For the past year Enzy Design has been volunteering with the Family Support Center, doing a donation drive and helping with updates to their Administrative Offices.  We have been truly inspired by their mission and the dedication of their staff.

We recently had the opportunity to tour the LifeStart Village units, and we learned how underutilized the community living rooms are, since they are now 15 years old, dated, and drab.  The residents of these units are single-parent families and they are fighting hard to give their kids the best they can give.   Currently, these living rooms do not convey a feeling of hope and optimism.  Since we know Design Makes a Difference, we want to transform these rooms into comfortable, inviting, and functional living spaces that encourage a sense of community within the villages.  We’ve done some space-planning, and we have general concepts ready to implement.

Needless to say, we jumped at the opportunity to be part of their main floor update.  The ‘before’ pictures below illustrate the great potential of the space.  A few modern cosmetic updates quickly enhanced the look and feel of these spaces.

What We Love Most About This Project:

~ We removed a heavy wooden valance over the kitchen sink and replaced it with a decorative pendant.  This instantly made the kitchen feel lighter and updated.

~ The flooring: adiós awkward carpet & tile mixture; hello wide-plank engineered maple!

~The fireplace: we closed up the upper arch, eliminated the tile, and updated the entire look with a clean textured limestone tile and a rustic mantle.

~ The lighting: We replaced all the main floor lighting and fans with elements much better suited to the clients’ “mountain modern” tastes.

~ The furniture:  We wanted comfortable yet modern pieces, so we used an extra-deep sofa & oversized chair, both covered in a lighter performance fabric (it’s bleachable!) to keep the furniture from feeling too heavy.

~ The window treatments:  The original curtains came with the home.  We replaced these with top-down-bottom-up light filtering shades, complemented by linen blackout drapery panels.  (And, for the sake of budget, we were able to re-use the previous drapery rod, and we found pre-made panels so the client didn’t have to pay for custom drapery!)

The final touch was incorporating the existing artwork back into the new space.  Each piece of art holds a beautiful glimpse into their lives: art pieces from travels, their daughter’s artistic owl masterpiece, a hand-crafted Balinese sculpture of their dog, artwork created by family, grandmother’s baskets, and grandfather’s barometer.  The personal details of the home shine a light on what our clients value, and we are so honored to help them create their best space.  

The icing on the cake for this project was surprising them with the fun textures we added through the use of pillows and other accessories.  We were thrilled to have them come home from vacation to see (& love) the completed project!

As always, thank you to everyone who contributed to this project:

~ Flash Contracting (finish carpentry)

~ Vama Flooring (wood flooring & carpeting)

~ Pedro with CL Painting

~ Metro Tile (fireplace tile)

You can see from the before photos below that the previous kitchen was a mish-mash of different materials and surfaces that made the space feel crowded and cluttered.  But it was also lined with live plants, trinkets from around the globe, and sentimental treasures that created a storyline of exciting life experiences, creating a cozy atmosphere for sipping morning tea.

It was important that our client’s colorful personality and life stories came through in her new kitchen, but we also needed to ensure this small space was functional and calming, so she could really sit back and enjoy being happy in her new space, surrounded by things she loves.  We worked some design magic with subtle layout changes, unique appliances, and slight structural reconfiguration (resized the windows and 2 doors).  We incorporated clean lines, lots of light, and the perfect mix of open vs. closed storage to give our client her own personal dream kitchen.

This eclectic home is a quirky old bungalow in a vibrant part of downtown, and the new kitchen is a perfect blend of bungalow finishes, modern style, and a fun personality.

And, while of course we always aim to please our clients, we had two other important family members to impress!…Odie & Delilah Rose, who kept a watchful eye on our progress and patiently awaited the newly expanded entryway into their backyard squirrel chasing mecca.  These adorable dogs have a ton of personality and we loved visiting them!  We bet they’re loving their new dog door and their pet-friendly floors!

