Interior Artistry @kellijoyart - Tumblr Blog

:: Bathroom | Vanity & Sinks ::

Clutter!

Somehow there’s never enough storage in a bathroom. This Builder Grade master bath needs an update!

The homeowner knew that she wanted vessel sinks.

She has a flow of metals and asian influence throughout the home so I gravitated towards a copper hammered sink. We were both drawn to the variation of color in the patina so we chose the second sample from the left.

Knowing that the existing stone and tile are staying, we agreed on the muted ash tone of the second from the bottom. She loves things to be light in color and feel. This one was perfect.

Off to the stone yard to choose the best countertop surface. I was lucky enough to find a remnant that was the ideal color combination as well as the very long length that was required. Score!

Jaime Gascón from 606dc modeling his heart out.

Hello sleek new cabinets!

In order to really maximize storage possibilities, we added a second center column of drawers and a tower. We also flipped the configuration of the sink cabinets - instead of a “dummy” drawer on top we flipped it so there is a functional drawer on the bottom. Brilliant!

Exciting day when the countertop and sinks are installed!

The switches and outlet posed a problem for centering the mirror on the right side. To solve this issue, I ran mirror the entire length and had the outlets covered in mirror.

The clunkiness of the outlets is camouflaged. Everything feels visually centered. Hooray!

Installing Hardware 101 : Print out a copy of a photo and draw on it.

The standard option of vertical handles and horizontal drawer pulls seemed busy and too traditional.

The simple, clean line look of everything horizontal just feels right. I made sure to center everything to their respective areas.

Voilá! I installed the hardware as drawn out and it’s perfect! The new lighting includes more mirrored surface and finishes off the look. (Next on the list - replace the soap containers and those candles...)

:: Pattern ::

If you love deep color but are hesitant to use it wondering if it will feel too dark, consider adding a stencil with sheen. This technique brings some shimmer to dark corners and bounces light off of bold color to make it feel open and breathable.

I was originally hired to complete one accent wall. I knowingly stated “you will want to have the whole room done once you see one wall!” The homeowners were hesitant thinking that it would be too “busy” in the room to do it all.

One month later I was back to complete the entire room. They lived with it and agreed that the pattern adds such character and interest that the other walls seemed unfinished.

This is the only picture I have of more than the one wall completed. Can you believe I don’t have a finished photo of the entire room?! Trust me, it looks FANTASTIC!

:: Kitchen Magic | Countertops ::

After seeing the transformation the cabinets made in the room, the homeowners decided to invest in countertops. The dark granite really felt heavy now that the energy had lifted in the room. Here is the kitchen after the cabinets were painted with the dark counters.

Off to the stone yard! I found this quartzite slab that incorporated the perfect colors for the home. This would be ideal for the island with a waterfall edge to really feel updated and contemporary while keeping this stone as much of a focal point as possible.

I chose a solid man-made quartz for the main counters with a full backsplash of the same material. The goal was lighten the overall feel and simplify the space since the walls have movement with a faux finish and the island would have a lot of visual presence as well. Here are the two surface samples next to each other.

No more dark counters!

This was also the perfect opportunity to elongate the island to truly be centered in the room. We added a wine cooler and extended the counter a couple of feet to include it. That way we were able to add another bar stool!

I invited woodworking artist Michelle DeLeon to craft a lovely backing for the island made out of reclaimed wood.

She also created a reclaimed wood frame for the existing mirror. Here she is on installation day.

:: Kitchen Magic | Cabinets ::

This kitchen felt disconnected from the creme and sage contemporary vibe of the rest of the home. A complete kitchen overhaul was ruled out since the same footprint would be used. The existing cabinets are in fine working order so we decided to implement my favorite solution - PAINT THEM!

The “cabinet door army” set up in the garage.

Beginning to apply the custom color oil glaze. The back of the open cabinet has the brushed finish on it. Subtle and sophisticated. The hand brushed look adds a mood that is missing from sprayed finishes.

All done! New hardware also installed - I’m a one stop shop!

The hand brushed glaze finish in detail.

:: Stone Fireplace ::

The new homeowner wanted to update the dark lodgey feel to a brighter contemporary palette. She painted out the wooden beams to white and asked me if I could do anything to lighten the stone of the fireplace. It was very costly to remove and replace so they wanted a solution to keep it and have it feel cohesive with the lighter colors.

