Well over a year ago, some close friends asked me to help them with the interior design of the home they were building in Wilmington, NC. They were ideal clients because they were open to new ideas and very trusting in my design sense. It helped that they have a beautiful piece of land on one of the intracoastal inlets, a talented architect, and a great builder who could make it all happen!
My clients were very clear on their misson: to create a home with the smallest foot print that would still be functional and comfortable for an active family of five. They carefully considered the environment as they planned, sited, and built the home. Wherever feasible (and in budget) the materials were to be sourced locally, the appliances and plumbing fixtures were to be Energy Star and/or 'water sense' certified, and the finishes were to be no or low-VOC. They cut as few trees as possible to allow for the foundation, and milled those fallen trees for the hardwood flooring.
I became involved in the process after they had started working with the architect and developed a solid plan. I acted as another 'set of eyes' to help ensure the plan was perfect and that all of the details had been thought through. Since I usually work on renovation projects where you must work with many fixed parameters, it was a luxury to be able to affect the outcome of the floorplan from the beginning.
Next I designed the cabinetry for the home, which included the kitchen, mudroom, and bathrooms. My clients had initially selected semi-custom cabinets from a local shop in town, but after they realized that custom-cabinetry could fit in their budget, they decided that was the route they preferred since they could specify and get exactly what they wanted.
Here's their 'inspiration' photo. They loved the dark hardwood floors, white cabinets, and thick concrete countertops:
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| Photo courtesy of Wrightsville Beach Magazine |
And here is how their kitchen turned out:
They opted for grey concrete countertops with white cabinetry on the perimeter of the kitchen, with the reverse color scheme on the island. The builder, who specializes in the fabrication of concrete countertops, created a 3" thick white countertop for the island, with oystershells imbedded into the concrete. The color is beautiful with the soft greys and taupes, and the texture is amazing, with a very soft honed finish. They are unique and perfect for this home.
The picture above shows a good view of the pine flooring, milled from the trees fomerly on their lot.
I also helped my clients make the myriad of choices associated with building a home, including selecting appliances, plumbing fixtures, decorative hardware, tile, lighting, paint colors, and flooring. However I will admit that the most striking element of her home are these 'Nelson Bubbles' that she discovered to hang above the dining room table:
The bubbles are the first thing that you notice when you enter the home, and certainly the most memorable! My clients are very adventurous, fun, outgoing people and these lights reflect their personalities well.
She hung these great sephia-toned photos on the wall directly behind the bubbles.
After they had moved in, my client/friend paid me the most wonderful compliment: 'Now that I have worked with a designer, I could not imagine doing this again without one - I would have made so many mistakes! I truly understand the value that a designer brings to the table'. That made my day!
I had a great time working with my friends on this project, and I'm sad that it's over. However I love visiting and enjoying the beautiful, comfortable home that I helped them to create.
Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn
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