Laurel House
A 1960's ranch house with much of the charm washed away. This project was about reigniting appeal, adding new function, and finding a way to incorporate the owner's already cherished items.
These two cabinet spaces were created in cavities from the previous kitchen. Not only do they create space to hold the family's treasures, like an old recipe box, and cherished cookbooks, but they frame important views of the kitchen and add texture.
The kitchen looks out onto the front garden and the main road. We wanted to create privacy without sacrificing daylight. These curtains allow light to filter through and still retain variety to match the different scale of windows.
Many decisions in the house resorted back to conversations around portals and entries; allowing the sequencing of spaces to create moments of both connection and distinction. The laundry room had its own challenges; crowded with door swings and no counters or hanging space.
Once we considered the relationship between the laundry and its adjacent spaces in the garage, patio and kitchen, we removed two closets to make space for the washer and dryer, moved the original milkman door to replace the beaten up patio door, added in a sink, counter and functional hanging space for clothes or drying flowers and created a pocket door to the kitchen.
Joining the spaces with checkered floor and the same green cabinetry felt right once we decided these spaces could function together.
The primary suite connects directly to a small library that we couldn't ignore in the designing of the bedroom. The colors of each room spill into each other.
We wanted the bedroom to feel private and calming, a respite from the more public portion of the house. Playing with color and pattern but still keeping things calm, a soft pewter envelops the room, connecting to the french blue of the closet and some pops of maroons and browns pulled from the rug.
The original layout of the closet felt exposed. With an open hallway and just two sliding doors to conceal the clothes, we felt that a more enclosed closet room with pocket doors and custom cabinetry would create a portal and give us a chance to play with color. The pocket doors not only improved functionality but also saved space between the small closet room and the cozy primary bath.
A tired attic door transformed into a hidden entryway and disguised as a custom bookshelf. This hidden door provides space for sentimental pieces and miscellaneous items. Additionally, a pocket on the back can store extra bedroom items, while the stairway behind it leads to the attic.
The French blue closet creates a full stop between the bathroom and the primary.
Everything in the bathroom wanted to feel lived in yet still elegant. The dark marble countertop creates a strong visual connection to the deeper color of the closet, leading into a softly muted white bathroom.
A subtle linen closet formed in a cavity left by a defunct laundry shoot. This change added much desired storage to the small footprint of the primary bath.
As you return through the closet, you'll experience the serenity we aimed to achieve by connecting these spaces while allowing each to maintain its distinct character.
Project Completed in 2023.