Hall Street Modern Ranch
Consultation Notes Lindsay and Matt recently moved to a ranch-style home in East Grand Rapids as Lindsay just got a job at Spectrum Health. Lindsay enjoys time with friends, reading, and yoga white Matt likes brewing beer, hunting, the outdoors, and DIY projects. They share their home with a BoxerCoonhond mix named Miley, and they hope to start a family in their new home some day. Currently, their home is currently designed to the likeness of previous owners- a bit shabby chic; however, Lindsay and Matt are very much looking for an overhaul and change. They are open to both immediate problems to be solved and long-term solutions and planning for the space and decorative furnishings. They would like their home to feel confortable, homey, and layered, but in a modern way. They like neutrals with pops of colors, natural textiles, leather, stone, copper, slate, marble, and wood. Colors to avoid would be pinks, blacks, oranges, and reds as they are more drawn to cooler ones found in nature (blues, greens, etc.). Their home needs to be a place where they can entertain and move about comfortablynothing too fussy, but with a smart design plan in mind. Our goal is to put together a plan that is inspiring in design and maximizes the potential & flow of the space (floor plan). We want the house to remain modern and neutral, but want to be intentional in recommending a balance of textures, color, and scale of furniture that will make it feel effortless.
Living & Dining Room
We’d like the first floor to feel modern, spacious, and open, so off the bat, we recommend painting the main floor Super White by Benjamin Moore (including the brick wall). This will also help your standout pieces pop.
We recommend a linen or cotton sofa in an indigo color. This will be comfortable, easy to clean, and very functional. Likely, to get the right color, we’d need to get it custom covered. So, finding this couch vintage or used would be worthwhile to cover the cost of recovering. It should also be about 89”, but can vary slightly depending on the layout you choose (see next slide).
Both the dining and living space should have area rugs that fit (9 x 11-12). We recommend woven vintage Persian or Turkish rugs in blue hues.
We have provided three options for the living room layout depending on your preference. The importance for decision making here is scale, balance, how you see yourself living.
The coffee table should be round and white, marble, brass, or a similar shade to the dining table. The round surface will be kid/family friendly and will help make the flow of the room feel less boxy. Side and accent tables should follow the same concept, but feel free to mix and match.
Additional seating in the living space should utilize brown or cognac leather. This will balance with all of the softness (floor, couch, etc.) in the space and will add an edge of masculinity. What you need will depend on the room configuration choice (one vs. two vs. ottoman vs. no ottoman).
DĂŠcor should be minimal, but accent pillows, plants, and brass/black lamp accents should be used for function and styling. Shades/curtains should be white.
The dining table should be something very simple, but can have some rough/rustic character to it. The lines, however, should be modern. The table can be as long as you’d like to fit 6-8 chairs; however, due to the size of the space, we recommend a width of only 3-3.5 feet. We love the idea of hanging TWO mobile light fixtures over top from West Elm. This will make it seem more designed/custom for such a straight-forward space. If two seems to fussy to you, one will work just fine.
You have many options when it comes to dining chairs since the table is so clean & simple. You could go for something modern, light, and airy or something a little more dramatic in terms of chair height and color. If you do an upholstered chair, we recommend staying in the indigo/blue theme. Upholstered chairs will make the space feel a bit more formal.
Artwork should hang above the fireplace, on the wall leading into the kitchen (right side), and where the television currently is in the dining room. It should be a combination of photography and paintings in blue, green, neutral hues. A mirror could also be swapped out above the fireplace.
Kitchen
In the kitchen, we recommend extending the cabinets to the ceiling. This will make the room feel like the height has increased immensely. We also recommend that you do white upper cabinets and a rich navy color for the bottom cabinets. This will add a richness and depth to the space that is lacking.
The floor should be a gray color to help anchor the room. We recommend a slate or stone in a herringbone pattern (this should also be used in the nook space (sunroom) off the dining room.
The countertop and backsplash should be a marble (or faux marble) finish. The gray hues will mix well with the gray in the floor.
Hardware, light fixture, and range hood should all be a brushed brass. The light fixture should also be a standout piece as it is seen when you first walk in from both the front and back doors. The kitchen island top should be traded out for wood. And simple stools added beneath for function.
Since the kitchen is very cabinet-heavy, we recommend the stovetop/oven wall be more of a statement with a patterned backsplash that goes to the ceiling, range hood, etc. Actual renderings/plans can be made if/when you are looking to do the kitchen.
Sun Room Cove
The sunroom should be a sunny, relaxing space. As mentioned previously, walls should be white and the floor should be slate gray (same as the kitchen). We think this space would be best suited as a sunny lounge space- a place you would spend on your day off mornings drinking coffee or reading a book.
The western wall (smaller window wall) would host a built-in seat that is deep enough to lay or sit on. This cushions can be gray or white, but then you can go crazy with pillows as the goal is to make this space as comfortable/ cozy as can be.
A small, round table with one or two chairs should be added, but it should be something easily removed in case you need more space or quick access to the desk. Keeping these light and airy is key.
A swing arm lamp or task lights can be added by the built-in for lighting, and plants/pillows remain the largest accessory. Curtains white like the rest of the first floor. An overdyed rug (round or rectangle) can be added for visual interest/warmth.
Basement
For the basement, we really want to create a space that is open, airy, comfortable, and functional. We recommend using the same white paint as upstairs, but the full wall of builtins (see renderings & floor plan) be painted a dark green. Exact color would be based on couch, and color testing in the basement, but this is just to give you an idea. Since the floor is laminate (and not the shade you prefer), we recommend replacing the laminate with a lighter maple laminate with some character or a light cork floor. Between the white walls and the light floor, the basement will already fill brighter & more spacious. It will make a huge impact.
To balance the heaviness & green color of the built-ins, we recommend getting an oversized green velvet sectional. This will face the built-ins (where the TV will also be stored) and provide ample comfort. This, too, would maybe be a piece to get custom done depending on size & color.
Coffee table should be something durable & something to balance the fabric & softness of the sofa/rugs. A leather round ottoman could do just that. Side tables could be a mix of wood/brass and natural or modern depending on preference.
The basement is a perfect place to layer rugs. Start with a thinner, overdyed rug to really anchor the space, then layer it with something chunky (Moroccan or shag) to add that comfort.
A desk/desk chair should be added on the southern wall that compliments some elements from coffee/ side tables.
An club or side chair in beige or gold should be added for additional seating.
Art should be a combo of clean mirrors (to reflect and make the room appear larger) and landscape art to feel calming/ comfortable.
So, what’s next?
Whew! That was a lot of information. Now that you have seen the inspiration/recommendations, soak it all in. Let us know if you have any questions. After processing the information, you have a couple of options. ü Call or e-mail to set up an appointment to discuss your likes/dislikes of the design and how we can move forward together with Hunt & Gather managing the project (we would discuss what items you would like to purchase yourself, what we should be hunting for, budget, and timeline). ü Start working on the room on your own (purchasing items, hunting for things, etc.) and only call us when you need clarification, recommendations, or final styling. Remember, the WHY is more important than the WHAT, so if you don’t like a pillow/lamp/etc. that we recommended, find something with similar lines or a similar purpose (or a cheaper price) and consider purchasing that instead! ü Nothing. This wasn’t what you were looking for, and you would like to discontinue working together. Additional pricing for services would be given at the follow-up meeting that fit your specific needs. Hope you love the design concept! Can’t wait to hear from you!
THANK YOU Kelley Howley & Fernando Ramirez Hunt & Gather 740 Curve St. SW design@huntandgatherGR.com