Bathroom Renovation after Devastating Fire (Part 1)

I have been working on several bathrooms lately and in Richmond we have had several severe thunderstorms this summer.  You might ask... "What's the connection?"  Well, one of my recent projects was due to a lightning strike and resulting fires that caused the entire home to be leveled 

to the footings.  Yikes!  But definitely my most fun project to date.  

You can see how the bathroom was divided into several smaller rooms - His, Hers and shower areas.

 Because we working within the parameters of the insurance company, we kept the house footings exactly as they were - maintaining the basic design and square footage of the home. Previously you walked down a hall with His on the left, Hers on the right and a shower dead ahead. 

But the changes were DRAMATIC!

Now you walk in and view this beautiful tub and surround with 

antiqued mirror niche arched in custom cut marble tile.

She now has a lovely vanity and sink with window seat!

The steam shower is custom fitted with body sprays and allows maximum light

 and openness in the floor plan.  

His is still tucked into his own area with vanity and toilet.  

Her toilet sits nicely in it's own room just inside the bathroom.  

And they both enjoy the loveliest shower and tub - amazing what a fire will do!!!

This post will be a series of several key areas of the home that were drastically

 re-designed because of the fire.

Wall Plaques & Folding Screens

Recently I have noticed folding screens and wall plaques everywhere...in designer showhouses, catalogs, magazines and consignment shops to name a few.  There are many different styles and sizes out in the market place.  Here are a few I have used in my projects or have seen in recent travels.  

Here I have mounted the folding screen to the wall to create a large backdrop of art 

on a long wall showing my client's interest in riding. 

Peaking out the far right side of the photo you can see how Anthony Todd used a folding mirrored screen from Restoration Hardware to separate the open living room from the dining room.

In this bathroom, a wall plaque is a nice complement between a pair of high windows.  Wall plaques are also nice in a bathroom because they are not affected by the humidity created from the shower/tub. 

In the Elle Decor Concept House Michael Tavano fabricated metal screens

 to make a seating area more intimate.

In this dining room, I used a series of wall plaques to complement the drapery fabric 

and reflect my clients interest in gardening. 

In the Kips Bay Showhouse Scalamandre's Zebras line the walls.  

The bold pattern is offset by the very traditional use of a chinoiserie screen.

Although the quality of this image is not the greatest, I had to include it.  

This florida dining room had a wall of mirror and the designer ingeniously hung

 a folding screen in front of the mirrror to soften the space.

What is your favorite use of a wall plaque or folding screen?

As always be sure to check in next Tuesday for the latest post.  

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Flatiron District

While attending Blogfest 2012 in NYC we stayed in the up and coming totally hip and youthful "Flatiron District".  At the center of this district is the Flatiron Building built in 1902.  This district is bordered by Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Gramercy Park and Midtown. It is full of great restaurants, upscale boutiques and scene-to-be-seen nightspots.  With a packed schedule for Blogfest we were able to squeeze in a few of the attractions....

The BCBG boutique... I love the "chandelier" hanging  above.  It's actually plastic bubbles hanging from fishing line... how fun,creative and totally inexpensive! 

Eataly was a fun place to grab a coffee, people watch and stroll on the rainy day.  It is a huge market!  They make great coffee, have excellent specialty markets for cheese, fish, meats, pasta... you name it.  There are also several quaint little eateries inside.  We ate at the pizza and pasta one - Delicious! 

 Marimekko was just the splash of color needed on the dreary day.  While dashing down the street we noticed the splash of color begging for us to come in... How fun is this!

And finally a resting spot... 

We stayed at the fun and convenient Flatiron Hotel.  A new boutique hotel right in the heart of it all.. (Notice the totally cool fish tank?  How about the onyx molding?) It's a great place to kick up your feet and rest for the night! 

I hope you enjoyed the post!

 As always remember to come back next Tuesday for more "Living In Design".  

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International Contemporary Furnishings Fair (ICFF)

While in New York City for Kravet's  Blogfest I attended the 25th annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF).  ICFF is the showcase for the latest in fresh and creative items in design.  There were over 500 exhibitors from 30 countries.  Here are a few of my favorites...

How cool is this recycled material ping pong table by Akke Functional Art?

This is a folding chair that is a work of art in and of itself.  Created by Folditure in Hoboken, NJ this product is not only aethestically pleasing but functional too - designed to fold into a profile that is less than one inch and hang in your closet (look carefully they are hanging just behind me)!

I'm in LOVE with this zinc table with root base by Groundwork!

How about this outdoor furniture by Henry Hall Designs...exquitsite!

 And who doesn't love the "bold look of Kohler"

 in their colorful booth... are those sofas or tubs?

Pfeiffer Studio had some of the most beautiful eco-friendly 

products available on the market.

Ohhhh... Faux Bois!!! I can't wait to use this metallic

 Phillip Jeffries wallcovering on my next project.

        Plexi-Craft makes the finest acrylic furniture 

They made these custom designed night stands for one of my projects.  (Don't you love that we both chose plum as the backdrop for the acrylic pieces?)

This outdoor furniture by Loll Trade is perfect for any beach house!

I think we might just have to have the surf board coffee table!

As always, if something caught your fancy and you would

 like more information please contact me! 

Kirsten Nease Designs

a full service interior design firm.