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Category Archives: House Tours

Ship to Shore Interiors Overlooking Newport Harbor

27 Friday Apr 2012

Posted by SOF in Bath, Bedroom, House Tours, Inspiration, Living Room

≈ 4 Comments

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KPR Interiors, Nautical Home Decor, Nautical Interiors, Private Newport Homes

Newport Life Home & Lifestyle Magazine 2012Last fall I had the pleasure of collaborating with my good friends Kelli Rugg of KPR Interiors and photographer Maaike Bernstrom on a very cool design project that Kelli had just completed to be featured in the new 2012 issue of Newport Home & Lifestyles magazine. Kelli designed, Maaike photographed, and I wrote the story “From Ship to Shore”. The home is named after the yacht Columbia and sits just a stone’s throw away from where the actual boat is moored in Newport Harbor. Be sure to check out the story to read about some of the history of the home as well as the background on the new design. And below you can enjoy even more photos of this custom home re-designed to have the feel of a classic yacht interior.

*All images courtesy of Maaike Bernstrom Photography*

If you like this post, then you might like these:
Translation:  Sailor Stripe Shirts as Room Decor
On the Chopping Block
Knot Nice

Small Cool 2012: Small Spaces with Big Design

26 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by PEY in House Tours, Inspiration

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Apartment Therapy, house tour, nook, NYC, Small Cool Contest 2012

So the world is a small place when you’re personally invested in two Apartment Therapy contests in one year.  First, it was for Chateau & Bungalow in the 2012 Homies, and now it is for Bennett’s (my cousin’s step-daughter) 390 sq.ft. apartment in NYC entered into the Small Cool 2012 Contest.  And here’s the best part, not only does Bennett make living in 390 sq. ft. très chic, but she is sharing the space with her roommate Ryan!

Check out Bennett & Ryan’s Lovely Light apartment:

Since this apartment is the size of my current suburban bedroom – my small apartment days in NYC are happily a distant memory – I applaud Bennett & Ryan for not giving up on style due to a lack of space.  Each room is well appointed, and I’d gladly sleep in either of those bedrooms.  And, curious to see all of the storage solutions.  Are those closets organizational treasures for all of us with space issues?!

***A little inside scoop:  The rug and pillows in Bennett’s room are from Vanderhurd, the low back tub-type chairs in the Living Room are from Ikea (kids chair – perfect for teeny tiny apartment), and the pig on the mantle is from Cooper Hewitt.***

As always, if you love what you see, then I encourage you to vote for Bennett & Ryan.  The first round of voting ends on April 30, with the finalists to be voted on May 1-2.  To vote at Apartment Therapy you need to be registered to vote on contests, so take a moment to complete this step so you can vote for all of your favorite Small Cool spaces.  Enjoy!

If you like this post, then you might like these:
Dining Nooks
Marimekko:  City Meets Garden
Bookshelf Stairwell

Neighborhoods of Newport House Tour 2012

23 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by SOF in House Tours, Inspiration

≈ 5 Comments

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2012 Neightborhoods of Newport House Tour, Chepstow, Gray Craig, Gray Craig Gatehouse, Newport House Tour, Newport Mansions, Open Houses, Starboard House

This coming weekend is one of my favorite weekend’s in Newport– the biannual Neighborhoods of Newport House Tour will take place! It’s one day when some of the city’s most beautiful homes are open to the public to benefit St. Michael’s Country Day School. Perhaps you remember the 2010 house tour which featured many gems including “Seaweed” where Martha Stewart was just spotted last weekend at a dinner party commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Titanic. This year’s House Tour includes , the Middletown estate overlooking the beautiful Sachuest Beach that was owned by actor Nicholas Cage until recently when he sold it for only half as much as he purchased it for a few years ago.

In addition to Gray Craig, the Gray Craig Gatehouse is also on the house tour this year. It is like a slice of the British countryside nestled into my little corner of the woods. While I’ve long admired Gray Craig, it is the gatehouse that I’ve really always wished I could get my hands on!

Starboard House was designed by the famous George Champlin Mason, Sr. and is situated near Newport’s famed Cliff Walk. A 10-bedroom, 7+ bath single family home with an incredible marble checkerboard foyer and lovely wraparound terraces, it certainly leaves little to be desired.

Just up the road from Starboard House is Chepstow, another George Champlin Mason, Sr. designed home that is currently owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County. This Italianate villa was once owned by Aletta Morris McBean and contains furniture and art collections from the McBean family dating back to the 1600s.

