by Furnishly | Dec 21, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
In the 20 years that Cheryl Hines has known Sarita, their relationship has transformed from assistant/nanny and boss to that of best friends. In the latest episode of HGTV’s “Celebrity IOU,” Cheryl wanted to show her appreciation for Sarita by giving her detached garage a full-blown renovation. Cheryl teamed up with Drew and Jonathan Scott to transform her former assistant’s run-down garage into a multi-function guesthouse and workspace.
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The original garage was a bare-bones, dilapidated single room. The room was dark, with concrete floors, weak wooden walls, a lone window, and no real door. More than anything else, the garage served as a temporary storage space. Jonathan noted that the structure seemed “shady” and that he would hesitate to even park a car in the space, out of fear that it would collapse. Cheryl requested a multi-function makeover that prioritized eclectic simplicity. She wanted the area to serve as both an office space for Sarita or her husband and a guest suite (complete with a bed, bathroom, and kitchenette).
With a tight three-and-a-half-week timeline, Cheryl and the Scott brothers kicked off their renovation. Their first focus was making the garage more structurally sound, which they accomplished by adding new rebar in concrete footing (which was especially important, since the home was in an earthquake zone). After adding in the concrete, they brought in light tone luxury vinyl flooring in a herringbone pattern. They also installed a new support beam on the ceiling and knocked down some of the flimsy wooden wall features, which they later fixed with premium, fire-proof insulation and drywall.
The team installed sliding glass doors to the entrance of the garage, which helped bring in lots of natural light and brighten the place. They also expanded the small window on one wall and turned it into a kitchenette area. Cheryl picked out dark cabinetry and dark porcelain stone for the countertop to create a “rich and sexy look.” To help balance out the dark kitchenette, Cheryl selected light, warm window treatments and clear acrylic hardware. The team installed compact appliances to help create “boutique hotel vibes” and erected a wall to separate the kitchen from the new bathroom.
Cheryl, Drew, and Jonathan opted to have custom built-ins in the living and working space in order to maximize storage. In addition to a desk and shelves, they picked out a Murphy bed, which could easily fold up when not in use. They brought in a comfortable cream couch, two different accent chairs, a coffee table, and a small black dining area to help tie the whole space together. Among the many decorations in the room, Cheryl had Sarita’s kids’ drawings transferred from paper to framed glass, for several personalized shelf adornments.
“It doesn’t feel like you’re in a garage,” Jonathan said. “It literally just feels like a separate structure that was built with the intention of it being a guest space.”
“Celebrity IOU” airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV and discovery+.
by Furnishly | Mar 22, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
The area over a two-story garage can be hard to decorate, and even harder to define. The purpose of the space is ambiguous and it’s often difficult to strike a balance between functional and aesthetically pleasing. That was the case for the four teams of “Rock the Block” designers, who began to renovate the upstairs of their identical houses in the latest episode of the HGTV competition series.
The “Finished Room Over Garage,” dubbed “F.R.O.G.” by host Ty Pennington, presented one of greatest obstacles for the teams because there were no clear rules for the space. “It’s all about enhancing these extra spaces, which could be challenging because they’re such a blank slate,” Pennington said.
The original space was open and bare, with white walls and floors (and several white-trimmed windows). Judges Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent (“The Nate & Jeremiah Home Project”) were most impressed by two of the transformations: the work of Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas (“Bargain Block”) and that of Dave and Jenny Marrs (“Fixer to Fabulous”).
Bynum and Thomas turned the F.R.O.G. into a rental space to help up the appraisal value for their home, adding a small kitchen, bathroom, dining, and bed to the petite area. Homeowners could have the option of renting the detached area out and helping pay off their mortgage with some passive income. Keeping their $20,000 budget in mind, Byum and Thomas decided to reuse some of the excess lumber and cabinetry that had been removed from the house in previous weeks. They took the original white cabinets from the gutted main kitchen and moved them to the small kitchen area in the F.R.O.G.
