Welcome to 2021, my friends. Around this time last year, I shared some ideas for living vibrantly in the New Year. Reviewing them now, I can still say that I stand by them ALL. These simple tips have inspired my own life for the best, and they feel even more appropriate now as we leave 2020 for a bigger and better year (fingers crossed, right?)
So, no need to reinvent the wheel… if you’re looking to live more vibrantly this year, open that link in a new tab, bookmark it, and check it out when you’re done soaking up all the design inspiration in this post.
To start off the new year beautifully, I’m sharing one of the projects we wrapped up at the end of last year. Simply put… it. is. stunning.
Come walk with me and see how it turned out…
Project Details
This new build home belongs to a young couple who lives in Arlington, Virginia. The location offers them a close commute to their work in D.C., but also has a neighborhood feel, perfect for raising a family. The style of the home is modern craftsman… which (surprise!) is how we got the name.
Project Goals
As a modern new build, the home was structurally designed but was missing some of the color, comfort, and meaningful personal touches to create a welcoming, livable first home.
The scope of work included all living spaces on the first floor, seen in the space plan below (kitchen, living room, dining room, butler’s pantry, and powder room), and the master bedroom and guest suite on the second floor.
Design Concept
Our clients have a global, eclectic style, a love for animals, and a dog and cat of their own. Stylistically, we knew that bold colors and patterns paired with natural textures would be perfect for them and to liven up the blank canvas offered by a new built. As you’ll see in the photos below, we brought in some type of animal print or motif into almost every space… in a sophisticated way, of course!
From a functional standpoint, we designed comfortable spaces perfect for gathering, and performance fabrics that will give their furry family members a run for their money.
Let the home tour commence!
Capital Craftsman: Entryway
The photography in this new build home was shot by Stacy Zarin Goldberg.Enter the front door and you’ll not only be greeted by their adorable pup, but an open foyer boasting this burl wood console and vintage runner with a high-contrast pattern. We balanced the warm tones of the wood and the runner with a blue-toned gray color for the walls. Paired with white wainscoting and a coffered ceiling, the entryway appears more expansive and welcoming.
Pulling from blue tones in the runner and paint color, we styled the console with two vibrant blue lamps, added fresh greenery, and accessorized with books and a catch-all box for keys. Look upstairs you can see a peek of the gallery wall filled with jungle themed prints, but we’re not going upstairs just yet…let’s keep walking!
Capital Craftsman: Kitchen
With the cabinetry already in place from the builder, we specified every other element, from the countertops to the backsplash, to the plumbing fixtures. To create a cohesive design with the rest of the home, we chose these sleek black light fixtures, rattan bar stools, and a blue and green roman shade to tie in the color palette of the living room (more on that below!)
If you’re thinking, “Wait, Janelle… where’s the bold color?” — just wait. The entryway and kitchen are easily the lightest rooms in this new build home. Our clients wanted these spaces to feel bright and expansive, but the next few rooms on our tour are going to get progressively bolder!
Capital Craftsman: Living Room
The kitchen opens up to a wild and worldly living room. The patterned draperies jump out at you first, then the fabulous armchairs with rope detail, and then alllll the smaller elements that tie the design together, like the throw pillows and cocktail table accessories. Since this is where our clients would rest after work or entertain family and friends, we chose a green and blue color palette for a relaxing, sophisticated, and social atmosphere.
The deep navy area rug grounds the living room for the predominantly neutral colored furnishings, including the light grey sofa in a performance fabric, and built-in benches on both sides of the fireplace. For 360 degree seating, we added an additional bench in front of the fireplace to really maximize the space for entertaining. The black-framed windows, found throughout the entire home, could be an element that’s quickly overlooked, but adds a level of detail that you won’t find in many new build homes.
Fun fact – the Zebra “artwork” is actually just a screensaver on their TV!
Right off the living room, we head into even more eye-catching territory…
Capital Craftsman: Dining Room
Now that’s a dining room! If you think this photo is good, being in this space is 10x better. It feels exciting, daring, and promises endless hours of entertainment. To achieve the look, we used black grasscloth wallpaper above the white wainscoting for contrast, a black wood credenza (functional storage, too), a unique woven light fixture, and bamboo chairs wrapped in black leather (more on leather here) surrounding the oval table that can comfortably seat 8. Although black may not be the first choice for some in a dining room, incorporating it in different materials and textures helps it all blend together, not overpower.
Yellow is considered a happy and social color, which we considered a perfect contrast to black in this space. Pops of yellow in the accessories, place settings and art prints bring in the bold hue of these adorable draperies. Although you can’t see the print from afar, closer up they are full of character:
Leaping Leopards by Schumacher is one of our favorite prints in this new build because it adds that perfect wild, safari touch that our clients love!
In the photo above, you can see a little peek of the wallpaper covering the walls of the butler’s pantry adjacent to the dining room…
Capital Craftsman: Butler’s Pantry
Equally wild and worldly, the butler’s pantry has a beating heart of its own! This wallpaper (Zimba in Ebony by Schumacher) evokes energetic movement and excitement… the perfect jolt of energy when refreshing drinks or hors d’œuvres. Good luck getting guests to leave! 😉
Capital Craftsman: Powder Room
The powder room is located near the dining room and butler’s pantry, so we continued the black and yellow palette… but instead of an African safari, we’ve headed to Asia! This wallpaper (Luzon in Grey & Yellow by Thibaut) adds interest, a global edge, and pairs perfectly with a modern vanity, simple geometric tiles, and warm brass hardware.
Psst! — We featured this wallpaper and many more in our vibrant Wallpapers That Wow post.
Capital Craftsman: Master Bedroom
Okay, now we get to head upstairs…
We wanted our clients’ master bedroom to be soothing, uplifting, personal, and restorative. As you know, color and texture is our zone of genius. We combined natural textures, neutral tones, shades of emerald green and orangey-red. The textured grasscloth wallpaper (Channels in Emerald by Thibaut) is the PERFECT backdrop for this space. (It doesn’t look like a blank new build anymore!)
We designed both the upholstered king bed and the cheetah-esque upholstered daybed at the foot to bring in that wow-factor. If the daybed looks huge, it’s not just the photo… it actually is! We customized the size to be 30” x 76” to properly balance the scale of the sizeable master bedroom, demonstrated below in the space plan.
Turn to your right, and you have this stunning view…
The elephant print and other global-inspired accessories speak to the one of the homeowner’s Indian heritage. Elegant draperies elongate the room and invite additional softness, while neutral tones are brought to life with metal accents and texture.
Capital Craftsman: Guest Bedroom
Last but not least, the guest room. We continued the animal theme here, but in a more subtle way compared to the rest of this new build home. The bed, upholstered in this fun leopard print fabric (Trixie by Thibaut) centers the room, while the powder blue nightstands, roman shade, and comfy bench cushion tie in the blue, white and black color palette for a soothing vibe.
Guests might not ever make it to the dining room… they’ll be too in love with their room to leave it!
Final Words
Well, that’s the end of our tour. I hope you enjoyed every bit of it as much as we enjoyed designing it! We’re so happy that our clients were absolutely thrilled with how it turned out and how it represents their eclectic tastes and global background. The only downside? They’re disappointed that COVID hasn’t let them invite over guests for dinner parties yet! Aren’t we all? 😉
Our team has a few exciting projects already lined up for this year, so stay tuned for more reveals! And if you’re ready to update your own home this year, be sure to grab any of our downloadable resources to start on the right foot.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous year!
Xoxo,
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