Unless you are building brand new, it is rare that a home will immediately suit your needs when you move into it. You figure out how you live in it, and then make changes once you have an understanding of what is not working. This situation is particularly true as your family grows. Our clients’ family room had a lovely fireplace and mantle, but instead of much-needed storage on either side, the walls were blank. We worked with them to build a design that would support the needs of their growing family while offering architectural interest that freshened the look of their home.
Our clients liked the existing fireplace, so we focused on the 5ft blank walls beside it. They wanted both open and closed shelving as well as seating for reading and relaxing. We began by lining the walls with white shiplap, a popular trend that brings depth and character to the vertical plane. The wood is placed horizontally on the wall with a little space between each. There are hundreds of variations of shiplap, from modern designs to old barn wood and can come with groove variations. Our client chose a clean look that complemented the rest of the design.
Even though we were placing different functional elements on either side of the fireplace area, both spaces had to make sense and appear balanced. To accomplish this goal, we created the same open shelving for the upper portion on each side, which gave the project a bit of symmetry. We also mirrored the different openings on both sides.
For the storage side of the fireplace, we installed cabinetry with niches to hold TV components, as well as open and closed shelving. Roll-away barn doors slide to allow access to those not-so-pretty things we all have while leaving space for easily accessible baskets.
The other side of the fireplace serves as a reading nook for the kids. The bench seat is made of the same finished stained wood that we placed on the cabinets with nothing underneath to continue an open feel of the space. We chose a wood and stain that matched other pieces of furniture in the house for a cohesive look.
By keeping the same cabinetry style and color, adding matching stained wood elements, and lining the walls with shiplap, we were able to create spaces that fulfilled different needs while looking like a single unit. We worked closely with our client to develop this project, looking at many different sources for inspiration to come up with the final design. We also brought together many trending interior design elements that gave their home a fresh feel without looking like a fad. For more information about this project, or how we can help you create a home that suits the needs of you and your family, give us a call at (317) 679-5890 or contact us here.
