Last week I introduced you to our Project San Clemente (if you haven’t seen the gorgeous video, click HERE), and today I want to share with you the same project with some of the before and after images. We decorated the entire house, including the doormat. Which is in the aforementioned video, but not featured on today’s blog.

Now, keep in mind the family had just moved here from California and still had packing boxes scattered about, as well as empty rooms. They had sold / left almost all of their furniture behind and were starting over. We take time to learn all of our clients’ styles, the colors they do like, the ones they don’t, images of spaces they like the feel of, and we also learn about their lifestyle. It’s great having a beautiful home, but if it is not functional, what is the use?

So, let us start at the beginning. The foyer:

Having the correct size entry table (in this instance a sideboard that provides extra storage and room for two beautiful blue lamps) and entry rug makes a such a welcoming statement every time the front door is opened. The husband is an avid hunter, so we wanted to honor his tastes in our designs so we included this antelope rug (and full runner up the stairs) for his pastime. But don’t worry – no animals were hurt for our project! And what do you think about that gorgeous chandelier replacement? It really brings a fresh and modern feel to the space, doesn’t it?

And here is the formal dining room, just off of the foyer. See that sideboard on the left? That is what we moved into the entry. No need to go purchase anything new!

The formal dining room was too narrow for a sideboard, so moving it into the entry was a great option. We again, got rid of the traditional wrought iron chandelier and introduced a lighter toned option. Times two. We love the double chandelier in rooms that can hold it. We also kept the dining table and chairs and just reupholstered them. Again – why spend the money if what you have just needs a little re-fresh? We also placed my favorite Crate & Barrel DuBois Mirrors across from a gorgeous, custom piece of art.

The home office is across from the dining room. I don’t have a before photo, but here is the result:

As we move forward into the main part of the house, we are faced with a whole lot of vanilla with these built ins, don’t you think?

So we spruced them up with an ombre paint style. Adding a gorgeous shade of aqua to the space. We have this color, various hues of blue – and just a pop of orange as our main palette. Paint is a super easy way to create interest without a lot of investment or commitment.

Do you see the zebra chair in the before photo? Those are the same ones that are now in the home office. Cool, huh? Speaking of cool – I love the lamp we selected for the side table. Not only is it gorgeous, but it provides charging for the various electronics this family has.

Turning around we have the kitchen and eat in. We did not get a good image (translation: not ridiculously blurry and dark) of the whole kitchen during our visit, but it was enough to decide we needed to infuse some color.

So since the cabinets above the stove were an odd shape (do you see the doors at an angle?), we decided to paint it and actually draw attention away from the odd feature the builder installed. Now the paint tricks your eyes and you think it is a hood. Right? Did it work on you too?

The eat in (or breakfast room) is just off the family room and kitchen, but the space was off center due to where they hung the (gasp – another!) wrought iron, traditional style chandelier.

It was an easy fix to re-position the chandelier. And again, we got rid of the traditional-wrought-iron-that-is-in-every-house-north-of-Dallas and replaced it with a polished nickel lantern style. fixture. The table extends if they need to seat more than their immediate family around the table, and the bench keeps the side of the space facing the other areas open and more accessible. And isn’t that art arrangement divine? I highly recommend hiring a professional to hang your art whenever you can, but especially with something like this that needs to be so precise.

The master bedroom had the client’s previous headboard and nightstands, which was just lost in this ginormous, Texas sized house. We also customized the bedding for this special room. I believe that your master bedroom should be your retreat at the end of every day. A place where you don’t cut corners so that when you retire to your bedroom, you have everything to your liking and it is truly your sanctuary. It feels safe, secure and serene.

Yes, that is me and my client in the mirror. I was obviously expressive with my hands.

Remember this house had already had all of the tile, lighting, cabinets and countertop selections made. So we were working with what we had.

We did change out the lighting, painted, added a cool chandelier (you can see it well in the mirror) and a custom roman shade to make this space feel a little more special.

And then we go upstairs. This is the game room. Yes, it is a blank wall. But remember I mentioned the family left / sold everything when they left California. Blank canvas up here.

We incorporated a few of the trophies the husband had and worked them in with a Texas flag as well as an image of the state of California. Home should be a reflection of the people who live there.

The media room had 2 swivel chairs and was the same vanilla color as the rest of the house.

It’s amazing what a coat of paint can do, right?! A dark blue is a nice update to the traditional theater maroon. Then, we asked each family member what their favorite movie was, and then had the posters framed in oversized frames. They really made a statement. Theater seating. A few stump-style side tables for extra item placement, and this room is ready for action.

Our client has two teenage boys and she wanted to get their rooms done faster than what it would take for all of our to-the-trade vendors would manage. So we selected everything in both of them from JCPenney, which is the company that brought them from California to Texas.

Notice those swivel chairs at the end of the bed? Those were from the media room. And the coffee table was originally in the family room. We are environmentally friendly, recycling Dallas Interior Designers. haha!

The ottoman at the foot of the bed used to be at the foot of the bed in the master bedroom. Again, why purchase something when you already own a viable solution?

Oh, and check out the doorknob. One of the details we were able to add to the brand new home was to add unique hardware throughout. Instead of the builder grade doorknobs and cabinet pulls, we found a beautiful, modern-rustic pewter solution to add some character.

This house had an extra, giant bedroom upstairs that our client wanted to be able to house as many teenagers as possible. I do not have a good image of the room before, but thought I would share this snapshot of the sweet pooch in the room instead.

So we purchased two twin beds, one with a trundle, brought up an existing chair & ottoman, and voila – room for at least 3 more teenagers to crash after a fun night in the game room.

So that is your Project San Clemente house tour. The only rooms not featured are the downstairs guest room and the guest bathrooms (including the powder) because it was not finished at the time the AFTER images were taken. We have since done the powder room with a beautiful wallpaper, rustic mirror and new hardware – and it looks gorgeous. I’ll see if I can find some snapshots and put them up on Instagram.

In the meantime, if you – or somebody you know – needs help making their house a (beautiful and functional) home, please give us a call. While this project’s before and after images are in Frisco, Texas, we are available throughout the Dallas metroplex and nationwide. We would love to discuss the project with you! (972)248-4733