Tag Archives: Bath

Contributing Editor- Trent Haston with Andrew Roby Inc. in Charlotte,NC (UHM Feb/Mar 2013)

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If These Walls Could Talk

If you’ve ever endured the painful process of removing wallpaper from your walls, you’ve probably sworn it out of your life forever. While wallpaper has been scraped, scoured and peeled right out of décor for the last decade, I want to urge you to reconsider this misunderstood design
element. History repeats itself, as they say, and I believe we will be seeing a lot more character on our walls in 2013.

Maybe it’s just my opinion, but I have always seen wallpaper as tacky, cheap and outdated. Over the years, I have come to prefer and appreciate a more clean, crisp and monochromatic aesthetic.

However, I’ve noticed many of our clients going beyond the basic painted sheetrock wall and incorporating various wall coverings in their homes instead. And I have to admit; the special pop it adds has really won me over.

Today’s wallpaper has come a long way from our grandmother’s homes. You will find bold colors and patterns, some textured grass cloths and even some luxurious fabrics. The options are endless, so make a statement and don’t be afraid to use it in unconventional places. Use it in your laundry room or stairway, for example. It’s an easy way to instantly add character to drab rooms. Wallpaper is not the only upgrade you can make to your walls, however. Another old-new trend is wood paneling. Wood slats can be hung horizontally or vertically, and can be applied in either tongue-and-groove style or butted. Instead of slats, you can add constructed panels that are built-in like cabinets. Many people are using antique or reclaimed wood for a rustic feel, but new wood will give a more sleek appearance. Either way, wood adds a lot of warmth to a room, whether you do an accent wall for a little pop or the whole room for that cabin feel.

Stone is another option for your walls. Depending on the look you are going for, you can use full slabs or smaller tiles with grout joints. Where wood adds warmth, stone adds grandeur and formality.

Stone has been very popular in kitchen and bath applications, but take it to your foyer or formal living areas for that special wow-factor.

If you are just not friends with wallpaper, can’t warm up to wood and feel cold about stone, you can always just change the paint for an updated look. A lot of people feel married to the wall colors in their homes, but remember, paint is the easiest and cheapest way to update and spice

up your home. If you haven’t changed the paint colors in your home in the last decade, give it a try! Go for a textured paint, do a bold accent wall or paint a pattern. Do something different to make your home feel brand new.

Whatever your style, I urge you to make 2013 the year of upgrades in your home. If your walls could talk, I think they’d thank you.

Trent Haston is CEO of Andrew Roby and has spent many years in project management, focusing on style and craftsmanship for custom home projects. For more information call 704-334-5477 or visit www.andrewroby.com.

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Roughing It- Beth Keim with Lucy & Company (Best of Guide, Charlotte, NC)

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Images courtesy of Mekenzie France

There is nothing I love more than a clean slate, an empty room – a room that doesn’t even exist, actually. When I work with a client in the beginning stages of a remodel or an addition, we don’t have any obstacles to deal with. We can really think about the function of the room and, with the help of an amazing contractor and carpenter, we can have everything on our wish list.

I recently worked with the Freemans on a new project, transforming their garage into a new family room and pool house bath. Pulling in The Salin’s Group for expertise, we sought out to create a functional, stylish space for a family of five. Style was very important. Something beautiful, chic and fun that echoed the feel of the wooded lot their secluded home occupied, yet more artistic and modern than the typical “cabin” look.

I chose bright birch tree wallpaper, with an almost hand-drawn feel, to cover the room. The clean and modern look of this paper set the tone of the room and became the focal point. It’s very eye catching and bright, and with the large retractable doors the trees seemed to drift into the wooded backyard in such a beautiful way.

T he next step was to filter in large and simple pieces of furniture in warmer tones. Since I was working with such a sharp, clean and modern paper, I chose natural wood accent furniture to warm it up. These amazing pieces, while rustic in material, all have the modern clean lines I needed to compliment the overall look. I believe they’re works of art on their own.

I then chose a large dark leather sectional couch. I love sectionals, especially tight back sectionals. The look is cleaner and over time, you aren’t dealing with the back cushions losing shape. This piece is large enough to be the main furniture in the room and accommodates their growing family.

This room was screaming for a Lucite bubble chair. It’s modern lines worked well with the
overall feel, but more importantly it doesn’t visually block the great wallpaper paper – plus, honestly – it was just fun!

Speaking of ways to avoid taking away from your key element, hidden built-in storage was a decision we all made early on. The entire wall opens up for ample storage, yet is designed and built in a way that doesn’t call attention.

T he finished product is clean, functional, and artistic, and a new room everyone wants to spend time in together just enjoying the “outdoors.”

Beth Keim is the owner of Lucy and Company, a full-service interior design firm located at 1009 East Boulevard. For more information visit www.lucyandcompany.com or call
704-342-6655.

To view more articles from Lucy & Company click here, or visit www.urbanhomemagazine.com

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Santa Baby…Santa Poo!

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Ho Ho Ho—yup, even Santa’s got to go!  A new Poo-Pourri Santa 2oz
bottle and gift sets are now available for all your holiday giving.

