Teenage boy's room - Before and After

 This teenage boy's room was designed to be calm and restful, which was very much needed after he had lived with the previous owner's purple room - purple carpet, purple trim and another three different purples on the walls (please see the before photographs at the end of the post) for а year.

A quiet spot to dream.

The bed was made in the early 1600s (and still in daily use 400 plus years later!) and grounds the light colors which reflect the sky and ocean seen from the window

There was a clear decision not to make any references to sports or the ocean or any obvious design motif for this sophisticated young man, even though he is a keen sports fan and participant on both land and water.  His design brief was for a relaxing space in which to read and do work and for a room that he would want to stay in, which was had not been his experience in the 'purple dungeon'.  The bed, which was his father's before him, is a beloved piece of furniture and was the jumping off point that brought the room together.

After

Before

Before - Lots of different purples clashing for attention.

The purple had to go! The wall color is now a green/blue that changes hue throughout the day and has enough grey in it to combat the full Southerly exposure this side of the house experiences.  The soft blended colors of the wall, trim and carpet now allow the eye to travel out through the window to the spectacular ocean views beyond and an overstuffed armchair in cream is now a favorite place to watch the white sails go past in the distance or settle down with a good book.  The artwork was bought to reference the colors of the room and the close proximity to the ocean.

The slight red tone of the four hundred year old bed was blended into the design with a toile bed hanging with splashes of red, the chair cushion, a red and blue carpet for the side of the bed and a red and cream small check lamp shade.  The heavier early style furniture is offset by the lightness of the carpeting and wall color.

Hallway re-fresh. Before and After photographs.

The Entrance hall and staircase for a house of this size was unusually small and undefined and not helped by the jazzy striped wood floor.  

Before...

View of the stripy floor - Before

Before

Before - the two Doric columns were beautifully made, but out of proportion, over hung the ceiling so the rough tops could be seen from the upstairs floor and stairs and made a cramped space feel even smaller.

The newel post was designed to look like a lighthouse and did not suit the sophistication of the house

First the pillars were removed and the floors re-finished

After...

The floors were stained a custom mix to match the patina of a 17th century chest belonging to the owners 

Remember?? 

 The walls are the same color, but the unfinished part of the baseboard was painted and a cohesive more restful and hopefully sophisticated look achieved.

The wall color was left the same and trim re-painted a brighter white to add visual contrast and interest.
A sisal carpet was laid down to soften the edges and absorb some of the noise from the large open plan space. 

After - Design by Ele Blackshaw

To give an illusion of space the pillars were removed and a Persian carpet picking up the colors of the sisal and the newly stained floor was laid in the  'empty' area which now became an extension of the entrance hall and gave it the appropriate space it needed for a house of this size.  Trees blocking the view were removed and there was now a direct sight line from the front door through the entrance hall to the ocean (seen in the glass reflection),