Last year I blogged about my parents’ huge house renovation where they basically ripped the entire front of the house off and expanded forward. We built a dream kitchen for my mom, and while we were at it, we knocked down two tiny bathrooms and turned them into one big bathroom. I know it’s unusual to reduce the number of rooms in a house, but they don’t plan on moving and will probably expand again in a couple years and build out a new master suite.

My mom is super hip and wanted a more contemporary look for this bathroom. I looked up tons of companies that made simple, modern vanities and bathroom fixtures but few of them were affordable and none of them had a quick turnaround time. Since both bathrooms were demolished at the same time, my parents were eager to complete the renovation quickly so they would have a usable bathroom. (They were living in an RV parked in the side yard during the entire duration of the renovation.) We ended up going with an IKEA vanity and matching cabinets. Aside from the sink being a little too shallow, we’re pretty happy with it. Not sure why it took me so long to post the pics, but here they are!

pin it!I love natural light in bathrooms. In all rooms, actually.

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pin it!We had some drama with the grout. I initially had chosen a warm gray and as soon as we started putting it on, I had a gut feeling that it wasn’t the right color. I read on the label that it would dry lighter, so my mom and I proceeded with grouting the entire shower. We walked away then took another look a few hours later, and to our dismay, the grout was still a nasty mud color, which ruined the look of the whole room. We decided it would be worth it to re-grout so I went to Home Depot and bought all kinds of scrapers and pointy things and we spent 5 hours de-grouting the entire shower. Fortunately, the new lighter gray grout made all the difference.

pin it!The nice man who installed our shower glass for us. It’s a fascinating process to watch. He told me he used to specialize in tile work, but inhaling ceramic dust was taking a toll on his health, so he started a glass company instead.

pin it!The vanity is from from IKEA and is called Godmorgon (which means good morning in Sweedish!) The sconce is from Restoration Hardware (discontinued). The mosaic tile on the back splash is from Home Depot.

My friend Natasha started her company, NH media last year and has since become one of the rising starts in fashion PR in NYC. She used to say, “Jen, when I get my office you’re going to decorate it for me,” and that day has finally come! She signed a lease on a new office in a prime location north of Times Square and we began planning right away. I put together a floor plan and an idea board, purchased all the furniture and accessories, then over the course of a weekend while Natasha was out of town, Andrea and I transformed the space just in time for a grand reveal to kick off fashion week.

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After! Some people have mentioned that it reminds them of my mom’s home office.

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I built a radiator cover. It’s one of my favorite elements. In case you’re wondering, that’s a tape dispenser shaped like a stiletto on her desk. That is from her personal collection.

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It’s been a great month for Natasha. She has a brand new office and she was also selected as one of Bergdorf Goodman’s  Faces of 5F, a competition to find beautiful non-models to feature in their fall campaigns. The ad is featured in Lucky Magazine’s October issue. Go check it out!

A few months ago I was asked to create an interview room for Pregnant in Heels, a show about rich pregnant ladies in New York City. The show revolves around Rosie Pope, who owns the premier pregnancy concierge company on the Upper East Side. She designs clothes and accessories, teaches classes, and helps soon-to-be-moms prepare for motherhood in the most glamorous way possible. The show is not just about diamond pacifiers, though. Check it out on Bravo every Tuesday at 10/9c! Big thanks to my awesome art assists, Keith, Lisa, Elise, and Kelley.

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I woke up this morning and thought, “Seriously Jen? 6 weeks since the last blog post? That’s lame.” No excuses here. I was just in a weird mood and didn’t want to blog. My queue of projects to blog is pretty long, so happy 2011 everyone. Here we go…

Before the holiday I was working on Rachel’s house. I was really hoping to have after pictures up before Christmas, but we ordered a few things that were backordered so as soon as those come in, I can take pics. Her place is alllllmost done. Can’t wait to finish it up and show you guys.

In the meantime I went back to my parents’ house in California for the holiday and worked on their house for a few weeks. Last year I showed you guys the exterior and kitchen, both of which we’re super happy with. The house has been “done” for a year and the transformation still amazes me. I think when you put in 132.6% into a home improvement project, you never really tire of the finished product. Sometimes I sit in the living room and stare at the ceiling for quite some time and admire the crown moulding just bc i freakin’ love it.

The entire house is furnished and functional, but I had to put some final touches on the rooms before I could release pics into the universe. My current favorite is my Mom’s little home office. Unfortunately I don’t have befores but it was pretty sad looking. Just take my word for it.  There was an ill-fitting glass table, the short end stump of a sectional sofa, a TV from the 80’s, and a really ugly exposed storage area wallpapered in orange and brown tweed. I’m glad to say that ALL of that is long gone, and the room is looking mucho sexy.

