Do you know the feeling when you build up the courage to get a new hairstyle, and then suddenly it seems your existing wardrobe now looks tired in comparison? This, in the same sense, can happen when updating the finishes and décor in your home as well. You decide to update one element, and then you begin to notice that there are other areas which also deserve a fresh look.

The aforesaid scenario is exactly what happened after my clients had new porcelain tile installed in their kitchen, dinette, and foyer areas in their home. The couple agreed it was time to continue updating their home (which they had built in Elkhorn, approximately six years prior). Finding the right direction and time to devote to such an undertaking seemed overwhelming for them, as they both work outside the home and are extremely devoted parents to their two young sons. They didn’t know how or where to begin.

They decided it was best to seek the assistance of a professional interior designer whom they felt could help them realize the potential they both knew their home had. They invited me (Michele Hybner, Allied Member ASID, Interior Designer with D3 Interiors) over to visit about the scope of their project and requested her professional guidance with remodeling and redesigning the main floor of their home.

Topping these homeowners’ wish list was adding a fireplace to their great room. I, therefore, designed a feature wall which became the focal point in this space. The once barren wall is now complete with a linear gas firebox, ledge stone from floor to ceiling, and a recessed niche for their 55” flat screen television. I flanked the fireplace with new custom built-in cabinetry which offers much needed storage and display space.

We pulled up all of the wall-to-wall carpeting on their main level; in its place went a dark (pre-finished) 6” wide plank, hand-scraped, bamboo wood floor. We removed the light fixtures in the study, kitchen, and dinette areas and updated them with burlap covered drum shade pendants in the study and kitchen and added a two-tone chandelier from Currey and Co. in their dinette.

I suggested removing the dated glass block, which was featured in the wing walls and dividing wall between their kitchen/dinette and great room. We also shortened the dividing wall to garner more room for their counter stools to push back, and we had the arch removed between the kitchen and foyer/hall. I specified the same neutral ledge stone (from their fireplace) to wrap the two wing walls and the dividing wall between the adjacent spaces visible from the foyer.

The inspiration for my design work comes from many sources. I have been inspired by a client’s favorite travel photos, a treasured heirloom rug, a collection of pottery and dishware from Mexico, a homeowner’s heritage, etc. The color palette for this particular project was inspired by the subject matter found in a piece of artwork from the homeowners’ existing art collection. I specified a subtle variation of earth tones for the walls for each of the spaces on their main floor. The warm walls offer a quiet and sophisticated backdrop for the punctuations of saturated color (reds, peacock blues, and greens) brought into the design with new case goods, artwork, and accessories.

This ASID award-winning remodel/redesign included creating spaces in my clients’ home which now function much better for their family plus they actually look like an extension and reflection of this stylish couples’ unique personal taste and flair.