Friends, I don’t even know where to start with this project because it is ALL. SO. GOOD. So, let’s just start at the place where all design projects start then; at the consultation. I walked into this homeowner’s “New-Old” living room for the first time to find her sitting on one outdated armchair flanked by one plastic lawn chair, and nothing else whatsoever. She had just moved to Colorado from California and had an (almost literally) blank canvas to work with, which is every designer’s DREAM! I was not happy for her in her furniture-less state but selfishly excited at all of the possibilities for this sweet space and sweeter human. Follow along to read a little bit about my design process with the “New-Old Bungalow Makeover” of this space and to see the spectacular transformation in the after photos! (Eeek!) Here we go!
Let’s begin this journey with some “before” photos…
Inspiration and Initial Sketches…
This home is definitely not short on inspiration. It was built in the early 1900s here in Colorado Springs and boasts a Craftsman bungalow architectural style (hence, it’s “New-Old Bungalow Makeover” title), complete with original windows, floors, and gorgeous original millwork (including perfectly intact picture rail molding (!!), but more on that in a sec).
This client had just purchased her home from a local flipper, so they had already painted and freshened things up nicely for us (on a side note: it would always be my first choice to try to save and simply restore original wood trim instead of paint it, but I didn’t have a say in that part of this project, unfortunately. What WAS fortunate was that they had at least chosen a beautiful greige contrast trim color that integrated well with our design plan).
Our main focus was finding some actual furniture so that this poor homeowner could finally enjoy her space and feel at home. She’s also a fabulous hostess, so creating a cozy conversation area where lots of friends could gather was a priority. The smaller size and long rectangular shape of this room called for some beautiful custom pieces such as the gorgeous wool rug on the floor that helps to unite and ground the conversation/seating area, as well as a stunning sofa that’s just the right size so that we could maximize comfort and the number of seats without overwhelming the space. Scale is everything in these cozy little homes folks! I think it all worked out brilliantly in the end. See for yourself:
Now presenting, the GORGEOUS New-Old Bungalow living room…
Major House Goals…
Aesthetically, I aimed to incorporate her clean, and a bit eclectic, Cali cool style into her new cozy Colorado bungalow, and mesh the two styles together in a way that tells her story well. We topped things off with a few vintage trinkets (like the wooden bowl on the coffee table, the gorgeous brass crane behind the sofa and the little brass inlaid vase by the front door). Plus, we, of course, wanted to pay respect to the history of the house by putting that gorgeous picture rail molding to good use. We found some beautiful hooks and sturdy picture chains from House of Antique Hardware to hang her gorgeous original pastel painting (made by a local artist here in Colorado!), along with some beautiful pottery that a talented friend had made her, the beautiful vintage Scandinavian owl print and a big round brass framed mirror at the entry. I made sure to leave her with extra hooks and chains so that she can add to her collection as she finds more pieces she loves! I can’t wait to see how her collection grows over the years.
(Design & Styling by Hill Interiors LLC. Photos by Autumn Rae Photography)
The layout and furnishings now offer a functional, beautiful, neutral (but still fun!) space for lots of friends to gather comfortably within a small space. I was able to witness this first hand at her wonderful house warming party that she kindly invited my husband and me to attend! I’m super spoiled with great clients/friends…
Let’s zoom in on some of these details, shall we?…
This project is an incredible example of the fact that mixing old and new in a balanced and beautiful way is not only very possible but that it creates a truly breathtaking result when it’s executed well. I absolutely love how cozy and inviting, but still elegant and refined this space feels when you’re standing in it (or let’s be real… not standing, but more like lounging right there on that perfect sofa…).
So, there it is! What’s your favorite part of this space in the New-Old Bungalow Makeover?! Make sure you drop me a comment below! I just love it when you all weigh in on this stuff.
Xoxo,
Alyssa
P.S. Feel free to visit the gallery page for even more juicy images of this project and others Right Here!
- Photos by Autumn Rae Photography
- Design & Styling by Hill Interiors LLC