before
18
& after
Palette Perfection
house& home | A p r i l 2 0 1 3 | h o u s e a n d h o m e o n l i n e . com
Color coordination revives a couple’s master bath BY JOETTA MOULDEN • PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANET LENZEN
When Denise Strittmatter called me, I did not know that her husband Mike had already checked out my website and looked at my “before/after” photos. He advised budgeting my services into
FREE UPGRADES ON BLINDS & SHUTTERS Silhouette®
creativeblinds.com Country Woods®
their overall plan to ensure quality. “Even when we bought the house, we did not think the wallpaper looked right against the tile.” Denise said. “We wanted a much warmer look and knew the wallpaper had to come off,” she explained. They loved the layout of the room but not the colors—too much white and brass for their liking. “I felt overwhelmed by our first meeting.” Denise said. “You had such vision not only for the bath but the entire house and our visit encompassed so much more than just choosing paint colors—thank goodness!” she laughed. TIP: Just because the builder envisioned the bath one way, does not mean you cannot change it.
JUST
It turned out that Mike was onboard a lot sooner than she was—he was the steady one “who made me do everything on your written plan,” Denise explained. She just could not wrap her arms around all of my suggestions and said, “frankly, I thought some of them were just crazy. Over
ANNOUNCED! $ 50 to $100
Plantation Shutters
rebate per shade on selected Hunter Douglas Products.*** See Store for Details
FREE INSTALLATION*
Ask us about 0% INTEREST for 6 Months** Call store for details. • Limited Lifetime Warranty • Energy Efficient • Painted and Stained • Custom Shutters Available in Both Wood and Faux Wood • Specialty Shapes • Contoured Arches
creativeblinds.com
BEFORE AFTER: Removing the wallpaper and painting the walls flat Sherwin Williams “Latte” and vanities Sherwin Williams gloss enamel in “Coconut Husk,” changing out the ceiling light, removing the 2-inch blinds since the window is frosted glass, brass towel bar and hanging a modern giclee from Overstock.com updated this bath. BEFORE: Busy wallpaper that did not match the tile, mismatched brass and chrome hardware, dated ceiling light and dated vanities were spoiling this master bath.
KATY/SUGARLAND • 5614 W. Grand Prkwy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281-394-0344 MEMORIAL/SPRING BRANCH • 9930 Katy Frwy #500 . . . . . . . . . . 713-469-3213 BAYBROOK/GALVESTON • 19072 Gulf Freeway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281-456-3052 WEST U, BELLAIRE, RIVER OAKS • 5808 Kirby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713-568-6017 SPRING CYPRESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mobile Showroom 281-456-3048 SUGARLAND/RICHMOND/ROSENBERG • 5614 W Grand Pkwy S. . . 281-241-4614 WOODLANDS/CONROE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mobile Showroom 936-647-3858 *8 windows and $1,500 min. Limited time offer. ® and ™ trademarks of Hunter Douglas Inc. Patented in the U.S. and other countries. **AOC ***See stores for details.
19
AFTER: Painting the vanity with Sherwin Williams gloss enamel in “Coconut Husk” and changing accessories made a huge difference. Denise replaced the old bench with a new rattan bench from Home Goods. BEFORE: A boring builder white vanity, colorless accessories and thick beige cushion on the stool dated this bath.
BEFORE
time, I came to understand that you were really right about everything.” TIP: Paint is cheap and consistently gives you the most bang for your buck. The hardest suggestion for her to visualize was painting the vanities a darker brown from the Benjamin Moore “White” Interior Room gloss enamel that they had always been. I explained that one of the things she hated about her bath was all the white surfaces and the vanities would look more like freestanding cabinets if they were painted. To save money, the couple opted to leave the chrome/brass two-tone faucets rather than replace them with brushed nickel faucets. She admits she was uneasy until she saw the finished product. “I spend a lot of time in this room getting ready, and now it is a warm
20
house& home | A p r i l 2 0 1 3 | h o u s e a n d h o m e o n l i n e . com
AFTER: Replacing the shower trim with brushed nickel instantly updated the bath. Another option here would be a frameless glass shower with brushed nickel trim and shower guard glass. BEFORE: Brass shower trim added decades to this bath.
BEFORE
and inviting space to be in,” Denise said. She said their friends and family love the changes, too! “I am a firm believer in hiring a professional,” she explains. “If you are going to spend money to do anything to your house, you want your choices to work.” She would recommend budgeting for professional services as a must.
TRADE SECRETS • HIRE A DECORATOR to look objectively at your spaces and make suggestions that will help you redecorate on your budget. • A DECORATOR CAN HELP YOU STRETCH YOUR BUDGET, no matter how small it is. • SOMETIMES THE MOST EFFECTIVE STRATEGY is to first rethink what’s already paid for.