To round out the tour, this new construction shingle-style home built by well-known Newport builder Mark Horan is also on the tour. The centuries old craftsmanship that can be seen in the first four homes is not lost on many of the new homes that are built in Newport as is evidenced here.

The 2012 Neighborhoods of Newport House Tour will take place on Sunday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $35 when purchased in advance (by Friday) and $40 thereafter. A boxed lunch is available when ordered in advance. And from experience I can promise you that it will take nearly the full amount of time to complete the tour allowing for a lunch break (although this year the homes are a bit closer together). Also, be sure to wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off as guests are required to remove their shoes prior to entering any of the homes.

Hope to see you there!

If you like this, you might like these:
Open House: Amy’s Greenhouse Conversion
18th Century Colonial Renovation
Win the HGTV Green Dream Home

Chalk Art for Basement Walls

09 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by PEY in D.I.Y., House Tours, Inspiration

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art, basement, chalk, chalk paint, concrete walls

You can take the girl out of the city, but not the city out of the girl.  And, as an ex-city girl, I am used to small living spaces with a need for creative storage solutions.  So on a recent suburban house tour while checking out the basement – how big is it?  how is it finished?  how much can I store in it?! – I found something unexpected:  art on the walls!  I hope you’ll agree, this chalk art makes this space inviting no matter how you feel about basements.

While I didn’t get any new storage ideas, I am making a note to use chalk and chalkboard paint to decorate exposed concrete wall space.  Maybe I could use chalkboard paint to create a black board so that all the budding artists in my life can sketch their favorite creatures for a wonderful mural.

If you like this, then check these out:
Open House:  Amy’s Greenhouse Conversion
Shutter the Front Door!
The Writing is on the Wall

Shutter the Front Door!

07 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by PEY in House Tours, Inspiration, Outdoor

≈ 4 Comments

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board and batten shutter, Bristol, colonial homes, Doors, doorways, louvered shutter, Newport

On a recent trip to Bristol for dinner, I saw the house above at sunset and was in awe of the working shutter doors on the doorway.  Not a storm door, but shutters.  Imagine, if you will, the spotlight directed onto the doorway “on”, the white shutters partially closed on both sides and just a hint of the wooden doorway showing.  It was very inviting on a cold winter’s night.

After an evening of great food and company at DeWolf Tavern, I could not stop thinking about this shuttered doorway.  Then Amy swooped us away to Key West and wowed us with colorful island inspiration including the red door with the turquoise shutters.  So in an effort to minimize my “islanditis” – if you live in Newport, RI or have visited, then you’ll understand – another trip off island to check out colored doorways was just what I needed.

Nearby Bristol is a coastal town rich with historic colonial homes and is renowned locally for its Fourth of July Parade, which annually puts these beautifully painted homes on display in the background.  So with a little door eye candy and basic feng shui door color information in hand, I was ready to snap a photo montage of great doorways.  A quintessential red door and flag (above), a modernized contrasting door and storm door combination (below), and more colored doorways were found.

What I stumbled upon was was even better.  The “shuttered” window and door look is something I always associate with tropical island living, not New England.  The architectural detail of shutters – originated in Greece and brought to America by the Spaniards and the English – were popping up on doorways.  While probably not an energy efficient storm door for a New England home, I hope you’ll agree with me that the shutters lend character to all of the doorways I found.

Black Louvered Shutter Doorway

Red Louvered Shutter Doorway

Yellow Louvered Shutter Doorway

Green Double Louvered Shuttered Doorway

Red Double Louvered Shuttered Doorway

Green Board and Batten Shuttered Doorway

Purple Board and Batten Shuttered Doorway

OPEN HOUSE: Amy’s Greenhouse Conversion

03 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by SOF in Bath, Bedroom, D.I.Y., Dining Room, Furniture, House Tours, Inspiration, Kids, Kitchen, Outdoor

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

Custom Shower Rod, FLOR, Gallery Wall Displays, Green House Conversion, Kids Playroom, Red Lacquer, Sliding Barn Doors, vintage

