Focus on {Kitchens}

Anyone else been stuck in the kitchen this week cooking healthy meals in hopes of sticking to 2020 New Years Resolutions??  Over here at Hart & Lock Design, we are trying out “Soup January” in an effort to stay warm and cozy AND start healthy eating habits.  And, just so you know, “Soup January” is not a thing, we just made it up!  We were inspired by one of our favorite designers, Emily Henderson, who blogged about her month of eating soup last fall!

Speaking of kitchens, we have TWO kitchen renovations coming up this spring!  We will be starting demo on one of those kitchens at the end of this month and we plan to share the process  - from demo to final product - here on the blog. 

Today though, we felt a bit nostalgic, and wanted to take a look back at past kitchen projects!

Let’s start with this GORGEOUS space we renovated last spring!

We kept the colors super neutral and used tone and texture to create a lot of visual interest. The warm wood detailing on the hood is carried throughout the space in details such as the legs on the island and the live edge top on the opening between the kitchen and sunroom. It really breaks up all the light creamy whites!

The same wood detail is featured on the other side of the kitchen in these two toned cabinets. And we CAN’T EVEN with that arched window and cabinetry!

And last but not least, a fun beverage area!

White is such a classic color, but an all white kitchen can be BORING!  The gold accents and pops of navy in this kitchen keep it classic, and NOT boring.

P.S. Did you know Pantone just announced it’s color of the year? Hint…it’s blue!

Here’s a close-up of the navy cabinetry nook.  A beverage fridge and microwave drawer are tucked away neatly along with some great extra storage!

The details are what can turn a space into a statement.  In this picture you can get a better look at the details that transformed this space such as the gold accent on the range hood, the cross beam detail on the island, and the small glass cabinets topping the enclosed cabinets.  We also loved how this kitchen flowed in to a lofted dining nook!

We’ve worked on quite a few different styles as well over the past few years….

This kitchen has a modern farmhouse vibe with touches of rustic wood, gold, and leather.

A few years ago we worked on a very modern and eclectic kitchen that would still stand the test of time! We still love those wooden bar stools!

And here’s a very classic and traditional kitchen in a new build we designed. The stained wood, white cabinetry and chrome fixtures look so fresh and timeless!

The kitchen really is the HEART of the home.  We can’t tell you how many parents we talk to that tell us they want their kitchen to shine because it’s where they spend 85-90% of their time!  

Stay tuned in the next few weeks for our first kitchen DEMO post!

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Simple and Elegant Christmas Decorating

Every year, we take a MINUTE to enjoy the holiday season and decorate a few client’s homes for Christmas. This year was extra busy at Hart & Lock Design so we only did a few, but we wanted to share our favorite and a few tips when decorating your own home!  

Christmas decorating can get a little haphazard, so our best advice is to think it through before starting. 

What overall color scheme do you want to weave through? Do you have any collections you can group together?  What items can you pull from your everyday decor that might match the look you are going for? 

This client’s home has a modern farmhouse type vibe with touches of glamour and elegance.  We wanted to match that style and make Christmas BLEND in while still feeling super festive.  We went with crisp whites, neutrals, burlaps, and deep rich greens.  And, of course, a little glitter!

Our client already had a collection of Christmas houses she wanted to display, so we gathered them all up and created a winter village in her dining room!

We mixed in all types of trees that fit our color scheme and overall look as a backdrop for the houses.  It gave the area a cohesive and cozy look!

How ENCHANTING are these houses?!?

Don’t be afraid to SWAP out some of your normal decor to create a Christmas display!  It’s better to take a few things out than to try and squeeze in Christmas pieces here and there.  

We swapped out some dishes and serving pieces on the top shelf of this hutch to create a sweet collection of trees. It helped tie together the entire dining room winter village scene!

Now, on to the mantle!  We started with our client’s GORGEOUS family photo, that happened to be Christmas themed, as a centerpiece and layered in stockings and greenery. 

Zoom in on those gorgeous reindeer statues!

Sometimes, SIMPLE is best.  We hung white paint-dipped pine cone wreaths from green velvet ribbon on each window for a striking, yet simple, look in the living room.

We continued the wreaths hung from ribbon idea in to the kitchen dining area since the rooms are side by side to make more of a statement. Then, using a glass cloche and tray that was already the everyday centerpiece for the kitchen table, we created a scene for a family of white reindeer.  Tying a small knot of the green velvet ribbon around the top of the cloche was the FINAL touch!

Our final task was THE TREE!  We wrapped the tree in the same green velvet ribbon we had used throughout the house and tied a simple bow at the top.  Using the same ribbon in all the Christmas scenarios really pulled everything together.

In our opinion, a full tree is a FESTIVE tree! We layered ornaments of all different textures and sizes with blueberry springs and pinecones and handpicked some of the families favorite ornaments as well!

There have been quite a few articles floating around the past few years touting the science that a decorated home for the holidays increases happiness levels…true or not true?  We say TRUE!

We hope YOU are enjoying this holiday season!

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