Design Update: Castine, Maine Lake House

“Hi! Would you have time to chat sometime this week? We recently bought a vacation home in Maine and would love to explore some updates and redesign. Thanks!”

15 months after completing their Brooklyn, NY apartment, two of my very favorite clients reached back out with a very special project in mind - a lake house they just purchased in Castine, Maine! This isn’t the first time I’ve worked on a second home with a client and I am incredibly humbled for the opportunity to continue good work with people I thoroughly enjoy!

When I first saw this place I was all in.
(every photo in this post was taken by the clients - they are truly amazing!)

I love two things about this:
1) The gorgeous structure and architecture of this home, and
2) How terrible it looked when we began

This job is a classic example of the perfect cosmetic update. It wasn’t hard at all to imagine what this home could be!

Pretty amazing, right? Since this home will be used as a vacation place, the clients do plan to rent it out when they’re not there. This dictated much of the design and selections for the home - durable, family friendly elements were a must, and using some of the homes existing pieces where possible helped stretch the budget.

We still have a little ways to go, but I thought it would be fun to share how far this home has come since September! Items left to do include painting the window frames black and updating the dining room and kitchen lighting. There is also a guest room/office that we’ve been chipping away on and that will be included in the final reveal in a few months!

Come on in, friends!

Repositioning the existing sectional and adding a pair of forest green armchairs gives the living room an intimate, cozy feel in this cavernous space. The clients really wanted the sofa to face the windows, so I believe we turned it a whole 180 from where it had been. We’ll be adding an old, rustic bench along the back side, which conveniently leads right outside to the screened porch.

When I was told this home would be rented out, I really wanted to add some special touches unique to Castine. A pair of framed maps helps visitors identify where they are in this very special, undisturbed part of Maine.

Reusing the existing coffee table and media console were easy options - they work well in here as functional pieces that don’t stick out. The style direction we were after was a modern rustic/farmhouse vibe - primitive, functional pieces, nothing too modern or fancy.

Browsing for textiles in this home has been the MOST fun. All pillows and rugs came together just beautifully. I haven’t updated the throw blankets yet but I think a couple fresh selections will pull this all in just right! Isn’t the light in here so lovely?

I absolutely can’t wait to see the new lights installed over the dining table and island. I think you’ll really like what I found! Little different, but everything about this design has been a fun opportunity to step outside the box.

The kitchen required the most effort from the clients - I picked out a few paints for them to sample, they sent some pics, we finalized, and then they got to work! They painted all the cabinets Light French Gray by SW, and the island Newburg Green by BM. But one of my favorite updates in here was removing the previous yellow-y shelving unit and replacing it with natural wood shelves on simple iron powder coated brackets. Done and done! I can’t wait to see what the kitchen will look like when the window frames are all painted black. Cannot. Wait.

This past year has been deeply hard in so many ways and I can honestly say this project came at just the right time. I needed this level of creativity, I needed a project that would rejuvenate my soul and allow me opportunity to see some fruit from my efforts. Every time I sat down to work on this place I felt my mind enjoying the escape. While I’ve not stepped foot in this house, I’ve loved every second of working on it and studying its every corner, nook and cranny. More to come soon when it’s ready for it’s big final reveal!

Thank you so much for coming by, friends. Stay warm and stay safe out there!

StyleMutt Home Designed Stay-Places

Hi Friends! It was this time last Summer that I had the privilege of designing 8 or 9 short term rental spaces over a two and a half month span in several major U.S. cities. The opportunity ended as quickly as it began when the company that hired me as a freelancer restructured and brought all the designing in house. But I still think about each of the units and randomly wonder from time to time if there is anyone occupying them right at that moment. And I pray that they're safe during their travels and feeling the comforts of home while they're away, and that they have loved ones to return to. I have never been a frequent traveler but have family and friends who travel regularly and exhaustively for work. I designed each stay-place as I would if one of my own loved ones were staying there.

Sharing a round up of some of my favorite units from last Summer! Each has it's own style and vibe, some more 'me', others a bit experimental. All were completed on a budget the size of a chocolate chip and turned in within 36 hours of being handed the sketched out floorplan. Some didn't even come with 'before' pictures so I was going on measurements alone! But the experience was invaluable to me as a new designer and I'd say the nights I worked through to complete any of these jobs on time was worth it.

Let's take a trip down memory lane!

Cozy Up In Beantown

Color Rich Sanctuary

Sophisticated Playing It Cool

Inviting LivingBedDining Room

"Serenity Now!!!"

Concrete Cave

That's a wrap for today! Thank you all so much for stopping by!

eDesign Project: Final Reveal of Keila's Mid-Mod Living Space!

Hi guys! It's a reveal day here at StyleMutt Home!!! These are the posts that make me as excited as they do intimidated - trying to fit 3 months of work and decisions and major ups and downs into an easy 5 minute read is not easy for this details lover! But I'll do my best.

