Houzz Tour: New York City Design Sensibility in Lowcountry
According to Joel, "The house was, well, a bit frumpy and dated. Most of the original architectural features had been stripped from the house and replaced with the design aesthetics of the 1960s up through the '90s. So ... a little bit of popcorn ceilings (and walls!) mixed with really bad lace curtains, mauve walls, and heavy exposed brick walls and wood paneling. I referred to our house as the Pub of Jones Street – it felt like an old saloon. Our goal was to freshen up the place and make it more us! A bit hipper and young."
When you tour this light-filled home, it's hard to imagine it was ever dark and musty. Take a look at how their New York design sensibilities and historic Savannah style and thrift store finds mix together so beautifully.
This sunroom lets in the natural light and feels so airy. Because Joel and Erika wanted this space to feel like an extension of their courtyard and garden, they knew that the vintage garden furniture was a great find and that it would help blur the lines between indoors and out. Powder coating and fresh cushions made them indoor-ready. "We believe in breaking the rules and having fun with design." The chandelier is another vintage find, which they sprayed white. The floor is "a horrible faux stone" that they painted.
"We took the kitchen from the existing French Country style and converted it to what you see here. We knew we wanted it to be simple with one punch of color (the wallpaper in the sunroom). We painted everything except the wood countertops. We started with painting out the golden yellow walls and exposed brick. Gasp! That’s the typical response whenever I suggest painting brick, but for us it was the only way to go! It instantly went from dark and rustic to bright and cheery. We wanted to unify all the different materials in the space. We also painted the dated porcelain floor using slate black porch paint. Two coats later we had a new floor for under $100." The kitchen has a lot of clever storage solutions that leave items out in the open, but the white brick walls and cabinets prevent it from looking cluttered. The wine rack, magnetic knife rack, storage canisters and potrack all add to the kitchen's charm.
More mingling: A crystal chandelier hangs among the pots. This idea was one of those wonderful happy design accidents. "My wife and I had picked up several of these great vintage crystal chandeliers from Scott’s Flea Market in Atlanta, but they were downright filthy. When we got back from our trip I needed to hang them out of harm's way and begin the painful process of cleaning all the crystals. The kitchen sink became the destination, and the pot rack was the perfect place to 'temporarily' hang the fixture. Weeks went by (I didn’t quite get to the cleaning part right away) and we fell in love with the quirkiness of the light dangling from the pot rack. It is now wired and adds the much needed light and whimsy to our kitchen."
The headboard, found in a Savannah thrift store, inspired the decor for the entire room. "It was gilded in a really bad 80s gold metallic paint hidden under years of dust and neglect," Joel says. "Everyone thought it was hideous, but we were able to see the potential given the cool Baroque details ... so we cleaned her up and gave her new life by spraying the bed black and pairing it with bold graphics." The bold graphics came from a modern paisley wallpaper by Cole & Son; the swirls of the paisley are a great match for the curves of the headboard, balanced out by the modern nightstand and white linens. As for the green, Joel says, "In the spirit of Spring, we threw in a jolt of color. One of our favorite spots in NYC was Central Park’s Great Lawn. We knew the minute we spotted the fresh green throw it was the perfect addition."
This medallion over the dresser was found during a dumpster dive! It "came from a 1930s hotel in Savannah," Joel says. "The developer removed several of these great plaster medallions during the renovation. I am not ashamed to dumpster dive! In college I learned that all it takes to furnish your first place is a good eye (you have to spot the good stuff left by the curbside), good pair of work gloves (ha!) and a friend’s pick up truck!" The chair and the dresser were both vintage finds from the 1960s. Thanks so much to Joel Snayd for sitting down with me to chat today. In researching this interview, I have become completely addicted to Rethink Design Studio's blog; it's so well done and inspiring.
How did they make these two East Coast cities mingle? "Both cities are rooted in history and feature some of the most amazing architecture," Joel says. "NYC for me is the groundwork for most of my designs. NYC inspires urban living mixed with modern amenities; edgy and unexpected. In a lot of ways Savannah has mellowed my design aesthetic and has allowed me to think more traditionally. It has been a pretty good marriage of ideas. It just proves you can mix urban/modern with traditional forms." Case in Point: Exposed brick painted white holds a large panel of Cole and Sons "Woods" wallpaper, a Wassily chair and a tailored upholstered sofa have a conversation, and bold tribal-style pillows and a lucite coffee table form a happy union.
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