Martha O'Hara Interiors, Interior Design & Photo Styling | Tait Moring & Associates, Landscape Architect | Piston Design, Photography Please Note: All “related,” “similar,” and “sponsored” products tagged or listed by Houzz are not actual products pictured. They have not been approved by Martha O’Hara Interiors nor any of the professionals credited. For information about our work, please contact design@oharainteriors.com.

Chad Chenier Photography
Living room - traditional living room idea in New Orleans with white walls

Simple waterfall console with two drawers and accent bench in cream leather.
Example of a mid-sized transitional marble floor entryway design in Toronto with white walls

When my client had to move from her company office to work at home, she set up in the dining room. Despite her best efforts, this was not the long-term solution she was looking for. My client realized she needed a dedicated space not on the main floor of the home. On one hand, having your office space right next to the kitchen is handy. On the other hand, it made separating work and home life was not that easy. The house was a ranch. In essence, the basement would run entire length of the home. As we came down the steps, we entered a time capsule. The house was built in the 1950’s. The walls were covered with original knotty pine paneling. There was a wood burning fireplace and considering this was a basement, high ceilings. In addition, there was everything her family could not store at their own homes. As we wound though the space, I though “wow this has potential”, Eventually, after walking through the laundry room we came to a small nicely lit room. This would be the office. My client looked at me and asked what I thought. Undoubtedly, I said, this can be a great workspace, but do you really want to walk through this basement and laundry to get here? Without reservation, my client said where do we start? Once the design was in place, we started the renovation. The knotty pine paneling had to go. Specifically, to add some insulation and control the dampness and humidity. The laundry room wall was relocated to create a hallway to the office. At the far end of the room, we designated a workout zone. Weights, mats, exercise bike and television are at the ready for morning or afternoon workouts. The space can be concealed by a folding screen for party time. Doors to an old closet under the stairs were relocated to the workout area for hidden storage. Now we had nice wall for a beautiful console and mirror for storage and serving during parties. In order to add architectural details, we covered the old ugly support columns with simple recessed millwork panels. This detail created a visual division between the bar area and the seating area in front of the fireplace. The old red brick on the fireplace surround was replaced with stack stone. A mantle was made from reclaimed wood. Additional reclaimed wood floating shelves left and right of the fireplace provides decorative display while maintaining a rustic element balancing the copper end table and leather swivel rocker. We found an amazing rug which tied all of the colors together further defining the gathering space. Russet and burnt orange became the accent color unifying each space. With a bit of whimsy, a rather unusual light fixture which looks like roots from a tree growing through the ceiling is a conversation piece. The office space is quite and removed from the main part of the basement. There is a desk large enough for multiple screens, a small bookcase holding office supplies and a comfortable chair for conference calls. Because working from home requires many online meetings, we added a shiplap wall painted in Hale Navy to contrast with the orange fabric on the chair. We finished the décor with a painting from my client’s father. This is the background online visitors will see. The last and best part of the renovation is the beautiful bar. My client is an avid collector of wine. She already had the EuroCave refrigerator, so I incorporated it into the design. The cabinets are painted Temptation Grey from Benjamin Moore. The counter tops are my favorite hard working quartzite Brown Fantasy. The backsplash is a combination of rustic wood and old tin ceiling like porcelain tiles. Together with the textures of the reclaimed wood and hide poofs balanced against the smooth finish of the cabinets, we created a comfortable luxury for relaxing. There is ample storage for bottles, cans, glasses, and anything else you can think of for a great party. In addition to the wine storage, we incorporated a beverage refrigerator, an ice maker, and a sink. Floating shelves with integrated lighting illuminate the back bar. The raised height of the front bar provides the perfect wine tasting and paring spot. I especially love the pendant lights which look like wine glasses. Finally, I selected carpet for the stairs and office. It is perfect for noise reduction. Meanwhile for the overall flooring, I specifically selected a high-performance vinyl plank floor. We often use this product as it is perfect to install on a concrete floor. It is soft to walk on, easy to clean and does not reduce the overall height of the space.

