Uncategorized Archives - Page 2 of 11 - Kelley Astore Interiors

Refurbished & Renewed: Upcycling a Dining Room Cabinet

As we continue with our renovations, today we’re bringing you a dining room cabinet transformation! When remodeling a room, it can be tempting to simply get rid of all existing furniture and start fresh. Not only is that very expensive, but it’s also incredibly wasteful! According to the EPA, nearly 10 million tons of furniture and furnishings in America were sent to landfills in 2015, with that number accelerating each year. As interior designers, we have a duty to try and complete our work in a more sustainable manner. But what do you do when you’ve already have a piece of furniture but it doesn’t fit the new design? Upcycle it! It’s amazing what a few small changes can do to a piece of furniture, and this cabinet is no exception. Keep reading to learn more about the upcycling process and watch as we transform this dining room cabinet!

From Start to Finish

We started off with a large cherry cabinet that featured polished brass hardware. The piece and the wood were in great condition and it was clear that this was a well-crafted piece of furniture with a lot longer to live. It simply felt wrong getting rid of such a beautiful piece…not to mention expensive! However, we knew that we were planning on installing grasscloth wallpaper and the cherry-toned wood was not going to match the design. The dining room this piece was going to live in longed for a neutral-toned item in its place. That’s why we decided to refurbish it and paint it a taupe color.

In order to do this, we had to start by removing the original wood finish on the piece. We started the work by sanding the entire cabinet. Once that was done, we spackled any holes and then prepared to paint. Before we could actually paint with the taupe color, it was really important that we primed and prepped the cabinet properly. If you don’t go through all the necessary steps and if you don’t use the correct type of primers and paint, you’ll end up with an uneven paint job that will be chipped and scraped away in no time. And there’s no point putting in all this effort if we don’t do it correctly the first time around.

We made sure to get rid of all the dust from sanding, then we primed the wood. After it was primed and prepped, we began painting with a hardening lacquer paint. It’s important to use lacquer rather than ordinary wall-paint on wood to ensure a durable and hard surface. After we painted, we varnished with a polyethylene finish. This was to ensure a glossy smooth surface to the cabinet – great to look at and touch! It was definitely a lengthy multi-step painting process, which is why I’m so happy to have the best team by my side, helping me achieve all these transformations! Once the painting was complete, we added a few final touches. We replaced the polished brass hardware with antique brass, which we felt added lovely contrast to the modern taupe color. I think the finished cabinet turned out beautifully, and more importantly, my client agrees!

Tips for Upcycling Furniture

If you decide to upcycle a piece of furniture at home, be sure to do your research and take your time! Plan ahead and make sure you have all the correct materials and tools to correctly prep your piece before the creative work begins. This is key to ensuring a professional finish and a long-lasting life. Let your imagination run wild and allow yourself to get creative. Learning how to upcycle furniture is a fantastic way to save money (and be an eco-friendly designer!) Even if you are moving into an unfurnished house, you can peruse thrift stores and second-hand shops to find furniture for fantastic prices. You can then transform the pieces to fit your design needs.

Learn more…

If you’d like to learn more about upcycling and refurbished furniture, check out our blog on the benefits of bespoke upholstery!

Small Modern Bathroom Designed for Boys

We are back with another home renovation and this time we are moving to the bathroom – specifically a bathroom that will be used by two young boys. Design is all about the marriage of functionality and beauty. Whenever I design for kids, I make sure to spend extra time with the function of the design, as children have different and unique needs to be catered to. Keep reading to discover this incredible modern bathroom transformation for boys!

Before We Begin

When looking at the before photos, it’s clear that a lot of work needs to happen – especially aesthetically. Bathrooms are one of the areas of the house where, even if the entire room has been cleaned properly if it looks old or outdated, something about it doesn’t feel clean. Bathrooms are also really susceptible to water damage and mold, so it’s always a good idea to make sure nothing needs to be treated before beginning the actual design. For both of these reasons, we decided to gut the entire bathroom and start fresh – my preferred way of remodeling bathrooms.

My contractors and I got to work tearing out the old bathroom. Thankfully we didn’t find any terrible water damage, so this process was relatively quick and pain-free. Now is where the real fun begins.

Laying the groundwork

Because we cleared out the room down to it’s studs, we had to do some prep before the transformation could start. We installed cement boards on the walls before installing the tiling. This is important for a few reasons – it gives you the necessary flat surface needed to attach the tiles, and it protects the wood below from any possible water damage. Once those were up, we got to work tiling the bathroom and installing new floors. We kept the design relatively simple and neutral for practicality’s sake. Although young boys might find spiderman wallpaper more exciting, the client and I both agreed to keep it classy so that the boys don’t absolutely hate it as they get older. We chose a simple dark grey 4 x 12 tile for the shower/bath area to provide contrast with the wall color we would eventually use. The floors we chose are simple light gray large 12 x 24 tile. Choosing a large tile for the floor made the small bathroom seem that much larger.

The Shower

The plumbing is, without a doubt, the most important part of any bathroom. We decided to keep the same general layout of the original bathroom for ease, to avoid having to reinstall all the pipes. We started with installing a built-in bathtub with a shower to give the boys options. Next we replaced the original shower curtain with sliding shower doors. Shower doors mean no mildew, never having to change or replace the shower curtain, and a dryer bathroom. We also installed towel rods onto the shower doors so the boys would have no excuse not to hang their towel up!

