Heritage Hill Apartment Design Recommendations
Consultation Notes Our clients live in Grand Rapids, MI in the Heritage Hill historic district. They recently moved from Chicago and are looking for a way to make Grand Rapids feel like home. She is pursing her solo music career and currently travels to Chicago frequently. Her is working for a real estate company. They want to settle in, but only plan on living in this apartment for about a year or so. They wouldn’t want to invest in much that they can’t take with them. He likes clean, functional, Scandinavian design and blues, reds, and grays. He likes Herman Miller lines and landscape art (amongst others). She likes androgynous designs (grays and blacks) with pops of color. She is very inspired by fashion, art deco design, & likes black & white photography. Both are open to different forms of artwork & care more about the feeling it evokes than who the artist is. Their apartment is quaint, so they are having some challenges with storage & space planning. Need storage for entertainment, books, clothing, coats, boots, etc. Overall, our clients need help with layout, adding storage, and comfort for their spaces. The rooms we are focusing on are the living room, bedroom/bathroom, and office/studio space.
Designer Goals & Beliefs Our goals are to provide inspiration, recommendations, and the next steps to make our clients’ current home match their future aspirations and needs. We will do this through listening to their needs, investigating their personal style, researching the best options for them, and pushing them to think of ideas or options they may not have previously considered. We believe that for a home to feel “lived-in” yet clean & inviting, one needs to find a balance between old/new furnishings and high/low end. We will try to utilize the pieces our clients already have in addition to providing recommendations for new & vintage items to add to their home collection. Homes where furniture and colors match perfectly feel less natural & lived-in than those that have a more “collected” aesthetic. Finally, to make a home feel warm/comfortable without feeling too sterile, we believe one needs to incorporate a variety of textures (wood, linen/textiles, metal, etc.), and we will be intentional in this with all of the recommendations provided.
Living Room Mood Board
Living Room: General Recommendations We recommend layering two rugs on the floor to anchor & warm up the space. The first would be larger (neutral black & white) & would go from the window to the full length of both doors. The second would be angled under & out from the couch, and would be cozier with blue tribal/vintage tones. A sectional couch should be added to maximize seating space. We recommend a gray sectional (like the one we found from West Elm) that can have multiple configurations and is soft/cozy. Since you won’t be in this apartment for over a year or so, investing in a couch that can change to meet your needs is beneficial. In front of the couch, we recommend adding a vintage coffee table that has some sort of see through or reflective property (lucite or glass). See example. This will make the space feel more open while still providing a functional table top for eating/ hanging out/etc. Two vintage chairs (chrome/leather) should be added to the space (to the right of the couch, facing in, but not in the way of the front door) to add extra seating & better define the living room. A table can be added between the two. The walls should be painted white (if allowed by the landlord) to brighten up the space and provide a nice contrast to the fireplace, and a gallery wall of art/prints should be above the couch that have elements of both of your personalities represented. Two wall sconces (the plug-in kind) should be added above the couch for task lighting, as well. The curtains in this room should be airy (basic white) to save money and keep the space still feeling light. Since you won’t be there a long time, investing in custom curtains can wait, in our opinion. To the right of the window on the east wall, an industrial shelf for storage/books should be added. We can have this built custom for you. It will make the room feel more industrial & personable as opposed to buying a stand-alone item. A clip lamp or floor lamp should be added to this wall/corner for extra lighting. The speaker system should be stored on either side of the fireplace, and the dresser should be removed from the living space. In its place, another, shorter system of custom industrial shelving should be added for storage & unable space. A fireplace screen can be added to cover the fireplace (and hide the middle section of the speakers). A few cozy pillows for the couch, a couple of books for the coffee table, and personal decorative items (ie. Dala horses) should be then added to the space to make it feel more “complete”. We gave specific pillow recommendations, but HomeGoods also has new/different pillows (great quality) from week to week at extremely affordable prices.
Living Room Floor Plan: Basic Layout
IKEA $99
Vintage Side Table Approx. $75
West Elm
Price depends on size/fabric selection
Rugs USA $325
IKEA $20
World Market IKEA
$109
$30 To add over one of the chairs
Vintage Additional Seating Approx. $300 (for 2)
Custom Industrial Shelving
Approx. $100-$200 total for both the east wall (tall like the one pictured) and wall to the right of the fireplace (shorter, wider shelves).
Vintage Coffee Table Approx. $150
West Elm $19
Vintage West Elm West Elm
Will need to find similar
$29
IKEA $120
Decorative Objects
Mix of what you have & items that speak to you
White Curtains IKEA or Target
Art for Gallery Wall
Mix & Match from vintage/new pieces. Would work together to put the right items with each other. 5-9 items needed.