“I wanted that F.R.O.G. space to really stand out and be distinct, so we’re going very saturated, very bold,” Bynum said of the dark teal paint they chose for the main wall color (with purple walls and black tile in the bathroom). The couple brought in a complimentary light teal fridge to help pull the bold colors together, with a similarly colored accent chair. They also added in an emerald green tile backsplash. Despite all of the color, they opted to keep the simple white trim on the windows.
The Marrses opted to make the F.R.O.G. into a guest house of sorts, perfect for visiting family or a relaxation area for older children. The transformation included a bathroom and trundle-style daybed. To cut costs in their $16,000 budget, Dave built the custom bed from scratch. The couple also wanted the space to be able to function as a home office (since “90 percent of the year, you’re not going to have guests,” according to Jenny), making it as multipurpose as possible for prospective homebuyers. Dave took the idea and ran with it, crafting a built-in secretary desk that could fold out into a workspace.
Like Bynum and Thomas, the Marrses kept the white trim on their windows and painted the bed and bathroom door the same color. To balance out the dark, deep green on their walls, they used natural, light wood on the floors, table, and desk. The defining elements of their renovation were the hand-crafted additions, which both Berkus and Brent celebrated.
“I thought that it was absolutely genius how you took the historic concept of a drop-front secretary [desk],” Berkus said. “I think the hand-made trundle bed is genius.”
“Rock the Block” airs new episodes on Mondays at 9/8 central on HGTV and Discovery+.
by Furnishly | Mar 9, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
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Name: Tessa, designer, partner Stef, and our sweet pup Lacey
Location: Mount Pleasant neighborhood — Vancouver, Canada
Size: Roughly 800 square feet
Type of Home: Condo apartment
Years lived in: 2 years, renting
I found this home as a rental listing with no photos, at an almost too good to be true price for its central location; it didn’t take long to figure out why! The landlord contacted me, saying I was the top of hundreds of applicants because I have a small interior design business focused on affordability and small space solutions. The last tenant had been there for over a decade, through declining health, and the place had been left in very rough shape. He recognized some work would need to be done, so we set about negotiating a budget and scope of work. Once I saw it, it was clear the place essentially needed a gut job, which I knew I could take on, but the location, price, and the high ceilings were things I wouldn’t be able to create in a different space.
The budget we landed on was $3k, and the deal was I can pay myself out of the budget for a redesign, or, what I went with, allocate the budget to materials and do the labour myself (and my incredible friend Erica!) to end up with a nicer space at a slightly further reduced rent.
I grew up moving around a lot, between rural and urban settings, different coasts, etc. and have many different stylistic influences. All that unpacking and repacking meant many opportunities to sharpened my skills at setting up a space, and pushed me to get creative about making just about anywhere feel like a healthy home — quickly — and on a budget!
I’ve always been drawn to the creative: I write, sing in a choir (shoutout to Gracenote Vancouver!), and have my own small interior design business. I started affordable design work in response to how out of touch the interior design industry can be with what most folks actually need. We are all impacted by our environments, and I really believe we need to prioritize providing solutions for renters, folks in small spaces, and within realistic budgets that don’t leave anyone behind. That’s why I love the great work Apartment Therapy does, too!
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: A big mix! I like feeling like I’m in a cabin in the woods in urban settings, and lean towards contemporary architecture and interiors in more remote settings. My home currently is super central, so I focused on bringing the forest to me with warm wood tones, earthy greens, and calming neutrals. I love playing with textures, scale, and layering a multitude of styles. I think homes should reflect their owners, which means there is no “one style fits all,” even within an individual space. If I had to use a few keywords I’d say handmade, rustic, airy, warm, bohemian meets West Coast.
Inspiration: Everything everywhere! When I’m spending time in nature I like photographing all the textures and color combinations I can find, and playing with how to bring those into the home. Also love contrast and dynamic scales we find in cities, and in fine artwork. I’m an insatiably curious person and love seeing different folks’ homes, too. (Thanks again, Apartment Therapy! Love home tours.)