The moment I first stepped foot into Amy‘s house a few year’s back, I was in love. The home was formerly a greenhouse that was converted in the mid 1900s. Amy is a master at transforming found objects into useful pieces and so having a unique home such as this one seems only appropriate. You never know what you’re going to find around the next turn and every piece seems to have a story behind it just like the house itself. At the moment, she and her family live in the portion of the house shown here, but there is another wing to the right of it with a separate entrance that will be incorporated into the main living quarters in the near future and you can be sure we’ll be sharing it here when it happens.
 The sliding barn doors are a new addition to the home that came from a relative’s farm in Pennsylvania, and they’ve already been put to use when Hurricane Irene barreled through this past summer. The main solid wood doors were replaced with these windowed ones and while the originals were beautiful, the glass in the new doors shed a whole new light on the entryway.
 As this home was a greenhouse, it is long and relatively narrow. The light filled living room is capped with french doors at either end is the perfect place to spend an afternoon lounging with a good book. FLOR tiles are the perfect rug choice for a space like this which is hard to find a standard rug size that fits. Turquoise walls and bright yellow upholstered chairs conjure the image of warm Caribbean days even in the dead of winter.  The dining room offers a gallery of cherished family photos along with the works of fine artists such as Amy herself and the works of the budding artists in the house. One of my favorite things about Amy’s house is that it has great design but always shows that it’s lived in too. The toy box in the dining room just adds to its charm.Amy took one tiny corner of the dining room and made it a creative space for her kids with chalkboard paint. The chair rail is a natural resting place for chalk and erasers.

When you have a unique space, you have to have unique ideas. The kitchen cabinets mimic the wall of glass opposite them that leads out to the patio.
Open shelving in the kitchen means everything is always at the ready and adds to the decor.
And can you stand the genius of these chalkboard pot covers?! Anyone with kids and house plants knows that the two don’t go together without incident. We’ll get some DIY instructions on how to make these up soon.

This otherwise utilitarian object is now an interesting candleholder that flanks the entry to the den.

The office nook was once hovered over by hard angles, but Amy softened the look and added architectural interest by adding the arched cornices.Two words…red lacquer!I love the way the vertical and horizontal lines of the bricks, beadboard, stairs, and railing add interest to the white on white layers of this staircase.Amy’s kids have the fortune of an upstairs suite that includes a bedroom, playroom (with fabulous exposed beams), and bath.And no playroom is complete without a play kitchen (yes, she crafted this out of an old entertainment center), train table, doll furniture, and pint size enclave to crawl into with your best buds.And of course, all kids have to have a series of super hero capes with which they can always save the day!Here’s an idea; when you have an extra long shower like here (there is a large bench and storage area at the end), use a copper pipe with rubber stoppers on either end for a “custom” shower curtain rod.I just love the way all of these personal items play off each other in the kids’ bedroom.This bookshelf is actually a vintage desktop hutch which when placed on the floor works perfectly to store books in between the kids’ beds.And a vintage soda crate hung on the wall displays cherished trinkets and heirlooms.In the guest room, a stack of books perfectly posed against art takes this nightstand from average to outstanding. This is one of those things that anyone can do in their home to step up the decor.Displaying a mix of books in varying directions and objets makes this vintage shelf all the more intriguing.And what guest wouldn’t love to crawl into this window seat and curl up with a good book?
Even the entry into the separate garage is welcoming in this home and has a touch of vintage flair with the milk box.

Amy claims that she doesn’t search out items to use in unusual ways, but rather just tries to finds a way to use the things that are handed down to her. Whatever her method is it’s clearly working, and it’s also a nice reminder to all of us to think of the different ways we can use objects before tossing them aside. In this case, the unusual history of the home along with a lot of the objects in it make for a very welcoming space that is both visually stimulating, comfortable, and full of fun stories.

Thanks for the house tour Amy!

If you like this post, then you might like these:
OPEN HOUSE:  Book Shelf Styling
Win the HGTV Green Dream Home
18th Century Colonial Renovation:  Move in Day! 

Budget Friendly Kitchen Remodel

02 Wednesday Mar 2011

Posted by SOF in Before & After, D.I.Y., House Tours, Kitchen

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

budget kitchen remodel, Kitchen, small space ideas

I was browsing through pictures on my computer last night and came across some photos from our old condo which was pre-blog, but I thought our kitchen re-model in this place was worth showing you because it was a tiny outdated space that we re-modeled on a pretty small budget (at least as far as kitchen renovations go). I don’t have a before photo to show you, but imagine 1980s standard issue laminate cabinets like these paired with laminate flooring and countertops and beige appliances. We lived just a few blocks from the beach and it wasn’t quite the look that suited our neighborhood or lifestyle, but with just a few facelifts, we created an entirely different space.

First off, those are the same cabinets! We removed the doors, painted the interior and exterior of the cabinets and then had a woodworker friend make new door fronts, some with beadboard and some with glass. We removed the bottom end cabinet to create a custom bar area that would hold the wine fridge we received as a wedding gift and store wine bottles. If you look closely you can see a cutting board that pulls out above the wine fridge that we could use for bar fruit. Plus, we were able to use the end space to add a bookcase for all my cookbooks.

