CHAPTER FOUR

the big picture

 

 

 

 

WHEN I BUILT my new store in Kansas City in 2007 I learned firsthand about planning rooms from the foundation up. Looking at a blank slate of land is far different from the experiences I have had remodeling and redesigning rooms within an existing blueprint. When I designed my new store, I wanted to be able to have many rooms within the store. It must be like what scientists feel when they’re in the laboratory. I wanted to have many opportunities to be a design mixologist—and I wanted to design and redesign to my heart’s content.

In my home, over the years I have frequently redesigned the seating area that sits at one end of my long living room. Here, for the first time, I recently added drapery panels to redefine the space and opted for a more modern sofa style. The fabric pattern of the draperies is subtle against my soft, buttery yellow walls and adds a warmth and texture to the room that makes me wonder how I lived without this added softness before. For my drapes, I opted for a flat flange trim with mitered corners.

One of the things I’ve loved about working with the customers featured in this book is the amazement I have when I see how they, too, redesigned their walls from the ground up. It is no small task to figure out where you want your rooms to be located, how large should they be, and how they will function.

In this chapter, we will go together on a homes tour to see how these stylish customers designed rooms that are both beautiful and functional. The rooms in this chapter are situated in the heart of the home and inspire the rooms in the rest of the house. Enjoy!

 

“This master bedroom is dressed up in some of my favorite combinations of black, whites, and creams.”

THIS ROOMY MASTER suite at Marsee’s was built more than a hundred years ago, but with clever planning she was able to preserve the past qualities of the room, while modernizing the design.

The winter-wheat walls are subtle and warm, adding depth to the large sunny suite that wraps the corner on the back of her Tudor home. Just beyond the bed, notice the bright salmon tile of the master bath. She was not swayed by pressure to tear out the fifties modern tiles, but instead she reinvented the past and claimed the small bathroom’s history as part of her own new story.

 

I LOVE THE way the mirror over the dresser reflects the arrangement of artwork over the bed. Repeating various shades of whites for the accessories on the dresser further adds to the soft mood of Marsee’s fabrics.

“Make sure your mirror reflects something interesting to look at before you choose its location.”

In the guest bath across the hall, Marsee lights the scene with romantic candlelight.

 

MARSEE HAS ALWAYS been brilliant at turning small spaces into major design statements. In her small Tudor blueprint she utilizes every square foot by providing the eye with surprising vignettes.

This nook between the dining room and kitchen will not be wasted space. Marsee made it functional and beautiful.

This small bench—a sentimental favorite—in the living room holds her collection of miniature books.

Even the tiniest powder room has power to wow. A little basket of fresh linens awaits guests.

 

 

ANNE'S GREAT ROOM off the kitchen was cleverly situated to allow a full view of the kitchen and easy access to all of the living areas of the home.

The sliding barn doors were reclaimed and repurposed and provide a room divider if needed. The open kitchen plan is steps away from serving in the beautiful dining room located at the front of the center-hall plan.

 

VIEWED FROM ANOTHER angle, Anne’s great room sits at the back of the house next to the large backyard porch with fireplace. The dark forest-green French doors define the two spaces. The built-in cabinets were designed by Anne and have been custom painted in a soft bluish-green palette to give them a furniturefinished quality. Anne changes out the mantel seasonally to accent her color scheme—here it is the brighter colors of autumn.

 

ANNE'S DINING ROOM is grand, warm, and dramatic. I love the softness that wingback hostess chairs provide and the surprise offered by the bright geometric-patterned seats on the side chairs on either side of the buffet. The use of different chair styles adds so much interest to the room.

 

THE OVERSIZED CHANDELIER—the jewelry in this room—is so dramatic against the dark, deep color of the walls and windows.

The centerpiece on the dining room table adds the boldness needed in this quiet room.

“By using nature’s finest colors inside, this lovely home is serene and soothing.”

JUST OFF THE foyer, Anne captures more intrigue with the mood lighting of her small powder room. The vanity is true to Anne’s use of furniture finishes throughout the house—here she has repurposed a great cabinet and the oldworld warmth of an oversized wallpaper print.

 

“It’s no small feat when building a home to figure out how large your rooms should be and where to locate them.”

THIS COZY SEATING area in front of the fireplace divides the room into distinct areas. Two different styles of sofas—a chesterfield style is paired with an English rolled-arm sofa—face each other and are divided by an oversized ottoman in a smartly tailored plaid fabric. One is covered in charcoal linen and the other in gray velvet.

 

JULIE'S LARGE FRONT-TO-BACK center-hall plan provides a generous blueprint for her living and dining spaces. She cleverly broke up the space with the addition of this room divider anchored by pillars. Beyond the open seating area, the formal dining room runs along the back of the home, but the open doorway allows you to see all the way to the front of the home through the living room.

 

LARGE WHITE URNS stand guard over the sideboard, repeating the pattern of the large white columns that stand at the entry to the space. The large lantern-style chandelier provides not just drama but also a central focal point for the room.

 

 

Julie placed buffets for storage at either side of the room. I love the way both of these pieces work together but are distinctively different. The bright, sunny dining room space features the family’s French country chairs and a table to match. The redesigned chairs, although diminutive in size, are elevated in stature by their stylish monograms. These family heirlooms, reupholstered in slate-gray leather, now hold their own in this large room.

 

SITTING NEXT TO the dining room and across the center hall at the back of the home, Julie’s stylish kitchen echoes the color scheme of the living areas.

A stylish tray holds the cook’s necessities close at hand.

SITUATED ON THE second floor just above the living room, the master bedroom follows the same blueprint as the lower level and repeats the gray color scheme. Here a soothing oil painting over the bench sets the stage for the entrance to a gorgeous spa-like master bath.

 

Beyond the glossy black door, the freestanding claw-foot tub is a work of art in itself.

 

NEXT TO THE tub, this glass-front cabinet is filled with all the amenities of the well-appointed retreat. I love plain white towels! They always look fresh and they go with any décor.

The vanity, topped in white marble, sits next to the walk-in shower. The glossy black door breaks up the wall and provides a private room for the lavatory. Notice the tile pattern of the floor—how clever that the design mimics the look of an area rug.

At Nell Hill’s we believe in making statements that are refined enough to be found in a dining room but surprising and elegant when added to the bathroom design, such as the floral display on the vanity.