my favorite movie is "grease". no judgement! one of my favorite moments in the movie is when sandy gets all dolled up in black leather a la "greasers" style and shocks the hell out of danny. while he's standing there, jaw on carnival floor, pink ladies in the background egging her on, she drops her cigarette on the ground, stamps it out with her high heeled shoe, and says "tell me about it, stud". cue the visual...
there's a lot of bravado in design. and there's a lot of "i'll be whatever you want just to get the job". i'd like to think people hire me because i'm true to myself, without a lot of hype or divaness (i made that word up, but i like it;). in the movie, sandy attempts to transform herself into what she thinks danny is looking for, a feminine version of his blue-collar, rough and tumble, greaser self. the similarity here is that, every time i tour a new client's project and it's just at the stud phase, i cannot stop my inner voice from screaming "tell me about it, stud" (get it?? studs. tell me about it, stud!) wanting to be what they want me to be, only to realize they hired me to be me, cause they like me and they like my style, just as it is. but it's still fun to roll out, in my mock sexy voice, "tell me about it, stud"!
all of that, just to introduce a new project i've been working on and am over the moon excited about!!!!! super cool couple, with 2 kids, plans for at least one more, in marietta, building their dream home!
progress has been made since i've started working with them, so some of the pictures have updated shots!
here's the outside. oh yeah, it's a bigun!!! did i mention how supremely cool they are?? that's really the best part :)
this is the kitchen with the garage on the other side of the studs. the lady of the house has requested that when people experience the kitchen, they exclaim "this is the tits!!". i have never heard that phrase, but ok, i'm on it!!! let's make it happen! custom cabinetry, gorgeous island, francois and co metal hood, high-end appliances, 10-foot ceilings, hand-painted portuguese tile on the backsplash...
just off the kitchen is the dining room. the original plans had a squared off wall divider, but after some thought (and my love of consistency), we decided to stick with the arch theme we have elsewhere in the house!!
also off the kitchen is the living room. when we first met, there was just going to be a fireplace wall, maybe with some bookshelves. oh no. let's do this!! we're going brick fireplace surround, plaster tapered flue surround, oversized open shelving, and custom base cabinetry with a slight moroccan thang going on...
the master bath suite will have a free standing tub (hopefully my favorite interpretation from waterworks!!!), custom double vanity, beautiful shower, and extra style in the over-sized walk-in closet!!
the stairwell will hopefully be more than just an exercise in going up stairs. i have millwork fantasies here...it just has to fit in the budget! on the upper level, we have the perfect wall for large scale art and an uber-feminine window seat/i have all the time in the world to lounge kinda space :)
also upstairs is the main tv room and the kid-only accessible play room (complete with stars on the ceiling lighting!!!)
back downstairs we have the laundry room, complete with a dog wash station! they don't have a dog at the present, but that doesn't mean we can't plan for future spot's spa-like bathing area!! this will be a fun and colorful room for task-driven activities. reminder: my motto is: design should be fun, so let's do it!
there's a kick-ass back porch, complete with dining area and relaxing by the fireplace area!! here are some progression pics :)
this shot is a reminder that no matter how on top of everything your designer is, sometimes you just need to play with stuff in real time. like staining the edge of the door with the options. provincial it is!!!
i am so excited about this project and about these clients. they really are super cool and i am honored that they are entrusting me with their dream house. one of the most exciting things is we're going to store everything (we have to furnish the entire house as well :) until they are ready to move in, so my goal is to do the big, fun, fancy reveal in the end. not just to you, but to them!!! fingers crossed this really happens!!! and of course, to blog about the entire process! tell me about it, stud ;)
beijos,
beth