The Toilet

Next we put in the new toilet. Because two children were going to be using this toilet, we chose one from Toto Toilet that has a special finish on it called Sani Gloss to help keep the bowl clean. Any parents out there will know how difficult it can be to get your children to help with the cleaning, so we felt this was the best and safest option. We chose a toilet that was simple and white.

The Vanity and Sink

All that was left to do plumbing wise was the sink! We knew we wanted to build a custom modern vanity for this room. The previous vanity was very large, making the rest of the bathroom feel very small. We decided to downsize and avoid the all-white look. So we built a vanity with a cabinet that floated on the wall, slightly above the floor. We chose a floating vanity to create the illusion of a larger space. It also makes cleaning easier, with the floor below the vanity accessible, avoiding trapped dust. We installed a beautiful light colored marble counter on top, with a large modern-sink.

All the plumbing fixtures in this bathroom were done with chrome. Chrome never ages, and looks great. Not only that, but it matches well with pretty much any other color and material. Practical and beautiful!

Finishing Touches

After all the plumbing and the vanity were installed, the most functional aspects of the bathroom had already been taken care of. Now it was just a matter of making it look beautiful. Keeping with the neutral theme, we painted the walls in Benjamin Moore #860 in Apparition, a classic and timeless shade. The vanity also used Benjamin Moore paint, this time in #168 HC Chelsea Gray. Similar in tone to the wall-paint, this darker shade offered a lovely contrast, acting as a bridge between the light colored walls and the dark shower tiles. Finally, we put up a mirror, smaller than the previous, with a simple grey and white striped pattern. We installed a light right above the mirror as a sophisticated detail.

Final Thoughts

I think the design turned out great, especially considering how practical it is for the two young boys who will be using it. I hope they enjoy their new bathroom now and as they grow up! For more articles on our bathroom renovations, check out our other articles. If you are interested in renovating a bathroom in your home, get in touch today!

living room with built-in shelving, interior shelving ideas

Where Storage Meets Decor: Six Interior Shelving Ideas For Your Home

Shelves are a staple in most homes, and for good reason. They provide a clever, efficient storage system and can double as beautiful interior decor. Carefully choosing the most appropriate shelves for your home is important. That way you can ensure the shelving provides enough storage and compliments the space. We’ve put together six interior shelving ideas for you to start brainstorming!

Built-In Bookcases

Built-in bookcases can be highly functional and visually pleasing. This type of custom woodworking works particularly well in living rooms. It provides space for books, decor, and more. Often these can be built around a fireplace or television, creating an entire wall of storage. Balancing the contents of the shelves to include books and decor is a good way to avoid a cluttered look. Art adds a splash of sophistication to a room while plants add a natural element and pictures give a personal touch. The key is choosing a few pieces that really inspire you, allowing negative space to help them stand out.

Built-in bookcases allow an entire wall to be highly personalized, bringing a greater sense of home into the room.

Suspended Shelves

Any shelf that is suspended to the wall is a fantastic way to add a stylish new dimension into a room. There are a few types of suspended shelves: from a single shelf above a dresser or bed, to the classy torsion-box shelves. They are a perfect place to display a few of your favorite books, pictures, or art pieces. They also make an outstanding home for a hanging plant, because the height will allow the leaves to overflow into the room.

When choosing suspended shelves, consider material, shape, and size. For example, if you have oak wood floors, consider getting your shelves in a similar wood. Visually connecting elements in the room can create a harmonious look. If you have white trim, you could consider selecting white shelves to match.

Staircase Bookcases

Installing shelves underneath your staircase or building a bookshelf along the stairs is a marvelous use of space, especially if it opens up into another room! Staircase bookcases can make an empty space feel very cozy. Putting your books on display adds such a personal and inspiring touch to a room, and having the books along your stairs can be quite enticing! They draw you up the stairs, and it’s the perfect way to choose some nighttime reading on the way to bed.

Free-Standing Shelves

Free-standing shelves are perfect for anyone looking to bring a bit more organization into their home. This is primarily because of how practical they are. Free-Standing Shelves are the easiest to add into a room and come in a variety of styles and sizes. You can add free-standing shelves into the bathroom to hold towels, toiletries, and plants. Smaller shelving units are great for children’s rooms to store storybooks and toys at a height that the child can reach (be sure to follow any instructions included on anchoring these shelves to the walls so they’re child-friendly!). You could even add some into your closet for handbags and shoes. Free-Standing Shelves offer endless possibilities for all your storage qualms.

Corner Consoles

Fitting shelves into the corner of a room is not only an efficient use of space, but can really bring a finished look to the room. Empty corners can be quite plain and boring. Whether you choose to have them suspended or free-standing, corner shelves provide practical storage space without creating clutter. They also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. A rounded corner shelf, for instance, works well beside the front door as a place to hold your keys. Alternatively, installing suspended shelves into the corner of your kitchen beside your cabinets can be a stylish place to store wine bottles, dry goods, herbs, cook books, and more!

Custom-Made Options

Perhaps you’re still unsure of what type of shelving will work for you. That’s okay. It may be time to consider investing in custom-made shelves. Hand-made woodwork is perfect for what you and your home need. You’ll have more control over the shape, size, and materials. Additionally, with another set of expert eyes to guide you through the process, you’ll be guaranteed long-term value and enjoyment. Custom Made Shelves are a solution you can be confident in.

At Kelley Astore Interiors, we are well versed in designing and building custom shelving for our clients. Head to our services page to find out how we could help you!

‹ Prev 123 4 5 Next ›Last »