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I was always a fan of the wide stripe we used on the Project Runway All Star Challenge, so I opted for the same paint treatment in my mom’s office. The colors are Benjamin Moore Wet Concrete and Hazelwood. The gorgeous rug is from Williams Sonoma but has been discontinued.

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The cabinets are from IKEA. I spray painted them gray and embellished them with wood trim. More on how I pimped out those cabinets here. The desk is from Target. I found the chair on craigslist and sprayed it white.

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The sofa and ottoman is from Room and Board. The side table is from TJ Maxx. The pillows are from a home store in Taiwan.

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We finally put a door on that god awful storage nook. I put frosted window film on the glass to cover the clutter. The awesome shoe cabinet is from IKEA. It fills my heart with joy to see things fit that perfectly. The TV console is actually a buffet and is from Target. Again, perfect fit. <3 <3 <3 Oh and raisin colored french doors?!!

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The pic on the left is me and ma with my grandmother. She’s the real artist of the family. She made the shirt she’s wearing as well as almost every article of clothing my mom and her 3 brothers wore in their youth. She’s a self-taught everything and a wicked smart lady.

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THIS IS MY MOM! Isn’t she fab? As you can see, she is WAY cooler than me. I definitely inherited her attention to detail and bargain shopping skills, but not her super skinny legs or keen fashion sense. I’m pretty sure every year she looks a little bit younger. Love ya, mama!

My new client, Rachel saw my room in Apartment Therapy’s Big Book of Small Spaces and contacted me about helping her with her home, a fantastic West Village 1 bedroom that she’s lived in for about 10 years. We share an obsession with design blogs, so naturally she had a lot of great ideas for her space, but never managed to pull the look together.

There are so many decisions to make when undergoing an overhaul, from organizing and purging, to space planning, to paint and furniture selection. On top of all that, New York is one huge logistical nightmare, so even getting a table from point A to point B is stressful and intimidating. It’s tricky achieving a look that is fresh and exciting yet functional and timeless.  It’s usually not as easy as it looks on TV. Not to worry. I can help :)

The best thing about Rachel’s home is that she has a lot of good looking stuff that she’s accumulated over the years. When it comes time to style the space, I’m confident it will look fantastic and will really reflect her taste.  I met with her recently to talk about her wish list, then presented her with some idea boards.  I’m really looking forward to diving into the project.

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THE FLOOR PLAN
You enter into the kitchen on the left, the living room is in the middle, and the bedroom is on the right.

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THE KITCHEN
ADVANTAGES
– It’s relatively large for a NY kitchen.
– The cabinets and appliances are plain white. Could be way worse.

DISADVANTAGES
– The lighting is H O R R I B L E. There is a fluorescent ring bulb fixture that casts the most dreadful light over the entire space.
– It’s the first room you see when you walk in, so there’s no hiding it when it’s looking disheveled.
– The kitchen also serves as the entry, and there is no designated spot to hang coats, umbrellas, bags, etc.
– There isn’t a proper table for eating or working. (Paying bills, checking emails, etc)

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KITCHEN SOLUTIONS
– Replace the light with and incandescent feature
– Paint one wall with black chalkboard paint as a high contrast focal wall
– Turn the wall opposite the stove into a well organized “control center” for the home with a desk, shelves, and hooks for coats and bags.
– Replace folding cafe table and chairs with something more permanent

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THE LIVING ROOM
ADVANTAGES
– Hmm…let me think about that :)

DISADVANTAGES
– The tan color doesn’t allow Rachel’s vibrant accessories to pop
– The media cabinet is H U G E and completely dominates the space
– The small window with the A/C unit is an eyesore
– Too many accessories competing, so nothing really stands out

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LIVING ROOM SOLUTIONS
– Paint the walls a dark moody color for contrast so her art and accessories pop
– Get a new media storage unit that is shallower and more proportionate to the space
– Edit accessories and frame and hang art and prints

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THE BEDROOM
ADVANTAGES
– There are 2 windows with nice light.
– There is an beautiful fireplace
– Most of the furniture in here is neutral and versatile enough to be cleaned up and re-used
– Her existing bedding is nice and can be re-used

DISADVANTAGES
– Gross, old, blinds are the only window coverings
– Way too much clutter
– Paint is getting old and dingy
– Needs more closed storage for her clothes, accessories, and makeup

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BEDROOM SOLUTIONS
– Paint the room a soothing shade of grayish aqua
– Make a headboard
– Add a new light fixture as a focal point
– New area rug

…WHEW! The planning process is well underway. I will be blogging regular updates, so stay tuned!