Before & After Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Kelley Astore Interiors

Before and After Transformation: Master Bathroom

The bathroom is where you begin and end the day – it’s important that it’s a space where you can feel clean and calm. Personally, I believe that the best bathrooms are ones that feel open and airy, full of light, to start the day with a feeling of a fresh start. Likewise, it’s important that the lighting fixtures are appropriate for a nice atmosphere in the evenings before bed. That’s why this week we’re bringing you a master bathroom transformation – to show you just what a difference design can make!

The Before

The original bathroom was alright. There was nothing wrong with it, so to say. But it was all one-dimensional. Nothing about this bathroom excited me. I really did not like the way that the drapery fell over the windows – there was too much fabric and the color did not really match the general atmosphere. The built-in bathtub was very large, giving a feeling of luxury – but it wasted a lot of space and made the entire bathroom feel smaller. The warm lights combined with the pale yellow wall color made the whole room feel yellow – which is not the ideal color for a bathroom if you ask me. Something about the color scheme made everything feel outdated. One look at this bathroom and I knew that a drastic transformation could take place – and it would be one that would be worth it.

The Design & Process

When first designing this bathroom, I knew I wanted to opt for a more neutral color scheme, focusing on whites and greys – this would look beautiful with natural lighting and feel very clean. To begin, we painted the walls in Farrow & Ball Pavillion Gray #242 as our starting point. The next thing we wanted to tackle were the floors. The bathroom is one of my favorite places to experiment with tiles, because there are so many areas where tiles are appropriate – on the floors, around the shower, etc. I chose an array of tiles for the floor, the shower, and some detail work. I wanted to play with different patterns, to ensure the final design had a lot of texture and dimension, unlike the original.

Additionally, I wanted to ensure that the whole design featured lots of little details – this would help keep the eye fluttering across the room, while still holding true to a simple and clean design. One of the areas I was able to achieve this was in the shower. I chose a classic white and grey marble tile for the majority of the shower walls. But I wanted to create a little arched wall niche in the shower – the perfect place for soaps and toiletries. This little alcove was such a great opportunity to get patterned tiles in, this time in mosaic, the same as the shower floor. My contractors did a fantastic job creating this arch – truly only a real stone craftsman can produce something this perfect, because it involves cutting and shaping all of the stone/tile manually. I’m always so grateful to have the best team!

I also managed to get a lovely texture incorporated into the custom vanity we had built for this bathroom. I love the diamond shapes in the doors and the way that the drawers are installed – slightly unconventionally. I think there’s little more luxurious than having two bathroom sinks, so that’s what we opted for. We chose to have a freestanding tub to create more floor space and open the bathroom up – additionally, we opted for glass shower doors rather than curtains to keep the space feeling airy.

We sourced the mirrors and vanity lights from Restoration Hardware, with the vanity lamp shades custom made in my workroom in gray silk by Fabricut. To really tie the entire design together, we chose to use roman shades which really elevates a room. We used linen from Pindler & Pindler and hand-embroidered decorative tape from Samuel & Sons to tie all the patterns together. Unlike the previous shades, I made sure that these were not bulky, but rather lay flat. Lastly, we installed a toilet from Toto (my favorite place to source toilets) and had chrome hardware installed to match the metallic of the mirrors. All of the plumbing supplies, faucets, and fittings were from Rohl in polished chrome.

The Finished Bathroom

I am incredibly proud of how this bathroom turned out. I think it feels elevated, clean, luxurious, and bright…truly the best place to start and end each day. I think the two bathrooms are so radically different, you may not even tell that they were once the same bathroom!

If you are interested in renovating a bathroom in your house – let us help you! Head to our services page to book your free consultation today.

Flooring: The Benefits of Faux Wood Vinyl

Everyone seems to dream of hardwood floors – and it’s easy to see why! They are so classy, chic, homely, and warm. However, the reality of hardwood floors is that they can be fairly expensive to install and can wear and tear quickly enough to make one question whether they’re worth it. That’s why vinyl flooring is a great option to consider when designing or remodeling any room! Keep reading to learn more about faux wood vinyl flooring and why it might be the best option for you.

What is Faux Wood Vinyl Flooring?

There are two main types of vinyl flooring – the type that comes as sheets and the type that comes as tiles. I always recommend tile vinyl flooring, especially if you’re looking to mimic hardwood floors. Tile vinyl flooring is much harder than sheet vinyl flooring, so will look and feel more like wood. It is made of Polyvinyl chloride which is a synthetic material. You can buy vinyl flooring tiles from most hardware stores, coming in a variety of sizes and colors.

Why Choose Faux Wood Vinyl Flooring?

