Welcome to "Hue Are You?"
A weekly blog series exploring different creatives' views on color and its use in interiors, art and design. We will dive deep into their obsessions with color. How and why they use color. You will get to know their stories and you may even gather some tips for using color in your own home. What is better than learning from the experts!
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Before and After Southern Style Now Garden Room
Everyone likes a good before and after but our experience at the Southern Style Now Showhouse sponsored by Traditional Home in Savannah was extreme. We were given a space in the lower level of the home. Although as I was corrected in Savannah, there are no basements just garden levels. For us Virginians, its the basement. The space was the boiler storage area - unfinished and raw. We never physically saw the space as each time we were prepared to venture to Savannah we were told there was too much construction and no walls. So without ever seeing the space, we relied on photos from the developer and video chats. I am use to working like this on our Mexico jobs so remote designing is second nature but more planning has to be done to make sure things fit correctly and feel proportional.
Given that our small space opens directly to the patio, I decided that a potting room or garden room would be sensible and fun addition to this amazing house. As the owner would come from the garage through the patio, it should be used as a mudroom as well. Light, open and fully functional were my goals. Oh and did I mention that the ceilings are only 7ft. Well, 80" to be exact. This was just one of many challenges.
Before: Clearly a storage area with no finished walls or ceiling
Looking toward the soon to be storage closet and laundry room.
The exterior patio doorway
Can you see our boarded up window on the back wall?
Our goals for this space were to show color specifically our Bridget Beari Paint Colors, heighten the ceiling, give the space a function, and create some amazing nooks and focal points.
The ceiling design was one of the first decisions I made. A beadboard grid with built in recess lights at the intersections to lighted and heighten the already low ceiling.
I love to find ways to add color without having it all on the wall. In this room I added functional built ins in our Bridget Beari Colors. The lockers are Dewey and the potting cabinets are Biba from our Exotic collection with the addition of some Bridget Beari Papers Buscemi in grasscloth for the fronts of the doors.
To continue our vision of color we add the Tile Bar tile in this amazing turquoise color just in the back of the potting cabinets.
It is a real working potting room with a galvinized sink, storage cabinets, potting table ( which I designed and had made with the perfect hooks for hanging tools ), caulk board windows for taking notes and even a chicken cover for a chandelier from Thailand that you can hang herbs out to dry.
I also found the perfect English garden tools, white washed some terra cotta pots, clipped and dried some hydrangeas. What a perfect space for working on arrangements or drying bulbs. Even the floor was new with the tile from Crossville Tiles called Notrious was the perfect choice - dark with a large scale to make the room bigger and hide dirt.
The black and white floor cloth from Spicher & Co reminded me of Savannah, classic southern style and I even saw something similar in the Pink House restaurant while I was dining one evening.
As you walk down our hallway, there is a slight niche space across from the new elevator. I thought it would be lovely to have an upholstered garden wall with fabric from Zoffany and a domed wicker chair filled with pillows accenting all the colors of the room.
Even with the addition of the mini split at the last minute, I was able to redesign the lockers with this detachable top for access. Easy access and attractive as no one likes to look at the units on the wall.
I love the addition of old and new pieces - custom cabinetry, modern wallpaper, antique chairs, repurposed windows with chalkboard, even grain sack curtains.
I used all dried or real plants in the space to show a real working garden room. Most visitors commented that they wish they had a room like this in their own home. Doesn't every southern girl need place to do arrangements and gardening?
I love adding surprise focal points like adding the hand painted door in another of our Bridget Beari Colors called Bertie. Painted by a local Richmond artist Mary Terry.
Even the laundry room at the end of the hall we added some Bridget Beari Paper grasscloth called Scarlet O'Hara in Good Boy with these striking Metallic blue Samsung Washer Dryer and this amazing concrete top from Caesarstone.
It was such a pleasure and a challenge to be involved in this showhouse. I big thank you to Traditional Home for the invitation. It is was one of our favorite spaces. We can't wait until to comes out in the magazine next year.
Southern Living Showcase Home
We loved collaborating with our fellow Southern Living builder, Creative Home Concepts to create a showhouse home in the Southern Living Street of Hope in Richmond Virginia. It started as a farmhouse concept but we took it in a organic direction with the additions of the shiplap, slurried brick, natural beams, and open concept floor plan.
We used all of our Southern Living product partners as well. DXV plumbing, Sherwin Williams paint, Welbourn cabinets, and our biggest interior sponsor was the online retailer The Mine. I sourced everything from the lights, rugs, furniture, accessories and art from their online store. They also graciously donated the entire family room.
It was quite a personal challenge to design an entire house via a single online resource. The selection was wide and although I think I know that site backwards and forwards, the process was convenient and the quality was great. The site is full of my regular go to sources.
Tip: Fill a wall with a collection is the best way to make a statement like we did here with the bird art.
We loved this Sherwin Williams Anchor's Away paint on these bookcases. The peak through window gives light from one room to the next. Light was something this house was full of.
We played with mixing metals from the chrome lights, stainless dining top table, and polished nickel faucet. It is a nice way to create movement in the room.
Tip: Add elements of natural wood as we did here for warmth: mantel on hood, legs of chairs and barstools.
Adding more brick in the keeping room to balance one side of the room to the next.
Tip: When arranging furniture think of groupings, 4 chairs around a round table is a great way to include everyone in the conversation.
We did not add bookcases on each side of the fireplace. We wanted the walls to breathe with some open space. A showhouse is a great place to experiment with different ideas and concepts.
Tip: Natural beams are the perfect wall to connect the large open space and bring more warmth to the room.
