Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Make a BIG difference in your home with little details.

When we first walked into the Cannon's home, everyone asked what should be done with the large map of Nevada on the back wall of the front entry LOL.

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You can see that a few little details; some fabulous architectural trim, wood capped stairs and a new color scheme made a big difference. Tadaaa! Here is how...

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1. Architectural Trim is relatively inexpensive and easy to install - however, if you don't have experience working with it you will want to hire a design professional to help you with a plan. Take one look at a trim catalogue and you will see what I am talking about. There are a thousand choices and it is hard to tell how a little sample will actually look on the wall and work together with the other pieces. The details are so important! This simple design required several different trim pieces and I actually stayed on location as the finish carpenter installed it (making them redo a few things as they went).

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2. Wood Capped Stairs - obviously we were not going to leave the wrapped carpet going down the stairs in the foyer! Especially since the Cannons were installing hardwood floors throughout the entire main floor of the house. The wood end caps give the room a more formal and clean appearance. I mentioned before that the previous owners loved carpet- The whole house was wall to wall - even the kitchen and bathrooms YUCK! Covering the entire stair with wood can be very expensive, and if it is in the budget, would be my first choice. Capping only the sides saved some money and still had the effect we were going for.

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3. Paint - Painting the trim white brightened up the room and makes a big impact. However, one thing you might not be able to see is that we darkened up the wood on the banister as well. We saved a lot of money by keeping the existing banister and by having our painter rub a dark glaze on the existing finish. It took the yellow undertones out of the finish and added a deep rich brown hue to tie in the new hardwood floors. So much less expensive then sanding it down and refinishing or replacing it all together! I also love the light fixture that the Cannon's picked out.

You can see how a few little things made a big difference in this foyer. What little things would make a big difference in your home? Contact me if you would like to schedule a design consultation.

10 comments:

Emi Edgley said...

Wow. Amazing changes. You have made R&T's home look like a showcase! I hope there are more posts coming about the bathrooms...

Also, remember when we talked about the photo collage? I've got to take those pictures and create a "guest post" for you! Don't let me forget.

Emi

Seth & Amy said...

Looks incredible. Great details. I would love to know where you got the kitchen pendant lights from?

Bethany Christensen said...

Amy- the pendant lights in the kitchen are Murray Feiss from the Parker Place collection.

Emily said...

I love the wood work, really gives it a finished look.

Melissa B. said...

Bethany it looks great. I am so glad you are posting about this remodel. I have been dying to see what you ended up doing, I am wanting paneling in my entrance and hallway too. Love it.

Cedar Roots said...

The paneling is killer, really so crisp and stunning, great design B.

Maria Killam said...

Wow Bethany, you are a talented designer! And I adore the light fixture you chose!! Stunning. Love to see your work!

Duckfoot said...

Wow! I'm impressed with the huge improvement shown from the before photos to the after photos.

A question (from a non-decorator here): What are wood end capped stairs? In the after-photos, the stairs appear to be entirely wood, with a runner attached to them.

Bethany Christensen said...

Duckfoot- Technically the entire stair is made out of wood (Plywood). The nicer, finished wood (oak)is only on the sides and doesn't run the entire length of the stair tread and the the carpet is installed down the middle. Thanks for your question and comment.
Bethany

Danielle @ Transforming Home said...

Hi! I found your blog through the comments on Pure Style Home.
I had no idea you could just put hardwood on the ends of stairs! We have a ton of stairs and hardwood is just not in the budget, plus I wanted a runner in the center (3 young boys). This seems like a great option! Who does this? Also, when putting that darker glaze on the banister, did he sand first? Or just glaze right on top?
Thanks a lot!

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