Hi friends! I hope you had a magical holiday season and are off to a happy, healthy 2022! The New Year is a time for new beginnings, new looks, and new starts. I thought sharing my two daughters’ home renovations would illustrate how things can be tweaked to create dramatic changes. After all, “Home is where love resides, memories are created, friends always belong, and laughter never ends.”

I love this photo taken when the gals were young! I feel Kirby and Sammy both inherited their Italian father’s good looks, but beyond that they are as different as the two homes they have renovated! This week we will look at how Sammy and Dylan took their traditional style and updated their little fixer upper! Sammy, a kindergarten teacher for 6 years, joined Segreto about 6 months ago and has quickly become an integral part of our team on the operations side. Although I knew she was highly organized and great at math, I had no idea she had a perfect color eye! She has put this to test in her own first home!

Here you can see the before and after progress of the exterior. Since these were taken, we have painted the porch and finished the lime wash to the stone adding one more layer to totally remove its underlying pink cast.

The before of the house shows the previous owners had removed walls to create a big open living space, a feature that these young newlyweds loved! I felt the living room was going to be a furnishing challenge looking at the way it was currently arranged. I didn’t know if there would be enough space for a usable gathering area as the current furniture placement seemed to block passageways. This is always a challenge in homes with smaller spaces and very open floor plans.

I was thrilled with how it all came together with ample seating to really sit and enjoy the space. The floors were redone by Floor Designs of Houston which made a huge difference! Being on a young professional’s budget we were challenged to use furnishings from four generations! The green couch, floor lamp, coffee and side tables were from John and my early marriage; the mid century dining chairs were from my Mom and Dad’s home; and the two upholstered chairs were from my Grandmother’s, all in their original fabric. The green pillows, acrylic art pieces, and console were from Sammy’s apartment days. We refreshed the console by painting it with SegretoChalk, our new DIY furniture paint. It was so easy to do, just give a light sand and paint away — no priming necessary!

The house was given a fresh coat of paint and plastered from the Segreto palette Paloma. Painting and plastering in the same tone lifted the 8 foot ceilings and expanded the space. So what is new that tied it all together? The art above the couch, pillows on the couch, and blue vase, all from Lam Bespoke. Those purchases were essential to relating all the colorations together of the gifted previously upholstered furnishings. In small spaces, tucking little ottoman stools (Wayfair $151 each) under the coffee table is a space saving way to provide extra seating. This has become the most used room in the house when their friends come to visit!

The dining room was nice in the fact that they could seat 10 easily in the space. Lets see what it looks like with a few changes made.

It is hard to believe it is the same room. The same plaster and paint is carried throughout, along with the window treatments and shades. The mid-century modern table purchased when my parents were in Denmark in the early 60’s is a set with the chairs you will see scattered throughout the house. The china cabinet was one of John and my first purchases for our first home, and the mirror was from an apartment Kirby and Sammy shared. So what is new? The slipcovered chairs are from IKEA, white linen for the drapes (29.99/yd) from Interior Fabrics, woven shades ($89 per window) and rug ($300) from Wayfair, and chandelier ($150) from Overstock. The splurge was the lovely framed butterflies from Lam Bespoke.

They have already had dinner parties in the space!

“Some of the most important conversations I’ve ever had occurred at my family’s dinner table.” ― Bob Ehrlich

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The study (before), to the right of the living space looks like it was a multifunction room. And after?

Painting the trim, cabinetry and walls all in Segreto paint Gallant Night, they created a dramatic space perfect for Dylan’s new home office! The corner cabinet was my grandmothers, the Chinese fish bowl planter turned into a coffee table flanked my front doors in the 80’s and you can spot the two dining chairs which went with my parents dining set! What is new? The low weave wool carpet selected from The Great Rug Company, custom drapes, desk from Wayfair, chair and barn door from Overstock. The bookshelves filled with old books from my home and things special to Dylan enhanced the collected feel of the space.

A dear friend and professional Amy Cunningham, owner of Artfully Edited Interiors came in to help organize the space and make this a functional home office for Dylan. Her vision boards are exceptional! We need to incorporate those in our wheelhouse!!

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Having enough space is always challenging and she used this piece I bought at an auction when John and I first married.

“The office is one of the first rooms you see when entering the front door and with Dylan working from home, I wanted the room to feel uncluttered with a masculine vibe. I used antique books, photos and existing accessories to style the shelves, and added drawer organizers for Dylan’s office supplies. Woven baskets keep papers sorted and easily accessible. An antique armoire opposite the built-in was the perfect place to store crafting and gift wrapping supplies. I styled the top with his diploma, a cute photo and books as a nice backdrop for Dylan’s frequent Zoom calls.”  –Amy Cunningham

The laundry was a small closet off the study!

We took the door off and replaced it with a barn door from overstock. It came in unfinished and we stained it and infused some of the Gallant Night paint into the wood.

We were able to move the washer and dryer side by side and build a counter, giving Sammy some folding space. Amy wanted to take on the challenge of making the interior functional and beautiful! Sammy and I said whole heartedly — yes!

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“My goal with any design project is to help the homeowner make their problem areas more functional and beautiful. Sometimes it’s as simple as adding baskets and labels, but there are times when the space needs to be completely reworked to maximize storage.  When I first saw Sammy’s laundry closet, I knew that with a little construction and imagination, the small space could be transformed into a stylish room where she might even enjoy folding clothes! Sammy needed storage and a place to hang her delicates to dry, so I designed simple upper cabinets and suspended a hanging bar between them.” – Amy Cunningham

Taking Amy’s direction, the room was painted in Segreto Paint Antica, the wood top was coated in SegretoStone in Visionary Gray,

We were happy the previous owner left this storage piece across from the washer and dryer.

We painted it in Segreto Paint Antica and then frosted the glass with a a spray paint that hid what was inside. You could also use a mirrored spray paint or a peel and stick wallcovering to change up the look.

JUST AMAZING to see Amy’s vision come to life! We hand-painted the backsplash to look like tile using Gallant Night, Antica and Winter White from our Segreto Palette! The tile looks so real!

“My goal with any design project is to help the homeowner make their problem areas more functional and beautiful. Sometimes it’s as simple as adding baskets and labels, but there are times when the space needs to be completely reworked to maximize storage.  When I first saw Sammy’s laundry closet, I knew that with a little construction and imagination, the small space could be transformed into a stylish room where she might even enjoy folding clothes! Sammy needed storage and a place to hang her delicates to dry, so I designed simple upper cabinets and suspended a hanging bar between them.” – Amy Cunningham

Her accessorizing of the space really finishes the look — just brilliant!

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On the left is the before of a bedroom that is on the left side of the living room. And on the right is what it looks like now!

Giving this room a fresh coat of paint made a world of difference! Notice the heavy the texture of the walls. We were happy the plaster in the the main part of the house covered the texture and created a smooth wall. The furnishings here are from Sammy’s apartment bedroom. We added new shams and drapery panels from Pottery Barn Baby to give the space a fresh new feel. They are hoping it will feel warm and inviting for their guests!

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It is amazing how paint just transforms. Using the main house color of Paloma for the trim and cabinet and Antica for the walls, everything looks fresh and new and the carvings are modernized! I did notice that the lighter colors do not mask the heavy texture on the walls as much as the darker shade of the study did. Always use a flat or washable matte paint when you have texture. Eggshell or higher sheens will make it stand out even more!

With us just like in homes, small step by step changes can make huge differences. Next time we will see the rest of the unveiling! XO Leslie

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