Easier to Maintain

One of the best parts about Faux Wood Vinyl is that it is much more durable and easier to maintain than actual hardwood floors. If a drink spills, you can simply wipe it up with no fear of staining or damage. This is perfect for high-moisture rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms. Additionally, faux wood vinyl flooring doesn’t chip or scratch nearly as easily as hardwood floors do. This makes it a great option if you’re someone with children or if you like to host a lot of gatherings and parties.

Budget-Friendly

Proper hardwood floors can be incredibly expensive to buy and install. The wood needs special treatment, and the simple weight of it can make it difficult and expensive to install. Not to mention that it requires special varnishes and finishes which just adds to the cost. Vinyl Flooring on the other hand is easy to come by and is designed for quick and easy installation – something that you’d be able to do at home. All of this means that faux wood vinyl flooring comes at a fraction of the cost of hardwood floors. And if you’re renovating an entire room, you may find that every penny really does count.

Sleek Look

Faux Vinyl Flooring has the potential to look really amazing when properly installed and incorporated into a design. Most people won’t even think twice about whether or not it’s real wood. The other advantage of vinyl flooring is that it is much easier to find the right color and tone without having to compromise on pricing, thereby giving you more creative control. Additionally, since it’s so easy to come by and is available in so many different shades, you can get really creative and even lay down patterns using a variety of colors. If you are feeling extra creative, you can even use vinyl tiles on the walls, ceilings, or backsplashes!

Interior Design Made Easy

There is no reason to resist something like vinyl flooring because it isn’t “real.” Perhaps you may feel like opting for vinyl flooring is a shortcut or a cheap option you shouldn’t choose. But professionals everywhere, including myself, opt for faux wood vinyl flooring all the time. And we never regret it!

If you are looking to renovate or need some help with your newly designed rooms, we’re here for you! Visit our services page to book your free consultation today.

How to Add Interest to a Ceiling

In design, the ceiling is often the part of the room that often gets the least attention – throw on a simple white coat of paint and call it a day, right? Wrong. Would the Sistine Chapel be nearly as beautiful without the paintings done by Michaelangelo? It makes sense that ceilings aren’t given as much attention as the walls, for instance, but if you’ve been following us for a while now, you know that we believe design is in the details. Because the ceiling most often sits in our periphery, it is almost like one large-sized detail. And we know that details make all the difference, with the ability to take a design from pretty to beautiful. So keep reading to find out 4 ways to add interest to a ceiling!

Paint

Paint is probably the easiest way to give your ceiling that detail to make it stand out. Choosing a bold, bright, or contrasting color for the ceiling is simple, inexpensive, and adds that wow factor to a room. Get creative by painting the top few inches of the wall the same color as the ceiling for a seamless and raised effect, making the room appear taller.

Even just painting the ceiling the same color as the wall can add that edge of seamlessness – although this works best when the walls are painted using a bolder color than white or beige.

Architectural Detail

One of my favorite and most effective methods of adding interest to a ceiling is adding architectural detail. Whether you decide to install a coffered ceiling, bead-boarding, beams, or a simple trim, actually adding that extra texture really does make the biggest difference. The eye is given something to dance on, being drawn upward, and generally making a room appear taller and larger.

Architectural detail also gives such a fantastic canvas for any paintwork that you want to do. Contrasting the color of the trim or woodwork to the rest of the ceiling will make a design appear complete and well-thought-out.

Wallpaper

Wallpaper is another easier and less expensive way to add beautiful detail to a room. You can get that Michaelangelo feeling by choosing more extravagant designs, transforming the ceiling from an easily missed detail to the main event. This is a great option if your design is following a neutral color scheme and you’re wanting to add that detail and texture without bold colors or hours of woodworking. Simply choose a patterned wallpaper with colors that match the tone of the rest of your design for a more exciting visual experience.

Stick-on/peel-off wallpaper is also a great choice if you are renting!

Lighting Fixtures

The final way to add detail to the ceiling design is with your lighting fixtures. Chandeliers are a classic way to elevate a design, once again drawing the eye upward. And if you choose the right fixture, it can often be enough to finish the design. And don’t be alarmed by the word, “chandelier.” It doesn’t have to be an extravagant fixture with dangling crystals – although that can very often be the right option. There are so many modern and sleek lighting fixtures large enough to fill the ceiling space without appearing gaudy.

Combine These!

My final tip is to use a combination of these methods to really bring the ceiling design to life. You are in control of your own design and the most important person throughout that process is you and whether or not you like it. Allow yourself to get creative with all the possibilities! We promise you will not regret giving that attention to your ceiling!

The only difficult thing about adding interest to a ceiling is that it can be quite a difficult surface to work on for obvious reasons – especially if you’re looking to install architectural detail. That’s why we’re here – to help assist you and turn your dream design into a reality. Head to our services page to book a free consultation and get started today!

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