, Kelly Johnston 2. Gus Modern Atwood Sofa, AllModern 3. Les Touches Blue Pillow, AriannaBelle 4. Marble Heather Grey Pillow, ModShop 5. Rooibos Orange Velvet Lumbar Pillow, Cost Plus 6. Devin Tufted Rug, Pottery Barn 7. Vintage Brass Arc Lamp 8. Sophia Leather Chair, Navy, Kasala 9. Kenza Morrocan Pouf, Lulu & Georgia 10. Vintage Italian Gilded Wall Candle Sconces, High Street Market 11. Jonathan Adler Zebra Stacking Dish, Hattan Home 12. Harper Side Table, Urban Outfitters 13. Midcentury Modern Wooden Table Lamp, High Street Market

Before I begin revamping this space, I had to take advantage of an amazing deal on curtains at West Elm.  I couldn't resist paying $12.99/panel for West Elm's Cotton Canvas Bazaar panels in grey.  So we used their print as our jumping off point for the open concept living room and will tie in the oranges and blues of the adjoining dining room.

What this board does not show are the windows and front door on either side of the wall where the couch will be placed.  The wall space above the couch is somewhat limited, however would accommodate a narrower piece of art such as Falling Water from Bainbridge Island artist, Kelly Johnston.

Besides the Atwood sofa, the client is also considering a couple options from local Seattle retailers Couch and Camelion Designs.  Below is the Claire sofa from Couch.

For her reading nook, she really likes the Godiva wing chair, also from Couch.  The nail heads from this chair would tie in nicely with the Claire sofa.

I hope to have more to share on this living room revamp soon when we should have our final fabric and furniture selections made.  I'll also be busy sourcing some vintage accessories for her mantel and tabletops.