Remodel starts as a small paint job

It all started with a desire for a new paint color. My client decided that he was tired of the white walls he’d had forever and that he’d like to try some color. He called me to choose colors for his open floor-plan living room, dining room and kitchen. When we were done, we had changed all of the flooring, refaced his kitchen cabinets, replaced his counters with beautiful granite tile, added window treatments, removed the “popcorn” ceiling, installed crown molding, and of course, painted all of the walls.

You know how that goes; one thing always seems to lead to another. “As long as we’re painting, why don’t we get new flooring?” Everyone I know seems to have a similar story. The results in my client’s case were remarkable. We added a stylish and cohesive look to the space. We added warmth and elegance. We even added functionality by removing a wall dividing the living and dining areas.

At our initial meeting, we did talk about paint colors, but his view was that if he was going to go through the trouble of painting, he might as well do a few other things too. He wanted a warm, inviting home to entertain his family and friends. To make his living room feel cozier, we installed crown molding at the eight-foot ceiling height, which visually brought the high ceilings down. By removing the wall between the living room and dining room, we created a much larger entertaining space. To tie the two rooms together, we painted them in the same color-- rich, earthy terracotta. A faux finish painted below the crown molding added depth and interest. We used the same terracotta in the entry and up the stairwell.

Using one type of flooring throughout helped to unify the space, as well as make it feel larger. In this case, we selected gorgeous cherry wood floors for the entire downstairs. The upstairs bedrooms were left carpeted.

The kitchen cabinets were finished in a dark merlot stain, providing contrast with the relatively lighter cherry floors. The granite tile for the kitchen brought all of the colors together, with its flecks of red and terracotta. New light fixtures in the entry and dining area updated the rooms, and my client was surprised at the huge difference made by removing the acoustic ceilings. New honeycomb shades at the windows allowed my client to have privacy when closed, but a full view of his lovely garden when open.

When all the construction was done, my redesign partner and I rearranged all of his furniture, artwork and accessories. Our arrangement took advantage of the new open space between the living and dining areas and created a cozy conversation area around the fireplace. The warm wall color provided a beautiful backdrop for all of his artwork, and his interesting collectibles were proudly displayed.

It took a few months to complete, but in the end, my client was very happy. “I love my new house,” he shared with me. Music to my ears.

This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper Group papers on Oct. 16, 2004.

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All articles copyright 2003-2008 Anna Jacoby.