Modern to Traditional Living Room Makeover

One of the biggest benefits of building a home is being able to choose everything– from the crown molding to the flooring and everything in between.

But people who desire a home with character or one in an established neighborhood usually buy a pre-owned home. While pre-owned homes have many advantages, it’s common for buyers to get a home that doesn’t exactly fit their style.

Think wall-to-wall carpet, dark wood paneling, popcorn ceilings, and pastel bathrooms. 

And, though our client’s newly purchased home wasn’t outdated, it still didn’t fit her traditional and elegant style. 

One room the Lisa Gilmore Design team re-envisioned was the formal living room.

Formal living room before

Before, the room was a bit too modern with a crystal chandelier, light coastal blue walls, and dark wood flooring. 

Formal living room before renovation

To make the room feel more timeless, we chose a palette of softened primary colors mixed with neutrals. The gorgeous, classic chinoiserie wallpaper creates a feeling of being at one with nature, while delicate ornaments featuring birds and rabbits embody life.

We were also able to reuse the homeowner’s side chairs and reupholster them in a light, cream fabric.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Native House Photography

Our goal for the entire home renovation was to add warmth and luxury to the space, while ensuring it was still inviting at the same time. You can read more about the whole project at Homes and Gardens.

But if you are unable to completely renovate a room, there are still ways to inject your style into a room. Consider small investments such as changing the lighting, painting the walls or furniture, replacing the window treatments, or adding accessories like rugs, art, and decorative accents.

To get more tips, see our projects, and find ideas for adding liveable glamour to your home, follow me on Instagram or sign up for our newsletter.

4 Things to Consider Before Renovating a Room

This is the time of year when many people like to dream about what the year will look like and what they want in many areas of their lives. One of those areas is the home.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Seamus Payne Photography

As you look around your home, there may be one or several areas you aren’t 100% happy with, but it can feel daunting to decide where to start and what to do first.

A whole house renovation is overwhelming for most homeowners, and sometimes it’s better to start with one or two spaces. However, it can be hard to pare down your wish list.

That’s where Lisa Gilmore Design can help.

Whether we are working with a new client or just giving general advice to someone, we recommend a homeowner think through these four aspects of a design before beginning a project.

4 Things to Consider at the Beginning of a Design Project

1. Don’t worry about labels.
Sometimes, people get stuck trying to find the right label to describe their style like mid-century modern, coastal, or farmhouse. But, trying to find the perfect words can cause stress and stop a project before it begins. 

Lisa Gilmore Design | Native House Photography

One of the best things about working with a professional design firm is we break through those barriers and labels, help you clearly define what you like, and create a style just for you. If you have a space that has been customized for your unique style, labeling it no longer matters; you just feel at home.

2. Understand your style.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Seamus Payne Photography

Though having a label isn’t important, knowing what you like is. Looking at magazines is often especially helpful in identifying what you do and don’t like.

While sites like Pinterest, Instagram, and Houzz are also great for inspiration, sometimes they can offer too many options, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed and distracted. If you are struggling to identify what you like, go to a local store and pick up a few of the major design publications, such as Elle Decor, Traditional Home, and Architectural Digest. Dive into the pages; tear out things you like and circle specific furniture pieces or colors that catch your attention. Allow yourself to focus on the pages of the magazine and zero in on what is attractive (or not) to you!

3. Prioritize room functions.
If you want your professional or DIY design to be successful, it is critical to define how you want a room to function. 

 For example, if we are working on a guest room, but you really want it to be a playroom that a guest occasionally sleeps in, that is an important detail to share. Professional designers can create spaces that meet multiple needs and still look beautiful. But first, you must thoroughly communicate your needs.

4. Narrow down your color palette. 

Though it’s fun to dream about what furniture or lighting would look amazing in a space, it’s really better to start with a room’s color.

Color is important, but it also differs from person to person. So, what colors make you feel good? What colors make you the most comfortable?

We recommend people start by looking in their closets. Do a quick scan of your wardrobe. What is the dominant color? Often we can start there to build a design. 

Sometimes people realize they have a closet full of black and want more color in their life. That's okay too. This is simply a starting exercise to help you identify how different colors make you feel and which you are naturally attracted to.

Lisa Gilmore Design | Native House Photography

Considering these four areas before you contact a design firm or visit a home improvement store will make your project less stressful. Knowing your budget and when you would like the project to be completed are also critical things to know before beginning.

Just like a vacation is more enjoyable if you know things like what you want to get out of the trip and what type of hotels you like to stay at – all before you book anything. The same applies to your home renovation projects.

The most successful projects are those that are well-thought-out and well-planned before the project starts. 

If you are considering a project that would benefit from professional design services, we would love to help.

To get more advice from Lisa Gilmore Design, see our projects, and find ideas for adding liveable glamour to your home, follow us on Instagram or sign up for our newsletter.

4 Things Every Guest Room Should Include

If you love to travel, you know that the best hotels create incredible experiences for their guests. At the top of the list is Ritz-Carlton, which is known for its “Gold Standard” service. In fact, employees can spend up to $2,000 per day per guest to resolve problems. That translates into extraordinary service in everything from couriering an item left-behind to a guest to finding special food to accommodate a child’s food allergy.

