This French country home has been one of our favorite projects to date, and we were thrilled to have been offered the opportunity to renovate and decorate it.
Built in the 1980’s, the architectural design of this home is distinctly French Country, in the Norman style. Every wall in the home is plastered with a very uneven texture, as if built with clay and straw centuries ago. And this home suprisingly presides on a golf course in Central West Texas.
The owners, who live primarily in Houston, contacted us to help them bring this home into the 21st century and yet retain it’s European character. They have family in the area, and spend a good deal of time here.
Our challenge was to give this home a fresh and appealing renovation, keeping within the character of the original design. The plastered walls had been clad in a heavy faux finish. Remember the faux painted walls of the 90’s meant to evoke a European villa? They looked dingy, dark and dated. Every counter in the home was Black Absolute granite. Again, dark! The only tile in the home was a 4x4 white ceramic in the shower; there was no tiled backsplash in the kitchen or any other wet area. Overall the home had an imposing formality with a heavy French country theme, yet was dull in style.
The vision and plan for this project was to give it an update- light, clean and warm without eliminating it’s original design entirely. We did not fight architecture but moved away from a thematic style. The original floors are Saltillo tile and we all agreed they must be kept. The original hardware is really beautiful and high quality, which was a bonus. The reclaimed trussing is also strikingly beautiful, and we left it as is. However, every bit of millwork was stained- cabinets, casings, doors, and windows.
Paint was the major player in this project. We painted all the walls Sherwin Williams Vanilla Milkshake and the place was instantly transformed, as if it had received a very good scrubbing. We painted the kitchen cabinets and added a rich color of blue to the keeping room’s built-in cabinets and coffee bar.
Finally, tile and light fixtures added tremendous interest and beauty to the home. The tile chosen for all areas was either hand painted and hand crafted, contributing to the feeling of age. The tile we selected for the bar backsplash off the living room is a silver leafed arabesque shape, elevating it’s presence in a dressy yet playful way. The light fixtures are all custom in hand forged iron.
We furnished the home, upstairs and downstairs, with a mix of new and antique pieces. The homeowners had a few wonderful heirlooms to contribute and we recovered many of them in hand blocked fabrics from India. We covered the seating pieces with stain resistent performance fabrics, as the lifestyle of this couple includes lots of time with grandchildren and dogs.
The homeowners have been pleased with the results because the home is not only beautiful but welcoming and liveable. This is our goal with every project we take on!