What We Love Most About This Kitchen:

~The connection of the kitchen space to the outdoors: We widened the doorway which leads out to the second-story deck, and used as much glass as possible (customized to perfectly integrate a dog door!); bringing more light into the kitchen as well as views to the big lush trees outside.   And, for the record this might be one of the best places for watching the sun go down over the city of salt!

~In the theme of “does it make me happy”, we resized the windows.  They are wider and higher, to block out the neighbor’s roof while maximizing the view of the Oquirrh Mountains across the valley.

~The locally-made custom shelf above the stove:  While the average person might not bat an eye at the intricacy of this shelf, the angle and measurements of this feature is an engineering feat that we could geek out about for days.  Additionally, it is a fantastic place for hanging utensils as well as a ledge for spices…and who doesn’t love functionality?!

~The custom shelves suspended by cables from the ceiling, with integrated lighting and outlets beneath.  Beyond just looking amazing, these shelves are perfectly spaced for client reach while still ensuring her view is unobstructed.

~The color!  Our client dared to go bold.  In fact, she insisted!  And we love it.  This kitchen is definitely not boring!

~This finished kitchen is bright and HAPPY and filled with personal touches, like stemware holder made by a friend, which we customized the cabinetry around, and refinished to tie into the newly-stained trim.

To complete this project, the bathroom door had to move so the refrigerator could be relocated sideways.  The bonus to making this small shift in the kitchen, resulted in some big changes in the bathroom.  The movement of this door allowed us to convert the bathtub to a shower, install a bigger sink and create shelving storage in the bathroom.

The work we do as a design company is only one part of the recipe to a successful project.  The personal touches added by the client bring forth the essence of their style and the beauty of the completed project.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this project! And, thank you to our client for giving us another robust tool to put into our tool bag… we will certainly be implementing the phrase “will this make you happy?” into our future decision making.

Our amazing design-build team included:

~The awesome team at Hills Construction, along with their great sub-contractors

~Paramount Cabinets

~Allied Home Furnishings (flooring)

~Artisanal Stone (countertops)

~Duerden’s Appliances

It doesn’t take an expert to see that there was some architectural awesomeness that happened in the new floor plan.  Sure, it might be clear that the kitchen and dining room were relocated…but, what else happened to make this transformation? We closed off 2 fireplaces that were so poorly placed they served no real purpose.  We also took out a wall & added a doorway from the Living Room to the new Dining Room location.  And then we reworked a railing along the staircase by removing an awkward built-in bench at the end.

Here are a few photos from the existing floor plan.

 Drum roll please….And, now for the new floor plan!

What we love most about this project:

~The removal of two fireplaces:  We took out two fireplaces – eek! What? Yes, you heard correctly and this strategic move is exactly what this space needed.  The previous locations of both fireplaces were nonfunctional because they were in high traffic areas, not seating areas where they could be comfortably enjoyed.  However, we did keep the chimney in place because of a basement fireplace below (and also to save some money).

~ Crafting the perfect dining room for entertaining: We had the opportunity to complete our first built-in-kegerator!  We are not ones for placing bets, but the odds are high that a dining room which includes a wall-mount TV, wet bar, and integrated kegerator will be a hot spot for entertaining guests.

~ We also remodeled a very small bathroom: We focused on creating as much openness as possible by using mirrors and a curbless shower.  We also added a custom vanity that is more appropriately scaled.  To maximiz storage in the bathroom we added a recessed shower niche, recessed medicine cabinet and a glass shelf across the back vanity wall.

