Portfolio » Country Traditional Gets a Refreshing New Face
Design Goal
Having raised three children in their rural Pacific Northwest home, the owners felt it was time for an update. First in line was the kitchen and family room, which now needed to accommodate continued family gatherings as well as the addition of four active grandchildren.
Challenges
Confined by the bones of its 1989 construction, the home’s eight-foot ceilings and average-size rooms begged to feel more expansive and make space for additional storage. Styling needed to incorporate the owners’ taste in antiques and collectibles and their use of compact fluorescent lighting.
Designer’s Role
Gracious Living designer Molly McIntosh re-envisioned the kitchen, breakfast nook, and family rooms as a more united, multi-functional space by tying them together through flooring, architecture, and color. More stylish furniture in a reduced scale actually increased seating capacity and allowed room for built-in storage and walkway space.
Result
An open, flowing floor plan, accented with personal collectibles and generous storage, captures the rural flavor of its surroundings with increased comfort for an expanding family. The home’s owners and Molly now are at work fine-tuning elements elsewhere in the home to continue to build its fresher and more upscale feel.
