I met with this homeowner for the first time when construction on their home had already been completed. The kitchen and powder room were newly renovated, the flooring installed, and the paint colours cured to the walls. The contractor had referred us to the job because the homeowner was ready to source furniture and lighting; but needed help making things work together with the construction elements.
LIVING ROOM DESIGNED BY CELIA ALIDA RUTTE
Although it is always best to start working with a designer before construction begins, I have started many projects at this point in the design process. It actually makes things easier for me because the homeowner is very clear on how much money they have left for the rest of the project; there are no longer any changes to the room dimensions; and when flooring and paint colours have been pre-selected then we know what our starting colour palette will be.
READING NOOK DESIGNED BY CELIA ALIDA RUTTE
This approach, however, is less beneficial to the homeowner, as a completed renovation creates limitations on the final furniture and finish choices and can drive up costs when those limitations are unsatisfactory. Case in point…
The key paint colour selected for the living and dining room of this home was a beautiful mid-saturation gray with purple undertones from Benjamin Moore called Dior Gray. The homeowner loved it and gravitated towards every shade, tone, and tint of purple-gray that we came across in fabrics and materials. However, the way this paint colour affected the appearance of other colours was quite astonishing.
DINING ROOM DESIGNED BY CELIA ALIDA RUTTE
When we were sourcing materials, those materials would look a certain way in the vendor showroom; but when the homeowner took them home and looked at the same material in the living room, the Dior Gray paint changed the look of the material in ways that you would not expect. It proved to be quite challenging to pull together a complimenting range of purple-grey finishes that gave the room the necessary layers of textural and visual interest.
FAMILY ROOM DESIGNED BY CELIA ALIDA RUTTE
What we ended up having to do is source a larger than normal range of materials to find the ones that did work well in the space with the Dior Gray paint colour; and all the furniture ended up being custom made. Thankfully the homeowner had the budget to accommodate this approach, and we were able to create a gorgeous, finished design.
KITCHEN DINING DESIGNED BY CELIA ALIDA RUTTE
I always like to encourage homeowners to pick their paint colours towards the end of the design work, rather than the beginning. The logic behind this is that there are ten thousand paint colours to choose from, and often a lot less option in finishes and fabrics. You can certainly aim for a colour direction at the start of your project, and then look for that colour in your fabrics and materials. Once the fabrics and materials are selected then you narrow in on the perfect complimenting paint colour for the walls.
WINDOW BENCH DESIGNED BY CELIA ALIDA RUTTE
After we completed the main floor project, the homeowner hired me once again to re-imagine her basement. What started out as a large, dark, and underlit space, used primarily for storing kids toys and unpacked boxes has become a gorgeous family theatre room, mancave, and kitchenette, with lots of custom cabinetry and extra fridge/freezer storage.
CUSTOM SEATING DESIGNED BY CELIA ALIDA RUTTE
Starting with a series of floor plans created in 3D software, I worked alongside the homeowner guiding and facilitating throughout the entire design process. Every fabric, finish and material selected was meticulously reviewed to make sure it would create the desired aesthetic atmosphere and meet the necessary functionality.
FRONT ENTRY DESIGNED BY CELIA ALIDA RUTTE
Structural pillars in the middle of the room, which could not be eliminated, were painted to blend in with the surrounding décor. Rather than repeat the dark grey cabinetry colour on the posts, an alternate but complimentary dark bronze paint with iridescent qualities was chosen to work with the beautiful Cambria Galloway countertop.
BASEMENT MANCAVE KITCHENETTE DESIGNED BY CELIA ALIDA RUTTE
Brass plumbing and hardware accents were added to tie in with the countertop and provide contrast to the dark grey and chocolate brown finishes. Patterned wallpaper was used to accent and provide visual interest on a large stretch of wall at the back of the space. A large cozy, off white area rug was added to the theatre zone to lighten up the room and connect back to the countertop in the kitchenette. With all these beautiful finishes and textures taking center stage, the remaining wall space needed nothing more than a complimenting off white paint colour; the perfect backdrop for some future artwork.
BASEMENT MANCAVE STORAGE DESIGNED BY CELIA ALIDA RUTTE
With the warmth of the fireplace, the cozy dark surroundings, a deep chocolate brown velvet sofa, and a big fur throw this is the perfect place to gather with the family and watch a movie. The beautiful kitchenette with built in bar seamlessly transitions the space into the ultimate mancave—or what my husband likes to call the bro-zone. This was a stunning basement transformation.
BASEMENT MANCAVE THEATRE DESIGNED BY CELIA ALIDA RUTTE
Looking for someone to guide you in making smart and efficient choices throughout your renovation project, we would love the opportunity to help you. We have the expertise, and the design process in place, to do just that.
All the written content within the Nuith website comes directly from the consciousness of humans, and mostly from the consciousness of Celia Alida Rutte. No artificial intelligence has been employed to write these messages. The writer’s hard work and creative struggle were real. Credit to the author noted above is deserved and greatly appreciated.
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