Mad (Men) Office Renovation

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I was super excited to be asked to renovate new offices for a local consulting firm.  This would be the first office renovation for me, but without thinking twice I figured that having worked in offices for most of my life I should be able to handle this new adventure.  Well, that remains to be seen, but I am hopeful.   The business had outgrown its existing space, which was to say the least…undecorated.  There were some great furniture pieces that could definitely be used again and some that I hoped I would never again.  The owner had a midcentury Mad Men vision for the new expanded space they were moving to.  This I saw as a challenge, to keep a Mad Men vibe without being too midcentury kitchy and at the same time keeping a coastal feel since the office is only blocks to the beach.

The first thing I purchased as a Thank You, for taking me on, despite my inexperience in this field, was a bar cart.  I have always wanted to buy a bar cart.  I decorated it with lovely retro glassware, bar tools, and of course everything one might need to make a cocktail.  We cheered the upcoming project and I got to work laying out the plans.

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The new space was a heavy, smelly, dark mess.  Covered in nasty cheap wallpaper, which covered moldy walls and yellowed paint.  There was dark green hued carpeting, and a reddish hardwood flooring in some offices.  This was going to be a bigger project than I initially thought.

 

Stay tuned to see the transformation.

Moorings House Beachy Revamp

Interiors

This South Florida coastal home, built in the late 1950’s, is what can be known as a Kit House.  They were called Kit Houses because you could literally order a kit from a department store like Sears, or Montgomery Ward or an individual manufacturer’s catalog complete with everything you needed to build these houses yourself.

 

LONG – LOW AND MODERN…I love it!

These kit houses are all over the United States and there is a cult following for some of the styles, especially those manufactured by Alladin Homes.  While I do not think this particular house was from an actual kit, nor has a cult following, it is a very sturdy and well laid out vacation home.  All this house needed was a little design magic.  The client who intended to rent the house seasonally wanted a very warm, beachy style that would appeal to most.

This also needed to be done on the cheap.  Not my favorite term.  The house was empty, but the existing light fixtures had to stay.  So we started with a a clean sweep of Benjamin Moore’s Decorator White throughout the house to give it a nice clean backdrop.  Then after many trips to HomeGoods, Pottery Barn and Ikea we settled on some cute beach furnishings.  This was a rush job as some relatives were coming to stay in the house so I will call it a work in progress.  Once they are gone we will go back in and finish up!