Design & Build Magazine May/June 2015

TalkOfTheTrade
Remodel
The Perfect Marriage
(of original & modern)
There is something very sexy and
satisfying about a renovation that has
been tastefully infused with
original details.
Design & Build magazine brings you...
Vanessa Reilly
SELLING MY SHARE OF REAL ESTATE
over the years, I have seen all types of renovations.
From a $100,000 lime green kitchen
to a freshly carpeted bathroom floor.
Many projects have left me scratching my
head. When it comes to a remodel, everyone
has their own personal style, but one theme
that I’ve noticed over the years in the most
striking renovations is a balanced blend of
reclaimed original features in juxtaposition
with intelligent, modern upgrades. There is
something very sexy and satisfying about a
renovation that has been tastefully infused
with original details.
My favorite style of renovation has always
been mid-century modern. The clean lines,
walls of glass, and natural flow of interior to
exterior spaces tugs on my heart strings. It
started as a hobby and morphed into an obsession.
Renovating a mid-century home is
like putting a puzzle together. How can you
preserve the original features while updating
the space so that it feels current and fresh?
The most recent renovation project I had
the opportunity to work on was a home built
in 1972 located in the mid-century modern
neighborhood of Northcrest. The original
owners had taken pride during their ownership,
and many of the home’s original features
were impeccably maintained. We called it the
“Lynnray House” and it boasted a dramatic
elevation with a low pitch roof, multi-level
floor plan and plenty of glass that let the natural
surroundings in.
The actual floor plan needed little modification.
Just one wall was brought down to
open the kitchen up to the main living space.
The windows were replaced and expanded
to enhance the love affair with the natural
light and the interchangeable indoor/outdoor
living. Surprisingly, the only original wood
floors were in the bedrooms. The rest of the
home had a lovely mud-colored carpet, which
looked like it could have been original as
well! We added wood floors throughout the
home and blended them perfectly with the existing
wood in the bedrooms.
For me, inspiration often comes from my
surroundings. In this case I drew upon the
warmth of the original tongue and groove
ceilings and offset the warm wood tones with
a cool, modern, paint pallet. The new kitchen
was opened up and streamlined and I intentionally
chose to not use upper cabinets and
instead opted for a larger bank of built-ins
around the refrigerator. This kept the eye focused
on the dynamic pitch of the tongue and
groove ceiling - the starring character of this
home.
In the bathrooms, the old shower tile was
replaced with large, white, rectangular tile
that traveled vertically up the wall and visually
added even more height to the space,
again, playing up the T&G wood ceilings.
The original tile was left on the floor and
simply acid washed and re-grouted. This
gave the bathrooms a bit of history and depth.
All the fixtures, vanities and toilets were replaced.
The finished product was a striking
mix of contemporary and years gone by. A
labor of love that told a story in the details,
ornamented with special touches and infused
with natural light.
Have a question for Vanessa? She is available
by email at Vanessa@designbuildmagazine.net.
She can also be reached through her website
at DomoRealty.com.
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