Let's start with a few 'BEFORE' shots, shall we?

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Keila reached out to us in mid-February seeking help reviving her condo into something a bit more streamlined. She had a mix of pieces ranging from Asian to mid-century to French Provincial. Much of Keila's furniture had been painted over in a shabby chic look, (including her dining room chandelier), and she was ready for a change; primarily a prominent mid-mod point of view. If mid-century modern is at one end of a style spectrum, I'd say the polar opposite end would be shabby chic french provincial. So Keila had some stuff that just needed to GO. We always tell our clients, if you don't love it and it's not sentimental then there is no reason to hold onto it. Trust us, we can make anything work and look good; if you want to mix french provincial with mid century we will, (and we have, see this bedroom we did a couple years ago). But good design is as much about shedding as it is adding; letting go of what doesn't feel like 'you' anymore is always where we start with a new client.

After selling and donating, (hello, tax refund!), the pieces that she didn't care for anymore, Keila was left with this short list:

a sofa,
a gray painted mid-century dresser,
a mid-century desk chair,
two Asian storage pieces,
and two brass floor lamps.

Now THIS was a solid starting point. And here's where we went from there!

So sleek, isn't it! Keila said she wanted straight mid-century modern, so that's exactly what we did. Let's discuss the dining room first! We had her move an Asian sideboard that had formerly been occupying space in her bedroom out here to her dining room to use as a buffet. We adore the stunning details on the cabinet doors and knew this piece would be a great anchor on the far wall. An oval brass mirror bounces some much needed light from this space, as does the glassy white tulip table. The wood and black leather dining chairs bring home the mid-century style while a brass light fixture adds a touch of polished emphasis. Below is the design board we showed Keila once we finalized the vision:

And here's the vision realized!

When considering the long and narrow shape of the entire room, end to end, I really wanted to add some curve to break up the length. These angles do wonders for the room as a whole and make this dining area feel cozier and more a part of the shared space. Cate has her own white tulip table and McKenna had shared with us one she's had her eye on for her own upcoming move, so drawing inspiration from those gals it seemed like the perfect piece for this space. The shine is really unbeatable and exactly what this darker space needed! (And since this table was an inexpensive Craigslist find, it was a no-brainer)

Now if we just do a 180 we can check out the living room!

The plan for this space was to blend it with the dining room so the two areas of the room looked connected. A strong black, white and wood theme was continued with a graphic rug from PlushRugs, a hand-me-down leather eames lounge chair replica, a new desk, and some minor filling in with curated details. Here is the design board we sent to Keila to share our vision:

And here's the vision realized!

Because this condo is intended to be an airbnb rental, the budget was quite small. So we got really creative repurposing some of Keilas own pieces. The mid-century dresser that she painted gray and had in her bedroom was brought out here, (she had another dresser as well - don't worry, clothing storage is of high importance to us!), and rather than brand new shelves we found this set on Craigslist.

This statement area rug from PlushRugs, (found here) is as cozy as it gets, folks! A high pile like this keeps a sleek mid-mod space cozy, but the pattern slips right in with the style. Truly the best of both worlds!

Savings and style won once again with this leather Eames lounge chair replica. Keila actually scored this piece from some friends who'd forgotten about it in their basement, (talk about tragedy!).

Keila had more than enough collected treasures from her travels to style her shelves so nothing new was needed here - just a bit of time styling, (aka playing). A happy little plant party by the window softens the shelves and adds just enough freshness to the space.

Another discounted score was this brass 'C' table Cate found while thrifting! Local clients are particularly fun because we can actually do some hands on shopping on our own time.

An old chair that Keila already owned was a perfect match to the new walnut desk we found at Target, (topped with a sleek Target task lamp).

And finally, the Asian storage cabinet that Keila owned was moved to the other side of the living room to allow the light to really filter in and also to create some natural definition to the living room.

We were initially concerned about the wall color as we were not allowed to change it for this particular project, but ultimately we found it to be a non-issue once we decided on such a simple and sleek color palette.

We are so pleased with house this main living space turned out and most importantly, that our client is in love with her home again. Unfortunately she'll be moving, but what better time to makeover a home! We're crossing our fingers that the effort produces eager renters for her down the road.

Thank you all so much for coming by and checking out our latest eDesign project! And a special thank you to our girl, McKenna, for all her help with this one! It was such a blast having her on board.

Source List:

DINING ROOM
-Table (similar) - Poly + Bark
-Chairs - Overstock
-Mirror - West Elm
-Light Fixture - Lights.com

LIVING ROOM
-Rug - Plush Rugs
-Pillows - Corner Oak Design Co.
-Shelves - IKEA
-Desk - Target
-Black Task Lamp - Target
(If something isn't sourced, it's either a UTF - Unidentified Thrifted Find, or something our client already owned)