We also replaced the counter tops with butcher block and swapped out the appliances for stainless steel. My husband and brother in law replaced the laminate and wall to wall carpet floors throughout the entire first floor with a pre-finished hardwood. A few other small space ideas that we did were to paint the narrow strip of dark wood between the upper left cabinets that no longer matched the kitchen with chalkboard paint, add glass storage (because I have an obsession with glassware) underneath the cabinets with a hanging rack, add the pull out cutting board, and maximize the storage above the cabinets by keeping items we didn’t use as often up there as well as buying matching baskets to put up there that contained things like dining room linens.

It’s amazing what a difference a few changes make, and how much you can change the feel of an entire house by making changes in a single room (although I of course kept on going). If you are living with a room that you really can’t stand, but think you don’t have the money to change it, try to think of creative ways to re-create the space. If your cabinets are paintable you can do just about anything you want with them to create and entirely new space.

18th Century Colonial Renovation: Move In Day!

31 Friday Dec 2010

Posted by SOF in Bath, Before & After, Flooring, House Tours, Kitchen

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

18th Century Colonial Renovation, Bath, Benjamin Moore, diy, flooring, Kitchen, tile

I can’t think of a better way to end the year than with being able to answer the most commonly asked question of the year, “Have Meg & Kurt moved into their new house yet?” with a resounding “YES!”. The movers came on Wednesdsay and while there is still a lot of unpacking and a few final items to take care of, they are very happily in their new house after over 14 months of renovations. Before we go too far, you might want to take a peak at the beginning of this 18th Century Colonial Renovation to refresh your memory on what it looked like in the “before” pictures.

The most dramatic changes on the front were the removal of the front porch and the addition of a double sided staircase as well as new Hardiplank clapboard.

The sides and back of the house have been re-shingled and the trim has been painted to coordinate with the front of the house.

In addition to the new shingles, the back of the house got a new 8′ sliding door and mahogany decking at both entrances.

Here is glimpse up the very narrow back staircase by the kitchen which received a fresh coat of paint on the walls and stairs. I always love a second staircase in a house. I don’t know why they don’t do that more often in new homes.

Before I go too far, I need to mention that I went in to take pictures the day before they moved in so there were still a few work related things laying around like a dry vac and garbage can in the middle of the kitchen. The kitchen was the one room that received new flooring. The cabinets are Abstrakt by Ikea.

All new appliances went into the kitchen and there are some nice little features like the pot filler over the stove. The one thing that still needs to be decided on here is a backsplash.

There used to be a chimney in this space, but as it wasn’t necessary, they removed it and were able to add this custom built in bar and entertainment unit between the kitchen and den.

This room was considered the dining room, but they will be using it as a den as it is open to the kitchen. The new slider is the biggest addition to this room. You can see in the corner of the room and on the ceilings that there are exposed beams. The one in the corner was partially damaged and needed repair, but they were able to cover up that area with a nice box molding that doesn’t look out of place.

The living room/dining area has a new wood stove and under that furniture cover is a wonderful gate-leg table that fits nicely along the wall when not in use and can be pulled out to the center of the room when entertaining more formally. While you can’t see it in these pictures, the upper part of the walls are covered in beautiful grasscloth wallpaper by Elitis.

The rooms are filled with natural light which makes them so open and bright.

The front entry and stairwell were painted as well as the floors and staircase. Unfortunately, the old floors here were in too much disrepair to refinish, but I love the look of painted floors.

The stairwell from upstairs.

The master bedroom is enormous and very bright.

A new master bath was added off of the master bedroom. The upstairs had only 1 half bath before the renovation, but now has two full baths as well as a full bath downstairs.

The master bath shower. This proved to be the most challenging of their DIY projects, particularly in getting the tile floor level with the drain, but it came out really nice. The glass enclosure has not been installed yet, but will be soon.

The long hallway was once part of each of the bedrooms so that one had to pass through one room to get to the next one. The color is one of my favorites-it’s in my own living room too-Ocean Air by Benjamin Moore, although it looks quite different in this space because there is only one window in the hallway.

The guest/kids bathroom is spacious and soothing. Again, the floors were painted in this space.

An antique vanity adds some more character to the space.

This is the third bedroom. I actually didn’t get pictures of the second bedroom because the final coat of paint was being added later on the day I was there. This room fits a twin bed, and I love the melon color.

