How do you replace and refresh a house’s interiors, whereas nonetheless protecting the normal aesthetic of the unique constructing’s design? That was the conundrum confronted by the homeowners of this English Tudor estate-style house. The home was inbuilt 1995, within the prestigious Flower Mound suburb of Dallas, Texas, and the homeowners had been trying to replace their house and enhance its potential for internet hosting family and friends. The hanging outcomes of its latest renovation and redecoration make this one of many world’s best homes.
Getting it trying this good was not with out its challenges, nevertheless, and the householders sought skilled assist from Kim Armstrong Interior Design (opens in new tab) to plan and implement their house’s new look. Kim labored her method via all the principle dwelling areas, and got here up with new designs for the bedrooms, too. We caught up along with her to debate the highlights of this lighter, brighter conventional English-style house and found that materials, sample and coloration had been key to its transformation.
Lounge
(Picture credit score: Nathan Schroder)
That is the primary room you come to from the doorway lobby and, as designer Kim Armstrong explains, it is a central room with views to different areas of the house and even a staircase and galleried touchdown above. Kim’s living room ideas needed to take the room’s central place under consideration and set the tone for the house’s conventional interiors and contemporary new updates.
‘We began in the lounge, as we did all through the home, by lightening up the wall coloration to an off-white cream with some delicate taupe undertones. We removed the fake end that was in all places all through the home and we additionally used conventional prints, however in additional vibrant colours, so it felt contemporary and never muted or dated,’ says Kim. Certainly one of Kim’s favourite options is the hearth which was authentic to the home however was an architecturally reclaimed vintage. ‘I really like the grand scale of it,’ she provides.
(Picture credit score: Nathan Schroder)
‘Our consumer requested coloration for this foremost front room, nevertheless that is the hub that takes you to the various completely different wings of the house, so we wanted to introduce coloration right here in a really basic, and timeless method, and in addition in a method that flows with the completely different colours which can be sprinkled all through the house,’ explains Kim. ‘The Brunschwig & Fils Le Jardin Chinois cloth was the place we began with the design. I really like the Brunschwig & Fils drapes and the way it lightens the room however nonetheless helps the structure with the extra conventional design.’
The identical Brunschwig & Fils cloth has been used for the armchair upholstery, and be aware how that, along with the pale rug and partitions, balances out the darkish wooden staircase and doorways.
Eating room
(Picture credit score: Nathan Schroder)
Kim’s dining room ideas stemmed from the Chiang Mai Dragon cloth eating chairs the consumer introduced along with her from her outdated home.
‘Given the character of the sample and the basic blue and white print, we stored with that basic blue and white general theme,’ says Kim. ‘The consumer loves turquoise so one of many blues we launched had a turquoise undertone. Fortunately there are touches of this coloration within the cloth so it was straightforward to construct in.’
Kim discovered a grass fabric wallpaper by Winfield Thybony within the excellent shade of blue-turquoise, however determined that an excessive amount of of this coloration would have been overwhelming. Constructing a wainscot and matching the raised panel profile to the gothic arched door proved the very best answer. ‘This elevated the room and allowed us to make use of the beautiful grass fabric with out making the room too blue. The white painted wainscot was the proper steadiness,’ says Kim. ‘We added drama to the ceiling by portray it a extra vibrant hue of the turquoise blue. It is a bit surprising, and we love the drama it brings to the room.’
Library
(Picture credit score: Nathan Schroder)
Each self-respecting, manor home ought to have a library, and this Flower Mound outpost of grand English-style has this absolute gem of an area.
When you’re searching for home library ideas for a extra conventional house, this beautiful studying spot is filled with inspiration.
There have been challenges, nevertheless, in updating the look. ‘The wooden on this room is darkish, it’s spectacular however so as to add darkish muted colours, wouldn’t have given this room the extra up to date colourful contact that the consumer desired.’ says Kim. ‘We tried to lighten and brighten the room with turquoise, off white and touches of coral-orange.’ Utilizing these more energizing coloration choices ties in with the designer’s selections elsewhere within the house and creates concord and circulate from house to house.
Downstairs den
(Picture credit score: Nathan Schroder)
When a room has hanging architectural options as with this downstairs den – an additional front room – with its rotunda home windows with gothic arches, the décor wants to incorporate daring design parts. A bit of furnishings, accent or art work can usually present the inspiration for a room scheme, however on this room the mural above the hearth was truly proving problematic. The husband cherished the mural and needed to maintain it, explains Kim, however the colours of the mural had been rust-red, olive greens, and golds. ‘Not precisely your most up to date coloration trio,’ she says. ‘Nevertheless once we found the Cowtan & Tout pink floral cloth, we knew our drawback was solved. The intense cheerful pink cloth has simply sufficient of the opposite colours that we wanted to drag the entire scheme collectively.’
