Happy January (am I the first to ever say that?)
FINALLY it's a new year, 2023 was a was a strange and tough one here in the now-reopened entertainment capital... not much more to say about that but onward we go - HELLO '24, it's nice to be here.
In that spirit, I'm excited to share not one but TWO new remodel projects we just photographed. Coincidentally both were in Pasadena, and both were updates of beautiful older homes with incredible bones and energy - feel-good spaces that have character and feel cozy the second you walk in, like the feeling you get when you put on the perfect pair of jeans. Scroll down for all the details.
As the start of the year has some people practicing dry January, and others committing to more physical exercise, I've done neither however, I have been thinking a ton about what makes 22 Interiors unique. I've been reflecting on how to do all things better and how to evolve our systems, our branding, our client experience, and what we believe in. As a result I've realized 2 things:
COLOR choice is INSANELY important (I count black and white shades as colors - there are SO many of them). The way a color can completely transform a space, and the way it feels... it's truly magic. We love delivering the perfect palette to our projects.
EFFICIENCY is my new favorite word (eeek! the Virgo in me? Sorry not sorry). Systems, processes, communication techniques - the idea of getting it done, and doing it beautifully, and most perhaps most important of all, avoiding costly mistakes.
To dive deeper into all DESIGN topics I'm obsessed with, we are launching a digital (maybe physical??) magazine called The Twenty Two which will be both informative (first issue on our favorite paint colors) and highly opinionated (if you haven't heard my rant on accent walls, you can read it instead). STAY TUNED!
*** Do YOU have any questions about paint or colors you'd like answered? Email me Lucie@22Interiors.com and I will answer in the Q&A section of our upcoming issue.***
FIRST REMODEL REVEAL: MARENGO
This kitchen was a TRUE transformation. The "before" was not the most efficient (there's that word again) - it had a very small island for the space with the range on the island, making the amount of counter space limited. The cabinets were cherry wood stained, the counter tops granite, and the upper cabinets next to the windows were all very outdated. The bathrooms we played with color and custom cabinetry to create a very specific mood. Here are the details:
We used the French Colonial style of the home (built in 1927) as inspiration, while keeping top of mind the lifestyle of the clients, who have three children and basically live in the kitchen.
The backsplash tile we fell in love with - a Walker Zanger hand-painted terracotta, Duquesa Alba. This drove the color palette.
A new layout was create to improve... yes, efficiency. My gut felt like a peninsula was a way better choice than an island. The family wanted (and we agreed) a built-in banquette and counter seating. Our new design doubled the number of people that can sit in the kitchen.
We created a tall pantry cabinet as well as a tall "appliance garage" with retractable doors - brilliant for hiding mess.
We created deep drawers for pots and pans, a baking sheet drawer with slots, and added lazy susans in all corners... and a rolling spice rack.
Lighting was essential - we made sure to pick pendants that were large enough for the room as we purposefully wanted them to anchor the kitchen space while the banquette's chandelier was more mellow.
The primary bathroom needed storage. We designed custom cabinets to look like furniture and mimic the character of this incredible home.
We had a blast picking out the wallpaper for the under the stairs powder. LOVE that color!
We worked with the contractor to ensure success on installation of all the elements - meaning spreadsheets, specification documents for all the trades, and most important of all, CONSTANT COMMUNICATION.
BEFORE PHOTOS FIRST -
PHOTOS: before kitchen photo, before banquette area in kitchen photos, after kitchen photo of island, after kitchen photo of custom banquette, powder room, primary bathroom vanity cabinets, primary bathroom make up desk, primary bathroom shower and tub.
AFTER PHOTOS BY: NOAH WEBB
SECOND REMODEL REVEAL: ATCHISON
Woweeee - You know how I love color? Well our Atchison clients really inspired and pushed even ME. They purchased a historic 1913 Prairie-style home in Pasadena. It has the gorgeous large front porch, incredible grounds, and character-filled rooms. The kitchen however was quite small in relation to the rest of the house, and our clients wanted a design (especially colors) that would make it feel original. We worked on a new space plan upstairs to create a new primary bathroom (larger than the original), primary walk in closet), laundry room, and guest bathroom. Here are highlights.
We started with the floor plan to investigate how we can get more kitchen square footage and redefine the upstairs space plan to create the most efficient location for each new room we were creating.
Just outside the kitchen area, we created a coffee bar/cocktail bar-like cabinet next to the kitchen for additional storage, using stained wood so it felt like furniture, and worked better with the furniture side of the room.
For the kitchen color scheme, we dove DEEP into green and pink color combinations, landing on Farrow & Ball Treron for the cabinets, and Setting Plaster for the walls.
We added an "appliance garage" in the pantry cabinet next to the refrigerator, drawers everywhere, and an undercounter wine fridge on the dining room side of the island for easy access.
For the primary bathroom and laundry, we choose wallpapers that are vibrant and playful and used those as inspiration for everything else.
We again worked closely with the contractor (as above) to ensure success and avoid costly mistakes and delays.
PHOTOS BY: NOAH WEBB
CONSULTATIONS ON THE RISE
Another year of great renovations are forecast. We've been getting so many requests for consultations. For those who've never used this service, most consults are two hours, and we get AS MUCH done as possibly in our time together. Typically a consultation includes some or all of the following:
A walk through of your home and/or the specific spaces you are looking for help with
Furniture layouts and space planning for rooms
Material selection for a renovation
Defining and prioritizing budget (renovations or furnishings or both)
Paint color and/or wallpaper ideas and selections
Project color schemes
Window Treatment recommendations
Lighting plan
Styling tips and ideas for vignettes
A follow up email with ideas, sources, colors, suggestions
Sometimes clients do multiple consults at various stages of their projects. Consults are most successful when clients:
Have a specific "problem to solve"
Appreciate good design but are paralyzed to start on their own
Have some design ideas but want a second opinion before starting
Are “do-it-yourself” types
As anyone who has ever renovated anything will know, there are so many variables... but there's only so much budget, and only so much time... meaning decision fatigue can set in very quickly. (Even just when painting). And if you know me, you'll know that decisive is my middle name. Or is it opinionated? Hmm... To book at consultation, please start by filling out our design questionnaire.
That is all for now and as always, thank you for reading!
Lucie + 22 team