DESERT ENCANTO

One big conundrum was when we were charged with their kitchen / dining / living room renovation was what to do about the existing slate flooring. Their guest bathroom also needed some love, but they did not wish to embark on a full blown renovation. The clear objectives: “We would like to add a fireplace to the living room, open the galley kitchen to the living and dining space, so we can converse with our guests and each other, while admiring our spectacular view, and better insulate the the home, which has a charming exposed wood ceiling.” With the collaboration of our general contractor, we were able to tuck the new fireplace into the corner of the living room, face it with ledger stone, and carve out concrete inspired porcelain bench. The Art TV and pendants, along with custom bench cushions and pillows all contribute to the literal warming up of the previous cool space. We drywalled the ceiling, then added wood beams to maintain the Spanish charm of the original architecture. The walnut ceiling fan added yet another layer to our clients’ comfort. Maintaining a post in the peninsula permitted us to expose the kitchen to the dining and living space and avoid a major structural re-engineering. In the powder room, we replaced the existing countertop and plumbing fixtures with an integrated quartz sink, and dressed up the walls with a tropical vinyl wall covering, rattan Made Goods Mirror, new cabinet hardware, plumbing fixtures and sconces. Circling back to the big question: “What do we do about the existing slate floors?” I leaned into them and specified all materials around the rich, natural earth tones of the bold floor. Layers of decorative lighting from Visual Comfort including sconces, pendants, chandeliers, and flush mounted fixtures along with the brass hood, hardware, and plumbing fixtures, brought out the gold in the Cambria quartz, and married the slate floors, to their mountain. An incredible chef, our client craved an elevated kitchen with well engineered yet gorgeous appliances and plumbing fixtures that could take the heat. Monogram and California Faucets delivered! What we achieved and feel most proud of: the new space feels current yet timeless, bold yet elegant, substantial yet understated, and our clients absolutely are over the moon happy.