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Archive for the ‘Projects’ Category

RESEDA PROJECT

Posted in Exterior Design, Interior Design, Projects, Renovation Project on September 18, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Happy Monday! Today, I’m introducing you to a new project in Reseda; a district in the San Fernando Valley here in Los Angeles. As you can see it’s a perfect candidate for a makeover.

Above, we completely gutted the kitchen so I can now determine the layout. I’m leaning towards eliminating the two smaller windows in the left corner and replacing them with a large window on the back wall to allow for more light and a view of the backyard.

A view from the dining room looking into the kitchen

Same view but now with the wall removed

I can’t wait to get my hands on this project and start to see it take shape. I’ll post more photos on the progress in a couple of weeks!

Have a great day!

~ Shannon

 

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BEFORE + AFTER: PISMO BEACH PROJECT

Posted in Exterior Design, Garden Design, Projects, tagged , on June 14, 2017| 6 Comments »

Two years ago I had the pleasure to work with a client on a project along the coast of Central California. We landscaped the backyard first and then several months later worked on the front yard. Recently, my client was kind enough to send me updated photos on the project’s progress.

BEFORE

INSTALLATION

AFTER

BEFORE

INSTALLATION

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

 

BEFORE

AFTER

BACKYARD BEFORE

BACKYARD AFTER

SEVERAL PLANTS I USED ON THIS PROJECT

Boxwood
Butterfly Bush
Flax
Salvia Winifred
Dwarf Karo Pittosporum
Iceberg Rose

 Have a wonderful Thursday!

~ Shannon

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BEFORE + AFTER: AUSTIN PROJECT

Posted in Exterior Design, Garden Design, Projects on June 12, 2017| 4 Comments »

It’s always exciting to illustrate how a few uncomplicated changes can transform your home. Although we’ll still add a courtyard in front, I’ve been anxious to share this Austin project with you.

BEFORE

AFTER

1.PAINT + NEW PATHWAY

Since the original pathway was a bit narrow I really wanted to open it up to allow for more walking space. We then dressed it with Silver Mist flagstone and added a decomposed granite (DG) pathway to the left. Eventually, we’ll add another DG pathway on the right leading towards a sitting area.

We added Silver Mist flagstone to the front porch as well in order to create continuity between the two spaces.

2.PLANTS

I chose plants with a lot of structure, and once established, are reasonably drought tolerant; plants like Dwarf Yaupon Holly, Nellie Stevens, Boxwood and Agave.

Testing out the artichoke plant with planter

My client’s dog and I watching the progress

3.EXTERIOR SHUTTERS, NUMBERS + HARDWARE

Some of my favorite things to add to the exterior of a home are light fixtures, hardware and anything that will give it a bit of character. Here we added the address which will be lit at night, exterior shutters and beautiful light fixtures that will softly light the walkway to the front door.

 

BEFORE

 

BEFORE

Because I’ve been working on this project since 2010, starting with the interior, it’s going to be really hard to let this one go. It’s been so much fun working with the clients, I wouldn’t mind if the project went another 7 years!

Next time — before & after photos of a landscape project along the California Coast.

  Cheers!

~ Shannon

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BEFORE & AFTER: TOWNHOUSE BATHROOM

Posted in Bathrooms, Interior Design, Projects, Renovation Project on April 20, 2017| 1 Comment »

 If you didn’t read my last post, this townhouse is a project my husband and I worked on together. He purchased it and then handed over to me to renovate it. Below, are before and after photos of the bathroom.

The inspiration for the townhouse bath.

Before

I wasn’t able to see the upstairs on our first visit, but once the townhouse was cleared out I was able to shoot these photos of the upstairs bath.

After

Before

After

If you like before & after photos as much as I do, check out yesterday’s post for before & after photos of the living and kitchen.

Next time, I’ll be sharing before & after photos of my recent Austin exterior project.

~ Shannon

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TOWNHOUSE PROJECT

Posted in Interior Design, Projects on April 19, 2017| 3 Comments »

Out of the 14 years that I’ve been renovating homes, this project could possibly have the most dramatic before and after photos. Though I do love working with my private clients, my husband and I also purchase and renovate homes together. Typically he purchases a property, and then hands it over to me to renovate. This is one of those projects.

Before

I wasn’t sure if I should share these before pictures with you because it’s a bit of a shock. The photo above is the first glimpse my husband and I saw of the townhouse.

Before

Once the townhouse was cleared out, the plan was to knock down most of the wall between the living and the kitchen; then, add new drywall, recessed lighting and flooring. We did discover a small half bath, to the right, after the clean out. Now it is a sweet little powder room.

Checking on the progress with my daughter, Iris.

After

THE KITCHEN

After

I have an affection for rehabbing townhouses because one of the first projects I ever did was a townhouse in San Antonio. We knocked down walls removed flower wallpaper in the kitchen and raised the ceiling to really open up the space. For this townhouse, I knew with only two windows, I wanted it to feel bright & airy.

Before

Before

After

Before

After

I love rehabbing houses and sometimes the uglier the better because of the challenge at the beginning and the impact at the end. Next time, more before and after photos of the rest of the townhouse.

