Category: Dream Home
Den Before and After
When we toured our home, I loved the small den tucked away above the garage (or as my husband calls it, “the lions den.”) It’s not large by any means, but we were enticed by the idea of having a little refuge off of the master bedroom for watching TV and having some quiet time. I viewed it as a great little bonus space on the second floor and was excited to transform it into a soothing oasis.
The paneling was in good shape and I loved the parquet floor, but unfortunately everything had to be ripped out to accommodate new insulation for the exterior walls and new ducting and a new subfloor. I was sad to see the character go as we updated the structure, but was determined to reinstate that same vintage vibe – but this time with a modern edge!
I achieved this eclectic vintage look by installing applied panel moulding to the walls and painting it out in a surprising soft mint colour: Benjamin Moore Irish Mint 2041-70. Both the trim and walls are in a satin finish, so it looks rich and creamy and totally soothing.
Categorized as: Dream Home, Jessica Claire Interiors, Reno, Style At Home
Tagged As: antique, barrymore, benjamin moore, black and white, brass, built in, den, elte, hex tables, lavendar, madeline weinrib, manuel canovas, mint, panelling, vintage, west elm
A Closer Look at the Dining Room Wallpaper
My striking dining room owes its wow-factor to the stunning hand painted Chinese wallpaper and gold-leafed ceiling that envelopes visitors with its jewel box effect.
I’ve always been a hard core fan of Chinoiserie design and have admired the handiwork of companies like Gracie and De Gournay, but my passion for this type of wallpaper was cemented when I visited Rough Point, the estate of Doris Duke in Newport. Her music room had antique panels of Chinese wallpaper she had purchased at auction and it left such a magnificent and regal impression on me. (you can read about it in this blog post I wrote almost 3 years ago- you can’t say I’m not consistent!)
With my enduring passion for this type of wallpaper, I was very happy to stumble upon the work of Griffin and Wong a couple of years ago, whose sales operations is based right here in Canada in Vancouver. The design department of Style At Home was lucky enough to view a presentation from Douglas Bray and I fell even more in love with how the delicate illustrations shimmered right off the silky paper.
Categorized as: Dream Home, Jessica Claire Interiors, Reno, Style At Home
Tagged As: chinoiserie, dining room, doris duke, griffin and wong, wallpaper
