Governor's House Breakfast Nook by Lisa Tharp. 2019 Bulfinch Award - Interior Design. Photo by Michael J. Lee
Dining room - coastal light wood floor dining room idea with white walls

Summary of Scope: gut renovation/reconfiguration of kitchen, coffee bar, mudroom, powder room, 2 kids baths, guest bath, master bath and dressing room, kids study and playroom, study/office, laundry room, restoration of windows, adding wallpapers and window treatments Background/description: The house was built in 1908, my clients are only the 3rd owners of the house. The prior owner lived there from 1940s until she died at age of 98! The old home had loads of character and charm but was in pretty bad condition and desperately needed updates. The clients purchased the home a few years ago and did some work before they moved in (roof, HVAC, electrical) but decided to live in the house for a 6 months or so before embarking on the next renovation phase. I had worked with the clients previously on the wife's office space and a few projects in a previous home including the nursery design for their first child so they reached out when they were ready to start thinking about the interior renovations. The goal was to respect and enhance the historic architecture of the home but make the spaces more functional for this couple with two small kids. Clients were open to color and some more bold/unexpected design choices. The design style is updated traditional with some eclectic elements. An early design decision was to incorporate a dark colored french range which would be the focal point of the kitchen and to do dark high gloss lacquered cabinets in the adjacent coffee bar, and we ultimately went with dark green.

This powder room is part of the conversion of a wine room in the garage. That room was remodeled and rebuilt into a laundry room and a powder room. Dubbed "the disco bathroom" its fuchsia and silver wall covering has outlines of rainbows, stars, private airplanes and muscle cars. Bruce Damonte Photography

Inspiration for a small eclectic l-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Philadelphia with a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops, black appliances and no island

Inspiration for a timeless mosaic tile floor powder room remodel in Portland with a wall-mount sink and multicolored walls

Example of a tuscan light wood floor bedroom design in Santa Barbara with beige walls and a standard fireplace

Mark Lohman Photography
Mid-sized beach style formal and open concept limestone floor and beige floor living room photo in Orange County with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Beach style family room photo in Wilmington

Inspiration for a coastal light wood floor and beige floor living room remodel in San Francisco with white walls, a standard fireplace and a tile fireplace

Example of a transitional dark wood floor kitchen design in Nashville with white cabinets and an island

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional galley light wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Portland with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite countertops, stone slab backsplash, paneled appliances and a peninsula

Stephani Buchman
Transitional dark wood floor family room photo in Toronto with gray walls, a ribbon fireplace and a tile fireplace

When designing this beautiful kitchen, we knew that our client’s favorite color was blue. Upon entering the home, it was easy to see that great care had been taken to incorporate the color blue throughout. So, when our Designer Sherry knew that our client wanted an island, she jumped at the opportunity to add a pop of color to their kitchen. Having a kitchen island can be a great opportunity to showcase an accent color that you love or serve as a way to showcase your style and personality. Our client chose a bold saturated blue which draws the eye into the kitchen. Shadow Storm Marble countertops, 3x6 Bianco Polished Marble backsplash and Waypoint Painted Linen floor to ceiling cabinets brighten up the space and add contrast. Arabescato Carrara Herringbone Marble was used to add a design element above the range. The major renovations performed on this kitchen included: A peninsula work top and a small island in the middle of the room for the range was removed. A set of double ovens were also removed in order for the range to be moved against the wall to allow the middle of the kitchen to open up for the installment of the large island. Placing the island parallel to the sink, opened up the kitchen to the family room and made it more inviting.

John Bedell
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary gender-neutral dark wood floor kids' room remodel in San Francisco with white walls

Transitional u-shaped medium tone wood floor and beige floor seated home bar photo in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, beige backsplash and stone slab backsplash

David Duncan Livingston
Example of a classic living room design in San Francisco

With Craftsman details throughout the rest of the home, our clients wanted their new kitchen to have transitional elements such as Shaker style doors, a farmhouse sink, warm wood tones, and other timeless features such as a custom hood and natural stone counters. The beautiful Glorious White marble counters have a soft honed finish and the stunning marble backsplash ties everything together to complete the look. The two-toned cabinets pair a rich stained cherry island with soft white perimeter cabinets. Brushed brass accents on the appliances pulls, cabinet hardware, lights and plumbing fixtures add another layer of sophistication. An induction range, dishwasher drawers, undercounter microwave, and four-door smart refrigerator amp up the functionality of this cook’s kitchen.

Bathroom - transitional bathroom idea in San Diego

This renovation project of a 1920s home included a kitchen, bar/mudroom, laundry room, guest bathroom and primary bathroom. This home, located in the Virginia Highland neighborhood of Atlanta, had an unusual layout and a good bit of unused space. The two main goals were to bring the outdated spaces to suit modern living standards, and to better utilize the space.