Home Plans: Spring/Summer 2020

Our lakeside tudor home has come long way since we moved in last July! When we bought the house, we decided to make a few large investments. First, we removed outdated wall paneling, widened doorways, and installed new drywall. The second big investment was the flooring. We replaced nearly the entire first floor with Hallmark engineered hardwoods (that I love!). All of the walls, doors, and trim were painted. New hardware, new appliances, new electrical and light fixtures were installed. It was a lot of necessary changes that have made a huge difference.

I’m so grateful that we were able to put what we did into the foundation of the home, but we’ve had to be more cautious and slow in purchasing the more fun stuff (i.e. furniture, decor, accents, wall coverings etc).

At the beginning of the year, I quit my full-time job as an art director to start my own interior firm. This has been a huge change and an even bigger blessing, and has allowed me time to put some elbow grease into the house. When I think about all of the projects that need to be tackled, it can feel a little overwhelming. But I’ve decided to take it bit by bit, room by room–thoughtfully and intentionally making updates that will stand the test of time.

SO WHAT’S FIRST?

THE STUDIO
Since I’m now working from home full time, I need a space to call my studio. We technically have two office spaces in our home, one on the main level and one on the second level. I decided on the upstairs office because it will allow me to leave all of my supplies and paint out when needed. The office downstairs (shown in this post) is right off the entry and will work better as a quiet spot to work on a laptop for now.

The two images above show where the room started, and below is the vision for the end result. The main issue I want to solve in this room is that it reads really dark due to the wood built-ins and dark green paint. I’m lightening things up with a warm white paint on the walls and trim. Since I’ll be working and painting in here, I want it feel bright, welcoming, cozy. This studio by Alyssa Kapito stopped me in my tracks and immediately became inspiration for my own workspace.

I’d had my eye on this upholstered chair for a few months and when it went on sale, I grabbed it. The quality and comfort of the piece cannot be matched for the price. It’d also be beautiful as a dining chair, which is technically it’s original purpose. The budget for the project is on the lower end. I’ve had so much fun searching for beautiful, affordable pieces to fill the space in a functional way. I’m super excited to share the affordable artwork and decor with you.

LIVING ROOM
I’m still working on finding a few pieces for our living room. We have details to finalize, like side tables, accent chairs and decor pieces. Drapes are being hemmed at the moment and will be installed soon. The console for under our Frame TV should be arriving next week, and I think those two additions will make the room feel much more complete.

DINING ROOM
And finally, our dining room is the main space I’ll be tackling in March. I’m so excited to see this space come together! All of the pieces are on order and should be arriving soon. I can’t wait to finally have a spot to host and entertain our loved ones.

That’s all on the home front for now. If you ever have questions about our home, the design process, or need help with your own home, I’d love to help. Just email me at hello@rachaelzarda.com. Hope you have a lovely Valentine’s Day and President’s Day weekend! xx

Rachael

Rachael Zarda is an interior designer, stylist, and lifestyle blogger based in the midwest.