Pat and Bob relocated from California and consolidated several houses full of furniture into their new home.

I became involved before construction began, consulting with them and their architect on the initial floor plan and basic design. We then tackled the selection of all design elements -- from exterior siding and shutter/door colors to interior flooring, cabinetry, light fixtures, hardware, and paint colors.

We chose a palette of muted greens and golds for the entire house, with subtle changes in hue and saturation from room to room. The rich colors of the wood flooring, the dark kitchen countertops, and the chocolate ceiling in the entry/dining area provide warm accents to this basic color scheme. To create a soft look, we carried the cream color of the trim onto the ceiling and used paint with a slight sheen to gently reflect light and to "blur" the edges.

Custom features include: glass doors on the kitchen island to display Pat's crystal stemware; a window seat in the den with drawers beneath for easy access to storage; and cabinetry flanking the windows in the den and the fireplace in the living room to provide additional hidden storage as well as display space for their art and heirloom collection.

Final steps included the difficult task of deciding what to keep from their huge collection of furnishings and accessories, and then deciding what new elements were needed... such as the roman shade in the kitchen which is custom made from hand-beaded fabric, and a distinctive chandelier which compliments their original dining table and chairs.

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