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New and Improved : Hillcrest v.2
My series on the Hillcrest renovation (aka chez Huntley) continues. Today I am focusing on the living room. It’s the largest room in the house and where I spend most of my time. Be aware, the before photos were taken in the summer whereas the after photos were all shot in winter months. You will see how significantly the temperature of the light changes in Minnesota.
The Living Room
Before
It was the living room’s elegant proportions, wood burning fireplace, and robust cove crown that attracted me when I first saw the house. The room beyond was a small den/study.
After
I retained the cove and the windows, but as you can see, the mantle received a major makeover inluding a plaster overmantle for height. I also scraped the thick, dimensional texture off the walls, refinished the floors, introduced lighting, and added a gracious arched* entry that now aligns with the fireplace.
* See my previous post for the arch origin story.
It’s not obvious because of the coromandel screen behind my sofa, but I closed off the opening at this end of the room (the entry to the den). I didn’t need another sitting room nor did I want my office within view. Closing off that opening provided a proper area for my seating arrangement as well as a place to install my gorgeous screen. Most importantly, repurposing the den gave me the space for a mudroom, powder room, closet, laundry, and china cabinet. Arguably, the best architectural decision of the entire renovation … to be covered in vol 3.
Before
Two additional views of the living room; one facing north (top) and the other facing south (bottom). Note the difference in the opening to the hall, and the deteriorating wallpaper and valances.
The door you see in the entry hall opens to a vestibule. This was another “utility” space that received major changes in order to better serve the house’s function and aesthetics. More on that later.
After
The south side of the room has bookcases on one side (L) and a curved sofa on the other (R). This is my dog Ursi’s favorite spot because she can watch the foot traffic (and bunnies, squirrels, etc.) out the front window.
Above is a view of the south end of the room at night. #goodvibes
See you next week when I share the transformation of what was the den and is now my “back-of-house” miracle room.
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West End Process :: Envelope
For Huntley & Co., the first and foremost concern in design development is the “envelope”. TH can’t talk about it enough! Getting the envelope right – spacial relationships, interior architecture, materials and finishes – means a thoughtful, comfortable home that needs less stuff to look good.
| CONFIGURING THE SPACE |
Reconfiguring an interior is a process – it requires a lot of drawings and plenty of site meetings. It’s important to be as technical and thorough as possible while understanding there will likely be a few surprises and adjustments along the way.
Top photo: One of the pages in the H&Co. drawing set. Bottom L to R: Meeting with the contractor; a study of the circulation in a tight area; drywall in progress.
| MILLWORK |
Millwork is one of the most impactful aspects of an interior. When it’s done well, it can make the house. When it’s done cheaply, it’s like bad teeth – it doesn’t matter how pretty the face is. With this project, our main focus was to reconcile the incongruous architectural details throughout the home and create a more finessed envelope. This included doors, crown, paneling and custom mantels as shown below.
The mantels were designed to complement adjacent millwork for a quieter, more elegant presentation.
| MATERIALS |
Material selection – wood, stone, tile, metal finishes – sets the tone for the home’s atmosphere and lays the groundwork for decorative elements. When selecting a material, we keep everything else in mind. In a bathroom for instance: Are the windows facing north? What type of glass do the vintage sconces have? How white is the tub? These details are part of the “conversation” and influence what marble slab I approve and tile colors I select.
Top L to R: Slab for a fireplace surround; master bath materials, final wood selection for the library.
Bottom: The tile layout for the master bath was a hands-on (and ugh, thighs and knees) process that took several hours. Click photo for a video of the legendary H&Co. attention to detail.
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We hope you’ll join us next week when we’ll share more about the process of specifying furnishings and softgoods! Or take another look at our Concept: West End post to see how this project began.
xo Huntley & Co.
THE MUSINGS OF DESIGNER TRICIA HUNTLEY