Tip: Super White Quartzite butterflied matched in the center for a dramatic pattern match. It also allows us to create a larger island.
The coffee table was a nice surprise as our original choice was still backordered by the time we needed it. This table came in at the last minute but it's organic shape was the perfect shape to set off the room.
We added small moments throughout the house like this desk area off the kitchen.
Ancient Marble Paint color for the laundry room. The perfect soft green.
For the Master Bedroom we used our own paint colors, Bridget Beari Colors Calvin E32. A bold blue softened by these beautiful Designer Guild bed linens.
Our serene master bath with custom built ins. I love the 2 tone effect on the cabinets.
There was even a game room and yes we bought the pool table from The Mine.
A kid's study where we deconstructed one table to use the black base of another table. We love even customizing ready made pieces. Another Bridget Beari Color here - Winston M21
Guest Room #1 - Black and white upholstered headboard
Our black, white and blue bathroom filled with DXV matte black fixtures!
Tip: Think of contrasting color to add to a black and white scheme
as we did here with our vanity and mirror.
Guest Room #2 - Mix up your finishes within a room for more interest.
Every house needs a man cave. We used our Bridget Beari Colors here too - Monk M10 We were on a tight budget to fill an entire house but we were able to really make it work!
We love our Southern farmhouse - Bridget Beari style! The house is still for sale and all the furniture, accessories too. Let us know if you are interested in anything or that you visited the house.
Watch for the opening of our new home store, Bridget Beari Home coming in December to Richmond, VA. where you can find all of our paints, wallpaper, furniture and accessories.
Sourcing the DC Design House!
I've been hostessing my dining room at the DC Design House for 3 weekends now and the main question is " Where did you get all these different pieces? Are they old or new? "
So here are the sources:
Chandelier from New Orleans designer Julie Neil Lighting called Winters
Marsan Hostess Chairs and Julian Mirror by Niermann Weeks
zebra fabric by Scalamandre
Paula Grace Design - Invert Sideboard
Dining Chairs from The Mine
Slipcover from Osborne and Little - blue strie velvet
All the beautiful antique accessories are from Parc Monceau Antiques in Atlanta
Our Bridget Beari Papers metallic grasscloth called Roux in colorway Bling Bling
The colors of our faux door panels and Ombre ceiling are in Bridget Beari Colors Modern Collection:
Lady M27, Trifecta M48, Shadow M5
Photography by Bruno Poinsard available at ART Star
I shopped vintage items from One Kings Lane - Murano vase on the mantel, the boy dot art, the 50's inspired boy art, brass easel, obelisks
I designed and had custom made the Dining Table and consoles. All available through the Bridget Beari Home Store
Dining Table is a cerused wood top with a tiered brass plate base. Made in 3 sections - 2 48" square and 1 48" X 24" console piece
Also a special thanks to H. J. Holtz and Sons for their amazing painting and wallpaper skills in this room.
I hope you have enjoyed this tour of our DC dining room. If you are close to DC come visit, the show house is open until the end of October. All sales benefit the Children's Hospital in DC. We would love to see you there.
Bridget Beari's DC Design House Dining Room
Bridget Beari® Papers: ROUX Grasscloth - Bling Bling
The DC Design House is finally open for tours in the month of October. We are thrilled to showcase our modern Parisian dining room. Let me give you a few insider tips and insights into this years room.
Inspiration: Every room starts with an inspiration and mine was our new Roux metallic grasscloth. It is a pattern that has been looked over. It's one of my favorites and worked perfectly within the existing moldings. Taken from a lace pattern in a dress this gives the room the pattern and style.
Mixing Styles: We are all about "Living the Mix" at Bridget Beari. Mixing styles, mixing high and low, mixing antiques with modern piece and we did that in this room. Chairs from The Mine slipcovered in Osborne and Little blue strie velvet. A stunning early 1900's antique rug mixed with a mid century inspired cerused oak table. Contemporary photography with vintage 1950's portraits.
Adding organic elements for softness: Succulents in the antique clam shell and large Philodendron leaves soften the formal dining place settings.
Accenting with Black: I love black baseboards to set off a room but adding the grey/black accented panels took it to another level. Sleek, sophisticated and bold in choice. Topped off with a ombre black/grey smokey ceiling treatment for a more intimate feeling.
Mixing Art: Modern photography with antique busts. The perfect juxtaposition of style but reminds you of well collected home where the owner has added things throughout the years. Each item full of memories of the purchase or an event.
Organic plaster chandelier from Julie Neil lighting changes the whole formality of the room. It has a whimsical feel.
Layering Art: Not all art needs to hang. Try leaning items. This makes it easy to change and adds a causal element to the room.
Plaster, gilded, cerused, brass, terracotta, marble, plaster, concrete: Mixing materials for interest and flavor.
Setting the table: Mix it up! Use different patterns layered on one another. You can even layer the placemats for color.
I custom designed many of the pieces in this room: Wallpaper- metallic grasscloth call Roux-bling bling, the dining table- cerused wood top and brass tiered bass, and the consoles - geometric bases.
Formal dining but causal, fun and inviting. The perfect setting for a fabulous dinner party!
Everything in the room is for sale. All furniture and ticket sales benefit Children's National Hospital in the Washington DC area. It is a great cause and we love participating even though driving 95 is a bear!
Bridget Beari Colors featured in this design: Lady M27, Trifecta M48, Shadow M5
Lady M27 featured on the faux door panels.
The Ombre ceiling are in Bridget Beari Colors Modern Collection: Trifecta M48 and Shadow M5
USED ON OUR FAUX DOOR PANELS