Updated Spec Home: Foyer and Great Room In our last post, we introduced you to my mom and sister’s Updated Spec Home; the Foyer and Great Room will be featured in this post. Foyer As you enter their home, to the right is a hall closet and a french door which leads to the Basement. To the left is a long wall which was perfect for an extra long console table in a rustic finish that served as a sofa table in their previous home. I love repositioning furniture, and by using this table in the entry, it makes it feel new. Additionally, we placed a vibrant piece of art previously used in my sister’s Bedroom above the table. This piece not only sets the tone for our color palette, it also makes the kind of statement you want in your Foyer – Wow! We added accessories and an unique lamp to complete the space. Great Room In the Great Room which is open to the Foyer, we installed our inspiration artwork in the place of honor over the mantel. Since the piece was vertical, it did not take up enough space. I do not like a “fussy” mantel with lots of accessories so we found these two vases in a silver leaf finish. They were perfect because they were large enough, but not too deep. Accessorizing mantels can be tricky because the majority of them are not deep. We went to Jan’s Floral Design to add vibrant color and interesting textures to the vases. The original mantel was too small and uninspired. Therefore, we had our contractor Brad Anderson built a new one based on a photo of a mantel we liked. The new mantel has lots of great detail and is the appropriate proportion for the fireplace. We replaced beige 12×12 ceramic tiles with gorgeous large pieces of smoked carrara marble for a striking fireplace surround. Check out this other mantel that we updated. For furniture, we purchased a shorter sofa in a gray tweed fabric. Typically, two throw pillows come with a sofa.We added a fun fringe to the pillows that came with the sofa. I recommend ordering pillows that match your sofa fabric and layering with custom pillows that support your color palette. We added a patterned custom pillow and a striped throw. Next, we got a small scale recliner in a yummy gray leather for my mom and a chair and ottoman in a small scale mint and gray geometric pattern for my sister. We added an accent chair in a fun small scale stripe to fill a corner and add additional seating – which is always a good thing. Remember that this was a Spec Home so there were no built-ins. As a result, we needed a media cabinet for the television and some bookcases to display my mom’s decorative box collection and my sister’s collection of blown colored glass. This set from Ballard Designs fit the bill perfectly. The back is open and airy with nice detail. The wood finish also adds a richness to the space. My mom needed a space for her computer, and this small writing desk fit the space perfectly. Finally, for finishing touches, we added a patterned rug, cornice boards in a mint leaf fabric, and great lamps for ambient lighting. These two rooms are stunning, vibrant and livable. Can’t wait to show you more in our next post! Enjoy!

Living room - transitional living room idea in Minneapolis

Example of a mid-sized eclectic formal and enclosed carpeted living room design in Wichita with white walls, a standard fireplace, a plaster fireplace and no tv

Example of a southwest medium tone wood floor living room design in New Orleans with beige walls

Ryan Hainey
Inspiration for a small timeless enclosed dark wood floor and brown floor family room library remodel in Milwaukee with brown walls, a standard fireplace and a brick fireplace

Viola d'amore Marble Dining Table
Trendy dining room photo in Philadelphia

Freestanding bathtub - 1950s multicolored floor freestanding bathtub idea in Boise with a console sink

Mid-sized trendy enclosed concrete floor and gray floor family room photo in Orange County with white walls, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and a plaster fireplace

This Great room is where the family spends a majority of their time. A large navy blue velvet sectional is extra deep for hanging out or watching movies. We layered floral pillows, color blocked pillows, and a vintage rug fragment turned decorative pillow on the sectional. The sunny yellow chairs flank the fireplace and an oversized custom gray leather cocktail ottoman does double duty as a coffee table and extra seating. The large wood tray warms up the cool color palette. A trio of openwork brass chandeliers are scaled for the large space. We created a vertical element in the room with stacked gray stone and installed a reclaimed timber as a mantel.

Photography by Laura Moss
Hallway - coastal hallway idea in New York

Catherine Nguyen Photography
Living room - large transitional open concept light wood floor and beige floor living room idea in San Francisco with gray walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Custom designed upholstered headboards complete a bed, as a frame does for a painting. Whether simple or over the top, they add an element of drama to a bed.

Example of a trendy open concept medium tone wood floor living room design in Seattle with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a media wall

All Photos by Nikolas Koenig
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary dark wood floor and brown floor entry hall remodel in New York with blue walls

Josh Thornton
Inspiration for a large eclectic powder room remodel in Chicago with multicolored walls