Design Dilemmas & How They Were Solved.
Residential Story #1
(ACHIEVING AN UPDATED LOOK)
Bob and Bobbi had purchased an attractive modern home 20 years ago. By now, they were tired of the outdated interior; they chose Breay Design Associates to give the entire place a “new” look. The entry and living room was to be one of the first areas to handle. The masonite-paneled entry was small with a long, long gloomy hall attached to it. The living room was to the left and the kitchen-dining was to the right. The living room had big sunny corner windows—facing west. The clients so hated the fireplace, it had become an “albatross” of white horizontal brick.
First to handle was natural light. Window film was put on western windows to allow the view and the light to enter, while obstructing the glare and solar heat. Two light tubes were installed into the ceiling of the long darkish hallway, a cost efficient type of skylight that flooded the area with light, without the glare and heat of a typical skylight. Once the color palette had been established, a pale yellow stucco paint finish was applied to the walls, and the far end of the hall was embellished with a light shining on a colorful piece of artwork, thus bringing that wall visually closer to the viewer. The entry to the living room was enlarged, making the entry visually larger and lighter. The fireplace was surfaced in (facing) stone pilasters with a pewter sheet above the firebox going up to the ceiling. It allowed a “contemporary” non-rustic western look, while keeping the new fireplace surfacing from becoming too weighty for the floors. The pattern in the pewter matched an existing metal sculpture in an entry niche. A narrow strip of pewter toned wood molding also embellished the variation in the wall paint as it came up the coved ceiling in the living room. With that, a dramatic paint color and new upholstery completed the update.
Residential Story #2
(ROOMS NEED TO FIT OWNERS)
Charlotte had just moved into a lovely new home on the golf course. It has great views and is sunny throughout with an open floor plan. All of the window treatments were sheer white duettes, all of the walls were white, and the cabinets and carpet were white. Charlotte transferred here from North Carolina, having lived in a gracious eastern style home with well defined spaces, and colored walls. She had many family antiques, including the carved cherry dining room table, chairs, and buffet that was in her Grandmother’s home near Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Charlotte disliked this house, with all of the wide open spaces. She particularly disliked the dining room, which was a shame since she and her husband often entertained in the dining room. Charlotte was not interested in any architectural changes, like changing wall locations, since she planned to reside here only five years.
Breay Associates showed Charlotte how the dining room could be identified as a space on it’s own, without building walls around it. The entire space was painted a soft, celery green, Charlotte’s favorite color. Chair rail was put around the two walls of the dining area, with the celery color beneath the rail, and a warm inviting caramel color above the molding. A ceiling soffit was built above the dining area, mirroring at both ends, the dining bay window shape. The ceiling enclosed within the soffit was painted the caramel color to visually lower it, giving the area a sense of intimacy. Recessed lighting in the soffit defined the space by creating visual walls of light around the perimeter. This also allowed the central chandelier to be dimmed, giving more intimacy to the table setting. Further embellishments were luxurious silk caramel striped draperies to the sides of the bay window, and area rug in a traditional pattern, and a grouping of traditional art on the wall.
With the main problem resolved, and a general theme established, the rest of the home could now be addressed.
Residential Story #3
(EXTERIOR DESIGN)
Jim and Sally had remodeled their ranch home’s interiors, and realized that curb appeal was still missing. The front entry to the home was one wide concrete step, coming off the drive, right by the front of the attached garage. The lawn continued from the structure out to the street; a giant blue spruce hindered the view of the home. Sally loved flowers, but had little time for them. She would plant a few annuals occassionally.
Breay Associates asked many questions of the couples’ living style and personalities. They dreamed of a porch where the entire family could gather. Could the small size of the front of the home handle a porch that big? And what type of truss would be big enough? First, several styles of porches were sketched for Jim & Sally. When the desired style was chosen, the details were worked out with a contractor.
The giant tree was taken out by a specialist, and a smaller tree in proportion to the home was placed in the yard. Sally’s joy was complete when a gracious curved, wide walk was planned, leading up to the porch, and a four season landscape plan of low-maintenance flowering shrubs and perennial flowers created a flowing beautiful garden. Jim and Sally planted the shrubs and flowers themselves, following the easy planting legend provided them by Breay Associates.
