The stock market in turmoil, unemployment high and talk about another major recession has us all on edge, yet we need to feel comfortable with where we live. I was inspired by an article I read this week to think about how we at BjtO Designs stretch our clients’ budgets to meet all of their design expectations. While we remain very busy in these difficult times, the trend is to do more for less money. This is where creativity really pays off…
Whether it is a design, renovation or staging project we are always faced with budget constraints. Take a look at some of our strategies for achieving the desired look and feel at a manageable cost.
A major cost savings is to repaint kitchen and bathroom cabinets versus fully replacing them. We have been very successful with this approach, making them look very much like the high-end fired enamel finish of custom cabinets.
Changing the mint green to a sandstone gray on the cabinets paired up nicely with the black granite counter, stainless steel appliances and bold hardware. The baker’s counter was being used as a catch-all for keys, mail and cell phones. It was such a striking space that it deserved some drama.
A bit of background is important for understanding this next kitchen make-over. We were asked to redo a 13,000 square foot house, yes we could have spent every penny in the kitchen but we opted to spread the dollars over the entire project, so we called in Kitchen Tune Up and had them help us make major changes with minimal effort and cost. They re-oiled and re-hung the cherry cabinets plus helped us line up a countertop fabricator. The cabinets needed adjustments but mainly they were faded from the intense sunlight glaring into the kitchen much of the day. A second island was eliminated which left a rather large gap in the white tile floor. To deal with this issue we designed a faux-rug out of contrasting tiles for the eat-in area. Changing the vast counter space from white formica to black quartz along with a Franke sink and goose-neck faucet achieved the high-end look we were looking for. The bold Benjamin Moore cottage red on the walls tied everything together.
Best of all we only spent $19,000 out of our total budget.
The master bathroom in this house was also large but not particularly grand. The builder had used the same cherry cabinets in the bathroom as the kitchen, making it look commercial. Aesthetically it feel short of all expectations for a house this elegant. By all measures we achieved our goal with this much more tranquil and appealing transformation. Plush towels, candles and topiaries were the finishing touches for this at home spa.
The key was to select a gray wall color that allowed the jacuzzi to blend in, not be the “elephant in the room”. The sophisticated gray neutralized the jacuzzi and was a color that would work for the entire master suite.
The master suite which included this bathroom, an enormous bedroom with a sitting area and adjoining changing room with his and her walk in closets was morphed into a luxurious, upscale chamber area by simply changing the color palette, adding yards and yards of Dupioni silk for the custom drapes and a wool-silk combination for the bedding, all crafted by our very own Naomi Layne.
Silk and metallic decorative pillows set off by three simple mirrors and dual tripod lamps gave this vignette the edge.
We used all of the home owners furniture with the exception of the headboard for the bed. For this we crafted a new padded fabric headboard replacing the original bookcase style frame with a recessed light bridge, giving the entire set up a facelift and contemporary flare.
Paint is relatively inexpensive and makes a huge difference if done right. We used the same Benjamin Moore color in two distinctively different living rooms and in both cases the results were magical.
The room was three stories high, indeed 30+ feet high. Just ask Claudio my painter who had to tackle the scaffolding for this project. Given the height of the ceilings we added dental molding one-third of the way up the wall to break up the monotony and painted the wall over the molding linen white to coordinate with the adjoining dining room.
Same color, totally different look and feel…
This was a fun project. When we first saw the living room it was set up as a video game room using folding plastic tables and chairs, a beige IKEA sofa with lavender walls and lovely ginger colored silk drapes. Rather inharmonious. Our starting point was twofold: the fireplace and ginger silk drapes. The IKEA sofa was kept but given a new look with copper silk pillows, two stunning royal blue wingback chairs were purchased second-hand, the oriental rug and antique chest we found in the basement. All the side tables and accents were re-purposed from other areas in the house. This room went from a space that was seldom used to the hub of the first floor.