For the full effect, here’s what it looked like before:

None of this could have happened without our client’s trust in our expertise and experience.   They allowed us to use our interior space planning knowledge and our reliable team of amazing contractors to bring their home to it’s full potential.  And, thank you to everyone who contributed to this beautiful project:

~General Contractor – Jordan, Flash Contracting

~Cabinetry:  Paramount Cabinets

~Countertops:  Artisanal Stone

~Custom Steel Hood:  Iron & Alloy

Professional Photography by Lucy Call

]]> https://enzydesign.com/art-deco-bath-remodel/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=art-deco-bath-remodel Fri, 26 Jul 2019 07:01:13 +0000 http://enzydesign.com/?p=2561 Meet our client’s new guest bathroom.  This lovely renovation is just a small part of the overhaul we did for this particular client.  The style of their historic home is Streamline / Art Moderne, though it still has elements of its predecessor style – Art Deco.  The previous bathroom wasn’t as modern as the rest of the home, so our client wanted to honor that in its renovation by leaning more traditional Art Deco.  The final product is pure style & timeless class!

We often avoid giving unsolicited advice, but can not help ourselves from encouraging you to check out our recent post showcasing their living room and kitchen.

The guest bathroom is equally rich in details.  Here are a few of the reasons we love it:

~ the crisp lines of the black tile, highlighting the arches, window, and mirror.

~the black lines are contrasted by the lighter & brighter elements that help the space feel much bigger than before (and don’t you just love the “honeydew” color of the wall tile?!?)

~ a classic art deco style with a simplified modern twist that is cohesive with the rest of the home

We can’t continue without pointing out that though the tile work may look simple, only expert installers can do this level of work.  Creating those clean black lines and arches is no small feat, and our guy killed it.

Sometimes details are not always about what we add.  In this particular project, we decided to remove the vanity with seating because it was way too big for this room.  Eliminating this section of cabinetry freed up a significant amount of space.

If you love what we did with the guest bath (or maybe you are looking for an excuse to procrastinate and wander through our site a few seconds longer), click on over to see more of this home.

Our projects take a great deal of teamwork and we have these talented humans to thank:

~Hills Construction (Shane, John, and Ray are the best!)

~Paramount Cabinets – again Preston came through with exactly what we wanted.

~Frank Cox, Boulder Top Tile (I doubt Frank ever reads these posts, but in case he does, we want him to know he’s at superhero status after this project)

~As usual, credit for the beautiful photography goes to Lucy Call

Simply stated, we moved a wall and a doorway.  Let’s be honest, if you are not in the design business that first sentence might sound like an oxymoron because moving a wall is far from simple.   However in doing so, we extended the tub & shower wall by 2.5′, which made all the difference.  An important aspect we had to consider was that our client’s bed sits against the opposite side of this wall, and we had to ensure it was spacious enough for their king bed and headstands.

What We Love About the New Master Bath:

~The hint of art deco flair still present

~A little more flexibility that embraces modern technology

~The rich mahogany veneer that continues from the main floor kitchen into this space

~ A modern look of marble, but with the durability and low-maintenance of porcelain

~ The linear glass tile which creates a spa-like waterfall feel while soaking in the sculptural freestanding tub

~Our signature vertical recessed 3-in-1 niche: a decorative element, plenty of shampoo/soap storage, and a shaving ledge.

Each project we do is a giant team effort.  A lot of thanks always go out to everyone involved in these beautiful projects.  Gracias, merci, mahalo, & thank you to:

Everything- absolutely everything about this historic home makes us melt.  We were thrilled to be invited to help restore this house in honor of it’s architectural style, while at the same time making it home to its new owners.   The streamlined art modern style at the end of the art deco era radiates simplified style & glamour at its finest.  These photos speak for themselves…but just in case you don’t speak art moderne, here is what this home would say:

~I love curves!

~ I appreciate simplified lines that show off my rich finish materials.

~White is my blank canvas, and is a perfect backdrop for bold colors, geometric patterns, and dramatic art

Ok, enough with the chatter- let’s take a peek!  We’re dying to show this project off!

What We Love Most About This Kitchen:

~the radius cabinets, curved dining nook, and glass shelves that honor the original curves of the home

~the reuse of the stainless steel table, and the upgraded pop of geometric pixelated color on the bench cushion.