Different items that Kim launched to boost a extra modern look in her family living room ideas embrace a Charles Fraudree-inspired scalloped ottoman, coated in leopard print velvet; a customized inexperienced couch with an outsized tape band trim; and an vintage sofa from Inessa Stewart in Dallas.
Kim was delighted when she discovered the world rug at Esmaili rugs in Dallas, ‘It’s a up to date design hand knotted wool from Turkey and was probably the most excellent discover of all to finish the room design.’
Upstairs front room
(Picture credit score: Nathan Schroder)
This comfy upstairs front room is the place the householders show a lot of their discovered artwork items, and the completely different colours and patterns and comfy furnishings make it a comfortable get-away den for his or her in a single day friends.
The classic French armoires is an ideal place to retailer a blue and white pottery assortment, whereas a second matching armoire stows the TV. Two vintage bergere chairs are coated in a Peter Faso cloth and the blue and white plaid cloth for the couch is from Lee Jofa.
Bed room
(Picture credit score: Nathan Schroder)
The householders like to entertain and needed to make their friends really feel comfy and welcome. In addition they needed to verify the visitor rooms had been simply as luxurious as the remainder of the home. This downstairs visitor bed room provided loads of scope for brand new bedroom ideas because it was initially missing in options. As Kim explains, ‘It didn’t circulate with the remainder of the home, and felt like a little bit of an afterthought. It had carpet flooring, painted partitions, no crown moulding, and the home windows had boring sheetrock turned edges.’
Kim and her staff put in wood flooring, and added blue Thiabaut grasscloth paper to the partitions. To offer the room some architectural curiosity, they encased the home windows in wooden, and added a white lattice to the ceiling.
‘We first painted the ceiling a brilliant grass inexperienced that gave the room some depth,’ says Kim. ‘And we changed the outdated boring brown ceiling fan with a customized Colleen Rider lantern – the crown jewel of the room!’
The inexperienced print floral cloth is from Thibaut and the bedding is from Williams Sonoma, with customized shams and a bedskirt. The home-owner added a customized monogram to raise the purchased bedding with a glance of bespoke luxurious.
Visitor bed room
(Picture credit score: Nathan Schroder)
This upstairs visitor bed room is one in every of designer Kim’s favourite rooms, with its steps down into the room, a door to the balcony with steps right down to the backyard, and a sloping loft ceiling – all distinctive architectural particulars that make it particular.
Kim had no issues developing with the proper design particulars to boost the room’s current options. She stored the colour palette to completely different shades of blue and white, bringing in a mixture of completely different patterns and textures within the textiles, to offer the room that curated over time feeling.
‘The peaked ceilings with the wooden trim, supplied the proper basis for a stunning Peter Faso wallpaper,’ says Kim. ‘We took the wallpaper on the slanted a part of the ceiling, which simply enveloped the entire sleeping space.’
(Picture credit score: Nathan Schroder)
‘I cherished that the bed room suite was massive sufficient to create a separate lounge space the place we used matching Peter Faso cloth to boost that total European vibe that this room naturally had,’ provides designer Kim.
The homeowners additionally had some lovely French antiques that made the proper additions to the room.
Youngsters’s nursery
(Picture credit score: Nathan Schroder)
Though it is a massive home, of practically 7,000 sq ft, it solely had 4 bedrooms, and for individuals who like to host, this was an issue. They actually wanted an additional bed room for the smallest grandchildren and a mother or father or two to sleep.
Kim’s answer was ingenious.
‘We created a makeshift nursery cum visitor bed room from a card room that was straight off of the upstairs den, and hung drapes from the ceiling that had been totally practical, insulated with bump liner, and ornamental on each going through sides,’ explains Kim. ‘This fashion this room may have full privateness when wanted. We additionally added black out shades that may darken the room in daytime if child wanted some relaxation.’
The bizarre nursery answer typifies Kim’s contemporary and artistic method to the design challenges all through this challenge. And, as we have seen, her new concepts for this beforehand considerably dated house have lifted it out of its 90s timewarp right into a brilliant new period, however one which’s nonetheless very a lot in contact with its conventional roots.
Inside design: Kim Armstrong (opens in new tab)
Pictures: Nathan Schroder (opens in new tab)