While this room is on the smaller side, it is cozy and quiet and a spot one might retreat to for some down time.

On the third floor, the original beams and closet remain with their dark wood, but the floors and walls have all been painted Super White by Benjamin Moore.

I LOVE this! I have always wanted an all white room. This will be an office space and is the one room in the house with clear views to Newport harbor. I also love how they had built in drawers added into the walls to maximize storage space.

So there is the grand tour! I’m sure we will have many more projects from this house to share as finishing touches are made on the decor and things get unpacked. I know this is making for a very happy New Year for this family.

I am so excited about what’s to come in 2011. Just a few of things I’ll be bringing you include a fabulous wedding I’m planning in June, several projects around my own house, a Chateau & Bungalow product line and perhaps the revival of another fabulous product line as well as all the other great things I come across in my travels.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year too and thank you for following me!

~Sarah

18th Century Colonial Renovation: Part VII

04 Thursday Nov 2010

Posted by SOF in Before & After, House Tours, Inspiration

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18th Century Colonial Renovation, Kitchen

Perhaps the question I get asked more than any other lately is “Has your sister moved into her new house yet?” Unfortunately, the answer is no, but the good news is that there has been massive progress in the past few weeks. Above you can see the new built in bar and soon to be built in bookcases. The paint has been purchased for almost every room and much of the trim has been painted. The tile has been mostly installed in the two upstairs bathrooms, and since these pictures were taken the floors have also been re-done and the rooms are starting to look bright and spacious.

The lower and a few of the upper kitchen cabinets have been installed, and the appliances have arrived! It’s actually starting to look a bit like a house that someone might be living in somewhat soon. And that would, indeed, be the goal. There are grand hopes that they will be moved in for Christmas. I think we’re getting to the point where it will be more fun to reveal rooms as they are completed. These pictures aren’t the most exciting, but I wanted to give you an update since it’s been such a popular question.

Check out the progress of this renovation, here.

18 Century Colonial Renovation: Part V

29 Tuesday Jun 2010

Posted by SOF in Before & After, House Tours

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18th Century Colonial Renovation, Flagg-Palmer Precast

I am very excited to announce that the 18th Century Colonial Renovation we’ve been following finally has walls! It has been a long haul since this project was started last October and I think there is quite a bit of relief in knowing that they are finally are in the home stretch. Back in October the goal for a move in date was by July 4th, and while it’s clear that won’t be the case, it’s actually pretty impressive that these two people who work well over 40 hours a week, have a 3 year old and decided to tackle such a large project, doing so much of the work themselves, are not that far off track.

So a quick tour of the house so that we can now get a little bit better of an idea how the space is coming together. The kitchen (above) is a fabulous open space and the exposed beams add so much character and are so visually appealing. While it’s typical for colonial paint colors to be a bit on the darker side, having a lighter color will make the beams really stand out. I am madly in love with the diagonal exposed beam in the dining room/library (top). It just looks fabulous and was the perfect divider for the ceiling which is higher in the dining room/library than it is in the pass through to the kitchen which allows for recessed lighting above the wet bar.As you may recall, there was not a drop of insulation in this house prior to renovation so in order to add it, the windows (which had already been replaced prior to this) are now recessed a bit more than you would normally see, but I think once the molding is in, it will actually be a nice architectural element.

The master bedroom is a great size and features a walk in closet (on the left) and an attached bath (on the right).

This is bedroom number two.

The 2nd full bath is quite large and there is a fabulous antique vanity going in here.

The third bedroom is definitely on the smaller side, but it is still plenty big for a twin bed or futon.

This is the upstairs hallway outside the 2nd bathroom door facing towards the front of the house. I thought this space might be very dark, but it’s actually plenty bright with the window at the end of the hallway, and you can see that there will be recessed lighting as well. Because the doors to the bedrooms and bathrooms are at either end of the hallway, these great big walls actually make the space seem much larger.

The attic space has also been transformed into great usable space with a long window seat from which you can see Newport Harbor as well as extra built in storage (the drawers on the left). Whenever you have empty space behind the walls, it’s a great idea to add built ins for extra storage.

In other big news, the front steps have also been installed. It is traditional for colonial homes to have this double sided staircase at their entry, and many of them are brick with stone treads. Unfortunately, they also tend to be very expensive. To reduce costs, the decided to go with a cast concrete set of steps with a brick and stone facade which were installed by Flagg-Palmer Precast, and I have to say that you can barely tell the difference.

Now for the fun part, selecting colors and finishes!!!

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