~the rich sapele mahogany veneer and stainless steel toe kicks,  contrasted by the stark white countertops.

~what ISN’T visible to the casual viewer:  The amount of function we were able to fit into this relatively small space.  Designing cabinetry around curved walls is not easy!

As a professional design company we find it valuable to look back at where the journey began, and taking photos at the beginning and end of every project is a very helpful tool for this process.

Our renovation involved a complete re-do of the kitchen and some design details for the living room, including the new glam makeover to the original (non-functional) fireplace.  Implementing the new warm white paint colors and bold, funky furniture was the icing on the cake!

We couldn’t do what we do without the help of:

Do you love this home?  There is so much more to show off.  The master bath is coming soon!

The entire main floor of this renovation included big structural work that took some outside-of-the-box thinking.  We tapped into our expertise and experience to create a vision of what was possible in this home.  The winning combo for any big project; such as this, includes our interior space planning knowledge as well as the input from our contractors & structural engineers.  The final result is a cost-effective, safe and successful project.

Take a peek at our before and after floor plans.  The yellow highlights the areas that we reworked to create a better flow of space for our client’s home.

We have woven some of the our favorite final product photos from this project into all the techy talk about taking down walls.  Not sure about you, but a few moments of being weak in the knees while discussing the prospects of relocating walls, certainly seems worth it for such a pretty closet and bathroom shower.

If you are familiar with our work, then you will know that we are not cookie-cutter designers.  Nor do we have our own signature style.  Rather, we pride ourselves in listening to our clients.  This entire floor renovation shows just that! We combined our client’s personal tastes and needs along with good design planning and principles to provide them with the perfect solution.

Did you get a glimpse of the before & after photos of the kitchen from this project?

Then this is it!…This project follows our tried and true process of integrating good design planning and principles + our client’s personal needs and tastes to create their perfect new space.

Now that we’ve seduced you with two of the after photos from a recent kitchen remodel….it is time to rewind for a moment and see how we got here.  Like many home owners seeking a change in design, our clients weren’t quit sure what was possible.   They weren’t impressed with their kitchen’s lack of of prep space or the location of the range.  However they had a feeling that a larger island and a better layout would make them happy.

Fast forward and our client’s kitchen has been transformed into a larger, more vibrant space.  The doors and walls have been reconfigured to enhance the flow of traffic within the space as well as in and out of the room. We incorporated our client’s love of reds and golds with bright airy colors, and deep warm wood tones.  Overall the kitchen looks & feels more open.

There is so much we adore beyond these big changes:

~The beauty and details of the range and hood are the focal points that draw your eye into the heart of the kitchen

~The large island is the perfect space for a quick bite to eat or overflow counter space when whipping up a delicious meal

~The sub-zero built in refrigerator feels so streamlined with the space it resides in

And, who doesn’t want increased countertop & pantry space to give their new kitchen an overall better feel?

At the end of each project, we find it valuable to reflect upon our work by asking: is the client happy? Did we meet our financial needs? And, did we do our absolute best? The completion of this project checked all of these boxes! Our clients love how their new kitchen functions as well as how it feels…and that’s sorta the whole point, right?!

A huge thank you to Paramount Cabinets and Metro Tile, and to Lucy Call for the beautiful photography.

Stay tuned to see what else went down (literally) in this house…here is a hint:

Creative, outside-of-the-box thinking + knowledge & experience moving walls + great collaboration with a structural engineer!

~Melissa Micheals, ‘The Inspired Room’

This post is a highlight reel of what we adore most about the new space:

~The entryway is love at first sight! The openness entices you deeper into the soul of the home.

~The piano room & great room are perfect for cozy Sunday morning snuggles with loved ones.

~The kitchen and dining room are bold show stoppers that are sure to host many evenings of storytelling with friends.

~And, the master bedroom is a the perfect place to escape from life after a long day.