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PROJECT UPDATE

Posted in Exterior Design, Interior Design, Projects, tagged , , , on February 15, 2017| Leave a Comment »

If you love before and after photos as much as I do, I have several projects in the pipeline that are going to have some really fun before and afters.

Below, are two projects I’m currently working on that are almost ready for their “after” shot.

AUSTIN EXTERIOR PROJECT

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Before

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This is a wonderful house in the rolling hills of Austin that has been a wonderful project to work on. Above, you can see that we painted the exterior brick and now we are pouring a new walkway and steps, as well as adding some planting beds. I also plan to add a couple other exterior touches that will really transform this exterior.

TOWNHOUSE PROJECT

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Before

This is a townhouse in the San Fernando Valley (Southern California) that needed a complete gut.

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As you can see above, we removed most of the wall on the left to open up the space between the living room and kitchen. We painted the walls one of my favorite colors from Farrow & Ball — Clunch, and now are adding a kitchen from IKEA. I’m hoping to post the before and after photos next week, and many of you will not believe the transformation.

Happy Wednesday!

~ Shannon

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NORTH HILLS PROJECT FAVORITE ROOM

Posted in Decor, Interior Design, Projects, tagged , , , on January 27, 2017| 1 Comment »

I adore designing laundry rooms and it doesn’t matter the size. From small to large, it’s my favorite room to design, apart from the kitchen. Below, is my latest laundry room makeover.

the long table

After

laundry

Before

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For this one it really was paint that changed everything. I painted the walls and cabinets, added a new countertop and redid the flooring. However, even if your budget doesn’t allow you to change flooring or countertops you can buy a couple of gallons of paint for walls and cabinets and literally transform the look of your space.

My inspiration for this room came from the photograph below. Just love the look and feel of this room. The earthy floors, lantern-style light fixtures and cabinet paint color.

mudroom

via Visual Eye Candy

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I decided to use the same paint color that I used on the kitchen cabinets (Flintstone by Dunn Edwards), as well as the same Quartz countertop in order to tie it in with the rest of the home. I wanted an earthy floor and since I couldn’t use brick for this project I went with this tile instead. I chose light fixtures from The Home Depot and used antique bronze and brass accents.

the long table

 

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All in all a fun project to see completed.

Have a wonderful weekend!

~ Shannon

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NORTH HILLS PROJECT: BEFORE & AFTER

Posted in Interior Design, Projects, tagged , , , , on January 13, 2017| 4 Comments »

Last month I shared the exterior of a project we’ve just finished here in Los Angeles. Today, it’s the before & after photos of the kitchen.

maldenkit

After

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Before

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 To simplify the kitchen, I did away with the cabinet that enclosed the original fridge, as well as the bread box, which allowed for more counter space. I also removed the trim that ran along the top of the cabinets.

nhkitchen

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Before

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kitchenmalden

 I also wanted to try out a new paint color — Flintstone by Dunn Edwards, which I used on the lower cabinets. I went with a Quartz countertop and brushed nickel faucet fixture. I’m really pleased with how it all turned out.

Shop the look

 

1 Stool | 2 Rug | 3 Textile

Sometimes budgets allow you to gut an entire kitchen and other times you have to work with existing cabinets. If you do have to keep your cabinets, paint is your best weapon for change. Next time, some easy pointers on putting together a gallery wall.

Cheers, it’s the weekend!

~Shannon

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THE AGENDA

Posted in Garden Design, Holiday, Home, Interior Design, Projects, Uncategorized on January 12, 2017| Leave a Comment »

friend time
family time
fire time

After taking a couple of weeks off to enjoy the holidays with family and friends I’m back at work. And, I’ve got several posts in the pipeline that I’m excited to share with you.

First off, I have the final photos from my last project. Below, the kitchen being worked on —  tomorrow I’ll be sharing the after photos.

the long table

North Hills Kitchen

 I have a really fun post coming up on pub houses.

rabbit-outside

The Wild Rabbit

 I’m also doing a post where I  talk about my favorite item for the garden.

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 And, I’ll be sharing one of the most dramatic renovations to date.

Townhome Remodel

Townhouse Remodel

Lastly, I have a post coming up on how to put together a gallery wall.

the long table

So stay tuned and Cheers to 2017!

~ Shannon

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BEFORE & AFTER: NORTH HILLS PROJECT EXTERIOR

Posted in Exterior Design, Projects, tagged , , , , , on December 13, 2016| 1 Comment »

We’ve wrapped up the North Hills Project here in Los Angeles and I’m excited to finally share with you the home’s exterior photos.

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Before

The short story behind this transformation is that my client wanted this house renovated in order for it to successfully go on the market. For this house, there were many things I wanted to address on the exterior, but my main focus was the entrance. I wanted the front door to become more prominent, instead of feeling hidden & withdrawn.

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Not every home can take a dark paint color; however, when I drove up to this house I knew that it lacked curb appeal and needed something to help make it stand out. I realized it was going to take a lot of detail to make the dark paint translate beautifully.

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After

The Entrance

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Before

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After

Some favorite items I selected for this exterior…

Lighting
White Shutters
Boxwood
Address plaque from Wayfair
Iceberg Rose

 

Wreath

Wreath

Tomorrow, I’ll be sharing some super easy Holiday decorating ideas that I use throughout my own home.

Happy Tuesday!

~ Shannon

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