February Fly By

February moves too quickly for me. Suddenly it's a friend's birthday, then mine, and at least 3 others dear to me before the end of the month. Not to mention the various other holidays and events; Black History Month, Super bowl (Seahawks!), Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, and Presidents' Day just to name the major ones. But even for a busy month we still want to stay in and have the comfort of fireplaces, hot beverages, and warm sweaters reminiscent of soft fuzzy pussy willows.

Though we're still layered up the crocus' are making their debut with vibrant colors of purple and yellow. The overall mood of Seattle begins to brighten with spring around the corner and color starts to enhance our wardrobe and home decor. Aqua is a great color that looks good in any season. With many great shades to play off the cool winter light of winter or to add a bright pop and interest with the ongoing feel of fresh summer.

A great and affordable way to refresh a space quickly is the use of wallpaper. There are so many different prints and styles nowadays you can achieve many looks. We love using it in powder rooms to add drama or to add cohesiveness with the rest of the home. 

Renevatio Collection

Did you know that Paula Devon Raso Interior Design & Space Planning also has a furniture line?

Renevatio Collection is a wonderfully curated collection of pieces that would fit any type of home decor. Go to the website and check out our furnishings.

Master Bath Makeover

The client’s goal was to update their master bath with plenty of storage and counter space. They opted for a separate toilet room, a large walk-in shower and liked the concept of a floating vanity. They did not feel they needed two sinks, preferring the extra counter space. The wife wanted a make-up area. The design seamlessly integrates the new make-up area with its five drawers into the new floating vanity. Ivory limestone was used on the floor, the shower walls and countertop. An 18” wide storage column to the right of the vanity provides plenty of linen and product storage. Photo credit: Buck Usher

Contemporary Guest Bath Update

The client’s goal:  a fresh, stylish guest bath that could double as a powder room.  It was decided to create a walk-in shower for greater flexibility. A small wall-mounted sink and a fun, round mirror with integral lighting was added. To the contemporary mix: pale blue sandblasted glass tile was used with an ivory limestone floor. Photo credit: Buck Usher

Cosmetic Kitchen Facelift

This light-filled kitchen needed a fresh and more contemporary new look. Granite countertops had been added a year earlier, but drawer and door faces needed updating. This active family was looking for a surface both functional and able to withstand heavy use. A plastic laminate with a stainless steel skin was selected. This product is extremely durable and adds a soft, unobtrusive color to the space. Some minor tweaking gained a shallow counter to the right of the stove. Photo credit: Buck Usher

Clever Storage

This room is a TV and play area for a family of four with two young children. The goal for this room was to provide an attractive and creative storage solution that unlike built-ins, could be moved to another residence at a later date. An antique Japanese Mizuya was selected which has wide spaces on the top (suitable for a TV on one side) and lots of lower storage. An antique Japanese Tansu with a multitude of drawers was purchased; perfect for toys, coloring materials and legos. These two unique Japanese furniture pieces have multiple uses for always needed storage, while adding color and texture to the space. Photo credit: Buck Usher

Swedish Refreshed Living Room

The clients have an attachment to Sweden and the finishes in this small living room reflect that Gustavian feel. We selected furnishings that suited the existing color palette of soft warm gray walls, white trim and pine floors. The sofa is a pale taupe, the creamy white chairs with silvery gold trim were upholstered in a pale blue stripe, very Scandinavian, and a simple metal cocktail table with a glass top complete the sitting area.  At a later date a rug will be purchased to anchor this end of the room.

The street side of the living room needed window coverings for privacy while maintaining as much natural light as possible. The Swedish interiors the client had experienced had simple, filmy, semi-transparent curtains. The designer’s selection of a simple lace resonated in terms of simplicity and Scandinavian design.

Contemporary Living Room Update

The goal: a living room space furnished simply so as not to compete with the Lake Washington view or the forested garden vista. The sofa and chairs were purchased in the retail market, a Chinese coffee table and tall cabinet were existing and a new oriental rug provides more intense color and pattern. Photo credit: Buck Usher

West Seattle Main Floor Renovation

This small main floor of just under 1400 square feet presented a number of challenges.

Project Objectives:

• Reduce the number of doorways in the kitchen, add counter space to the stove wall, more storage space overall and bring in more natural light.
• Add closets to in the bedrooms.
• Move the master bedroom from the street side to the opposite side of the home.
• Rework the confusing hodgepodge of doorways into a functional floor plan.

Solutions:

• The kitchen gained more useable counter space, storage and natural light by removing the wall at the basement stair.
• A new bathroom was moved to the street side which enabled a large master bedroom with a walk-in closet, guest bedroom with closet.
• The entry area was cleaned up and additional storage was configured.
• A new zero clearance fireplace was repositioned in the living room and centered opposite the windows to balance out the room.

The updated living room (shown below) shows off the lighter fireplace, darker wood floors and bright, sunny paint scheme used throughout the home. With the exceptions of a new mirror over the fireplace and an area rug, we were able to incorporate the clients’ existing living room and dining room furniture.

The updated kitchen (shown below) gives the owner more natural light, additional storage space, with an improved circular floor plan with the dining and living rooms. Dark stained floors, new appliances and a bright paint scheme finished it off.

A Tiny Closet Becomes a Powder Room

A tiny utility area with an existing toilet was converted into an elegant powder room. The challenge of the petite space was to add a sink and have the space connect with the rest of the main floor. A wall-mounted corner shelf with a undermount sink, an elegant off the rack mirror hanging across the corner and a soft warm gray wallpaper change the space from broom/mop area to a pleasing powder room for family and guests.

Downtown Seattle Kitchen Makeover

Time for a change. The owners of a downtown condominium had waited long enough! Their 26-year-old kitchen was out of date visually, and the functionality was nil. The access was awkward, drawer and storage space minimal, and the counter space limited. For one passionate cook and another who dabbled, it was a tiresome and frustrating place to cook in.

The goal: Maximize counter space, double the storage with new cabinets, have better and more functional lighting, and create a handsome, elegant space to work in and view from the dining area.

In the planning process it was quickly evident to the designer that changing the access into the kitchen would accomplish these wish list items. By moving the opening from the front of the dining room to the adjacent hall, the first gain would be a  48” wide entrance. Investigation into the hall wallspace yielded no impediments, so planning could commence efficiently.

The new plan: a U-shaped kitchen with large counter expanses for prep and cooking. We were able to keep the existing plumbing for the sink in place and relocate a new dishwasher to the right of the new sink base cabinet.

With the exception of the sink base cabinet and a narrow pull out cabinet next to the stove, drawers were installed for all other storage below the counter. Upper cabinets with semi-transparent glass doors face the kitchen opening and give a lighter appearance than a solid wood door. A stainless backsplash complements the stainless edge on the glass doors. New low voltage under-cabinet lighting (on a dimmer) softly illuminates the backsplash and countertop. A practical, easy-to-clean taupe porcelain floor tile with a slight non-skid finish was selected for its elegance and durability. For the counters, the client selected Chroma, a composite stone in a soft taupe color, with a straight-eased, polished edge. The result is a pleasing contemporary look.

A  24” wide cabinet floor-to-ceiling cabinet, accessed from the dining room, provides abundant storage for large pantry items. Additional storage was gained by installing three, 12″ deep double upper cabinets with a custom toe kick below the counter facing the dining room. A new paint color sealed the less-than-two-month long renovation.

As you might have guessed, the owners are thrilled and delighted by their new kitchen.