We love this stuff at Urban Home Magazine. It works and it looks
cute in your guest bathroom (and we like that our guests get a
little chuckle when they’re nosing around the corporate office
bathroom). Natural essential oils creates a flim on the surface
of the water, trapping odor at its source.  A citrus and holly
fresh blend of lemongrass, grapefruit, evergreen and other natural
essential oils that leave the bathroom smelling clean.  Get some
for the holidays—makes a great gift.

For Urban Home Magazine fans only – we’re offering a 20% discount.
Simply use URBAN20 - valid through the entire month of November.
Readers can either purchase online at www.POOPOURRI.com or by
phone at (972)818.8200 with this code.
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Why the Room Works- Charlotte, NC (Oct/Nov 2012)

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Written by Anne Marie Ashley

We asked Lana Helda, of Lana Helda Design in Charlotte, to give us the rundown on one of her favorite client spaces. Here, she explains how the project came together and outlines some of the key design elements she used to create it.

Lana Helda: I recognized the challenge in this uptown dining room project after my
first meeting with my newlywed clients. I felt it was necessary to appeal to both his contemporary style and her warmer, slightly more traditional sense. I approached this complex design fusion with a layering effect and provided a space they both felt
was perfectly tailored to their desires.

The textured wall adds warmth and makes a great backdrop. It has multiple levels of warm
tones, along with a touch of shimmer created from the addition of bits of gold and silver paint. I further accentuated the wall, while maintaining its luster, by choosing round gold leaf medallions by Arteriors Home.

This layered more texture while giving the wall the final accent. Well-directed and balanced lighting is critical for creating great ambience. I selected soft lighting accents to enhance warmth and richness and bring a sense of elegance. The Swarovski crystal chandelier is
contemporary but adds the sparkle and drama every dining room needs.

The rug is one of the items I like to select first, as it is becomes the basis from which the colors of the room evolve. This Tibetan wool and silk transitional rug by Stark Carpet mimics the same warm neutral colors in the wall and sets an elegant and modern tone to the room.

The dining chairs are a custom design using a java-finished frame with clean distinct lines and buttercream leather upholstery. The leather reinforces the lush cream tones in the rug while providing a rich durable finish that is sumptuous to the touch. The buffet, by Marge Carson Inc., is my favorite part of the space.

It’s elegant and timeless, yet clean and modern. The table, a very modern design also from Marge Carson Inc., is sleek yet classic enough for almost any style room. Although a dining room is sometimes less used than other rooms, it should still make a statement that sets a tone for the rest of the home. Entertaining itself is a labor of love. A beautiful, inviting dining room draws your guests in, making them feel they are in a special place.

Click here to view the article or visit www.urbanhomemagazine.com

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Sanctuary- Feature Home in Charlotte, NC (Oct/Nov 2012)

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Written by Nancy Atkinson
Photography by Jim Schmid  It was the house everyone in Charlotte was interested in but no one would buy. Until self-proclaimed “serial remodelers” Joy and Michael Palermo walked through its doors.

“We almost didn’t buy it,” said Joy Palermo. She described breaking down after their tenth walk-through of the house with architect Frank Smith and builder Ben Collins of the Salins Group.

Joy explained that the house had a nice exterior but was so quirky on the inside that it turned people off. “The rooms were dark, the flow was bad and one of the bedrooms had no windows,” she said. “The interior walls were 16” thick cement and could not be moved.”
But the biggest design challenge would be adding an upstairs wing with bedrooms for the couple’s four children – within their budget.

Thankfully, at the eleventh hour, the team created a plan to make the Mediterranean style home a perfect fit for the Palermo family. Joy, an interior designer who graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and her husband Michael, a banker who shares his wife’s love of remodeling and her sense of style, began working closely with architect Frank Smith on the design of the home.“I have always loved Frank’s style,” she said. “He and I discovered we both love the book Villa by architect John Saladino (known for creating serenely timeless interiors). We decided that’s where we wanted to go with it, and it grew from there.”

“We are so busy all the time,” said Joy. “I wanted to create an environment that made us feel really protected, a space that was cozy and soothing.”

Joy used a very calming color palette to create an overall feeling of symmetry. She mixed furniture and accessories from her other houses with new items selected specifically for this home.

“Antiques bought in Paris sit beside things from IKEA,” she said. “It’s a great eclectic mix of high and low, old and new, pulled together with the neutral tone.”

When asked about her favorite architectural detail Joy is quick to mention the courtyard with its new pool. “I love the courtyard,” she said. Previously unusable space, it was Frank’s idea to put in a pool. Now the family hangs out there all the time.

Joy laughs when she says the questions people ask the most are, ‘How can you live through a renovation like this with four children and how do you stay married?’ But the Palermos have renovated a total of five homes together in their 15-year marriage and they truly love the process.

“This house is unlike any of our other houses,” she said. “We have done the Southern thing and the Georgian thing, but this home is our little cocoon inside Charlotte. When you are here it feels like you could be anywhere in the world, even France or Italy. It is like you are on a vacation at home.”

And though she already has her next dream project in mind (a fisherman’s cottage in the Hamptons – done in all white) she admits this home could be a keeper.

“This house is beyond what I had envisioned,” said Joy. “It truly is one of those houses that is once in a lifetime – the house everybody wanted but nobody wanted. I am just so glad we saw the potential.”

Click here to view the article or visit www.urbanhomemagazine.com.

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