Gallery Wall Elevation:
Artwork to be found/curated after design decisions confirmed
Bedroom/Bathroom Mood Board
Bedroom/Bathroom: General Recommendations Headboards/beds can be extremely expensive (especially for a King-size bed). A bed frame and/or headboard should be really specific from room to room. Since you will only be in this apartment for about a year, we recommend doing a statement wall behind the bed (horizontal white/gray stripes) as opposed to a headboard at this time. It will save you money, but it will also add visual interest and make the bed feel more “anchored” on the wall. This will also give the room a definite focal point. To save floor/table space, we recommend floating wood shelves (tables) next to each side of the bed with plug-in wall sconces that can be easily turned on and off while in bed. The wood element will warm up an otherwise stark space. Baskets or boxes can be stacked below the floating tables for storage if needed. Above the bed a statement mirror (or sunburst) should be added to reflect light and provide a clean visual element. Bedding should be mostly white with the exception of a throw at the end of the bed and possibly a throw pillow. A rug should be added to the floor to break up the space and add texture/color (under the bed coming out to the walk-through area). The curtains should be dark & heavy enough to block out light from the office/studio space. A vintage trunk should be added at the end of the bed to create hidden storage & add an “old” element for a more curated space. Baskets/bins should be added to the closet area for hidden storage to “clean” up the look of the open shelving.
IKEA $249
Floating Side Tables
West Elm
$69 each panel
Paint
I have a guy that can make these custom for you for under $100
$20-$30
IKEA $99
All White Bedding
onefortythree $145
Purchase anywhere
Assorted Storage Baskets
All baskets pictured are from West Elm; however, HomeGoods on 28th street has a HUGE variety for $10-$20 a piece.
Vintage Trunk $50-$120
West Elm $69
Etsy $20
The bathroom shape/size is a little tricky to do much with (especially since you are renting). We recommend painting the gray in there white to make the space feel more expansive. Add two mirrors (a vertical above the sink and a horizontal one above the towel bars). Change out the shower curtain for more visual interest, and add a rug to the floor for comfort/safety. In terms of storage, add a basket to the floor to store toilet paper, etc. In the shower, get a tension rod storage system for everyday items that can get wet. For additional storage, utilize the vertical space above the toilet (custom, basic shelving) since floor space is limited. Items can be stored on these shelves out in the open or in small baskets. World Market $13
West Elm $49
Custom Shelving
Etsy
Turkish Hand Towels
Use wall angles & wood for warmth
Home Depot $11
Target $30
IKEA $15
West Elm $250
Shower Storage Can find anywhere ď Š
Studio
Mood Board
Office/Studio: General Recommendations
Your office/studio space should be vibrant and inspiring (like you!). It also needs to be cozy/functional. We recommend painting the floors a glossy black & white striped pattern (with the approval of your landlord). If you can’t paint the floors, we recommend laying down a graphic black & white striped rug. On the south wall, a green velvet sofa should be added for sitting/lounging with a lucite coffee table in front. The brass sconce on the wall can be repurposed for task lighting. Above the couch, one large art piece that inspires you should serve as the focal point of the room. Colorful throw pillows should be added to the couch for comfort/visual interest. The windows should be adorned with graphic curtains (in black/white or green/white) to add height & privacy. The new desk should be where the current desk is located. Buying legs & utilizing your own table top will be the most custom/ versatile option. We recommend legs from Ikea & a wood table top to add warmth/depth to the space. To the right of the desk, a brass shelving unit (étagère) should be added for storage. I think open storage is better in this space since it is such a small area. This can serve as office storage & key/entry storage (a tray on the shelf). Brass hooks can be added to the back of the entrance door to best utilize coat/scarf area. The wall to the left of the door entrance needs a small closed storage bench for shoes, gloves, etc. A durable, utility floor mat for cleaning dirty boots/shoes should also be added near the door. Note: we didn’t address storage for the Etsy clothing since it isn’t a permanent thing (check out space rental at Lost & Found on Century Avenue for selling!).
Vintage Shelf
IKEA
$100-$200
$13
IKEA $70
One King’s Lane $30-$40
H&G $42
CB2
IKEA
$299
$299
Misc. Online $6-$8
IKEA $12
H&G $20
Vintage Green Velvet Sofa $200-$500
Large Art Piece $299
IKEA $24
Lucite Desk Chair $80-$120
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. 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). Start working on each 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! 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. We would keep a log and update you when time was spent, why it was spent, etc. We are constantly looking for items for the shop, so I would not charge you “time” when I am collecting items For both you and the shop. We will, however, sell you items found specifically for you AT COST with a 15% finders fee to cover the time/fact that we can’t sell it in the shop (the up charge to sell in the shop is 40%-50%, so this is a great deal and saves you a ton of time). Hope you love our designs! Can’t wait to hear from you!
THANK YOU
Kelley Howley & Fernando Ramirez Hunt & Gather 951 Cherry St. SE huntandgatherGR@gmail.com