I figured, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s just paint. Paint it out solid if my transparent wash approach fails. So I began experimenting with a transparent white wash to maintain the look of stone but bring it a few shades lighter. In the end, I used a variety of 4 colors of washes so that it had character of natural stone and not a monotone white wash.

I worked out perfectly. The stone looks natural! I also stained the mantel darker to match a built-in cabinet that lives in the same room.

:: CTA Door ::

I love it when my client comes to me with an outrageous idea. This CTA inspired door painting was a fun one to create.

The homeowner installed the Chicago train line shower curtain and decided to commit to the theme. I added a black line following the tile edge to mimic the train lines of the city. Then painted the door to feel as though you are looking out the side as the train moves along.

:: Salmon Stripe ::

I have wanted to incorporate pink into the living room for so long now...

I tried a blush pink on all walls. While pretty, it was too sweet. It didn’t feel like “us”. It needed to be amped up and increase the funk factor. Inspired to pull together the new bar under the stairs with the collage of art work, a racing stripe came to mind.

I love how it fits JUST perfectly above the archway.

Brilliant use of space by my husband. This is his baby. I must give him all credit - it’s perfect.

Photos by M Lindsay Photography - http://mlindsayphotography.com/

This was a portion of my feature on the website - http://www.neighborhood-ing.com/

:: Headboard Mural ::

A large custom painting directly on the wall becomes the focal point of this contemporary bedroom.

:: Kitchen Magic | Cabinets ::

Sometimes a little paint is all a kitchen needs to transform into the modern day. I’m terrible at taking “before” photos. So here are a couple of “in process” photos.

Bella Blue by Benjamin Moore is an energetic color that infuses some funk into this fun-loving couple’s kitchen. I added a raw umber glaze over it to add some depth and interest while slightly toning down the base color. The drawer front for the sink and the handles need to be installed.

The handles make it feel complete!

::Inspire::

I have owned Interior Artistry for 15 years! Jason and I planned a lovely celebration for this milestone. It was a small gathering of those who have supported me in a memorable way during this journey to find myself as an artist, business owner and human being.

So many lovely and thoughtful gifts were presented to me that day. This bracelet is one of them. It is called "The Giving Key". Click on the photo to read more.

My friend Amy thinks that this word encompasses me and my design business. I am so honored to live everyday with this word in my heart. I see it everywhere now. My sister sent me this note that my niece has been drafting to enter into an art exhibit.

The joy that reading this note brings me is remarkable. Her enthusiasm inspires me!

#inspire #artist #anniversary #interior design #painting #family

Current Project: Ombre walls

Some photos of the process:

Project Update : Ombre walls

I am so happy with how this ombre glaze treatment came together with SuzAnn Kletzien's vision for this room. Go to my SPECIALTY PAINTING page to see more images of this gorgeous room. And follow the link to SuzAnn's page there to see some of the other gorgeous spaces that she has created!

Current Project: Damask Stencil

STENCIL close up :

Designer Tip :

Always view your materials before signing off on them!

The granite on the left is what the client would've received if I would've signed off without viewing the slab. It's a totally different color than our sample and would've been an unwelcome surprise. The granite on the right is what I hand picked from a group of slabs for the project. I was able to choose a slab that resembled our sample perfectly.

It's important to know exactly what materials are showing up in your project as you base other color decisions on each added element! A little time now saves a lot of headache later!

Flashback 2012: Surrounded by Landmarks

Today I was thinking back to this time last year when I was preparing for this amazing 7 year old's room. The "landmarks" theme was completely his own idea. The trick was to figure out how to include 20+ landmarks around the world in one room with limited wall space! I decided that treating the walls as water with "land masses" where the little monuments could live was the way to go. If you are paying attention, they don't all necessarily live on the same land masses in real life...but in a 7 year old's vision - anything goes! The images here show a bit of the process : mapping out locations, adding the "land masses", sketching in the monuments and finally bits of the painted finale! (The Washington Monument and The White House were amazing to see in person for the first time this year after creating this project last year!)

Teaser : Ombre Master Bedroom

I wanted to share how amazing this deep cobalt ombre turned out, even though I don't have professional photos of it yet and the room is not put back together...!

BEFORE