Favorite Element: I think the high ceilings, and my handmade ceramic backsplash tiles probably, take the win. I am in love with my media unit though, which I found on sale at a Winners many years ago and bought without having anywhere to put it! It lived on loan with various other people until I finally had room for it, but I just knew it had to be mine!
Biggest Challenge: $3k is a tiny budget to redo a whole apartment, but that’s my specialty! It meant being really on it, sourcing mostly secondhand materials (win-win environmentally and economically). It meant working twice as hard since a lot of items sourced also needed some refinishing work before being installed, and really getting creative.
Proudest DIY: Honestly bringing this space together, more so than any particular aspect. Finding a layout in an awkward space that ticked all the boxes! That said the fridge handles were a surprisingly cheap and easy swap that made a major difference, if we’re talking about small things.
Biggest Indulgence: After flooring, which was an absolute necessity given the state of the old carpets, the handmade ceramic tiles were my biggest spend, but man I love that rustic touch, and feel like they really finish the space nicely.
The dishwasher feels like an indulgence, but didn’t cost much! When I first moved in here I was single and working three jobs, so putting in a dishwasher made a huge difference to my quality of life. I found it on Craigslist for $100, and the previous owner even delivered it. It’s stainless steel, unlike the other appliances which are retro white, but that seemed worth it. I have since recovered it with paintable peel and stick wallpaper, which I painted to match the cabinets!
Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? There is essentially no storage built into this home. There are two micro closets in the bedroom, which don’t even fit full size hangers, at 10” depth, so I’ve tucked narrow shelving in there for clothing. The island shaped the layout, but also provides seating and much needed kitchen appliance storage. We have storage bins under the couch and bed, and storage benches on the deck for things that can hangout outside. The oversized cupboards, which were used as craft cupboards in an old daycare that was closing down, were a great marketplace score! Instead of thousands on custom cabinets, they cost $300, and took advantage of the 9’ ceiling, while being just a big less deep than standard, which helps open up the kitchen. Those hold, on top of all of our dishware and pantry goods, a full bar, all art supplies, some tools, and some camping gear!
What’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? Work WITH the space you have, don’t be afraid to try doing things yourself (it’ll open a world of possibilities on a budget), and source second hand! Not only is it more affordable, better for the environment, better for local economy, but it also helps you stumble on unique gems! Also work from the rug up, furnishing wise.
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
by Furnishly | Feb 16, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Homes of the ’70s were filled with some keep-worthy design trends (terrazzo, macrame, etc.) as well as ones that, well, are better left as a thing of the past (ahem, bathroom carpeting, ahem). In a recent episode of HGTV’s “Fixer to Fabulous,” couple Amy and Andy presented their renovation vision for their ’70s home to hosts Dave and Jenny Marrs, with a desire to update and preserve. And so, the experts went forth to modernize the home while honoring the retro style of its original era.
Amy explained that her adult children visited frequently, so the Marrs thought the kitchen was a logical place to start to ensure they designed the perfect space for hosting.
The drop ceiling and poor lighting gave the space a cramped and unwelcoming feeling, and old-fashioned barstools, countertops, and cabinet styles begged for an update. The Marrs also focused on a common pain point in kitchens — the fridge door opening into a main walkway, blocking the flow of traffic.
The renovation ended up solving all of these problems, and then some. The Marrs made the kitchen bright and welcoming, integrating a fun but subtle color palette featuring black, gold, gray, and wood that created a mixture of dark and light. They added a waterfall edge on the new kitchen island — meaning the sides of the counters extend to the ground — and the terrazzo-style counters were made from glass recycled from salvaged bottles and jars.