If the Ritz can care for strangers this well, shouldn’t we care for our friends and family even better?

With little effort, we can create a well-designed, thoughtful space for those we love and know best.

Lisa Gilmore Design / Native House Photography

4 Things Every Guest Room Should Include

High-quality bedding

One of the things that are most important to include in a spare room is inviting and comfy linens. You want your guests to feel luxurious and pampered in your guest room, so purchase high-quality, soft bed linens with a high thread count. And, keep an extra quilt or folded duvet at the end of the bed in case a guest gets cold. In warmer months, consider keeping a fan in the closet in case your guest gets hot.

Practical items

There are certain items that make every guest’s stay at your home easier. Start with a luggage rack so they can easily unpack their suitcase. Then, consider where your guest will put their clothes. Create a space for clothes to be hung and perhaps an empty drawer to store folded clothes.

Another must-have for your guests is plenty of electrical outlets and spare chargers. You can plug in a power strip exclusively for guest use, and buy a couple of extra chargers that work with Android and iOS devices. And, display your wifi information in a visible place so your guests can stay connected while away from home.

Lisa Gilmore Design / Native House Photography

Lisa Gilmore Design / Native House Photography

Small touches

If you want to create a Ritz-Carlton-level experience, you have to pay attention to the small touches. Consider some of these ideas:
- Place a pretty water carafe and glasses on the nightstand or dresser.
- Add a vase of fresh flowers to the room.
- Put a notepad and pen on the nightstand or desk so your guests can write a quick note.
- Keep a few books or magazines in the room that guests can browse.
- Gather a few travel brochures so guests can plan things they would like to do while in town.
- If you host frequently, leave a guest book for people to sign and read others’ well wishes and love.

Lisa Gilmore Design / Native House Photography

Test it out.
The best way to know what could make your guest space even better is to spend the night in the room. It can be easy to forget things that would enhance your guests’ experience unless you sleep there yourself. This extends to testing the guest bath as well. What amenities would make your space even better?

Lisa Gilmore Design / Seamus Payne Photography

When we travel, whether for business or pleasure, we all long for a break from our normal routine. It’s nice to have a change of pace and let someone else take care of us for a few days. You can give your loved ones the respite that they are longing for by creating a retreat within your home. 

Give them a home away from home.

To get more advice from Lisa Gilmore Design, see our projects, and find ideas for adding liveable glamour to your home, follow us on Instagram or sign up for our newsletter on our contact page.

Tuscan Kitchen’s Complete Transformation

Kitchens are one of the most fun spaces for the Lisa Gilmore Design team to design because they are often the most used room in a home. And, when we create a more beautiful and functional space for our clients, we know it changes how they have family meals, entertain, and enjoy holidays. And, it’s those everyday and special moments that make things like selecting a backsplash and countertops much more meaningful. 

This client’s home was beautiful – a rich, Tuscan style– but they wanted something brighter and more modern. And, they needed the space to work and function better.

Tuscan kitchen before renovation

Tuscan kitchen before renovation

The original space was very awkward and overly yellow; it felt triangular and like it had been shoved into a corner of the house. What it desperately needed was a new configuration, which was central to our design.

Kitchen renovation after - Lisa Gilmore Design

Photo by: Native House Photography

By reconfiguring the space, we were able to fit a 14-foot island in the center for food preparation and eat-in dining. And, we created a hidden pantry on the back wall that felt like a secret room!

Kitchen renovation after - Lisa Gilmore Design

Photo by: Native House Photography

The Lisa Gilmore Design team selected concrete for the counters, and for the backsplash, brick with a pretty limewash. One of our favorite things about this kitchen is the oversized pendants that still have a bit of Tuscan flair but are more streamlined. 

We are huge fans of mixing metals, and the weathered pendants mixed with the natural brass island legs are a perfect example of how different metals can be combined well.

Kitchen renovation after - Lisa Gilmore Design

Photo by: Native House Photography

And, the local carpenter we worked with did a fantastic job on the finishes, specifically the wood on the island– beating it up by hand and giving it a great patina. 

Plus, the counter stools are not only beautiful but highly durable! We dressed them in a performance fabric that is suitable for restaurants and hotels but has a soft hand for residential. This makes them ideal for families with young kids who spill things. 

The homeowners were blown away at the final reveal. “She made the heart of our home bigger without physically adding any square footage. Through unique space planning and furniture design, she really opened up the space and made it work better for our family.” 

With the holiday season quickly approaching, we love knowing that this family has a wonderful kitchen to gather and make many, many memories!

Renovating this kitchen was a great example of the importance of liveable glamour. No matter how beautiful a space is, if it doesn’t work well, it is a poor design. 

Great interior design isn’t a result of a designer imposing his or her design preferences on clients. Great design comes from discovering what glamour means to an individual homeowner and translating that into a space in a way that is functional and liveable. 

To get more tips, see our projects, and find ideas for adding liveable glamour to your home, follow me on Instagram or sign up for our newsletter.