East Grand Rapids Bungalow Design Recommendations
Consultation Notes Jan & Becky live in East Grand Rapids, MI in a renovated bungalow-style house with their three children. They are having a hard time determining the direction in which to go since they clash on style at times and have a tough time making home decor decisions together. Jan & Becky really loved the vibe & feeling of the Craftsman-style house they recently moved from in Chicago and would like to incorporate elements of things they both liked from the old house in the new house- but with a fresh perspective. Jan likes a more 1970’s bohemian style (California lounge with a touch of Scandinavian cabin) while Becky likes items that are a little more traditional and practical. Both Jan & Becky are drawn to art that is meaningful to them, has a story they connect with, etc. They are drawn to warm tones, blues, and gray. They would love for the fireplace room to be a space that is cozy, warm, inviting, and functional for kids that can also serve dual purposes of entertaining and a desk/office space. They have also addressed that the space feels too large/expansive with the high ceilings and openness. Overall, our clients need help with the aesthetic & direction of the space, room layout, functionality, and decision-making.
Designer Goals & Beliefs Our goal is to provide inspiration, recommendations, and the next steps to make our clients’ current home match their future aspirations and needs. We will achieve 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. 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 the recommendations provided.
Fireplace Room Mood Board
Fireplace Room: Mood & Goals The fireplace room should be a space that is warm, inviting, and functional. You both expressed the desire to make the space feel more intimate/cozy (less vast). We will address the size of the room by the colors on the wall/ceiling, the defining of two separate spaces, and lighting. We also wanted to fuse elements of both your personal styles- which can be seen through the furniture selections, rugs, and accessories. We wanted to pay homage to the history of the home through furniture and style selections, and finally, we want to push you a little bit to think about new options you hadn’t considered. This will be addressed through the fireplace design, room layout, and additional recommendations.
Fireplace Room: Recommendations We recommend painting the main, north wall and ceiling a dark, rich gray tone (will need to test in different lighting, but similar to the first example below). This will make the room feel warmer & cozier. The fireplace, however, should be expanded on both sides & dry walled with shelves for wood (functional, minimal, and modern to contrast the rest of the warmer, more traditional/rustic elements of the space). The fireplace wall should be painted a white or off-white. The fireplace itself should be a black or iron color to give contrast/depth (again, see examples below). The built-in wall should also be painted the white or off-white color. The room should be defined into two smaller spaces. The “library/office” area and the “seating area”. We recommend that the built-in wall be completely reconfigured into one full wall of cabinets/shelving. Instead of adding a desk to the built-in wall, add a free-standing antique or aged desk out in front of the built-ins with a floor rug, office chair, lamp, etc. This will further define that space & make the awkward, long shape of the room more functional. Smaller pieces of art can be a part of this space and can be layered on the built-in bookcases or directly to the right of the narrow stained glass windows.
The seating area would be primarily located in front of the fireplace. You should add a neutral, but visually interesting rug to define this space. We have two recommendations for room layout on the seating side. First, if you choose to utilize your existing couch, we recommend adding two matching, vintage leather chairs (get rid of the one that matches the couch or move to another room). This will add a depth, visual interest, and will contrast well with the fabric of the couch. Put a fulllength credenza on the wall between the two where your television, art, accessories, etc. can be layered on (have a light color on the credenza so that it will pop off of the wall/eye level of the dark couch). Another option would be to purchase a sectional sofa and put it rightaligned on the north wall. This will give you more seating for entertaining and make the layout of the room more interesting. Two chairs (don’t necessarily need to match) can be added, too, for seating in addition to a vertical storage unit (as opposed to the long credenza in option one). The vertical storage will add height/functionality to the space and will break up the large surface area of the wall.
Regardless of room layout, 1-3 pieces of large-scale artwork (with lots of cream or white) should be added to the wall above the seating area. Having a light background on these art pieces will balance the white from the fireplace wall. They should be large scale to balance the large surface area of the wall. You should also add a new & interesting coffee table (perhaps made of burl wood, a round tufted ottoman, etc.). Having a unique or organic shape/materials will add visual interest and will break up the basic shapes & materials of everything else going on in the room. Additionally, regardless of room layout you choose, the poufs/ ottomans, blankets, pillows, house plants, and lamps/accessories will add textural, interest, & functionality to the space (see next page for more detailed examples).
A pair of vintage, leather chairs should contrast with the brown couch, but can be almost any shape you are drawn to.
Organic or visually interesting coffee table.
Credenza or wardrobe depending on room configuration. Wood style would be determined upon further planning.
Textural elements will add personality & warmth to the space.
A large chandelier or light fixture should be added to the space to make the ceiling feel lower & cozier. A natural or iron material should be chosen to diversify the elements and play off of the fireplace. The columns on the ceiling can be painted white or covered/replaced with rustic wood. The box ceiling lights should be recessed into the ceiling, but not removed. In addition to the rugs on the floor, the current tile can be replaced with a more modern, dark slate & the hearth/stairs painted to match a similar color- this will contrast well with the white wall. We like this idea of an “iron” color to pay homage to the history of the home and will blend well with your existing stairs/hearth. Rug by desk
Chandelier Examples
Rug by seating area
In this space, we have created a neutral backdrop that will be sustainable and timeless as you continue to evolve & really live in the space. We’ve provided recommendations of traditional staples with modern, playful elements that work extremely well together. See the conceptual rendering on the left to envision the “vibe” of the space. Regardless of what layout you choose, we hope you can visualize the concept. The example furniture & accessory pieces are not exhaustive, but instead give you a general idea. Final “look” really comes together with specific selections and careful styling of decorative items. Since art is very personal for you, we didn’t want to spend too much time choosing anything specific, but instead giving guidelines. The pieces should be large scale & mostly cream/white. Line drawing style or neutral paintings would blend well with some of the pieces you already have. The first piece is a painting by local Grand Rapids artist, Jeff Kraus. The rest pictured are vintage.
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 951 Cherry St. SE huntandgatherGR@gmail.com