The Marrs added open shelving to display various colored dishes, which contributed to a retro vibe, and they painted the metal brass to save money. For the cabinets, black uppers and light birch wood lowers were installed that provided an eye-catching contrast. Funky lights over the island brought a throwback-yet-modern feel, drawing the eye upward towards the ceilings that were heightened when they removed the drop ceiling.
While the front of the house featured some charming details, there were plenty of outdated ones, including the iron storm door with intricate designs, off yellow paneling, and faded brick. But nothing that the Marrs couldn’t handle.
The home’s exterior became all black, featuring painted brick and “gorgeous new front doors that set the stage,” Jenny explained, with vertical wooden slats. “It doesn’t look the same, it’s so much better,” Amy said when she saw it for the first time. One of the overarching themes the Marrs executed throughout the renovation was not being scared to play with contrasting colors, such as the brown and black exterior, and the daring move paid off.
The porch was framed with the painted black bricks, creating a more purposeful front porch, with the gray concrete pad framed in. The yellow paneling was replaced with vertical black-painted panels, and the faded brick was no more. They installed a globe light that aligned with the ’70s vibe, and they added white rocks that contrasted with the black exterior, proving that landscaping color schemes aren’t just important but essential to overall curbside appeal.
“This is how the ’70s wishes it was,” Amy exclaimed, to which Jenny said, “We really did preserve the house.” Who says you can’t have your retro house and live in it, too?
“Fixer to Fabulous” airs new episodes on Tuesdays at 9/8 central on HGTV and Discovery+.
by Furnishly | Feb 9, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
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If you’ve been a fan of designer Sarah Sherman Samuel from the start of her fairly meteoric rise in the interiors world, then you likely remember her two-tone Venice kitchen, which featured Semihandmade‘s DIY Shaker fronts. Fast-forward four years, and she launched her own beadboard door and drawer front collab with the brand in 2017, which she followed up with the addition of Quarterline, a modern take on the traditional shaker cabinet named for the smaller size of its stile and available in six colorways. Since launching in 2019, Quarterline’s been a best-seller, so it’s only fitting that Semihandmade and Sherman Samuel are coming together again to launch DIY Quarterline, an unfinished, paintable drawer and door front series with a truly unlimited amount of styling possibilities.
If you’re unfamiliar with Semihandmade, the brand is best known for selling DIY doors and drawer fronts for customizing IKEA cabinetry. The primary use case for DIY Quarterline might be in a kitchen, but like other Semihandmade prodcut, this new line of fronts can also be applied to cabinets in bathrooms (IKEA’s GODMORGON series), mudrooms, and closets. My favorite ever application might actually be for media consoles (IKEA’s BESTA series). It can be hard to find nicer budget options when it comes to these types of pieces, so a new set of doors — and the option to paint them in any hue, with or without texture — can go a long way in making your living or bedroom feel more like you. You could also try giving a dining room sideboard or entryway cabinet a Sarah Sherman Samuels-inspired makeover, too.
If you’re looking for color inspiration for your cook space or otherwise, Sherman Samuel says she’s feeling shades like terracotta, ochre, and varying shades of green, all of which are now a possibility with the DIY line.“Having this DIY option not only makes my collection more customizable but also more affordable,” Sherman Samuels says of the new offering, which she plans on using in her SSS Showhouse project (pictured above). “Additionally, I love a good monochrome look in a room, and with these DIY doors, you can paint the cabinet fronts to match your wall color, countertop material, tile, etc. — it can really create an unexpected, modern look to a room that I personally am very into.”
The Semihandmade x Sarah Sherman Samuel DIY Quarterline fronts are available to order right now and can be used to upgrade a variety of IKEA cabinet solutions. This collection comes on the heels of Sherman Samuel’s own launch of SSS Atelier last month, where the designer’s original art and tapestries are now available for purchase.
Danielle Blundell
Home Editor
Danielle Blundell is AT’s Home Director and covers decorating and design. She loves homes, heels, the history of art, and hockey—but not necessarily always in that order.
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