The artwork in this house was fabulous, as the home owner was an artist who was also very busy raising three very active little boys. Here is my favorite which is called Coffee and Pickles…
Another example of Adele Revere’s wonderful artwork is on display in the background. Our goal was to feature her work and give it prominence.
We aren’t always so fortunate to have an artist in residence so we are often left to our own creative whims.
When confronted with a huge magnificent staircase which dominated a very formal entrance I consulted with my painter Claudio Paniago and illustrator-stylist Louise Rothery. The majority of the budget was spoken for so there were no funds for a large piece of art. We turned to Georgia O’Keefe, one of my favorite artists for inspiration and Louise created this masterpiece out of two 3′ x 5′ blank canvases. Claudio gave me courage to paint the background wall aubergine and added the same aubergine to the staircase railing paint as well as the center of the morning glory.
More fun ideas…
Everyone needs a pin-striped zebra in their nursery!
A bold Belgian Linen that we found at Zimmans in Lynn offered just the right splash of color to complement the zebra. Again all the furniture and accent pieces were re-purposed from other rooms in the house, for example the rug came from the dining room.
Not sure what to do with a cavernous large white room with a very low knee wall and angled ceiling? Paint one wall with chalk board paint and ask Louise to draw a treasure map…
Colorful furniture, lighting and rug from IKEA make the room pop!
Simple touches can add so much but do not have to be expensive…
Candles, an organic primitive wood bowl filled with fresh fruit is so easy.
Five 2′ x 3′ panels were painted using colors from other rooms in the house. Less than $50 in materials, a very long ladder and a handsome 26 year old young man brave enough to climb and measure at the same time.
A vase of reeds and grasses purchased at Michaels are in keeping with the natural look and feel established by the sisal rug and cypress tongue and groove walls. A touch of lime green in the napkins is a nice contrast with the chunky wooden candlesticks from Pottery Barn.
Don’t overlook your children’s artwork.
Kid’s are very willing to use color. We might follow their lead more often.
It’s neat, it’s tidy and very fun to look at…also tells a story about this family.
Arranging family memorabilia artfully makes a great statement and costs nothing.
A set of “garden” dominoes that we found online provided fun for kids under the eaves. This was an awkward space for furniture but perfect for this purpose.
Another rather unusable space was easily made into a bench/toybox – with a lid. Two small canvases were painted to represent maritime signal flags: on the left is a version of “O” and on the right is “B”.
The “J” and “T” were on the opposite wall over the single bed. You guessed it BjtO…
Seaglass drawer pulls from Beachy Rustica I found at Etsy.com saving us thousands of dollars. The plum, blue, green and brown tones allowed us to keep the very unpopular pickled white cabinets. This single change took the kitchen from dated to interesting.
Lastly, simple touches add the “wow factor.” As they say it’s all in the details…
I would not describe Brussels as a city of color so finding Roberto Barr’s store on Rue Blaes was certainly intriguing. My shopping companion and interpreter Chrissy Peck and I blew through the door as we both love color and different! It was our good fortune to meet Roberto Barr as he was working in the studio that morning. Roberto is a most engaging and charming artist with a flare for color and whimsy. He is originally from Brazil and has found his niche in Brussels.
Roberto uses mixed media: oil and acrylic on leather, canvas and paper mache. Some of his paintings are very primitive and simplistic while others depict the wonderful architecture and culture of his homeland, Salvador the capital of Bahia in Brazil. His sculptures of animals, fish and birds use a colorful patchwork of paper and leather. His furniture is certainly eye catching yet very sturdy and functional.
As Chrissy and I stepped inside, there wasn’t an inch of the interior that didn’t have color. Up, down and all around there is something to look at. Roberto has painted furniture, lamps with leather lamp shades, leather purses of fruit, animals, birds and fish, life size sculptures of a flamingo, cactus and a version of a horse. His artwork is a touching tribute to Bahia and captures his personal style.
