Hi friends, I hope you have had a great couple of weeks. Last time we saw part of the transformation of my youngest daughter Sammy and her husband Dylan’s new home. I can’t wait to show you the rest!

The new homeowners felt so blessed to have such a large kitchen since Dylan likes to cook and Sammy loves baking, but they were hoping they could totally change the look with just plaster and paint since they could not afford to rip out the floors and backsplash. Notice the existing floors, backsplash, black cabinet hinges, and white trim above the cabinets.

What a difference!! The carvings were removed and new larger cabinet doors were installed over the oven. The rest of the transformation involved paint, plaster, and beautiful new hardware and faucet from Acero Bella! The cabinets were painted in Segreto Paint Ocean Break at 150% and softly glazed. A white detail of Paloma — the trim paint and plaster color — was added on some of the bead detail of cabinets to elevate the molding style. Painting the crown attached to the cabinets and the hinges on the cabinet doors the same color as the cabinets disguises them. The tile backsplash was toned to blend with the new palette and a floral mural painted on top.

Notice the large ticket items like counters, and appliances remain the same.

“In the kitchen, Sammy wisely added a portable island that gives her more workspace and additional storage. I added bins to keep her paper and plastic goods sorted and organized. The two drawers store her wraps and Ziploc bags.” – Amy Cunningham

The movable island from Overstock can be tucked away by the pantry when not in use — a perfect addition which allows more counter space. My favorite part of the room? The floors! We plastered over the existing tile and are all over-the-moon excited about their new look and how well they clean up. You can really see in this shot how open the kitchen is to the rest of the home. Using the blue cabinetry for the main kitchen gives a furniture feel and helps tie in the furnishing in adjoining rooms. The pantry and…

…the bar and bar tile were painted in the main house color of Paloma! Painting tile is an affordable way to change it’s look. We did a little silver leaf detail on the cabinet fronts to dress up the cabinetry and enhance her new hardware from Acero Bella.

There is definitely an art to organization and making the best most functional use of your spaces!! This is what Amy was given and ….

…this is how she transformed the space!!

“Deep pantry cabinets like Sammy’s can be challenging to keep organized since items can get lost in the back and be hard to reach. To make the pantry more functional, I added long, clear bins with handles that are easy to pull out. Deep bins on the bottom shelves keep snacks, drinks and Stella’s doggie treats sorted and organized. The drawers are perfect for storing small, packaged foods and protein bars.”- Amy Cunningham

Here is the happy couple with their pup Stella loving making meals together in their newly refreshed kitchen. Simple linen shades and white accessories finish the look. Home Goods and Target are great places to pick up these basic items.

This is the before but I wanted to show that the kitchen is located in the center of the home which you have to walkthrough to get from the living/dining area to the back den and master suite.

Similar to the furnishing challenge in the living room, I was concerned about making a functional space without blocking passageways to other rooms. Like the rest of the home we refinished the floors, painted the trim including the stained doors, and plastered the walls and ceiling in Paloma from the Segreto Palette. We were really over budget at this point so our purchases were going to have to be selective and we really had to use their existing furniture which didn’t work well in the rest of the home.

Years in the making, we were so excited to be able to test our final version of our own plaster line!! SegretoLime Plaster is a two-coat plastering system which is hand-troweled to a smooth matte finish. We were not only formulating a timeless look but wanted an environmentally friendly product which was durable and sustainably mined in the USA, saving on shipping fees and supply chain issues from Europe. Our two-coat plastering system is not only fade, scratch and splash resistant, but is easy to repair. SegretoLime is a 0 VOC product, made of organic lime which is innately mold and mildew resistant and antibacterial in nature. We will always remain current and skilled in installing all fine plasters so we can advise the best product for each client. After 28+ years of experience, we felt there was a gap in the market and have integrated qualities into a product we feel you will love.

So, what was new and what was reused? The couch, first in our home and then in Sammy and Kirby’s apartment; the lamp on the right was an antique American wallpaper press turned into a lamp from my home; the floor lamp (which would benefit with an aging to tone down the gold) was from Sammy’s apartment; the side tables were Dylan’s bedside tables which we spray painted in a self priming shiny white enamel from Home Depot and turned them sideways to fit the space. The painting “Dancing Under the Moonlight” was a piece I painted for them with an old canvas I had in the garage.

The two swivel chairs were from Wayfair for $499 each, rug from Wayfair $256, Faux cashmere blankets from Amazon $35 each, and the navy puffs from Amazon $58 each, blue and tan pillows from Lam Bespoke and white line ones from Etsy. The coffee table was gifted from a sweet client who was happy it went to a nice home! Eventually we would like to put a collection of Sammy and Dylan’s wedding and travel photos in lucite frames on the left wall.

This is the master before. it is a large room with plenty of space!!

Wanting to set this room off from the rest of the home she painted the trim and ceiling in Segreto Paloma and the walls in Segreto Sterling giving a bit of contrast. The carpet selected from The Great Rug Company was at a great price point and so soft!!  A client gifted her the chair after she had already purchased the bedding. The art, from Sammy’s bedroom at our house pulled all the colors together!

The headboard made from an old architectural piece was gifted from a client and given a fresh coat of paint. The two side tables purchased from a resale shop were also given new life with a textured finish. it is amazing how the same pieces can look totally different with a new finish — in this instance they went from totally old world to fresh and new. The only new purchase in the room besides the bedding from Pottery Barn and Kuhl Linscomb are the contemporary lamps from Lam Bespoke!

They felt so blessed to have a recently renovated bathroom with a tub and shower, but the dark heavy materials were just not them. One thing we didn’t notice when purchasing the house was that all showers just had rain heads — not the best for gals if they didn’t want to wash their hair. We were planning on leaving the glass but found the metal enclosure was leaking so it had to be replaced. You know how it is, one thing leads to another! We decided to test out a new plastering product which can be applied right over tile! We love the clean feel of no grout lines!

The room feels so much larger!! Although the vanity was left and painted to blend, the granite top was coated with SegretoStone and beautiful new hardware and faucets from Acero Bella installed. With limited storage recessed medicine cabinets were purchase From Wayfair for $119 each. I did like the large ones but the price is 10 fold as the size goes up!

Dylan and I wanted to hang a Segreto plaster floral piece over the tub. After trying to nail 8 holes and thinking we kept hitting suds, we remembered it was plaster over tile! This is photoshopped until we can get the proper tools to hang! It was such a joy working with Sammy and Dylan! Thank you to Acero Bella, Floor Designs of Houston, Lam Bespoke, Artfully Edited Interiors, The Great Rug Company, and the Segreto Team who helped transformed their first home!! This project was definitely a labor of love. Till next time, XO Leslie

“Our homes should inspire us to go out into the world and to do great things and then welcome us back for refreshment” – Melissa Michaels

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