Lake house transformed ... part 4, the fun part!
With some of the big decisions out of the way, it was time for my favorite part of any project, selecting specific implementations, finishes, colors, and products. While I love this phase, my clients often find it paralyzing and overwhelming.
Lucky for me, in this collaboration I wasn't being asked to discuss the relative merits of Smokey Taupe vs Stone Hearth for a wall color - look them up and you'll see what I mean - but rather helping target striking punches of color to complement an already vibrant home. Or, how far could we go without going over the top!
Counters: My client was committed to gray-black soapstone countertops, loving them both for their functionality (impervious to all - if it works in a sixth grade science classroom ...) and natural look. These became the anchor to build around.
Beams and bar-counter top: We had a vision of massive wood beams, less log cabin than reclaimed driftwood. These were both functional (existing beams provided some structural support) and aesthetic (some punctuation of the giant open space seemed essential). We wanted to make them the focal point of the entire project.
Cabinets: Between the client's existing oak floor (refinished because we were changing the footprint) and the massive 11-ft wood island and beams, heavily distressed and wire brushed, the client was going to have a lot of wood grain happening. To offset and complement that, and create a light, somewhat modern feel, we went with painted cabinetry. For the perimeter we picked a pretty neutral dove gray. But for this color-happy client, we knew we wanted something different on the giant island. At the end of the day, we could have chosen anything and made it amazing, but together we picked Benjamin Moore's Good Morning Sunshine, a bright-but-not-over-the-top yellow that works beautifully with both the soapstone and driftwood, and that won't scream "2017 remodel" in ten years. We hope.
Next up ... tile and lighting and hardware, not to mention barstools!