22
house& home | A p r i l 2 0 1 3 | h o u s e a n d h o m e o n l i n e . com
Joetta Moulden offers home makeovers using your own home furnishings to create the home you’ve always dreamed of. Joetta believes your pieces collected through the years reflect your personality and can be artfully arranged. Her ability to focus on your personal style and not let her own preferences influence the design of your home makes her unique. See more makeovers on her web site at www.shelterstyle.com, e-mail her at joetta@shelterstyle.com or call 713.461.2063. If an initial appointment or referral is booked by April 30, a 10 percent first meeting discount will be given. Shelterstyle.com holds a "Pages of Happiness" rating and, for the fifth consecutive year, a “Super Service Award” presented to 5 percent of companies that achieve and maintain a superior rating on Angie’s List.
23
the hort whisperer
A beautiful specimen redbud complements a gazebo at Mercer Arboretum.
Whitebuds are a most elegant spring flowering tree.
“Rising Sun” redbud has golden leaves that emerge pinkish-orange. “Merlot” features dramatic, near-black leaves.
Y O U R G U I D E T O H O R T I C U LT U R E I N H O U S T O N Dear Plantophiles,
Flowering trees reign supreme in many spring planting schemes and none are better suited for our Gulf Coast gardens than redbuds. This group of approximately 10 species, in the genus Cercis, occurs throughout warm temperate regions in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America. They are large shrubs and small trees ranging from 1025’ tall, and make perfect border plants or accent trees for tucking into small spaces. They decorate our early spring landscape for nearly a month with tiny flowers produced in masses along bare branches before their leaves emerge. All save for one rare Chinese species, Cercis racemosa (flowers in hanging clusters—if you find one, please do let me know), exhibit cauliflory; popping their flowers directly from stems, branches and even trunks. Redbud flowers are not actually red but a rich orchid (as per my childhood box of Crayolas). Cultivated varieties vary from a darker, red-violet shade, to clear pink. White-flowered forms are also available—called “whitebuds”, and they are exquisite in bloom—makes the ubiquitous Bradford pear look like a hippo in a hula skirt.
BY DARRIN DULING
Plant breeders have worked extensively to go beyond attraction based on flowers: the handsome, heart-shaped foliage appears in a variety of colors: gold and apricot; “Rising Sun”, burgundy; “Forest Pansy” & “Merlot”, and white variegation; “Ace of Hearts”. There are also spectacular weeping varieties; “Lavender Twist” & “Ruby Falls”. These and other cultivars tend to fly off of nursery pads as soon as they are set out! Redbuds grow well in full sun to light shade, and tend to be rather tough and forgiving of anything but soggy soil. We are fortunate to have three species (some botanists classify them only as varieties) native to Texas: Cercis canadensis, from our eastern region, C. texensis from the western limestone ridges and C. mexicana from extreme southwestern Texas. The European native redbud, Cercis siliquastrum, is commonly known as “Judas Tree”; legend has it that this is the tree that Judas Isquariot used to hang himself. Please don’t let this name deter you, as redbuds are completely reliable and will never betray you, beautifying your garden for many years. Keep on growing!
Darrin Duling, Director of Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens, is a botanical horticulturist, environmentalist and landscape designer. He holds a Master of Science Degree in Plant Taxonomy from the University of Reading in England, as well as the Royal Horticultural Society Certificate of Training and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Diploma of Horticulture. Duling has managed major gardens in Thailand, New York and Florida. For information on Mercer Arboretum, visit www.hcp4.net/mercer. 24
house& home | A p r i l 2 0 1 3 | h o u s e a n d h o m e o n l i n e . com
CLASSIC FOUNTAINS • Urns & Pedestals • Architectural Ornaments • Benches & Bird Baths • Classical & Asian Statuary • Animals & Whimsical Statuary
Dealer for: Campania International, Fiore Stone, Massarelli’s & many others
STATUE MAKERS
Fiore Stone
SINCE 1966
2003 Blalock Rd. Houston, TX 77080 • 1.5 Miles North of I-10 on Blalock 10-6 TUES.-SAT. • SUNDAY 1-5 (CLOSED MON.) 713.467.9082 • www.statuemakers.com
decades of experience L etgiveouryour . home an EDGE
Experience makes all the difference. Over 3 decades of consistent quality, professional fabrication and installation, expert service to the construction community and added value to the homeowner. GRANITE NATURAL QUARTZ ! GREEN MATERIALS ! KITCHEN & BATH COUNTERTOPS ! TUBS ! REMODELING ! !
PSALM 42:1
B olfing B rothers
MARBLE, INC.
281 351-7195 www.bolfingbrothers.com Showroom: 18407 Telge Road, Cypress Texas 77429 25